February Bulletin
Dear BG Families,
Congratulations to everyone. We have completed testing students for reading and our students are demonstrating tremendous growth. We know that you are working hard making sure your students are reading, doing math, and engaging in creative endeavors at home. Working together makes a difference in all areas including the arts, as evidenced by our latest recognition as School of Excellence by Magnet Schools of America.
A few reminders:
1. Please label your students’ winter clothing. Winter is not over!
2. PTO meeting is second Thursday of the month, Feb 8th at 6:00 pm in the Birch Grove Media Center. You can find the Google Meet link later in the newsletter if you would like to join online.
3. Family Bingo night is Wednesday, February 14th at 6:00 pm in the Birch Grove cafeteria.
Every day we deal with many different challenges. I usually put a reminder in this newsletter that if you need help reach out to our school social worker. We tend to think about material needs, but the reality is that many times we need support with mental health/social emotional needs as well. Please reach out to our school psychologists Emily Wenz and Baylee Holtz, counselor Abbie Lecy, and social worker Megan Ruhland if your student needs support. Their contact information can be found in the contacts section at the bottom of this newsletter. We also partner with St. David’s Center for Child and Family Development, and they have a therapist at our school that can work with students. Her name is Olivia Hoff-Golmen and she can be reached at ohoffgolmen@stdavidscenter.org, if you would like to explore this option. We need to eliminate the stigma of mental health /social emotional needs and reach out for help if needed. We are ready to support each other in any way we can.
Let’s hope for some snow in February so our kids can go outside and do some fun winter activities. Snow related activities are also a source of work for many Minnesotans. I guess, most of you know that I do not mind cold weather, at least up to a certain point. Plants and animals also need the cold weather for their life cycles, so even though warm weather is wonderful we need a bit of cold weather and snow. I imagine some of you may strongly disagree with me looking forward to some snowy days.
Have a wonderful month, our doors are open if you have a question or recommendation.
Dr. Ronald Salazar, Principal
NEW - Submit Attendance Through Talking Points!
Birch Grove has been selected as one of four schools in the district to pilot a new Talking Points attendance line! You will be receiving a message in the Talking Points app or by text message within the next week introducing the attendance line. This will be coming from a randomly generated number and may not have a Minnesota area code. Please save this in your contact as "BG Attendance" or something similar. If you use the Talking Points app, this will automatically be labeled as Birch Grove Attendance in your inbox. This is the contact and message thread you will use to report your child's absence.
We are excited to be one of the schools utilizing this new feature! It comes with a variety of benefits.
- Faster and easier than reporting attendance by phone call.
- Messages in Talking Points will automatically translate, meaning messages can be sent and received in the user's preferred language.
- Caregivers may report absences for multiple Birch Grove students in a single message.
Frequently Asked Questions
- If I report my child's absence over the Talking Points attendance line, do I need to call the voicemail or speak to someone in the office as well?
- No. You only need to send a message through Talking Points.
- Is the Talking Points line the same as what my child's teacher uses to communicate?
- No. The Talking Points feature is separate and different from your child's classroom communication. Your child's teacher will not receive messages sent to the attendance line.
- I don't want to receive messages from Talking Points but I still want to use the attendance line. Can I unsubscribe?
- If you unsubscribe from Talking Points, you will not be able to report your child's absence by text message. Blocking or unsubscribing from Talking Points will end all incoming and outgoing communication.
- I never received a message from the Talking Points attendance line.
- Please call the Birch Grove office at 763-561-1374 if you did not receive a Talking Points message from Birch Grove Attendance and we will be happy to help.
- Will I still receive messages if I don't have the Talking Points app?
- If you do not use the app, it will work like sending and receiving a regular text message. The Talking Points app will keep your message inbox organized and will automatically separate messages coming from different teachers, groups, or schools into different threads. You can download the Talking Points app here.
This feature will be ready to use once you have received the introductory message. You will still have the option to call and leave a message on the attendance voicemail if you prefer to do that. Please call the office at 763-561-1374 if you have any questions!
Winter Conferences
Winter conferences are coming up! Conferences will be held from 8:00-9:00 am and 4:20-7:20 pm on the following dates:
- Tuesday, February 6th
- Thursday, February 8th
- Monday, February 12th
Conferences can be scheduled through ParentVUE through Monday, February 5th. If you have not scheduled a conference through ParentVUE and would like to know more, this guide provides step-by-step instructions with pictures.
Translated scheduling guides are available in the following languages:
Hmong - Vietnamese - Spanish - Arabic - Somali - Ukrainian - Russian - Oromo
Information and FAQ about ParentVUE can be found here.
For all support questions related to ParentVUE, including setting up your account or recovering your password, please email Help@District279.org. If you are unable to meet at any of the scheduled conference times, please reach out to your student's teacher directly to discuss other arrangements.
The Book Fair is Back!
The Scholastic Book Fair will be back at Birch Grove in February! The Book Fair will be open for shopping during evening conferences and select days for student shopping during school. The Book Fair hours are as follows:
- Tuesday, Feb. 6th from 4:30-7:15 pm
- Thursday, Feb. 8th from 4:30-7:15 pm
- Friday, Feb. 9th from 8:00-9:00 am for Grand Book Fair Event and 10:00 am - 3:30 pm for student shopping
- Monday, Feb. 12th from 10:00 am - 3:30 pm for student shopping and 4:30-7:30 pm
Set up an eWallet for your student to shop at the Book Fair!
Volunteers are needed for help with setup and sales! Sign up here to volunteer.
Tickets for Finding Nemo Jr. On Sale Soon!
- Reserved tickets for families of cast members will go on sale at 9:00 am on Wednesday, February 14th.
- Reserved public tickets will go on sale at 9:00 am on Thursday, February 15th.
- General admission seats can be purchased at the door before performances. Please be aware these seats are NOT reserved and are first come, first serve.
Performance dates for Finding Nemo Jr. are:
- Friday, March 8th at 7:00 pm
- Saturday, March 9th at 2:00 pm and 7:00 pm
- Sunday, March 10th at 2:00 pm
Please email Stephanie Vleck if you have any questions at VleckS@District279.org.
Artist Residency at Birch Grove: Sivanuja Balaji
Learn more about Ms. Sivanuja and Ordway's Beyond the Stage program here!
Partnership with Urban Boat Builders
A group of high school students from Breck School, in partnership with Urban Boat Builders, has been visiting Birch Grove once a week and working with a small group of 5th graders to help them design and build their own longboards. Along with hands-on experience in the building process, students grow their social-emotional and leadership skills while working with their high school mentors and UBB staff.
What's Happening in Physical Education!
We have been playing Volleyball and have had a blast! Later this month, we will start our Dance Unit. Ask your student to show you their moves!
Please make sure your student has a water bottle and gym shoes!
- Gym shoes are required for safety and ease of movement
- Gym shoes protect our equipment - mats and other equipment can easily tear or rip with boots and other types of shoes
- Water bottles help students stay hydrated and prevent them from missing any gym time by having to leave to use the drinking fountain
Feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions!
-Miss CC, Phy Ed
February 12th: Grand-People Breakfast & Book Fair
Due to its amazing turnout last year, Birch Grove is hosting the Grand Event - Breakfast and Book Fair once again! Caregivers are invited to come to Birch Grove and enjoy coffee and light breakfast items with their students, as well as shop the Scholastic Book Fair. This is an open-house style event. Everyone is welcome! All children must be accompanied by an adult.
EVENT DETAILS:
Date: Monday, February 12th
Time: 8:00-9:30 am
Location: Birch Grove Media Center
February 12th-16th: Spirit Week
Birch Grove will be having Spirit Week from February 12th-16th! Students have the option of following a different themed dress code each day of the week.
- Monday 2/12 is Teacher/Student Switch Day: students dress like Birch Grove staff members and staff dress like students!
- Tuesday 2/13 is Sports Day: wear your favorite sports gear!
- Wednesday 2/14 is Red & Pink Day: wear red, pink, or a combination of both!
- Thursday 2/15 is Pop Culture Artist Day: dress like a pop artist!
- Friday 2/16 is Pajama Day: get comfy and wear your PJs to school!
February 14th: Valentine's BINGO
Join the Birch Grove PTO for Valentines Day BINGO! BINGO is free to play, and prizes will be awarded! The PTO will be providing Walking Tacos. Doors will open at 5:50 pm and first call is promptly at 6:05 pm! All children must be accompanied by an adult.
EVENT DETAILS:
Date: Wednesday, February 14th
Time: 6:00-7:30 pm
Location: Birch Grove Cafeteria
Earn Money for Birch Grove with Box Tops for Education
Download the Box Tops for Education App and start earning money for Birch Grove by scanning your shopping receipts.