Bauer Bits
December 9, 2022
From the Principal's Desk
Sometimes in life we forget the importance of distinguishing between winning and success. As a coach, I can recall several games where we lost, yet I had profound pride in our team. Conversely, there were also times when the score indicated that we had won but in my opinion our team had not performed well at all. Allow me to provoke deeper thinking on the matter through poetry.
The Road Ahead or The Road Behind
by George Joseph Moriarty
Sometimes I think the Fates must
Grin as we denounce and insist
The only reason we can’t win
Is the Fates themselves that miss
Yet there lives on an ancient claim
We win or lose within ourselves
The shining trophies on our shelves
Can never win tomorrow’s game
You and I know deeper down
There’s always a chance to win the crown
But when we fail to give our best
We simply haven’t met the test
Of giving all, and saving none
Until the game is really won
Of showing what is meant by grit
Of fighting on when others quit
Of playing through, not letting up
It’s bearing down that wins the cup
Of taking it and taking more
Until we gain the winning score
Of dreaming there’s a goal ahead
Of hoping when our dreams are dead
Of praying when our hopes have fled
Yet losing, not afraid to fall
If bravely, we have given all
For who can ask more of a man
Than giving all within his span
Giving all, it seems to me
Is not so far from victory
And so the Fates are seldom wrong
No matter how they twist and wind
It is you and I who make our fates
We open up or close the gates
On the road ahead or the road behind.
It's my hope that we encourage each other, and our young people, to distinguish between giving our best (SUCCESS) and winning. Take good care everyone!
Mark Your Calendar
Santa Secret Shop
December 12 & 13
The Bauer Parent Club will be hosting their annual Secret Santa Sale for your children on December 12 & 13. Great gifts will be available for your children to purchase at reasonable price points. Each student will have a chance to shop during their scheduled class date/time.
Students will be allowed the opportunity to shop for UP TO SIX people. New this year – PETS! Students can shop for up to 2 pets, while supplies last.
If your child plans on shopping:
· Complete the shopping list below.
• Return the shopping list with your student.
• Include money or check in an envelope to school by Monday December 12. (Checks should be made out to BAUER PARENT CLUB.)
Any remaining money will not be used for extra purchases OR to purchase items for themselves. All leftover money after their purchases will be sent home.
If you would like your child to participate but financially are not able, please contact the office at 616-669-6824 as financial assistance may be available. All requests will be kept confidential.
Volunteers/ Donations
Volunteers are what make this event possible, please sign up via SignupGenius, for whole day shifts. Background checks MUST be completed prior to the event. Volunteers will be limited, so donations of gift bags (may be gently used), gift tags, tape, and tissue paper would be greatly appreciated to decrease wrapping time. Please consider sending in any of these items to school with your child. There is a box in the office to collect donated items.
Marco's Pizza Night
Easy dinner alert: Marco’s pizza night is happening next Tuesday, December 13th! Order dinner at Marco’s on Port Sheldon and they will donate a portion of our sales back to the Bauer Parent Club. More orders = more money back to Bauer! Please make sure to mention your classroom teacher's name when placing your order. As a bonus, the class with the most orders will win a pizza party! See the flyer below for coupons!
PE Updates
- If you ordered any Hudsonville PE apparel, it was delivered to our school Wednesday, and it has been passed out to your student's teacher.
- Our 2nd-5th graders have been learning the game of PickleBall over the last few weeks. It is one of the fastest growing sports in the United States, and played by all ages. 4th and 5th graders went on to participate in a Double Elimination PickleBall Tournament which was a lot of fun. I saw a lot of skill growth from start to finish.
- With the aid of a grant, our PE program was able to purchase Heart Rate Monitors that 3rd-5th graders will start using during their PE time. With the help of an app, students will be able to watch how their heart rate changes in real time while participating in activities during PE.
- After break, ALL Bauer Elementary students will start a bowling unit during their PE time. Hudsonville Lanes donates 6 lanes (with pins and bowling ball) to our school to use during the month of January. This unit is always a Bauer favorite by all.
Candy Cane Grams
Showing Empathy
5/6 Building @ Georgetown Updates
I am so excited to provide you with updates on the decisions that have been made thus far for the 5/6 Building @ Georgetown. Since my last communication, I have been having many collaborative conversations with teachers, staff, parents, and administrators to continue planning and preparing for next fall. I truly appreciate all of the work and support that everyone has put in to helping us get to where we are with our plans for a successful opening!
Start and End Times: School will run on a secondary schedule.
Before and After School Care: Eagles Nest will be available for fifth grade students only. The location of Eagles Nest for the fifth grade students will be determined based on numbers and available space.
Fifth Grade Specifics:
Core Teachers: Students will have two teachers and switch classes between these two teachers for ELA, Math, Science, and Social Studies. Students will be scheduled with other students from Alward, Bauer, Georgetown, and Park (i.e. An Alward student will have classes with students from Alward, Bauer, Georgetown and Park).
Specials: Students will go to Music, PE, STEAM or Art daily, similar to what they do in the elementary buildings.
Academic Support/Enrichment: Students will participate in an intervention/enrichment block that meets their individual academic needs.
Report Cards: Students will continue to receive standards based report cards.
Recess: Students will get two recess opportunities: one during their lunch block and one scheduled at another time during the school day.
Special Events: Fifth grade students will continue to participate in a holiday music program and attend fifth grade camp in the spring.
Sixth Grade Specifics:
Core Teachers: Students will have four core teachers for ELA, Math, Science and Social Studies. Students will be scheduled with other students from Alward, Bauer, Georgetown, and Park. (i.e. An Alward student will have classes with students from Alward, Bauer, Georgetown and Park.)
Electives: Students will have two elective periods. During one elective period, students will choose one year long performing arts class (Band, Choir, Orchestra, or Creative Arts). For the second elective period, students will choose four additional electives from a menu of options that will be a quarter long each.
Academic Support/Enrichment: Students will participate in an intervention/enrichment block that meets their individual academic needs.
Report Cards: Students will continue to get letter grades for all courses that they are taking.
Outdoor Opportunities: During the lunch block, students will get an opportunity to go outside.
Scheduling: Scheduling for sixth grade electives will begin in January 2023.
Upcoming Parent Communication: During the winter months, 5/6 informational parent meetings will be scheduled at Alward, Bauer, Georgetown, and Park to discuss more details regarding programming and what a typical day will look like for incoming students. In the spring, we will also have informational parent meetings at BMS with building tours to follow.
Questions about 5/6 Building Programming: If you have any questions in regards to programming at the 5/6 building, please email eagles@hpseagles.net. We will be creating a frequently asked question and answer document based on your inquiries.
Looking forward to meeting all of our incoming families and helping support our students as they transition to the 5/6 building in the fall!
Melanie McClure
Principal
5/6 Building @ Georgetown
Kards for Karen
Bauer Elementary School
Email: ehuizen@hpseagles.net
Website: https://www.hudsonvillepublicschools.org
Location: 8136 48th Avenue, Hudsonville, MI, USA
Phone: 616-669-6824
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BauerElementary
Twitter: @BauerElementary