Beartales

Jan. 15 End of 1st Semester

Jan. 16 No School-Teacher Work Day

Jan. 20-Feb. 7 Winter iReady Testing Window for Literacy and Math

Jan. 23 2nd quarter report cards go home

Feb. 10-Feb. 21 ELPA Testing Window

Feb. 24-Feb. 28 ELPA Make-Up Testing

Feb. 24-Mar. 7 ALT ELPA Testing

Feb. 25 Opera Iowa--2nd grade only Pick up at 9:00; show at 9:30; return 10:30 AM

Feb. 26 North Middle School Parent Informational Meeting for incoming students 5:00 PM

Mar. 10

1st Grade Music Program @ 5:30 p.m.

4th Grade Music Program @ 6:15 p.m.

5th Grade Orchestra @ 7:00 p.m.

Mar. 24 Link Up at Orpheum (3rd-5th); Pick up 9:20; show 10-11; return after

April 14

Kindergarten Music Program @ 5:30 p.m.

3rd Grade Music Program @ 6:15 p.m.

5th Grade Band @ 7:00 p.m.

HAPPY 2025! What?! We are quickly approaching the end of the 1st semester which is January 15th. It is entirely possible your student(s) have told you that I LOVE snow. Let me clarify by saying, I like the white fluffy pretty snow, not crazy snowstorms or ice storms. I was not fortunate to have snow during this winter break, but some students did fill my office with paper snowflakes before we left! While I do enjoy the slower pace of working over, break, I am always grateful to see all of our Bears back in the building! As we come back from this break, we will hit the ground running on day one by getting back into routines and reviewing classroom and building wide expectations.

During January, our students will be finishing their work with Empathy from last month. Starting the week of January 16th, they will make the switch to Perseverance. The grade levels will be addressing the following once that switch has been made.

Kindergarten--students will hear scenarios and determine if the person showed perseverance or not, will follow directions to help Ida find her lost items, will learn about persevering through obstacles as they work together through different stations, and will follow the directions of musical chairs and use perseverance as they work to stay in the game.

1st grade--students will explore different Focusing strategies, then put their Focusing abilities to the test in a memory game, discuss different types of distractions, then practice overcoming distractions using perseverance, practice learning from mistakes as they face a challenge, and demonstrate perseverance and focus while working with a team to correctly spell the word perseverance.

2nd grade--students will show engagement by being active listeners of the character trait perseverance, reflect on ways to engage in the world to make it a better place and create a plan with a partner, engage in small groups with specific roles to create a mascot for perseverance, and will persevere and engage in group roles to build the tallest structure they can.

3rd grade--students will practice perseverance by breaking down goals and action items, will implement ideas on ideas on what to do when they are stuck while working on a challenging task, will contrast perseverance with procrastination, then use flexible thinking to adjust plans as needed, and will integrate perseverance with flexible thinking to adapt to new challenges in a game.

4th grade--students will practice breaking down large goals into smaller action items, will learn and practice the If/Then strategy for facing organizational obstacles by playing a game, will practice organizing tasks by learning to prioritize, and will synthesize organization skills and perseverance to create their own 3 T's game.

5th grade--students will demonstrate perseverance by creating If/Then plans for overcoming obstacles, will learn to make goals more attainable by breaking them into smaller goals, will practice perseverance by setting big goals and creating a timeline, and will plan for practicing perseverance by setting big goals and creating a timeline.

Thank you for partnering with us in your child's education. I am grateful for the students, staff, and families that we have at Bryant.

Dr. Holcomb

Do the terms Snap map, private account, or ghost mode sound familiar? If you answered no, you are not alone. Many families are unfamiliar with these social media terms and others. The District website offers information for parents on the most popular social media platforms and tips for keeping kids safe online. Information is available on the District’s website.

Mark your calendars! School will not be in session on Thursday, January 16 due to a teacher workday.

Studies show a strong connection between eating breakfast and improved academic performance. To support a healthy learning environment, our school provides breakfast daily in addition to lunch. Breakfast is served at our building from 8 am to 8:30 am (elementary school) OR 7 am to 8 am (middle and high school).

Visit the District’s website for more information on the District’s breakfast and lunch menus.

The District has cell phone protocols in place to ensure an engaging and distraction-free environment for our students. The protocols restrict the use of electronic devices during the school day. For more information, please review the 2024-2025 Parent/Guardian & Student Handbook on the District website.