BSE Bear Bulletin
August 26, 2022
January 13, 2023
BSE Families,
We are so glad to see students and staff back at BSE. This semester thus far we welcome 12 new students to our Brooks School Community. Classrooms at all grade levels are welcoming students adn making them feel an instant part of the classroom. Excitedly, we also welcome two returning BSE Bears. We have a saying amongst the staff, "One a Bear, always a Bear." As a school community we believe this to our core and it is why building relationships throughout BSE is so important.
Each day the students hear our school belief statement: "We are thinkers and collaborators. We care for one another and celebrate each other." As we administrators walk the halls, visit classrooms, and witness students and staff interact with each other, we see this right with our own eyes. Students have been in school for 7 days and already the intensity with learning is high. At the same time teachers are heavily focused on using student data and Indiana State Standards to drive the instruction this semester.
All students are encouraged to read at home daily. This not only builds a child's reading life, it also builds stamina, fluency, comprehension, knowledge and imagination. If your child does not have a routine for reading at home, there is no better time than now to start. Each week students visit the BSE library. Perhaps there is a collection at home to choose from or a trip to the Hamilton East Public Library downtown Fishers.Reading daily impacts vocabulary and stamina. Set a timer and add minutes each day to lengthen the time your child reads. This is a practice that is started in every classroom at the beginning of the year. At BSE, we have resumed our Friday Read Alouds where classes gather together to hear a story read by a staff member. It brings great excitement from all-children and adults. Reading can bring people together and be enjoyed by all. Ask your child about a story they have already heard and enjoyed at a Friday Read Aloud.
NWEA reports were sent electronically to families last week. Report cards were available in Skyward last week as well. Take time to share both with your child.
As always, reach out to your child's teacher with questions, concerns, and celebrations you see with your child. At BSE we believe in the partnership between all-student, staff, and families.
Thank you for your continued support,
Mrs. Kussy and Mr. Hoog
PTO General Meeting
Join us on Tuesday, January 17th at 6pm for our next PTO General Meeting! The meeting will be held in the BSE cafeteria with light refreshments provided. Hope to see you there!
Cafe News
The district has brought back a few different lunch items! Please see below for the updated Elementary Lunch Calendar.
Arrival, Tardies, Attendance and Dismissal
Car Rider Dismissal:
- Car riders will begin dismissing promptly at 2:05pm. Please make sure you are in the line to pick up your students no later than 2:05pm. This will help ensure that everyone gets picked up in a timely manner and no students are left waiting.
Arrival and Tardies:
- Please use caution while entering and exiting the lot to drop off students. Do not go around vehicles unless directed by the BSE staff. Student, parent, and staff safety are our number one priority at arrival.
- The school day starts promptly at 7:40am. Please make sure that your child is in the building by 7:35am to ensure they can get to their classroom in time. If your child is a car rider and you arrive after 7:40am you will need to walk your child in to the building and sign them in. Please make every effort to have your child to school on time!
- If your child will be tardy due to an appointment, please call them in to the attendance line before the start of the day. This allows us to notify teachers and make the approiate adjustments.
- If your child will be absent for the day please call the absence in to the Attendance line before the start of the school day.
- If your child has an appointment during the day and will need to leave early please call this in to the school. Please do not mark this in School Dismissal Manager. School Dismissal Manager is only to be used for end of day transportation, not early dismissal.
- If your child will be participating in a club or after school activity please make sure you are changing this in School Dismissal Manager for the approiate days. If a childs dismissal is not updated we will send them home according to their setting for that day.
Library Volunteers!
I am very excited to welcome volunteers to our BSE library this year!
This year there are two time slots for volunteering. These times frames are always flexible. Any amount of time you have to offer during these slots I am grateful for. The AM slot is anytime from 8:00am-10:30am. The PM slot is anytime between 11:30am – 2:00pm.
Library volunteering involves various activities, such as:
- checking in books
- shelving books
- assisting students during checkout
- reading with children
- general library organizational tasks
If you are interested, please sign up using this “Sign Up Genius” link. You can also email me for more information at sgaudreau@hse.k12.in.us.
A Note from the Nurse
If your student has any of the following, they must stay home:
- Fever ≥ 100.4°
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
This means your student must be fever, vomit and diarrhea free for 24hrs without the use of medication before returning to school.
The following information sheet is from the Indiana Department of Education and should be used as a guideline when deciding to send or keep your student home.
Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Lessons
Please see below for the focus for each grade level's lessons. If you have questions regarding Second Step or SEL in general, please reach out to Mrs. Thorne.
Week 17- week of 1/09
Cafeteria Volunteers
We would love your help in our cafeteria! Click on the link below to sign up to volunteer in the cafeteria.
Book Fees
Book fees for the 2022-2023 school year are now past due. If fees are not paid immediately a late fee will be assessed.
To pay your book fees, log into your Skyward account and select "Fee Management" on the left-hand side to see your balance.
You will see the amount due under the Unpaid Balance header.
Please make note of your total amount due then log into eFunds
(https://payments.efundsforschools.com/v3/districts/55481)
to make your payment. You will need to manually enter the amount you are paying.
Thank you!
Radon Awareness Poster Contest
January is Radon Awareness month: Radon is an odorless, colorless, tasteless gas that is produced by naturally decaying uranium in the soil and can be drawn into homes through cracks in the foundation. Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers. Approximately 1 in 3 homes tested have radon levels at or above the EPA action level of 4.0 pCi/L in Indiana. https://www.epa.gov/radon/national-radon-action-month-information
For the past several years, HSE students have participated in the American Lung Association Poster Contest and have helped education others on the danger of Radon through art!
We need your student’s help explaining science through art! The 2023 Indiana Radon Poster Contest is here! This is a fun, educational, and potential prize-winning opportunity for our students.
In order to spread the message about radon’s health hazards, the American Lung Association is calling on Indiana students age 9-14 to create a radon poster that will increase public awareness of radon gas and encourage people to test their homes.
If you choose to participate, please send your posters to central office Attn: Bob Rice by March 1. I will collect all submissions and send them to the American Lung Association by the March 10 deadline.
Full Contest details and additional radon information is available on the contest website at: https://www.lung.org/getmedia/f35e8929-325b-4610-9a37-b1b3559cb582/IN-Poster-Contest-Official-Rules
Awards
1st place winner will receive $200
2nd place winner will receive $150
3rd place winner will receive $100
Mudsocks Youth Athletics
Save-The-Date: Spring Program Registration
Get moving with us in the spring! Registration for baseball, softball, soccer, boys and girls lacrosse, rugby, and track and field opens January 1st atmyathletics.com. Program information will be updated on the site mid-December.
Spring Program Scholarships
Families who qualify for free or reduced lunches within the district are also eligible for program scholarships with MYA. Families can apply for one per season per child and must apply and be accepted during our open registration period. For spring sports these dates are 1/1 – 1/31. Emailinfo@myathletics.com.
HSE is Hiring!!!
HSE Report It!
HSE Report It! is a school safety mobile reporting app that allows students, staff, and community members to provide anonymous information about concerns for their own safety or the safety of others. HSE Report it!, can be downloaded via Google Play or the Apple App Store. It’s anonymous and reports are made exclusively through the mobile app. HSE Report it! has no length limitations or the need to remember a short code. Reporters can attach photos, screenshots, videos, documents and/or audio recordings to their concerns and they can engage in a two-way dialogue with a real person. For more information and links to download the app click the photo below.