Newsletter- April 2026 - Barber Preparatory Academy

April 2026 Newsletter

PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE

Happy April!

Dear Barber Prep Families & Community:

Spring has officially arrived, and it is a season of growth, renewal, and new beginnings. Just as we see flowers begin to bloom, we are also seeing tremendous growth in our students as they continue to build knowledge, confidence, and independence.

As we approach the final months of the school year, our focus remains on finishing strong. This is the time to reinforce routines, maintain high expectations, and continue pushing toward academic goals. Every lesson, every day, and every moment counts as we prepare students not only for the next grade level but for long-term success.

Your partnership is key to helping our scholars succeed. Here are a few simple but impactful ways you can support your child:

Ensure your child attends school daily and arrives on time
Establish a consistent bedtime routine so your child is well-rested
Provide a healthy breakfast to help with focus and energy
Encourage a positive attitude toward learning and testing
Create a quiet space and time for homework or review
Stay connected with your child’s teacher and monitor progress

When families and schools work together, students are more likely to succeed academically, attend school regularly, and stay motivated.

As always, thank you for your continued support and partnership. Together, we will ensure that every Barber Prep scholar finishes the year strong and is fully prepared for the opportunities ahead.

Warm regards,

Principal Arnold

CHARACTER TRAIT OF THE MONTH

Spring Testing

M-STEP Testing & Preparation

April is an important and exciting time in our school year, as it marks the beginning of our final stretch toward the end of the year. With this new season comes an increased focus on standardized testing. For Barber, this means MSTEP and PSAT8 for third through 8th graders, and i-Ready for kindergarten through eighth grade scholars. These assessments provide valuable insight into student progress and help us better understand how to support each learner moving forward. They are part of the tools that schools use to measure academic growth and readiness for future learning. We are confident in the hard work our students and teachers have put in all year, and we encourage every student to approach testing with a positive mindset and give their best effort.

MSTEP & PSAT8

The MSTEP and PSAT8 are state assessments that measure how well students are mastering grade-level standards and they help to provide a comprehensive picture of their academic progress.

To help your child feel confident and prepared, we encourage families to use the state’s online practice tools: M-STEP Practice Portal

These practice tests allow students to become familiar with the format, tools, and types of questions they will see on the actual assessment.

Understanding Your Child’s Results
After testing, families will receive a parent report explaining your child’s performance. The Michigan Department of Education provides helpful resources to guide you: Guide to Parent Report

i-Ready Spring Diagnostic Testing

All students in kindergarten through eighth grade will take their Spring i-Ready Diagnostic. The i-Ready Diagnostic is an “…adaptive assessment that adjusts its questions to suit your student’s instructional priorities. Each item a student sees is individualized based on their answer to the previous question. For example, a series of correct answers will result in slightly harder questions, while a series of incorrect answers will yield slightly easier questions.” Students will take the i-Ready assessment in both reading and mathematics.

All students are required to complete their spring assessments. Participation in all end-of-the-year activities is dependent on spring testing completion in addition to behavior.

ATTENDANCE MATTERS

Attendance Matters Now More Than Ever

Consistent attendance is critical during this time. Missing even a small amount of school can impact a student’s academic success, and research shows that frequent absences can significantly affect achievement and long-term outcomes. During testing season especially, it is essential that students arrive on time and are present each day to fully participate.

School Safety & School Visitors

If you are a frequent visitor to Barber, you will notice that there was some construction completed over Spring Break. To further secure the lobby, a wall was built to create a vestibule. This is where visitors will check-in with security and be confirmed before entry to the school is granted. As we are living in times that can be uncertain, it is important that we do our part to ensure the safety of all students and staff.

All visitors MUST arrange scheduled meetings before coming to school to discuss academic achievement or behavior concerns. All visitors must sign-in at the security desk with their I.D. and a Visitor Pass via the Raptor Visitor Management system.
K-8 parents/guardians are not allowed to escort students to their classroom.
Volunteers: All parents/guardians/family members/friends of students MUST pass clearance through Barber Preparatory Academy iChat Background Check System to chaperone field trips or volunteer in classrooms.
Any use of cellphones or any other devices for photo taking or video making on any child other than your own child is against the law and strictly prohibited.
Parents/guardians who are visiting our school are NOT allowed to speak with or interact with any student other than your own child unless we have a signed note from their parents/guardians giving them permission for you to speak or interact with their child. The only exception to this policy is when a parent/guardian/family member is volunteering in the classroom or on a field trip and that person has passed the Barber Preparatory Academy security clearance process. Barber Preparatory Academy staff members and/or administration reserve the right to intervene and remove parents/guardians/family members who are interacting with other students without permission.
Any use of cellphones or any other devices for photo taking or video making on any child other than your own child is against the law and strictly prohibited.
Any visitor who wishes to establish a regular presence at Barber Preparatory Academy and/or interact directly with students shall consent to a criminal background check.

Thank you for your cooperation in keeping all students and staff safe.

EARLY DISMISSAL REMINDER

Due to student safety concerns and large increases in traffic during dismissal time we do not dismiss students after 2:30 p.m. If your child has an afternoon appointment that requires them to leave campus prior to 3:00 p.m. they need to be signed out prior to 2:30 p.m. Parents/guardians will not be allowed to pick-up students after 2:30 p.m. Parents/guardians are to contact the main office at (313) 957-3005 to notify staff of an early pick-up. Notifications must occur prior to 2:30 p.m.
Parents/guardians/family members that pick-up students will be asked to identify themselves. Anyone who is not listed as an emergency contact will not be allowed to pick-up students.
- A member of the staff will bring the binder to the front entrance for scholars to sign students out.
- Parents/guardians/family members will wait outside or in the vestibule for their student(s). Parents/guardians will not be allowed to wait in the main office or main lobby for their scholars. Parents/guardians are not allowed to pick-up their students from their classrooms.

Attendance: Everyday Counts!!!

Regular school attendance is one of the strongest predictors of academic success. Students who miss 10% or more of the school year (about 18 days) — even for excused absences — are considered chronically absent.

At Barber Prep, we are working to reduce chronic absenteeism by:

Monitoring attendance weekly
Partnering with families to identify barriers
Recognizing students with on-track attendance each month
Recognizing classes with the best attendance weekly.

Families can help by:

Ensuring students arrive on time daily
Avoiding early pick-ups or unnecessary absences
Communicating with the main office when illness or emergencies occur

When students are present, they learn, grow, and succeed — everyday counts!

If you are having trouble with getting your students to school consistently, please reach out to our Attendance Liaison, Mrs. Sparks. She can be reached at (313)957-3005 or tsparks@barberprep.org

SCHOOL HOURS

Daily Schedule

7:45 a.m. Doors open

7:45 a.m.-7:55 a.m. grab & go breakfast

8:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. classes are in session

3:00 p.m. Dismissal

REMINDERS:

Prior to 7:45 there is not any staff available to monitor students.
To help with the flow of traffic, please stay in your vehicle during drop-off and pick-up if possible.

UPCOMING EVENTS

School Resumes: Monday, April 6th
SPRING TESTING BEGINS: APRIL 14th

Stay Connected

Follow Barber Prep on Facebook and ClassDojo for photos, reminders, and updates.
Contact the main office at (313)957-3005 for attendance or general questions.
Bookmark and share our website!

Together, let’s make November a month full of learning, gratitude, and Eagle pride!