The Morris Minute
February 2019
Welcome to The Morris Minute!
Email: andersonb@bfschools.org
Website: bfschools.org
Location: 700 Garfield Street Southwest, Bondurant, IA, United States
Phone: 515.967.6361
Twitter: @BonduMorrisJays
From The Desk of Mr. Anderson...
Hello Morris Families!
What a wild couple of weeks of weather! Our kids have been begging to head outside for recesses as of late. I bet the teachers have as well! With the school messenger alerting you to the delays and cancellations, as always, if there are any issues you have experienced that need addressed, please do not hesitate to contact us to check your information in Infinite Campus.
Conferences are fast approaching! If you aren't sure about your conference appointment time, please get into contact with your child's teacher. As always, we are looking forward to seeing you in and around the hallways throughout the evenings of February 25 and 28, from 4:00pm to 8:00pm!
According to Punxsutawney Phil, we are set to have an early spring! Spring Break will be here before you know it! I love hearing kids tell me all about their plans, and am always most impressed with those that are looking forward to relaxing with their families. Enjoy the breaks and take the family time when and where you can!
Enjoy the rest of the short month! We will have more of a construction update in the next Morris Minute. My apologies for the late update to this!
Sincerely,
Mr. Anderson
Important Dates to Remember
January 31 - 100th Day of School Celebration
February 4 - 2pm Dismissal
February 5 - First Grade Field Trip to CY Stephens in Ames
February 11 - 2pm Dismissal
February 17 - Daughter Dance - 3-5pm, Middle School
February 18 - 2pm Dismissal
February 25 - 2pm Dismissal
February 25 - 4-8pm Parent Teacher Conferences
February 28 - 2pm Dismissal
February 28 - 4-8pm Parent Teacher Conferences
March 1 - NO SCHOOL - Professional Development
March 4 - 2pm Dismissal
March 11 - 2pm Dismissal
March 18-22 - NO SCHOOL - Spring Break
March 25 - 2pm Dismissal
FIRST GRADE PARENTS - SAVE THE DATE
Some of the over 100 amazing art pieces by Morris students that will be displayed in the Bondurant-Farrar K-12 Art Show at the Ankeny Art Center
News from the Art Room
The Bondurant-Farrar K-12 Art Show at the Ankeny Art Center will run from February 5th -February 20th. This show highlights and honors the art work of students in our school district. Morris Elementary will be represented by over 100 talented artists in kindergarten through 2nd grade. The show is open to the general public during the hours of the Ankeny Art Center:
Tuesday-Friday: 9 am-1 pm
Thursday: 4 pm-7 pm
Saturday: 9 am-noon
There will be a small reception held for exhibiting artists on February 7th from 5-7pm. The show is an excellent opportunity to familiarize your student with the art gallery and celebrate our district’s talented visual artists.
All second graders will be exhibiting their favorite piece from the year during conferences at their Art Spectacular. Kindergarten and 1stgraders will also have pieces displayed in our school hallway gallery. Stop by, view, and discuss some art today! To check out student art right from your own home, go to Artsonia.com.
Our art room is lucky to have Ms. Justice, a Grandview University Art Education major, student teaching in the art room January and February. She is a graduate of South East Polk High School and excited to be part of our Morris Community sharing her passion for art, teaching, and children.
Morris Elementary's 3rd Annual Vocabulary Parade
Bondurant's BEST Dance Party!
Each month, our Morris Elementary students are working hard to be Bondurant’s BEST. For students who are showing Bondurant’s BEST, they become a Champion of Character. We celebrate the champions of character differently each month. For January, The PBIS team hosted a dance party for all of our Morris students who earned Champion of Character. Everyone was able to come to gym, where we watched guided dancing videos with our friends. It was the perfect way to remind the students how proud we are of them for being Bondurant’s BEST!
Morris Jays raised $4,817 for the Kid's Heart Challenge - First Grader Miles Mallicoat, pictured above with Mr. Wiersma, was our school's top fundraiser! Congrats Miles and great work everyone!
Backpack Program
The Backpack Program is a partnership between The Food Bank of Iowa and Bondurant-Farrar Elementary Schools. The goal of this program is to help end childhood hunger in Iowa and assist preschool through fifth grade families that are experiencing financial hardship or food insecurity. On Fridays, a Backpack food bundle is put into the backpack of each participating student. The Backpack bundles are made up of packaged food items that can easily be opened or prepared by children for a two-day weekend. If you are a family who would like to participate in this program or have more questions, please contact Mrs. McConnell at mcconnellk@bfschools.org.
A few notes from Ms. Jen
I am not a fan of the cold. Yet, here we are, living in a deep freeze. Let's hope February is better for us than the last bits of January have been. Even though the weather looks to be warming up a bit, please be sure to send snow boots and pants with your students. As the snow starts to melt, only our students with snow boots and pants will be allowed to leave the hard surfaces on the playground.
As a reminder, we do not serve breakfast on the mornings we have a two hour delay. Our kitchen crew is already working on lunch at that point, so we ask that you be sure your kids have a good breakfast before they arrive.
Here's hoping we do not have any more missed days due to temperatures or snow on the roads. Our last day of school is now scheduled to be May 30.
Looking ahead, please set your alarms now so you know that Thursday February 28, we will have a 2pm dismissal to allow for Parent Teacher Conferences that afternoon and evening. Students will not have classes on Friday, March 1.
Crossing January off of my calendar will be very rewarding this afternoon. Let's hope February holds lots of good weather and lots of great memories for our Morris Jays!