Berlin Bobcat Beat
November 2023
GREETINGS FROM MRS. G!
Dear Berlin Families,
Dear Berlin Community,
We are cruising along with our school year and our community is stronger than ever!
Staff have been hard at work providing high quality instruction to our students. Our support staff recently engaged in a productive day of learning sponsored by our Humanity and Justice Team and our PBIS team. We focused on having conversations around Bess O’Brien’s film, I am From Here and engaged in some deep thinking and collaboration around student de-escalation. Our teaching staff will engage in conversations and work around Humanity and Justice during our PLC and Staff meeting time post January as well. Shelley Vermillia, the district’s Equity in Residence, has been a great resource to us
Students have been engaging in a wide range of tasks and learning. 2nd grade classes have been learning about Harvest Festivals around the world. 6th grade students have been crafting a city of their own. Students in all grades have been working to access our iReady Math curriculum and teachers are moving right along. I am thrilled at the progress that we are making as a school.
As a school community we would like to thank you for your attendance and participation in our Student Conferences earlier this month! It’s a wonderful opportunity for caregivers and teachers to touch base and connect on student strengths/areas of growth. As a classroom teacher this was always one of my favorite times of the year!
Here are a couple of announcements/shifts here at Berlin Elementary School:
Student Pick-Up: In an effort to ensure student safety we are going to change the student pickup system. Starting after break, students will be asked to stay in the gym by class. We will ask the adult who is picking up to come to the side door and a staff member will check your student(s) out. Once you have signed your student out with the staff member they will be released to your care.
Helping Hands: The BES PTNA and the greater community are getting the Mitten Line back up and running. This is an opportunity to support local families during this giving season. After the Thanksgiving break the mitten line will be up, please come grab a mitten if you’re able to support a local family.
If you need support and would like to have a mitten sponsored during this holiday season please fill out the google form or reach out Jessica Heinz at jheinz@u32.org.
I will be back in touch in late December and possibly sooner! I’m so grateful for this community and the students and staff that we get to engage with daily. Go Bobcats!
Be Well,
Celia Guggemos/Mrs.G
SCHOOL STORE FUNDRAISER
Berlin Families YOU ROCK!!!
Those little sea creature bracelets are really cute, but the funds raised by our Berlin families are even cuter!!!!
So far, with this fundraiser, your student's teachers have earned $5,990.00 in classroom gift cards as well as profits from sales of $690.09.
Thank you all so much!!
Ms. Turcotte's 2nd Grade
Ms. Turcotte's 2nd Grade
Ms. Turcotte's 2nd Grade
Ms. Turcotte's class also earned a PBIS classroom celebration in Music!
Ms. Mitchell's Math - Kindergarten class
Kindergarteners have been working with Mrs. Mitchell to identify numbers and count objects.
During this activity, they rolled a die, identified the number,
and then counted the number of real pumpkin seeds to add to their pumpkin!
Ms. Mitchell's Math - 1st Grade class
First graders have been working with Mrs. Mitchell to learn their make 10 facts.
On Halloween, they made a witch's brew with 10 bubbles above it and chose two different color bingo daubers to use to make the bubbles.
Then they wrote the equation to show they make 10 fact.
Mrs. Knapp's Fifth and Sixth Grade WIN group spent time investigating geometric transformations.
Grade 5 & 6 PBIS earned celebration - Scavenger Hunt shared with all grades
When 5th and 6th graders earn a PBIS celebration and share it with the entire school, it makes a very special event indeed! The 5th and 6th grade students, Mrs. Egizi and Mrs. Knapp organized, planned and implemented a scavenger hunt! The older students paired with younger students as they searched for the list of items to be found. A lot of learning took place right along side a lot of fun!
SCHOOL BOARD
SPORTS 🏀
Basketball will start the week after Thanksgiving for all grade levels Prek-6. Times and location of practices are still TBD.
Prek-2 will be Saturdays
3/4 will be Tuesdays/Thursdays/possibly Saturdays
5/6 will be Mondays/Wednesdays/possibly Saturdays
Due to numbers for grades 3-6 some teams will be combined with other schools in the district.
Still looking for a 3/4 Berlin/Calais Girls and a 5/6 Berlin/Calais Boys coach.
I"m also in need of coaches for Prek-k Doty, 1/2 Calais and Doty.
Always looking for people willing to ref grades 3-6.
Feel free to contact me
Kerri Zurowski
Athletic Director
Berlin, Calais, Doty and Rumney Schools
802-461-6794
PBIS All School Celebration - Indoor Games
Board Games - Guess Who
Rock Em Sock Em Robots with Chef Jacob
Hungry Hungry Hippo
Hungry, Hungry Hippo was soooo much fun!
HARVEST LUNCHEON
Our annual Harvest Luncheon was held on Wednesday, the 15th and boy was it a success! With a menu that included Beef Brisket, Roasted Root Vegetables, Seasoned Green Beans, Buttered Dinner Rolls and Apple Crumble, how could it not be successful? It was absolutely delicious. As one father said, "This was the best school lunch I've ever had!" In addition to our student population, we served 150 adults and 3 children from the community!
The students loved having family here for lunch!
We are so thankful for Chef Jacob, Chef Deb and helpers Tyler Smith and Marc Chamberlain!
We are also very thankful for all of the community members who came!
FROM THE FAMILY HANDBOOK
Toys
Toys are not permitted at school, except for show and tell. Fidget spinners and fidget toys are not
allowed.
Gum Chewing
Gum chewing is not permitted in the school building or on the school grounds from the time a
student arrives in the morning until the conclusion of his/her obligations at the end of the school
day. Only under certain circumstances and approved by administration is gum chewing allowed.
Cell Phone and Personal Device Use
Students are only permitted to use their cell phones and/or electronic devices under teacher
direction. If not, the following procedures apply:
1. If a student is caught using a device when not permitted by a teacher, paraeducator, or
staff member, the staff member will confiscate the device and bring it to the main office.
The student may pick up their device at the end of the day.
2. If a student is caught using a cell phone and/or device for a second time during the school
year, when not permitted, the teacher, paraeducator, or staff member will confiscate the
device, bring it to the main office and the Principal will call home and ask that a parent or
guardian pick up the device.
3. If a student is caught using a cell and/or device for a third time during the school year,
when not permitted, the teacher, paraeducator, or staff member will confiscate the device,
bring it to the main office, the Principal will call home and ask that a parent pick it up and it
not be brought back to school for the remainder of the school year.
HOLIDAY BAZAAR
Berlin PTNA is thrilled to continue the decades-long Holiday Bazaar tradition at Berlin Elementary on December 13th!
Donations of new/gently used gift items are collected throughout the year and the children choose and wrap FREE gift items to give to their immediate family members for the holidays.
If you are able to contribute or donate, we could use more of the following new or gently used items:
Gifts geared towards men and teenage boys
Gift bags
Tissue Paper
Please bring donations to the school front office by Tuesday December 12 th.
Our generous Berlin community makes this decades-long tradition possible. Thank you!
Questions? Want to help out with this? Please contact Sarah Avery at 802-839-9621 or savery.bache@gmail.com
HOLIDAY GIFT GIVING
November 20, 2023
Dear Berlin Families,
The holiday gift giving season is upon us and it is our hope that you will have a peaceful and safe holiday season. We are pleased to announce that our Helping Hands Line is back in action this year. We wondered if your family could use some assistance with your holiday shopping needs.
Please list a few items of either clothing (with sizes), toys or books that your child(ren) would like or if you would prefer a gift card from Price Chopper or Shaws. We will do our best to purchase a few items from your list.
Please return the attached “Helping Hands” wish list to the school office by Monday, November 27th., or click here to fill out a google form. Assistance will be granted on a first come/first serve basis.
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to call the main office or Jessica Heinz at 223-2796 x 118.
Best regards,
Berlin School Helping Hands Committee
Sponsored by the Berlin PTNA, BES Staff and Community Members