Barry Primary Newsletter
February 1st, 2021
Events

2/1 - Staff Work Day. NO School for students.
2/5 - Secondary Report Cards. 20 week.
2/9 - BOE Meeting 6:30 PM.
2/10 - Barry PTA Meeting 6:30 PM.
2/12 - Orders and money due for PTA fundraiser.
2/15 - 2/19 - NO School. Winter Recess.
2/23 - BOE Meeting 6:30
Message From the Principal

Kindergarten Registration
Steps to register your child:
  • Child must be 5 on or before December 1, 2021. Children who turn 6 before December 1, 2021 must attend school.
  • Parents are urged to call (607)-758-4106, prior to April 20, 2021, to make a registration/screening appointment and to receive a pre-registration packet.
  • All students must have an appointment prior to the school registration/screening.
All screenings will take place at Barry Primary School
  • The dates for Kindergarten registration/screening will be noted in the next newsletter and posted on our website once they are determined. Please check back!
Winter Recess Reminders

Just a reminder for families: Students without snow pants or boots have to have their recess on the black top. The temperature, including wind chill, must be at 20 degrees or above for the students to go outside. Students may leave their snow pants and boots at school, but please send a bag so your student's belongings are kept tidy and organized!
Kindergartner News

Things are getting busy, busy in Kindergarten at this time of year!
In ELA, the children continue to practice naming and writing the letters of the alphabet as well as produce the sounds they make. Students can blend sounds together to say a word, they can say a word and segment it into sounds, and many students can see a word and read it. So smart!
Kindergarten mathematicians have begun to learn how to add by putting two parts together to make a whole. Soon they will apply some of their knowledge of number pairs to show subtraction.
Some classes have been learning about Farms recently, some have discussed Social Justice while using Martin Luther King, Jr. as a model of what is right and just, while others have begun to learn about good and safe choices for their bodies in our Health curriculum.
Lastly, the students are beginning their study of Forces and Motion. What is a force? How does speed affect force and motion?  
Kindergarteners are working hard and learning lots! We are so proud of all of their hard work and appreciate the continued support of their families.
First Grade News

First graders have been traveling to Mesopotamia and Egypt in Listening and Learning. We learned the different writing forms that include cuneiform and hieroglyphs. Students got a chance to write their names on “tablets” (salt dough) in cuneiform. We also discussed the role and importance the written language has on a civilization. We were amazed how different their written language is from ours! We also learned about many Pharaohs and got a chance to make some fancy headbands similar to what the Pharaohs would wear in Egypt.

Second Grade News

In 2nd grade, we have been learning from Ms. Valarie Chapman, a Prevention Specialist from Cortland Prevention Resources (A Division of Family Counseling Service). Ms. Chapman has recorded video lessons for all of the 2nd grade classes to follow. Her lessons cover two health units called: ‘Too Good for Drugs’ and ‘Too Good for Violence’. Her side kick, a dog puppet named Wagner, is a big hit with the children and helps the children learn better ways to cope with frustration and ways to make and keep friends. Wagner also helps lead discussions on the effects of drugs, alcohol, and smoking. The children will bring home two booklets and lots of new knowledge at the end of the unit. They may also be able to sing/chant you a song called, ‘Stop and Think’. It’s another great tune to get stuck in your head! 

Until the end of Feb., 2nd graders will continue to do Math Module 4, which is about adding & subtracting within 200 & solving word problems to 100. Throughout this module, manipulatives & math drawings allow the students to see numbers in terms of place value units & serve as a reminder that they must add ‘like’ units (e.g., knowing that 63 + 25 is 6 tens + 2 tens & 3 ones plus 5 ones). The students will continue to use the Place Value Chart (which is a graphic organizer) to help them draw & understand the problems. Once the children understand how to model 2 & 3 digit (numbers in the tens & hundreds) + & - problems, we will ask them to also be able to check their work with an algorithm (a number equation for example: 63 + 125 = 188).

In February we will start the CKLA Unit 4 called, “The Job Hunt”. This time our reader is a fictional story about a girl named Kim who is trying to find a summer job. Kim lives in Brooklyn, NY (a borough of NYC). The story follows Kim’s adventure as she travels all over NYC hunting for a summer job, accompanied by her younger brother, Kurt.
PE News


Hello all!

We here at Barry PE hope you are all staying safe and healthy. Even though PE has been different so far this year we have enjoyed seeing all of you both in class and during our live remote sessions. 

If you are a remote student don’t forget about logging in and joining us during your live sessions. Each class has a set time during our schedule to meet with either Mr. Lacey or Mr. Sinclair. 

One last thing:
Barry PE will be sending out “Weekend Fun Family Workout” videos every Friday. These videos will be located on your child’s PE Google Classroom. Feel free to click on the links and have some family fun over the weekend. It’s not a problem if you can’t get to the videos, as we know that weekends are busy and full of family activities, but if you have some down time you can give them a try. 

Stay safe!
Mr. Sinclair and Mr. Lacey 
PTA News

The PTA met on January 13th, 2021. They are currently discussing Valentine's Day crafts and the Coffee Mania fundraiser. A flyer for the fundraiser will be going out very shortly. More information will be coming out soon. Please stay tuned!
News from the Nurse

Similarities:
Both COVID-19 and flu can have varying degrees of signs and symptoms, ranging from no symptoms (asymptomatic) to severe symptoms. Common symptoms that COVID-19 and flu share include:
  • Fever or feeling feverish/chills
  • Cough
  • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
  • Fatigue (tiredness)
  • Sore throat
  • Runny or stuffy nose
  • Muscle pain or body aches
  • Headache
  • Some people may have vomiting and diarrhea, though this is more common in children than adults
Differences:
Flu
Flu viruses can cause mild to severe illness, including common signs and symptoms listed above.
COVID-19
COVID-19 seems to cause more serious illnesses in some people. Other signs and symptoms of COVID-19, different from flu, may include change in or loss of taste or smell.
People with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms reported – ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. People with these symptoms may have COVID-19:
  • Fever or chills
  • Cough
  • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
  • Fatigue
  • Muscle or body aches
  • Headache
  • New loss of taste or smell
  • Sore throat
  • Congestion or runny nose
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Diarrhea
Physicals:
All kindergarten and 1st graders, and any 2nd graders new to the Cortland School District, are required to have a physical examination. If your child has already had one and you have sent a copy to the nurse, you are all set. If your child needs a physical, please make an appointment to get one, then have it faxed to the nurse at (607)-758-4159. School physicals are scheduled every Wednesday afternoon. Any questions, feel free to contact the nurse at (607) 758-4154 or  krowland@cortlandschools.org 

Reminders:
Email the nurse if your child is going to be absent or tardy.
Keep the nurse informed of any phone number changes or health concerns.
Check your child's hair daily for any signs of lice/nits.
Pack a change of clothes for unexpected spills and accidents.
If your child needs medication in school, get a Dr's. order and bring in the medication
Keep your children home if they are sick.
Please note: All children who are sent home must have a COVID test and/or an alternate diagnosis from a Physician clearing them to return to school.
February Family Fun Calendar

The Barry Primary Leadership Team has put together a calendar full of fun activities for students to do with their families. This is not an assignment and it will not be collected, it is just a collection of ideas to have some fun!



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