Dear Barron Park Elementary School Families,

Welcome to a new school year at Barron Park Elementary School! I hope your summer has been filled with refreshing activities and important family time! The summer has been a busy one for the Barron Park campus as we hosted a variety of camps enrolling hundreds of children. Teachers are now busy preparing for exciting lessons and our College Bound teachers and students have already been engaged in teaching & learning for the entire week of August 6-10.

The 2012-13 school year brings lots of exciting activities to our campus, many of these the result of our parent and staff collaboration in the past year. Among the new initiatives: all of our classrooms will receive hands-on science lessons from the PA Junior Museum & Zoo; our Kindergarten and 1st grade students will receive fun Spanish instruction twice per week; an Educational Technology Specialist will assist teachers in further integrating technology to enhance learning; and all of our classrooms have expanded libraries to support reading instruction.

Our school also welcomes a few new team members. Please help me welcome the following to our school community: Lara Christensen (4th), Athena Foley (3rd), Monica Rodriguez (Resource), Megan Warter (School Psychologist to share with Anna Tamis), Smita Kolhatkar (Educational Technology) and Rene Hart, our new School Clerk!

A few important details about our start to school:

Our Daily Schedule:
Kindergarten 8:20 to 11:50 a.m.
(K full-day will begin October 15; dismissal will be at 2:30 M,T, Th, F; at 1:30 W)
Grades 1, 2 and 3 - 8:20 to 2:40 (Wednesday Dismissal 1:30)
Grades 4 and 5 - 8:15 to 2:45 (Wednesday Dismissal 1:30)

Class lists will be posted in the office window on Wednesday, August 15, at 3:00 pm. (Come early for the PTA-sponsored Scavenger Hunt at 1:30, culminating in the Class List Posting & Popsicles.)

The first day of school is Thursday, August 16. After you drop off your child, please join us for the school-wide Opening Day Ceremony and a Coffee with the PTA.

We will continue to offer Breakfast in the Multipurpose Room from 7:45-8:15. Arrangements for payment are aligned with our Lunch Food Service Program.

Plan to attend Back to School Night on Tuesday, August 28, 6:00-7:30 pm. This event is for adults only; please make other arrangements for your children for that evening.

More information about the school year calendar, events, and important notices will be provided in the student handbook and informational packet that your child will bring home on the first day of school.

I look forward to the new school year with great anticipation and to seeing you on our campus!

Sincerely,

Magdalena Fittoria
Principal, Barron Park School