Bridgewater Bear Tracks

Thank you so much for taking the time to attend Family Conferences!! It was great seeing you and learning how we can best partner with you to help your child succeed!!

The winners of the $10 gift card to The Blast are:

Jenny Corona and Kaylea Schauer!! Congratulations!! 🎉

Tuesday, September 5th is the first day of school for students. We are excited to have our students return!!

Just a reminder that Wednesdays are one-hour late starts. Teachers use this time to meet with their Professional Learning Committees (PLCs). Buses will run one-hour later than usual, and school will begin at 9:20 each Wednesday.

Students should arrive no earlier than 8:00 a.m. each day (9:00 a.m. on Wednesdays) unless they are eating breakfast. Students arriving for breakfast may be dropped off starting at 7:50. Students will go to the playground for morning recess including those who are finished eating breakfast. Kid Ventures is an option for childcare before and after school; this is fee-based and your child must be registered before they may access this program. We will have staff inside the front door who will help your child find their way to the classroom or to breakfast.

When you pull up into the drop-off lane, please pull ahead as far as you can before letting your child exit your car. If there is a long line, please don't wait until you are directly in front of the door before letting your child out of your car. There is enough space for at least eight cars to drop off at the same time, and children can walk up the sidewalk to the front door or playground.

The end of the day is a busy time. You can only imagine trying to dismiss 565 students at the same time in an organized fashion, making sure students get to the correct place. These are the things that keep me awake at night and give me nightmares. We dismiss at 3:20 pm each day. It is most helpful if you arrive to pick up your child after 3:00 p.m.

As in the past, we will provide you a car-tag for your child. Please write your child's name and grade clearly on this tag, and place it so that it is visible through your windshield. This way you will drive up, we can read your child's name and make sure that your child gets to your car. Please keep your car-tag displayed until your child is in your car. Also, remain in your car and in line. This is similar to a drive through, where you place your order and receive your happy face. Please be patient, alert and courteous. Everyone has a schedule with places to go. We are trying our best! Safety First!

Students who live within the walking boundaries should leave home no earlier than 8:05 a.m. each morning. Leaving at this time will keep them out of the way of high school traffic, and this is a safety concern. Crossing guards will be at their post at Raider Drive and Jefferson Parkway in the morning at 8:00 a.m. (9:00 a.m. on Wednesdays), and at 3:20 p.m. in the afternoon. Students should always cross with the patrols and not at other places on Jefferson Parkway. Please talk to your child about going directly to school in the morning and directly home in the afternoon. We have found several students at the park in the afternoon since they didn't walk directly home.

BW Community School is a free after-school enrichment program available to students attending Northfield Public Schools. Programming includes, but is not limited to: homework help, various clubs and activities to support the academic and social skills students are learning during the traditional school day. In order to participate, parents must complete registration before the student attends for the first time. Please note that space is limited, so early registration is encouraged. Programming is from October 2, 2023-May 16, 2024, 3:20-4:40. Bridgewater Registration

Visitors are allowed in the building during the school day, and must check in the office. Unfortunately, this does not mean that parents are able to walk children to class. We are doing our very best to keep our students safe, and we will meet them at the front door to make sure they get to the correct room. Thank you for understanding!

Please note the Snack Cart is offered as a fee-based option for families, but it doesn't start until Monday, Sept. 11th. You may wish to send a snack with your child the first week of school. The form to sign up and pay for Snack Cart is attached below.

The crew from the Defeat of Jesse James Days will be at Bridgewater on Friday, Sept. 8th. Your child may wish to wear their western garb that day. They get excited to see the cowboys, royalty and rodeo crews! Here is the link to find additional DJJD activities for the 75th year celebration: https://www.djjd.org/

The Bridgewater office is open from 7:15-4:00 daily. Most days, Principal Antoine is in the office until around 4:30 pm.

For more information and to register, visit our website or connect with our Member Services team in person or by phone: 507-645-0088

We are happy to have you join your child for lunch. Please give us two weeks to set the routines for the students before you come in. Remember that you are welcome to dine with your child/children and two friends maximum. We also appreciate when you help to clean up the space when you are done since we are busy with the rest of the students. Thank you for understanding!

We welcome volunteers in our classrooms, and look forward to many smiling faces helping our students and teachers. Teachers will communicate volunteer needs or you can fill out a form to volunteer here. This will include a background check. Thank you in advance for supporting us!

Updated handbooks that contain important information regarding our policies and practices as a district are now posted on the district website. Please review all applicable handbooks with your students so that they are prepared to be good citizens of our learning community!

Bussing information should have arrived in your mailbox by now. If you have any questions you can reach Rick Wagner with Benjamin Bus at 507-645-5720 or rwagner@benjaminbus.com.

Benjamin Bus will continue to provide SAFE and professional transportation to all students.

School starts each day at 8:20 a.m. and dismisses at 3:20 p.m. On Wednesdays, students start one hour late at 9:20 a.m. Students are allowed to arrive at 8:00 a.m. (9:00 a.m. on Wednesdays).

Here is the link to pay for fees: Bridgewater School Fees

Please make sure to share medical needs for your child with Nurse Lucy Archibald. Any and all medications need to go through her as well. Please do not send medications on the bus with students. Thank you!

Attached is the lunch menu for September. Students have the option of bringing a cold from home, eating the hot entree, having a cold sandwich or a salad.

There are many activities that children and adults may access during the course of the year. Don't forget to check the numerous opportunities from the Northfield Community Education Program: https://northfieldschools.org/communityeducation/

Sept. 5---First Day of School

Sept. 6--Late Start-school starts at 9:20

Sept. 12---BBC Meeting-6:00 pm BW Media Center

Sept. 26--School Picture Day

Oct. 10---BBC Meeting-6:00 pm BW Media Center

Oct. 19-22 MEA-No School for Students

World-Class Learning for Elementary Students, Bridgewater Elementary School, situated on a 14-acre campus just south of downtown Northfield, is a K-5 public school serving approximately 560 students. It serves the neighborhoods on Northfield's southern side, Dundas, and the rural area south of Highway 19 and west of Highway 246. Students benefit from an active parent-teacher organization, Bridgewater Booster Club (BBC) and many parent volunteers.

The staff is intensely dedicated to offering a high-quality, well-rounded education that strives to meet the specific needs of each student. We focus on empowering our students in their academic and social emotional learning along with building a solid foundation for their educational journey in partnership with families.

Main Office Number: 507-664-3300

Attendance Line: 507-664-3306

Address: 401 Jefferson Parkway

Web page: northfieldschools.org/schools/bridgewater-elementary/

Email: nantoine@northfieldschools.org