News from Dr. Holcomb
Each year the District sets goals for the buildings. Our goals at Bryant this year are as follows:
#1 Bryant will raise the number of proficient students by 10% from fall to spring as measured by the FAST Literacy assessments reported to the state. Furthermore, Bryant will increase proficiency in ELA (English Language Arts) ISASP and FAST scores yearly.
Spring FAST > 58.36%
ELA ISASP 3rd grade > 56%
ELA ISASP 4th grade > 61%
ELA ISASP 5th grade > 54%
#2 Bryant will raise the percentage of proficient students in Math ISASP scores yearly.
Math ISASP 3rd grade > 60%
Math ISASP 4th grade > 59%
Math ISASP 5th grade > 50%
#3 Bryant's active engagement scores will increase by 5 % as measured by the Elementary Student Engagement tool from fall to spring.
Our weekly PD schedule will focus on the areas of Social/Emotional, Math, and Literacy to help support our work in meeting the above goals.
*Please see the graph below which shows our beginning point for the fall FAST Literacy assessments. The table shows grades K-5 and then the building proficiency as a whole.
Model Classrooms We are fortunate to have 2 Math Model Classrooms here at Bryant. One in 2nd grade with Ms. Tomke and one in 5th grade with Mr. Short. These two classrooms have participated in a number of trainings and/or coaching sessions in order to meet the District requirements for such a designation. Throughout the school year, the 2nd grade room will be open to all District teacher teams on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, while the 5th grade room will be open on Wednesdays and Thursdays. We are just getting started with this process as I mentioned earlier our teachers have been busy setting routines and structures. During the days the room is open, buildings will be able to send teams of no more than 5 teachers at a time to come and visit. A visit will mean a pre-observation conversation, observing the 60 minute math block and then a post observation meeting. None of this will take away from your child's learning. Schedules for both classrooms have been designed so that your child's classroom teacher has time to complete these tasks without interrupting their instructional time. One of the steps in our plan to meet our own math goal, is for every classroom teacher to attend a Model Classroom during this school year.
Survey Did you know that we have 15 different languages represented in our student population? These include Spanish, Amharic, Chuukeese, Filipino, French/Lingala, Kreyol, Oromo, Phonpeian, Somali, Tigrinya, Vietnamese, Qanjobal, Quiche, and English. With those languages comes a variety of cultures and backgrounds. We love learning from our students about their different backgrounds and traditions. In an effort to make sure that we are including as many students as possible into our events at school, we would like you to take a quick survey to give us some information. There are only 2 yes/no questions so it should take no time at all as long as the technology is working! :) We are also gathering this information from students and teachers. Thank you for participating. Here is the link:
Breakfast starts at 8:00 and is served through 8:25. Please remember that students arriving in the morning will be expected to sit and eat breakfast. We have about 30-40 students who are taking trays and then not eating so the food goes to waste. If your child does not want to eat, they can arrive later in the morning closer to the 8:25 time when we have more adults available for supervision.
Calling all volunteers! We would love to have some help throughout the day to support in our lunchroom. Our first lunch starts at 10:55 and our final lunch ends at 1:10. If you are interested, your first step would be to pick up the volunteer form from the office. Once the form is filled out, we send it down to the District office as a background check is required. The District will let us know when you have been approved to volunteer at Bryant. We would provide you a little bit of training and background information before you begin! We would love to have you!
Conferences Thank you to everyone who was able to come to conferences last week. That is always such a good time to connect with families, learn more about your students, and for us to share how things are going at the beginning of the year. For those of you who were not able to attend, teachers and/or the office will be reaching out to hold the conference as the District expectation is that we reach 100% of the parents.
Winter Coats As we get closer to the colder seasons, please let us know if your child needs a winter coat. We have received generous donations of coats that we can provide to students that might need one. You can call the office and let us know or simply have your child stop in the office during the day to tell us.
Lost and Found Thank you for looking through our Lost and Found tables during conferences. While we were able to return some items to their rightful owners, we still have quite the stack. Please feel free to stop by and look at the pile to see if we can return more items to their owners. I am sure you are as amazed as I on how many things are on those tables!
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Parent Advocates are Needed
Share Your Thoughts
The Iowa Department of Education is seeking input from parents and/or guardians regarding Iowa’s current rules for public school districts. These accreditation standards, which are outlined in Iowa Administrative Code 281 chapter 12, define requirements for providing a standard level of education with a focus on improving the learning, achievement, and performance of all students.
Families of students in preschool through grade 12 are invited to share thoughts and opinions on these rules by completing the Chapter 12 Survey. The survey is voluntary and confidential. The survey will close on October 7, 2022.
Click here to access the Iowa Department of Education Chapter 12 Survey.
Bullying and Harassment Free District
The District is committed to providing all students with a safe learning environment in which everyone is treated with dignity and respect. The District’s Anti-Bullying, Harassment, and Hazing policy defines bullying and harassment as well as the procedures for reporting and investigating bullying or harassment complaints.
Bullying and harassment are defined as any electronic, written, verbal, or physical act or conduct toward a student which is based on any actual or perceived trait or characteristic of the student and which creates an objectively hostile school environment that meets one or more of the following conditions:
- Places the student in reasonable fear of harm to the student’s person or property.
- Has a substantially detrimental effect on the student’s physical or mental health.
- Has the effect of substantially interfering with a student’s academic performance.
- Has the effect of substantially interfering with the student’s ability to participate in or benefit from the services, activities, or privileges provided by a school.
If your student feels they are being bullied or harassed, encourage your student to visit with the student involved and tell them to stop. They should also tell a teacher, principal, or trusted adult at their school. An online discrimination, bullying, harassment, and hazing complaint form is also available on the District’s website and may be completed by the student, parent, or school employee.
We're Hiring
Looking for a part-time or full-time career with flexibility? Instructional assistants, bus drivers, and food service staff are needed to join our amazing team! Extra incentives are available for many positions. Check out the District’s openings today!
Virtual Backpack is Coming to your Inbox
Let's Talk
An engaged community makes our District stronger. That is why we have made it easy for you to connect with us whenever it is convenient for you. We encourage you to take advantage of Let’s Talk!, our 24/7 online submission site. Reach out with your ideas, questions, concerns, and praise. To make a submission, please visit http://www.siouxcityschools.org/lets-talk/.
Communication and Preparedness
Student and staff safety is of paramount importance in the Sioux City Community School District. For this reason, the District exercises a host of crisis prevention and planning tactics. Should an emergency occur, the school notifies you through our Blackboard phone system. In an emergency, the system calls every phone number associated with your child in order to reach you. The message will give you details about the emergency and provide directions on when/where to pick up your child if the normal school day is altered. Learn more about school safety.
Focus 2022 Strategic Plan
Bryant Elementary School
Principal: Dr. Angela Holcomb
Website: https://www.siouxcityschools.org/bryant
Location: 3040 Jones Street, Sioux City, IA 51104, USA
Phone: 712-279-6819
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Bryant-Elementary-School-392305667903892/
Twitter: @bryant_school