Principal's Weekly
Dr. Beth N. Choquette
Bridge Street School
2 Parsons Street
Northampton, Massachusetts 01060
413-587-1460 (phone) 413-587-1484 (fax)
Beth N. Choquette, Principal bchoquette@northamtpon-k12.us
Elizabeth Peterson, Administrative Assistant epeterson@northampton-k12.us
Jordan Celino, Secretary jcelino@northampton-k12.us
Nora DeJasu, Head Teacher ndejasu@northampton-k12.us
Translation of the Principal's Weekly
At the top of the weekly email, there's a link that reads "View it in your browser," click that and it takes you to the post on a webpage.
Scroll to the bottom where there's a black menu bar and pick the option that says "Translate."
Select the language you would like it translated in and it will then translate it on the webpage.
Traducción del semanario del director
Le gustaría traducir esta carta de noticias? Aquí están los pasos para traducirlo:
En la parte superior del correo electrónico semanal, hay un enlace que dice "Verlo en su navegador", haga clic en eso y lo llevará a la publicación en una página web.
Desplázate hacia la parte inferior donde hay una barra de menú negra y elige la opción que dice "Traducir".
Seleccione el idioma en el que desea traducirlo y luego lo traducirá en la página web.
A Message from Principal Choquette
I'd like to thank all of you who attended the town hall last week. I know that there is more information that you are looking for, and I am hoping that over the coming week(s) I will have more to share. Tomorrow we will be calling all families who did not fill out the hybrid registration form as well as caregivers where the responses may have been a bit confusing such as saying no to hybrid but then selecting either A days or B days. It is very important that we get 100% of caregiver responses in order to plan for both in-person and remote learning. Below are the slides from both the English and Spanish town halls as well as the Q&A.
I will again be hosting two town halls this week. One in English from 5:15-6:16 p.m. on Thursday, November 5th and the second in Spanish from 6:30-7:30 p.m. on Thursday. I am hoping to have answers to questions that were asked last week as well as more information to offer regarding the in-person and remote learning plans. Below are the zoom links for both the English and Spanish meetings.
English Town Hall (5:15-6:15 p.m. 11/5/2020)
Join Zoom Meeting https://zoom.us/j/97028300655 Meeting ID: 970 2830 0655 Passcode: 142269
Spanish Town Hall (6:30-7:30 p.m. 11/5/2020)
Join Zoom Meeting https://zoom.us/j/98793716529 Meeting ID: 987 9371 6529 Passcode: 467455
A reminder that Tuesday, November 3rd there is no school. It is a teacher work day and election day. Please get out and vote if you can.
I hope you all have a wonderful rest of the day and night. Take care and stay healthy.
Beth
Important Information from Nurse Jessica
New Flu Vaccine Mandate
Social Justice Corner
Next Week and Beyond
This week I wanted to write about the coming week and the weeks following the upcoming election. In the 14 years that I've been principal, the last election was the first time I ever had to speak to students about hate. From games such as "Trump Tag" on the playground to cruel things being said to each other, it was the first time I had to address behaviors around a presidential election. I am anticipating, regardless of the outcome of the election, high emotions again this year. It is important for us all to remember that everyone has the right to their opinion and political beliefs. However, I would encourage us all to express whatever emotion we may be feeling with others with respect and always with kindness.
I worry that not all voices have been heard, I worry about voter suppression, and I worry that there will be an increase in violence across our country. If we each do our part to fight for what we believe in, in a peaceful way, stand up for the voices that are being suppressed, and continue to fight for democracy, we will make this country a better place for our children.
I hope that we all can take some time to talk with our children about what a truly wonderful country we live in. Talk to them about voter suppression, what it is and how it is wrong. Talk to them about their right to feel what they feel, believe in what they believe in, and to have honest and open conversations in a respectful way. Teach them to stand up for what is right and to stand up for those who can't stand up for themselves. Teach them about our democracy and how every voice should be heard. Teach them that their voice, even if they are not old enough to vote, is equally important as ours. They are our future, they have the power to change the World for the better.
Town Hall Slide Shows and Q&A from 10/29/2020
Technology
Important Information-Chromebook Protection Plan
Due to a greater than expected number of chromebook repair requests, to suit the needs of the district we have updated our hours available for appointments.
- Extended Tuesday hours, 9:00-3:30
- Extended Thursday hours, 9:00-3:30
- Added Wednesday, 9:00-3:30
If you need a hotspot, fill out the form on Tech: Student/staff tech needs.
If a chromebook is broken, go to Tech: Chromebook Program fill out the repair form.
It will ask if you have insurance.
If you say yes it will bring you to the calendar to book time to have it swapped by IT.
If you say no, it will ask you to pay if the description you give about the damage is one that needs payment. There is an online option to accept payments and then the calendar link.
The calendar link shows up at the end of the form when it's submitted. If the issue isn't something that requires payment, you'll be able to book a calendar appointment to drop it off at James house (42 Gothic Street).
Second Step
Skills for Learning
We are all learners. The more we practice skills for learning, the stronger our brains will become. The stronger our brains become, the better we are able to learn.
Listening: At our school, we all work hard to be the best learners we can be. One skill for learning is to listen with attention. This is also a great skill for adults. When we listen with attention, our eyes are watching the speaker, our ears are listening, our voices are quiet, and we're still. This week, practice being a great listener.
Focusing attention: Learning happens every day at our school. An important skill for learning is focusing attention. When we focus our attention we use our ears, our eyes, and our brain! This week, put on your attent-o-scopes and notice how they help you listen and learn.