Together we ride, Together we grow!
Welcome Ute-Anja! We are thrilled dot have you here. Ute-Anja will be onboarding this week and visiting classrooms, getting to know students, learning with Kristen Bradshaw. Things should remain the same for students this week. Thank you for your flexibility and understanding with schedules while we navigate the transition.
If you have questions related to student schedules or the ranch please check with Ashley, Kelly, or me for now, since most of our students who break or are served in the Ranch are also served through Special Education at this time and have case managers.
Have a wonderful week everyone!
The full moon on Saturday signified a letting go of what doesn’t serve us well (stories, relationships, habits, patterns) and turning toward new beginnings. May this week be an opportunity for us to do just that.
With heart,
Michelle
Important Dates
- Monday: Breakfast change begins, 7:30 a.m.
- Monday: Broncos Read Work Group, 2:30-3:15
- Tuesday: No meetings planned- Michelle and Stephanie at N.Star 3-5 p.m.
- Wednesday: SIW is Ed. Network Day, 1:45-3:15 (choose your session- 2 at Buckingham!)
- Thursday: PLCs, Grade 3 Tier 3 Mtg, 2:30-3:15
- Thursday: Sky View SafetyNet Family Night for 4/5 families
- Friday: Broncos Read Kick-Off Video; Share in classrooms
Looking ahead:
- Broncos Read: Events throughout March (calendar and information coming soon)
- March 6: Family Folk Fest
- 2nd grade: 5:00pm – 5:45pm
- 3rd grade: 6:15pm – 7:00pm
- March 23: Spring Break begins (due to the difficulty of getting subs on Fridays and approvals already granted for Friday the 22nd off no additional requests can be approved for that day)
Breakfast Changes
- Breakfast will still be available to all and served from 7:30-7:50.
- Students will take breakfast from the service area, walk to class, and eat in class.
- Breakfast items will not be opened until students arrive in class to reduce spills
- Breakfast items will be cleaned up by 7:55 (there is no silverware to worry about).
- Large garbage cans will be located close to each grade level to dispose of food/containers.
- To avoid spills and distractions, please minimize travel in the hallways during clean-up. This should be quick, efficient, close to class, and have little to no impact on instructional time.
- Enough desk mops for each classroom will also be located next to garbage cans
- These items will be cleaned up and removed after breakfast service by 8:15
- They will be ready the next morning by 7:30
- Those supporting breakfast in the gym now will be supporting that time of day in other places
- Kevin will circulate hallways for support and remove food waste/cleaning materials by 8:15.
- As we live into the change, we welcome your thoughts and feedback. Thanks for your support!
Classroom move for Kelly
Kelly has relocated her classroom in order to create more accessible support for our 3rd-5th grade students. Groups will meet there or in the STEM room (Kelly will communicate those changes), and she will be more able to push into classrooms for responsive support. There is intention in this move, and we are happy to share more at our next staff meeting or SIW. A more distributed support system around our school is a step toward more inclusive practices and greater flow & connection between general education and special education services. Thank you, Kelly, for your openness to this change!
Assessment Preparations for Grades 3-5– More information coming very soon, with learning modules, expectations, and timelines. We will send in a separate email with a quick check-in time for all 3rd- 5th teachers and specialists to go over this with Stephanie and I. Thanks so much. Students will be testing in April and May.
Broncos Read & Read Across America
On Monday after school, our committee will meet to finalize activities and plans for Broncos Read in March. For three weeks next month, we will be celebrating books and inspiring wide reading for our students and families. As students complete books, we will fill our “bookshelves ” with paper spines to show their accomplishments.
We have planned a field trip to the library (see below), guest readers, and a book character dress-up day! Connected to our goals for Belonging and Connection, we are also thinking about this new tradition as an opportunity to engage our whole community with selected texts representing diverse experiences and identities. Texts can be incredible windows and mirrors for our students, helping to develop awareness, compassion and care. This is essential work for our growing Broncos as they navigate the world and influence the future! Friday morning we will share a Broncos Read Kickoff video with students at 7:50, followed by 10-15 minutes of school-wide independent reading.
Broncos Read Field Trip to Deschutes Public Library
Linked here, you’ll find the Permission Slip for the Broncos Read Field Trip to Deschutes Public Library. Transportation has approved the busing request and DPL has reviewed the schedule. We’ve made a volunteer google sign up form to begin coordinating parent volunteers. Feel free to use the message below in your communication with families. We will have printed copies to send home early this week. The communications have been sent to translation and we should receive a Spanish translation of the document in the next couple of days. The volunteer google form will also be translated.
Broncos Go to Deschutes Public Library
On Monday, March 18 our Broncos will go to the East Bend Public Library for a read aloud and library tour by our Community Librarian. Each grade level will go at a designated time throughout the school day with their grade level cohort. The field trip will take place outside of the lunch/recess schedule. Scan the QR code on the permission slip if you are interested in signing up to volunteer for this school-wide event. All volunteers will need to have an approved volunteer status. Please sign and return the bottom section of the form providing permission for your child to participate in the field trip. We are looking forward to celebrating the joy of books and how to access and use an incredible local resource, the Public Library.
Link to Sign up to Volunteer on Deschutes Public Library Field Trips on 3/18/24
Link to Volunteer Registration District Webpage
Yearbook Design Contest
Calling All Bronco Artists! We had oodles of submissions for our Lunch Time Pop Up Restaurant Logo Design Challenge. We want to build on this design enthusiasm and the artistic talents of our students and hold a Yearbook Cover Design Challenge. This year students will use the linked document for their submissions. Guidelines are also listed. All submissions are due at the end of the day on March 18. We will have a schoolwide voting during the week of 3/18 with the announcement of our top cover during our school-wide community gathering before Spring Break.
Lunch Time Pop Up Logo Voting
Please have your classes scan the QR code or click the Pop Up Restaurant Voting Link to vote for their favorite restaurant logos. Fifth Grade student leaders narrowed the submissions down to the top 6 for each restaurant. It’s super quick and mostly visual. Thank you!
District Annual Naglieri TAG Screening
This year, all elementary schools in Bend-La Pine will be using the Naglieri Non-Verbal Ability Test (NNAT3) as a screener for intellectual giftedness. The NNAT3 is a measure of nonverbal reasoning and problem solving, independent of educational curricula and cultural and/or language background. All 2nd graders will take this 30-minute test, as well as students in grades 3rd-5th who are new to the district and have not taken a similar test. Students at Buckingham are scheduled to take the test during the week of March 11.