Greetings Bitterroot families,

As we draw closer to the end of the 23-24 school year, I am humbled by the individuals who make the collective whole of our school community. The students, guardians, staff, PTA, and stakeholders who make up the Bitterroot Community make this a special place to work. Thank you for making a difference by doing the work that needs to be done and for showing up each day for our students. Thank you for welcoming me into this community and for your commitment to making each day at Bitterroot a positive and safe place to learn! Next week you will be receiving a PBIS survey to provide your feedback on our school culture. I encourage you to participate in this survey as your voice is an important part of the narrative of our Bitterroot community!

Our crosswalk guards, GDAs, para professionals, cafeteria staff, Mrs. Z, and certified staff all go above and beyond to help students engage in our Bitterroot Standard on a daily basis. We have a group of Foster Grandparents who join us each day to share their time and knowledge with our students. If you haven't yet seen the BPS shoutout to our very dear Grandma Kathleen, click on this link to the BPS Facebook page and keep checking back for spotlights on our other two grandmas. Please help me is celebrating and appreciating all our Bitterroot staff during the upcoming staff and secretary appreciation days in April and May.

Please continue to reach out if you have questions, concerns, or comments. For updates and announcements, visit our website bit.ly/bitterrootelementary and the PowerSchool bulletin.

~ Wendy Tyree, Bitterroot Elementary Principal

Do you have...

1. A child who will be 4 years old by September 10?
2. A child who is ready to start Kindergarten in the fall?
3. A child currently in grade K-2 that struggles with reading?
4. Any acquaintances with a child in these categories?

Please checkout the Early Literacy Newsletter...and pass this information on to anyone who might need it!

Our Library will be hosting 4th Grade Book Club on Mondays during lunch starting April 15th. Students can choose to be involved and experience a reading community that promotes a love of reading and allows for discussion and exploration of a novel. This year's book will be 'Willodeen" by Katherine Applegate. Sign Ups will be available in the library the week of April 8th.

JOIN US on THURSDAY, APRIL 11th at 4:00 AS WE MEET TO:
- vote in our new PTA secretary
- visit with a representative from the Yes for Safe Schools Billings Safety Levy
- continue to plan for our spring events & have great conversations with other parents and guardians
Follow PTA on Facebook: Bitterroot Elementary PTA

Want to Join PTA? Scan the QR code or click here to be directed to registration form.

Questions? Contact us at bitterrootptamt@gmail.com

Upcoming Events:

- 4/26: Donuts with Grownups. Please RSVP by 4/17. See flyer below

- 5/24: Color Run . More information coming soon. Volunteers & runners needed!

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month

National Child Abuse Prevention Month recognizes the importance of families and communities working together to strengthen families to prevent child abuse and neglect. Through this collaboration, prevention services and supports help protect children and produce thriving families.

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are traumatic events that occur before a child reaches the age of 18.

ACEs include:

● All types of abuse and neglect

● Parental substance use or mental illness

● Parental incarceration

● Domestic violence

● Divorce

A landmark study in the 1990s found a significant relationship between the number of ACEs a person experienced and a variety of negative outcomes in adulthood, including poor physical and mental health, substance use, and risky behaviors1. The more ACEs experienced, the greater the risk for these outcomes. By definition, children involved

with the child welfare system have suffered at least one ACE. Understanding the impact of ACEs and how to build resilience in children and families can lead to more trauma-informed interventions that help to mitigate negative outcomes.

“It takes a village to raise a child.”

The school counselor is a great resource to help link families to these prevention services and supports in the community. WelcomeHomeBillings.org is also worth checking out, as it provides information on a large variety of resources such as bill assistance, legal services, addiction recovery, mental health care, etc.

If you have concerns about the abuse or neglect of a child, please contact Child Protective Services Centralized Intake at 1-866-820-5437. This abuse hotline is toll-free 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Caller information is kept confidential.

Sodexo delivers healthy and delicious school meals based on the USDA’s nutrition guidelines so that students are engaged and ready to learn in school. All meals include a variety of fresh fruit and vegetable choices, and a variety of chilled non-fat or low-fat milk.

Click on the menu below for a printable April menu or visit the Sodexo website at https://billingsps.sodexomyway.com/landing/elem for additional nutrition information.

Remember to check your student's account balance by visiting https://www.mymealtime.com/.

The district now has shared a K-12 communication platform: Parent Square. To learn more about the platform, please visit the district website.

At Bitterroot, we will continue using the communication systems we already had in place: Remind (please sign up using the codes 944483 OR 4hc6cc), Facebook, and Seesaw (K-3) and Google Classroom (4-5). Enrollment codes will be provided by classroom teachers later this year.

Our website will be where we archive documents, resources, and share our Bitterroot and Family Calendar. You can find the following resources on the website

• Student/Parent Handbook
• Bitterroot Staff Directory
• PowerSchool for Parents
• MealTime and Lunch Menu
• School Calendar
• Bitterroot Standard

• Access to our PowerSchool Portal.
  Powerschool is our district wide record keeping system. To access PowerSchool, download the App or visit our website and click on the button for PowerSchool for Parents. Here you will find:
  

  - daily bulletin with announcements

  - attendance record

  - lunch account balance

  - shortcuts to frequently used forms

  - annual district polices and permissions sign off form

  - annual updates to contacts and demographics forms

There are lots of events coming up this spring. Be sure to check out the school calendar published to our school website for updated events. A few to double check that you have added to your calendar are:

• April 9, 3rd grade (Alberta Bair), 4th grade (Audubon), 5th grade (Hooked on Fishing)
• April 29-May 15th: 3rd-5th grade NWEA MAP Testing
  
• April 25th, 9:20-1:15, 5th grade Atomic Circus at MSUB
  
• April 25th, 1:30, Talent Show Bitterroot Gym
• April 26, 7:15-7:45 AM, Donuts with Grownups
• May 6-May 24: K-2nd Fast Bridge Testing
  
• May 7th, 1st-5th Music Concerts (our lunch menu on concert day will be a sack lunch)
  
• Kindergarten music day will be scheduled later in May
• May 16, 1:00-2:00, 5th grade ETS presentation
• May 23, 5th grade fishing day at Lake Elmo
• May 24, (AM) field day, (PM) PTA color run time TBA
• May 31 - Last Day of 2023-2024 School Year
  Click on each of the calendars below to be directed to the 23-24 or 24-25 academic year calendar or Calendar Frequently Asked Questions