Weekly Community Correspondence

Hello BPS Families,

I hope everyone enjoyed a wonderful pre Saint Patrick's Day Sunday! I know our BPS staff feel very lucky to work with such a caring community of families and supportive PTA. For instance, we enjoyed delicious "Pi Day" treats on Friday, 3/14 courtesy of some PTA leprechauns. BPS PTA Art Night is this Wednesday, 3/19 and the chairs are seeking additional helping hands if. Volunteers are also needed to assist with the BPS Variety Show. Thank you for taking time to read through the remainder of this Weekly Correspondence which includes lots of important information. Have a wonderful week ahead!

Sincerely,

Michael Klimko

Interim BPS Principal

Thank you to the BPS PTA for coordinating three assemblies on Friday for students in Grades 3, 4 and 5. Two performers from Living Voices combined engaging videos and live presentations to teach students important history lessons. Students in Grade 3 learned about the experiences of Ellis Island, Grade 4 students heard about people leaving the "old world" for a new life in America, and Grade 5 students heard about young people during the Holocaust.

Thank you to the Girl Scouts of Brookside for celebrating Girl Scout Week by joining the announcements each morning. It was wonderful to hear about the parts of scouting they enjoy including visiting the Intrepid, outdoor fun at Camp Hoover (except for the spiders!), cookie sales, and helping the community.

The BPS 3rd Grade Strings Showcase will take place on Wednesday, 3/19 at 10:00 AM in the Gym with doors opening at 9:30 AM. Students should dress to impress, and if wearing a skirt or dress, please ensure shorts or tights are worn underneath. The performance will last about an hour. The students are eager to share their music and hard work! Please direct any questions to Orchestra Director, Ms. Ruiz, at ruiz@cranfordschools.org.

BPS PTA Art Night is a wonderful tradition that brings together families from kindergarten through Grade 5 to create and collaborate. This year the event will be held the evening of Wednesday, 3/19 in the BPS Cafegymatorium. The theme of this year's mural will be eXploring Our Connections.

Volunteers are Needed: Volunteers are still needed to help make this a successful event! There are two shifts available. Please see this Sign Up for more information: SignUpGenius - Mobile

Family Registration: Please use this link to register: SignUpGenius - Mobile

Inspiration: A mural will be created based on the street art of Thank You X. In 2009, in the streets of L.A., this street artist created a spray painted portrait of Andy Warhol and signed it “Thank You X” as a gesture of gratitude to Warhol. "Thank You X" became the artist’s identity, and he is now an internationally recognized with murals and galleries all over the world.

What To Bring? Just yourselves! All supplies will be provided.

If you have any questions, please contact co-chairs, Christine Dyer at sciacca41@hotmail.com and Catherine DiGioia-Weinfeld at cat.digioia@gmail.com

Creating a tile to hang in the BPS hallways is a fun tradition offered to each graduating Grade 5 class. Forms were sent home via student backpacks and are due back by Thursday, 3/20 to homeroom teachers. The BPS PTA will cover the cost of creating the tile that will be hung in the halls. The opportunity to order other products featuring your child's drawing will be shared in the near future.

The BPS PTA will hold its signature fundraiser, the BPS PTA Fiesta, on Friday, 4/4 at River & Rail. Now is the time to make reservations and purchase raffle tickets. Please see the information from the PTA below:

• Reservations are open!

• Please call River & Rail directly at (908) 922-4300 to make your reservation with your party name and size. Be sure to mention that its for the BPS Fiesta.

• Here is the link to purchase basket raffle ticket packages...there is an early bird special with amazing discounted packages, now through Thursday, 3/20!

A big thank you to those who have already contributed to class baskets. It's shaping up to be an incredible night packed with excitement, games, and amazing prizes. Here’s a sneak peak of some of the baskets - there will be 19 total!

• Naples Getaway: Four-night stay at beach house in Naples, Florida

• Improve your Game: $300 gift card to Ten Percent Performance, tickets to a Yankee game, and a Dick’s Sporting Goods gift card

• Beach Getaway: Weekend stay in Asbury Park and Boll and Branch beach necessities

• Tickets, Tickets, Tickets: Giants tickets, concert tickets, and FC Gotham tickets ~ all in one basket!

There will be spaces to gather and mingle after dinner. It's sure to be a fun fiesta fundraiser!

Thank you to those students in Grades 3, 4 and 5 who expressed interest in participating in the Chess Clinic with students from the Cranford High School Chess Club. Details and arrangements are being put into place. Additional information will be shared as soon as all the plans are finalized. Thank you.

Are You Smarter than a Cranford/Garwood 5th Grader? Trivia Bowl is a fun community event that closely mirrors the format of the TV game show. Adult contestants answer trivia questions with the assistance of a panel of fifth grade students from elementary schools in Cranford and Garwood. The event takes place on Wednesday, 4/2 at 6:00 PM at Orange Avenue School. The Grade 5 students representing Brookside Place School will be: Scarlett Oberhamer from Ms. Antoniewicz's class, Cole Dreissig and Ryan Geraghty from Mrs. Collins' class and Lucas Gaetano from Mrs. Scholz's class. Come out and enjoy this family-friendly event and support our panelists on Wednesday, 4/2!

BPS Grade 2 students are invited to a BINGO Night on Thursday, 4/3 from 5:30 - 6:30 PM in the cafegymatorium. This is a drop off event and four parent/guardian volunteers are also needed. Please see the additional information below and RSVP and/or volunteer using this link:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050E49A5A628A1FD0-55525951-2ndgrade

Rehearsals and preparations are well underway for the BPS Variety Show: Road Trip USA! To ensure its success, we're seeking adult volunteers from each class to supervise backstage. Please consider being a class chaperone.

You may sign up for a slot using this link:

Variety Show SignUp Genius.

Perks of being a class chaperone:

• Receive a complimentary ticket to the show
• An invitation to attend the School Assembly performance on the morning of Friday, 4/25
• The best seat in the house to watch your children perform from the wings!

Sniffling, sneezing, and watery eyes are some of the symptoms students may experience during allergy season. Please click on this link to learn more about how you can help your child or children be more comfortable and the guidelines around medications: A Message about Allergies from Nurse O'Hara

The BPS PTA is holding a Blanket Sale Fundraiser.

Stay cozy this spring with some BPS Gear!: Blanket Ordering Link

When reporting your child absent please call Mrs. O'Hara's direct line at 908-709-6246 or email her at bpsattendance@cranfordschools.org. Please remember to include the specific reason for the child's absence and their teacher's name.

* Spring time brings changes to the weather.

* Students will go outside for recess whenever the weather permits.

* Thanks for sending students to school with temperature appropriate outwear and remember that wind often makes it feel colder

* Students should refrain from wearing shorts, skirts, or dresses when they would be uncomfortable in them outdoors

* Thanks so much for writing student names inside all clothing that could be misplaced or lost

Please CLICK HERE for the Cranford School District Social Emotional Learning Calendar for the 2024-2025 School Year

Cranford Public School District's number one priority is the safety of its community. Towards this end, the District has modified its policy (5331 - MANAGEMENT OF LIFE-THREATENING ALLERGIES IN SCHOOLS) which makes celebrations in K-8 food free. Please read Dr. Rubin's full letter regarding this change in policy.

Girls on the Run is a program the emphasizes health, community and confidence. There are teams for girls in Grades 3 - 5. The season starts 4/7 and culminates with a 5K race on 5/31 with practices twice a week.

Please see this flyer for details: Girls on the Run Cranford 2025

Registration is available at: www.girlsontherunnj.org

Fun and creativity collide at Camp Invention which will be held during two separate weeks at Orange Avenue School.

Week 1: Discover ~ June 23 - 27, 2025

Week 2: Recharge ~ July 7 - 11, 2025

Please see this link for additional information: Cranford Camp Invention Flyer

Please click here to access additional information from the Cranford Community: Go Green Folder

Email: danna@cranfordschools.org

Reporting a Student Absent: bpsattendance@cranfordschools.org

Website: https://bps.cranfordschools.org/
Location: 700 Brookside Place, Cranford, NJ, USA
Phone: (908) 709 - 6244