Primrose Hill School

   Primrose Hill Elementary School 

Weekly Newsletter

December 16, 2022

Primrose Pandas are Respectful, Responsible and Safe

Mission: Barrington Public School’s mission is to empower all students to excel in character, citizenship, collaboration, creativity, communication, and critical thinking, so that they may positively impact the future.

Vision: Together we inspire, learn, love and grow.

Dear Primrose Families,

Congratulations to our third grade chorus for their performances today. Special thanks to Mr Vadnais and all the work he and our students have put into their concert. It was such joy to see it all come together today for our students, staff and their families. Three fantastic performances! It was so wonderful to bring everyone together like this. I have included some photos below for you of the performance and other first grade projects that our students have been working on here at school. 

We will enjoy a spirit week with the students next week. Included below is the schedule and as always, student participation is voluntary. Hopefully there is a day or two that your child wants to show their school spirit. We’re looking forward to having the students from the Barrington High School Chorus come and perform for our school on Thursday. 

We have begun the preparation for the modular classroom installation this week and it will continue this weekend. It is our hope that the unit will be delivered early next week so that we can have all of the utilities and connections done next week. Please be aware of this when using the upper parking lot, since it will have a construction site portioned off for this project. We are looking forward to setting up these learning spaces and transitioning to the full use of the cafeteria for lunches in January. Please note that the arrival and dismissal changes will begin on Monday. As we work through the process we will be able to assess our staffing needs and determine if we can have parent drop off in the side lot again, later in January and beyond. While the installation is being done, all drop offs will be at the school doors. Thank you in advance for your support and patience with one another as we make these changes. 

Best,

Coleen Smith 

Modular classrooms are scheduled for delivery later this month. In preparation for this anticipated arrival, we will be adjusting our arrival and dismissal procedures to many of the pre-Covid methods. Details are still being finalized, but beginning December 19th, the following changes will be implemented in preparation for the arrival of the modular classroom unit. 

• Mini buses will continue to use the Upper Parking lot for both arrival and dismissal

• Childcare vans and buses will use the upper parking lot for arrival and dismissal 

• (full size) Buses will drop off and pick up in the lower parking lot in the morning and afternoon

• Parent drop off and pick ups at the front door will remain the same, however we are looking into adjusting the time children are able to come inside to alleviate the traffic congestion. 

•  At pick up time, parents will show ID at front doors and children will come to meet families there

• Parent car drop off lines will no longer be available in the afternoon due to the changes in bus needs. Parents will park in the upper lot or along Middle Highway to drop off and pick up students at the front entrance. 

• We will attempt to bring back morning drop off in the upper lot after the construction is complete to see if it is feasible with both staffing support and the traffic patterns. 

Please note that it is imperative that we all work together to keep one another safe during the process. Please be mindful of walking traffic in the lots and do not pass the mini buses when they are unloading students. We have several families who require handicap accessible parking, so those spots are not to be used for passage or quick drop off unless you have the proper parking placard. This reminder is due to an issue that we had last week and I want to be sure we are all being mindful. 

Lost and Found: As you know the lost and found continues to grow. If you recognize any of the items in the photos below, please call or email and we can help your child retrieve them.   

First graders showcasing their kindness

You’re invite:

Barrington schools participate in Recess Rocks. The organization provides recess workshops for our staff. We’re excited to share that we have scheduled a workshop for our BPS K-5 recess volunteers, and it’s going to be fun! There are only 40 spots available; so if it works for your schedule, please register right away. The workshop is not required but encouraged for volunteers who enjoy supervising recess.

Please join us:

Recess Rocks Workshop for BPS Recess Volunteers and Recess Staff

Wednesday, January 11th, 9:30am-11:30am

Barrington Middle School, Student Union/Cafeteria

Dress comfortably

From Recess Rocks:

The Power of Play workshop introduces the importance of play for child development and lays the foundation for creating a safe, healthy, and respectful environment for youth. During this workshop, we give you the tools to use play intentionally to support students’ social and emotional learning. Participants walk away understanding how to select and initiate games that support student engagement, physical activity, and positive recess culture.

Please register here: BPS RECESS ROCKS WORKSHOP

Our S.T.A.R (Staff Teacher Appreciation Recognition) certificate is the perfect holiday gift!

Let's recognize our teachers, administrators and staff for being the STARS that they are! Your donations not only honor our teachers but help fund BEF’s donations to Barrington Schools!

Make a tax-deductible donation to Barrington Education Foundation, and we will send each of your honorees a beautiful S.T.A.R. certificate.* (Min. of $10 per certificate.) See example of the certificate HERE . Orders are due by Friday, December 16th. 

BEF champions extraordinary educational opportunities in the Barrington public schools.

PRIMROSE PTO 

PTO Website: Please take a quick moment to log into the PTO website and opt into the family directory at https://www.primrosehillpto.org/directory. Once this is done, you’ll be included in the Room Parents' list to be informed when class parties, events, and fundraisers are being planned.

Support the Primrose Hill PTO through Box Tops for Education and Amazon Smile!

Box Tops for Education:  No more clipping! All you need to do is download the app and scan your receipts. The new and improved Box Tops mobile app finds participating products on your receipts and instantly adds money to the school's earnings online. Box Tops works with paper receipts and digital receipts. 

 Here's how to sign up for Box Tops for Education:

1. Download the app for iOS or Android

2. Sign up for an account

3. Choose: Primrose Hill School Elementary School

4. Buy Box Tops products at the store

5. Scan your receipt to submit Box Tops within 14 days of purchase

  => Open the app

  => Tap scan receipt

Amazon Smile: Amazon will donate 0.5% to Primrose Hill Elementary School for your eligible  Amazon Smile purchases.   AmazonSmile works just like the Amazon you already know; same products, same prices, same service.  AmazonSmile can even be used with your Prime membership. 

Here's how to sign up for AmazonSmile:

1. Visit smile.amazon.com

2. Sign in with your Amazon.com credentials

3. Choose: Primrose Hill School Parent Teacher Organization

4. Add a bookmark for smile.amazon.com to make it even easier to return and start your shopping at AmazonSmile

4. Start shopping!

Turn on AmazonSmile in the Amazon Shopping app

1. Make sure you're signed up for AmazonSmile (use your web browser to visit smile.amazon.com)

2. Download or update to the latest version of the Amazon Shopping app for iOS or Android

3. Open the app and find “Settings” in the main menu (☰)

4. Tap on “AmazonSmile” and follow the on-screen instructions to turn on AmazonSmile in the app.

If you are interested in helping out with any events at school, please reach out! New software helps parents connect with other parents (great for planning play dates and birthday parties), pre-register for events (and avoid standing in line!), learn about volunteer opportunities (YOU make Primrose the amazing school it is by your participation and support), and so much more!