Bridge Bulletin

I had to look at the calendar TWICE to see that it really IS December already! January 14, is the end of Semester #1 meaning we will be HALFWAY through the school year. Compared to last year, with masks , quarantines, soft closure and COVID issues every other day, this has been such a pleasant ride :)

Counting weekends, our winter break is 16 days - please plan accordingly. It begins Saturday, December 18 and kids return to school on Monday, January 3.

Please keep reading the bulletin for important updates and information.

Lani Rounds

Principal

We are nearing the end of Semester #1 (January 14) and students will be completing the Middle of Year (MOY) assessments. Bridge uses MULTIPLE forms of data to assess student learning. The data from these tests will be shared on the Progress Report sent home January 21, and the Aspire grades updated January 21.

• Imagine Learning (reading and math) - January 5 - 13
• Acadience Reading and Math - January 5 - 13
• Galileo Language Arts and Math (grades 1- 6) - December 12 - January 14
• ESGI Reading and Math (kindergarten) - January 5 - 13

We use data all year long to change instruction and scheduling as needed. However, the MOY data is extremely valuable for parents and even more so for educators. Parents can use it to see just how much progress their student is making. Teachers and administration use student progress data at the school level to determine if the Personalized Learning model is working. The grade level and schoolwide data is also shared with our school board to ensure we are meeting the goals they have set for our school.

Bridge is very much a school that recognizes and uses student GROWTH as a metric rather than just proficiency. Proficiency is valuable but it does NOT take into account WHERE the student started. For example, a 2nd grade student who started out reading on a kindergarten level but by the middle of the school year is at a 1st grade level has made TREMENDOUS growth and should be celebrated even though the state data would not recognize this child as proficient. On the other end of the spectrum, a 2nd grade student who is reading at a 4th grade level at the beginning of the year but slid to a 3rd grade level at the middle of the year would still be acknowledged by the state as being proficient although they did not make any growth. For these reasons, student progress and growth are celebrated, and expected, at Bridge. Teachers continually use data to ensure all of our kids are making adequate progress.

Please ensure your student is at school during the testing weeks. Also, talk with your child and make sure they understand the importance of ding their VERY BEST on these assessments.

Mark your calendars for Friday, January 28, 3:00 - 7:00 pm. Bridge Elementary is hosting a FREE family skate night at Classic Fun Center in Layton. Bridger will be there for photo ops and to skate with kids! Students who passed off 30 math lessons by January 14 will be rewarded with 10 FREE Credits to use in the arcade. More information will be sent home in January!

PARENTS and GUARDIANS - Please make sure Aspire is updated with the correct email address. The Intent to Return will be sent via email on December 7, 2021. Within the email will be the link to register your student in Aspire to attend Bridge for the upcoming school year. This is for CURRENT Bridge students only. Siblings of current students will have a different process to register beginning January 24, 2022. For those who do NOT plan to return to Bridge there will be a link for a form to complete.

It is imperative that you complete the Aspire registration before December 31, 2021. If the registration is not completed your child will not be rolled over to the next school year at Bridge and their spot will be opened in the lottery.

If you need help accessing Aspire you can use the instructions found on our website at https://www.bridgecharter.org/access-student-data or contact the front office at (801)499-5180.

Just a reminder we do not allow treats and goodies for students - for birthdays, holidays, etc. The exceptions include:

• Parents or guardians joining their child for lunch.
• Class parties providing teachers completed the "food in class" form and parents provided signed permission.
• Students bringing home lunch (cannot share with others).
• Students who have snacks during the day based on a 504 Plan, and IEP, or a medical need.

This procedure helps ensure the safety of our students who may have allergies or other reasons they cannot have certain foods.

Our Lost and Found has recently been bagged and donated. But, as you see in front of the school, the pile is the song that never ends! It is extremely helpful to put your child's name in their jacket/coat and on their hats and gloves. Taking care of your child's items is not a responsibility we assign to a staff member, but occasionally, when a staff member has time, they do sort through the items to attempt to return them to their owners though this ONLY works if the item is labeled. If you are looking for volunteer hours you are welcome to stop by the school, sort through the items and look for items that are labeled with a child's name and help us return them to the owner.

After we return from winter break we will bag and donate all the items again. This will give you time to stop by, even on weekends, to pick up the items that belong to your child.

Our 1st and 2nd graders will spend the next couple of weeks learning about Christmas around the world through instruction and activities.

Each month our BASE kiddos help create a piece for our Everyday Tree which stands in the corner of our front foyer. The art teacher, Ms. Madison, creates a theme and students create the decorations. Last month the theme was "Cornucopia" . This month the theme is "Red". Our 1st grade BASE students used this theme to create what the BASE teacher dubbed, "the LONGEST chain in America". It stretched the ENTIRE length of the hallway!

We are SUPER excited to be part of the Utah Opera program, "Who Wants to Be an Opera Star?" on Friday, December 10. This program will be provided digitally to all of our students during Advisory period (8:45 - 9:30). "Utah Opera’s school programs give students opportunities to develop skills in music as identified in the state core curriculum while they are being introduced to the basic elements of the art form of opera; our programs also show audiences that being involved in the art form can be moving, thrilling, and fun."

Some good news....

Roy City just called and the canal south of the school on Midland Drive is scheduled to be covered, with a sidewalk added, starting the middle of December! We have been advocating for this since before the school was built so this is super exciting news, especially for the students who are walking to school or riding their bikes along Midland Drive. THANK YOU ROY CITY!

Some not so good news...

Midland Drive will be closed at the canal, during construction. This means during construction Midland Drive will NOT be a thoroughfare from 4800 south and those who intend to travel south on Midland Drive from 4800 S will need to go through the neighborhood adjacent to the field. The expected completion time is three months though it is unclear if the road closure will last the entire time. I will work closely with the city manager and the police chief to help create a safe traffic pattern for our families. In fact, the city manager and I have already thrown around some great ideas. Stay tuned for more information soon!

Utah is so fortunate to have a land trust in which money generated form the earnings on the permanent State School Fund investment are provided to public schools. The trust lands are public lands that generate revenue from various activities such as mining and oil.

The monies provided to each school are managed at the school by the Trustlands Council. The council works with school teachers and school leaders to determine how the school can best use the funds and then create measurable goals to ensure the use of the funds was effective.

To serve on the Trusland Council please complete the Invitation on our website using the link below. The council must be comprised of two more parents than non-parents. For example, if there are three Bridge employees on the council there must be five parents.

https://www.bridgecharter.org/plans

The link above will also provide you access to our current Trustlands plan and a training video to familiarize yourself with Utahs's School Land Trust.

We LOVE that we are able to provide FREE before and after school care for your students. However, we also need parents to help ensure the safety of their children and abide by the drop off and pick up times.

MORNING DROP OFF

PLEASE do not drop your kiddos off at school prior to 7:30 am. Our morning supervision does not begin util 7:30 which is when our supervisory staff are paid to arrive to provide morning supervision. Students who arrive before this time are outside, unsupervised. The weather has been cooperative but SOON it will be extremely chilly in the mornings and dropping your child off, unattended prior to 7:30 a.m., may leave your child in unsafe conditions.

AFTERNOON PICK UP

Our BASE program ends at 4:30 pm, Monday thru Thursday. Teachers and staff are only paid until 4:30 pm. PLEASE be considerate and arrive on time to pick up your children.

On Fridays school is out at 1:30 pm. Our staff either have meetings at 2:00 pm or their shift ends by 2:00 pm. Please ensure your kiddos are picked up prior to 2:00 pm on Fridays.

This is pasted directly from our Family Handbook which you can find on our website under Policies and Procedures.

Please make sure your child dresses accordingly for the weather – hats, coats, gloves and boots during wet and cold weather. We live in Utah where snow, ice and cold weather are inevitable. Students will be outside for recess and PE unless the “feels like” temperature is below 20° F or the precipitation (heavy snow or rain) will result in wet kids, or the winds are heavy enough that there is a chance of injury.

The school will follow the State’s recess guidelines regarding bad air days. All students will be kept inside for PE and recess during “red” days. Students at risk of respiratory issues will be kept inside during “yellow” days providing parents notify the teacher and the office.

Please mark your calendars and plan on joining the Ready 2 Teach team at Bridge for lunch on December 9 at 12:00 noon. During your visit you can learn about how their substitute program works, get your background check AND get free lunch while you are at it. We pay our subs $14 hour.

For more information on subbing at Bridge please visit

https://www.ready2teach.com/substitutes-wanted

We are super excited to offer another opportunity for background checks for our parent volunteers. You do NOT need a background check to come and help at school BUT you do need a background check to help out at the school or on a field trip if you will be out of the sight of staff. For example, if your child's class goes to the zoo on a field trip and you would like to chaperone a group of students, you would need a background check in order to be alone with your child and other students. If you would like a background check please stop by the school on December 7, 9:00 - 11:00 am. You must bring a form of state ID with you, for example a driver's license.

Just a couple of reminders:

• Only Bridge logo jackets and hoodies can be worn during school (any type of jacket can be worn at recess). Sweaters are NOT a dress code item to be worn during school except at recess.
• All bottoms - pants, skirts, jumpers must be BLACK or TAN only. Blue and gray are NOT the dress code appropriate colors for bottoms - this is NOT new - our bottom colors have ALWAYS been black or tan only.
• Leggings worn under dresses/skirts must be black, tan or white only. Striped, colored, polka dots, etc. are cute but are not dress code.

You can find ALL of the rules on our website at:

https://www.bridgecharter.org/policies-procedures

Or use this link to download the Dress Code Specifications: DRESS CODE

PLEASE excuse your child's absence by:

• Calling our attendance line (801)499-5180
• Using the online form found on our website under the Student Data icon

EXCUSE ABSENCE FORM

INITIATIVE teaches students to "RECOGNIZE AND DO WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE BEFORE I AM ASKED TO DO IT".

Practice these "I WILL" statements with your student:

• Do what is right BEFORE I am told.
• Not put off until later what I can do now.
• Do my part for the team.
• Be part of the solution rather than the problem.
• Look for ways to help others.

Our mission is to empower students to take ownership of their own learning. By learning, practicing and embracing these visible learning traits, students will have the skills needed to become accountable for their own lifelong learning. You can find the six Visible Learning traits on our website at Visible Learning

The mission of Bridge Elementary is to provide students with a personalized learning experience and empower them to take personal ownership and accountability for their own academic performance.

WHO TO CONTACT FOR WHAT

Principal - Lani Rounds

Lead Secretary - Lalani Williams (Aspire, registration, lottery)

Admin Support - Sara Tucker - (Title 1 and At-Risk Coordinator, ELL support, 504 Plans and BASE)

Curriculum and Instruction Specialist - Keri Toponce

Email: info@bridgecharter.org
Website: bridgecharter.org
Location: 4824 Midland Drive, Roy, UT, USA
Phone: (801)499-5180
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BridgeCharter