Barnstable Horace Mann Charter School
Ms. Kara Peterson
 Vision: A School with Tomorrow Inside

Mission:  Excellence for All!   Excellence by All!

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June 2, 2008

Dear Parents and Guardians,

It doesn’t seem as though the school year should be wrapping up, yet here we are in June, with only ten and a half school days remaining!  If your son or daughter is entering Barnstable Middle School, this newsletter will serve as one of my last communications with you.  If you are the parent of a student in grade five, my next official correspondence will be sent over the summer.  As usual, if you have questions or concerns, please contact me at 508-420-2272 or feel free to send me an e-mail at kpeterson@bhmcs.org.  Over the course of the year, I have found parent input is not only insightful, but also a valuable tool in helping to make Barnstable Horace Mann Charter School a positive experience for all.

With summer just around the corner, I thought it might be helpful to share tips for ensuring the safety of your son or daughter.  As children grow older, it is important to consistently reiterate your expectations and provide tools for your son or daughter to stay out of harm’s way.  The following are tips provided from the Barnstable Police Department:

  1. If children are home alone and are allowed to answer the telephone, they should never tell the caller that they are home alone.  Make sure that they have a list of phone numbers (neighbors, friends, family) that they can call if they should become frightened, or in the event of an emergency.  Assure that they know how to call 911 and when it is appropriate to do so.   Also, establish a schedule for the children to check in with mom or dad.
  2. Establish house rules for use of the computer, especially the Internet.  The computer can be a valuable learning tool, but it is not a good babysitter.  Make sure children know never to give out personal information on the computer.
  3. Children should always be required to check in with a parent or trusted contact person before leaving the house and when returning home.
  4. Teach your children that it is best to be in a group of friends when going places.  When using public restrooms, go as a group.  There is safety in numbers!
  5. Parents should know the route children will be taking to and from a given location.  Remind children never to take shortcuts or deviate from the route agreed upon.
  6. Make sure that your children know never to talk to anyone that they don’t know.  They should be comfortable talking to you about things that may have happened that they aren’t sure how to handle, or things that make them uncomfortable.

Remember, the best defense to an unsafe situation is to prevent it all together!

Board of Trustees News:
The Board will be having an end-of-year meeting on Thursday, June 26 at 7:00 a.m. in our Library.  Following the Annual Meeting, the regular monthly meeting will be held which will serve as a wrap-up of the school year.  Remember, Board meetings are open to the public and all are welcome!

Donation Opportunity:
Students have been reading up a storm at BHMCS this year!  If you are cleaning out and have some age / content appropriate books in great shape that you'd like to donate to our class libraries, please send them to school with your child to put in the book bin in the main lobby.  The following series, authors, and topics are especially popular: Spiderwick Chronicles, Magic Treehouse, Series of Unfortunate Events, Andrew Clemens, sports, pets, poetry, and award winners.  Also, a few teachers are looking for extra bookcases to hold the many books in their classrooms.  Please call the school to arrange for a drop-off, and thank you for your support!

Important Information:

Upcoming Events:

Best wishes for a safe and enjoyable summer vacation!

Sincerely,

Kara Peterson
Principal

BHMCS Mission:  Excellence for All!