Mrs. Bayles’ ABC’s
WELCOME TO 1st Grade!!!!
I would like to take this opportunity to welcome you and your
child to our class. I am looking forward to a wonderful year of learning
together! 1st grade is an exciting time as children embark upon new
adventures in the world of learning.
My fellow 1st grade teachers and I are truly blessed to be given
this opportunity to get to know you and your child. It is our desire to
instill a love of learning that will last throughout your child's years of
schooling. I understand that you and your child may meet this day with
excitement or apprehension (or a little of both), and I hope that this
handbook will help you to know what to expect in 1st grade this year,
and answer any questions you may have.
I am looking forward to establishing the best possible learning
environment for your child, helping them to achieve their full potential.
Each child will progress at their own rate, acquiring skills as they are
developmentally ready. Maintaining each child's self-esteem and
building a secure foundation for future growth will always remain a
priority in our 1st grade at Heritage Trails. With teamwork and
cooperation among parents, teachers, and students, we will have a
successful year!
Love,
Mrs. Bayles 
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A
Absences/Attendance-Your child's regular and punctual attendance at
school is crucial to their success. They need to be in school all day and
every day. I can't emphasize this point enough! Most 1st grade
learning activities are small group oriented and involve explicit
instruction. Therefore, it is next to impossible to make up all work at
home. Interaction with classmates promotes social growth and
learning, and we need all of our class friends at school daily! Please
view school as a priority (schedule appointments or trips after school
hours, or during breaks). In case of illness or emergency please send a
written and dated excuse for absence within two school days after
returning to school. If you know your child is going to be absent please
contact the office by 8:55 a.m. If you do not report the absence to
the office you will be contacted by the district automated dialer.
ABSENCES WITHOUT NOTES WILL BE CODED UNEXCUSED (review
student handbook). Your child is only allowed 5 unexcused absences
per 9 weeks. If a child arrives late or needs to leave school early, you
must sign in/out at the school office BEFORE coming to the classroom.
Breakfast will begin at 8:25 a.m. If your child arrives before the first
bell at 8:40 a.m. they will need to wait in the cafeteria until a 1st grade
teacher escorts them to their classroom. If your child arrives after
8:40 a.m., they may go on to their own classroom on their own. The last
bell rings at 8:55 a.m. Your child will be counted tardy after the last
bell.
Accelerated Reader- The Accelerated Reader program is a program in
which students read books and take tests over those books to assess
their comprehension. The students earn points for the tests and will
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be required each month to earn a minimum number of points. The
purpose of the Accelerated Reader program is to improve students'
comprehension skills, fluency, and increase their desire to read. It also
gives me feedback on your child's reading level.
Alphabet Knowledge-In 1st grade, we will learn/review both upper and
lowercase letters of the alphabet as well as the letter sounds. Letter
and sound recognition are key ingredients to your child’s reading
success. Please work diligently with your child to master these skills.
I will do a full letter/sound knowledge assessment on your child each
nine-week. On my website you can find some of my favorite websites
for alphabet skill building.
Arrival- Because we try to encourage independence in 1st graders, we
encourage you to allow your child to come into the building alone after
the first week of school. (Once your child learns the way to our
classroom, they feel very “big” when they get to come in all by
themselves!)
Assessment-We use several instruments to assess students in 1st
grade. The Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS)
assessment is used 3 times during the year to assess your child’s
strengths and weaknesses. This assessment helps identify children atrisk for reading difficulties and helps set learning objectives and
develop instructional plans for these at-risk children. For more
information on what is assessed and why, check out this website at:
https://dibels.uoregon.edu/resources/big_ideas/big_ideas.php
Report card assessments are done every nine weeks, progress reports
will be sent home periodically, and the Star Early Literacy Assessment
will be utilized as well. The purpose of STAR Early Literacy is to
assess students' early literacy skills in preparation for reading. SEL
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identifies student reading levels (e.g. Emergent Reader) and provides
student performance results for pre-K through third grade students.
B
Backpacks- Your child’s backpack should be big enough to hold a 1 ½”
binder. Backpacks help your child carry folders, notes, projects, and
books to and from school. Please check your child’s backpack
DAILY. Please write your child’s name on his/her backpack.
Birthdays-Birthdays are a very important time in the life of a 1st
grader. We will celebrate each child with a birthday song on their
birthday. For those children with summer birthdays, we will celebrate
their half birthday. Please feel free to send treats (store-bought) or
goodie bags on this day. Please let me know in advance, so that I may
let you know how many students are in our class at that time. If you
choose to send birthday invitations, please send enough for your child’s
entire class.
Book Orders- Periodically I will send home a Scholastic Book Club
order. Ordering from Scholastic is completely optional, but it does
give you the opportunity to do two things. First, you have the chance to
order quality children's literature for your child at VERY reasonable
prices! (Some are as cheap as 99 cents!) And secondly, you get to help
us earn FREE books and materials for our classrooms! For every dollar
you spend, we earn Bonus Points that we can then use to order books
and materials for free! You also never pay sales tax or shipping and
handling. Many of the books that Scholastic offers are Accelerated
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Reader books, which allows your child the opportunity to read more at
home as well as take these tests at school.
Ordering is very easy! There are TWO options when wanting to order
from Scholastic - Choose the way that is the most convenient for you.
Ordering through the catalog sent home:
Look through the flyer that we send home and select the items you
would like to buy. Mark those items on the order form on the back page
of the flyer. Fill in the totals and your child's name at the bottom and
cut out the order form. Put the order form and a check or money order
made payable to "Scholastic Book Clubs" (No cash, please!) in an
envelope. Seal the envelope, label it with your child's name and "Book
Order Money," and send it to school in the pencil pouch in your child’s
STAR folder. That's all there is to it!
Ordering online:
Scholastic now offers a new, convenient way for you to place your Book
Club orders. You can now send me your Club orders online! A class user
name and password will be set up soon. You will receive notice when
this is available.
Breakfast – To ensure a great start to the day, make sure your child
eats a good healthy breakfast each morning. For those who are
interested, breakfast is served beginning at 8:25 a.m. each morning.
The cost of breakfast for a child is $1.25, for an adult it is $1.75.
Please see the paragraph on lunch to learn more about meal payments.
Bus Riders–Located in your Moore Public Schools handout is a bus
contract to fill out. You can also find more information, important
safety tips, a link to the bus stop finder website, and guidelines for
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bus conduct at the Transportation department’s website. Go to
www.mooreschools.com, click on departments, and then find
transportation. The transportation phone number is (405)-735-4070.
C
Calendar-A school calendar and MAPS (Music, Art, P.E.) are included in
your child’s STAR Folder. I will also update the calendar on my website
periodically as well, so check these locations frequently for special
activities taking place in the school and in your child’s classroom.
Clothing-Please dress your child in comfortable clothing that is
appropriate for 1st grade. 1st graders are involved in activities that
require jumping, running, climbing and the like. In 1st grade, students
will be using markers, using glue, working with play dough, and other
"messy" stuff. Please select clothing that is both comfortable and
appropriate for these activities. Moore Public Schools does have a
dress code that can be located in the Moore Public Schools Handbook.
It is a good idea to label all coats and sweaters.
Communication- I believe that your child’s success is dependent on a
partnership between school, home and the child. As a member of this
partnership, I will communicate with your family regarding classroom
events, your child’s progress, etc. If you feel the need to talk to me,
please call the school at 735-4520, send me a note in your child’s STAR
folder, and write in the communication notebook in your child’s STAR
folder. I will get back with you as soon as I can. My plan time is from
2:00-2:40 and lunch/recess is from 11:25-12:15.
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Computer-Your 1st grader will have computer time. 1st graders can
strengthen their reading and math skills with our Successmaker
program, Destination Reading program, or visit some educational
websites selected by the teacher. A permission slip must be signed to
use the internet. (See MPS Parent/Student Handbook)
D
Discipline Policy- As you know, good behavior and learning go hand in
hand. Rules have been established to ensure your child experiences a
positive and safe learning environment. Even at the young age of 6 or 7,
children need to learn the importance of accepting responsibility for
their actions. We place more emphasis on positive behaviors than on
negative or attention seeking behaviors, by stressing the importance of
making good choices. Even so, there are times when some children will
need additional support. In our classroom, we keep track of our
behavior with bees and beehives. Every child has a bee with his/her
number on it. I have posted beehives in green, purple, yellow, and red
(just like a stop light). At the beginning of each day, every child’s stick
person starts out on green. Our goal is to keep all of our bees on green
during the day. I have added the color of purple this year to showcase
those students who have exceptional behavior. Your child could move
to purple if I have “caught” them doing something above and beyond in
the classroom or for another child or adult. A purple beehive will not
necessarily be an everyday occurrence and your child should not be
upset if they do not attain it because a green beehive is still a priority,
however purple beehive should be highly praised!
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If a child has difficulty following a rule or directions, he/she is first
given a verbal reminder about the correct behavior along with a
strategy for making better choices.
If the same child continues to have difficulty, he/she will be asked to
“take a break,” and their bee will be moved to yellow. “Taking a break”
means that they will need to take time out at a designated spot, where
they will have to think about their actions and ways they can do better.
The child will need to stay at the designated spot until a one-on-one
conversation about the action(s) and what can be done differently is
able to occur without disturbing the rest of the class. The child will
then receive a logical consequence for the action. If a child refuses to
“take a break” their bee will automatically be moved to red, they will be
referred to the office, and parents will be called.
If behavior continues after “taking a break”, the child must move
his/her bee to red, receive a logical consequence, and be asked to sit
out of the activity to think about making better choices. Continued
difficulty will be referred to the office, and parents will be called.
Each day you will receive a behavior report in your child’s STAR folder
that will show if your child ended the day on green, purple, yellow, or
red. At the end of each day, your child will color a beehive to match
our classroom beehive (green, purple, yellow, or red). Also is included
is a space for teacher/parent comments and communication on the
behavior; you may also write in the communication notebook. Please
reinforce and praise positive behaviors and discuss difficulties with
your child. Please initial the daily behavior chart and return it to
school each day in your child’s STAR book.
Dismissal-Dismissal begins at 3:25 for walkers and car riders. If your
child rides a bus or daycare van they will wait in the classroom until
their bus number or daycare van is called. A teacher will escort them
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to their pick-up area. If you need to check your child out early please
check in at the office first, be prepared to show a photo id. Every
family will be given three placards that are to be used when a child is a
car rider. Parents will need to display the placard when they pick up
their children. Anyone without the school placard will not be able to
pick up their children unless they check them out from the office.
E
E-mail-I can be reached by e-mail at my school address
loganbayles@mooreschools.com
Emergency Info-At least two working phone numbers are required in
order to contact parents in case of illness or emergency. If your
contact numbers change, please inform me as well as the office staff
so that appropriate changes can be made to your child’s file.
F
Fire Drills-Your child will participate in frequent fire drills throughout
the year. We will practice the procedures before our first fire drill so
that your child will be prepared.
Fund Raisers-Our school participates in several fund raisers
throughout the year to raise money for various things for our school.
We hope that everyone can participate, but it is not required.
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G
Guidance-Our school counselor, Mrs. Cox, will conduct classroom
guidance lessons. These sessions focus on key 1st grade issues.
H
Hawks Nest - Hawks' Nest is a before/after care program
specifically designed for kindergarten through 6th grade students at
Heritage Trails Elementary. This program not only offers a convenient
child care option for our patrons, but also features a fun, educational
setting where our students can enjoy a variety of activities. Students
will be given opportunities to complete homework, do arts and crafts,
exercise, and have fun all under the supervision of Heritage Trails
faculty. The Hawks' Nest will be open according to the district school
schedule. The rates for Hawks' Nest are as follows:
Mornings only: $34 per week
Afternoons only: $52 per week
Before and after care: $75 per week
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Operating Hours:
7:00-8:30 a.m.
3:45-6:00 p.m.
A non-refundable enrollment fee of $30 for the first child plus $15
for each additional child will be charged per school year.
Homework-Your child will have homework periodically and occasional
home projects. This homework will be related to our math/reading
activities, spelling words, sight words, and/or reading log. The
homework activities are all designed to be done with an adult. This
means your child will need your help! Please read the instructions we
send with the homework, and help your child complete it. Doing so gives
you an opportunity to see what we are doing in class, and gives your
child an opportunity to practice new skills with your help to avoid
frustration and incorrect practice! Please let us know if your child has
a lot of trouble with any of the activities we send home so that we can
make adjustments to ensure that everyone is getting the most possible
out of our 1st grade program!
Handwriting-We have a program called Handwriting Without Tears.
HWT is a simple, developmentally based curriculum for writing
readiness, printing, and cursive. The multi-sensory approach teaches
to all learning styles-visual, auditory, tactile, and kinesthetic. At the
Parent Meeting, you will receive a letter and number formation chart.
See www.hwtears.com for more information on this program.
Health-Please let me know of special circumstances which may affect
your child. These could include medication that may make him/her
sleepy, a death in the family, etc. Also, please let me know of any
allergies your child may have, especially food allergies. We sometimes
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have snack or food activities to complement lessons in 1st grade and it
would be helpful to know when I plan our recipes.
I
Illness-Please do not send your child to school if he/she has a
temperature. If your child becomes ill at school you will be called to
come and get your child. We need at least two working phone numbers
at all times to contact you.
Immunizations-All students must be immunized against certain
diseases or must present a statement that the student should not be
immunized. Please keep your child’s immunizations current.
Injuries - Bumps and bruises are a regular part of the elementary
school experience. Students will be given bags of ice, band-aids, and
other items to treat minor injuries. However, if a larger incident takes
place we will be sure to notify parents based on the phone numbers
listed on the enrollment form. Because of this procedure, it is
important to contact the school if any of your personal information
changes. Heritage Trails has a nurse on duty only one day per week, so
it may become necessary to contact parents for advice concerning the
well-being of your child. If a parent cannot be notified, any other
numbers on the enrollment form will be used.
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J
Journals-After the first part of the year, we will spend time each day
writing in our journals. Writing and reading abilities are highly
correlated, so let your child write, write, write all the time using
invented spelling. Letting them do this will help them to grow in their
confidence as writers and will help them progress beyond your wildest
imaginations! Journal writing is a process that usually begins with your
child writing using their own invented spelling. This process could start
with your child writing words with just beginning sounds, then beginning
and ending sounds, to beginning, ending, and middle sounds, with a
progression to transitional spelling, and then on into traditional spelling
as they learn those skills. This developmental process will be looked at
more in depth at our first 1st grade parent meeting. Keep in mind that
all children progress at different rates. You should see consistent
growth in your child’s writing throughout the year.
K
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L
Literacy Centers – During learning centers, 1st graders practice
reading and writing skills while I work with individual children or small
guided reading groups. The center activities are designed to
strengthen letter/sound knowledge, listening skills, oral language
expression, phonics skills, writing skills, rhyme, letter formation, math
concepts, and cooperation
Library-We will be visiting our school library and be able to check out
library books to take home and read. The library will be open from
8:55-3:45 every day. We really want to instill in your child that books
are treasures! Please encourage your child to take special care of the
library books! We suggest choosing a special spot in your house where
library books will always be kept. This way, you don't ever have to
worry about losing them! Feel free to return the library books as
often as you and your child would like as you finish each book, but rereading is also fun and encouraged! Your child will only be able to check
out a new book if the previous one is returned. Should a library book
get lost or damaged while it is checked out to your child, we will simply
ask that you pay to replace it before checking out another book. If
this happens, we will let you know the cost of the particular book.
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Check out the media center section on the Heritage Trails website for
more information.
Lunch – From the Moore Public Schools website:
www.mooreschools.com you can find quick links on the right hand side
for lunch menus and an application for free and reduced lunches. You
can also navigate from that page to the Heritage Trails website by
clicking the drop down menu in the top left hand corner that says
“select a school” and then finding Heritage Trails Elementary. Once
you are on our home page there are quick links to the right for the
lunch/breakfast menu and for Mealpay Plus. Parents are encouraged
to pre-pay their child’s meals by sending a check or cash to add to
their cafeteria account. Another easier option is to click the quick
link for Mealpay Plus or log on to www.mealpayplus.com and make
payments by using your credit card. You can also view your child’s
account history (there is no fee for viewing account history), set up
auto pay, and request email alerts when the balance gets low.
Payments are accepted by phone as well at (866)-682-9274. Student
lunches are $2.25 and adult lunches are $3.00. If you have any
questions you may call 735-4030 or the parent support # is (877)237-0946.
Your 1st grader’s lunch time is from 11:25-11:50 and recess is from
11:50-12:15. If you would like to eat lunch with your child you may do
so at the tables located in the Hawk Hangout on both sides of the
main entrance. Please check in at the office before you eat lunch
with your child.
M
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Medication-If your child needs to take any medication at school please
notify the office, so the proper paperwork can be filled out.
N
Newsletter-A newsletter will be sent out periodically through email
and/or through your child’s STAR Binder. It will contain information
about our thematic unit, classroom activities, announcements, and
upcoming school events. Please check it weekly.
O
Outside- Your child will go outside for recess, unless the temperature
is below 40 degrees, including wind chill, above 100 degrees, including
heat index, or if there is inclement weather. Please keep this is in mind
when helping your child to select clothing for the day.
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P
Parent Volunteers-Our 1st grade program could not survive without the
help of parent volunteers! We can always use your help in our
classroom! We use our parent volunteers for a wide variety of things!
If you would be interested in volunteering, information will be coming
home explaining the different ways to help and what they entail or see
Mrs. Bayles.
Parties-We will have a couple parties throughout the year. Mrs. Bayles
or our homeroom parent will contact you to help with our celebrations.
Pictures – Twice a year the LifeTouch, company will come to take
individual pictures of your child at school. The spring pictures will be
included in the yearbook. We will also have class pictures in the spring.
Pledge of Allegiance and Moment of Silence-Each morning we will
recite the pledge of allegiance to the United States of America, the
pledge to the State of Oklahoma, our Heritage Trails creed, and will
observe one minute of silence.
Principal/Assistant Principal – Our principal is Dr. Jason Perez and our
Assistant Principal is Mrs. Robin Anderson. They work throughout the
building in order to develop relationships with the students and maintain a
strong learning environment. If you need to contact Dr. Perez or Mrs.
Anderson and they are unavailable you may leave a voice mail or message
which will be returned as soon as possible.
Progress Reports – Progress reports will go home periodically
throughout the year.
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PTA-(Parent/Teacher Association) All parents are encouraged to join
the school’s PTA. I hope we get 100% membership for our classroom!!!
Q
Questions-Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns
regarding your child’s education. I will make every effort to meet with
you and discuss your concerns.
R
Reading-Please read to your child daily and let your child read to you!!!
It is important that every 1st grader know that they can and do know
how to read using one of the three types of reading: pretend reading,
picture reading, or by reading all of the words.
Report Cards- We are on a nine week grading period. Your child will
receive a report card each nine weeks. After the first and third nine
weeks, I will have a scheduled conference to discuss your child’s
strengths and weaknesses. If you would like to schedule a conference
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at any time other than those mandatory ones please feel free to
contact me at the school or by email anytime.
S
Safety- Your child’s safety is top priority. I take every precaution
when your child is in my care. If you have any safety concerns
regarding your child please speak with me A.S.A.P.
Secretaries – Our fabulous secretaries are: Principals Secretary JayLynn Kooken and Office Assistant – Wendy Peterson.
Shoes- It is very important to wear comfortable shoes. I suggest
closed toed sneakers for all of our 1st grade activities. Running around
at recess and P.E. means that flip-flops are not a good idea.
Sight Words - These are high frequency words that are repeated
often in books and print. These words will help us be more fluent
readers and writers. Your child will be assessed periodically on their
ability to fluently read the first grade sight words. They will only be
given ten words at a time to practice. Each child may have a different
list due to the fact that each child may be more fluent with certain
words than others. During the week we will do a variety of activities
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with our words. Your child should be able to recognize all sight words
by the end of the year. Please review as often as possible.
S.T.A.R. Binder – (Students Taking Awesome Responsibility) A STAR
binder packet will be coming home detailing all that this folder contains
and will be used for. It is a 1” binder that will be used to transport
school-related information to you.
T
Transportation-If your child will be going home a different way than
what I have in my files, you MUST call the school or send me a note. I
will not let your child go with another adult or a different way unless
you have notified me.
Tardies- A record of tardies is kept and is documented on your child’s
report card. Please be aware that two tardies equal one absence.
Toy Policy- In the past, there have been problems with children
bringing toys to school. Students bring them out during inappropriate
times. Sometimes, the students will only share their toys with certain
groups of friends. For these reasons, there is a "no toys from home"
policy in our class. Your child should not bring toys to school. The
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exception is if I request your child bring one for an educational
activity. You will be notified in writing when your child will need to
bring a specific toy from home.
Tornado Drills- Your child will participate in frequent tornado drills
throughout the year. We will practice the procedures before our first
tornado drill so that your child will be prepared.
U
Units-The 1st grade year is divided into one, two, or three week theme
units of study. Look periodically for theme related activities you can
do at home on my website or in the newsletter!
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V
Visitors-We encourage visitors in our classroom. Please make sure that
you sign in at the office before you come to the classroom.
W
Website- Our class has a website which can be accessed from the
Heritage Trails Website. Check in regularly to find information about
curriculum, special events, and school news. Go to Our Schools from
the Moore Public Schools website at www.mooreschools.com , click on
the drop down menu in the top left hand corner that says “select a
school,” choose Heritage Trails Elementary, from the Heritage Trails
home page choose our school staff and then find my name.
Wish list-Throughout the year we sometimes need supplies above and
beyond our classroom materials. These needs will be posted in the
class newsletter, outside of our classroom, and on my website. Extra
items that you think we might be able to use are always welcome!
Another way to donate to the classroom is through
www.donorschoose.org . This is a website designed for teachers to
post their classroom projects that they need help getting funded.
Any person, organization, or company may choose to fund partial
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amounts or all of a project. It is up to them to decide if and how
much they want to contribute. Look on my website for my project
names, so that you or anyone you know can contribute if so desired.
X
Y
Yearbook-You will have a chance to buy a yearbook in the spring. What
better way to capture those elementary years than with a Heritage
Trails yearbook?
Z
ZZZZ’s-Your child should get plenty of rest each night. It is so
important for your child to be alert and ready to learn each day. Set a
bedtime and be consistent.
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In closing, I would like to thank you for allowing me this
opportunity to work with you and your child this year. I am looking
forward to a great year! Encourage your child to discuss school
activities with you. Always talk positively about school in front of your
child. The way your child perceives your feelings about school will have
a direct effect on how they will feel about school. I am looking
forward to working with you to make sure your child starts school on a
positive note. If I can be of any assistance to you or if you have any
questions; please feel free to contact me. I appreciate your support
and anticipate a fun and successful school year.
Mrs.
Bayles 
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