Bulldogs Newsletter October 2, 2023

Dear Basswood Families,

As shared this fall, elementary and middle school attendance boundaries are being adjusted in order to balance student enrollment across the district.

Proposals are currently being created using the community-built parameters developed earlier this fall. These will be finalized over the next few weeks and shared online at district279.org/boundaries the evening of Jan. 14. Community members will be welcome to provide feedback on these proposals via an accompanying feedback form.

Additionally, Community Informational Meetings are scheduled for Jan. 15 and 23. These evenings will start with a half-hour presentation detailing the proposals and then transition to small groups, where community members will be able to share their thoughts and ask questions with district leaders.

• RSVP for the Wednesday, Jan. 15 Community Informational Meeting at Brooklyn Middle STEAM School: https://forms.gle/bKiBcapurLEgkAZ98

• RSVP for the Thursday, Jan. 23 Community Informational Meeting at Maple Grove Middle School: https://forms.gle/gim3uRG1mw3oGtW86

More details at district279.org/boundaries

In partnership,

Steven Schwartz
Basswood Principal
#WeAreBasswood!

Monday, Dec 16 – Holiday Headwear!

• Deck the halls and your head with the most festive accessories of the season! Break out your hats, headbands, hair color, and holiday cheer to share your joy with those around you!

Tuesday, Dec 17 – New Year’s Finest!

• Welcome the New Year with our finest by dressing your best! We want to see fancy and festive and fun! The more glamourous the better! It’s time for a GLOW UP!

Wednesday, Dec 18 – Red and Green!

• Let’s fill our hallways with RED and GREEN!!! Whether you choose just one or want a mixture of both, RED and GREEN are theme of the day!

Thursday, Dec 19 – Holiday Sweaters!

• Some may call them ugly, but we do not! We want loud, we want flashy, we want them all! Proudly wear your most festive holiday sweaters and shirts!

Friday, Dec 20 – Pajama Day!

• Snuggle in and get cozy for our final day before break! Wear your comfiest pjs or your coziest clothes to relax together as we end a busy week!

When bringing forgotten winter gear or instruments or lunches to Basswood, please do your best to have them to Basswood by 10:30am. We have morning deliveries each day at 10:30am for all of these forgotten items so they get delivered before lunches begin. This way these are items are delivered to the classroom and we do not have to call to interrupt instructional time. Thank you for your consideration!

• December 18-20: Moon Light Bowling in PE class
• December 20: All School Sing-Along at 9:30am and 10am
  
• Dec 23 - Jan 3: Winter Break - No School

• January 6 - Welcome Back to School!
• January 9 - All School Kids Heart Challenge Kick-Off 2:30pm
• January 17 - At Home Learning Day
  
• January 20 - No School - MLK Jr. Holiday
  

• 2nd grade: 10:45 - 11:10am
• 4th grade: 11:15 - 11:40am
• 1st grade: 11:45 - 12:10pm
• 3rd grade: 12:15 - 12:40pm
• 5th grade: 12:45 - 1:10pm
• Kindergarten: 1:15 - 1:40pm

First bell rings at 8:40am letting students into the school. Second bell rings at 8:50am letting students know they should be in their classroom ready to start the day! At 8:50am, the front doors are shut and student will need to come through the office to get a late pass.

We welcome and encourage volunteers at Basswood. You can complete an online volunteer form online at apps.raptortech.com/Apply/Nzg0OmVuLVVT and work with our volunteer coordinator, Lezlie Northagen. Volunteer information will go home the first week of school. Activities in a normal school year include being a classroom assistant, helping with classroom parties, helping with PTO sponsored activities (Carnival, Turkey Bingo, Book Fair, etc.) along with numerous other opportunities. We continue to follow state guidelines and adjust our volunteer program accordingly.

Yes! You will be able to follow us on Facebook. Our first posts went live on September 5th. Please note that we are moving away from Twitter (@BWPrincipal279) for Basswood social media. Click here below to follow us.

Every parent or guardian of enrolled students of Basswood Elementary is an automatic member of the PTO. We encourage you to join one of our next general meetings - or just send us a note if you have a question. You can find more information on our PTO website: https://sites.google.com/view/basswoodpto/home?authuser=1 or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BasswoodElementaryPto

If you are planning a family vacation or just time away from school, please remember to call your student's absence into the attendance line. You can call 763-494-3858 and press 1 to leave a message with your student's name, student's teacher, reason for absence, and dates that your student will be gone. We really appreciate your assistance!

Our district Community Education department offers a variety of after school classes. If you do sign your student up for one of these classes, please remember to let your student's teacher know about the class and when your student needs to stay after school.

The District Transportation department only allows students to ride their assigned bus to and from school. If you have questions, you can reach out to the Transportation Department at 763-391-7244 or transportationreques@district279.org.