Barney Ford Elementary

Weekly Update: January 9, 2025

01/09/25, 2:46 PM

Dear Families,

Happy New Year! We hope your holidays and winter break were restful and joyful! The cold weather surprised us this week but we are so happy to have the children back to school! This week students are taking a reading test to see how they’ve grown so far this year. Next week we start ACCESS testing which assesses students' English language levels for reading, writing, speaking, and listening.

Tonight, 1/9: Attendance Meeting

We have an attendance meeting from 5:30-6:15 on Zoom this evening. We will discuss the importance of attending school each day, how sick is too sick to attend school, and what happens when a student is chronically absent. Interpretation is available in Spanish. We are raffling a $50 gift card to Walmart for one lucky participant. Log in here to participate: https://bit.ly/BFAttendance2025

Tomorrow, 1/10: First Friday Coffee and Conversation

Tomorrow is January’s First Friday Coffee and Conversation with the principals. Everyone is welcome to join us to discuss school updates and learn more about what students are learning. We meet from 8:00-8:45 in the library.

 

 

Tomorrow, 1/10: Middle School Fair

The choice window for middle school opens on January 15th. We are hosting a middle school fair in the library from 1:45 to 3:30 in the library to help 5th-grade families make a decision about middle schools. You can meet with eight schools to learn about their programs, ask questions, and find the right fit for your child.

 

Monday, 1/12: Safety Drill Practice

Each semester DPS conducts lockdown drills to make sure students and staff are prepared for any emergency situations. Our next safety drills are scheduled for Monday, January 13. We will practice the lockdown, shelter, and fire drill if it is warm enough.

 

 

Thursday, 1/16: Grade 3-5 family STEM Night

Next Thursday is the first Family Fun Night of 2025! This event is for students in grades 3-5. In February, we will host another Family Fun Night for students in grades ECE-2. Next week’s event will include a pizza dinner, a raptor show, and math games. Join us from 5:30-7:00.

 

 

Attendance Update

Our attendance rate was 90% again the week before winter break. Please help us reach our goal of 93% by sending your child to school each day. Third met this goal right before winter break.

Please do not take extended vacations during the school year. If your student misses 10 days of school in a row, they will be disenrolled and may lose their spot at Barney Ford. 

 

Upcoming Events

• Thursday, January 9: Online Attendance Meeting
• Friday, January 10:
  • First-grade field trip to Buttery Fly Pavillion
  • 8:00-8:45 First Friday Coffee and CSC Meeting
  • 2:00-3:30 Middle School Fair
• Monday, January 13: Safety Drills
• Wednesday, January 15: School Choice opens
• Thursday, January 16: Family Fun Night, Grades 3-5
• Monday, January 20: No School for MLK Jr. Day
• Thursday, January 23: Online Black Family Engagement Meeting

View the January Monthly Calendar here.