Bulldogs Newsletter October 2, 2023

Dear Basswood Families,

It was nice to see some of you at the Boundary Informational Meeting yesterday at Maple Grove Middle School. Attendees were able to hear a presentation about the proposed scenarios for the boundary revision. Input was gathered from community members through small group discussions and participants had a chance to ask questions too. The district leaders are gathering feedback to inform the next steps.

If you missed it, it is not too late to learn more and to share your thinking. Here are some links to assist you:

- Attendance Boundary Information (Maps, FAQ, Timeline)

- Submit Your Feedback

Your voice matters!

Steven Schwartz
Basswood Principal

Basswood Elementary Winter Conferences will be held during Thursday, February 6, Monday, February 10, and Wednesday, February 12, at 7:30am-8:30am and 3:40pm-6:40pm. Parents will schedule conferences through their ParentVUE accounts. A letter with step-by-step instructions went home this past Wednesday. Conference scheduling will open on Tuesday, January 28, and will close the evening of Wednesday, February 5.

Please schedule your conference with your homeroom teacher. If your student is receiving EL services, you can schedule a conference with Ms. Pluzhnik as well as with your child’s homeroom teacher. If you need an interpreter during your conference, please contact the Basswood office at 763.494.3858 or email at iaconot@district279.org after you have scheduled your conference.

You can log into your ParentVUE account through the Basswood website or at:

https://mn-oas-psv.edupoint.com/PXP2_Login_Parent.aspx?regenerateSessionId=True

If you do not have a ParentVUE account or have forgotten your password, please call the Basswood Office at 763.494.3858 for assistance. Thank you for scheduling your conference beginning on Tuesday, January 28!

The Scholastic Book Fair begins Wednesday, February 5, and runs through Tuesday, February 11. We are looking for volunteers to help.

Please sign up for 2-hour volunteer spots: https://tinyurl.com/BookFairBW

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/

Welcome to ordering Basswood Elementary 2024-25 Yearbook!

Your school’s yearbook is available for sale for $10! Yearbooks will be on sale until 04/04/2025.

Click here to order.

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!

• January 27 - 5th grade MGMS Registration in class (virtual)
• January 28 - Conference Schedule opens up in ParentVUE

• January 30 - 5th grade Orchestra Concert 6:30pm at OMS

• January 31 - PTO Read-a-thon Kickoff

• January 31 - 5th grade DARE Graduation at 11:30am
• February 3 - NO SCHOOL
  

• February 3 - NO SCHOOL/Staff Workshop
  
• February 5 - 11 - Scholastic Book Fair
• February 6 - Conferences
• February 10 - Conferences
• February 12 - Conferences
• February 17 - NO SCHOOL/Presidents' Day
  

• 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, 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

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.

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.