Branchville Bulletin

Dear Branchville Community,

Happy New Year!

I hope you all had a restful and joyful winter break filled with quality time with family and friends and a good transition back to the school routine. Following last week's back-to-routines week, we kick things off with a Fourth-Grade Winter Concert on Wednesday, January 14th, at 7:00 PM. Please also note that we have an early dismissal for staff professional learning on Friday, January 16th.

To ensure we are meeting the needs of every learner, we will also begin our winter universal screening benchmarks this month. Using tools such as AIMSweb literacy assessment, i-Ready math assessment, and other curriculum-based measures, we will examine each student's progress to develop next steps. If you have any specific questions regarding these assessments, please reach out to your child’s teacher or feel free to reach out to me.

While we know many students are excited to share news about new toys or holiday gifts, we kindly ask that all toys and trinkets be left at home. This helps us minimize distractions and keep our focus on the new learning taking place each day. Please also be mindful of past communications regarding students' personal technology. In short, students' personal phones and smartwatches are not permitted for use at school. We appreciate your support in helping your children transition back into their school-day mindsets.

Finally, I encourage you to stay engaged with the upcoming Board of Education budget conversations. If you don't typically follow these meetings, now is an important time to tune in, as the forthcoming discussions will have a direct impact on the Branchville community. You will see more communication from Dr. Da Silva about the budget in the coming days.

Thank you for your continued partnership and support as we begin this new year together.

In partnership,

Keith L. Margolus

The teaching of writing is paramount in the elementary years. To learn about our comprehensive approach to teaching writing, please view the video below.

There are different mathematics pathways students can take throughout their middle and high school years. Each year, a committee of K-12 teachers and administrators reviews and refines this placement process. This comprehensive approach ensures that the vast majority of our students succeed in their math courses.

When students move from 5th to 6th grade, there are two different math courses: Grade 6 and Grade 6 Accelerated. Regardless of course placement in sixth grade, students can qualify for accelerated options in Grades 7 and 8. Below is a presentation scheduled for January 21st to discuss the pathways and prcess.

Submit your math placement questions here.

Believe it or not, it is time to register eligable students for kindergarten. Click on the slide to learn more.

As you know, each class holds a snack at a designated time. Please send your child with a snack. The snacks in the nurse's office are reserved for students who are not feeling well and those with allergies. If purchasing snacks is a hardship, don't hesitate to get in touch with Mr. Margolus.

Dear Parents and Guardians,

As we move further into the colder months, we want to reinforce the importance of keeping our school community healthy during the upcoming flu and sick season.

Maintaining a healthy learning environment for all our students and staff requires a collective effort, and your cooperation is essential.

When to Keep Your Child Home From School

Your child should be kept home if they exhibit any of the following symptoms:

• Fever: 100.4 F or higher. They should be fever-free for 24 hours without fever-reducing medication, vomiting or Diarrhea:

• Children experiencing vomiting or diarrhea should remain at home until they have been symptom-free for at least 24 hours;

• Rash: Any unexplained rash should be evaluated by a healthcare provider.

• Conjunctivitis (Pink Eye): Must stay home for bacterial infection and may return after 24 hours of antibiotic therapy.

• Strep throat: Please keep your child home for at least 24 hours after starting antibiotics.

• Flu or flu-like symptoms: Must stay home until clinically well and fever-free for at least 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication.

Best Practices for Prevention

We are actively promoting good hygiene practices at school and increasing our cleaning practices in the classrooms. We ask that you reinforce these at home:

• Frequent Handwashing: Encourage washing hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after coughing/sneezing and before eating.

• Covering Coughs and Sneezes: Use a tissue or the inside of the elbow.

• Flu Vaccination: Consider getting your student (and your family) a flu shot.

Thank you for your understanding and commitment to keeping our school a safe and healthy place for everyone. By working together, we can minimize disruptions to learning and help everyone stay well this season.

If your child is diagnosed with the flu or another communicable illness, please notify the school office.

Katie Rohre

Branchville School Nurse

Missing a jacket or water bottle? As you come to BES, stop by the Lost and Found. Items found before the break will be donated at the end of this week.

If you are experiencing a hardship and your child needs financial support to participate in a PTA event or school event, such as a field trip. Please reach out to Keith at kmargolus@ridgefieldps.net

RPS is a caring and compassionate community that recognizes that some of our families are facing challenging times and experiencing food insecurity. Please reach out to Keith, the BES PTA or the PTA Council for help, with complete confidence that your discussions will be kept confidential. The RHS PTSA put together this list of resources for RPS families, neighbors, and friends.

Check out the new page,engagED on the RPS Curriculum Site pictured and linked below.

RPS distribution flyers for outside groups via a Digital Backpack.

Organizations that meet the RPS policy may submit their request for inclusion in the digital backpack. Please help us in our effort to go green by checking students' Digital Backpacks Organizations that meet the RPS policy may submit their request for inclusion to cmelagrano@ridgefieldps.net. Thank you!

This guide below was distributed at Open House. Click on the images below for an enlarged display. You may also request a copy from the Branchville Main Office.

If you are looking for a comprehensive description of our school practices and procedures, please review the K-5 Student Handbook.

Visiting BES

If you are visiting BES, one way to expedite the entry process is to fill out this form or use the QR code in advance of your planned visit (e.g., teacher meeting, PTA meeting, mystery reader, library, or art volunteer). Your badge will be waiting for you when you arrive. If you have something to drop off for your child during the school day, such as a forgotten lunch or instrument, please place the item on the table located outside the entrance.

• When you arrive to enter the building, we ask that you press the video doorbell button and identify yourself. You will then be granted access to the vestibule.
• Once in the vestibule, please do NOT hold the door open for a different guest entering the building. We cannot open the second set of doors until you are inside the vestibule. While this may be inconvenient and feel impolite, we are standardizing access to the buildings across the district so that everyone knows what to expect.

For visits to BES during the school day, I recommend arriving early, as it takes some time to process your visitor badge. For a visit that is not arranged in advance, calling the main office ahead of time is a helpful practice.

We are grateful to be able to conduct events like The School Store, The Bookfair, and The Beaver Boogie, to name a few. These events depend on volunteers. When you are volunteering, you may witness student interactions, behavior, or learning that differ from your experience with your own child. In the spirit of inclusivity, kindness, and respect for all students and families, I invite all to take a moment to read the confidentiality agreement you sign when you arrive at Branchville. It is essential that these are not just a step in your entry process, but that we live by them when we are here at BES.

Confidentiality Agreement

I acknowledge that as a volunteer and or visitor, I may have the opportunity to access or gain knowledge of confidential information. Confidential information may be made known to or learned by me via various sources, including but not limited to electronic media, interoffice communications, internal publications, and verbal interactions. I further acknowledge that making this information known or available to others who do not have a legal right to that information may violate the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA), other Federal and State Laws, and Ridgefield Board of Education Policies.

Therefore, I agree that I will not reveal, make known, or provide access to confidential information except to those having a legal or otherwise permissible right to that information. Furthermore, I agree not to access confidential information for any reason other than the performance of my duties as a volunteer at Ridgefield Public Schools.

By signing this Confidentiality Agreement, I acknowledge that I have read and understand it. I understand that my failure to comply with this agreement may subject me to discipline and/or removal from the volunteer list in accordance with Ridgefield Public Schools’ Policies and may affect my future access to confidential information and/or Ridgefield Public Schools’ computing, telephony, and other information systems or databases.

By typing your name below, you are agreeing to this confidentiality agreement.

For a comprehensive list of upcoming events, please see the calendars below.

RPS Events Calendar

Rotational Calendar

PTA Events Calendar

To withhold directory and media publications (including Instagram) please follow this path when you are logged in to PowerSchool.

• On the left-hand side please click on "Demographic Change."

• A number of tabs will appear. Click on "Directory & Media OptOut.

There you will find the option to withhold directory and media information. It is helpful if you notify us of the change. Please email, administrative assistant, Catherine Basso, at cbasso@ridgefieldps.net

Never hesitate to reach out to us about this publication or any other questions you may have. We are a phone call or an email away.

Keith L Margolus

Principal

kmargolus@ridgefieldps.net

Website: https://bes.ridgefield.org/Home
Location: 40 Florida Road, Ridgefield, CT, USA
Phone: 203.894.5850