Bulldogs Newsletter October 2, 2023

Dear Basswood Families,

This is a very special time of year and the Basswood Bulldogs are enjoying the joys of the season. There has been a lot to enjoy, including sledding in Physical Education and playing in the snow banks during recess. The kindergarteners made gingerbread houses and everyone is enjoying seasonal songs in music class. There have been a lot of smiling faces at Basswood this week.

Illness at Basswood: It is also the time of year we experience seasonal illness. We have had an inordinate number of students with flu-like symptoms. Please watch for symptoms and keep your child home if they are contagious.

Lost & Found: We have all of the lost items on display in the front hallway. Please be sure to check the tables for anything that may belong to your family. Please note that all items will be donated over winter break.

Out of Office: Lastly, I want you to know that I taking a few days off before winter break to care for a knee injury. Basswood will be in good hands, as Karen Kennedy will be here to care for things while I am recovering. Please reach out to her for assistance. Thank you!

In partnership,

Steven Schwartz
Basswood Principal
#WeAreBasswood!

The BWGB We Share Toy Drive will start Monday, December 15, and run through Friday, December 19. We are in need of new, unwrapped toys and gifts to benefit children in our community through CROSS Community. Some suggestions would be toys for birth to 10 years old and gift cards for 11 to 18 years old. Our goal is to collect 1000 toys!

While the 2025-26 school year is still young, Osseo Area Schools is already making preparations for a smooth transition to new attendance boundaries at the elementary and middle school levels for the fall of 2026. Families can double-check whether or not their household is impacted by using the 2026-27 search tool available via osseoschools.org/boundaries.

• December 18 - Secure Drill at 2:45pm
  

• December 22-23 - Moonlight Bowling in PE classes
• December 23 - All School Sing-Along
• December 24 thru January 2 - Winter Break
• January 5 - Welcome Back to School!
• January 13-15 - Vision & Hearing Screening for 1st, 3rd, 5th grades
• January 16 - E-Learning Day for Students
• January 19 - No School

• 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

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.

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.

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.

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. Please note that we are moving away from Twitter (@BWPrincipal279) for Basswood social media. Click here 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