Hello Bridges families and students!

I love this time of the year as we are getting ready to see our students back in school. We are actively planning for our student's return and are looking forward to seeing everyone back for the 2023-2024 school year. Please read through this newsletter for important info and updates.

Our mission is to educate all learners to reach their full potential as contributing and productive members of our ever changing global community. Seeing our students reach their full potential are among the highlights of my career. Bridges prioritizes personalized experiences through instruction, programming and staffing. Project based learning, ensuring students feel they belong, are cared for and are safe as well the wonderful work our teachers do are just some examples of the Bridges experience.

Im thrilled for some of the updates to Bridges this year! We will be welcoming two additional teachers, and additional school counselor and have Mr. Wagner here full time!

Our first event is our Open House on Wed., Aug 30th from 5pm to 8pm. We hope to see all families then! Mr. Lawson will be grilling delicious items!

Please feel free to contact me any time!

Kind Regards,

Dave Brown

Bridges Principal

dbrown@plsas.org

952-226-0843

Bridges students grades 9-12 start at 8:05AM on Wednesday, September 6th.

Schedules will be posted in Infinite Campus on or around August 30th, 2023.

Schedules will be available on Thursday Aug 30.

If you are working please email Mr. Brown to be in the work program: dbrown@plsas.org

Beginning in the 2023-24 school year, all students in grades K-8 and Bridges Area Learning Center in our district will receive breakfast and lunch on school days at no cost. No application is needed. This includes a healthy meal for breakfast and a complete meal for lunch - including a fruit and vegetable. If a student wants something extra - like another entree or a bottle of water, they’ll need to pay for those items. Even with this change, we are still encouraging families who may have applied for free and reduced-price meals to continue to do so. Submitting an application helps benefit families with much more than just meals. To apply, complete the Application for Educational Benefits in the SchoolCafé app or by clicking HERE. A new application must be submitted each year. All families are strongly encouraged to complete an application for their household.

Regular school attendance is one of the most important factors for school success and progression towards graduation. Bridges staff works to establish strong connections, positive experiences and a supportive environment for students success. Below are some highlights of our attendance policy and procedures:

• Absences should be reported to school via attendance email (alcattendance@plsas.org) or call: 952-226-0840.
• Excessive absences may result in loss of credit, truancy or both.

Our student support staff are here to support good school attendance. Please reach out at any time!

Students and families sometimes ask if students can do classes online. Bridges is not an online school and all students are required to attend in-person.

We are gearing up for a successful start to the school year! Part of that planned success depends on great communication and we need your help to make that happen.

We are asking all parents of current students to complete the Annual Update in Infinite Campus for each child before the first day of school.

It is important to update or confirm your information so we can communicate with you about important events including emergencies and school closures.

To start, login to Infinite Campus, click on “More,” then “Online Registration” and follow the prompts. For assistance, contact Amber Lies at 952-226-0810 or alies@plsas.org

Bus schedules, including pick-up and drop-off times and locations, will be posted in Infinite Campus on August 22.

Parents and guardians are able to access transportation information by logging in to Infinite Campus. Please be sure to look at this information again right before school starts as times can change due to routing and/or stop adjustments.

Students should be at their bus stop 5 minutes prior to their scheduled pick-up time. Although afternoon drop-off times will be listed, the p.m. schedules can change slightly in the first weeks of school as we adjust to school end-time routines and road construction. You will notice a more accurate pattern of afternoon bus drop-off times beginning about the second week of school.

Students ride Bus #64 to Bridges from PLHS and back again at the end of the school day.

Please visit our transportation page for any questions you may have about busing.

Bridges classes start at 8:05AM and end at 2:50PM.

Bridges does not have a supply list. Students may choose to bring pens, pencils and notebooks but they are not required and we can provide those supplies as needed.

Parking permits are required; parking is free!

See us the first week to fill out the parking permit.

Bridges allows students to be outside during lunch. Students leaving school in a car must have

parent/guardian permission to do so and may not be allowed back into the building unless they have been given specific permission to do so by the student’s parent/guardian AND Bridges administrator. This privilege will be removed if the student begins to encounter issues with attendance, grades or behavior. Additionally, if this privilege is abused by behaving inappropriately during time away, being tardy upon return or returning under the influence open lunch will be removed. In addition, further school and/or legal consequences may result. Please fill out the Open Lunch Permission form to provide permission for students to leave in cars at lunch:

Open lunch only applies to 10th grade and older students. Ninth grade students will not be allowed to leave during the school day.

PLSAS is pleased to announce a new payment feature in Infinite Campus. Families can now register and pay for: field trips, graduation fees, high school parking, student fees, transcript fees and Laker Corner school gear. Parents and Guardians can use their existing login credentials to access the new payment feature.

Families will still be able to access bus stop schedules (available approximately 2 weeks before school starts), official grades, gr. 6-12 class schedules (available mid to late August), attendance, contact information and health information in Infinite Campus.

Please note that Affinety remains the online tool for families to register and pay for sports and activities fees for grades 6-12.

All of our online tools can be accessed in the Family Portal, a one-stop place that connects families to their student's essential information.

If you have questions about the payment feature, or if you have never logged in to Infinite Campus, please contact the IT HelpDesk at 952-226-0048 or ithelpdesk@plsas.org

Need IT help? Use this link for fast and friendly help getting access to all platforms we use- Infinite Campus, Schoology, School Cafe, email, etc! https://www.plsas.org/families/contact-the-it-help-desk

Prior to the first day of school, we ask that you update your student’s health history in Infinite Campus so we are able to accurately assess your student if they visit the Health Office.

If your student requires medication (prescription and/or over-the-counter) during the school day, please complete the medication form (see administrative assistant or school nurse to pick up) and return it to the Health Office or main office at Bridges.

If your student has a health condition such as allergies, asthma, diabetes, or seizures, we ask that you provide an updated copy of your student’s physician ordered Health Plan or Emergency Action Plan. These forms can be found on our website.

Forms, medication, and health supplies can be brought to Bridges on your student's first

day of school.

Need to speak to our school nurse? Ms. Wander can be reached at 952-226-8682 or awander@plsas.org!

August 30th (Wednesday):
Back-to-School Open House @ Bridges from 5PM-8PM!
Come meet teachers, see classrooms, complete important paperwork and enjoy some grilled goodies and snacks!

September 5th (Tuesday):

Teacher advisor initial family conferences. Look for an invite for a conference from your student's project based learning advisor. This can be done via a Google Meet or in-person at Bridges.

September 6th (Wednesday):

9th, 10th, 11th and 12th Graders FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL @ Bridges

October 3rd (Tuesday):

PICTURE DAY @ Bridges from 9AM-12PM. All Bridges Students required to have their picture taken. You are not required to purchase photos, the photo is required for student IDs.

October 12th (Thursday):

Quarter 1 conferences from 5PM-8PM! NO SIGN UP NECESSARY! Please stop by any time between 5PM and 8PM. We are excited to meet with you about your student's progress at Bridges!

We welcome your comments and questions!

Principal David Brown
Phone: 952-226-0843
Email: dbrown@plsas.org

Administrative Assistant Jennifer Powers
Phone: 952-226-0845
Email: jpowers@plsas.org

Website: https://alc.plsas.org/

Location: 15870 Fish Point Road SE, Prior Lake MN 55372
Phone: 952-226-0840
Facebook: facebook.com/BridgesALC
Twitter: @Bridges_ALC

Instagram: Bridges_ALC

We look forward to another wonderful year here at Bridges Area Learning Center!