BIS Newsletter
December 2023
MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL
Happy December BIS Families,
As we approach the end of another eventful year, it is with great pleasure and gratitude that we extend warm greetings to our students, parents, staff, and the entire community. December has been a month of reflection and kindness at BIS. Our students have been thinking about their impact on others and looking for ways they can "pay it forward" to those around them. We kicked off our month with amazing team assemblies. Students learned about ways they can support and empower others and had the pleasure of listening to our Chorus Club perform. This week our 3rd graders attended presentations with Sparks Ark, our 4th grade participated in winter themed grammar rotations, and our multilingual learners hosted a program international food celebration!
With the warmer December weather, our 3rd and 4th graders are still patiently waiting to hear which students and classes will win our annual Snowfall Prediction and Estimation contest. Please be sure to read the inclement weather notification linked below for information on how the district will notify families about delays and closures.
Our next Parent Council meeting is on January 10th at 6:00pm on Google meets. All BIS parents are welcome to join the conversation! Email lnadeau@biddefordschools.me for the link.
We hope you have a joyful holiday season filled with warmth, laughter, and cherished moments with family and loved ones. Thank you for your continued support and commitment to the success of our school. We look forward to welcoming students back in 2024!
Mrs. Nadeau
DATES TO REMEMBER
Don't forget these events on your calendars!
December
- December 21 - Pajama Day (Fun Friday on a Thursday!)
- December 21-January 1 - Holiday Break (No School)
January
- January 2 - Students return to school
- January 10 - Early Release (Students dismiss at 12:00pm) & Parent Council (6:00pm via Google Meets)
- January 15 - No School
- January 16 - Kickoff of BIS "Snowflake Frenzy" Reading Challenge
- January 22-Feb 2 - NWEA Winter Benchmark
- January 26 - Flannel Friday (Fun Friday)
WHAT ARE STUDENTS WORKING ON AT BIS?
Hour of Code
On Wednesday, December 6th, BIS students participated in the Hour of Code. This global movement in over 180 countries across the world affords students the opportunity to learn about Computer Science. Students spent time engaged in free activities that taught them how to write code using block coding. It was a pretty exciting time in our building that day - students were amazed at how they were able to program features within apps to move, collect points, and play music. Be sure to ask your child about what they coded!
Art
It’s not too late to order from Art to Remember! Ordering is open through the end of the year. These items make great gifts and help[ to fund our BIS Art Program!
All our students learned about Geometric vs organic shapes. Third grade students then began making colorful yarn paintings using organic shapes. They’re still working on finishing these. Fourth grade students made jazzy geometric shape designs with oil pastels.
Fourth grade students have since then moved on to start a weaving project that will last through the month of January. Ask your 4th grader what theme they chose for their weaving!
Music
3rd Grade - Students have finally started learning piano! We start by learning a few songs using the black keys, and then after the holiday break we will transition to learning songs on the white keys. Students will start learning how to read notes on the staff and use that knowledge to read, play, and create songs.
Social Emotional Learning
As we bring 2023 to a close, we have been focusing on kindness and compassion towards others. We have also been having fun learning how to play community games- where everyone wins!
3RD GRADE: We are learning that people can show their compassion for others by saying something kind or doing something helpful. Learning how to show compassion for others helps children take action on their feelings of empathy. When you have empathy for others, you can say or do many things to show your care and concern. Showing care and concern for others is called compassion.
Physical Education
Library
Message from the Counselor
Fall small groups with Mrs. Guay finished recently and our students worked hard! We focused on mindfulness, coping skills, self-esteem, how to be a good friend, and how to deal with changes in our families. If you’d like your student to participate in the next round of small groups set to begin when we return from winter break, please reach out to Mrs. Guay directly at aguay@biddefordschools.me.
We’re continuing with our monthly themes at BIS! In December, we’re going to learn about “paying it forward” and doing kind things for others without expecting anything in return. By paying it forward, we can create a ripple effect of kindness throughout our school and our community. We focused on gratitude throughout the month of November and BIS staff and students created a pretty amazing gratitude tree!
COMMUNITY LINKS
Free Food Distribution
Youth Full Maine has transitioned back to our in-school pantries and discontinued some of the free food distributions. They will continue to do the weekly free food distribution at the Dayton Town Hall every Thursday from 2pm-3pm, as well as the monthly drive-thru free food distribution at Rotary Park in Biddeford every 3rd Wednesday of the month from 10am-12pm. In case of storm conditions or for more information, contact Youth Full Maine at (207) 391-0185 check their website, or visit their Facebook page.
The link remains the same and will be updated as new information is received.
FOOD & HEALTH LINKS
DISTRICT LINKS
CONTACT BIS
Contact Us
Email: lnadeau@biddefordschools.me
Website: www.biddefordschools.me
Location: 335 Hill Street, Biddeford, ME, USA
Phone: (207) 282-5957
Facebook: www.facebook.com/biddefordintermediate