Bridport Community Newletter

This past week was our first full five-day week of the school year! Today's newsletter is chock-full of information- as you read please let me know if you have any questions!

Classes are up and running and have strong routines and procedures. When expectations are clear, and we all know what to do- everyone can be successful! This week, classrooms cemented their essential agreements, and began to deliver fall academic screeners. These screeners, that we take three times a year, help us know how each student is doing and guides our planning. We would love your help to encourage your child to do their best this week on any testing that happens.. and remind them that they can do hard things!

I'm looking forward to seeing everyone at our Open House on Tuesday 9/16 at 5:30. Join us to see our amazing work so far, and enjoy some ice cream from Friends of Bridport School!

See you soon!

Jenny

• Arrival for all students (K-5) begins at 7:40AM. Preschool Drop off Begins at 7:50. Please do not drop off students any earlier as there is no adult supervision until 7:40.
• Please help us keep arrival and dismissal safe for all students and be mindful as you are driving- Stay in the drop/off pick up lane and never drive around the buses.
• Please check out Bridport Central School's Family Handbook- its newly updated and PACKED with excellent information to have a great school year.

On Friday- we all read The Magical Yet, and talked about all the things we can't do... YET, and the power of growth mindset thinking. Its an amazing book that emphasizes our limitless potential.

Ask your child... what is something they can't do yet, but want to give a try!

802 Smiles Dental Hygiene Program is returning this Fall to offer free dental screenings and preventative care to all ACSD students. Please complete the forms below by September 22, if you would like your child to participate. You can access the forms here, or there are paper copies available at your school.

Tuesday 9/16- Open House and Ice Cream Social- 5:30-7:00

Wednesday 9/17- Early Release Day

-Preschool dismisses at 11:30

-K-5 students (car riders) will dismiss at 12:45, busses normally leave around 1:15.

Thursday October 2nd- FOBCS Mtg- 6:00

Earlier this year, our district shared an overview of our ACSD safety practices and our efforts to keep our community safe. You can find that information here. At BCS we practice safety drills designed to ensure that our students and staff are familiar with how to be safe in an emergency. Some months, we practice what to do if we need to evacuate the building. Other months we practice what to do when unsafe people or hazards enter our school - the response to these events are called “Options-Based” responses.

We are required to practice two options-based drills - one in September and one in January. Options-based drills introduce students to various strategies in response to a threat, such as how to respond to cues and listen to and follow safety directions from a trusted adult at school. Please know that all options based drills are trauma informed and age appropriate. This means the drills are performed in a way that is sensitive to the emotional well-being of our students.

We will be holding our first options-based drill on 9/17/25

During an options-based drill, all of the perimeter doors to the school building will be locked and will remain locked until the drill has been completed. To enable everyone to remain safe, no one will be allowed to enter the building or leave the building until the drill is completed.

We know that this is an emotional topic for parents and caregivers and want to assure you of a few things:

• The adults in our building work together to plan and ensure students feel safe and we remind them that the drill is practice.

• We talk with students in a developmentally appropriate way before and after each drill and our practice is developmentally aligned.

• We are available to support families. We will share resources below to help you talk with your child about these experiences and invite you to reach out at any time.

I want you to know about this safety exercise in advance so you can talk with your children about it when they come home. Here are a few resources to support those conversations:

1. Talking with Your Children about Safety Drills (Johns Hopkins)

2. Talking with Children about Violence: Tips for Parents and Educators (NASP)

If you have questions or would like to connect please reach out to me directly

Dear Families,

From funny memes to unkind words or even bullying, group chats (even on kids messenger!) can sometimes create more harm than good.

It’s important to remember that children are still learning how to interact with others. At ages 9–11, they don’t yet have the maturity to fully understand the impact of their words. What feels like a silly joke to them can cause real and lasting hurt. That’s why I’d like to share some important reminders and strategies to help you guide your child as they learn to use texting and social media responsibly.

🚦 Stop & Think

Teach your child about the “invisible audience.”
Anything they post can be reshared beyond the original chat. Once it’s out there, they lose control.

👉 Encourage them to pause 10 seconds before sending and ask:

• Could this hurt someone?
  
  

• How would I feel if this was shared with others?

Even adults feel stressed by constant notifications. For kids, it can be overwhelming and lead to anxiety.

Strategies for healthy boundaries:

• 🔕 Mute notifications
  
  

• 🚪 Leave the chat if it feels unsafe or unkind
  
  

• 🌙 Set devices to Do Not Disturb at certain times
  
  

• 👀 Turn off read receipts so they don’t feel pressured to reply instantly
  
  

(How-to guides: Apple & Android Support Pages)

🙂 Tone & Miscommunication

Without facial expressions, texts can easily be misread.

Help your child avoid misunderstandings by:

• Using emojis 😊 to show tone
  
  

• Asking clarifying questions ❓
  
  

• Assuming good intentions 🙌
  
  

💡 Final Note

Social media and messaging are new skills for kids—and they need guidance.

If you have questions, want resources, or need advice, reach out anytime:
📧 abragg@acsdvt.org
📞 802-758-2331

— Amber Bragg, School Counselor

Hello Bridport Families,

We know that social emotional learning (SEL) is crucial for our students’ success in school and in life, so across ACSD we are working on systems to support strong SEL teaching and learning in our schools. As part of that work, we are using Panorama surveys, research-backed SEL measurement tools. We will use the data we collect with this assessment to reflect on student learning and strengthen our programs and instruction to help all students succeed.

ACSD students have been taking this survey for 7 years now, and we are actively using the data at the school and district level. At Bridport School it helps us to know both how students are doing as well as respond with whole class, grade, and individual supports as needed.

This survey will be given to students in grades 3-12 between this week and 10/1. The survey asks students to self-reflect on skills related to self-management, self-awareness, responsible decision-making, relationship skills, and social awareness. We ask that all students participate, because their feedback provides valuable insights to help us improve and adapt. K-2 students do not participate directly in the survey. Instead, K-2 teachers complete an SEL Teacher Perception checklist for each student.

Please notify your child’s teacher as well as Linda Barrett if you wish to opt your child out of taking the survey. Thank you in advance for supporting this important work. If you have any questions please contact Jennifer Urban at jurban@acsdvt.org or call 802-758-2331.

Thank you,

Jennifer Urban

Principal

Check out our instagram @bridportschoolvermont to follow along!