Baltz Bulletin - Family Edition

Welcome back to the new year at Baltz Elementary. This year's theme is Ready. Set. Grow! We will focus growing student achievement through a dedicated approach to equity and many other ways that our students can take actions to be safe, be kind, and be on-task!

Greetings families,

We hope this communication finds you well! It's hard to believe that we are beginning the fourth week of school!

We hope you are enjoying reading The Wild Robot together! Our Bears are so excited to hear the nightly question winners over the morning announcements—keep up the great reading! Just a reminder, Wild Robot field trip permission forms were sent home on Friday and are due back by September 30th. Please see the updates from Mrs. Personti below.

Our administration team has been reviewing key highlights from the student handbook with each class. We kindly ask that you reinforce these rules at home by reviewing our MTSS behavior matrix (posted below) with your child to remind them how to be safe, be kind and be on task across all areas and learning environments at Baltz. The MTSS team is hosting a blanket fundraiser to benefit school events. The blankets are so cozy! Order forms are posted below for those interested in ordering:).

Please join us on Thursday evening from 6:00-7:00 PM for our first Bear’s Den meeting (formerly known as the PTA). We are excited to partner with you this year to discuss our school priorities and plan events. We truly believe we are better together!

T-shirts are coming home on Friday! Students should wear their 24/25 “Ready, Set, Grow” shirts to kick off Spirit Week on Monday, September 23rd.

Back to School Night is fast approaching on September 24th! Attending Curriculum Night will provide an opportunity for you to connect with your child's teacher(s) and learn about the classroom environment and routines. You will also get an overview of the key learning goals and subjects your child will explore this year so that you have necessary information to help your child thrive both in the classroom and at home. Your involvement is crucial, and we are excited to partner with you to create a supportive and enriching learning environment for all our students.

We look forward to seeing you at these upcoming events! Have a great week!

Warm regards,

Ms. Gallagher, Mrs. Palma and Mr. Wright

We have a translate feature! Simply click "translate newsletter" and you can pick from many different languages!

¡Tenemos un botón de traducción! Simplemente haga clic donde dice "translate newsletter" y podrá elegir entre muchos idiomas diferentes.

Delaware kicks off Hispanic Heritage Month with multiple festivities

Families, please be sure to use the online attendance request form when submitting an absence. Please note that all medical notes/excuses from a physician's office must still be turned in.

Please call us if you need help with attendance. We will do our best to listen and partner with you so that our children have a successful year! We are working to make our school environment a place where everyone can be safe, healthy and learning. Review the Attendance Matters flyers posted below to learn why daily attendance at school is so important for your child/children. We ask our families to do their best to ensure that students are on time each day, and that early dismissals are limited to emergencies only. Students are engaged in class instruction until 3:45 PM daily. Please use the Red Clay calendar posted below to assist with planning during days off/vacation. Thank you for your support.

To ensure the safety of our students and campus, early dismissals will not be granted after 3:15 PM. We thank you for your cooperation and support.

Friday, September 13 - Wild Robot Field Trip Permission Slips Came Home (due back 9.30.24)

Wednesday, September 18 - Board of Education Meeting - 7 PM

Thursday, September 19 - "The Bear's Den" Family Kick - Off Meeting - Formerly known as the PTA (see flyer above)

Tuesday, September 24 - Back to School Night -6-8 pm- Visit the classroom- Find out about our curriculum and your child's classroom!

Friday, September 20 - Students will be coming home with their new spirit wear, Ready. Set. Grow! Spirit Wear T-shirts to wear on Monday!

Monday, September 23- Friday, September 27 - Spirit Week

• Monday: Spirit Wear
• Tuesday: Tropical Tuesday
• Wednesday: Wacky Wednesday
• Thursday: Team Colors
• Kinder Color: Red
• 1st Gr. Color: Orange
• 2nd Gr. Color: Yellow
• 3rd Gr. Color: Green
• 4th Gr. Color: Blue
• 5th Gr. Color: Indigo (purple)
• Friday: Famous Friday

Friday, September 27 - Baltz Blanket Orders are due for those that would like to order ($20 per blanket) - flyers be available at Back to School Night, and are also linked below! This is a fundraiser to support school initiatives coordinated by our MTSS School Team.

Monday, September 30 - Wild Robot Field Trip Permission Slips are Due!

• 2024 - 2025 District At A Glance Calendar
• 2024 - 2025 District Detailed Calendar

https://drive.google.com/file/d/18M6o8izCLhaWBtKuQNGtQP1nl0VZmc4x/view?usp=sharing

The first five days of reading The Wild Robot has been nothing short of AMAZING! The students are getting into the story and enjoying answering the nightly questions. We wanted to tell you something exciting that will be happening on October 4, 2024 at the conclusion of the reading. WE ARE GOING TO TAKE THE STUDENTS TO THE MOVIES!!!

Students in grades 1 – 5 will travel to Penn Cinema to watch the movie adaptation of the book! Field trip permission slips were sent home on Friday, September 13th. The cost is $10.00 which includes their ticket and transportation. There will be no outside snacks allowed in the theater, as well as no purchasing of snacks. HOWEVER, we want our Baltz Bears to experience this movie with all that going to the movies entails, so Mrs. Personti has arranged for each student to get a small bag of popcorn, a bottle of water, and a small fruit snack pack to enjoy while watching The Wild Robot on the BIG screen at no additional cost to you. ALL MONEY AND PERMISSION SLIPS ARE DUE BY Monday, September 30, 2024.

Lastly, in order to participate in ANY field trip, all students must have an UPDATED student emergency card. Please check with your child’s homeroom teacher if you have any questions.

THANK YOU for investing in your child’s education with the participation and reading through our ONE SCHOOL ONE BOOK Initiative. It has been such a fun experience seeing so many smiles and pure excitement shining through our Baltz Bears over reading.

https://sites.google.com/redclay.k12.de.us/baltzosob2024/home

Our school team coordinates so many fabulous incentives for our Baltz Bears. If you would like to support the MTSS fundraiser, you can do so by ordering a Baltz blanket. Orders are due by 9.27.24.

Spanish: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gYSMvx1lbRnZLrRSJQcKjsFi5jOdNkOX/view?usp=sharing

English: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rSv1bibeqzmfKp0FYHi-q9cPFuoKon2S/view?usp=sharing

Administration is in the process of going to each classroom to present important parts of the Student and Family Handbook. Each family will receive a copy of the handbook by the end of this week, if you haven't already received it.

Please help us to keep our parking lot and crosswalks safe! Use extreme caution when dropping off or picking up students from school. Drive slowly and watch for children at all times. Please adhere to the guidelines and procedures when entering and exiting the school parking lot.

ARRIVAL:

Drive your vehicle single file through the drop-off lane. Arrival staff will direct you to move to the cone as far up as possible. Once you have moved to the cone as far up as possible, wait for arrival staff to open the passenger side door for your child/children to get out. After your student(s) have exited your vehicle, please wait for the vehicles in front of you to be directed to begin moving, and follow the line in a single file lane to exit the school parking lot safely.

DISMISSAL

Parents who arrive by car should join the car line. We have received reports about neighborhood traffic congestion and blocked roadways/driveways. Parking nearby and walking over is not permitted. For parents of children picking up by car, please stay in your car and enter the car line on the district side of the building.

Please be sure that your car tag is clearly displayed in your window. Move up as far as possible so that the maximum number of vehicles can enter the car line. As you drive through the car line, and pull into your pick up lane, PLEASE DRIVE SLOWLY, as we have many students boarding cars, and staff members assisting them.

Thank you for working hard to keep our children safe, by avoiding the use of cell phones and being mindful of other distractions while driving on our school campus.

As a reminder, please review our full arrival and dismissal procedures (posted previously) below.

https://sites.google.com/redclay.k12.de.us/baltzosob2024/home

Dear families, because the safety and security of our children is our number one priority, we practiced our first round of safety drills last Thursday, September 5, utilizing our Standard Response Protocols Below are some handouts to familiarize you with our district's common language and procedures. Please discuss the drills with your child/children and do not hesitate to contact us with any questions.

Sign up here: Grace Church Mobile Pantry Tickets, Thu, Sep 12, 2024 at 11:00 AM | Eventbrite

This year all Red Clay Elementary schools will continue using the Remind App for home - school communication.

The district has created accounts for you. Check your email or text messages for an account invitation. If you can't find the invitation, contact your child's teacher. Once you click on the invitation, you will be able to choose the type of communication you prefer in Remind. Choose one or a combination of text messages or email for using the Remind App. Families can select the preferred language for all communications.

For more information about getting started...check out the information and video below.

🙋🏽 Important Reminders for the first days of school:

• The front doors will open and Car Line will begin unloading at 8:45 am sharp. There is no supervision for students on campus before 8:45.
• Parents will not be permitted to walk their children to the classroom in the morning. We have many school staffers to help guide children safely to their classrooms. This is never a popular policy on the first day of school but it ensures that our staff can give all of their attention to our students as they arrive. It keeps all of our students safe. We thank you for your cooperation.
• Dismissal begins at 3:50 this year.
• Car Riders and Walkers in grades K-2 will need the Dismissal Number for pickup. Two copies were given to each family. These were distributed during the Meet and Greet and will be sent home Monday with students if you were not able to attend.
• This year, as an additional safety measure, our walkers will enter the school from the side door by the little playground (not in front by the buses).

All of the staff here at Baltz is looking forward to creating an environment to help our Baltz Brilliant Bears to develop academically, socially, and emotionally. We will work with our students to meet the school-wide expectations to Be Kind, Be Safe, Be On-Task throughout the year to build positive peer relationships, behavior, empathy, and self discipline.

Please be sure to read all the way to the bottom of this newsletter. There is a lot of information included that you will need for the upcoming school year.

*Note* many communications will come via Email. Please be sure to keep your contact info/phone/ email address/home address updated with the school office, whenever changes occur.

Please encourage your child to wear their badge each day as they get onto the bus. Having their badge ready on their lanyard will help students to scan and board quickly and safely.

Please discuss safety on the bus with your child.

Riders need to:

• Follow all directions from their driver & sit in assigned seats.
• Talk in quiet voices to those around them.
• Sit in the seat with their bookbags on their laps and their "back against the back and their bottom on the bottom" of the seat.

As a reminder, Kindergarten students must be met by an adult or they will be returned to school for pickup.

Would you like to track the location of your child's bus? Sign up for the free Where's the Bus App!

Visit www.WheresTheBus.com.

1. Click Create Account
2. Select Red Clay School District (DE) from the school drop-down list.
3. Add the student info (Last Name and Student ID) for the student you want to signup
4. Finish the account set up by entering your email and creating a password

Questions about Transportation? Call 302-322-0251.

Bus transportation is a privilege, not a right. Repeated violations may cause bus service to be suspended. The parent is responsible for providing transportation during any bus suspension.

Expectations for student behavior while riding the bus are included in the section about Discipline.

• The school day is 9:00- 3:50. Doors open at 8:45 am. Dismissal begins at 3:50 pm.

  
  

  Arrival

  The Doors open and Grab & Go Breakfast begins at 8:45. Students should not arrive on campus before 8:45 am. There is no student supervision until 8:45am.
  

  
  

  • Bus Riders will de-board the bus in the front circle and enter the front doors.

  • New this year, walkers will enter the school from the side door by the little playground (they will not enter from the front by the buses).

  • Parents of Car Riders will join the car line on the district side of the building to drop off your child(ren) in the back lot. Please have your child ready to exit the passenger side of the car. Staff will be present to open the doors and assist students as they get out of the car.

  
  

  Our parking lot is very busy in the morning. Parents will not be allowed to enter the parking lot in the morning to drop off children, all cars should come through Car Line. Parking nearby and walking over is not permitted. These routines are designed to keep everyone safe.
  

  
  

  Late Arrival: Students arriving after 9:00 AM must report to the School Office to get a late slip. It is imperative that students arrive on time to be in class by 9:00 when the instructional day begins, to maximize learning.

  
  

  Dismissal

  Early Dismissal
  

  Students leaving school before dismissal for any reason must be signed out in the office. For the protection of our students, a photo ID will be required to sign out any student. In order to maintain the safety of all of our students, we are a closed campus after 3:15 PM. There will be NO early dismissals after this time, unless previously arranged.

  
  

  Dismissal Procedures:

  In order to provide safety for all of our students, we have a closed campus beginning at 3:15. No students will be released for early dismissal after 3:15 unless it has been pre-arranged with the office.

  Our dismissal will begin at 3:50 p.m.

  *Families will receive Dismissal Number Tags at the Meet and Greet Event.

  
  

  At Dismissal:

  • Family members who are meeting walkers should meet them by the gated area near the little playground. Parents for students in grades K-2 will need to check in with your family’s number before moving to the gate to pick up your child. Students in grades 3-5 will not need to check in. More information about the new Walker Area during dismissal is below.

  • Parents who arrive by car should join the car line. Parking nearby and walking over is not permitted.

  • For parents of children picking up by car, please stay in your car and enter the car line on the district side of the building.

  • Bus riders will be escorted to the bus by staff members.

  
  

  Thank you for your cooperation in helping to keep our students safe.
  

  
  

  More Details about Procedure for Walkers at Dismissal for K-2 Students
  

  
  

  At Dismissal:
  

  
  

  • Walking- Family members who are meeting walkers should meet them by the gated area near the little playground. Parents for students in grades K-2 will need to check in with your family’s number before moving to the gate to pick up your child. Students in grades 3-5 will not need to check in.

  • Students in grades 3-5 will be considered independent walkers. Those being picked up by family members who are also picking up a student in K-2 will come to meet their family at the gate.

  • Students in Grade 2 can be independent walkers with completion of this form: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Ioya4-W6Xv0apSRq0ll8TK4QUDZ1tv9M-nbBhv15XhI/edit?usp=sharing

  • If this form is completed they will be dismissed from the Gated area to walk home(without parent pick up).

  • Form will be available in English and Spanish at the Meet & Greet Event

Click below to download this month's cafeteria menu

At Baltz Elementary School, we follow an Off and Away Policy. Cell Phone and electronic device use is prohibited. It is our expectation that all cell phones and electronic devices are kept off and in backpacks during the school day. Any visible cell phone or electronic device may be confiscated. Confiscated items will need to be picked up by a parent or guardian in the main office.

Pautas: Los estudiantes deben usar ropa limpia que no tenga agujeros ni roturas y que sea apropiada para la estación.

🏥 Did you know that we have a School Based Health Care Center right here at Baltz? If your child registered last year, they do not need to register again. If your child didn't register yet, see the forms below for more information!

The Red Clay Consolidated School District offers a voluntary low cost accident insurance for your student. Families can choose either during the school day or 24-hour coverage. The brochure is attached. Applications and fees should be sent directly to the Philadelphia Insurance Companies. There is no obligation to purchase this insurance.

Link to English Brochure

Link to Spanish Brochure

Facebook:

Follow our school on Facebook for up to date information! https://www.facebook.com/BaltzBears