Bitterroot Bulletin
January 2024
Thankful for Our Bitterroot Community
Greetings Bitterroot families,
Recently, we had a Bitterroot alumni serve as a guest teacher. At the end of the day, she walked the hallway peering into the classrooms where she years before sat as a student. Multiple teachers shared memories with her as they caught up on years passed noting how the people and places where we start provide a solid foundation for our futures.
I grew up in a small town with one elementary, one middle, and one high school. Looking back, this provided a strength and support system both for my love of learning and for my family. For example, my math teacher reminded me he had also taught my father so he knew both my tricks and my potential to succeed and would hold me accountable for my learning. According to the BPS website, "Billings Public Schools serves approximately 16,120 students in grades kindergarten through twelfth in 30 different schools located across the city." However large our district may feel at times, our heights community is simply that - a community. Our Bitterroot students transition to Medicine Crow and then onto Skyview. We have an opportunity to create a K-12 community system of support to ensure our students know they are each valued individuals of this larger school community.
Our Bitterroot staff is dedicated to your student's growth which incudes welcoming you as a stakeholder and key contributor to the educational support system. The recent PBIS school climate family survey indicated that 69.6% strongly agree and 26.1% somewhat agree that they "feel welcome at our school." This month's newsletter is a little different in format as I want to highlight opportunities to you as a member of our Bitterroot community as well as our larger heights community as we work together to provide the foundational support system for our students.
Please continue to reach out if you have questions, concerns, or comments. For updates and announcements, visit our website bit.ly/bitterrootelementary and the PowerSchool bulletin.
Have a great 2024!
~ Wendy Tyree, Bitterroot Elementary Principal
Building our School Community: Kinship Care a Conversation with Bo Smith
We hope you will be able to join us on January 18th as Bo Smith, LCPC, will be discussing support strategies unique to kinship care from 5:30-6:45 in the Bitterroot Gym. Please RSVP by emailing Mrs. Neese Neesed@billingsschools.org or calling 281-6989. Pizza dinner and childcare provided.
Building our School Community: PTA
Some Myths About Joining Bitterroot PTA
MYTH: Only Moms join the PTA.
FACT: A strong PTA needs the support of all parents, mothers, fathers, & those who fill those roles. We also welcome grandparents, family members, teachers, staff, & anyone who cares about the children at Bitterroot!
MYTH: I don’t have time.
FACT: YOU decide how much time you can give. You can attend a single meeting or volunteer for a single event during the year. The PTA needs lots of help to keep running.
MYTH: It’s always the same people every year & everyone knows each other.
FACT: While we are fortunate to have dedicated volunteers that have been showing up since the PTA restarted, we also welcome new ones at any time. We strike up friendships & enjoy getting to know one another.
MYTH: My child’s life will be the same whether I join or not.
FACT: Your membership shows your child(ren) that you are interested in their educational experience. Research has shown that when families & schools work together, children tend to do better in school, stay in school longer, & like school more.
MYTH: They don’t need my help.
FACT: Bitterroot PTA always needs volunteers! We welcome everyone & continue to need volunteers for events, fundraisers, & committees year-round. It’s never too late to join. We need you!
MYTH: You have to be a paid member of the PTA to come to meetings or volunteer at events.
FACT: Anyone can come to our meetings. You just need to be a paid member to vote at meetings. Anyone can also volunteer to help at events or fundraisers. You just need to have a background check on file to ensure the safety of our Bitterroot students.
MYTH: The PTA is only for stay-at-home parents.
FACT: PTA members are people like you who want to support the kids & the school. We have members who stay at home, work part time, & work full time.
MYTH: If I go to a meeting, I’ll have to volunteer for something.
FACT: Sure, there will be opportunities to get involved, but no pressure. If you choose to volunteer, you decide your time & commitment. Any help you can offer is greatly appreciated!
MYTH: PTA membership never expires. I already joined once.
FACT: Each new school year begins a new PTA membership year! We have to pay dues to the State & the National PTA yearly. We also have to have insurance to host events. Your membership dues help us pay for those things.
Please consider coming to a meeting or volunteering for an event. You might be surprised at the amazing people you will meet!
(Myth ideas adapted from Cider Mill PTA)
Follow us on Facebook: Bitterroot Elementary PTA
Want to Join PTA? Scan the QR code or click here to be directed to registration form.
Questions? Contact us at bitterrootptamt@gmail.com
Join us for our next meeting: February 8th at 4:00 PM
Please join us for our fundraiser on January 25th at Panda Express.
Click the image below for a printable flyer to use from 10AM-10:30 PM or say you "want to support Bitterroot PTA" at checkout.
Save the Dates for Upcoming PTA Events:
February 28th - Skate World
March 9th - Parents Night Out
Building our School Community: Medicine Crow Resources
Building our School Community: Skyview High School
Skyview High School's school-wide theme for this year is to ignite! At Skyview, they believe in:
- a relentless pursuit of excellence
- interdependent, mutually accountable collaboration
- relationships that value every person's worth
- character demonstrated through commitment and courage
- passionate sincerity
To learn more about the school and community activities, follow the Skyview Falcons on social media, visit their website, or subscribe to their Skyview Official YouTube channel.
Building Community: Free Family Concert
Join the Billings Symphony on January 20th, 12:00pm, Alberta Bair Theater for a free family concert. Click on the image for a printable PDF.
Building Community: Healthy Food Choices
Sodexo delivers healthy and delicious school meals based on the USDA’s nutrition guidelines so that students are engaged and ready to learn in school. All meals include a variety of fresh fruit and vegetable choices, and a variety of chilled non-fat or low-fat milk.
Click on the menu below for a printable January menu or visit the Sodexo website at https://billingsps.sodexomyway.com/landing/elem for additional nutrition information.
Remember to check your student's account balance by visiting https://www.mymealtime.com/.
Click on the menu image for larger/PDF view
Building Community: Ongoing Communication
The district now has shared a K-12 communication platform: Parent Square. To learn more about the platform, please visit the district website.
At Bitterroot, we will continue using the communication systems we already had in place: Remind (please sign up using the codes 944483 OR 4hc6cc), Facebook, and Seesaw (K-3) and Google Classroom (4-5). Enrollment codes will be provided by classroom teachers later this year.
Our website will be where we archive documents, resources, and share our Bitterroot and Family Calendar. You can find the following resources on the website
- Student/Parent Handbook
- Bitterroot Staff Directory
- PowerSchool for Parents
- MealTime and Lunch Menu
- School Calendar
- Bitterroot Standard
Access to our PowerSchool Portal.
Powerschool is our district wide record keeping system. To access PowerSchool, download the App or visit our website and click on the button for PowerSchool for Parents. Here you will find:- daily bulletin with announcements
- attendance record
- lunch account balance
- shortcuts to frequently used forms
- annual district polices and permissions sign off form
- annual updates to contacts and demographics forms
Counselor's Corner: The Zones of Regulation
You may have heard your child/ren talk about the “Zone” they’re in when they are referring to their feelings…and wondered what this means. The Zones of Regulation is a curriculum geared toward helping students gain skills in being aware of their feelings and consciously regulating their actions, which in turn leads to increased self-control and problem solving abilities.
Using a cognitive behavior approach, the curriculum’s learning activities are designed to help students recognize when they are in different states called “Zones,” with each of four zones represented by a different color. Students also learn how to use strategies, or tools, to regulate the amount of emotional energy they are feeling within their body at any given time.
Just like there are no bad feelings, there are no bad Zones; simply an awareness of one’s emotions and how to respond in a way that calms the brain and body. Students explore calming techniques, cognitive strategies, and sensory supports so they will have a toolbox of methods to choose from to manage their emotions.
Debra Neese
(406) 281-6989