Bethel Springs Elementary School

Please read the attached documents for information about summer reading expectations (and our summer reading raffle!):

Students entering K, 1, and 2 in September:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0By96mv0gfmC-RVRrZm12RXpHNXRkUTloU2hBejI1YVBRWFlj/view?usp=sharing

Student entering grades 1 and 2 are expected to read for at least 50 15-minute sessions.

Options for reading:

• Student reads silently.
• Student reads aloud to an adult/older sibling.
• Adult/Older sibling reads to student.
• Adult/Older sibling and student share the reading aloud.

After reading, discussing the story briefly is always helpful for building comprehension.

Students entering Grades 3, 4, 5 in September:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0By96mv0gfmC-YVlxTHhtTXBlZm8tNE1xY1d5UUxkaU8tLWp3/view?usp=sharing

Students entering grades 3, 4, and 5 are expected to log at least 20 titles. These can be novels, non-fiction books, short stories, articles (print or on-line), or picture books. Engaging your child in a discussion of what he/she is reading is helpful in building comprehension.

Thank you!

Happy reading!

Click link to download and/or print the September fitness challenge calendar shown below:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ABsAUG67t3TBOghlSt7tXgLg_GqMypRN2lx0pyE8vK4/edit?usp=sharing

For your convenient reference, the weekly announcements will be archived on the school website. Simply go the Bethel Springs page on the district website (garnetvalleyschools.com) and go to "Our School" and to the "Announcements" drop-down. Click on the particular weekly announcements you wish to view. Thanks!

The 2018-2019 calendar is linked on our website.

https://bses.garnetvalleyschools.com/calendar

The link for the calendar "School Calendar" is in the drop-down menu under "Our School" on the Bethel Springs website.

New Absence Reporting System
Launched at the end of the last school year, the new School Messenger (Safe Arrival) Absence Reporting System makes it easy for parents/guardians to report their child's absence, reduces the time it takes to verify student attendance and will allow our staff to respond to unexplained student absences more efficiently. Please click here for directions on how to use your phone, app, or computer to report an absence.

Dear Parents/Guardians,

With the new school year kicking off, we wanted to remind you about our new progress report starting this year. The GVSD elementary progress report is updated to reflect current trends in education. It remains anchored in a standards based reporting principle where students’ progress towards standards is indicated along with reporting on the Qualities of a Learner. The updated progress report enhances the Qualities of a Learner to reflect 21st century skills and updates academic indicators to be more accessible to students and parents/guardians. Characteristics of an ideal progress report were identified through research on assessment and best practice, examining samples from other districts, and by defining those qualities essential in our own district.

The recent updates were created to achieve different goals. The updated progress report provides more information to parent/guardians, has a consistent grade scale across K-5 via a new rubric, reflects elements of current instructional practices like reading workshop, and will include the level of books the student is reading.

Student progress on each Quality of a Learner and academic indicator will be reported using a 4-point rubric. This rubric is a departure from previously used state reporting language and intended to be more student-centered. The rubric was designed so that grades do not indicate the end of the learning progress. The student score on the rubric informs the student and parent/guardian of where the student currently is on a learning continuum.

A full description of the new progress report was included in the Elementary Handbook that was available through Family ID. It includes the Qualities of a Learner and the rubric. It can also be found on our website and through this link:

http://gves.garnetvalleyschools.com/resources/elementary_handbook

In the Elementary Handbook, the Introduction to the Progress Report begins on page 20. Teachers may reference this during Back to School presentations as well.

We look forward to seeing you at our Back to School Nights soon.

Thank you,

Mr. Piasecki, Mrs. Allen, & the BSES Staff

Homeroom Parent/Classroom Photographer Volunteers: Thank you to everyone who volunteered to be a HRP/Class Photographer! We are working on the selection process and checking everyone’s clearances. We hope to have selections, made by lottery when there are multiple applicants, out for both positions by next Friday, September 21st. Volunteers will be notified via email if they are selected. Thanks so much to all who volunteered; we wish we could have everyone!

KidStuff Coupon Books: Our Kidstuff Coupon Book sale is underway. The sale will continue to run until September 30th. Thank you to everyone who already purchased a book! The book includes amazing discounts to many children's attractions, clothing stores, sporting goods & grocery stores and quickly pays for itself after a visit to places such as ACME or DICK's Sporting Goods. Along with the book, you'll receive access to the coupon app which makes saving even more convenient. Please contact Lora Barber with any questions about the books: barberlora@yahoo.com

BSES HSA Donation Drive: You are invited to participate in the Bethel Springs Home & School Association's Donation Drive. Your tax-deductible contribution benefits all students by enriching their educational experience through assemblies, activities and helping us renovate the library (more info to come)! An envelope for your donation will be sent home with students next week. You can either contribute via MySchoolBucks or by check; please make checks payable to BSES HSA. Kindly return at your earliest convenience. Receipts furnished upon request.

Amazon Smile: Just a friendly reminder that BSES participates in Amazon Smile! When doing your normal shopping on Amazon simply go to Amazon Smile and select Bethel Springs Elementary School as your charity of choice. When you shop at Amazon Smile you’ll find the exact same low prices, vast selection and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the added bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price to your favorite charitable organization. Help support BSES while you shop!

Upcoming Dates:

• September 19 School Closed - Yom Kippur

• September 21 Cookie & Candle Sale Starts

• September 28 Homeroom Parent Meeting

• September 30 Coupon Book Fundraiser Ends

For the most up to date information check the HSA Website: BSES HSA

Follow us on social media-

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bseshsa/

Twitter: @bseshsa1

This year our Art and Literature Fling will focus on Greece! Each week in our announcements we will include a fact about this fascinating culture that stretches back thousands of years and has had such incredible influence on the world. PLEASE SHARE THE WEEKLY FACT WITH THE KIDS! In May, around the time of our Art and Literature Fling, there will be an electronic quiz on the weekly facts sent home for families to complete. All families achieving a perfect score will have their names put in a prize basket raffle to be drawn at the conclusion of the Art and Literature Fling on Wednesday, May 28th (you'll have to be present to win)!

This week's fact:

The Greeks have their own alphabet. Some letters look similar to letters in the English alphabet and some are completely different.

Is your child interested in foreign language study?

Click below for information regarding the VEFLS program held at Bethel Springs:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1U52U_IUQvd3_P87C6sG73ihRZaNal7Qu6OzNm48AVpg/edit?usp=sharing

September 19 Yom Kippur SCHOOL CLOSED

October 8 Teacher In-service No school for students

October 12 Fall Picture Day

October 24 Grandriends Day Grade 3 10-11AM; Grade 1 12:15-1:15 PM; Grade 2 1:30-2:30

October 25 Grandfriends Day Grade 4 9:15-10:15; Grade 5 11 AM-12PM

"Learning and fun all in one."