Butler and Bloomingdale Schools

I hope this email finds you all well. We are officially halfway through the 20-21 school year, and, despite it being nontraditional in many ways, I am proud of the efforts of our staff to continue to care for and educate our students. I know that we continue on a pathway together, in partnership, to try to help all of our children succeed amidst the most challenging of circumstances. We remain resolute in our efforts to provide all we can for our students academically, socially, and emotionally.

As I have asked of late, our continued combined efforts to keep our students and facilities healthy is paramount in maintaining in-person instruction. As such, if your child does not feel well, please keep them home until such time that they feel better. I know that many get nervous about attendance, but we will continue to work through the districts' processes regarding attendance tracking, as we know we are requesting heightened assistance. Please work to keep your children healthy beyond our school walls. Together - we will get through this.

I have been excited to see our children back within the Butler Schools, and I am looking forward to meeting the students in Bloomingdale when we return to a hybrid schedule on February 1st.

Be Well!

Dr. J.

As many are aware, Morris County - along with the entirety of the State of New Jersey - has moved into the Orange Band / High Risk category. This heightened state has changed the recommendation from our Departments of Health regarding precautionary steps that should be taken by schools in order to attempt to curb the spread of COVID and keep all healthy.

At this time, any student who demonstrates symptoms is to be presumed to have COVID until such time that they either demonstrate a negative COVID test or they go through a 10 day quarantine period. This is a change as prior to moving into this band, we did not have to presume all suspected cases to be positive of the virus.

Furthermore, it changes the way that we would need to work with students who had been in close contact with those students who are presumed positive, changing the outline and definition of close contact and having schools also quarantine all students deemed in close contact regardless of a known positive case.

Additionally, at this higher risk level, schools that have multiple positive cases of COVID need to operate in a fully virtual setting for a quarantine period of 14 days.

It is due to this that I have been asking for assistance during the past week as we work together to keep our schools open for in-person instruction. These heightened restrictions increase the need for schools to switch to a remote setting - and it is our goal too keep students in-person for as long as possible. We can only do this together. I thank you in advance for your assistance.

We are excited to share that the planning for a new playground at Aaron Decker Elementary has begun. The new playground will be located in the area where the former fitness equipment had been, allowing more space and access free from flooding. Our new facility will be 100% ADA compliant allowing access for all students.

In addition to the playground, we are working with our architect to plan a walking path, which has been long discussed within our district. This will provide our students who walk safe passage and access to ADS.

This was a topic of concern that had come up during conversation during our Strategic Planning sessions two years ago, and we are proud to be able to act upon that feedback.

We are so excited to have our students back at Aaron Decker School. It was a great first week back with the Blue Cohort. We are looking forward to welcoming back our Gold Cohort on Tuesday, January 19, 2021.

ADS Bulldog of the Month Award

Congratulations go out to our Bulldog Teacher of the Month Recipient, Mrs. Cyntia Cuellar. Mrs. Cuellar is commended for her work as a paraprofessional, her help in the main office, and her work in helping translate many conferences, meetings, and day to day questions. She is an integral part of the ADS school community. Thank you for everything that you do!!!

Winter Weather Attire

With the cold weather in place, please be sure your child is dressed appropriately. Coats, hats, gloves, etc. should be worn depending on the weather. We are trying to go outside everyday for recess. If rain is in the forecast, a rain jacket or umbrella would be helpful to keep your child dry while they are walking to their bus or car.

ADS School Pictures

School pictures will take place on the following dates:

• Tuesday, February 2, 2021

• Tuesday, February 9, 2021

More information will follow in the next few weeks.

All Kindergarten and First Grade students are working on their I-Ready mid-year benchmark assessment. Parental scoring reports will be mailed out around the end of January/beginning of February. Thank you for helping your child log on and maneuver through the program.

MBD will be celebrating “No Name Calling Week 1/19-1/22”. Each day students will demonstrate how they will end name calling.

• Tues, Jan. 19- Wear your favorite HAT to put a lid on Name Calling.

• Wed, Jan. 20- Wear MISMATCHED CLOTHES to show how we are all different.

• Thurs, Jan. 21- Wear appropriate ATHLETIC APPAREL to show that it’s no sweat to be a friend.

• Fri, Jan. 22- Wear your FAVORITE JERSEY to team up against No Name Calling.

MBD would like to give a shout out to our weekly bucket fillers:

-Salvatore Militello

-Perpetua Ghaly

-Jaida Fiore

-Nylah Cruz

-Caleb Norman

-Sebastian Bronkhurst

-Ian DelMoral

-Adam Couillou

MP2 ends on Friday, January 29. Parents will be able to view report cards on February 11 on the parent portal.

All students are working on their I-Ready mid-year benchmark assessments in ELA and Math. Parental scoring reports will be mailed out around the end of January/beginning of February. Thank you for helping your child log on and maneuver through the program.

SRD will be celebrating “No Name Calling Week 1/19-1/22”. Each day students will demonstrate how they will end name calling.

• Tues, Jan. 19- Wear your favorite HAT to put a lid on Name Calling.

• Wed, Jan. 20- Wear MISMATCHED CLOTHES to show how we are all different.

• Thurs, Jan. 21- Wear appropriate ATHLETIC APPAREL to show that it’s no sweat to be a friend.

• Fri, Jan. 22- Wear your FAVORITE JERSEY to team up against No Name Calling.

MP2 ends on Friday, January 29. Parents will be able to view report cards on February 11 on the parent portal.

Students have successfully transitioned back to school utilizing our new schedule with the four content areas being scheduled in the morning and related arts and physical education classes being held virtually in the afternoon. It is wonderful to have the buzz of students back in the building and be able to work with students in small groups and one on one.

Students and Staff will participate in a School Spirit Challenge on Friday, January 15th and Friday, January 22nd to celebrate being back to the halls and classrooms of RBS!

The second annual RBS Spelling Bee is underway! We’ve extended the deadline for the Spelling Bee and students are participating in a classroom level spelling bee to find our contestants for our small scale school level bee that will be held the first week in February.

Mrs. Tutunjian's 7/8 Language Arts class entered a poetry contest through Appelley Publishing Company. Gianna Rossi's poem, "Pandemic Blues," has been recognized and will be published in the Appelley Publishing Rising Stars 2021 Collection! She is now a finalist in the race for a first place win for grades 6-8. Winners will be announced in April; however, Gianna is already a winner at RBS! Congratulations to a wonderful, creative writer!

Mr. Meyers has begun in person groups for our 7th and 8th grade students during their exploratory periods. During these groups, students are engaging in discussions about academic strategies in a virtual setting, social media safety, and completing personality tests.

RBS Bulldog of the Month

Congratulations to Mrs. Koptyra and Ms. Smith

for being recognized as the RBS Bulldogs of the Month!

Mrs. Koptyra teaches 5 classes, 3 different subject areas/grade levels, all with a smile on her face. She continually brings innovative, fun, and engaging learning activities to her classroom, which keep the students motivated and wanting to learn whether in person or online. She loves what she does and it shows!

Ms. Smith zooms around the building all day long - teaching 4 different classes and 3 different grade levels. She walks into every classroom with a positive attitude, ready to work, and making sure that she is doing all that she can to have her students succeed. Ms. Smith is always willing to meet with students, help her colleagues, and does a phenomenal job with the Student Council, ensuring that they have the best experience they can in our current situation.

All language arts and math classes will be completing their LinkIt! Benchmark assessments within the next week. These assessments will help inform instruction for teachers and assist in identifying potential learning gaps. Data collected will help plan for summer programs to address learning regression. Please note: these assessments are not part of marking period grades.

School attendance has never been more important! Please be sure your child logs into their Google Classroom at the appropriate time.

Friday, January 22 is the first ever Virtual Spelling Bee! Students from each grade level participated in qualifying bees and this is the final round! Thank you Mrs. Bober, Mrs. Harvey-Henderson, Mrs. Valle and Mrs. Doyle-Watson!

MP2 ends on Friday, January 29. Parents will be able to view report cards on February 11.

Attention 8th graders! BHS Guidance Counselors will be sending a link to view a virtual presentation of the Program of Studies along with course request worksheets to help you plan your transition to Bulldog Nation! Look for a link in your email. Counselors will be at WTB on Wednesday, February 3 and Wednesday, February 10. Contact Miss MIllward with any questions.

Yearbook Club advisor Mrs. Saltzman is looking for a few good Bobcats to put together the Glenwild Echoes for this unique school year! Contact Mrs. Saltzman if interested.

School photos will be taken on Friday, February 5 and Wednesday, February 10. Look for an email with details and how to order!

It was great to see our students from the Blue Cohort back in the building this week. We look forward to our Gold cohort group coming in for in person instruction next Tuesday (1-19-2021) Please remember to fill out the daily covid form on the Genesis Parent Portal by 7:30 am each morning your child is attending in person instruction.

BULLDOG OF THE MONTH:

• This month we honor Ms. Beth Nash as our December Bulldog of the Month. Ms. Nash is constantly working with our students before, during and after school and never hesitates to meet the needs of all her students. She ran a very successful holiday food drive and is an integral member of the BHS Hall of Honor Committee. The Butler School District is lucky to have such a dedicated, caring and kind individual. Congratulations Ms. Nash!

BHS CURRICULUM NEWS:

Teachers have been designing and implementing standards-based benchmark assessments to track student progress and identify areas for growth. They gave the first round of Benchmarks in December.

-Teachers in all departments have been working in PLCs to discuss results from benchmark assessments and plan for the next round of instruction and assessment.

-This month in World Language students are testing for the Seal of Biliteracy. Students who qualify will earn an insignia on their transcript and an official seal from the state of New Jersey.

-In Social Studies, teachers are discussing the 2020 Social Studies standards and working to integrate them into the curriculum.

A FEW WORDS FROM VICE PRINCIPAL MR. BENSON

-Any time students are going to be absent, please reach out to the attendance office via email at lmilone@butlerboe.org or via phone at 973.492.2000 ext. 1503

-Any technical issues that will keep students from logging into their virtual class should be communicated to the teacher and the attendance office at lmilone@butlerboe.org before or during the class missed.

-Virtual and in person students, please remember to submit any documentation related to absences being excused to the attendance office as soon as possible.

-It is imperative that students are reporting to their virtual and IN person classes on time. Any student that is reporting to their virtual class late should make their teacher aware they are present when they arrive to be sure the attendance report is updated.

• BHS MP 2 Report Cards

-Marking Period Report Cards will be posted on the Parent Portal on January 22nd, 2021 at 4:00 PM

• BHS 2021-22 SCHEDULING PROCESS

-Please use this link for important dates regarding the BHS Scheduling process

BHS 2021 - 2022 Scheduling Process

• NEW COURSES - 2021 - 2022

-Please use this link to see all of our new course offerings for 2021 - 2022

BHS New Course Offerings 2021 - 2022

• BJS DUAL ENROLLMENT OFFERINGS 2021- 2022

-Please use this link to see our dual enrollment offerings for 2021 - 2022

-BHS DUAL ENROLLMENT 2021 - 2022

• *RBS and WTB 8th GRADE SCHEDULING PARENT LETTER 2021 - 2022

-Please use this link to see our scheduling plan for the class of 2025

8th GRADE SCHEDULING LETTER 2021 - 2022

RECOGNITION ADS FOR SENIORS

Attn: Senior Parents, Guardians, Friends & Family

Celebrate the memorable moments from throughout their school years. Place a Recognition Ad in the 2021 BHS Yearbook today. Deadline for purchase is Feb.1, 2021

Please use the following link to order.

RECOGNITION ADS

Please contact Mrs. Fatzer with any questions at mfatzer@butlerboe.org

• GRAB AND GO LUNCH:

Grab and go breakfast/lunch is available for all students everyday. Pick is located at the BHS Cafeteria entrance from 11:30 am - 1:30 pm each weekday and 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm on Tuesdays and Fridays.

COLLEGE APPLICATION PROCESS:

Seniors should be working with their counselors to make sure college applications are going out in a timely manner to avoid missing any deadlines.

SWITCHING TO ALL VIRTUAL INSTRUCTION: If you decide to have your child move to virtual instruction, please follow these steps:

1. Email Mrs. Milone @ Lmilone@butlerboe requesting a form to go virtual.

2. Fill out the form completely and scan it back to Mrs. Milone.

3. As per policy, allow one week for this request to be processed.

4. Until approval is given, students are expected to attend class in person during their cohort week

5. IMPORTANT: Students who are switching back from virtual to in person instruction, please follow the same procedure as above (Allow one month for an in person return)

STAY SAFE!:

Our community continues to see a large increase in the number of individuals who tested positive for Covid-19. Because of this significant uptick in the incidence of Covid-19, we wish to remind all parents, staff, and students to continue following well-established Covid-19 safety measures, including:

• Proper and consistent use of a cloth face covering;
• Social distancing of six feet or more whenever possible;
• Frequent handwashing and hand sanitization;
• Respiratory etiquette for coughs and sneezes; and
• Staying home when ill and following established quarantine protocols.

Angela was a wonderful woman - a wife, mother, and caring para. She was a gentle soul, who calmly and quietly guided her students daily, ensuring they put their best foot forward in each class. She will be deeply missed.

Our basketball, fencing and bowling teams have started practicing this week as we get prepared to compete in contests beginning the week of January 25th. Our winter track team will begin practices on February 1st while our wrestling team will begin on March 1st during this modified winter season. No fans will be allowed at contests but our events will be livestreamed when and where possible. Specific information regarding live streaming of the different athletic contests will be provided in the coming days.

Ms. Szabo and Ms. Urbina have been working on the construction of a Wellness Website to assist all within our learning community deal with the daily stressors and associated anxiety, especially during the pandemic. Please use the link below to check out the tremendous work these counselors have done!

https://sites.google.com/butlerboe.org/butlerwellnessroom/home?authuser=1

Together for Children

Email: djohnson@butlerboe.org
Website: www.bloomingdaleschools.org
Location: 38 Bartholdi Avenue, Butler, NJ, USA
Phone: 9734922020
Twitter: @drjohnson45