RUSSELL SCHOOL FAMILY NEWSLETTER

Thank you to all the families who joined us for our first family coffee hour, we were very happy to have you in attendance!

Parent Site Council

Come join us this Thursday, November 2 at 7PM for our monthly PSC meeting under the direction of the new leadership. We still have vacant positions in the leadership, SPED PAC Rep (Special Education Parent Advisory Council) and 3 open positions for SSC Rep. We need you! The new members will be elected this Thursday during our meeting. Translation services have been requested in Cape Verdean Creole, Vietnamese, Chinese (Mandarin) and Spanish. Instructions for accessing the Zoom translation service are listed below.

Harvest Fest:

On October 31st the school will be hosting its famous Harvest Festival and also our crazy hair day. More information below.

JUST A FEW REMINDERS:

• NO PICK UP AFTER 2:00PM: Early dismissal will not be accommodated during the last block of the day. No student will be dismissed after 2:00pm.

• DISMISSAL TIME IS 3:10PM
• NO OUTSIDE FOOD: The Russell policy states that families are not permitted to send in outside food to be shared with the class. This is due to a number of students having food allergies, sensitivities and dietary restrictions. Parents are welcome to celebrate student birthdays and holidays with non-edible goodies.

Oct 31 - Harvest Fest- 9AM @School Backyard

Nov 2 - Parent Site Council- 7-8 PM Zoom

Nov 3 - Pep Rally- 9AM @School Auditorium

Nov 10 -No School - Veterans Day

Nov 16 - School Site Council- 7-8 PM Zoom

Nov 22 - Early Release @ 12:40pm

Nov 23-24 - No School - Thanksgiving

Nov 28 - Retake Picture Day @School Auditorium

In our ongoing efforts to enhance your children’s safety, we have decided to begin using the PikMyKid Dismissal Application. Throughout the country, it has been proven to simplify dismissal, reduce traffic congestion, and most importantly, improve overall safety. The unique features of PikMyKid allow you, as parents, to easily change pick up modes, quickly delegate to an alternate individual for pickup, change to an ‘After School’ program, and even schedule for future pickup mode, pickup individual, and after school programs. This app allows you to be in full control of your child’s dismissal and it gives us, the school, complete information regarding dismissal and the ability to acknowledge every change and to instantly check your child’s dismissal status should you have a question. We are very excited about this addition and know you will be too. Check your emails over the next week for additional information and we will be on our way to a safer, quicker, and more efficient dismissal process. To Learn a little more on your own, please check out the following link that will show you a few of the PikMyKid features.

***Please download the app even if you child is a bus student.

PARENT APP REGISTRATION GUIDE AND RESOURCES

REGISTRACIÓN DE LA APLICACION PARA PADRES Y RECURSOS

1. In your meeting/webinar controls, click Interpretation .
2. Click the language that you would like to hear.
3. (Optional) To hear the interpreted language only, click Mute Original Audio.

Notes:

• You must join the meeting audio through your computer audio/VoIP. You cannot listen to language interpretation if you use the dial-in or call me phone audio features.
• As a participant joining a language channel, you can broadcast back into the main audio channel if you unmute your audio and speak.

1. In your meeting controls, tap the ellipses .
2. Tap Language Interpretation.
3. Tap the language you want to hear.
4. (Optional) Tap the toggle to Mute Original Audio.
5. Click Done.

Notes:

• You cannot listen to language interpretation if you use the dial-in or call me phone audio features.
• As a participant joining a language channel, you can broadcast back into the main audio channel if you unmute your audio and speak.

AMONG OTHER ACTIVITIES STUDENTS WILL HAVE THE FOLLOWING:

• PUMPKIN CONTEST
• CRAZY HAIR DAY
• FUN ACTIVITIES

*STUDENTS ARE NOT ALLOWED TO WEAR COSTUMES

As the new school year begins, we would like to welcome families by providing useful information to help you navigate our school system.

In-Person ESL Workshops

Dates: Thursdays, 11/9, 11/16 11/30, 12/7 and 12/14

Time: 10 am - 12 pm

Place: Poo Arts Center, 99 Albany St, MA 02111

Virtual Workshops (Zoom)

Dates: Mondays, 11/6, 11/13, 11/20, I1/27 and 12/4

Time: 7pm - 8:15 pm

Workshop Topics:

BPS Overview, U.S. Vs Home Culture, School Choice, Homework, Attendance, Report card

Assessments, Getting Help Around BPS

*Instruction in English for families of intermediate-level English and above

**Interpretation available upon request

Register Here

For more information, contact Yen Liu, Family Education Coordinator,

617-635-7750, ×41476, yliu@bostonpublisschools.org,.

Join Steve Desrosiers Region 6 Supervisor of Attendance:

for this Attendance Matters Webinar to learn about Boston Public school's

• attendance requirements
• chronic absenteeism
• the difference between excused and unexcused absences
• the many benefits of attending school on time each and every day

Wednesday, November 1, 2023

6 pm to 7:30 pm

REGISTER HERE

Parent COC Training: The Code of Conduct and Expectations for My Child

The Code of Conduct is one of Boston’s continued efforts to develop, support, and improve our school community for all students. The BPS Code of Conduct details Boston Public Schools policy about appropriate student behavior and emphasizes preventive and positive interventions that include instructive, restorative, and, if necessary, disciplinary action. The Code is designed to emphasize the importance of creating safe, welcoming school environments that support the student’s ability to learn and thrive.

BPS uses a multi-tiered system of support to provide for student's social, emotional, and behavioral needs in whole classes, small groups, and one on one. This session will explain these expectations to families, review student’s rights, and provide some examples of multi-tiered support.

Date: November 7, 2023

Time: 6:00 pm -7:30 pm (90 mins)

Zoom Link: HERE

Contact: Dacia Campbell and Jodie Elgee

In addition to meeting academic requirements, students must meet state laws and BPS requirements for school attendance. Excellent attendance and school success go hand in hand. The more often a student is absent—even if the absence is unavoidable—the harder it is for the student to keep up with the class. Students with good attendance are more likely to show proficiency in MCAS than those with poor attendance. Parents play an essential role in ensuring that their child attends school consistently and on time every day.

In order to excuse your children, BPS requires a note from parents with date, name of the student, reason for absence and parent signature. If the student is out for more than 3 consecutive days, a doctor's note is required. The documents must be provided within seven days of the absence.

First Absence

• Teacher contacts parent via Talking Point: Instruct parents to fill out Google Form or send written note with date, reason, parent 's phone number and signature within 7 days of absence.

Second Absence

• Attendance team will send home letter before third absence

Third Unexcused Absence

• Attendance team will send home letter before fourth absence

• Teacher must refer student to MTSS

• Parent is invited to meeting with the MTSS team

• Attendance team starts Attendance Intervention Plan (AIP)

Fourth Unexcused Absence

• Parent will meet with School Leader

Family engagement helps kids feel connected to their caregivers, families and communities. Kids who are connected feel safe, secure, supported and are ready to learn. Connected adults. Family engagement helps parents and other caregivers feel connected and tuned into their children and communities.

WE HAVE SEVERAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOU TO JOIN US AS A TEAM:

We still have vacant positions in the SY 2023-2024 PSC Leadership: SPED PAC Rep (Special Education Parent Advisory Council) and 3 open positions for SSC Rep. Additional elections to fill those positions will be held at our next PSC meeting. Come and join us!

*Application Form

As a school, we are actively trying to increase family engagement in our school. We need your help in building strong partnerships between home and school! We are looking to recruit family members who can help us communicate to other Russell families by being Classroom Family Champion / Ambassadors. The roles and responsibilities of the position will include the following:

• Calling families in your class for zoom meeting and in person meetings
• Reminding families in your class of important dates
• Informing families of upcoming events and programs

*Application Form

We are recruiting family members to join our School Spirit Team. Spirit Team members will help us create and organize different school activities such as October Fest, Field Day and Multicultural Night among others.

*Application Form

We are looking for one of our parent/caregiver to become a Catie's Closet Champion.

Responsibilities include:

• Maintain a clean and organized closet
• Assist in replenishing items and identifying closet needs
• Communicate with Catie’s Closet staff and school personnel
• Perform a mid-year and end-of-school-year assessment

Please contact Ms. Sharon for more information or if you wish to volunteer.

Starting on the week of Oct 23, 2023, the Library Connections will feature useful websites for students and parents to use.

For this week, we will explore SORA, an app on Clever that all BPS students will be able to access the content. Gale In Context for research, and Russell Library website.

Direction to go to SORA

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1SJCA_8kg1RdHH9bAd2ZkvPvUivXPReEd/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=117196561512796955262&rtpof=true&sd=true

This database is for K-5 research

Gale In Context- Elementary

https://go.gale.com/ps/start.do?p=ITKE&u=mlin_b_winship&sid=geolinks

Russell Elementary School Library Website

https://sites.google.com/bostonpublicschools.org/russell-es-boston/home

This website contains the Russell Library Monthly Newsletter which has books for monthly themes, a database for research, and sections for Research & Information, Reading and Listening, Knowledge Building, Design Hall, and Professional Development.

Boston Partners in Education matches BPS students with experienced mentors to help improve academics and confidence.

Any BPS student in grades 2-12 is eligible to be matched with a mentor through our Independent Learning Support program in any school subject.

Mentors meet with students online, for one hour a week, to help with classwork and homework.

To learn more about the Independent Learning Support program or to sign your student up for the 2022-23 school year, visit: bit.ly/IndependentLearningSupport

Does your child need a FREE tutor?

• Your child is tutored by a BC student
  , Tutoring session is 1 or 1.5 hour session, 1 day per week
• On BC campus or over Zoom
• You pick the day and time!
• Grades 1-12, all subjects
  Priority is given to families who live/work or attend school in Allston Brighton.

Visit the Boston College Neighborhood Center website to fill out an application form today!

www.bc.edu/neighborhood or call 617-552-0445

Need Help with you Homework?

Visit a neighborhood library and get homework help from a Boston teacher!

4:00-6:00 PM. *Except as noted.

FOOD RESOURCES:

INTERNET OPTIONS: