Bitterroot Bulletin
October 2023
We have had a great first seven weeks of learning at Bitterroot! We had guest speakers join us for a cultural presentation, the PEAK team ran their first race of the year, and students are actively engaged in their learning.
Your student may have received their name on the Bobcat 200 board for positively impacting our school culture through being safe, kind, respectful, responsible, cooperative leaders. At home, you may hear phrases such as "Pax quiet" or "PAX leaders" or "no spleems." As you hear these phrases or that your student received a Bobcat card for their behavior, please ask your student to share with you more about what they mean and why they used/received it. These positive behavior systems help your students maximize engagement in their learning. This helps them develop the skills to be life long learners. We will be proving you more information about these systems during our conferences with you in November, but for now, please encourage your student to share what they have learned and what it means to follow the Bitterroot Standard.
Each October, teachers from Montana gather to learn and teach through best practices and collaborative professional learning communities at the MFPE conference. This year conference is being held on Thursday-Friday, October 19th and 20th. There will be no school these two days and the office will be closed.
I look forward to visiting with you more during Parent Teacher Conferences on November 1st and 2nd. Detailed information on conferences will be coming home with your student soon, but please mark your calendar as students will have a NOON dismissal on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday (Nov 1-3).
Remember to check our website bit.ly/bitterrootelementary and the PowerSchool bulletin for updates and announcements.
Have a great October!
~ Wendy Tyree, Bitterroot Elementary Principal
New Staff Welcome
Mr. Rogers
Hello, name is Marcus Rogers. I’ve been elementary classroom teacher for 5 years. I’ve been teaching in the Washington D.C. area for the last two years in 4th grade at Randolph Elementary International Baccalaureate School. I’ve taught students from very diverse international backgrounds. I work hard to make my classroom a calm and enjoyable place to learn. I’m moving back to my hometown of Billings, MT which I’ve miss so much!
Mrs. Kane
I'm a retired Elementary School Librarian. I enjoy working with children. In my free time I like to read books, garden and travel
Mrs. Herman
Halloween Expectations
This year, Halloween is on a Tuesday. As this is an instructional day, students may wear their costumes to school if they would like. We ask that they do this ONLY on Halloween (not the week before/days following). Costumes will need to meet the following guidelines or a change of clothes will be requested for your student.
Costume Guidelines:
- keep in mind that learning is our priority and students must be able to sit, run, play use the restroom, and follow requirements of the school day.
- costumes must be school appropriate (no weapons, blood, masks) they need to be respectful to our school community
- keep costume accessories at home (swords, wands, lightsabers)
- no blow-up costumes allowed
- costumes can not interfere with learning. Student must be able to manage their costume without teacher assistance.
- if in doubt about a costume, please ask your child’s teacher
Our staff is excited to add a bit of fun into our final day of October and also know the students will still learn despite being dressed differently.
You can locate our full dress code on pages 12-13 of our 2023-2024 Bitterroot Handbook at bit.ly/bitterroothandbook. For a full list of policy and guidelines please visit the Billings Public Schools policies page at https://www.billingsschools.org/about-us/policies-procedures.
October Events in the Bitterroot Library
Grade levels will be working on digital citizenship, genres, and research during October.
Information on the annual Storybook Pumpkin Patch in the library will be coming home early in October.
5th graders are invited to travel to Hogwarts School by joining Book Club: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Participation is optional.
Scholastic Book Fair will be coming to the Bitterroot Library during Parent/Teacher Conferences. View some of the titles that will be at the fair by scanning this code or clicking this link.
Bitterroot Standard: Cafeteria & Recess Expectations
Counselor's Corner
Personal Safety
Part of your child’s School Counseling and Health Enhancement Curriculums include Personal Safety information for students in kindergarten through fifth grade. This lesson will focus on how to tell the difference between a safe or unsafe touch, how to say “no” assertively, and how to get help from people who care. This is a parent, school, and community responsibility, so we want to support, reinforce, and work with you as you teach your child about assertiveness skills and self-protection. This lesson will be taught by your school’s counselor in November.
A video and discussion will be used to cover age-appropriate information on this subject. Each video helps empower children to know that they deserve to feel safe, they are the boss of their own bodies, and they have the right to ask for help if they feel uncomfortable about their safety.
If you desire an opportunity to view any of the programs, you may contact the School Leadership Support Office at the Lincoln Center at (406) 281-5122. If you have questions, contact your school counselor Mrs. Neese at (406) 281-6989.
Consent forms will be sent home the first week in October. Please make sure to select Yes or No by checking the appropriate box, sign and return to school ASAP.
If you have concerns about the abuse or neglect of a child, please contact Child Protective Services Centralized Intake at 1-866-820-5437. This abuse hotline is toll-free 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Caller information is kept confidential.
Debra Neese
(406) 281-6989
K-5 Vision Screening Oct 17
Compliments of the Heights Lions Club, we will be offering vision screening for all Bitterroot students on October 17 with a Plusoptix screening device.
The Plusoptix screener can detect myopia (“nearsightedness”), hyperopia (“farsightedness”), astigmatism (“abnormal curve of the eye causing vision focusing problems”), anisometropia (unequal focus between the two eyes), anisocoria (different pupil sizes), and strabismus (“crossed eyes” or when the eyes don’t look in the same direction at the same time). A number of these conditions are considered risk factors for amblyopia, which can cause partial or full blindness if not treated. This screening tool does not come in direct contact with your child and poses no risk to their health. For more information on the Plusoptix machine see https://www.plusoptix.com.
Should a vision concern be found during the screening process, you will receive notification in the mail. If your child is absent on the day of the screening, your child will still receive a vision screening however we will only be able to provide screening with the Plusoptix device on 10/17.
If you have any questions or concerns please contact the School Nurse.
Rachel Coombs
406-281-5189
"One Class at a Time" Award
Mr. Martin received the "One Class at a Time" award - a program that recognizes teachers who go above and beyond to help their students. "For being a teacher who has helped so many students by making such a positive impact on their educational journeys, Mr. Martin was presented with a $500 grant from the Education Foundation for Billings Public Schools, proudly sponsored by Western Security Bank, and a two $150 gift cards from City Brew Coffee." Read the article and view the interview with Mr. Martin by clicking on this link to the Q2 website.
PTA Updates
Thank you for supporting our PTA at Saturday Live and to our booth partner Photolanthropy!! Join us for our next meeting on Thursday 10/14 to find out about the funds raised during the event and our next volunteer opportunity.
Community Impact Night
Our next PTA fundraiser is scheduled at Heights Pizza Ranch on Thursday, 10/26/23 from 5-9 p.m.
We will need YOUR HELP to bus tables! Volunteers have to be over eight years old & will need to sign a waiver (or have a parent sign if students help bus tables). Volunteers will have to have long hair pulled back & wear closed-toe shoes. The first volunteers of the evening will need to arrive by 4:45 p.m. It's also great if you can wear a Bobcats shirt! We can also have a bake sale, so we are asking for families to contribute goodies to sell that evening. Keep checking back for the link to sign up for your volunteer time.
View the flyer (or click on it to have a PDF you can print) for more details. You do not have to present it for us to get credit, but you do need to mention that you are there to support Bitterroot PTA when you check out, or when you place a to go order.
Save the dates:
10/14 at 4 pm PTA Meeting in the Bitterroot Gym
10/26 from 5 pm-9 pm Community Impact Night at Heights Pizza Ranch
Want to Join PTA?
Scan the QR code or click here to be directed to registration form.
Questions? Contact us at bitterrootptamt@gmail.com
Follow us on Facebook: Bitterroot Elementary PTA
Communication: PowerSchool, Website, Facebook, Remind, Seesaw
- 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