Family Pathfinder Week of 11/17/24

"Education is your most powerful weapon. With education, you are the white man's equal; without education, you are his victim, and so shall remain all your lives."

— Chief Plenty Coups, Crow Nation

"Education is a shared commitment between dedicated teachers, motivated students, and enthusiastic parents with high expectations."

— Bob Beauprez

November 17, 2024,

Good evening I.S. 254 families,

I hope this newsletter finds you well and that you enjoyed a restful and rejuvenating weekend. At I.S. 254, we value every opportunity to partner with you in your child's educational journey, and last week’s Parent-Teacher Conferences were a testament to that commitment. These meaningful conversations help us strengthen the bond between home and school, ensuring that we work together to support our students' growth and success. If you weren’t able to attend or if you’d like to schedule a follow-up conversation, please feel free to reach out to your child’s teachers. Consistent communication is key, and we’re always here to celebrate successes or address any concerns.

Literacy in Action

This week, we’re excited to see our classrooms come alive with strategies from the Literacy Design Collaborative (LDC). These tools help students not only improve their reading and writing skills but also deepen their understanding of content across subjects. Ask your child about the rubrics they’re using in class—these are designed to make expectations clear and to help them understand the steps to achieve their goals. As you discuss their work at home, encourage them to share what they’re learning and how they’re applying these skills in different subjects.

Data-Driven Success

Our teachers continue to focus on knowing each student deeply—not just through test scores, but by understanding their unique strengths, challenges, and potential. This week, we are sharpening our use of real-time data in the classroom to monitor student progress and adapt instruction on the spot. We want every student to feel seen, supported, and challenged.

As we reflect on our practices, we are always thinking about how to make learning as personalized as possible. Whether through small group instruction, targeted support, or celebrating student growth, our goal is to meet your child where they are and help them reach their fullest potential.

Upcoming Events

Here are a few important dates to keep in mind:

• Thanksgiving Break: November 28th–29th.
• Winter Arts Showcase: December 12th at 6 PM. Join us for an evening of music, drama, and visual arts as our students showcase their talents.

Stay Connected

We encourage all families to stay actively engaged with us. Remember, you can always reach out to your child’s teachers, our guidance counselors, or me directly if you have any questions or concerns. Additionally, if you haven’t yet, download our school’s app for the latest updates, student data, and resources.

Thank you for your continued partnership. Together, we’re creating an environment where every student can thrive. Let’s make it another productive and inspiring week at I.S. 254!

Warm regards,

Javier Ocampo, Principal

• A huge shoutout to Ms. Dominguez for your exceptional work during parent-teacher conferences this week. Your dedication to fostering meaningful conversations with families does not go unnoticed, and it plays a crucial role in building trust and collaboration between home and school.
  
• Shoutout to Mr. Sang for your unwavering support of our community, especially your commitment to our 8th graders and Students in Temporary Housing. Your efforts ensure that every student feels seen, supported, and empowered to succeed.
  
• To the incredible teachers of I.S. 254, thank you for your commitment to professional growth during Thursday morning’s Professional Learning session and for your thoughtful engagement with parents during the evening conferences. Your hard work and dedication are the foundation of our students’ success.
  

Ms. Rivera wants to shout out:

• Ms. Colon, Ms. Ortiz, and Ms. Saragaglia for their amazing language translation skills during this week's Parent Teacher conferences. In addition, the poise that Ms. Colon has when speaking with parents is truly remarkable for a second-year teacher!

Events:

• November 18:
• 8th Grade Townhall
• November 19:
• Brainpower Class Visits
• School Leadership Team meeting in Person in the Library @ 3:00pm
• 🚨📅 November 28-29:
  
• Thanksgiving Recess, schools closed
• December 6th: 1st Marking Period Award ceremony.
  

• • 6th Grade: 3rd Period

  • 7th Grade: 2nd Period

  • 8th Grade: 8th Period

• 🚨📅 December 23–January 1: Winter Recess, schools closed
  
• March 13, 2025:
• Students not in attendance.
• Half-Day IN-PERSON Staff Professional Development.
  
• 8:25 am - 12:00 pm
  
• Remote Parent-Teacher Conferences
  
• Afternoon (12:45 pm - 2:45 pm)
  
• Evening (4:45 pm - 7:45 pm)
• May 8, 2025: Evening, In-Person Parent Conference

Parent Conferences 2024-2025

• November 14, 2024: Afternoon & Evening, Remote Conferences; Morning, In-Person Professional Development
  

• March 13, 2025: Afternoon & Evening, Remote Conferences; Morning, In-Person Professional Development

• May 8, 2025: Evening, In-Person Parent Conference

On Wednesday, November 13th, we distributed progress reports to all students. These reports provide a snapshot of your child’s academic progress and highlight areas for celebration as well as those needing improvement. We encourage you to review the report with your child, discussing their achievements and setting goals for the remainder of the term.

If you have questions or concerns, or if you’d like more insight into how you can support your child’s learning at home, please contact your child’s teachers. Together, we can ensure every student stays on track and reaches their full potential.

• Mission: We Teach. We Learn. We Love.
  

  Vision: Educating and Empowering individual thinkers to make an impact in the world.

  Instructional Focus: Creating an inclusive environment that empowers every student, offering a culturally responsive curriculum supported by data-driven strategies to address their unique learning needs and enhance literacy achievement.

  Literacy Problem of Practice: Standard of focus is Theme/Central Idea (R2)
  

(We Come from the Stars)

Stellar nucleosynthesis.
That explains
where everything

in our universe

came from according to astrophysicists who
only recently discovered the cosmological constant causing
the expansion

of our universe.

Our creation story tells us we came from the stars to this place Bdote
where the Minnesota and Mississippi rivers converge,
our journey along the Wanaġi Caŋku,

in our universe,

that stargazers later called the Milky Way now disappearing
in the excessive glow of a million million urban uplights.
The original inhabitants of this place,

of our universe,

we are Wicaŋhpi Oyate, People
and will remain here as long as
we can see ourselves

in the stars.

🎉🎂Staff Birthdays🎂🎉

As Thanksgiving Day, the nation’s official (albeit certainly not exclusive) day for expressing gratitude nears, our entire BPW staff would like to express its gratitude for all members of its school communities. We are thankful to have you partnering with us as we grow and as we share wellness in its myriad forms, throughout the world. Thank you for believing in

our vision, our tools, and our devoted staff!

We invite you to take a few minutes to meditate on gratitude - by yourself, with your students, with your family and loved ones!

Here’s our suggestion for how to do this:

1. Sit comfortably with your spine straight and close your eyes (or just lower them if preferred).
2. Become aware of your breath: breathe deeply but gently in through your nose, filling your belly and then your chest with oxygen… then slowly exhale out through your mouth.
3. Think about who and what in your life you are grateful for and why. You can reflect upon family members, close friends, or teachers, yourself, your body and organs, animals, nature, an event or opportunity that is coming up that excites or inspires you… the options are endless!
4. Consider journaling or sharing aloud with someone your reflections on gratitude. Writing and speaking aloud words of gratitude can be a powerful way to amplify the gratitude you generated during your meditation!

Try focusing upon this feeling of gratitude throughout your day today. Practice showing your gratitude for the people, animals, nature, and environment around you.

To see the Gratitude Meditation activity video, CLICK HERE