Bridges Community School

Bridges Office Phone Number 507-387-2800

Secretary (Amanda Robinson)

Health Assistant (Holly Kelly)

Principal (Jody Rittmiller)

Dear Bridges Bears Families,

We are committed to great learning and amazing friendships this school year. It has been so wonderful seeing students connect, collaborate and show teamwork! Part of our committment is our ongoing communication about our daily phonics and ready instruction. Some people have wondered about the connection between spelling, reading and writing.

Why are teachers shifting from memorizing words for a spelling test to explicit phonics instruction?

Explicit phonics instruction is a powerful tool because it teaches students the alphabetic principle: the systematic relationship between the sounds of spoken language and the letters of written language. This instruction provides a concrete strategy for encoding (spelling) words, rather than relying on guesswork or visual memory. Students learn to segment spoken words into individual sounds, then select the correct letter or pattern to represent each sound. By mastering these predictable sound-spelling patterns, they can spell the vast majority of words they encounter. This foundation of structured knowledge leads to significantly greater spelling accuracy and confidence in writing.

To ensure our school day continues to run smoothly for all students, please remember to say your goodbyes at the designated drop-off points each morning outside door 1 and 2. When students enter the building on their own, it helps them develop independence and gets them ready to start their day right on time.

As a reminder, our staff is busy helping students get settled and begin their morning routines starting at 8:10 a.m. daily. If you are a parent volunteer, please stop by the main office to sign in and get a visitor's badge. This helps us ensure the safety of everyone in the building.

We have had some scary incidents at morning dropoff! Please continue to consider the amount of students and parents crossing Garfield Ave. Please slow down and ensure you are parked on the side of the street outside of the yellow bus and handicap zones. Thanks for your attention to safety for everyone!

Thank you for your continued support in making this a successful school year!🐻

Warmly,

Mrs. Rittmiller

Bridges is so excited to host Nyttu Chongo for a "being here" experience on October 14th for our students. Originally from Mozambique, Nyttu Chongo is an expert on traditional music from southeast Africa. He will be demonstrating instruments and performing a concert for students. It is going to be a really fun and fabulous learning experience for our Bridges Bears! We are hoping it opens up minds to sounds, opportunities, and the importance of music here at Bridges and across the GLOBE!🌍

Walk-a-Thon - Tuesday, October 14, 2025

1:00 - 3rd - 5th grade students and staff will warm up with mascots in the gym (parents are invited to meet your child outside on the blacktop by the classroom lines to walk/jog after warm ups)

1:12 - 3rd to 5th start start walking - if you are jogging/running start before the walkers

1:15 - K -2nd grade warm up with mascots in the gym (parents are invited to meet your child outside on the blacktop by the classroom lines to walk/jog after warm ups)

1:28 - K - 2nd grade start walking - if you are jogging/running start before the walkers

2:15 - Everyone will line up on the class lines on the blacktop. Teachers will walk classes to the gym to learn about how much we raised and to keep the balls up in the air as a team (teamwork and collaboration)

2:20 students and staff will go into the gym for a final celebration. We will try to keep big globe balls up in the air. Then, our Bear arrives, having made it ALL the way around the world and announce the money raised.

**2:15-2:45 - Parents can wait outside for dismissal and help with clean up during this time.

At Warm-ups we will mention:

Goal for K-2: at least 2 laps, at least 3 or 4 stations (if 10 people at a station, go to another)

Goal for 3-5: at least 4 laps, at least 3 or 4 stations (if 10 people at a station, go to another)

**Students, staff, and families may walk, jog or do the stations. The playground is off limits during this time.

**Joggers will be dismissed first, then walkers.

***Volunteers - Please meet outside Door 1 around 12:pm - Chandra or Hilary will help you learn about and set up stations.

Penelope - K, Wesley - K, Charley - 1, Lincoln - 1, Laken - 2, Caden - 2, Sullivan - 3, Emmett - 3, Luca - 4, Weston - 4, Henry - 5, Liam - 5

Ameer - K, Emmett - K, Ryan - 1, Garrison - 1, Blakely - 2, Eva - 2, Ella - 3, Karen - 3, Savannah - 4, Gus - 4, Ellie C. - 5, Sarah - 5

Ms. Ankrum, Mrs. Hagedorn, Ms. Hansen and Mrs. Chambers (not pictured)

School attendance is vital for academic success, as consistent attendance builds a strong educational foundation, helps prevent learning gaps, and leads to better performance and higher graduation rates. It also fosters crucial social and emotional development by enabling students to build relationships, develop teamwork, and learn essential life skills like communication and responsibility, preparing them for future career and adult life.

Site Council Reps

We will learn soon who our site council reps are! If you haven't given your feedback yet for our Oct. site council meeting, please fill out this form - click here!

This week the kindergarten students finished learning about the 7 Continents. They learned about Antarctica today, sang the 7 continents song at All School Meeting and have their own map of the 7 continents coming home today! Students showed excitement about the weather, people, and animals in each continent!

Subject: Playground Availability After School

Dear Families,

We want to remind you that our ACES School Age Child Care Program uses the school playground as part of its daily programming. To ensure a safe and structured environment for ACES students, the playground is reserved for their use until the program ends at 6:00 p.m.

After 6:00 p.m., the playground is open to the public. We appreciate your cooperation in helping us maintain a safe and supportive space for all students.

If you’re looking for alternative play spaces before 6:00 p.m., the City of Mankato provides a list of parks here, and a map of North Mankato parks can be found here.

Thank you for your understanding and support!

Mental Health Hub

The Greater Mankato Mental Health Hub has launched! This hub was developed by Greater Mankato Area United Way's Youth Mental Health/Suicide Prevention Committee and is hosted by the Center for Rural Behavioral Health at Minnesota State University, Mankato.

The hub is meant to be a tool for parents and caregivers to easily find information on crisis support, local mental health services, parent education, and more.

Find more information HERE.

October:

Oct. 13 - No School

Oct. 14 - Music Concert-All Grades (9:00am)

Oct. 14 - Walk Around the World (1:00-2:30)

Oct. 15 - Children's Theatre (4th/5th Grade)

Oct. 15 - River Being There Experience (3rd Grade)

Oct. 16-17 - No School/MEA Break

Oct. 21 - Science & Nature Conference (Grades 3-5)

Oct. 27 - BAC Meeting (6:00)

Oct. 28 - Ummies 5th Grade Trip Fundraiser (4:00-8:00)

Oct. 29 - Picture Retake Day/Class Picture Day

Looking for a way to connect to MAPS? We strive to connect our community to our district and schools. Subscribe to this newsletter to get the current information and links to events.

Follow MAPS Facebook and Instagram for student celebrations:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ISD77MAPS

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/isd77maps/

MAPS Website: https://www.isd77.org/

Bridges BAC Website: BAC website link: : https://bridgesbears.weebly.com/faq.html