Bridges Breeze

Friday, January 5, 2023

School begins at 8:10 am. Students are marked tardy at 8:20 am. Thanks!

"I Love Beginnings. If I was in charge of calendars, every day would be Jan. 1." Jerry Spinelli

During the month of January, we will be re-assessing DIBELS. This is a great time to see the growth of students and to re-evaluate the needs for each student. Staff will also be using the NWEA Data to drive decisions for students. We are excited to see the learning happen over the next 5 months!

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Wednesday, Jan. 10 - early release at 12:50 pm

Monday, January 15th - no staff or students

Monday, January 22nd - no students

On Monday, January 22nd, we will be having our Achievement and Integration Literacy event at The Blue Earth County Library from 5:00-6:30. There will be many stations and Domino's Pizza for dinner. If you are interested in attending, please fill out this Google form (https://forms.gle/oZn3sW2uvXKeDRpaA) or send back the note that will go home next Tuesday in folders.

January is a time to refresh, start new things and at Bridges continue to do the things that are going well! Thank you for your partnership!

Together in Learning! Mrs. Rittmiller

Staff Spotlight for the week

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Ms. Holmgren - Multi-Language Learner Specialist

Ms. Holmgren is so excited to be back at Bridges for year 2! The students, staff, and families are SUPER. When she's not at work, she likes to spend her time outdoors. She takes a canoe trip in the Boundary Waters every summer.

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Mrs. Fox - School Social Worker

Mrs. Fox is looking forward to continuing to meet all of the great people at Bridges, connecting resources and supporting kids and families as needed. Outside of work she enjoys hiking, running when able, a new found hobby of golf, traveling, taking her dogs on walks and spending time with friends/family to fill her cup!

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Mrs. Olivo - School Counselor

Mrs. Olivo is looking forward to continuing to support our Bridges students with their social and emotional needs in 2024. Outside of work, she loves spending time with her family, going for walks, being creative and traveling.

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ITEMS needed for STEM

I hope this message finds you well. As we continue to prioritize STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education for our students, we are reaching out to families for support with reusable materials for students to build and construct.

Here is a list of items we are looking for:

Fabric Scraps
Empty Water Bottles
Plastic Bottles
Tissue Boxes
Small Wood Scraps

If you have any reusable items to spare, please drop them off at our school office by Thursday, Jan 25th Look for the STEM Reusable Box.

Thank you for your support in fostering a love for STEM education among our students.

CogAt for Grade 2 and New Students!

The Cognitive Abilities (CogAt) Screener testing window will be open from February 1st thru the 15th. The CogAt will be given to all 2nd grade students and new-to-district students in grades 3-5 who have not yet taken the CogAt.

The CogAt provides insight into students’ abilities and guides educators in making appropriate educational decisions for students. Mankato Area Public Schools use the CogAt in the following ways:

to help educators differentiate instruction for the needs and abilities of a student;
to understand discrepancies between a student’s ability and achievement; and
to use as a measure in identifying students for placement in Talent Development Services, including cluster and Rising Scholar classrooms.

In grade 2, the CogAt is untimed. Students in a typical 2nd grade class generally take less than one hour to complete the CogAt, In grades 3-5, the CogAt will take approximately 45 minutes. The CogAt has three sections: verbal analogies, quantitative analogies, and nonverbal matrices. There will be short breaks between sections.

If you do NOT want your child to take the Cognitive Abilities Screening Form, please contact your school no later than Wednesday, January 31st.

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LOST & FOUND

Keep checking the lost and found! It fills up quickly!

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Snow and Flu Season Information

Snow and flu season are just around the corner! In preparation, here are two important resources that are available on the ISD77 website for your review:

Flu Information for Families - provides influenza information

Weather Related Information - includes details on where to find out about weather related closings and late starts. Please note the NEW MAPS Helpline: 507-387-6046.

Please contact your child's school with any questions or concerns.

Backpack Food Program

The BackPack and Power Pack Food Programs are free programs providing students in grades K-8 with weekend food packs containing breakfast, lunch and a snack for each day off of school. As of right now, food packs will be delivered weekly directly to a students backpack while they are at lunch or on break. Sign up today to give your child an additional boost of nutrition.

Backpack link