Coming Up at BCHMCPS

Annual registration update- Letters with important information about the annual student registration update went home to all families via backpacks last week. Please make sure to complete the online annual registration update using the instructions and specific student id provided on the label attached to the letter. If you have any questions please contact the school for assistance.

We are looking to form a School Safety Committee for BCHMCPS. This committee would meet 3-4 times a year during the school day to review safety protocols and make recommendations that will work to help keep BCHMCPS a safe and secure school. We invite any interested parents who would like to join to please contact me (Sheila Kukstis) either by email kukstis_sheila@mybps.us or at 508-790-6485. I would like to have two parent representatives on the committee.
 

BCHMCPS PTO & the Garden Committee invite you and your family to our Harvest Festival, Saturday October 27 at 12:30-2:30. Kids can wear their Halloween costume for a fun day of games, pumpkins, bake sale and learning about our amazing community garden. More information coming soon. 





The next PTO meeting will be on Thursday, October 18th at 6 pm. We’d love to see you there. 

The PTO has a new Facebook page. Search Bchmcps PTO and follow us for information on our events.


Nurse's Notes:

I have started the vision & hearing screenings this week. Please make sure if your child wears glasses that they bring them to school. If your child needs to follow up with and eye doctor or ear, nose and throat doctor a referral note will be sent home. Please then bring the referral note to the doctor and return it to school.

The annual back to school update serves as the emergency procedure card. It also allows me to give your child Tylenol or Motrin if needed. It is important that this be done as soon as possible. Any questions or concerns please call Mrs. Melley @ 508 790-6495.

The Week Ahead- September 10-14

This week marks the first full week of school and we have a busy week! Thank you to all who attended the first All School Community Meeting on Friday. It was a great way to kick off the year and all students at school on Friday had their permission slips back so all students attended. Thank you for making it a success.

The week ahead is a full one!

On Tuesday morning is the first Principal Coffee. Held from 9-9:30 in the cafeteria, it is an opportunity to enjoy a second cup of coffee and hear more about events/programs at the school. This month's Coffee will focus on the school Title I program- what it is, how it affects your child and offers an opportunity for your feedback. Mrs. Milne and Mrs. Kelly will join me to facilitate the conversation.




Wednesday, September 12th is a staff professional development day and a half day for students with a 12:00  dismissal for all students. There is no after school program so please make sure that the school knows how your child will be going home on Wednesday.



On Thursday evening from 5:30 to 8:00 we will hold Curriculum Night. ALL families are encouraged to attend.
This is an important evening to meet your child's teacher and hear about academic and behavioral programs and expectations. We look forward to seeing our families on this evening.

First Week of School

We have almost finished week one and it has been a wonderful week!  Tomorrow is predicted to be a beautiful day with lower temperatures and humidity. A great way to end the first week.

A few items as we conclude our week:

· I want to personally thank all of the families who have been so supportive of our new drop off/pick up procedures. The first two days were a bit slower as we put the new procedure in place and by today, it was smooth sailing and all students were dropped off and picked up in a safe and timely manner.  Your cooperation is so appreciated.                                                                                                                              I want to remind families that walkers picked up in front of the school should be TRUE walkers who walk from home to school and/or school to home.  We cannot police the HYCC parking lot to ensure that families do not park there and walk over to the school, thereby not following the procedure that all our other families respect; I would ask and expect that families adhere to the school procedures. We expect that our children follow the rules, please remember the children look to you to set the example. This school is a community and we expect that our families join in the community protocols set up for the safety of all our children. A VERY big thank you to all who support and respect that!

• ·       A reminder that tomorrow is our first All School Community meeting at 9:30 at the HYCC. All students need a permission slip to walk to the HYCC tomorrow. These permission slips were sent home on Tuesday. If you have not returned your child’s permission slip, please return it tomorrow morning our your child will not be able to attend the All School meeting.

·      School safety is a priority for BCHMCPS and the Barnstable District as a whole. As we open the 2018-19 school year, I write to update you on an important enhancement to our district’s emergency management cycle of Prevent, Prepare, Respond, and Recover. The district has placed a high priority on transitioning to the ALICE protocol (Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate) as an emergency response. ALICE emphasizes proactive, options-based strategies during a school-intruder emergency, and is a different response than our previous Run-Hide-Fight protocol from the U.S .Homeland Security. This summer the BCHMCPS Administrative Assistant Mrs. Erica Aceto and I participated in a two-day training in order to become an ALICE Certified Instructors. Additionally, every staff member at BCHMCPS has had the opportunity to complete the ALICE online course. As a result of our training, all nine schools in Barnstable Public Schools have transitioned to the ALICE protocol and will no longer use the previous lockdown protocol. Our school will continue to focus on ALICE protocols during our October 10th early release day, and in partnership with the Barnstable Police Department we will practice scenarios during our November staff meeting. When we begin to include students in our ALICE training and drills, I will notify parents/guardians in advance. To that end I am happy to inform you that the Barnstable School District is now an ALICE district.

Thank you again for all you do for our school every day.

Welcome Back

Dear BCHMCPS Families,

After a bit of a delay due to the excessive heat last week, I want to welcome all families to the 2018-2019 school year! As we start the year, a few general reminders for the start of the year:

·      The new drop off/pick up procedures will start tomorrow with the first day of school. As a reminder, the entrance for vehicle morning drop and afternoon pick up is the driveway between the school and the HYCC on the left of the school as you face the front of the school. The exit is on the right of the school- this is NOT a drop off/pick up entrance. If you are dropping off for Day Care, please use the same door as always. If you are dropping off to Day Care before 8:30 you may use the entrance on the right as before. If you are dropping off for day Care after 8:30 you must use the school drop off entrance on the left. ONLY school staff and Day Care families (before 8:30) may use the right side driveway to enter. True walkers (walking all the way to school) will be dropped off at the front school entrance.

·      This week’s weather is predicted to be hot. We have water available at school but you may want to send your child with extra bottles of water to ensure good hydration during the day. Please make sure that your child is dressed appropriately for the warm temperatures. Long sleeves and heavier long pants may be best avoided during the warmer weather.

·      Curriculum Night originally scheduled for Wednesday September 5^th has been rescheduled to Thursday September 13^th due to the school opening delay. Please mark you calendars for September 13^th. The schedule is below:

o   5:30-6:30- K & 1 in classrooms

o   6:00-6:30- Title I Information- Grades 2 & 3

o   6:30-7:00- Gym- Everyone

o   7:00-7:30- Title I Information- K & Grade 1

o   7:00-8:00- 2 & 3 in classrooms

·      Our first All School Community Meeting is scheduled for this Friday September 7^th. All School Community meetings are held next door at the HYCC. Students MUST have a signed permission slip to leave the building grounds and go to the HYCC. Permission slips will be sent home tomorrow. Please sign and return the permission slips to your child’s teacher ASAP and before Friday morning for your child to go to the meeting at the HYCC. This permission slip will cover all the meetings this year at the HYCC and needs to be signed just once.

I look forward to welcoming Grades 1-3 back tomorrow morning and seeing our Kindergarten families at Orientation. I also look forward to seeing all of our families at either the All School Community Meeting this Friday or at next week’s Curriculum Night.

As always, please feel free to contact me with any questions.

Kind regards,

Dr. Sheila Kukstis

Principal

This Wednesday August 29th, the Barnstable Police Department, HYCC, Hyannis Kiwanas Club and an organization called "Cape It Local" are hosting an event at Murphy's on Main Street in Hyannis from 3-6pm. It is called the "Great Backpack Giveaway" for any student who could use a new backpack filled with school supplies. Families can go over right after school dismissal. There will also be free food and music etc.
I am hoping that many families can benefit from this free and fun community event!

Welcome Back

       

August 2018

Dear BCHMCPS Families:

Welcome to a new school year! The BCHMCPS staff has been working hard to get ready to welcome your children and families for the 2018-2019 school year. For many of our families this is a welcome back, for others this is a welcome to BCHMCPS.

Whether you are a veteran BCHMCPS family or one new to the school, we are so happy you are here.

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 the following new staff members:

·      Ms. Lena Greeley as our special education teacher. Mrs. Greeley has formerly been a special education teacher in Bourne and most recently has been at BCHMCPS as  Grade 1 Assistant and a Special Education Assistant.

·      Ms. Paige Appelt as our new school psychologist. Mr. Norton resigned his position in June and we are very happy to welcome Ms. Appelt. Ms. Appelt has most recently been a school psychologist in Sandwich.

·      Ms. Meghan Swanson will take Mrs. Pacella’s place as the new art teacher. Ms. Pacella has decided to reduce her hours so will no longer be at BCHMCPS. Ms. Swanson has taught art in both Wellfleet and Walpole previous to joining us in Barnstable.

In addition to the teachers above we also welcome this additional staff:

·      Ms. Aline Gomes- Family Liaison – two days a week. Please note in addition to English, that Ms. Gomes speaks both Portuguese and Spanish and will also be available for translation support.

·      Ms. Bethany Gay- Reading Assistant

·      Ms. Helene Kennedy- Grade 1 Assistant

·      Ms. Mary Beers- School-wide Teaching Assistant

              

           

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

Beginning the first day of school, August 29, 2018, we will no longer have a WALKER DOOR (the door near the Kindergarten wing between the school and the HYCC), accessible for student arrival or dismissal. Below are the three options for your child to arrive and leave our school:

1. BUS
2. PARENT DROP-OFF/PICK UP via DOOR A (North side of building next to the cafe/aftercare door; please note the new procedures below).
3. WALK - via the front entrance, with NO car being parked on school or HYCC property.

Through this new exit and entry system we hope to increase the safety of our school community and the security of our building.  If this change impacts your family, please plan your child/children’s arrival and departure from school accordingly.

With ALL Parent Drop-Off /Pick-Up now located at one single location, there will be a new ONE WAY traffic pattern for cars entering and exiting the parent pick up area. Please review the attached diagram for more information.

• Cars will ENTER via the south driveway between HYCC and BCHMCPS and line up along the back side of the building in a single line.
• Cars will EXIT via the north driveway, past the big playground and the woods.

During student drop-off and/or pick-up all drivers must remain in their cars.  Families will be issued 2 large laminated cards with their child’s last name, one of which needs to be displayed on the dashboard of the car. The cards will be available for pick up in the office the day before school starts, August 28th, or will be handed out on the first day of school. The second card may be used by a second family member/caretaker who may also pick up students. Additional staff will be at the Parent Pickup door to load/unload multiple cars safely. To ensure the safety of all involved, it will be extremely important for all drivers to pay close attention to the staff who are directing traffic.

We believe this will be a much more efficient and safe option for our school community. Please watch for more information on these changes on my blog, and the BCHMCPS website. If you have any specific questions about this procedure, please call the office or email me before the start of school.

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.

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).

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@mybps.us). We take your child’s safety and security with the highest regard.

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 29	First Day of School Grades 1-3
August 29	Kindergarten Orientation (see letter sent for assigned time)
August 30	Full school day- ALL students K-3
August 31	No School
September 3	No School-Labor Day
September 11 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 5 5:30-8:00	Curriculum Night
September 12	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@mybps.us)

BCHMCPS Principal

Drop Off Pick Up Changes 2018-2019

Dear BCHMCPS Families,

I hope this mid-summer letter finds you and your family well and enjoying the summer break. I am writing to inform you of a change to the drop/off pick up procedure. After much consideration and reflection on how to always maintain the safest school setting for our students and families, the following procedures will be rolled out for the start of the 2018-2019 school year.

Beginning the first day of school, August 29, 2018, we will no longer have a WALKER DOOR (the door near the Kindergarten wing between the school and the HYCC), accessible for student arrival or dismissal. Below are the three three options for your child to arrive and leave our school:

1.    BUS

2.    PARENT DROP-OFF/PICK UP via DOOR A (North side of building next to the cafe/aftercare door; please note the new procedures below).

3.    WALK -  via the front entrance, with NO car being parked on school or HYCC property

Through this new exit and entry system we hope to increase the safety of our school community and the security of our building.  If this change impacts your family, please plan your child/children’s arrival and departure from school accordingly.

With ALL Parent Drop-Off /Pick-Up now located at one single location, there will be a new ONE WAY traffic pattern for cars entering and exiting the parent pick up area. Please review the attached diagram for more information.

●      Cars will ENTER via the south driveway between HYCC and BCHMCPS and line up along the back side of the building in a single line.

●      Cars will EXIT via the north driveway, past the big playground and the woods.

During student drop-off and/or pick-up all drivers must remain in their cars.  Families will be issued 2 large laminated cards with their child’s last name, one of which needs to be displayed on the dashboard of the car. The second may be used by a second family member/caretaker who may also pick up students. Additional staff will be at the Parent Pickup door to load/unload multiple cars safely. To ensure the safety of all involved, it will be extremely important for all drivers to pay close attention to the staff who are directing traffic.

We believe this will be a much more efficient and safe option for our school community. Please watch for more information on these changes on my blog, and the BCHMCPS website. If you have any specific questions about this procedure, please call the office before the start of school.

Thank you,

Dr. Sheila Kukstis