Branchville Bulletin

Dear Brachville Community,

Happy New Year!

It was exciting on Thursday to welcome everyone back to Branchville. I hope this newsletter finds you rested and joyful following the break and a couple of days back to the school and work routine.

As we step into this new year at Branchville, we revisit what it means to be part of a community. Our school is a place for everyone to feel supported and valued. We discuss our class charters, the classroom routines, and the opportunities for growth, learning, and togetherness. Of course, part of this includes what it means to foster kindness- the big and small acts we each may do to improve our community and work collaboratively to create a learning environment where all are successful.

We conduct universal screening benchmark assessments three times a year. In January, we examine each student's progress and develop next steps for grade levels, classes, and individual students. These include Aimsweb literacy and math assessments, the NWEA MAP math assessment, and other curriculum-based measures.

I am looking forward to seeing our accomplishments in the year ahead!

Welcome back!

In partnership,

Keith L Margolus

Principal

PS. Below, I have some reminders about school routines. Our school is a successful and safe community when everyone takes responsibility for doing their part.

Everyone is responsible for the safety of the community. Please do your part to help ensure that our parking lot is safe for students, staff, and parents.

• For the safety of students and staff, proceed carefully and slowly through the back lot. We will ask our school resource officer to intervene with drivers who are moving too fast.
• Please have your child exit when your car's gear is in the park position.
• Students need to have all of their items ready in hand when they exit the car. Parents, please stay in your vehicle.
• Students must exit the vehicle on the vehicle's passenger side (building side). It is dangerous to do otherwise.
• If a student needs more support to exit and special arrangements have not been made with designated staff members, park your car and use one of the two crosswalks.
• If you arrive after the drop-off window, park in a designated spot. We ask that you kindly use one of the two crosswalks. Crossing near the entrance rather than at the crosswalk can be particularly dangerous. When crossing, please remember to escort your child to the sidewalk. While the front parking lot is supervised, teachers primarily focus on students getting out of a car. It is a parent's responsibility to bring students to the sidewalk.

Some families may have decided to provide their child with a cell phone or other device during the holidays. Students with cell phones at the elementary level are not permitted to use them during the school day. If a parent makes the decision to permit their child to have a cell phone, smartwatch, or similar device at school, it is expected that the cell phone or smartwatch be turned off and in the child’s backpack at all times. This includes the duration of the bus ride.

Please note that we treat smartwatches (e.g., the Apple Watch, the Gizmo Watch, the Android Smart Watch) or other similar devices that provide a student with the ability to text, take photos, or make calls in the same way we treat a cell phone and they are subject to the same practice. If a staff member sees a student with any of the devices mentioned above, they will ask the student to remove the device and store it in their backpack, and their teacher will likely contact you about the concern.

Please remember that children typically go outdoors every day for recess unless the weather/temperature is unusually severe, with a "real feel" nearing the single digits.

When temperatures drop below 40 degrees, students should wear a warm top layer (coat, heavy sweater, thick hoodie with underlayers), hats, and gloves. Pants or shorts with underlayers should also be worn. Dressing in layers is the best option. When snow is on the ground, snow pants and boots are required for students to play in the snow (basically anywhere other than the pavement).

Join Bob the Beaver, Mr. Margolus, Ms. Tighe and lots of Branchville friends for this beloved PTA Tradition! BES Ski Day will take place on Sunday, January 26 at Mohawk Mountain. Please click here to begin registering. Make sure you complete all steps to fully register, including registration and payment on the Mohawk website. Once you register on our website, you will receive an email receipt with additional details on how to register with Mohawk. Your spot is not secured until you do both steps.

Note: if your child would like a ski lesson, make sure you register early, as there are only 15 lesson spots available for our group.

Check out the new page,engagED on the RPS Curriculum Site pictured and linked below.

RPS distribution flyers for outside groups via a Digital Backpack.

Organizations that meet the RPS policy may submit their request for inclusion in the digital backpack. Please help us in our effort to go green by checking students' Digital Backpacks Organizations that meet the RPS policy may submit their request for inclusion to cmelagrano@ridgefieldps.net. Thank you!

If you are looking for a comprehensive description of our school practices and procedures, please review the K-5 Student Handbook.

Visiting BES

If you are visiting BES, one way to expedite the entry process is to fill out this form or use the QR code in advance of your planned visit (teacher meeting, PTA meeting, mystery reader, library or art volunteer, etc.) and your badge will be waiting for you when you arrive. If you have something to drop off for your child during the school day such as a forgotten lunch or instrument, there will be a table outside of the entrance to place the item.

• • When you arrive to enter the building, we ask that you press the video doorbell button and identify yourself. You will then be granted access to the vestibule.

  • Once in the vestibule, please do NOT hold the door open for a different guest entering the building. We cannot open the second set of doors until you are inside the vestibule. While this may be inconvenient and feel impolite, we are standardizing access to the buildings across the district so that everyone knows what to expect.

For visits to BES during the school day, I recommend that you arrive early as it takes some time to process your visitor badge. For a visit that is not arranged a day ahead of time, calling the main office ahead of your visit is a helpful practice.

January

1/9 Early Release Day - 11:40 (Professional Learning)

1/20 Schools Closed (Martin Luther King Jr. Day)

February

2/14 No School (Professional Learning)

2/17 - 2/21 No School (February Recess)

For a comprehensive list of upcoming events, please see the calendars below.

RPS Events Calendar

Rotational Calendar

PTA Events Calendar

To withhold directory and media publications (including Instagram) please follow this path when you are logged in to PowerSchool.

• On the left-hand side please click on "Demographic Change."

• A number of tabs will appear. Click on "Directory & Media OptOut.

There you will find the option to withhold directory and media information. It is helpful if you notify us of the change. Please email, administrative assistant, Catherine Basso, at cbasso@ridgefieldps.net

Never hesitate to reach out to us about this publication or any other questions you may have. We are a phone call or an email away.

Keith L Margolus

Principal

kmargolus@ridgefieldps.net

Website: https://bes.ridgefield.org/Home
Location: 40 Florida Road, Ridgefield, CT, USA
Phone: 203.894.5850