Bridge Bulletin

Finally, the weather did not disappoint for a few days this week. The kids were SUPER excited to ride scooters around the path. Very soon we should have the roofs back on the tents and we can let the kids eat lunch outside - they have been "chomping at the bit" to do so.

We are ramping up for Field Day and donations are needed. See below for more information.

STAFF HIGHLIGHTS

This week's staff highlight features our 3rd grade para-educators - Tabitha Gabbert, Patty Richardson, Sandra Shepherd, Robin Price, and Brittany Watson. Please read below about these outstanding educators.

Mark your calendars for the following days of NO SCHOOL

• May 26 (Teacher work day)
• May 29 (Memorial day)

Upcoming Events

• Fine Arts Show and Tell April 17 - 20 (musical) during grade level art specials
• Math Night - April 20 (6 - 8 pm) includes FREE dinner
• Kindergarten Round Up - April 28 (information emailed to new kindergarten parents)
• FREE Community Give Away in Coordination with Utah Foster Care - April 29, 10 - 12
• Yearbook Order Deadline May 1st - see information below
• Classic Skate Night - May 3
• Roy Aquatic Center FREE Family Fun Night - July 12, 6:30 - 8:30 pm

Please keep reading for more information about this past week and events for the upcoming weeks.

As always, thank you for CHOOSING Bridge and sharing your kids with us!

Lani Rounds

Principal

Join us on Thursday, April 20, 6:00 - 8:00 pm, for Family Math Night. We will have math games set up in each of the 1st - 6th grade pods and a Visible Learning activity in the library. There will be Estimation Jars in the kivas for you to estimate the numbers of items in each jar. The winners will get the jar of stuff!

Dinner will be served in the gym and will be FREE for all (please only one serving per person). Dinner will include: Pulled pork sandwiches, baked beans, potato chips, carrots, apples, and a choice of milk or juice.

Our FFVP program has been a winner for kids all year long and this week it did NOT disappoint! The favorite for the week was Starfruit! The purpose of the program is not to fill kids up or to take the edge off of their hunger, but to provide them with the opportunity to try fresh fruits and vegetables that they may not get the experience to try at home. Ask you kids if they LOVED Starfruit and maybe it can become a staple at your dinner table.

At Bridge, we have MANY military families. Bridge also offers "military preference" in our lottery. This is a designation the Utah legislature approved just a few years ago and Bridge was one of a handful of charter schools that elected to allow this preference. This designation provides military families a preference in the lottery to have their child's name selected before a non-military family, if a spot becomes available.

To show our support, we asked all kids and staff to wear PURPLE on Friday, April 14. It was a sea of purple today!

Military families move every two to three years on average, and military children change schools an average of six to nine times from the start of kindergarten to their high school graduation. This year an estimated 30 percent of military service members will move to a new installation. At Bridge, we have MANY military families and of these, several have had family members deployed. A handful of our military kiddos have also moved in the last month as their parents have received orders to move to a new installation - some have moved as far away as Germany.

The Defense Department is observing April as Month of the Military Child and will highlight programs, resources and services available to support the overall well-being of military children, youth and teens. "Taking Care of Our Military Children" is the theme of this year's Month of the Military Child campaign, an opportunity to focus on the lives of military children, youth and teens. You can find more information about Month of the Military Child at:

https://www.dodea.edu/dodeacelebrates/military-child-month.cfm

Woo hoo! For four out of five days this week the weather smiled upon us and kids could use the scooters! Typically, after they are finished riding, many students throw their helmets in the wagon and make a haphazard attempt at getting their scooter to the scooter rack. But NOT our 3rd graders. These kiddos take extra care to ensure everything is returned nicely and ready for the next group of kids.

If you have a 3rd grade student, pat them on the back for taking initiative and doing what needs to be done without being asked. If you have a student that isn't in 3rd grade but rides a scooter during recess, perhaps take a moment to talk to them about the proper way to care for other people's things.

INTERVIEWING NOW FOR OPEN POSITIONS NEXT YEAR

Interested individuals should email resume to Lani@BridgeCharter.org

Para Educators - Grades 1, 3, 4, 5 and 6

Our para-educators work in the classrooms assisting students with computers, stations, specials, lunch and recess. Para-educators must pass a background check and have a minimum of an associate's degree or pass a para-pro Praxis test which they take through ETS.org

Our para-educators work 29 - 35 hours weekly and receive holiday pay for five holidays. The test must be passed prior to October 1, 2023. Full-time employees (working 30+ hours weekly) are eligible for benefits including access to 401 K and health insurance. Salary is based on education and experience and is $16 - $18 hour.

Kindergarten Teacher - Mrs. Hill is moving to 1st grade to replace Mrs. Langhaim who is moving to special education. A professional license is preferred but will consider an Associate Educator License.

Students are invited to bring their fine arts to share with their classes during their fine arts specials. Visual arts were shared this week and musical arts can be shared April 17 - 20. Please contact our art specialist, Ms. Madison for more information: Madison@BridgeCharter.org

Art specials are listed at the times show below. Please contact your child's teacher to determine the EXACT time art is held for their group.

Kindergarten - Mondays 1:45 - 3:15

1st Grade - Wednesdays 11:45 - 1:15

2nd Grade - Thursdays 1:30 - 3:00

3rd Grade - Tuesday 2:00 - 3:00

4th Grade - Thursdays 10:45 - 11:30

5th Grade - Mondays 8:45 - 9:45

6th Grade - Thursdays 8:45 - 9:45

It is NOT too late to apply for FREE or REDUCED meals. Applying now does not reduce any arrears but it will help with future meals that your children purchase. To apply, simply login to Aspire and select the FREE/REDUCED MEAL APPLICATION from the right side of the menu. If you need assistance please ask any of the office staff.

Our negative lunch balance is now close to $7,000. This is money the school has to find in its budget to pay at the end of the school year to cover the cost of meals that families did not pay.

PLEASE help us by paying down your negative lunch accounts. You can pay online or in the office. For those interested in donating to help parents with negative lunch balances, we have a Happy Go Lucky account to which you can donate. Ask the office for more information.

The calendar for next school year is now approved. You can access it on our website using the link below:

https://www.bridgecharter.org/2023-2024-calendar

Weber Human Services SMR is available for 24/7 crisis support and short-term stabilization. To request help or make a referral, dial 988. Weber Human Service's works with families to improve functioning, develop and maintain healthy communication, and enhance ability to cope with future crisis.

Each week students attend a Visible Learning class where they learn about traits of a good learner. Next week students will learn about Flexibility and how being flexible will help them be a good learner: "Adjusting to change with a good attitude"

• I will anticipate change.
• I will adjust when needed.
• I will finish the job.
• I will look for the benefits.
• I will do what is right.

By internalizing visible learning traits students will become lifelong learners who are set up for success. You can find all of our Visible Learning traits on our website at:

https://www.bridgecharter.org/character-first

We are starting the planning for our Field Day blowout! This is the funnest day of the school year and includes bounce houses, games, prizes, entertainment, food, fun, face painting, yearbook signing and more.

We are looking for donations for our game booths. Students play games and win prizes. These are not elaborate prizes. We are looking for simple things like you get at Zurchers, pick up in packs at the Dollar Store, or buy from Oriental Trading.

We also need tons and tons and tons of cans of soda for the ring toss. Inexpensive, off-brand soda will do the trick. Please drop your donations off in the office and remember to enter your donations (converted to hours) into our volunteer tracker so your family can be place into our Frog Pond in the front foyer.

https://www.bridgecharter.org/volunteer-opportunities

Brittany Watson

I have lived in Utah my whole life and grew up in Syracuse. I currently live in Roy, Utah with my husband and four children. I like to spend time with my family, traveling, camping, sitting around fire, or watching lacrosse games. Our family loves dogs. Especially Labs and we often have a litter of puppies at our house. I also love to scrapbook, spend time doing Family History and learn new things. I have always enjoyed working with kids and am almost finished with my Bachelor Degree in Elementary Education. I’m excited to be a teacher next year!

Tabitha Gabbert

My name is Tabitha, I started working as a para this year and am currently on my way back to school to become a teacher. I am married to a Marine who is currently stationed in North Carolina. My four children and I live here in Roy currently, but have been stationed in Hawaii, California, Nevada, and North Carolina. We enjoy outdoor activities but also spending time indoors playing board games and watching movies. I enjoy graphic design and am currently designing different types of shirts as a side hobby. I also enjoy sewing and drawing.

Sandra Shepherd

Hello, I'm Sandra Shepherd. I am one of the 3rd grade paras. My husband and I have 10 children between us. We stay busy with 35 grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren. We try to make it the many concerts or sports events that they might be doing. When I'm not working I enjoy camping, swimming, and fishing. We have 4 dogs who go camping with us. I also have a cockatiel and a few fish.

Patty Richardson

Ahoy! I'm Patty Richardson. I get to teach p90 groups, co-lead computer aided instructions, & decorate our class doors. I try to blend my love of pirates and the ocean into 3rd grade as much as possible. I'm lucky to have most of my family involved in the school too! My daughter is in 5th grade here at Bridge & my mom is the famous substitute, Ms. Kathy. My hubby and daughter are usually trying to convince me to play video games but I'd rather be having movie night as a family. About half my free time is also spent using ASL in the deaf community.

Robin Price

I was born in Illinois and lived all over the East Coast. My dad was in the Navy until I was in the 6th grade. We moved to Utah when I was in the first grade and have lived here ever since. I have lived in Logan, Clearfield, Richmond, Paradise, Roy and Ogden. I currently live in Harrisville with my husband and our dog. I enjoy playing card games and board games, spending time with my family, crafting, baseball games and fishing. I have been working at Bridge Elementary as a Para for 3 years.

The yearbook can now be ordered, online. Orders are not taken at the school. Yearbooks will not be available at the school for sale. The cost is $15. The LAST day to order is May 1, 2023.

You can also find the order information on our website at: https://www.bridgecharter.org/school-events

Code = BridgeES

Pre Pay code = BridgeYB23

Link to Order: YEARBOOK ORDER

Lunch payments can be made online or in the front office using cash or check. Payments made in the front office are posted immediately in Aspire. Online payments are not immediately updated in Aspire.

When payments are made online we must complete several steps to get the payments moved to Aspire. We do this every Monday and Wednesday. After we run the online report it takes another day for the money to post to your student's Aspire account. Please allow 3 - 5 days from the day you make the online payment to the day the information posts in Aspire.

The link to make payments online is found on our website by selecting the MEALS icon.

https://www.bridgecharter.org/lunch

We LOVE parent and grand parent volunteers at school! If you would like to volunteer, please check with your child's teachers. If you want to volunteer but aren't excited about coming into the school, we have LOTS of opportunity for outside volunteer work including:

• Cutting Watch Me Learn tickets (stop by the office)
• Pulling weeds in the rock areas and park strips (we have all the area in front of the school and up 4800 S along the school fence).
• Using rakes and shovels to redistribute the gravel from the bottom of the retention area in front of the school to the top area to cover the black landscape screen.
• Parking lot duty before and after school (just check in at the office, put on a yellow vest and talk to Travis in the crosswalk for instructions)

After you have volunteered please enter your hours in our volunteer form on our website:

https://www.bridgecharter.org/volunteer-opportunities

Once your family has logged 30 volunteer hours they will have a frog put into our Volunteer Pond in the foyer.

If you want to volunteer but do not have the time, you can donate $90 to cover the 30 hours. If you choose to donate, complete the volunteer form. You can donate in the office or by using our DONATE icon on the home page of our website.

Absences MUST be excused within 24 hours of the absence. You can do this by leaving a message on the Attendance line at school (801)499-5180 or by using the Excuse Absence online form. You can find this on our website by clicking on the Excuse Absence icon or using the link below:

EXCUSE ABSENCE

Title I was initially passed in 1965 under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). It is the largest federal assistance program for public schools. These supplemental funds provide students the opportunity to receive a fair, equitable and high-quality education to help close achievement gaps.

Bridge Elementary receives our Title I funding based on the percentage of students that qualify for free or reduced lunch. For this reason we encourage ALL families to apply for Free/Reduced lunch through Aspire to ensure every single student receives the services needed, including access to free or reduced meals if appropriate.

Title I provides avenues for parent input and participation. We do this through our surveys and the link to the form on our website which allows parents to submit questions and suggestions.

You can find more information about Title I as well as a form to ask questions or provide suggestions regarding Title I, on our website at:

https://www.bridgecharter.org/school-events

Principal - Lani Rounds - Lani@BridgeCharter.org

At-Risk Programs Coordinator - Stacey Archuleta - Stacey@BridgeCharter.org

• Morning Supervision and BASE
• Behavior including Bullying
• 504 Plans

Lead Secretary - Lalani Williams - Lwilliams@BridgeCharter.org

• Aspire
• Lottery
• Registration

School Nurse - Vicki Ross - Vicki@bridgecharter.org

Special Education

Diane Nelson Lead SpED Teacher - Diane@BridgeCharter.org

Julie Christensen SpED Director - Julie@BridgeCharter.org

ELL Coordinator - Nichol Lloyd - Nichol@BridgeCharter.org

Meal Issues - Jodi Jensen - Jodi@BridgeCharter.org

Classroom Teachers - see website - https://www.bridgecharter.org/teachers

• Daily activities for your child
• Student progress
• Questions about student schedule

The mission of Bridge Elementary is to provide students with a personalized learning experience and empower them to take personal ownership and accountability for their own academic performance.

Email: info@bridgecharter.org
Website: bridgecharter.org
Location: 4824 Midland Drive, Roy, UT
Phone: (801)499-5180
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BridgeCharter