Bridgewater Bear Tracks

There is no school for students on Monday, November 6; this is a Teacher Workday.

Please know that most elementary students do not need a cell phone or a Smart watch. Cell phones and Smart watches need to be kept in a child's backpack in their locker during school hours. Students are not to be calling parents during the school day. We will always get a message to your child when needed.

Also, students may want you to believe that ALL of their friends have a phone; this is not the case. Please teach your child how to block people who are not being appropriate as well. If your child does not use their phone appropriately, please know that you can take it away. You pay for the phone, so you can take it away. You can always blame me if you need to.

Daylight Saving Time ends this Sunday, Nov. 5th. Don't forget to turn your clock back one hour for one extra hour of sleep.

We are very short on elastic waist pants for boys sizes 6-10. We could also use girls leggings. Thank you in advance!

Wednesday, Nov. 8th is Picture Retake Day in case your child was absent and missed Picture Day. For students that did not have their picture taken on the original picture date, click here to sign up for continuing information about availability of your students' retakes as well as Strawbridge notifications. When entering student information, parents should be sure to enter the student's name as it is on file at the school.

For students that would like to have their picture retaken, they need to return the original packet of pictures to the photographer on retake day. No forms need to be filled out.

Our annual Veterans Day Assembly will be held THIS Friday, November 10th at 9:00 a.m. in the gymnasium. All families are welcome to attend!

The temps are dropping and it is time to pull out the warm winter clothing. We had many chilled children at recess today, and shorts were not warm enough. Please make sure your child's name is in their clothing in case they get lost.

Please remind your children to leave toys, trading cards, and special items at home. As much as we enjoy students wanting to share their precious things, we would hate for them to be lost or damaged in any way. We will provide them many other opportunities and supports for fun and learning here at school, so please keep their home treasures at home.

Our lost and found is getting quite full! Please have your children check for any missing items. Also, as you come in for any reason, you may also take a look at the rack on your way in or out. Anything not picked up will be donated over winter break.

One of our goals is to engage parents in your child's learning experience at Bridgewater. This fall, we will be holding morning grade level parent meetings in lieu of fall conferences. Please know that you are still welcome to meet with teachers if you wish to do so; just contact them. At these meetings, we will focus on social-emotional learning and tips for supporting literacy in the home. I want you to get these dates on your calendar, and will send out a separate invite before each event happens. The time-frame for each will be 7:35-8:10 a.m. and each event will be in the Media Center. Here are the dates:

Friday, November 10th - 3rd Grade

Friday, November 17th - 2nd Grade

Friday, December 1st - 1st Grade

Friday, December 8th-Kindergarten

We will be celebrating Grandparents/Special Person Day on Tuesday, November 21st. You will receive information from your child’s teacher regarding the specific times and activities. We will provide refreshments in the commons area for our special guests. The parking lot will be full, and we will allow grandparents to park in the parking lots, the fire lane and the bus loop as long as cars are moved by 3:15 pm, in time for dismissal. Please don’t forget to notify your child’s teacher if you are allowing grandpa, grandma or special person to take your child home with them; we cannot allow them to go without your permission.

K - 9:00-10:00

1st Grade - 2:00-2:30

2nd Grade - 8:30-9:00

3rd Grade - 2:30-3:00

4th Grade - 10:00-10:30

5th Grade - 12:00-12:30

Operation Joy, a community-wide gift sharing program of Community Action Center (CAC), is set to take place on Wednesday, December 6, 2023! Through the generosity of hundreds of individual donors and dedicated volunteers, approximately 1,000 Northfield area children from 350 households will receive gifts through Operation Joy this year. Gifts are available for children birth through age 18 who may be needing additional support this holiday season. Both registration and monetary donations are appreciated by Friday, November 17. Fleece-tied blankets and wrapping paper supplies should be dropped off on Tuesday, December 5.

If you would like to receive support this holiday, please register:

>> online: visit communityactioncenter.org/operation-joy

>> in person at

Community Action Center

1651 Jefferson Parkway

Northfield, MN 55057

If you would like to support Operation Joy, donations can be made in the following ways:

>> online: visit communityactioncenter.org/operation-joy

>> mail: send a check directly to:

Community Action Center

℅ Operation Joy

1651 Jefferson Parkway, Suite HS-200

Northfield, MN 55057

For more information about Operation Joy, please visit: communityactioncenter.org/operation-joy. If you have any questions, please contact Lisa Percy via email at percy.lisa@communityactioncenter.org or phone at 507.350.2903.

Click here for the volunteer sign-up.

Below is the information to register for James Gang Wrestling. There is a mandatory parent meeting: Monday, Nov. 6 from 6-8 p.m. at the Northfield High School (NHS) Auditorium.

ALL parents (new and returning) who have wrestlers in the Intro, Girls, Novice and Advanced groups should be present. The season begins on Thursday, Nov. 9th at Northfield High School.

Attached are the lunch menus for November.

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/

Nov. 6---No School for Students, Teacher Prep Day

Nov. 8---Picture Re-Take Day

Nov. 9-15---Book Fair

Nov. 10---3rd Grade Parent Breakfast

Nov. 10---Veterans Day Assembly, 9:00 a.m. gymnasium

Nov. 14---BBC Meeting-6:00 pm BW Media Center

Nov. 17---2nd Grade Parent Breakfast

Nov. 17---BBC Spirit Day-Inside Out

Nov. 21---Grandparent's Day

Nov. 22-26---Thanksgiving Break, No School for Students

Dec. 1st----1st Grade Parent Breakfast

Dec. 8th---Kindergarten Parent Breakfast

Dec. 15---1st Grade Field Trip to the Children's Theater

Dec. 21---BBC Spirit Day: Hat & PJ

Dec. 22-Jan. 1---Winter Break

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