Bushy Bear Tales
Volume 18- June 20, 2018
Bushy Park Elementary
Terri Via, Assistant Principal
Email: molly_ketterer@hcpss.org
Website: bpes.hcpss.org
Location: 14601 Carrs Mill Road, Glenwood, MD, United States
Phone: (410) 313-5500
Twitter: @hcpss_bpes
From Mrs. Ketterer:
This newsletter captures the highlights of these past weeks and also offers information for the beginning of next school year. Can you believe we enter 2018-2019! We wish you all a love-filled and safe summer with moments of discovery, fun and rest!
Bear Hug Winners - June 1st
June 1st. Congratulations to:
June 1st
Bear Hug Winners -June 8th
June 8th.. Congratulations to:
June 8th
Bear Hug Winners - June 15th
June 15th.. Congratulations to:
June 15th
THIS WEEK'S FOCUS: Ensuring Student Safety Before and After the School Day
Our PTA After School Activities chairs are already working with us to create new protocol for before and after school programs that reduce the amount of adults entering the building beyond the secure vestibule.
The following are examples of the protocol we will be collaborating on with PTA members this summer and early fall:
- For before and after school activities, students will be picked up by the activity leader in our front foyer and brought to the space used for the activity.
- Parent volunteers would need to sign-in through the front office and join the activity leader as they gather the children. This would be at the time designated by the activity leader and ideally occur during the Front Office hours of 8:00 a.m.-4:15 p.m.
- For before-school activities, parents dropping off children would need to bring them to the front office.
- Activity leaders will have a sign-in sheet to note attendance of both students and the parent volunteer(s).
- When after school activities are completed, the activity leader will bring their group to the front foyer and sign-out students to an adult waiting in the secure vestibule. No students will be signed out without an adult picking them up.
We welcome your input and will be collaborating on these ideas and soliciting additional ones at our summer and early fall parent meetings.
Still Welcoming Parent Consideration Cards: We Have Reached 40% with a Goal of 50%
We have already reached last year's milestone of 40% of our families returning a Parent Consideration Form for their child(ren). Our hope is to reach 50% or higher!! Thank you ahead of time for taking the time to share your input!
We sent home special blue copies of a Consideration Card for you to use. We have more copies available on our website at http://bpes.hcpss.org/news/2017/07/parent-consideration-cards-offer-amazing-input-2018-2019
GOAL of the PARENT CONSIDERATION CARD
This Consideration Card is for you, as parents, to relate specific student information or observations about your child that you feel would be beneficial as our teachers meet to determine next year’s placements. For example:
- “My child seems to work much better in a classroom space with opportunity for movement and with a teacher who has a structured routine.”
- “My child is shy and often knows the answer, but is afraid to raise his/her hand and would work best with a teacher who gently encourages participation.”
It is helpful to focus on your child’s learning characteristics. Your feedback as a parent is valuable. There are certain concerns that we cannot consider as part of this Consideration Form: therefore, we ask that you NOT use the form to propose the following:
- Do not request specific teachers.
- Do not request grouping based on siblings’ experiences
- Do not request grouping with friends
- Do not request grouping based on hearsay
Your child’s current and future teachers will read your Parent Consideration Card. We consider what you share as valuable information to get to know them as learners, as well as, input for their future instructional groups.
We have already reached last year's milestone of 40% of our families returning a Parent Consideration Form for their child(ren). This year we reach for 50% and thank you ahead of time for taking the time to share your input!
- 2 Summer School begins at Dayton Oaks ES
- 27 Summer School ends
- 8 New Family Lunch Bunch @ 12:00-1:00 p.m. in the Cafeteria (Current BPES Family Buddies needed)
- 21 PTA Meeting at 7:00 p.m. in the Media Center
- 22 Bushy Park Staff Returns
- 28 BTS Night Admin/PTA Presentation I 5:00-5:30 p.m. in the Cafeteria
- 28 BTS Night for RECC, 1st & 2nd Grade 5:30-6:15 p.m.
- 28 BTS Night for 3rd, 4th & 5th Grade 6:15-7:00 p.m.
- 28 BTS Night Admin/PTA Presentation II 7:00-7:30 p.m. in the Cafeteria
- 30 RECC Open House for AM students 9:30-10:30 a.m. in RECC Classrooms
- 30 Kindergarten Orientation & Open House @ 10:30-11:30 a.m. in the Cafeteria
- 30 RECC/Pre-K Open House for PM students 1:30-2:30 p.m. in RECC/Pre-K Classrooms
- 31 New Family Orientation 1:00-2:00 p.m. in the Media Center
- 31 Open House for 1st-5th Grades 2:00-3:00 p.m.
September
- 3 SCHOOL CLOSED: Labor Day
- 4 First Day of School
- 10 SCHOOL CLOSED
- 11 Parent Volunteer Orientation @ 9:30 a.m. in the Cafeteria
- 11 Parent Volunteer Orientation @ 6:00 p.m. in the Media Center
- 11 PTA Meeting at 7:00 p.m. in the Media Center
- 14 Welcome Back Picnic from 5:00-7:00 p.m. on the Blacktop
- 19 SCHOOL CLOSED
- 27 Team & Room Parent Orientation @ 9:30 a.m. in the Cafeteria
Our 40/10 Celebration was June 8th
The highlights were hearing from three former administrators: Phil Arbaugh, Dave McPherson and Becky Straw! We also heard from former students Deb Levin (Class of 1987) and Heather Steiner (Class of 1985.) Many former staff came to reunite and celebrate. The hallways were full of history and tributes from the students. We wore the 40/10 t-shirts designed by Ansh Bhutani and Jenna Stein.
Thank you to our 40/10 Committee: Sue Appler, Danielle Carney, Eileen Dietz and Deb Levin who supported Dr. Via and Mrs. Ketterer for months of planning! Here are photos from an amazing evening!
Field Day was June 12th
Our annual Field Day needed to move its date and be shortened to a half day due to weather and field conditions.
This didn't dampen the spirits of our students, staff or parents who enjoyed the beautiful weather and activities! Mr. Rosenthal and Mr. Cruz worked to adapt the amount of activities and their location.
Leo Club Leads A Wonderful Flag Day Celebration on June 14th
Our Leo Club Advisor, Mrs. Cole and 5th grade Leo Club members led us through a heartfelt celebration of Flag Day complete with presentation of the colors by scouts, students sharing the history of the flag, songs led by Mrs. Fyhr and the students, remarks by our veterans and an awesome school photo taken from our roof!