January 2025

Dear Families,

Happy New Year! We hope your holiday season was filled with joy, rest, and precious moments with loved ones. As we return to school, we’re excited to build on the momentum of the first semester and dive into the incredible learning opportunities that lie ahead from January to June.

This semester, we’ll continue to focus on fostering a nurturing environment where every student can thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. Together, as partners in education, we will continue to support our children’s growth and celebrate their successes.

Thank you for your ongoing trust and collaboration. Here’s to a bright and successful new year for our entire school community!

Warmly,

Tanya Montgomery, Principal

Karyn Chisholm, Assistant Principal

As winter approaches, we know the season brings colder weather, busy schedules, and sometimes illnesses. While it’s natural for winter to bring a few more challenges, we want to emphasize the importance of keeping up regular attendance whenever possible. Each day in school is a valuable opportunity for your child to build skills, connect with their classmates, and participate in engaging lessons that keep their learning on track.

Studies show that consistent attendance is a strong factor in student success. When students are present, they not only keep up with classwork but also benefit from classroom discussions, group activities, and the personal connections they build with teachers and friends. These interactions are vital to their learning and help build the confidence and sense of belonging that motivate them every day.

We understand that health is a top priority, and if your child is sick, rest is the best medicine. But for those brisk winter mornings when it may just be hard to get going, remember that every day of learning counts, and we’re here to support you in making sure your child arrives ready for a day of growth and discovery.

Thank you for your commitment to your child’s learning and success. Let’s work together to make this winter season one of growth, learning, and shared accomplishment!

Just a reminder - any and all medications must be dropped off by a parent in the health room with the appropriate documentation signed by both the parent and a physician. Please do not send any medication to school in your student's backpack, it will be confiscated and thrown away. For the appropriate documentation, please contact the health room.

Pre-K 3

Hello Parents/Guardians,

Your child is learning about Safe and Healthy Me (Me cuido y soy saludable) throughout Theme 4. They will learn songs about stop, drop, and roll, washing your hands, and the hokey pokey! They will read It's a Safety Rule, We are Safe and Healthy Kids, Cowboy Mouse, Eat Green, Get Moving!, and Better Things to Do. In math, they will be learning about AB, ABC, and AAB patterns. Our focus letters for the month are: J, j, N, n, H, h, M, m V, v, X, x, K, k, Q, q. Please work with your child to recognize their name, know the first letter in their name, and begin trying to write the first letter in their name. As the weather begins to get colder, please remember to label your child's jacket/coat and send in pants as an extra change of clothes. Thank you for your continued support!

Happy New Year families!

We hope you had a relaxing and restful break. We are excited to see your students back in our classrooms ready to learn. Pre-K is beginning our new theme: How Structures Are Built.” This unit focuses on how structures and tools work and how to make or do things. Students explore the form and function of objects through observations, simple experiments, games, and activities. We will learn the letters Ff, Gg, Nn, Pp, Rr and Dd and their sounds. In math, we will review shapes, create sets of objects to match a numeral, and subitizing.

Please remember that we go outside daily (as long as the temperature is above 32 degrees). We are working on zipping and putting coats on independently. If you could work on this at home, we would really appreciate it! Thank you for your continued support!

Kindergarten

Happy 2025! It is hard to believe that your child has been in kindergarten for 4 months. All of the learning, growing, and adjusting they have done to being a kindergartener is amazing and is worth celebrating! This month in kindergarten…

• In math, we will be building our knowledge of addition and subtraction! This can be hard for some students, so to help your child experience success, practice counting and building numbers at home, as well as adding and subtracting simple household objects.

• In literacy, we will be learning consonant clusters (in words like stop and ask), as well as building stamina for independent reading. Additionally, we will continue our unit on farms before transitioning to learning about Native Americans.

• In science and social studies, we are going to be learning about cultures and traditions from around the world. If you have any special cultures or traditions from your family that you would like to be shared at school, be sure to tell your child’s teacher!

As we start the new year, remember that your child’s teacher is always there for you. Together we are a team! Please reach out if you need anything. Happy January!

1st Grade

Happy New Year First Grade families!! We are ready to start fresh with new units in Math Literacy, and Science/Social Studies. We will be diving into Early American Civilizations in our CKLA Knowledge block. We will be learning about the Mayans, Aztecs, and Incas. In Skills, we are starting to learn about r-controlled vowels and multisyllabic words. Be on the lookout for practice pages for reading and tricky words. Math is taking us into the world of 2D and 3D shapes. We will talk about defining and non-defining attributes about shapes and how to use shapes to create new shapes. Be on the lookout in your home and community, try and identify different shapes with your student. In Science and Social Studies, we will be looking at culture and how we are all connected. Before break, a permission slip went home for our next field trip to the Science Center! Please return it as soon as possible. Have a great break and see you in 2025!!

Thanks!

The First Grade Team

2nd Grade

Happy New Year to our 2nd Grade Families!

We are still in Quarter 2 and still on the learning path! Let us” Reveal” something to you! We are moving forward in math. We will start Unit 6 where students learn to use the counting on, counting back, make a 10, while using addition to subtract within 20. Students learn to represent/solve 2-digit subtraction equations and solve one- and two-step word problems involving subtraction. There will be “A LOT” of subtraction involved, so please continue to practice at home using Reveal and iReady for great reinforcement! We encourage our children to also practice reading and writing with our weekly optional homework. Our writing has increased as we get into our CKLA curriculum.Thank you to families who came out to support our Literacy Night! Please take a moment to view what we send home. We are still learning about The War of 1812 and will be assessing that soon. We will move to “Cycle in Nature” which will be great to explore. It’s important that everyone gets involved to help them be successful. We want the best for our children and will continue to push them to their very best potential. Thank you for your love and support

2nd Grade Team

3rd Grade

Reading

The nonfiction Reader for Unit 4, Stories of Ancient Rome, consists of selections describing the historical events and culture of the ancient Roman civilization. Students will read the legend of Romulus and Remus about the founding of Rome, as well as several myths about Roman gods and goddesses. They will study the historical rise and fall of the Roman republic and empire, as well as key historical figures such as Hannibal, Julius Caesar, and Augustus.

Spelling

During this unit’s spelling exercises, students will review the spelling patterns of r-controlled vowels as well as spellings of the sound /ee/. In Lessons 1–5, students will review r-controlled vowels spelled ‘ar,’ ‘or,’ ‘er,’ ‘ir,’ and ‘ur.’ The spelling ‘or’ will be pronounced /or/ and /er/. In Lessons 6–10, students will review the sound of /ee/ spelled ‘ee’ and ‘e.’ In Lessons 11–15, students will review the sound of /ee/ spelled ‘ea,’ ‘ie,’ and ‘i.’

Grammar

Grammar continues with a review and expansion of skills introduced in second grade. Students will review verb tenses and the verbs to be and to have as well as subject-verb agreement, learning to change the spelling of verbs to match various subjects. Students will have large blocks of grammar instruction each week and instructional time for review in Lesson 9.

Morphology

Throughout Grade 3, students will study word parts, such as prefixes, suffixes, and root words, during the morphology portion of the lessons. In this unit, students will study the common suffixes –er, –or, –ist, –ian, –y, and –al. They will review how suffixes change the meaning of root words and how they may change the part of speech of that word. Students will also define and use words with these suffixes in different contexts.

Mathematics

This month our Mathematicians continue to make connections between arrays, area and multiplication as we explore how to find the area of a rectangle. Students should also be fluent with the 0s, 1s, 2s, 5s, and 10s facts. They should be able to recall those facts within 5 seconds. Have your child practice daily. Thank you for your support.

Science

This month third grade scientists will continue to explore magnetism and how magnets repel and attract. They will begin to explore ecosystems and how being part of a group helps animals survive. Encourage your child to read about a variety of organisms and compare their life cycles looking for similarities and differences.

Social Studies

This month, we'll start exploring careers and occupations within our community and identify ways we can contribute to the common good. In turn, we'll examine the ways in which Anne Arundel County honors the contributions of its citizens. To expand on our understanding of culture, we'll discuss and determine how we can show respect for other people, cultures, and communities both local and global.

4th Grade

Fourth grade would like to wish everyone a happy holiday and we cannot wait to see you in the new year.

Reading: We have begun our new unit called "Eureka." Students will learn how to become inventors themselves while they analyze the world around them, identify problems, and create solutions for those problems.

Writing: During writing, students will be able to establish an opinion and support their opinion.

Math: Students have begun learning how to estimate and equally share in order to divide. Students will work on using different strategies to divide. Families can support their child at home by practicing multiplies or multiplication.

Science: In science, students are learning about weathering and erosion and how they shape earths surfaces.

Social Studies: To wrap our 2nd quarter, students are learning about how Maryland and the United States were colonized as well as European Expansion during the 1500-1750.

As we get closer to the end of 2nd quarter students will have the following assessments:

Science Quarterly- 1/6

Math Quarterly- 1/10

Reading Quarterly- 1/13

Please make sure your student gets a good night's rest.

Field trips:

Jan 24th- Maryland Science Center

Feb 21- Navy Band Yard

April 1- Arlington Echo (Day trip) **We will need 25 volunteers

April 30- Release Nimbus (This will be a select 10 students)

5th Grade

Happy New Year Families!

In 5th grade ELA, we will be continuing to learn about Don Quixote and writing an opinion essay about his actions. In math, we will be starting our division of whole numbers and decimals units. In science we will be finishing our unit about earth's spheres as well as starting our unit on matter. Finally, in Social Studies, we will be learning more about the Civil war and its impact on the country.

Our math Quarterly is on January 6th and our ELA quarterly is on January 10th, so attendance is important this month!

PTA

Happy New Year! We hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season and was able to celebrate with family and friends! In the new year we hope to see you at some of the PTA events being held.

January 16th - 2hr early dismissal Chuck E. Cheese Spirit Night: 12:30 - 9:00 pm

January 31st - Winter Carnival/Dance (Family Event) 5:30pm - 7pm

February 3rd - PTA Meeting - Media Center

All flyers and information will be shared on the BPES PTA Facebook page, the app as well as flyers sent home. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to us at bpes_pta@yahoo.com.

Chorus and Band

Hello Families!

Thank you for a wonderful winter concert season! We enjoyed performing for you at the Chesapeake Arts Center on December 16th. The kids had a great time. We are looking forward to showcasing all of our band/strings/chorus students once again in the Spring. Please keep instruments and music folders safe over the holiday break and look for an email from Mrs. Israel in early January before we return. If you are a band or strings parent and are not receiving emails from Mrs. Israel, please send her an updated email address at risrael@aacps.org.

Thank you!

BPES Music Department

PBIS

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1m9D0XpblrHN471KzL-manZKibqvzFSEx_Usj-i9kshY/pub

CSI

Our school has been designated as a Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI) School by the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE), based on schoolwide performance and other criteria. In partnership with MSDE, Anne Arundel County Public Schools has provided a dedicated team to address the unique needs of CSI schools. This team works to support students and teachers through targeted interventions, data-driven individualized plans, professional development for teachers, and family and community engagement initiatives.

These efforts aim to create a supportive and effective learning environment that accelerates student achievement and enhances overall school performance. If you have questions about the resources and supports available at our school, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Together, we can ensure the success of every student.

Counselor

What does a School Counselor DO?

I work alongside teachers and parents to help students develop

socially and emotionally, and to help remove any barriers to learning!

I Provide:

•Classroom lessons teaching social skills, how to take care of strong feelings, study skills, etc.

•Small group counseling

•Short-term individual counseling

•Consultation with parents and teachers

•Parent workshops

•Community resource referrals (including longer term therapy services)

•Schoolwide programming (Kindness Week, Harvest for the Hungry etc.)

Navigating Special Education: A Family Support Night

The Title I and Special Education offices are working together to host an event specifically for the families of Students with Disabilities at our identified CSI and ATSI schools on January 15, 2025, 4:30-6:30 PM at Hilltop Elementary School. It is called Navigating Special Education: A Family Support Night.

There will be a presentation called: What does it mean to have an IEP. What are services during the school day? In addition, we will have many service providers and supporters present so families may ask general questions related to services.

For more information, please email sabell1@aacps.org or talk to the Special Educator in your building.

Last year we introduced our Appreciation Station Snack Cart to our staff! The cart will be filled every Wednesday full of sweet and salty snacks and drinks to show our BPES staff just how much we appreciate them. This school year we are looking for families to sponsor a week by either purchasing snacks or making a $40 donation so the snacks can be purchased. We ask that donations are dropped off to the school by Monday of the sponsored week. Please consider signing up below! Thank you for helping our staff know how much we appreciate them!

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080D4BABAA2CA0FB6-appreciation

Five Star Parent

1. Builds a positive relationship with all staff members.

2. Dedicated to the BPES community.

3. Builds a partnership with their child's teacher. This partnership is based on trust, communication, and student growth.

4. Dedicated to preventing chronic absenteeism and chronic tardiness.

5. Respects and honors our community of diverse learners.

Emergency card verification emails have been sent. Please make sure you check and update your emergency contact information. The links are only active for 10 days. If you need assistance, please contact the main office at 410 222 6590.

Doors open at 7:40.

Students are dismissed at 2:25.

Late arrival/Early Dismissal

If your child arrives at school after 8:00, they are considered late. Please make sure they are at school prior to this time. Students need to be in their classrooms by 8:00 in order to be marked on time. If your child is late to school, or is getting picked up early, an adult MUST come into the building to sign them in or out.

Early dismissals must take place before 2:00 pm. The office is busy after 2:00, preparing for dismissal procedures, and will not be able to call any kids for dismissal after that time.

Below is the link for Before/After Care for families who need childcare.

School start times:

The doors will open at 7:40am for breakfast and community building. Instruction will begin at 8:00am. It is EXTREMELY important that all kids arrive on time ready to learn!

Walkers

Walkers will be dismissed at 2:25

Bus-Riders

To access BPES bus schedules, please click HERE

Car-Riders

We will dismiss car riders car by car. Please have your child's name on the hang tag so we can quickly call them to your car. Please do not park on 13th Ave during dismissal or arrival. It can make it challenging for people to enter and leave the lot.

Arrival

When students arrive they will pick up their breakfast and report to their homeroom. Teachers will greet students as they arrive.

Dismissal

At dismissal, walkers will be released. Following the release of walkers, car riders will be escorted to the cafeteria. Bus riders will be called as buses arrive.

Visitors

We will be planning several events this year where we will be inviting parents into the building. Unfortunately, we will not be able to allow parents to have lunch with their children in the cafeteria.

Student Birthday Celebrations

• Each student will receive a Birthday pencil and be acknowledged by the whole school on the morning announcements.
• We will celebrate all students' birthdays each month.
• It is very important to understand that food cannot be shared to celebrate. Please do not bring food to share with the class for your child's birthday. We have students with allergies and food sensitive health conditions.

Families can pay for their student’s meals online by going to www.mypaymentsplus.com.

At schools this year, breakfast will be free, and lunches will cost $2.75 for full price students.

Students will need to log in with their student ID in order to get their lunch. Please work with your student at home to help them memorize their ID.

Apply for Free or Reduced-Price Meals: Online Meal Benefit Application (MBA) (English and Spanish) - Link to online MBA – www.aacps.org/mealapplication. Applications must be filled out each school year, even if you qualified the previous year.