October 2026 Birch Grove Bulletin
Dear Families,
As we move into another busy and exciting month, I want to thank our students, families, and staff for all they do to make our school community such a wonderful place to learn and grow.
This month, we look forward to several special events and opportunities for our students. Parent-Teacher Conferences will provide an important opportunity for families and teachers to connect, celebrate student progress, and work together to support continued growth. We encourage all families to take advantage of this time to ask questions, share insights, and partner with your child’s teacher.
We are also excited for our Book Fair! We hope students will enjoy exploring new books, discovering new interests, and building a lifelong love of reading. Thank you to the families and staff who help make this event possible.
As we continue through the school year, we also want to reinforce our school-wide expectations. We ask students to come to school ready to learn, treat others with kindness and respect, follow school routines and directions, and take responsibility for their choices and their learning. When school and home work together to reinforce these expectations, students are better positioned to feel safe, supported, and successful.
Thank you for your continued partnership and support. We appreciate all that you do at home to encourage your child’s learning, growth, and success. We look forward to a wonderful month ahead! Shout out to PTO for purchasing our student t-shirts! Go BOBCATS!
Warmly,
Stephanie Webster
Principal
Birch Grove Elementary
Fall Conferences
Fall Conferences are coming up! Conferences will be held on the following dates:
- Tuesday, October 6th from 8:00-9:00 am and 4:40-7:20 pm
- Thursday, October 8th from 8:00-9:00 am and 4:40-7:20 pm
- Monday, October 12th from 8:00-9:00 am and 4:40-7:20 pm
Conferences may be scheduled through ParentVUE between September 28th-October 5th. Instructions on how to schedule may be found below. If one of your child's teachers has already reached out to you and scheduled a conference, you do NOT need to schedule on ParentVUE.
Please note that morning conferences (8:00-9:00 am) are VIRTUAL ONLY and afternoon conferences (4:40-7:20 pm) are IN PERSON ONLY for all dates.
How to schedule conferences on ParentVUE: English | Arabic | Hmong | Oromo | Russian | Spanish | Somali | Ukrainian | Vietnamese
ParentVUE access and account setup
Please make sure you have downloaded the new ParentVUE app!
The Scholastic Book Fair is Coming!
The Scholastic Book Fair is returning to Birch Grove in October! The Book Fair will be open during conference evenings for families to shop, as well as for our Donuts with Grownups event. The Book Fair will be open for student shopping in the mornings at school.
Family Shopping Hours
October 6th from 8:15-9:00 am during Donuts with Grownups
October 6th, 8th, and 12th from 4:40-7:20 pm
Student Shopping Hours
October 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, and 12th from 9:15-10:00 am
*Students may bring cash to school or shop with funds on their eWallet
Visit Birch Grove's Book Fair webpage and set up an eWallet for your child here!
🧡 Wear Orange for Unity Day: Wednesday, October 21! 🧡
On Wednesday, October 21, Birch Grove Elementary School will join thousands of others across the nation to celebrate Unity Day! This special and important day is dedicated to standing together against bullying and promoting a safe, supportive environment for all scholars.
Library Book Information from Mrs. Kimmes
Students have started coming to the media center and checking out books. Here are the things we talked about in our first library lesson:
Talk with your student about a safe place to keep their library books while you have them at home. In their backpack? On a high shelf away from babies and pets? On a bedside table?
Keep books away from food and drinks. Wash your hands before reading your book. Do not put your water bottle in your backpack with your books.
Students begin the year checking out 1-3 books, then the number may increase throughout the year. Return books to school as soon as you finish reading them.
Books are considered “overdue” after two weeks. This is to encourage students to finish reading and return the books as other students are often waiting for those books. We do not charge fines unless a book is damaged or lost.
Email reminders will come out weekly for all overdue books. Return the books as soon as you can.
Sometimes books end up back in the media center or misplaced in the classroom but are still checked out. If you receive an overdue notice, please ask your child where they think the book might be. If you feel certain it is back at school, please reach out and we can check on shelves and in lockers and desks.
Please contact me if you have any questions.
Sally Kimmes
Birch Grove Elementary
Library Media Specialist
763-549-2304
October 13th: PTO Meeting
The Birch Grove PTO meets once monthly. October's PTO meeting is Tuesday, October 13th. All caregivers are welcome to attend! Come in person in the Birch Grove media center or join online at the link below.
EVENT DETAILS
Date: Tuesday, October 13th
Time: 5:30-6:30 pm
Location: Birch Grove Media Center
October 15th-16th: No School, MEA Break
October 29th: Picture Retake Day
Picture Retake Day is Thursday, October 29th. Please tell your child's teacher if you would like them to get a retake. Students who were absent on picture day will get their picture taken on retake day.
Please reach out to Kemmetmueller Photography directly if you have NOT received a link to your child's photo gallery from picture day. info@k-photography.com
October 30th: Trunk or Treat
Join BG staff for a night of fun and treats hosted by the Birch Grove PTO! This family event is free and all are welcome to attend. Costumes are welcome but optional! Children must be supervised by an adult for the entire event.
We are taking candy donations for this event! Trunk-or-Treat candy can be brought to the main office at any time between now and the day of the event. Candy must be store bought and individually wrapped in an unopened bag.
EVENT DETAILS
Date: Friday, October 30th
Time: 5:30-7:00 pm
Location: Birch Grove Elementary School East Parking Lot (Bus Lot)
Download the Raptor Safe App
Have you downloaded Raptor Safe yet? Raptor Safe is the district's safety and security management system, which manages visitor sign-in, student sign-out, and school day events. Downloading the app and creating an account simplifies check-in and student sign-out processes. Creating an account with Raptor Safe allows for faster sign-in and student sign-out with a simple QR code rather than having to scan your driver's license.
Download Raptor Safe on Google Play
Download Raptor Safe on Apple App Store
Two ways that visitors are able to utilize this new system
1. NEW: Visitors can utilize the Raptor Safe app. This app can be downloaded for free through your phone’s app store. Families can set up an account, and then each time they visit can open the app and use the iPad to scan a personalized QR code located in the app for a faster check in. RaptorSafe allows you to register in advance for school events and will send a QR code "ticket" directly to your phone. This allows for the quickest and most streamlined experience.
2. Visitors can scan a drivers license or Minnesota state ID using the iPad camera. After scanning, visitors will follow prompts on the iPad to select their destination inside the building. Following the prompts will produce a badge to wear.
Thank you for your partnership in keeping our schools safe. If you have questions or need support, please contact our school office.
Osseo Area Schools Community Education
Discover Osseo Area Schools’ Community Education! Find classes, programs and events for all ages — from early childhood, youth to adult. Browse Community Ed or register at osseo.ce.eleyo.com.
Language Services at Osseo Area Schools
Osseo Area Schools is proud to provide language services throughout the district. These services are actively being shared to ensure families and staff are aware and have the resources and training to use them effectively. Please refer to the district's Language Access Plan for further information. Visit the Osseo Area Schools Language Services webpage for more information, including services offered.
Sign Up for Free Food Bags with Every Meal
Would you like to take home a FREE bag of nonperishable groceries each week? Complete the form below or reach out to Jennifer Anderson, School Social Worker, to sign up or if you have questions about the Every Meal Program. 763-549-2335
Hennepin County School to Housing Program
Hennepin County's School to Housing program offers support to help families find stable housing. Families must have a student in grades PreK-12 enrolled Osseo or Brooklyn Center school districts to qualify for this program. Please reach out to Kendra Kuhlmann at SHSS@District279.org to learn more about the program and see if you qualify. More information can be found at the links below.
Information available in: English | Hmong | Somali | Spanish