Bridge Bulletin

Despite some nasty weather - welcome to springtime in the Rockies - this was a great week at Bridge! Our 1st grade had a reverse field trip - Red Butte Gardens visited their class. The students had a blast and learned a lot.

We are finishing up registration for the students drawn in the lottery. If you have changed your mind regarding your student(s) returning to Bridge next year, PLEASE call the office (801)499-5180 or send an email to lwilliams@BridgeCharter.org so we can open the spots for the students waiting for next year.

Next week is Parent Teacher Conference (PTC). You should have already signed up for a time to visit with your child's teachers. If you haven't received a link to sign up for PTC please contact your child's teacher ASAP. Stop by the library next week to visit the book fair. There is a pic below in the newsletter showing the times the Book Fair is open. Remember, school is out at 1:30 on Wednesday and there is NO SCHOOL on Thursday or Friday next week.

CURRENT OPEN POSITIONS - We are still looking for amazing people to fill two full time para-educator positions - one in 4th grade and one in special education. The salary is $16 - $18 hourly depending on education and experience. Please have your amazing friends and family email a resume to Lani@BridgeCharter.org

SPRING SHIRT ORDER is now open. This order will close on Sunday, March 3. Shirts will be delivered to the school and distributed to students. PLEASE ENTER THE NAME OF THE OLDEST STUDENT IN THE COMMENTS WHEN ORDERING. Use this link to order.

https://www.customink.com/g/erz0-00cu-j9vb

COMMUNITY CONNECTION CORNER - Ms. Chelsea, our amazing social worker, is now providing a "Community Connection" snippet weekly in our newsletter. This amazing addition to our weekly newsletter will provide suggestions and helpful hints we can all use to help build healthy relationships.

YEARBOOK - Please see below for information to order the yearbook. The school does NOT have yearbooks to purchase - you MUST order your yearbook online. The last day to order is May 1, 2024. Click on the picture further down in the newsletter to order your student's yearbook.

STAFF HIGHLIGHTS - This week we highlight our 1st grade Para-Educators. Please read further below in the newsletter for information about these amazing people that help our littles in the classroom!

ICYMI - this is the link to our website for all previous news bulletins:

https://www.bridgecharter.org/bridge-bulletin

Please keep reading for more information about this past week and events for the upcoming weeks.

As always, thank you for CHOOSING Bridge and sharing your kids with us! We know you have lots of options in education and we are honored that you have made the choice to have your students attend our awesome school!

Lani Rounds

Principal

NO SCHOOL

• March 7 and 8, Thursday & Friday (Parent Teacher Conferences)
• April 1 - 5 (Spring Break)

UPCOMING EVENTS

• Book Fair - March 4 - 8 (see times below in newsletter)
• Wednesday - Friday, March 6 - 8: Parent Teacher Conferences (Wednesday is a short day)
• Wednesday, April 10 - 5th Grade Field Trip to Weber County Water Fair noon - 2:00 pm
• Monday, April 17 - Roy City Fire Department assembly 9:00 am
• Thursday - May 30 - Field Day (last day of school)
• June 26 - 5 pm FREE Skating at Neptune Skating in Ogden

Parent Teacher Conferences (PTC) are NEXT WEEK! Our PTCs are held Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, March 6 - 8. School is released early, at 1:30, on Wednesday, March 6, and there is NO SCHOOL on Thursday or Friday, March 7 and 8.

Classroom teachers will send a link for a sign up to schedule a day/time to meet for parent teacher conferences. Parents who wish to meet with the special education teachers can email them and schedule a meeting (Chad@BridgeCharter.org and Dianne.Kesley@BridgeCharter.org).

The spring shirt order is now open. This is the FINAL order for the school year. The order closes Sunday, March 3. ORDER HERE Please remember these things when ordering:

• Enter the OLDEST student's name in the comments so we can get the shirts to the correct family.
• Youth sizes are preceded by "Y" (YL = youth large). If there is NOT a Y then it is an adult size.

Our kiddos learned a little about Leap Year on Thursday, February 29. "Leap days are important because they help our calendar match up with the same seasons every year. Human-made calendars generally have 365 days; the solar, or tropical, year that influences seasons is about 365.2422 days long. (A solar year is how long it takes the Earth to revolve around the sun.)

Even though .2422 of a day doesn’t sound like much, ignoring that fraction means eventually our seasons won’t fall in the same months every year. That’s why, in the 16th century, the Gregorian calendar—the calendar most commonly used today—started adding leap days to match the calendar with the seasons. Because four .2422 days equals about one day, February 29 is now added to most years that are divisible by four, like 2020." (National Geographic)

Each student also received a sticky "Leap" frog as a fun prize!

Red Butte Garden came to Bridge and visited our first grade pod. Their lesson was about how seeds are dispersed in the wild. Students used a piece of animal fur to pick up seeds and then determined if that type of seed could easily be dispersed by an animal (the seed sticks to the fur) or if animals were less likely to disperse the seeds. Reverse field trips are excellent, safe and affordable ways for students to access information from locations outside of Bridge.

A few months ago, Gina James, from the Utah Association of Public Charter Schools, stopped by to tour and visit Bridge. While she was there she created a podcast. This podcast provides a terrific overview of Bridge and the things that are important to us. You can find it at:

PODCAST on Buzzsprout

UAPCS Website

Social Emotional Learning resources for families and students to promote a stronger sense of self identity, mental health, and create a safer school environment. Our Visible Learning Traits (flexibility, determination, reflection, taking initiative, thoroughness, and enthusiasm) tie into Social Emotional Learning at Bridge!

LINK TO VIDEOS

We are planning for our Field Day bash which is the last day of school - Thursday, May 30 (this is also a short day). For Field Day kids will participate in: bounce houses, face painting, yard games, water activity, magician, school movie, yearbook signing, and an outdoor BBQ.

We are requesting donations of the following items. Bring any items into the office.

• Cans of soda (any kind especially the fun flavors in Shasta or the other off brand names)
• Prizes kids can win at the Games. IDEAS - new toys from kid's meals, items bought in bulk at Zurchers or Oriental Trading, bulk items from the Dollar store.

At Bridge, instead of having a "maturation night" for 5th grade students which other schools typically do, we opt to provide parents the information so they can determine how much they want to share with their child and at which age they want to share it. For many girls, by the time they are in 5th grade they have already started menstruation and it is a little too late for a lesson on maturation. We believe parents can best determine what students should know about maturation and puberty, and when a child should know it.

Our maturation committee met and reviewed information from different sources. They determined, and our Board approved, to use the maturation information provided by Provo School District. The maturation information includes videos and packets for girls and boys that you can download and share with your child.

This is the link to the MATURATION information.

Once again we were approved for the Kids Read Now grant which sends home FREE books to all of our K-3 students during the summer. Students will get THREE books between June and August which are mailed to the address in Aspire. Teachers will select the books according to the student's reading level.

Parents may OPT OUT of this program by completing this form:

OPT OUT OF KIDS READ NOW

This week's fresh fruit and vegetable program brought our students Minneola Tangelos, Persian cucumbers and white asparagus. Which snack was your child's favorite?

We are super grateful to have this program at Bridge.This program is designed to give kids the opportunity to try fresh fruits and vegetables that they may otherwise not have an opportunity to try.

Hi, my name is Jessica Eisele and I am a 1st grade para. This is my first year at Bridge and my first year working at a school. I moved here to Utah in April 2022 from Missouri where I was born and raised. I have been married for 12 years this August and I have a daughter who is in kindergarten here at Bridge. While volunteering in her class I was given the opportunity to work as a para in 1st grade and could not be happier that I get to see my daughter during her school day and my work day. I also have a niece and nephew that attend Bridge as well. I love working with the first graders and hearing all the funny stories they tell me, all the hugs they give out each day and the pictures and notes they write to me.

I absolutely LOVE dogs and have 2 of my own. In my free time I love spending time with my family and my dogs, swimming, playing with makeup, watching my shows, shopping and traveling.

Hi there. My name is Sue Barrett. I’ve worked at Bridge since we first opened. I’ve been with our cute little tadpole Kinders until this year. I took a leap of faith and jumped over to 1st Grade. These little bullfrogs are learning and growing and it’s a beautiful thing to watch.

In my spare time I love to be with my 19 grand-peeps. They bring me joy and happiness. I have a passion for decorating. My husband and I have renovated 3 homes over 100 years old. This summer I am going on a girl trip to Europe. I’m excited for the memories I will get to experience.

Hello my name is Desirae, this is my 2nd year being a 1st grade Para and I love it, I've always enjoyed working with children. It brings me such joy to see their faces light up when they finally understand something new!I'm a mom of 3 beautiful daughters that I absolutely adore. We love traveling and all things country with rodeos being on the top of the list, and just spending time together as a family!

Hello, my name is Maria Ostler. I work with an amazing team of teachers and paras in first grade. I have been a para at Bridge for 2 years. I have always loved working with children, they are our future. I love to see how children progress both academically and socially, it makes my heart happy.

Going to work is fun for me as i get to be a small part of your children's life. Two of my children attend Bridge and love it. In my free time I like to make cards and crafts. I also love to explore and hike Utah's nature.

Hi there, my name is Ms. Krissie. I graduated from Roy High School 2021. I love spending quality time with my family and friends. I also love watching movies and listening to music. I'm excited to see what my future holds!

Each week students attend a Visible Learning class where they learn about traits of a good learner. Next week students will learn about Reflection - Reviewing my learning to see what works and ways I can improve.

I will...

• Look back.
• Listen to feedback.
• Learn about myself.
• Plan my next steps.
• Reflect often.

By using these visible learning traits each day students will become lifelong learners who are set up for success. Please use this same verbiage at home and recognize when your student is using this trait.

Although we have had the visitor check in system since the beginning of September, some parents seem to have not received the information. When you visit Bridge to volunteer or have a meeting with your child's teacher, including a PLP meeting or an IEP meeting during school hours, you MUST bring a valid state ID and scan it into our check in system. The system will complete a background check to ensure the individual is allowed to be on the campus of an elementary school. If the the individual does not pass the background check the child's teacher can come to the office for the meeting. This is just one more step in protecting the safety of all our students.

The calendar for the school year can be accessed on our website using the link below:

https://www.bridgecharter.org/2023-2024-calendar

We LOVE parent and grand parent volunteers at school! If you would like to volunteer, please check with your child's teachers. If you want to volunteer but aren't excited about coming into the school, we have LOTS of opportunity for outside volunteer work including:

• Cutting Watch Me Learn tickets (stop by the office).
• Pulling weeds in the rock areas and park strips (we have all the area in front of the school and up 4800 S along the school fence).
• Sorting construction paper into like colors (stop by the office).
• Using rakes and shovels to redistribute the gravel from the bottom of the retention area in front of the school to the top area to cover the black landscape screen.
• Parking lot duty before and after school (just check in at the office, put on a yellow vest and talk to Travis in the crosswalk for instructions).

Once your family has volunteered 30 hours they can stop by the front office and ask for a VOLUNTEER FROG. There is no formal tracking program - just track the hours yourself. Then, write your family's name on the frog and tape the frog on our volunteer pond in the front foyer.

If you want to volunteer but do not have the time, you can donate $90 to cover the 30 hours. If you choose to donate, complete the volunteer form. You can donate in the office or by using our DONATE icon on the home page of our website.

Volunteering or donating is OPTIONAL and is not required to be a student or a parent of a student at Bridge Elementary.

Absences MUST be excused within 24 hours of the absence. You can do this by leaving a message on the Attendance line at school (801)499-5180 or by using the Excuse Absence online form. You can find this on our website by clicking on the Excuse Absence icon or using the link below:

EXCUSE ABSENCE

Weber Human Services SMR is available for 24/7 crisis support and short-term stabilization. To request help or make a referral, dial 988. Weber Human Service's works with families to improve functioning, develop and maintain healthy communication, and enhance ability to cope with future crisis.

Bridge Elementary is committed to maintaining a school climate that is safe, welcoming, and free of harassment and discrimination. The School prohibits all forms of harassment, and it does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, color, national origin, creed, religion, age, marital status, or disability.

We encourage anyone who believes they (or someone else) have been subjected to harassment or discrimination at the School to file a complaint with the School’s Principal, Lani Rounds. The School will promptly investigate and resolve all such complaints in accordance with School policy.

If you would like to learn more about how the School handles complaints of harassment or discrimination, please review the School’s Notice of Nondiscrimination, Civil Rights Policy, and Bullying and Hazing Policy on the School’s website at https://www.bridgecharter.org/policies-procedures

Title I was initially passed in 1965 under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). It is the largest federal assistance program for public schools. These supplemental funds provide students the opportunity to receive a fair, equitable and high-quality education to help close achievement gaps.

Bridge Elementary receives our Title I funding based on the percentage of students that qualify for free or reduced lunch. For this reason we encourage ALL families to apply for Free/Reduced lunch through Aspire to ensure every single student receives the services needed, including access to free or reduced meals if appropriate.

Title I provides avenues for parent input and participation. We do this through our surveys and the link to the form on our website which allows parents to submit questions and suggestions.

You can find more information about Title I as well as a form to ask questions or provide suggestions regarding Title I, on our website at:

https://www.bridgecharter.org/school-events

The mission of Bridge Elementary is to provide students with a personalized learning experience and empower them to take personal ownership and accountability for their own academic performance.

Email: info@bridgecharter.org
Website: bridgecharter.org
Location: 4824 Midland Drive, Roy, UT
Phone: (801)499-5180
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BridgeCharter

Principal - Lani Rounds - Lani@BridgeCharter.org

Assistant Principal - Sara Tucker - Sara@BridgeCharter.org

Student Support - Stacey Archuleta - Stacey@BridgeCharter.org

• Morning Supervision and BASE
• Behavior Support and Bullying
• 504 Plans

Lead Secretary - Lalani Williams - Lwilliams@BridgeCharter.org

• Aspire
• Lottery
• Registration

Social Worker - Chelsea Silverwood - Chelsea@BridgeCharter.org

School Nurse - Vicki Ross - Vicki@bridgecharter.org

Special Education

Dianne Kelsey SpED Teacher - Dianne.Kelsey@BridgeCharter.org

Chad McBride SpED Teacher - Chad@BridgeCharter.org

Julie Christensen SpED Director - Julie@BridgeCharter.org

ELL Coordinator - Nichol Lloyd - Nichol@BridgeCharter.org

Meal Issues - Jodi Jensen - Jodi@BridgeCharter.org

Classroom Teachers - see website - https://www.bridgecharter.org/teachers

• Daily activities for your child
• Student progress
• Questions about student schedule or issues in the classroom