2 Parsons Street

Northampton, Massachusetts 01060

413-587-1460 (phone) 413-587-1474 (fax)

Dr. Beth N. Choquette, Principal bchoquette@northamtpon-k12.us

Elizabeth Peterson, Administrative Assistant epeterson@northampton-k12.us

Jordan Celino, Secretary jcelino@northampton-k12.us

Nora DeJasu, Head Teacher ndejasu@northampton-k12.us

Would you like this news letter translated? Here are the steps to have it translated:

At the top of the weekly email, there's a link that reads "View it in your browser," click that and it takes you to the post on a webpage.

Scroll to the bottom where there's a black menu bar and pick the option that says "Translate."

Select the language you would like it translated in and it will then translate it on the webpage.

Le gustaría traducir esta carta de noticias? Aquí están los pasos para traducirlo:

En la parte superior del correo electrónico semanal, hay un enlace que dice "Verlo en su navegador", haga clic en eso y lo llevará a la publicación en una página web.

Desplázate hacia la parte inferior donde hay una barra de menú negra y elige la opción que dice "Traducir".

Seleccione el idioma en el que desea traducirlo y luego lo traducirá en la página web.

It is the vision of Bridge Street School to promote educational excellence and equity for ALL students. Promoting educational excellence and equity will prepare and motivate students to be engaged learners and critical thinkers who strive for high academic achievement, listen to all perspectives, value the multicultural and diverse world we live in, and actively participate in eliminating racial and social injustices so that all people are able to reach their full potential.

Bridge Street School’s faculty and staff, caregivers, and community are committed to providing educational excellence and equity to its students by challenging the injustices that create barriers to high academic achievement, to access and opportunities to learn, to high-quality teaching and learning, and to a climate of belonging. This commitment to educational equity, where all children are successful regardless of their personal, social, or cultural contexts, is at the core of our practices, structures, and policies.

Good afternoon. I hope you enjoyed your weekend of what I call "whacky" weather. It was 65 degrees in the Berkshires last night and today, after a tremendous amount of rain and high winds, it's now in the 30's.

During my visits to the 3rd and 5th grades this past week I was so impressed with their "homework" results that I asked them to do; which was to work with their teacher on our 3 R's: Create Respectful environments for students to learn and grow in, foster a commitment to the value of Relationships, and engage students in being Responsible members of a school community. Each class approached it differently either through words, phrases, or pictures. They really focused on what these core values mean to them within their classroom communities. They shared examples, were all very attentive, and were able to make connections to their everyday behaviors at school. This week I will be practicing a community building circle with each of them.

Just a reminder that this is the last week of both the Liftoff Learning Program and the make-up classes for BASE. There will be no classes for either program the week of December 20th due to the shortened week. LLP will resume the week we return from the holiday recess. Our next BASE session will begin the week of January 10th. Please see the registration packet below. If you have any questions about BASE, please reach out to Shevaun Keogh Walker at skeoghwalker@northampton-k12.us.

Below you will see a picture that the PTO posted in their newsletter. Thank you to the Ward 3 neighborhood association. This will be another helpful way to get information out to the public.

Have a great week!

December 16th: Picture re-take day

December 17th: 1st-5th Grade Report Cards

December 23-Dec. 31: No School-Holiday Recess

January 6: No School-Three Kings Day

• Tuesday, December 14 at 2:30 PM - PTO Meeting
• Tuesday, January 11 at 6:00 PM - PTO Meeting
• Tuesday, February 8 at 2:30 PM - PTO Meeting
• Tuesday, March 8 at 6:00 PM - PTO Meeting
• Tuesday, April 12 at 2:30 PM - PTO Meeting
• Tuesday, May 10at 6:00 PM - PTO Meeting
• Tuesday, June 14 at 2:30 PM - PTO Meeting

Dear BSS Families, (Mensaje en español abajo)

It’s hard to believe that we’re already in December! As we move into the second part of the year, we’re thinking about ways to bring our BSS community together more often to play, connect, and be with each other.

Join us this Tuesday, Dec 14 at 2:30 outside on the playground for our next PTO meeting. We’ll be brainstorming ideas for safe, fun ways to build community, and we’d love to have your input! If you’re not able to join in person, feel free to reach out to president@bsspto.org anytime!

Registration for the next round of BASE is open. Check out all the offerings here and email Shevaun, our BASE coordinator, at Skeoghwalker@northampton-k12.us with any questions.

If you’re a Florence Bank customer, vote for BSS as your nonprofit of choice for their annual community grants. This is an easy, low-key way to support our amazing school! More info here.

Many thanks!
Your PTO

Each year, Florence Bank awards $100,000 to local non-profits through its Customers' Choice Community Grants program. Award amounts are based on customer voting--the more votes we get, the more money the BSS PTO is awarded. If you are a Florence Bank customer, please vote by December 31st to cast your vote for the Bridge Street School PTO. You can also stop by a local Florence Bank branch and cast a paper ballot. And please spread the word to family and friends who can also vote for BSS if they are Florence Bank customers. Your vote can help fund classroom supplies, books, playground materials, staff appreciation events and much, much more. So show your school spirit and get out the vote!!

Next time you’re around school, make sure to check out our new Community Board. We’re grateful to the Ward 3 Neighborhood Association for spearheading this project!

La próxima vez que estés en la escuela, asegúrate de visitar nuestro nuevo tablero comunitario. Agradecemos a la Asociación de Vecinos del Distrito 3 que haya encabezado este proyecto.

Are you curious about our district's processes for protecting individuals from discrimination on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity? Check out Episode 4 of Policy Conversations with Dr. P.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7aD1etDPBV0Episode 4- Title IX Policy

Welcome to our first volume of the NPS Elementary Curriculum Corner!I In this monthly newsletter, we will share curriculum news, offer a view into a different grade levels and curriculum, and share the many reasons we are grateful for the amazing NPS educators and all of the joy and learning taking place among the wonderful students in our schools!

Newsletter Link:

https://www.smore.com/4c1m2-nps-elementary-curriculum-corner?ref=email-content#w-5799051425

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