Biddeford Primary School Newsletter

Spring is here! As we start our transition into a new season our school will begin to plan for end-of-the-year changes and fun. Our school has an opportunity to raise money with Hannaford 'Raising Funds for a Brighter School'. A flyer with details is on our FaceBook page and will be added to the Thursday folders this week with information regarding how to participate with Hannaford. Thank you very much for your support!

We're also starting to plan for parent teacher conferences so please look for communication from your child's teacher about scheduling a time.

Please be sure to check out the important dates below and other information from the district.

Warm Regards,

Margaret Pitts, Principal

• March 22: School Committee Meeting (7pm) @ BHS Little Theater
  
• March 24 & 25: Spring Musical: Beauty & The Beast Jr. (6:30pm) @ BMS Performing Arts Center
  
• March 31: US Air Force Band (7pm) @ BMS Performing Arts Center
  

• April 5: Parent Council Meeting (8:30am), Early Release, and Parent Teacher Conferences (4:30-7pm)
• April 6, 7 & 8: Spring Musical: “Pippin” Thursday and Friday at 7pm & Saturday at 2pm and 7pm @ BMS Performing Arts Center
• April 12: School Committee Meeting 5pm @ BHS Little Theater
• April 13-21: No School; Spring Break. Return on April 24
• April 21-23: The Addams Family Friday at 7pm, Saturday at 2pm & 7pm, and Sunday at 2pm @ BMS Performing Arts Center
• April 22: National Prescription Drug Take Back Day (10am-2pm) @ Biddeford Public Works
• April 24-28: Career Week
• April 26: School Committee Meeting (7pm) @ BHS Little Theater

Social-emotional learning (SEL) is the process of developing the self-awareness, self-control, and interpersonal skills that are vital for school, work, and life success. Decades of research show the positive effects of universal, classroom-based SEL programs for children. There’s also broad recognition that benefits are even greater when children experience SEL throughout their day, across home, school, and out-of-school time environments, and throughout developmental stages. Here at BPS, we take a systematic approach to implementing SEL where every adult in the building has a role in promoting these skills. We use evidence-based programs and lean into the data to assess program effectiveness!

Check out just a few of the ways we celebrate highlight SEL everyday!

We have a unified arts subject dedicated to SEL curricula which teaches children techniques to gain confidence, set goals, make better decisions, collaborate with others in work and play, and navigate the world more effectively.

At the start of the New Year, the Resiliency Coordinators Hilary Ventura (BPS) and Marleah Bronder (BMS) teamed up to pilot a mentor program for both schools. Teachers from each school helped to identify roughly 50 students that were made up of first and second-grade students and fifth and seventh-grade students. The focus of the work is based on building connections, relationships, and social emotional skills.

We had a wonderful turn out to the student art show at BMS. Thank you to everyone who helped make the 2023 art show a success!

The United States Air Force Band from Washington, D.C., is heading out on tour to the Northeast and will perform on Friday, March 31st at 7pm at the Biddeford Middle School Performing Arts Center. Free tickets are available via Eventbrite at http://bit.ly/3mblnCa. The concert is open to the public with general admission seating and doors opening at 6:30 p.m.

The U.S. Air Force Band is the premier musical organization of the U.S. Air Force. Stationed at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling in Washington, D.C., the U.S Air Force Band honors those who have served, inspires American citizens to heightened patriotism and service, and connects with the global community on behalf of the U.S. Air Force and the United States of America.

Attention Parents and Guardians: Are You Concerned About Drug Misuse In Our Community?

Coastal Healthy Communities Coalition’s Project Alliance needs your help! If you are concerned about substance misuse issues facing our youth and would like to get more involved with local youth drug prevention, consider joining our coalition. As a member, you can learn about available local resources, develop strategies for talking to your kids, and make a lasting impact on your community. Our coalition meets once a month via Zoom and is comprised of parents, teachers, law enforcement members, business and religious leaders, healthcare providers, and other community activists, all working together to make York County safer, healthier, and drug-free.

If you are interested in joining our coalition, please fill out your information here: https://bit.ly/PAMembership. CHCC also encourages parents and guardians to subscribe to their monthly newsletter, included below, for future community updates.

What is a Someday? A Someday is when each student and BPS staff member is asked to choose something fun or meaningful they would like to see happen at school. Our staff works together to give them this special moment before the end of the school year.

The next Parent Council Meeting will take place on Wednesday, April 5th at 8:30am via Zoom.

For more information, please contact Nate Molleur at 207-282-8285 or via email at nmolleur@biddefordschools.me. We look forward to seeing you.