Bulldogs Newsletter October 2, 2023

Dear Basswood Families,

We had a great day celebrating a successful Read A Thon. A few weeks ago the students voted and their top pick for a celebration was to challenge Mrs. Kennedy to a race. As we waited for nice weather and for the field to firm up, the enthusiasm grew about race day. The kids had a little swagger about how fast they were and today they had a chance to prove it. The weather was great for running and it was a great celebration.

Thank you to all who helped with the Read a Thon, to our students that met their reading goal and to the many people that invested in the students at Basswood financially. We appreciate you!

I hope to see many of you at the Carnival this evening!

Steven Schwartz
Basswood Principal

On Friday, May 9, we are hosting the 5th grade Career Day in the Media Center from 9am to 11:30am. We are looking for volunteers to come in and share their careers and educational paths to inspire and motivate our 5th graders in their academic planning.

We have three options for you to sign up:

1. Google Form: https://forms.gle/SGQ8aYd8v88z6ZQ67
2. Email our school counselor, Amy Paton, at patona@district279.org
3. Call Amy Paton at (763) 315-7671

This is such a wonderful event for our 5th grade students! Please consider signing up.

Basswood has our All School BBQ scheduled for Friday, May 2, during your student's lunch period. You can purchase a meal ticket for $5 at the door or online through the QR code. Your student(s) do NOT need a ticket. We will accept cash, check, or card at the door.

Please allow extra time when attending the BBQ. We will be requiring all visitors to sign in with a valid ID and wear a visitor's badge. Remember to bring a blanket or chairs to sit on. We are hoping for a beautiful day so that we all can enjoy a delicious BBQ picnic lunch outside.

Dear Parents and Guardians,

I hope this message finds you well. We would like to inform you that our school's Media Center is scheduled for a summer remodel, which will help us provide an even better learning environment for our students. Due to this exciting update, we kindly request that all library books be returned earlier than usual this year.

Important Dates:
• Last Day for Book Check-out: April 18
• Return Deadline: May 2

Please help us ensure that all library books are returned by the deadline so we can make this transition as smooth as possible. If your child has misplaced any books or if you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to us.
We appreciate your cooperation and understanding as we prepare for these improvements to our school. Thank you for your support in helping us maintain our library resources.

Adrienne Metzler
Basswood Library Media Specialist

BASSWOOD PTO NEEDS YOU!

Are you good at math? Do you have flexibility in your job? Enjoy being involved with Basswood?

The PTO Treasurer position might be perfect for you! 😃

Please contact the PTO at BasswoodPTO@gmail.com for more information.

This is the time of year when we begin thinking about next year’s classroom placement. Several variables are taken into consideration to create a balanced classroom that will meet student needs.

If you feel there are any unique factors the school may not know about your student or you would like to request your student be separated from another student, please complete and return this form to the Basswood office. Please note: We are unable to honor specific teacher requests. We ask that you do not list individual teacher names.

Forms went home on April 2 to Kindergarten through 4th grade students. If you need another form, please reach out to the office. Thank you!

What time does my student have lunch? – The BBQ takes place during the normal lunch schedule. Kindergarten 1:15pm, 1st grade 11:45am, 2nd grade 10:45am, 3rd grade 12:15pm, 4th grade 11:15am, and 5th grade 12:45pm. You will need to enter through the front door. Bring your ID to scan and get a name badge.
Where is it located, out back? – Families will go through the lunch line with their student. Seating is in the cafeteria or outside along the west side of the school. We encourage you to bring a blanket or chairs to sit on.
Can we purchase tickets ahead of time?/Do you take cash or charge? – It is encouraged to purchase tickets ahead of time. The deadline is today at 3pm. Click here: https://district279.epaytrak.com/login.aspx Otherwise, cash or check only at the door.
Any vegetarian options? – Yes, there are serving a black bean burger as the vegetarian option

The purpose of this charitable outreach program is to provide free care to low-income children in need. Thousands of dental professionals volunteer their time to this program because they understand the pain and embarrassment many children experience due to untreated dental problems. Since the program’s inception in Minnesota in 2003, 86,000 children have received free care through Give Kids a Smile.

Find a Participating Clinic - some clinics may offer an alternative date.

1. Parent/guardian – locate a clinic and call to make an appointment.
2. Patients generally have to be 18 years of age or younger.
3. Patients must be accompanied by parent/guardian.
4. Assistance: Families who need help with finding a clinic/scheduling an appointment can call United Way 2-1-1 (800-543-7709) Monday-Friday 8 am– 5 pm.
5. Translation services: Referral specialists can assist in scheduling via 3-way call to dental clinic and making an appointment for those who speak Hmong, Somali, & Spanish.

You can find more information here:

https://www.mndental.org/events/give-kids-a-smile/find-a-participating-clinic/

When bringing forgotten winter gear or instruments or lunches to Basswood, please do your best to have them to Basswood by 10:30am. We have morning deliveries each day at 10:30am for all of these forgotten items so they get delivered before lunches begin. This way these are items are delivered to the classroom and we do not have to call to interrupt instructional time. Thank you for your consideration!

• April 29 - 5th grade Band Concert 6:30pm at OMS
• April 30 - Evacuation Drill 2:05pm
• May 2 - All School BBQ

• May 5 - NO SCHOOL / Staff Workshop Day
• May 8 - PTO Meeting 6:30pm in Media Center
• May 15 - 4th grade Recorder Concert 6:30pm
• May 30 - Decathlon (4 Star, Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grades)
• June 2 - Decathlon (3rd, 4th, 5th grades)

• 2nd grade: 10:45 - 11:10am
• 4th grade: 11:15 - 11:40am
• 1st grade: 11:45 - 12:10pm
• 3rd grade: 12:15 - 12:40pm
• 5th grade: 12:45 - 1:10pm
• Kindergarten: 1:15 - 1:40pm

First bell rings at 8:40am letting students into the school. Second bell rings at 8:50am letting students know they should be in their classroom ready to start the day! At 8:50am, the front doors are shut and student will need to come through the office to get a late pass.

If you are planning a family vacation or just time away from school, please remember to call your student's absence into the attendance line. You can call 763-494-3858 and press 1 to leave a message with your student's name, student's teacher, reason for absence, and dates that your student will be gone. We really appreciate your assistance!

We welcome and encourage volunteers at Basswood. You can complete an online volunteer form online at apps.raptortech.com/Apply/Nzg0OmVuLVVT and work with our volunteer coordinator, Lezlie Northagen. Volunteer information will go home the first week of school. Activities in a normal school year include being a classroom assistant, helping with classroom parties, helping with PTO sponsored activities (Carnival, Turkey Bingo, Book Fair, etc.) along with numerous other opportunities. We continue to follow state guidelines and adjust our volunteer program accordingly.

Yes! You will be able to follow us on Facebook. Our first posts went live on September 5th. Please note that we are moving away from Twitter (@BWPrincipal279) for Basswood social media. Click here below to follow us.

Every parent or guardian of enrolled students of Basswood Elementary is an automatic member of the PTO. We encourage you to join one of our next general meetings - or just send us a note if you have a question. You can find more information on our PTO website: https://sites.google.com/view/basswoodpto/home?authuser=1 or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BasswoodElementaryPto

Our district Community Education department offers a variety of after school classes. If you do sign your student up for one of these classes, please remember to let your student's teacher know about the class and when your student needs to stay after school.

The District Transportation department only allows students to ride their assigned bus to and from school. If you have questions, you can reach out to the Transportation Department at 763-391-7244 or transportationreques@district279.org.