Bridges Elementary

Hello Bridges Families,

We hope you are all enjoying the spring weather and time with your family. When we started putting together this newsletter, we had not considered how fast things would change in the world around us. So we needed to rethink what we wanted to share with you.

We know right now everyone has high hopes of their child/children getting into a “school routine” at home, and of each moment of the day productive in completing online activities, reading, writing, and math. Some families will want to map out the entire day to make the most of our current reality. But here’s the thing...our kids are just as scared and anxious as we are. They can feel the constant tension each one of us has. They, like most of us, have never experienced anything like this before. The difference is, our kids don’t have the life experience to know and believe that everything will be okay with time.

Over the coming weeks, there might be an increase in behaviors with your child. Anxiety and stress that you have not seen may start to pop up. They might protest against doing the things they would normally do. This is expected. Although the idea of being off of school right now sounds good in their minds, they are thinking it will be more like summer vacation, playing with friends and family, getting to go out and do different activities in the community. Unfortunately this is not like summer vacation, the reality of being stuck at home and away from other family and friends will start to sink in.

It is okay if your kids need time right now to feel all of the emotions that may be running through their minds. Don’t stress too much about the academic part of your child, do what you can. Don’t fight with your child about school work. If you can work to support your child in two hours of any type of academic work each day, great. If it becomes a battle with them and they are resisting it, take a break. When we are back in the classroom, we will meet each child where they are and support them in continuing to build skills. Teachers are experts at this! We promise!

Right now take a moment to reflect on where your child’s mental health is at. How are they coping with what is happening in the world around them? Snuggle with them and reassure them everything is going to be alright, take a walk outside and let them ask questions, bake cookies together, write a letter, read a book together and enjoy some laughter. Take care of each other, you may need these moments just as much as your child. Those moments are what you want your child to remember about this time home, not fighting over completing a math worksheet.

Please know everyone here at Bridges, everyone in the Sauk Prairie School District, is here for your child and your family during this time. If you have any questions or we can support your child’s at home learning experience, please let us know.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Breunig & Mrs. Kulow

Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),

It's placement time! Our teams will be meeting over the next few weeks to begin placing students into classrooms for the 2020-2021 school year.

If you would like to share your perspectives about your child's class placement needs for next year, we ask that you do so using this form. If you have an elementary student enrolled in 4K-2nd grade in the 2019-2020 school year, please follow the link below to complete the placement form for 2020-2021. Even if your 4K-2nd grade student will be attending another elementary school in 2020-2021, you are still encouraged to complete the form indicating they will not attend, so we know not to place your child.

Feel free to respond only to those questions that are important to you. If you use a teacher's name on this survey, please make sure you explain why. When creating class lists for next year, we take a great deal into consideration. Some components looked at include ratio of boys and girls, specific academic and social emotional skills, parent involvement, teaching styles, learning styles and preferences of each student. We look at this job as a large puzzle and each student fits into it to best meet their needs as a learner.

Please submit form by Friday, April 24th. If you have more than one student, please complete one child at a time, submit, then reopen the form to submit another entry. Thank you for sharing. If you have any questions, please feel free to call the Bridges office at 643-1800.

Click here to fill out the PLACEMENT FORM 2020-2021

A referendum to fund the expansion and renovation of Sauk Prairie High School, expand Merrimac Community Charter School, build a community aquatics complex, and improve the outdoor pool is on the April 7th ballot. Check out www.saukprairieschools.org for more referendum information. Be sure to vote!

Do you have questions about the referendum proposals or want to learn more? Join Superintendent Wright during Facebook Live Sessions. There's another one today! Friday, April 3 @ 11:00 AM. Visit the Sauk Prairie School Distict's Facebook page to watch the video clip.

The 2020 Census begins on April 1st and every person counts! How does this count impact our children? The count helps to determine the federal funds that our community can receive for special education, classroom technology, teacher training, after-school programs, school lunch assistance, and more! The Census is a great way to participate in our democracy and say "I COUNT!" Be sure your family participates in the 2020 Census.

Monday 4/6

Summer School Registration Opens

Tuesday 4/7
Vote! The Sauk Prairie School District referendum appears on this ballot.

Friday 4/10
No School

Tuesday 4/28
CANCELED Bridges’ Elementary Kindergarten “Singin’ & Swingin’ Night”

Wednesday 4/29

Summer School Registration Closes

Click here to see all upcoming events in the Sauk Prairie School District.

Dear Sauk Prairie Families;

Thank you for your patience as we work through these trying times. Although our current school is being offered “at-home” we continue to prepare for a summer of classes for your children to enjoy. We have had to make some changes:

1. We have cancelled our Open Lab on April 6, but we will have staff available by phone to assist on April 6 from 6-7:30pm. You may call 643-5680. After this time, you may email summer.school@saukprairieschools.org.

2. Fees for classes will not show in your Skyward portal at the time of registration. The District will reach out about payment once the state-mandated school closure is finished and it is clear summer school will continue as scheduled.

Our summer catalog should be arriving in your mailbox soon. If you are anxious and would like to see what classes we have this year, you can find this year’s catalog on our webpage, www.saukprairieschools.org/summerschool.

Please go to www.saukprairieschools.org/summerschool for more information and changes made to classes.

LAST GSPiE Meeting of the year – May 11 at Grand Ave, 6:15 PM

FREE childcare is provided at meetings, please reserve your child’s spot by sending an email to: gspie2@gmail.com

4 Polio

4 DTaP/ DTP/ DT/TD

3 Hepatitis B

2 MMR

2 Varicella

Track and print your child's vaccine record through the Wisconsin Immunization Registry: https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/immunization/wir.htm

The Sauk County GIS Team has been hard at work developing an interactive map showing open restaurants, grocery stores, food pantries and senior dining centers.

Click here:
http://saukgis.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=1d79937070d344ce8e713fd637c688a0

Simply drop the pin at your location to see what local restaurants or food resources are open. You can select by meal, ordering options or distance.

One great feature is the “Submit a Report” button centered at the top. This allows anyone to request additions or updates for the map. Our team will review the submissions regularly and make the change.

Sauk County is known for its natural beauty and rich history, but it is your continued support of our local business during these difficult time that truly make Sauk County and all of our communities a beautiful place to live.

As schools in Wisconsin have closed to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, PBS Wisconsin and Milwaukee PBS announce an ambitious plan, in partnership with the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, to support at-home learning for students and families by broadcasting a new weekday television schedule of programming with digital resources that connect to Wisconsin’s state academic standards.

Beginning Monday, March 30, PBS Wisconsin will dedicate the 5 a.m.-5 p.m. daytime weekday schedule on The Wisconsin Channel, or PBS Wisconsin-2, and Milwaukee PBS will dedicate the 7 a.m.-5 p.m. daytime weekday schedule on WMVT 36.1 to educational programming that includes specific blocks of time for pre-K through 12th grade levels and covers subjects, including English language arts, social studies, science and math.

Find the schedule and more online at: https://pbswisconsin.org/article/family-resources-and-support-for-home-learning-from-pbs-wisconsin/

Trustworthy: I show my greatness by being honest with myself and others.

• I always do the right thing because I know that is how I show I am trustworthy.

• I only say things that are true, even if I know I might disappoint someone.

• I admit when I have made a mistake. It helps me learn.

Celebrate youth art, artists, and artistic creativity! How can you share your own creativity with others during this unique time in our history? Window art displays? Maybe you could make a piece of wearable art out of scraps of fabric or old clothing. Or make garden art out of found objects. Let your mind "wonder" into something wonderful!

Celebrate Art Spirit Week dress up days from home this year:

Monday, April 20-Primary Colors

Red, yellow and blue are the primary colors. Try to incorporate all three of these colors in your outfit.

Tuesday, April 21-Secondary Colors

Orange, green and purple are the secondary colors. Try to incorporate all three of these colors in your outfit.

Wednesday, April 22-Warm, Cool or Neutral

Pick a warm, cool or neutral color scheme for your outfit. Warm colors are reds, oranges and yellows. Cool colors are blues, greens and purples. Neutrals are blacks, whites, browns and greys.

Thursday, April 23-Monochromatic Colors

A monochromatic color family is lights and darks of one color. For example you could wear an outfit that was all different shades of green.

Friday, April 24-PATTERNS!

Go crazy and see how many patterns you can wear! (i.e. plaid, camo, floral, etc.)

Thank you to everyone who has already show their excitement and support for the upcoming Bridges Bolt fun run. Let's keep that excitement going...into next year! We have set a tentative new date for Friday, October 2, the first Friday of the month.

You can send inquiries to bridges.bolt@saukprairieschools.org for more information.

**At this time, we are suspending the requirement for Dr's notes from absences dated 3/2/20 to the end of the mandatory school suspension to help reduce the risk of exposure and keep our families and students healthy. ***

If your student is going to absent please call 643-1847 (24 hour line) by 9:00 a.m. on the day your student is absent to report the absence and the reason for the absence. We would like to remind parents that state law leaves the decision about whether an absence is excused or not with the school's attendance officer. Being specific in your reporting provides the necessary information for that decision to be made well.

If we do not receive a contact regarding the absence you will receive a phone call asking for you to contact us. If you do not contact us, the absence will be automatically be marked as unexcused.

You can also submit absences:

- written note in advance

- email beattendance@saukprairieschools.org
- via the skyward app or parent portal

Lunch Menu

See what's for breakfast/lunch and download the Slice app

Efunds
Pay your food service account online

Change of Dismissal Form
Will your student have a temporary change of dismissal plan for the day? Send a note along with your student or call (608) 643-1800 or email beattendance@saukprairieschools.org. If you have a permanent transportation change, please contact Lamer's bus lines directly. Lamer's also handles morning routes. Please contact them if your child has a change to their morning route. Lamer's = (608) 460-7050, option 2.

Medication Consent Form
Fill out this form if your child will need anything from over-the-counter lotion to prescription medication during the school day. Date it for the entire 2019-20 school year to cover summer school needs. Be sure it is signed by both you and your physician.

Skyward Family Access

Bridges Elementary
1200 Broadway Street, Prairie du Sac, WI 53578
District Website: www.saukprairieschools.org
Facebook: Sauk Prairie School District

24-Hour Attendance Line: (608) 643-1847

Attendance Email: beattendance@saukprairieschools.org

Fax: (608) 643-1849

Bridges' Office Staff
Chanda Kulow, Principal

(608) 643-1845 chanda.kulow@saukprairieschools.org

Jamie Breunig, Assistant Principal

(608) 643-1842 jamie.breunig@saukprairieschools.org

Jody Kapp Berndt, Secretary
(608) 643-1843 jody.kapp@saukprairieschools.org

Lisa Chrisler, Secretary
(608) 643-1844 lisa.chrisler@saukprairieschools.org

Current nondiscrimination language (Policy 2260):

Sauk Prairie School District does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, creed, pregnancy, marital status, parental status, sexual orientation, sex, (including transgender status, gender expression, gender identity, and gender nonconformity), or physical, mental, emotional, or learning disability ("Protected Classes") in any of its student program and activities.