Bulldogs Newsletter October 2, 2023

Dear Basswood Families,

A partial solar eclipse is expected in the Twin Cities metro area from approximately 1-3 p.m. on Monday, April 8. An uncommon midday darkness will be experienced during this time as the sun is blocked by the moon.

Experts agree, the sun should not be looked at without proper eye protection during the eclipse. As always, safety remains our highest priority at school. Outdoor activities are being limited for our students during the eclipse.

Our 5th grade classes will be viewing the eclipse with the use of their protective ISO 12312-2 glasses. Other Basswood classes will have opportunity to view the eclipse through NASA's Media Coverage.

This is the first eclipse in the past seven years. Learn more by visiting NASA’s 2024 Solar Eclipse website.

In Partnership,

Steven Schwartz

Basswood Principal

Throughout the Osseo Area Schools we use a student survey to help us know which students may be in need of social-emotional supports. This month students in grades 2-5 will take the mySAEBRS assessment. 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.

We are celebrating the successful Read-a-thon we had during the month of February! On Wednesday, April 10, at 10am to 10:30am, we will be having an All School Cloud 9 Reading party!! Have your student wear their comfiest pair of pajamas or their coziest pair of sweats! Don’t forget a stuffy to snuggle up with! Oh, and remember to have your student bring their book to school. Let's read together!

Mark your calendar!! Basswood PTO Carnival will take place on Friday, April 26, at 5:30-8:30pm. Play games, eat food, and have fun with your Basswood friends. Pre-order wristbands will be available! Visit BasswoodPTO.org for more information on wristbands. A flyer went home to families this past Wednesday with all the details. PTO is looking for volunteers. You can sign up to volunteer at https://bit.ly/bwcv2024.

We will be having our annual 5th grade career fair on Friday, May 17th, 10am to 12:30pm in our Media Center. The purpose of the career fair is to expose our 5th grade students to a variety of careers and hear about people’s experiences and education levels. This gives the students a chance to start setting educational and career goals and practice their interviewing skills. A flyer went home to families this past Wednesday. You can reach out to Amy Paton, our school counselor, at patona@district279.org with your questions.

Please note that the Basswood School Calendar that was handed out at the beginning of this school year has the 4th grade Recorder Concert on the wrong date. The 4th grade Recorder Concert will take place on Wednesday, May 8, at 6:30pm. Thank you!

Kemmetmueller Photography is the district's new vendor for school pictures and for the Basswood yearbook. New this year: The 2023-2024 Basswood yearbook will now be available to purchase. The yearbook is $10 and on sale now. Follow the link to order your 2023-24 yearbook by April 14, 2024: Yearbook Market

If you would like to donate a yearbook, select "Donate" at the top of the website page. Yearbooks will be delivered to Basswood and sent home the last weeks of school.

Please note: Each student will receive a complimentary Grade Year-End Memory Booklet which will include photos of your students class and their grade level, staff photos, and an autograph page. It will not include other grade level photos or candid pictures.

Please reach out to the Basswood office with questions at 763-494-3858.

• April 9: Severe Weather drill
• April 10: All School Cloud 9 Reading Party! 10-10:30am
  
• April 12: Spirit day - Tie Dye Day!

• April 19: Remote at Home Learning Day for Students
• April 22: Spirit day - Earth Day!
  
• April 24: Kindergarten Spring Fling Celebration 6:30pm
• April 26: PTO School Carnival 5:30-8:30pm
  

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!

Basswood staff is required to leave a voicemail if you do not answer your phone when we call. Please check your voicemail before calling Basswood back. Thank you!

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

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.

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.

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.