Hello Bloomingdale Bear Families!

Welcome Back! I hope that everyone had a restful and joyous Thanksgiving Break! We are excited to close out the second quarter! It is hard to believe that we only have 3 weeks left in the first semester! We will begin iReady testing for the Middle of Year Reading & Math Diagnostic for all students in grades K - 5. Please be sure to read the parent letter below. Let's work together to ensure our students are well-prepared and motivated to do their best! Last year, our students grew nearly 20,000 points in reading and math. This showed on our GMAS as well resulting in Bloomingdale being named 1 of only 154 Title I Reward Schools in the State of Georgia. I know that we can surpass last year's gains!!

On and ever upward,

Principal Lam

Dear Bloomingdale Elementary School Parents,

I trust this message finds you well. As part of our ongoing commitment to fostering a positive learning environment, we invite you to participate in the Georgia Department of Education's School Climate Survey. Your feedback, gathered through these surveys, plays a pivotal role in shaping the educational experience at Bloomingdale Elementary.

The insights collected from students, staff, and parents directly contribute to our School Climate Rating on CCRPI (College and Career Ready Performance Index). In 2019, Bloomingdale achieved a commendable 3 out of 5 stars in the School Climate Rating. Now, as we strive to surpass pre-pandemic benchmarks, our ambitious goal is to secure a 4 or 5-star rating.

Your honest feedback is invaluable to us. It guides our efforts in identifying areas of improvement and ensures that our school continues to be a nurturing and inspiring place for all. While we aim for the stars, we are confident that your input will reaffirm what we all know deep down—that Bloomingdale Elementary is truly a 5-star school!

Please take a moment to complete the survey. Your participation is crucial in helping us paint an accurate picture of our school's climate and further strengthens the bond that makes Bloomingdale a remarkable community.

Thank you for your time, your commitment, and your dedication to making Bloomingdale Elementary the best it can be. Your feedback propels us toward excellence!

Once a Bear, Always a Bear...

Warm regards,

Benjamin Lam

Principal

Bloomingdale Elementary School

Student Survey Questions (English)

Student Survey Questions (Spanish)

The SCCPSS Literacy Task Force is seeking input from the community for the adoption of K-12 English Language Arts textbooks. Parents and interested community members of Chatham County are invited to review the selections under consideration at one of three Community Review Events. K-12 ELA Textbook Adoption Parent/Community Reviews will be held Thursday, November 16 from 4:30 – 7:00 p.m., Friday, December 1 from 4:30 – 7:00 p.m., and Saturday, December 2 from 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. at Shuman Elementary School, 415 Goebel Avenue. Parking and enter by the community pool.

As the District moves toward an approach to foundational skills instruction that is based on the science of reading, it is imperative that classroom materials address all components of literacy relevant to all grade levels, including phonics, fluency, vocabulary comprehension, spelling, grammar, and writing. The program selected must be culturally responsive and offer supports to meet the needs of all learners, including English language learners, students with disabilities and advanced learners. In addition, all selections must be aligned with the goals and objectives of the State of Georgia standard course of study for K-12.

The District began the process with a Request for Proposal in early 2023. Once the proposals were reviewed by a team of educators and professional learning specialists, the selections were narrowed, and the top-rated materials were “field tested” in the classroom with teachers and students for every grade level under consideration to determine if the product met the needs of teachers and students. Professional development was provided to pilot teachers during the summer of ’23 and the products were tested in the first marking period of SY23/24. In October, K-12 educators were invited to review and provide feedback for each of the products.

Now, parents and community members are invited to review the materials and provide feedback before the final recommendation is made to the Board of Public Education. The exercise will take about 30-45 minutes. Participants will use their smartphone to scan a QR code that will guide them through the process. A limited number of iPads will be available for anyone who does not have a smartphone.

For more information, call the Curriculum and Instruction Department at (912) 395-5313.

Parents/Guardians,

The Transportation Department has completed distribution of barcoded student cards for initiation of the Synovia/Here Comes The Bus Student Pass Program. Parents/Guardians can download the Here Comes the Bus (HCTB) app to track their child's bus. We highly encourage families to take advantage of this resource. You may find the code and more information here: Here Comes the Bus FAQs.pdf (sccpss.com)

Each SCCPSS bus is equipped with a tablet to validate students when loading and unloading. Parents are able to monitor their child’s scans using the HCTB parent app. For parents already utilizing the HCTB app to monitor the bus, student scans will automatically populate in the app. Students should be reminded to keep their card with them for morning and afternoon transportation.

Routing updates are occurring on a continuous basis as transportation information is received through exports. As students are added to routes, Transportation will generate barcoded cards for these students.

Families who reside in Bloomingdale’s attendance zone, if you are interested in your child riding the bus, please complete this form. A member of our team will review your information and contact you with route information and a start date. (Does NOT apply to students currently riding the bus & students on administrative placement).

1. Remain in the same lane—do not switch over after number is recorded.
2. Cell-Phone FREE zone
3. School Zone - Watch your speed
4. After 4:00 PM—late pick up.

Morning drop-off has improved dramatically since the beginning of the year! We appreciate your willingness to be flexible and patient while we work on the safest way to start the day with our kids.

We have a few updates and reminders....

Students may enter the building at 8:15 AM. School staff begin assisting students out of vehicles and into the building earlier.

The school day officially begins at 8:40 AM. All students and staff should be in their classrooms by 8:40 AM, which includes staff on car rider duty.

At 8:40 AM there will only be 1 drop off lane open, the outside lane will be blocked off, and duty staff will no longer be assisting students in getting out of the vehicle. Two staff members will remain to control traffic and direct parents to drive all the way down to the crosswalk and assist their children in getting out of the vehicle.

If parents arrive at 8:45 AM or later, they must park their vehicles and walk their children into the building to sign them in for the day.

Thank you for your attention to this matter and making the car rider line great!

It is not too late to fill out a free/reduced lunch application. If you have not filled one out this year, please do so!

Email: benjamin.lam@sccpss.com
Website: https://www.sccpss.com/schools/bes/Pages/default.aspx
Location: New Hampstead K-8 School, Highgate Boulevard, Bloomingdale, GA, USA
Phone: 912-3953680
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BloomingdaleElementary2/
Twitter: @bdale_bears