BPS & BIS Bear Prints

K-5 Parent Newsletter - December 2024

Note from Mr. Rodemeyer

Dear Intermediate Friends and Families,

I hope you all had a fantastic Thanksgiving! At the Intermediate school, we are dedicated to developing the whole child. The six C's are seamlessly integrated into our instructional lessons and teachable moments throughout the day. Whether students are solving problems, working collaboratively, creating learning artifacts, or demonstrating empathy, they are actively engaging with and showcasing these essential skills daily. This season is particularly special to us as it provides natural opportunities to be selfless and put others first. The spirit of giving is evident in our school through citizenship projects such as collecting toys for Toys For Tots or bell ringing for the Salvation Army. Before Thanksgiving our school collected food that was donated to the local food bank. It's heartwarming to witness our students embodying the values of citizenship and character.

Winter has arrived! Please be sure you are checking the temperature each morning before your child leaves the house and be sure they’re bringing the appropriate winter gear. We go outside each day when the air temperature is above 0 degrees and the windchill temperature is within -10. Students who bring all their winter gear (coats, snow pants, hats, gloves & boots) have access to all the winter playground activities including our sledding hill. Otherwise, they need to remain on our blacktop. We’re always looking for sledding hill volunteers! If you’re interested in donating some of your time over the lunch hour to help supervise the sledding hill, it's greatly appreciated.

If you’re considering purchasing a device for your child as a Christmas gift, please also remember the importance of digital citizenship that comes along with it. As partners, it is important that together we’re teaching our students how to be good citizens online. These devices, whether they’re your own personal ones or the schools require a great deal of monitoring, responsibility and self-control that some of our kids are still developing.

As we gear up for the New Year, we encourage you to take a moment to check your child's backpack for cleanliness and replenish classroom supplies for the 2nd semester of school. We’re emphasizing organization and responsibility at school and your assistance and support with this at home is always helpful.

Wishing you a joyous holiday season and a wonderful New Year!

Go Bears!,

Abe Rodemeyer

K-5 School Principal

Note from Mr. Hak

Happy Holidays Everyone!

As the picture below suggests the Primary School is full of laughter and love this holiday season. BPS remains committed to our Profile Of A Graduate and emphasizes not only growth in our core subjects but also a strong attention to citizenship, collaboration, communication, critical thinking, creativity and character. These teachable moments are occurring in every activity and lesson that take place during the school day.

A lot has occurred since our last newsletter. The students have participated in a wonderful Veterans Day program, constructed a BPS “Macy’s” Day Thanksgiving Parade, viewed a private showing of Junie B. Jones, and have been able to participate in extra programming such as our kindergarten “I am special day” and “Kindergarten Cooking”. All of these activities have been met with meaningful learning opportunities and enjoyment.

Inside the walls of our classroom each grade level has been diligently working on their individual core skills. Kindergarten has completed work on their letter sounds and are currently working on new site words. They are also learning new math facts by working on identifying teen numbers and extending patterns. First grade is currently working on writing their own narrative stories, counting coins, and telling time on the clock. Lastly, our second grade group is busy identifying nouns, working on basic addition, and mastering a growth mindset when work becomes difficult. I can tell you first hand that the time and effort put in by our Byron teachers is nothing short of impressive.

As mentioned in the intermediate portion of this correspondence fall has turned to winter and that means that our temperatures will continue to drop with snow being a real possibility.

As a reminder we will be going outside when the air temperature is above 0 and the windchill is within -10. Please be sure to check your child's backpack daily to make sure that they have the proper attire to head outdoors during the school day. If you are missing any items, our lost and found is located right inside our main entrance, please feel free to check in and look for lost items.

I want to thank all of you again for your continued support and wish all of you a wonderful holiday season and Happy New Year!

Kindergarten Cooking

Bullying Policy

Reminders

Drop Off and Pick Up Reminders

The school day begins at 7:55 am and ends at 2:35 for BPS and 2:40 pm for BIS.

Drop-off can occur as early as 7:30 am.

BPS Byron Primary Drop Off and Pick Up
BIS DROP OFF/PICK UP MAP

Attendance

If your child is going to be absent or late, please email:

BPS - bps.attendance@byron.k12.mn.us

BIS - bis.attendance@byron.k12.mn.us

Parent Portal Directions

INFINITE CAMPUS PARENT PORTAL

Byron Public Schools Webpage

Families

Infinite Campus

Campus Parent

New User

***You will need to contact the school office for an activation code***

Please label students clothing, that way if it gets misplaced we can get it back to it's right owner.

We go outside each day when the air temperature is above 0 degrees and the windchill temperature is within -10.

BPS Outside Morning Rotation

DECEMBER MENUS

BPS/BIS Breakfast Menu

BPS & BIS Lunch Menu

Education Benefit Application

Game of Giving

The Game of Giving is happening NOW! Stop by Healthy Start, Fareway, Byron Primary School, Byron Intermediate School, Byron Middle School, or Byron High School to donate any unopened games! The boxes can be found in the office or near the entrance of the buildings.

What is The Game of Giving?: The Game of Giving is an event organized by the BHS Student Council to get NEW games for Mayo Clinic pediatric patients. Every kid has their own health challenges and has to be wary of cross-contamination; this means that once a game has been chosen by a child, it can only be loved by that kid.

Who is allowed to donate?: EVERYONE is invited to donate! Help our community make this Holiday season special for ALL families by donating activities any kid would like.

When should I drop off the games?: You can drop off games at any time during business hours!

Why is The Game of Giving important?: Being in a hospital can place stress on families. By donating fun games to Mayo Clinic, we can ensure that every kid gets Christmas joy and an activity that brings their entire family together.

What games should I donate?: Any games/activities that have not been opened! If you are looking for ideas, here are some fun activities kids love: Uno, puzzles, Candy Land, Guess Who, playing cards, or even a new copy of your favorite board game to give your family's joy to another's.

Join our community in making this Christmas special for all children!

Thank you, BHS Student Counil

FAMILY RESOURCES