Bulldogs Newsletter October 2, 2023

Dear Basswood Families,

As we close out another school year, I want to express my deepest gratitude to all of you. Thank you for entrusting our staff with your children. It is a true privilege to serve your families, and we never take that trust for granted.

Thank you also for the countless ways you support our school. You have volunteered thousands of hours supporting community events, hosting class parties, helping teachers weekly, shelving books, popping popcorn, and leading the Basswood PTO. Additionally, your financial contributions to our Fun Run and Read-A-Thon have provided rich experiences for our students. I am incredibly grateful for our community.

Please review a few important updates as we head into the summer:

• Report Cards: Starting today, you can access your child's report card through ParentVUE. If you have any trouble accessing the portal, please contact our main office for assistance.
  
  

• Summer Office Hours: Our office team will be taking some well-deserved time off this summer, and the office will be closed for most of July. During this time, our response to voicemails and emails will be delayed. You will receive an automated email response detailing when we will be back in the office. Thank you for your patience and understanding.
  
  

• Kidstop Summer Program: Basswood is hosting a large Kidstop program this summer to provide school-aged care for registered families. Please note that Kidstop is run by a separate department; their team can only assist with questions specifically related to summer programming.
  
  

Thank you for an amazing school year. We are already looking forward to welcoming back our returning families, as well as greeting the new families joining us from Oak View, Rice Lake, and Rush Creek elementary schools. Have a wonderful, safe summer, and we will see you for the 2026–27 school year!

In partnership,

Steven Schwartz

Basswood Principal

#WeAreBasswood!

Here is the school supply list for the 2026-27 school year. A supply list flyer went home on June 3.

We will be hosting a New Family Event on Wednesday, August 26, at 11:00am. We are inviting all families that are new to Basswood! Whether you are new because of the boundary changes, just moved into the Basswood attendance area, or coming in as a new kindergartner, we'd love to see you!

If you are new to Basswood, you will be receiving a letter in the mail and/or emailed with all the details inviting your family to this event. We will give you many details about the upcoming school year (2026-27), provide an opportunity to ask questions, and take a self-guided tour of the school. The first day of school is Tuesday, September 8, 2026. Basswood’s school hours are 8:50am – 3:20pm.

We are proud of Basswood Elementary School and the families that are a part of this fantastic school. It is important to us that you feel connected and proud to be a part of the Basswood School community.

If you visit Basswood during the school day, you’ll notice a new Raptor Visitor Check-In iPad at the front office. This updated system was implemented as part of a district-wide effort to better support safety and security across our school district.

Two ways that visitors are able to utilize this new system:

1. NEW: Visitors can utilize the Raptor Safe app. This app can be downloaded for free through your phone’s app store. Families can set up an account, and then each time they visit can open the app and use the iPad to scan a personalized QR code located in the app for a faster check in. After following the prompts, a badge will then print with your photo, name, date, time, and visit location. Visitors must wear the badge at all times inside the building.
2. Visitors can scan a drivers license or Minnesota state ID using the iPad camera. After scanning, visitors will follow prompts on the iPad to select their destination inside the building. Following the prompts will produce a badge to wear.

Thank you for your partnership in keeping our school safe. If you have questions or need support, please contact Basswood office at 763-494-3858.

• June 11 - Report cards available on ParentVUE

• August 26 - New Family Orientation 11am
• September 2 - Open House 4:30pm - 6:30pm
• September 3 - PTO Kindergarten Popsicles on the Playground 5:30-7pm
• September 7 - Labor Day Holiday - NO SCHOOL
• September 8 - First Day of School
• September 11 - All School Assembly 9:30am
• September 15 - Kindergarten Information Night 6-6:45pm
• September 28 - Student Picture Day
• September 28-October 1 - Vision & Hearing Screening for 1st, 3rd, & 5th grades
• October 2 - Fun Run Event
• October 5, 7, 12 - Conferences
• October 15-16 - No School/MEA Break

• 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.

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, Lisa Yamaya. 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, BW Bingo, Book Fair, etc.) along with numerous other opportunities. We continue to follow state guidelines and adjust our volunteer program accordingly.

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!

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.

Yes! You will be able to follow us on Facebook. Please note that we are moving away from Twitter (@BWPrincipal279) for Basswood social media. Click here to follow us.

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.

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