BIS Newsletter

2024 is off to a great start! Our students are back into a routine after the holidays and continue to work hard in the classrooms. Students have been very excited for the snow and are really enjoying playing outside at recess time. We have introduced goal-setting this month and encouraged our 3rd and 4th graders to find goals at home or at school to work on at the beginning of the new year. With that, we are challenging all our students to dedicate 15 minutes a day on literacy to excite our students for reading.

Reading Challenge: This BIS Literacy Team and our 3rd and 4th grade teachers recently kicked off a school-wide reading challenge to jumpstart independent reading in the new year! For January until February 15th, students will be filling in a snowflake in their reading class to celebrate every 15 minutes of independent reading at school. Classes will celebrate together and participate in a friendly class-to-class competition. While this is a school-day activity, check out the Read to Me Challenge (information below) for ways to celebrate literacy at home.

Sincerely,

Mrs Nadeau

Don't forget these events on your calendars!

January

• January 23-Feb 2 - NWEA Winter Benchmark
• January 26 - Flannel Friday (Fun Friday)

February

• February 7 - Early Release (BIS Dismissal is 12:00)
• February 7 - World Read Aloud Day
• February 9 - Sports Day (Fun Friday)
• February 9 - BMS Drama Performance
• February 19-23 - No School (Winter Break)
• February 26 - Students return from break

The Biddeford School Department created a four-year “Commitment to Students” in 2019 to guide our priority initiatives. As we look toward updating and revising our educational roadmap to support students, we are seeking parent input through the below survey. We value your insights, needs, and opinions, and we want to hear them. What is important to your child, and how can our district support students and families to thrive? Please take a few moments to answer this short survey and provide honest and constructive feedback.

What is a Someday? A Someday is when each student at BIS is asked to choose something fun or meaningful they would like to do at school one day. Our staff works together to give them this special moment before the end of the school year. Here are some of the special moments that we have celebrated recently.

As February approaches, we would like to encourage the community to participate in the Read to ME Challenge. This Challenge is an opportunity to contribute to a child’s literacy growth by reading aloud in any language to one or more children for at least 15 minutes. Reading aloud to children not only provides a bonding experience with caring adults, but the simple act of reading aloud to a child 15 minutes a day for five years results in 27,375 minutes of language exposure which can put children on the path to high literacy achievement.

In today’s fast-paced, technologically driven world, it is not uncommon to overlook the impact that reading to children has in building their language and supporting reading and writing achievement. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, reading also builds attention span and emotional development, improves concentration and focus, reduces stress and anxiety, and stimulates creativity and imagination. The more reading encounters children have with caring adults, the greater the probability that they will build the literacy skills needed for future economic competitiveness.

During February, we encourage students, parents, and family members to read to/with a child for at least 15 minutes. Snap a photo or short video (15-30 seconds) and post it with your challenge to others to read aloud for 15 minutes to a child they know. Use hashtag #ReadtoME and tag others.

For More Parent Resources, Click Here

Email: lnadeau@biddefordschools.me
Website: www.biddefordschools.me
Location: 335 Hill Street, Biddeford, ME, USA
Phone: (207) 282-5957
Facebook: www.facebook.com/biddefordintermediate