Bear Tracks
April 21, 2017
A Note From the Principal:
Dear Bear Tavern Staff,
This week; I was humbled by an innocent question. Last year, Mrs. Turnbull's Twitter Account had been hacked, so she shut it down. She wasn't much of a Twitter user, so it was no big deal. So over the weekend I helped her set up a new account and set up a few people to follow. Yesterday, she was picking up the kids, gave a quick look at her Twitter and said, "How come you don't tweet anything?"
I just laughed. It turns out, I hadn't gotten around to sending any tweets the whole week. After all of the preaching I do about it, I felt kind of silly. So I Tweeted a bit yesterday and hope to do more tomorrow.
The bottom line is that at this time of the year it can feel like although we have amazing things going on, that things are hanging on by a thread as the world spins by. That is OK. The important thing is to laugh at ourselves when we can, to SUPPORT each other and pick each other up when we need to and to give it all that we have. If we do those things, we cannot fail.
Enjoy our planting today and have a Happy Earth Day!
Sincerely,
Chris
Key Information:
- Report Cards - Complete by Sunday evening 5 pm
- Den Groups - First off, THANK YOU to the Kish's (Nectars Landscaping) for roto tilling the ground for our planting! Scavenger hunts will be distributed (the weather looks like it will be good enough in the PM to move ahead w/ our plan) as well as cones and soil w/ instructions (1 gallon ziploc bag of soil will be enough for each Den Group - one small cup per cone). You will just need 5-10 clip boards for groups of students on the scavenger hunt. Please bring one sheet of paper with your Den Group letter on it for lining up after the presentation in the cafeteria and for lining up (if needed) while outside on the scavenger hunt. Don't forget to get seeds in the faculty room. Soil and cones will be delivered... Small shovels will be available at the garden. We simply need to put the cones into the ground and I will give support where needed.
- School Performance Report - I am extremely proud of what you have done. The attached reports will be released to the public this week... BT Performance Report, School Performance Reports Navigation Guide, School Performance Reports Reference Guide.
- PARCC - PARCC will take place the week of May 8. On Mon-Wed we'll have ELA each day and on Thurs & Fri we'll have Math (2 sessions each day). We will be on a special schedule (it will be shared at the faculty meeting, but is the exact same as last year). A communication went home Friday. I will be sharing a central "opt out" list. Please check it frequently (hr teachers in grades 3-5) to make sure that you are in the loop and also that the list is accurate as far as you have heard. Teacher assignments and student groupings (SpEd and 504) will be out this week.
- The Friday of PARCC (May 12) - We are planning a SPECIAL assembly for roughly 2:30 (no special schedule as we will be done with PARCC and there will be lots of recess in the pm, etc.) in which we will be surprising Rev. Caldewell with a 60th ANNIVERSARY TRIP TO MT. AIRY!!!! This time to the Casino and Resort, not the Lodge. This is 100% the work of our students (the 5th grade students in Mrs. Virtuccio's writing class wrote letters to the Mt. Airy Casino and Resort) who advocated for the Caldwells. We will be working to include Mr. Madga from the resort who was fantastic in arranging this. Stay tuned for more details...
Upcoming Dates:
AFTERNOON ENRICHMENT/ACTIVITIES:
Monday - Public Speaking
Tuesday - Circuts
Tuesdays & Wednesdays - After School Tutoring; Art Enrichment
Tuesdays & Thursdays - Let Me Run (boys); Girls on the Run (girls)
Thursday - Drawing, Sensational Science and Python Programming clubs
THE WEEK(s) AHEAD:
Friday 4/21 - Pre-School Collab Day
Friday 4/21 - Den Groups (PM Schedule) *we will start at 1:40 w/ a presentation from CHS students in Cafeteria
Monday 4/24 - 90 minute Faculty Meeting
Tuesday 4/25 - Lunch Drop in Sessions w/ Mandi
Tuesday 4/25 - School Pictures
Tuesday 4/25 - Grandpals (Neifer)
Wednesday 4/26 - 2nd Grade to the Adventure Aquarium
Thursday 4/27 - May Pole practice after school
Thursday 4/27 - Grandpals (Miller)
Thursday 4/27 - Take Your Child To Work Day
Friday 4/28 - LAURIE BERKNER (pre K, K & 1) 1 pm room 111
Friday 4/28 - PM Schedule - Assembly (Quiet Riot)
Friday 4/28 - Trenton Thunder Night
Monday 5/1 - May Day
Monday 5/1 - Early Dismissal PD Day
Monday 5/1 - PTO Lunch 12:45
Tuesday 5/2 - Grandpals (Niefer)
Wednesday 5/3 - 3 & 5 Richardson Auditorium Trip
Thursday 5/4 - Grandpals (Miller)
Thursday 5/4 - Principal's Cabinet
Thursday 5/4 - 1st Grade Zoo
Friday 5/5 - 4th Grade STEM to Rowan U.
Saturday 5/6 - HVEF Above and Beyond Gala