Bridport Community Newletter

Dear BCS Community,

Over the next few weeks we will have our first round of student conferences. As we reflect on conferences, both from the perspective of a parent and an educator, we know that they can be challenging to schedule and follow through with, and also incredibly important. We often wonder how closely the reality of your children's day to day life at school matches the idea that parents and caretakers have in their head.

If you talk to your students regularly, you probably know that school can feel hectic. Honestly, it feels more hectic and chaotic than we remember school and that is for some good reasons as well as some challenges our community faces. We are asking our students to work differently than we worked in school. This is a good thing. Students are asked to collaborate, share opinions, and work through disagreements in ways that will ultimately be valuable to them. Sitting quietly in rows is no longer the goal. That being said, things can be chaotic when students disagree but do not have the skills to do so in a healthy way. We are always working on a variety of skills at the same time and that means that classes are louder, but there are also tes when the community needs quiet in order to work alone.

Stated more simply, we are actively cultivating an active environment that empowers our students and yet we all struggle to set boundaries and expectations that empower students withough disempowering others. Even more simply, students are unkind to each other, and helping them navigate that reality takes a lot of time for us at school.

As administrators, we are committed to the idea that transparency about how things go in school is a crucial step in improving things for all learners. This can be messy and it will take longer than we want it to, but ultimately, our students will benefit if they can work well with all classmates, not just their favorite people.

As we head into conferences, we hope to discuss these issues as well as anything you'd like to discuss.

Thank you for your continued support of our amazing school!

Jenny & Matthew

Interested in some Bridport swag?! The PTO is hosting a sale!

Click this link to find out more: https://802print.printavo.com/merch/bridportmerch2023/

Wednesday 10/25- All School Field Trip to Dead Creek

Friday 10/27- A.R.T. Performance

A Note about Halloween:

Our Family Handbook explains that we do not celebrate holidays (including upcoming ones like Halloween) at school. We acknowledge various holidays and classes may think about general principles behind some holidays - gratitude, caring, community - or we try to tell a more complete story about the holiday (ex. Thanksgiving). We do not celebrate individual holidays at school. We believe that informing students around the celebration of holidays can be the work of schools; however we do not celebrate, decorate, or otherwise condone holidays in classes or as a school. Education is different from celebration.

Please do not send your child in in a costume on Halloween. There will be other celebrations in the year when they will have a chance to dress up in a costume.

Kindergarteners are learning so many letters! This week they practiced vowels and played a game where they picked which vowel matched words.

1st and 2nd graders are working so hard during Literacy time! They are reading books with Ms. M, practicing sight words, reading to themselves, and practicing phonics skills on the computer. They are becoming incredible readers.

3rd and 4th grade started a new unit about Civics! They brainstormed ways to make Bridport even better. One student said we should add a hot tub!

5th grade continues to be role models for our school by stepping up to help in the cafeteria, being a big buddy to younger students and sharing their learning.

This week during community time, Volunteers from Middlebury College came and had lunch with us. Then they led literacy activities in our classrooms. We were so excited for them to join us!

All school meals will be free again for ALL students.

But, it's still VERY IMPORTANT to complete the free and reduced meal application form. Our district gets $475,000+ each year based on the % of students who qualify for free/reduced meals. So, if you fill out the form, you help us qualify!

A paper application will come home with your child, or apply now online.