This week at BCHMCPS

As we enter the last week before our winter break, I want to take a moment to thank all of our families for their continued support and commitment to all of our children and extend my wishes to all of you that you find all the joy and peace that this season offers. Although this is a short week ( no school on Friday!) there is much activity around the school and I hope to see many of you this week to offer these wishes in person.

Reminder that Tuesday is the December Principal's Coffee from 9-9:30. Please come by and enjoy a hot cup of coffee and breakfast pastry. This month Charter Coach Beth-Ann Allen will will talking about BCHMCPS's charter mission, the Accelerated Schools Plus Model.


A BIG thank you to all the families who took part in last week's fun Family Code Night. I would also like to thank Barnstable Public School's technology department's Beth Knittle, our own tech assistant Sally Johnson and very importantly, Barnstable High School senior Molly Autery ( Kindergarten teacher Mrs. Autery's daughter) who organized the whole event. Thank you!!

This Week at BCHMCPS

This weekend saw the first snowfall of the season. As we enter December and the colder months a reminder to please send your child in with a warm coat, hat, mittens and appropriate shoes for the colder weather. Every day, I see students with just a sweatshirt or sweater as they are heading out to recess. If we can help to provide warmer clothes for your child/ren, please contact me confidentially and will help provide warm clothes.

I have emailed all families a brochure with  important information about the flu and your child. Thank you to Nurse Melley for this important information.
Hard copies of this informational sheet can be found in the main office. This information can also be found on the following link:

https://www.cdc.gov/flu/pdf/freeresources/updated/fluguideforparents_brochure.pdf

On Friday, we will have the December All School Community Meeting at 9:30 at the Hyannis Youth Community Center (HYCC). Please remember that you must fill out the annual update of your child's information (located on the district and school website) for your child to attend this or any off school grounds field trip. Right now we have 11 families who still need to fill out the updated information.  Unfortunately and student whose information has not been updated will not be able to attend this meeting. If you are one of these 11 families and need assistance filling out the update, please feel free to come to the school office and we will assist you.



Reminders-

• We are hosting Family Code Night tomorrow night from 5:30-7:30. You MUST have signed  up ahead of time to attend. 
• There is a PTO Meeting on Wednesday December 13th at 3:45 in the gym.

Week of December 4th

I want to send a quick reminder to families that ALL BCHMCPS students get breakfast every day at no cost. We are so fortunate to be able to offer this to all students. In January, we will be asking our students about their favorite breakfast foods and getting their feedback on our breakfast program. We encourage students to partake in breakfast every day and ask that you encourage your child/ren as well. We also welcome your feedback on the Breakfast in the Classroom Program.

A reminder that Parent Teacher Conferences will take place this Tuesday and Thursday and students will be dismissed both days at 12:00. There will be NO after school daycare on Tuesday or Thursday.

During your Parent/Teacher Conference, please stop by the Math Room (Room 23) to see Mrs. Milne and/or the Reading Room to see Mrs. White (Room 22 ). Both teachers will be available to answer questions, or to help with our digital Math and Reading programs.    

BCHMCPS is collecting new socks and hats to donate those in need. There is a box outside the main office to put donations. Thank you for helping others.

BCHMCPS Update

 It is so hard to believe that this Friday we will welcome the month of December! As we look to  December we have much to look forward to and as we look back at November so much to be grateful for! I hope all of your families enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving and the short break from school with family and friends.

A few reminders of upcoming events:
Tomorrow, November 29th is a half day of school with a 12:00 dismissal for all students. There is no afterschool program tomorrow. If your child attends the afterschool program, please make sure to make alternate arrangements for your child tomorrow.

Report cards will go home this Friday December 1st. Parent conferences will be held next Tuesday and Thursday, December 5th and 7th. Those days will also be a 12:00 dismissal and there will be no afterschool program on those days as well.

BCHMCPS is so excited to invite our families to the first ever Family Code Night! On Tuesday December 12th from 5:30-7:30. This fun night is limited to 25 families and we already have a number of families signed up. Please see the flyer below on how to sign up your family for this fun and educational event!

Roof Work on School

You may have noticed a large dumpster and temporary fencing placed at the school over the past two days. These are here in preparation for roof work that will replace the school roof. Work will start this Friday when we are off in observance of Veterans' Day. When we return on Monday, you will see staging by the entrance (walker entrance) nearest to the Kindergarten classrooms and the HYCC. This is the area where work will begin. From there the work will move to the back of the building and around the building by the big playground side and around the front. Work will not take place in areas during drop off and pickup. All workers have been CORI checked. All safety precautions have been reviewed and work is expected to be completed on this phase within a few weeks. Work will start again in the spring to complete the project. Please feel free to contact me with any questions.

Tomorrow- Tuesday, November 7th- is the November Principal Coffee.This was on our November calendar as next Tuesday but is TOMORROW. This month's topic is the response to bully concerns. How parents/ guardians may report concerns and the process the school takes once a bully report is received. We will be holding the coffee from 9-9:30 in the cafeteria.








The Picture Retake Day has been scheduled for November 16th. If you would like your child to have his/her picture taken on November 16th, please inform your child's teacher so she will know which children will have his/her picture taken that day.


Many, many thanks to everyone who made last week's Theme Night such a success! A special thank you to Beth-Anne Allen for her hard work in organizing and making sure the night ran smoothly.

Lots of fun and action in the gym!

Miss Callahan and Mr. Barandas outside Grade 1's "Bat Cave"!

Welcome to November! Wow did October fly by and November has started off with so much fun I suspect that this month will pass by quickly as well. We have started November off with a wonderful All School meeting with the annual Community theme and tonight is the Community Theme Celebration and Ice Cream Social.

We hope to see all of you tonight to recognize the students' hard work and celebrate. 

If you were not able to make this morning's meeting please enjoy the picture  below that give you a sense of the fun!

Veterans' Day is just around the corner and we at BCHMCPS would like to honor our veterans. Earlier this week your child brought home a flyer with information about an event at BCHMCPS that will honor and remember our veterans. We are asking families to identify a veteran that your family knows, fill out the bottom part of the flyer with the name of this veteran and return this to the school. Children will be writing the name of this veteran on a twist tie label that will be attached to a flag. These flags will then be "planted" in the front green in a flag garden honoring our veterans. There will also be a banner thanking veterans.
Thank you to the PTO for purchasing the flags and ties to support this activity and thank all of you for your support in honoring those who sacrificed for our country.



I was honored to be asked to speak on behalf of the Breakfast in the Classroom Programat a state-wide Superintendents' and School Committee conference held right here in Hyannis.  Speaking with me on the panel yesterday at the conference was First Grade student Enzo Coelho and his mother Angelica Miranda. Both Enzo and his mother gave great testimony to the breakfast program and its importance to helping feed students every day. Thank you to both of them for being such great representatives of BCHMCPS! The audience who was at this conference was very impressed!

Student Enzo Coelho and his mom Angelica Miranda speaking on a panel with me about the Breakfast in the Classroom Program at a recent Superintendents' Conference. 

October 11

What a beautiful October we have been having so far, with the beautiful weather it is hard to believe that we have been in school for almost two months already! We have lots going on school with some fun events and lots of learning for both students and families. A few of these happenings and important messages are below.

A big thank you to Mrs. Milne and Mrs. White for running two family tutorials, last week and today, on online resources that families can use at home. These tutorials were informational and fun. Thank you to everyone who attended. If you were not able to attend and want to learn more about these resources, please contact Mrs. melley or Mrs. White.


On this Friday, October 13th, we will have this year's second All School Community Meeting and invite all families to attend. The meeting will start at 9:30 at the HYCC. We look forward to seeing you there!

A message from Board of Trustees Chairperson Todd Carley: 

The BCHMCPS Board of Trustees needs you! We invite parents/guardians to consider joining the Board. BCHMCPS is a public charter school that needs community minded people to volunteer their time to ensure the children of our school become leaders of tomorrow.

The Board of Trustees (BOT) is responsible for governing the affairs and activities of BCHMCPS, oversees the school’s finances, and ensures the children are being given the best learning environment possible.

We are looking for parents and community members who are interested in making BCHMCPS one of the best schools in Barnstable.

Please contact me for additional information on how to become a member, or feel free to share my contact info if you know somebody who might be interested.

Sincerely,

Todd G. Carley

Barnstable Community Horace Mann Charter Public School

BCHMCPS Board of Trustees – Chair

BCHMCPS@outlook.com

Notes from the Nurse Melley:

Screenings for vision and hearing will begin starting next week and, continue until the end of the month. If your child wears glasses please make sure they have them. If your child's vision and hearing are okay then, you will not receive any notice. If you child needs to be further assessed by their doctor you will receive a referral note home in your child's back pack. Please try and follow-up with your child's doctor promptly. If you have and questions or concerns please contact me at 508 790-6495.

PTO Notes:

Hello BCHMCPS families, your friendly neighborhood PTO is reaching out to you with info and appeals. We are busily preparing for several key events that will allow the PTO to help pay for upcoming field trips and bus travel. Time flies when you’re having fun in PTO!

The Box Tops for Education program is coming due at the end of this month. Look for more backpack info and a collection sheet to be filled in and returned to school.

On October 27th from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm we will be hosting a Halloween Spooktacular with Miss Lori from Klub Kidz. Look for more backpack information on this fun fundraiser in the next week or so, including volunteer opportunities.

BCHMCPS students are now selling Calendar Raffle tickets!! During November we will run the Calendar Raffle, drawing a winning ticket each school day throughout the month. There are many valuable and desirable items in the raffle, all listed in the Calendar Raffle information your children brought home in their school folders recently. This fundraiser is vital to the PTO, raising a significant portion of the money we disburse each year. If you need more Calendar Raffle tickets or info, please stop by the main office. There is also a prize for the top selling student in each grade.

We will be updating the BCHMCPS PTO Facebook page, the front hall display case and the PTO portion of the info board in the next weeks. Please feel free to contact us via email at pto.bchmcps@gmail.com.

The Week Ahead

We have a very busy week ahead filled with opportunities for our parents and guardians to take part in school happenings! 

On Monday the Board of Trustees hold their monthly meeting. Meetings are held next door to the school at the Hyannis Youth Community Center starting at 5:30. All are welcome!

On Tuesday October 3 from 9-9:30 we will host this year's second Principal's "K Cup" Coffee. This month's topic will be Title I services at BCHMCPS. All those who attend will have the opportunity to win a "K Cup" basket filled with treats! We hope to see many of you there.

Wednesday October 4th at 4:00 we invite all parents/guardians to attend a fun informational session that will show you all the ways that your child can use web-based programs at home that our school provides for all students. Curriculum specialists Mrs. Milne and Mrs. White will review all the wonderful learning opportunities that your child can access at home using these programs that your child also uses at school. You will be given access codes for your child to use the programs and will be shown how to support your child in at-home learning. All programs are provided by the school and are offered for your at- home use. We highly encourage your attendance so you will be familiar with these programs. 
A second session that will be a repetition of the October 4th session  will be offered on October 11th at 9:00 am.

I want to send out a BIG congratulation to the following students who took part and completed the summer reading challenge and thank Reading Specialist Mrs. White for organizing this summer's reading challenge:


First Grade
   Rayssa Cropalato
   Manon Gest
   Charlotte Calise
   Nicholas De Oliveira
   Walker White
   Leah Igoe
   William (Tully)Princi
   Malcolm Collins
   Clarisse Collins
   Lilly Chaprales
   Enzo Coelho
   Manny Gomes
   Brett White


Second Grade
    Conor Donovan
    Avery Garrison
    Jonah Hughes
    Tessa Przygoda
    Lia Reis
    Cole Mason
    Damon Pina
    Ariannah Ranney




Third Grade
    Ben Burnett
    Samantha Curley
    Carter Duffy
    Kiera Hughes
    Joelle Sader (Jo-Jo)
    Adam White
    Peter Andrade
    Cameron Cho
    Isabella Magalhaes
    Emily McKnight
    Michael Sestakauskas
    Phoenix Stanley
    Amelia Stoots
    Olivia Calise
    Damir Raspante

Reminder!!! No school on Friday October 6th. Teachers will be attending all-day professional development!

Happy Autumn!

Today at 4:02 we said good-bye to summer and hello to fall. The weather the past few days has been so gloomy we have working with a new motto- "Sunshine inside the school, even when it is rainy outside"!

I want to take this opportunity to thank Kelly Downing for her devotion to the school garden and the great work she has done. The garden is thriving and Kelly has really been a major part of this effort. Kelly has decided to step down as chair of the Garden Committee. I am reaching out to ask if anyone is interested in moving into this garden chair position. If you are interested, please contact me. Again, so much appreciation and thanks to Kelly for all the work she has done and the countless hours she has volunteered!

Reminder that the PTO meeting is September 27th at 3:45 in the school gym. We hope to see everyone there!

Parent Survey Results

Hello Everyone,

Happy Friday and the completion of the first FULL week of school. It is good to be back in full swing as we look forward to all the wonderful happenings the 2017-2018 school year will bring!

As we reflect on the year coming up, I would like to share with you the results of the family survey from last year. The Board of Trustees each year asks for your feedback and below is the feedback we received at the conclusion of last year. As always, please feel free as well to communicate with us any feedback during the school year. We are all ears and value your feedback!


Please use the link below to view the results.

Parent Survey Results

Grade 3 Ambassadors

At last Friday's All School Community Meeting, the new Grade 3 ambassadors were introduced to the community. They did a great job!
Today, the ambassadors were invited to lead the Pledge of Allegiance at the 9/11 memorial service at the fire station. We are so proud of our new Grade 3 ambassadors!

Curriculum Night and All School Community Meeting Reminder

Just a reminder that tonight is BCHMCPS's Curriculum night. Kindergarten and Grade 1 families are invited from 5:30-6:30 in classrooms and from 6:30 to 7:00 in the gym for general information. Grade 2 & 3 families are invited from 6:30-7:00 in the gym for the general information followed by 7:00-8:00 in the classrooms. We are looking forward to seeing everyone tonight!



For those families attending tonight, if your child has not passed in his/her summer reading log yet, please bring it along. Reading Specialist Mrs. White will be happy to take it tonight. All students who completed and passed in the log will be recognized at the All School Community meeting on Friday.

Speaking of the All School Community meeting this Friday at the HYCC from 9:30-10:30, PLEASE do not forget to send in your child's permission slip to walk over to the HYCC. This is the only time you will need to sign the permission slip for our All School meetings  at the HYCC as your signed permission slip will cover all meetings this year. All are welcome at the All School Meetings!

This week at BCHMCPS

We had a great start to the school year with happy students and staff filling the school to begin what will be a wonderful 2017-2018 school year.   

Thank you to all our new Kindergarten families for completing the online registration. For our veteran families please remember to update your child's information by September 30. To help you answer your questions please read the FAQ, which can also be found on our school's website under District Information.

Last year our families completed a Family Survey that was sent out to all families. Thank you to everyone who completed the survey. Your feedback helps us to identify ways to improve the school and areas that we can celebrate. In the next blog, later this week, I would like to share the results of that survey.

A reminder that this Wednesday, September 6th BCHMCPS is holding Curriculum Night from 5:30-8:00. This is an opportunity for families to meet teachers and get information about what students will be learning this school year. Two sessions- 5:30-6:30 and 7:00-8:00 will be held in the classrooms so that families with more than one child can attend two sessions. From 6:30-7:00 an informational session will be held for all families. This session will include information from the nurse, adjustment counselors, PTO and me (the principal) that will address issues such as communication, health and safety, etc.

Next Tuesday morning September 12th  we will have the first Principal's Coffee. These monthly meetings will usually have a theme. This month Officer Cabral will be with us to talk about school safety. The Principal Coffee will be held in the cafeteria from 9:00-9:30.


Did you know, due in great part to our schools, that the major publication U.S. News & World Report recognized Massachusetts as the best state in the nation this year ?
This is great news for Massachusetts and its families and is a credit to the hard work that our teachers and faculty put in every day! To find out more about what Massachusetts is doing, use the link below (Back to School Basics- http://www.doe.mass.edu/commissioner/Back-to-School/Basics.pdf) to find out more about education efforts in our great state.
Back-to-School Basics: A brief overview for parents on how the state and districts work together to support teaching and learning [Accessible version]

Girl Scout troops are forming now!
Troops are organized by school grade (K-12), meet regularly during the year, and are led by a team of volunteers. Annual membership is $40 per girl and financial aid is available. Space is limited. Visit gsema.org/join to sign up for a troop or find an upcoming Discover Girl Scouts event.






As we concluded Week One students gave the thumbs up to school starting again:

Thank you to Ms. Allen for these great pictures!

Welcome Back!

We are all looking forward to welcoming Kindergarten students for Orientation and Grades 1-3 students back to BCHMCPS tomorrow. It is going to be a wonderful 2017-2018 school year!

Kindergarten Family Workshop- Day One!

Wow! Day One of the Kindergarten Family Workshops was a great success. Looking forward to Day Two. Thank you Justice Resource Institute!

Kindergarten Playdate!

What a wonderful way to start the year for our youngest students! A big thank you to the families who came out this morning to enjoy the beautiful weather, make some new friends and enjoy those popsicles! Thank you also to the BCHMCPS PTO for hosting this fun event.

A reminder that we have two more Kindergarten events- two family workshops, tomorrow Wednesday August 23rd and Thursday August 24th starting at 10:00 at the school. I look forward to seeing many of our new families there.

Welcome Back!

   

             

August 2017

Dear BCHMCPS Families:

It is hard to believe that in less than two weeks we will be welcoming back the children for a new school year. So many new beginnings mark this time of the year and it is with great anticipation I look forward to the day when the children are back at school to start our new year. The staff of the BCHMCPS has been preparing to welcome your children and families; for many families this is a welcome back from a summer respite, for others this is a welcome for the first time. Whether you are a veteran BCHMCPS family or one new to the school, we are so happy you are here. A school, though, is not really a school until the children are here and the staff and I look so forward to having your families return.

As we start to enter the waning days of summer, and with the start of school  right around the corner, I would like to offer important information to start the year.

Faculty Updates:

What makes BCHMCPS special is the talented and committed teaching staff.  I am pleased to welcome Courtney Mwebazze to our Grade 3 teaching team. Mrs. Mwebaze comes to us after a very successful teaching practice in California. She and her husband are recent transplants to the Cape and we are as thrilled as she to have her as part of the BCHMCPS community.

In addition to Mrs. Mwebaze, there has been a new and additional role for our wonderful and talented administrative assistant, Ms. Erica Aceto. Ms. Aceto has accepted the position of Day Care Director. We are so happy to have Ms. Aceto’s talents in our main office as well now in our extended Day Care Program. If you are a Day Care family, more information about Day Care will be coming out soon as well!

                         

A reminder to veteran families as well as an informational point to our new families that BCHMCPS has universal FREE breakfast every day for all students. This breakfast program takes place every morning in the classrooms. It includes milk and juice, fresh fruit and a breakfast item. Please see the breakfast/lunch menu for each day’s offerings. We will be sending home the school meal menus as well as the free/reduced lunch forms at the start of school. Please fill out as soon as possible and return to school if your family qualifies.

                                                               

Arrival and Dismissal Procedures

Arrival Plan: BCHMPS hours are 9:00 am to 3:30 pm. Students should arrive between 8:45 am to 9:00 am. As there is no supervision prior to 8:45 am, families requiring an earlier drop off should contact the Day Care staff to inquire about enrolling their child/ren in the Before School Day Care Program.

Students in car drop off will enter the school through the door next to the cafeteria (Door A).

Students walking enter the school through the walkers’ side door (Door C) facing the Hyannis Youth and Community Center. This is an entrance for students only.

Upon arrival, students should go straight to their classrooms.

Remember, there is no parking during morning drop off or afternoon pick up in front of the school.

To ensure we are efficiently using time on learning and providing the safest environment for our students, parents/guardians are always welcome to the school but do not accompany students in the building or to their classrooms during morning drop off. Parents/Guardians who need to enter the school for school business will be asked to enter through the front door and sign in at the office. This is for all staff and student safety.

Dismissal Plan: Dismissal takes place at 3:25 pm. All families need to identify to their child’s teacher in writing at the beginning of the year how they would like their child to go home (e.g. pick up, bus, etc.). If this plan changes, we need written notification from a parent/guardian. It is recognized that emergencies do occur. Please contact the main office as soon as possible in the day, preferably by email by 2:30 (aceto_erica@barnstable.k12.ma.us. We take your child’s safety and security with the highest regard.

1. Car Drop Off/ Pick Up
1. Curbside Drop Off/ Pick Up - Cars must enter through the main parking lot and proceed through the parking lot to the side cafeteria door (Door A).  To ensure the safety of all students and the efficiency of traffic circulation, this is strictly a car drop off and pick up area.  Parents should pull as far forward as possible, and most importantly, remain in the car at all times.
2. Walker Drop Off/ Pick Up - Parents/ guardians who wish to drop off/ pick up their child/ren at the designated meeting door (Door C). Walker Drop Off/ Pick Up - Parents/ guardians who wish to drop off/ pick up their child/ren at the designated meeting door (Door C) MUST park in the Hyannis Youth and Community Center parking lot.  The school parking lot directly in front of the school is closed during the drop off/pick up designated times.  During pick up, parents/ guardians may wait outside Door B to greet their child/ren,
2. Buses: Buses will use the front entrance to the school to drop off/pick up students. To ensure the safety of ALL students, staff members will greet bus students as they enter the school and be present to board bus students.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation during drop off and pick up. The procedures are in place to ensure the safety of your children.

Important calendar dates:

August 30	First Day of School Grades 1-3
August 30	Kindergarten Orientation (see letter sent for assigned time)
August 31	Full school day- ALL students K-3
September 1	No School
September 4	No School-Labor Day
September 12 9:00-9:30	Principal “Second Cup of Coffee” meeting Open for all parents/guardians. Come for an informal meet and greet and topics of interest to families. These meetings will be held once a month from 9:00-9:30.
September 6 5:30-8:00	Curriculum Night
September 13	District Professional Development Day. It is a half-Day for students with a 12:00 dismissal. No afterschool Day Care on this day.

Over the course of the year, you will receive email communications from me with updates and reminders. I keep a blog at bchmcpshappenings.blogspot.com. You can always view current communications and updates, as well as access previous information either by clicking on the Principal’s Blog link on the school’s homepage (right hand side of the home page) or by using the blog address of bchmcpshappenings.blogspot.com. I will also email out directly to your inboxes any blog posts.  Let me know what you think!

I hope you enjoy the rest of your summer, and I look forward to seeing you soon.  As always, please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns.

Warm regards,

Dr. Sheila Kukstis (kukstis_sheila@barnstable.k12.ma.us.org)

BCHMCPS Principal

Field Day 2017!

We had a spectacular day for Field Day 2017! Thank you to Mr. Clemente, Lieutenant Cabral and all the teachers and volunteers who made this day a wonderful one for all the students.
If you were not able to make it today, please enjoy the pictures to get a small taste of the fun day!