Welcome Back to School!
September 6, 2024
Back to School Night
Principal's Message
What a great evening! It was so well-attended! We very much appreciate your continued support of our efforts to educate and foster the overall growth and well-being of your children. We truly couldn't do it without you. I couldn't help but feel a sense of pride and gratitude as I walked around. I listened to staff respond to your questions and convey such a high level of professionalism while maintaining a warm, welcoming environment. I can assure you that is not commonplace and you and I are very fortunate to be able to be a part of this amazing community. I hope that you found the evening informative and inspiring. Our goal with this new format was to create an opportunity to get to know our teachers better through a more intimate atmosphere. I hope we succeeded at that, but please respond to the survey to give us a sense. HERE is the link to the Padlet containing the slides in case you need to reference it. Feel free to reach out to our staff or me with any questions that may have gone unanswered. Have a great weekend!
- Mr. Chase
Did you like the new format to Back to School Night?
Bookworms Pilot
Hello, Families and Guardians!
Exciting news - we are piloting Bookworms K–5 Reading and Writing in Mrs. Merkin's class and Mrs. Pontonio's class!
Developed by researchers, Bookworms K–5 Reading and Writing adheres to the science of reading, distilling research-based best practices into simple routines. These routines establish a foundation for success for both the teacher and students.
Bookworms K–5 Reading and Writing consists of three 45-minute instructional blocks, totaling 135 minutes. During the Shared Reading Block, students participate in grade-level word study and vocabulary routines, followed by repeated readings of grade-level texts.
In the ELA block, students engage in either Genre-Based Writing instruction or Interactive Read Alouds with sentence composing grammar instruction.
The Differentiated Instruction (DI) block caters to students’ foundational skills needs through targeted group lessons, supplemented by text-based responses and independent reading.
These materials are openly licensed, meaning they are freely available online, so please feel free to review what we’re working on as well!
You can access here: https://access.openupresources.org/curricula/bookworms-k5
Safety Matters
TPS Transportation Regulations
For the safety of our students and to avoid any overcrowding issues, students should only ride the bus they are assigned to unless issued an exception by the transportation department. Drivers are instructed not to admit any student to their bus that is not assigned or has not been given an exception from Transportation. Exceptions should be for child care reasons or emergencies and not used for playdates. Using a school bus for anything other than home to school transportation is prohibited.
Pick Up
IMPORTANT REMINDER FOR PICK-UP LINE:
- Place a sign with your last name clearly written on on it either on the passenger window or passenger windshield side of your car. The sign should be visible to our staff working the pick-up line.
- Please DO NOT turn left into the line. If there is already a line formed, proceed to Blue Ridge Drive where you will be able to turnaround and join the end of the line since it is a cul-de-sac. Please make every attempt to get into the line by 3:20.
Advancing to Structured Literacy
We’d like to inform you of a revision in our assessment practices for elementary students. After a thorough and careful review and several years of research, we have decided to discontinue using the F&P benchmark assessment. This decision was made to streamline our assessment procedures and ensure that we are using the most effective tools to measure student progress.
Last year, we adopted the DIBELS assessment, which provides valuable insights into students' reading skills in grades K-3. Research has shown that DIBELS is a reliable and efficient tool, and it aligns well with our instructional goals.
At fall conferences, teachers will share the assessment information that pertains to your child.
Parent/Teacher Conferences
School Appointments - Parent Instructions
Go to our school appointments website for your school. https://bh.schoolappointments.com/
Register for an account by clicking the "REGISTER" menu tab and filling in the on-line form. Choose a user id and password for yourself and then click the "Register Now" button.
Add your children into the system by clicking the "Add a Student" button. Click "Insert New" button to add more children.
Click the "date" icon beside each child's name to schedule appointments (when the window is open).
Select the staff you wish to book appointments with.
Then click the "View Calendars" button.
Click on available time slots to book your appointments to make your bookings.
To Delete Appointments:
Click “View Appointments” from the HOME page.
You will then see the list of appointments that you have booked. To delete any of the appointments, click the red “x” icon beside the appointment.
Band & Strings
Now is the time to enroll your child in our band and strings programs. Please use the link below to access information and enrollment instructions. Students love working with Mr. Turechek, our band teacher, and Mrs. LaMendola, our strings teacher.
Band & Strings Registration Link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdsZn3Y61JCQKX07KdYTvvrB0eAsIitZlXKgdiVcHn6jER7BQ/viewform
Upcoming Events
Sunday, September 8
Grandparents' Day
Tuesday, September 10
Board of Education Meeting; 7:00 PM
Wednesday, September 11
Patriot Day and National Day of Service Remembrance
Friday September 13
Back to School Family BBQ - Hosted by our Booth Hill's Fathers Club
Sunday, September 15
Hispanic Heritage Month Begins - 10/15
Tuesday, September 17
Citizenship Day/Constitution Day
Thursday, September 19
Picture Day
Saturday, September 21
International Day of Peace
World Gratitude Day
Sunday, September 22
First day of Autumn
Tuesday, September 24
Board of Education Meeting; 7:00 PM
Thursday, September 26
Districtwide ML Parent/Guardian Info Night; 6:00 PM
Friday, September 27
BHS-THS Family Football Night
What's for Lunch?
Newsletter Tips!
- Click the translate and accessibility buttons at the top of the page to make the newsletter format work for you.
- Previous newsletters are stored on our school website as the year progresses.
- Utilize the table of contents on the upper left to navigate to desired sections.
Community Corner
CHET Dream Big! Competition
K-12 students in Connecticut have the opportunity to enter the Competition and be awarded a scholarship of up to $20,000 to help pay for their future education! This competition is brought to you by the Connecticut State Treasurer’s Office as Trustee of the Connecticut Higher Education Trust (CHET).
This year, they will be awarding almost $350,000 in CHET 529 College Savings Plan – Direct Plan (“CHET 529 Direct Plan”) account contributions to students in grades K-12 and technology prizes to schools. For the winning students, we will be awarding:
- Three prizes of $20,000
- 24 prizes of $5,000
- 239 prizes of $500
To enter, students are asked to answer a question by submitting a drawing or painting, essay, or video. Younger students will be asked to answer a question focusing on lessons they’ve learned and their dreams for the future, and older students will be asked about an experience or person that has impacted them and how that will influence their future goals. Submissions must be uploaded by 11:59 p.m. on November 4. There is no cost to enter. For program details, rules and the entry process, visit: www.chetdreambig.com
Downloadable entry forms and flyers are available on the website as well.
A school in your district could be a winner too! Each school that is represented by at least one student’s entry will be eligible for a random drawing for a technology prize worth $5,000 (a total of 10 schools will win a technology prize). Please see the 2024 Competition Official Rules for more information on prize structure and awards.
If you have any questions, please email asavio@mintz-hoke.com. And thank you for your support!
Amanda Savio
The CHET Dream Big! Competition Team
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Void outside CT and where prohibited. Open to legal U.S. residents residing in Connecticut who are at least 18 years old and are the parents or legal guardians of a student currently enrolled in a Connecticut school, grades K-12 as of 8/15/24. Begins 9:00 a.m. ET on 8/15/24; ends 11:59 p.m. ET on 11/04/24. Prizes will be a contribution to an eligible CHET 529 Direct Plan Account established for the benefit of the child whose parent or legal guardian submitted a winning entry. CHET Advisor 529 Accounts are not permitted for receipt of a prize. For Official Rules and eligibility, visit chetdreambig.com Sponsor: Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC, Member NYSE, SIPC, 900 Salem Street, Smithfield, RI 02917.
Important Parent/Guardian Information
Booth Hill Elementary School
545 Booth Hill Road Trumbull, CT 06611
203-452-4377
TPS School Calendar
Booth Hill School Hours
Doors open at 8:20 AM
Regular School Hours: 8:35 AM - 3:20 PM
Early Dismissal Hours: 8:35 AM - 1:00 PM
Delayed Opening Hours
1 ½ hour Delay – 10: 05 AM – 3:20 PM
2 hour Delay – 10:35 AM – 3:20 PM
2 ½ hour Delay – 11:05 AM – 3:20 PM
Infinite Campus
Booth Hill Parent Handbook - Currently in Revision
Volunteer Forms
If you will be volunteering UNSUPERVISED, please complete a Tier II form which includes a DCF Background Check.