Mrs. Hunter-Blake's News and Notes
Volume 1, Issue 6
September 20, 2020
Academic Excellence and Achievement Every Scholar, Every Class, Every Day!
Welcome to Week 4 of Distance Learning!
Mighty Bulldogs,
We are working our way through our new normal one day at a time together. I am happy to report that we have 95% of our scholars active online (proper passwords and email addresses)--thank you Mr. Thomas and Mr. Curry for your assistance with this process. Over the next few weeks, you will see postings asking you to complete required information. Thank you in advance for completing these forms by the due dates listed. The first form that needs to be completed for ALL scholars is the Emergency Contact Form (click link below) which is due by Friday, September 25th. Take 2 mins to complete the form today. The form has been updated and is functioning properly at this time. https://forms.gle/Ak6qhXVGUi8c3mFRA
Parents, I want to ask that you take some time to review internet safety with your scholars. PGCPS has a wealth of resources centered around online safety for scholars. You can access these resources by clicking the link. https://www.pgcps.org/internet-safety/
Do you have all of your school supplies yet? Take a look above for our required school supplies for ALL Mighty Bulldogs for SY21. These supplies cannot be purchased from a store, but can be found within each of us. I ask that we all come prepared for school each and everyday with all of our supplies.
I thank you for your continued partnership and commitment to ensuring our scholars are successful! We are ONE School, ONE Team, Making a Difference!
Have a great week.
Important Dates
- Diagnostic Testing continues this week:
-September 22nd: 4th & 5th Grades
-September 24th: 3rd Grade - September 25, 2020: School Closed for Scholars (Professional Development for Teachers)
- September 28, 2020: Schools & Offices Closed (Yom Kippur)
- October 12, 2020: Parent/Teacher Conferences (Native American Day)
Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)
The start of the 2020–21 school year has been like no other. All of us are finding it difficult to navigate the educational waters these days. Dr. Goldson has charged our county to focus on Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) and provide staff, scholars and parents resources to help us all cope with increases stressors.
What is SEL?
SEL is the process through which children and adults understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions. The resources in this newsletter will provide you with tools and information to understand the importance of SEL and to help your entire family find calm and balance.
PGCPS staff have been and will continue to be provided professional development around SEL and the best strategies to use with our scholars. Our Professional School Counselor, Mrs. Ross, has been trained to provided SEL lessons to our scholars during their guidance lessons. All teachers have been charged with incorporating SEL strategies into their lessons and being more aware of scholars emotional needs.
If you feel that your scholars is in need of support from Mrs. Ross, please email her or call the school at 301-372-0100 as we are here for you. Below are free recommended resources that you can use with your children at home or they can use on their own.
RESOURCES:
Sesame Street in Communities: Exploring Emotions Resources This web page provides fun activities, stories, and videos that can help parents of young children teach them about emotions and help them understand their feelings. You can search for resources by age (0–6), timeframe, and activity type. This web page is available in Spanish by clicking “español” in the upper left corner of the page. These resources are available on the Sesame Street in Communities Exploring Emotions web page at https://sesamestreetincommunities.org/topics/emotions.
Sesame Street Emotional Development Playlist: This playlist features songs, videos, and activities from your child’s favorite Sesame Street characters! Families can view these resources together to start conversations about feelings and emotions. This playlist includes a song that teaches young children about belly breathing, a great self-calming technique! These resources are available on the PBS Learning Media Emotional Development web page at https://ca.pbslearningmedia.org/collection/sesame-street-emotionaldevelopment.
Breakfast & Lunch Distribution UPDATE
Monday Distribution: Food for Monday & Tuesday
Wednesday Distribution: Food for Wednesday, Thursday & Friday
Breakfast Prices:
- No Cost to Students until 12/31/2020 (Apply for free or reduced meals online here.)
Lunch Prices:
- No Cost to Students until 12/31/2020 (Apply for free or reduced meals online here.)
Distance Learning Handbook
The purpose of this handbook is to compile, in one place, the policies, procedures and forms that will enable Brandywine Elementary scholars to successfully fulfill his/her responsibilities during Virtual Learning. It has been prepared with the sincere hope that it will be used as a ready reference by families with concerns related to classroom procedures, administration policies and organization norms.
Suggestions on how to become better acquainted with your scholar(s), how to learn about school routines and procedures, and how to secure professional help are included.
The adopted policies are subject to modification, as situations require. The need may arise for revision of this handbook. Feel free to offer suggestions. It is only through cooperative efforts of everyone concerned that we hope to create a wholesome atmosphere/environment for all.
Previous Newsletters SY21
- Volume 1 Issue 5: https://www.smore.com/4mvw7-mrs-hunter-blake-s-news-and-notes?ref=email-content#w-1107450371
- Volume 1 Issue 4: https://www.smore.com/tjpcw-mrs-hunter-blake-s-news-and-notes?ref=email
- Volume 1 Issue 3: https://www.smore.com/59ahm-mrs-hunter-blake-s-news-and-notes?ref=email-content#w-1107450371
- Breaking News: https://www.smore.com/meugk-breaking-news?ref=email-content#w-9964435774
- Volume 1 Issue 2: https://www.smore.com/e4r1y
- Volume 1 Issue 1: https://www.smore.com/gfctj-mrs-hunter-blake-s-news-and-notes?ref=email
About Us
Email: brandy@pgcps.org
Website: https://www1.pgcps.org/brandywine/
Location: 14101 Brandywine Road Brandywine, MD 20613
Phone: (301) 372-0100
Twitter: @BrandywineElem