Bulldogs Newsletter October 2, 2023

Hello Basswood families,

Our PTO hosted a wonderful general meeting last night. I am thankful for the collaboration and vision this group has to support students and their families. I want to highlight a few key messages from the information that was shared by a Basswood parent/school psychologist about the findings related to smart phone usage:

- Childhood was play-based in the past

- Childhood can now be characterized as phone-based

- Smart phones are addictive

- Smart phones distract children from academics, social engagement, and other interests

- Social media usage is linked to developing eating disorders

- Anxiety and depression have risen significantly since the proliferation of smart phones.

Providing smart phones to children introduces a many complexities that have been shown to impact heath in children and youth. This year the Minnesota State Legislature passed laws to help protect children from these challenges and now schools will be implementing policies to create healthier schools for child development. Many families want to know what they can do to reduce the impact of smart phones on their children. The following resource may help you to navigate this aspect of your children's development:

Wait Until 8th is an organization committed to providing families with information and support in managing the "peer pressure" element of providing smart phones. When communities hold the shared value of not providing smart phones to kids before 8th grade, children have a better chance of avoiding many harmful effects of smart phone usage. Take a look at their resources and recommended technology at https://www.waituntil8th.org/

Visit the PTO Website for more information.

In partnership,

Steven Schwartz

Basswood Principal

We are less than ONE week away from kicking off our Basswood Elementary Fun Run fundraiser! We’re looking forward to having fun and building community together to reach our fundraising goals.

Quick reminder that MyBooster.com is officially open for sign ups for our Basswood Elementary Fun Run! Our goal is to raise $55,000 for PTO budget which helps provide things like the Kindness Retreat, 5th grade celebrations, Outside vendors for student experiences, Teacher Appreciation, And so much more. Follow our social pages for updates on our fundraiser.

Fun Run Schedule

• 10:35-11:35am - 1st and 3rd grade

• 12:15-1:15pm - 4 Star and 2nd grade

• 2:00-3:00pm - 5th grade

Over the next several months, elementary and middle school attendance boundaries will be reviewed to determine needed changes. These adjustments will reassign the elementary and/or middle school some households are zoned to attend. Our community’s support of Building a Better Future in 2023 is helping to minimize the extent of the changes.

Community involvement matters: There will be multiple ways for staff, students, parents/caregivers and community members to be involved throughout this process. The first opportunity is to share what considerations should be adhered to during the review via this ThoughtExchange. Please note any responses you provide are anonymous and can be completed within minutes. The provided feedback will help the team create draft attendance boundary scenarios. Staff, students, parents/caregivers and community members will then be able to provide feedback on each of the possibilities presented.

Timeline: This first feedback opportunity is open until Oct. 9. Scenarios will be created mid-October through December using the considerations shared. These scenarios will be presented shortly after winter break. Edits may be made based on that feedback, and again presented with the opportunity to share comments. The overall process is expected to wrap up in the spring. The new attendance boundaries will go into effect fall 2026.

Stay tuned: Detailed information will continue to be shared on the district website, district279.org. Any questions or concerns should be directed to BetterFuture@district279.org or 763-391-8990.

In the Osseo Area Schools, students in grades 2-12 will take the mySAEBRS assessment this fall and again this spring. The mySAEBRS assessment, which stands for Minnesota Student Academic Behavioral Rating Scales, is student self-evaluation. It provides valuable insights into areas such as social skills, emotional well-being, and behavioral strengths and challenges. This assessment helps us gain a more comprehensive understanding of your child's needs, allowing us to better support their growth and development. For more information about assessment items and questions asked click here. If you would like to opt your child out of this assessment, please complete the Parent/Guardian Refusal for Student Participation in Districtwide Assessments/Testing linked on https://www.district279.org/academics/assessments.

• September 26: Fun Run Kick-Off Assembly for Students

• September 27: Spirit Day - Border Battle, wear your Vikings or Packers gear to show your pride!

• October 4: Fun Run Event!!
• October 7, 9, 14: Conferences
  
• October 13: PTO Kindness in Chalk
  
• October 14: Picture Day (please note this date changed from 10/3 to 10/14)
  

• 2nd grade: 10:45 - 11:10am
• 4th grade: 11:15 - 11:40am
• 1st grade: 11:45 - 12:10pm
• 3rd grade: 12:15 - 12:40pm
• 5th grade: 12:45 - 1:10pm
• Kindergarten: 1:15 - 1:40pm

First bell rings at 8:40am letting students into the school. Second bell rings at 8:50am letting students know they should be in their classroom ready to start the day! At 8:50am, the front doors are shut and student will need to come through the office to get a late pass.

We welcome and encourage volunteers at Basswood. You can complete an online volunteer form online at apps.raptortech.com/Apply/Nzg0OmVuLVVT and work with our volunteer coordinator, Lezlie Northagen. Volunteer information will go home the first week of school. Activities in a normal school year include being a classroom assistant, helping with classroom parties, helping with PTO sponsored activities (Carnival, Turkey Bingo, Book Fair, etc.) along with numerous other opportunities. We continue to follow state guidelines and adjust our volunteer program accordingly.

Every parent or guardian of enrolled students of Basswood Elementary is an automatic member of the PTO. We encourage you to join one of our next general meetings - or just send us a note if you have a question. You can find more information on our PTO website: https://sites.google.com/view/basswoodpto/home?authuser=1 or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BasswoodElementaryPto

Yes! You will be able to follow us on Facebook. Our first posts went live on September 5th. Please note that we are moving away from Twitter (@BWPrincipal279) for Basswood social media. Click here below to follow us.

The District Transportation department only allows students to ride their assigned bus to and from school. If you have questions, you can reach out to the Transportation Department at 763-391-7244 or transportationreques@district279.org.

If you are planning a family vacation or just time away from school, please remember to call your student's absence into the attendance line. You can call 763-494-3858 and press 1 to leave a message with your student's name, student's teacher, reason for absence, and dates that your student will be gone. We really appreciate your assistance!

Our district Community Education department offers a variety of after school classes. If you do sign your student up for one of these classes, please remember to let your student's teacher know about the class and when your student needs to stay after school.