Bear Pause - Bear Creek Elementary School



`Bear PausePlease pause to catch up with school news!Volume 16 Issue 1August 2017Cheryl Thim, PrincipalSchool websiteMelissa Moser, PTA PresidentLeah Scarafile, Assistant Principal and Things to Know and Do:Mon., Aug. 28Open House/Back to School Night 4:00-6:00 pm with teachersTues., Sept. 5Opening Day for StudentsFri., Sept. 15Lifetouch Picture DayThurs., Sept. 21Rosh Hashanah – Schools & Offices ClosedDON’T THROW OUT THIS ENVELOPE!! Your child’s homeroom section is on the mailing label.Dear Parents and Bear Creek Students,Welcome to the 2017-2018 school year! I hope that you have had a wonderful summer! This promises to be another terrific year for the students at Bear Creek Elementary School. We will continue to spend time this year working together to gain a deeper understanding of the standards, identifying and implementing the best instructional practices that will help prepare our students to meet the increased demands of the new standards, and sharing how families can help support children in our efforts to make all our students college and career ready.The curriculum at each grade level allows all students in Grades 1-5 access to receive enriched and accelerated learning experiences through a responsive instruction model. Through ongoing informal and formal assessment, students are flexibly grouped in small, teacher-facilitated instructional groups. This is a hallmark of our instructional model.BCPS has developed a new manual for grading and reporting. The Guiding Principles are as follows:Grading practices must be supportive of student learning.Marking period grades will be based solely on achievement of course or grade-level standards.Students will have multiple opportunities to demonstrate proficiency.Grades will be based on a body of evidence aligned to standards.A consistent grading scale will be used to score assignments and assessments.Accommodations and modifications will be provided for exceptional learners.New grading for grade 3In grades 1, 2 and 3, achievement codes rather than letter grades will be used. The achievement codes appear on the first page of the report card as abbreviations with definitions beside them as follows:CDConsistently DemonstatingStudent demonstrates a strong command of the knowledge, skills, and practices embodied in the grade-level standards.PProgressingStudent is developing their command of the knowledge, skills, and practices embodied in the grade-level standards.NNeeds DevelopmentStudent demonstrates a beginning command of the knowledge, skills, and practices embodied by the grade-level standards. Additional practice is needed.NANot ApplicableThe knowledge, skills, and practices embodied in the grade-level standards were neither taught nor evaluated this marking period. The box will appear gray.NGNo GradeThe student is a Level 1 or Level 2 English Learner and will not receive a grade this marking period.We would like to welcome the following new staff members to our Bear Creek family. Welcome Ms. Lauren Duckett, Grade 3 teacher, Ms. Luz Ampudia-Kordell, Spanish Teacher, Ms. Caroline Clark, ESOL BINATION PEEK AT YOUR SEAT AND BACK TO SCHOOL OPEN HOUSEOn Monday, August 28th from 4:00-6:00 we will have an Open House for parents and students to take a peek at your new classroom and meet your teacher. On Monday, August 28th Mrs. Longo our Parent Service Coordinator will be available to share school resources, budget, and Title One information as well as to seek YOUR input about parent involvement, professional development to support YOUR students, and school progress plans for the 2017-2018 school year. All parents are invited to stop in for this open house visit with the Administrative Team during your visit, 4:00-6:00 August 28th, room 11.If you are attending the Parent Athletic Meeting at 6 pm on August 28th with your Patapsco student, you may want to arrive at Patapsco early to allow time to find parking.Our Back to School Meeting will be held Tuesday, September 5th at 10:00 following your FIRST DAY VISIT.STUDENT HOMEROOMSYou will find your child’s homeroom section number on the mailing label of this envelope. Please see below the homeroom sections with the teacher names for your child’s homeroom teacher. Our school day begins at 8:45 with students being late after 9:00. PM Pre-K and Kindergarten students dismiss at 3:15 once their full program begins and all other grades dismiss at 3:25. Please refer to your Parent Handbook for dismissal and entry procedures.SectionTeacherGradeRoom01Mrs. MaddoxPK –AM1802Mrs. Maddox PK – PM1803Mrs. RahnisKindergartenK204Ms. KreitzKindergartenK105Mrs. SibolKindergarten2106Ms. RizzaGrade 11907Ms. CabreraGrade 12208Mrs. PaceGrade 12009Mrs. PriceGrade 20810Mrs. SommervilleGrade 20911Ms. BallardGrade 21012Mrs. LugenbeelGrade 30113Ms. DuckettGrade 30314Ms. HersheyGrade 31215Mrs. YostGrade 43516Mrs. GoldenbergGrade 43417Mrs. CaronGrade 42818Mrs. MayotteGrade 53219Mrs. RiderGrade 53320Mr. CelmerGrade 53021Ms. BollerPrimary I CALS1622Mrs. WinklerPrimary II CALS2423Ms. OtterbeinIntermediate CALS17First Day of SchoolOnTuesday, September 5th, we invite our parents of Grades 1-5 students (CALS parents will be invited to attend on September 13th) to attend school with your child for the first hour of the morning. Parents will attend from 9-10 with your child to hear about curriculum and school expectations. We ask that parents try to find childcare for infants and toddlers so that you can devote this time to your school age children. ALL parents will need to enter and sign in at the front door to collect a visitor sticker and/or raptor into the system. If you are planning to attend our first day, please RSVP to cricko@ so that we may have a visitor sticker ready for you. If your license has not been scanned into our Raptor system, you may visit the school before September 5th to have it scanned. We will not be able to have a sticker ready for you unless your license has been scanned. For families new to Bear Creek and BCPS schools, please see the SCHOOL SECURITY INFORMATION below.At 10:00, parents will be called to the cafeteria for an information meeting. Please see the First Day of School Flyer.CALS Meet and GreetOn Wedneday, September 13th, we invite our parents of our CALS students to attend school with your child from 9-10 AM. We want our CALS students to become adjusted to new teachers, classroom, and classmates on the first day of school! Please see the CALS Back to School Meet and Greet Flyer.SCHOOL SECURITY REMINDERSThe safety of all students and staff in Baltimore County Public Schools is of utmost importance to all of us. Our school will continue utilizing a system for checking in all visitors. The system is called V-soft by RaptorWare or Raptor. When you visit our school for the first time, you will be asked to present a government-issued photo ID, or a dirver’s license to a staff member in the school office. The ID will be scanned and the follwing information will be collected: your photo, your name, and your date of birth. This information will be utilized to check you in, create and ID badge, and compare your information against sexual offender databases throughout the country. If your name appears on any of the lists or you refuse to allow the school to scan your ID, you will not be allowed access to the school. The only alternative will be to allow the staff to see your ID, verify your first name, last name, and date of birth to be entered into the system manually. However, this method doews not store the information, and you must do this each time you visit the school. If you have your ID scanned, you will be asked to show your ID only on future visits, and your name will be selected from an existing list of previous visitors. You will also be asked to check out with the office staff upon leaving the school so that we know you are no longer in the buildin. You will be required to check into the system even if you are only coming to school to pick up your child. The information collected will not be shared outside of the school and is kept on a secure server. Your assistance in keeping our students and school safe is appreciated. In order to expedite our system duirng our First Day of School visit, please visit our school if your ID has not been previously scanned to register your ID with us prior to the start of the year!If you visited us while we were temporarily housed at General John Stricker Middle School to register your child, we did not have our Raptor system with us and your license was not scanned. Please consider stopping by Bear Creek before the first day of school or stopping in the office at our Peek at your Seat on Monday August 28th so that you are able to RSVP for our First Day of School.NEW EMERGENCY CONTACT FORM attachedYour child’s Emergency Contact Form is included for your review. It is extremely important that we have accurate contact information for every child. Please review the form for accuracy, including the plan for your child in an emergency closing. You may only choose “ride assigned school bus” if your child is zoned for a bus. If the emergency Contact Form is accurate, please check the No Changes box at the top right corner. If changes are needed, please make the corrections. ALL forms must be returned to school with your child. DISMISSAL PROCEDURES attachedPlease return your child’s Dismissal procedure on the first day of school or at our Open House. We ask that you be patient with us during the first week of school while we are putting all the dismissal procedures in place. NEW ARRIVAL PROCEDURES PreK & Kindergarten students will enter through the classroom doors. Grades 1-5 and CALS will enter through the front lobby doors.Please see the attached supply list for 2017-2018.These items are materials that our students use daily and are essential to your child’s instructional program. Your assistance in providing grade level supplies for your child is greatly appreciated.Additionally, there are many items that support our instructional programs, classroom hygiene, and classroom organization. These items are not required supplies, however, we appreciate donations that improve the quality, comfort, and efficiency of our classrooms.RIGHT TO KNOWParents/Guardians have the right to ask for and receive information about the professional certifications of their child’s classroom teacher. You may also ask whether your child is being served by a paraprofessional. If so, you may request the paraprofessional’s qualifications. Please see the Right to Know letter in the Parent-Student Handbook that you receive in your parent bag on the first day of school.BCPS ONE PARENT UPDATESAs part of Baltimore County Public Schools’ continuous improvement process, security enhancements are being made to BCPS One that will increase the protection of student information. Please see the enclosed flyer.PARENTS’ BCES HANDBOOKAll parents will receive a Bear Creek Parent-Student handbook during our First Day of School Visit. If you are unable to attend, your child will be bringing home a goody bag of important school information and surveys. Please take time to read and discuss the Parent-Student handbook with your children. You will find much useful information about the daily rules and routines of the school. BCPS ONE-CARDAll students in Baltimore County Public Schools are required to wear a One-Card Identification badge. A classroom teacher may temporarily waive the requirement if the teacher believes that wearing the badge presents a safety risk during identified classroom or other activities. One-cards for students in PreK – grade 5 will remain in school. Students may use their own school lanyard or clips of their choosing, however, the lanyard must be a safety lanyard with a break-away feature. Parents will be required to pay a $5.00 replacement fee for all damaged or lost badges.Bullying, Harrassment or IntimidationPlease see the enclosed form to report alleged bullying, harassment, or intimidation.Maryland Meals for AchievementFor adults and children alike, we all can agree that Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Students perform better in the classroom and the community when an adequate morning meal has been provided. This letter is to inform you breakfast will be available to every student in the classroom again this school year. Bear Creek Elementary School is participating in the Maryland Meals for Achievement program. Your student has the potential to benefit from the School Breakfast Program. Eating a nutritious meal right before the start of the school day significantly increases student performance and attention, while also reducing the number of late morning arrivals and hunger related nurse visits.Students should not arrive prior to 8:45 AM to receive breakfast, but it is important that arrival occurs on time. Breakfast service begins every school day at 8:45 AM and classes start regularly at 9:00 AM. Please encourage your student to take full advantage of the regular morning meal by arriving to school on time. Every student receives breakfast in the classroom at no cost to the student. Please look for a Classroom Breakfast menu to come home the first day of school.In the same way that the School Lunch Program provides your student an opportunity to receive a nutritious and affordable meal in the middle of the day, the School Breakfast Program should also be viewed as a resource to you and your child at the start of the day. Especially on busy mornings, please remember and be sure to remind your student that Breakfast is available at Bear Creek Elementary.Bus TransportationBelow is the approximate pick up and drop off times for our bus students, please be prepared 10 minutes before and 10 minutes after the estimated time. Baltimore County Public Schools Policy 3410 states that, the supervision of students while walking to, from, or waiting at the established bus stop is the responsibility of the students’ parents or guardians.Blue Bus (5874)STOPP/UD/OEddylynch @ opp Ranch Lane8:363:41448 Trappe Rd8:383:432865 Plainfield Rd.8:393:44Plainfield Rd @ Ambler Rd8:403:45Plainfield Rd @ Meadow Rd8:413:46Red Bus (5057)STOPP/UD/OW. Woodwell @ Pinewood Rd8:383:40W. Woodwell @ Parkwood Rd8:393:41Parkwood @ Lynbrook Rd8:403:42Oakwood Rd @ Creston Rd8:413:43Oakwood Rd @ Southbrook Rd8:423:44Southbrook @ Trappe Rd8:433:45Bad Check PolicyNon-sufficient funds (NSF) checks will be submitted to the Baltimore County’s Attorney Bad Check Restitution Program. This procedure will be carried out in compliance with procedures outlined by the State’s Attorney’s office found at Bad Check Restitution Program. Issuers of dishonored checks presented to BCPS will be given 10 days to submit full payment of the amount of the check plus actual bank charges incurred by BCPS. If this payment is not received by the end of the 10 days, the issuer will be given an additional 10 days to submit full payment of the amount of the check plus $35.00. If payment is not received at the end of the 20-day period, BCPS will turn over the dishonored check to the Baltimore County State’s Attorney Bad Check Restitution Program for collection or criminal prosecution.School Lunch MenuThe office of Food and Nutrition Services announces the lunch meal prices for the 2017-18 school year as follows:Elementary $2.90Reduced$0.40The menu for the week of September 5th is listed below.Lunch 1Lunch 2Lunch 3Tues.Sept. 5Monz.DippersTossed saladYogurt BoxWed.Sept. 6PizzaTossed SaladYogurt BoxThurs.Sept. 7TacoTaco SaladYogurt BoxFri.Sept. 8Chick.NuggetsYogurt BoxAttendanceIt is important for students to arrive on time and attend school every day. Below are the MSDE attendance rules:A student is counted present for a full day if they are in attendance 4 hours or more of the school dayA student is counted present for a ? day if they are in attendance for at least 2 hours, but less than 4 hours of the school dayA student is counted absent if they are in attendance for less than 2 hours of the school dayAt Bear Creek, we have implemented the following procedures for attendance:5 days absent – letter mailed home10 day absent – 2nd letter mailed home 15 days absent – Notification of Required Parent Conference, failure to appear will result in a referral to our Pupil Personnel Worker20 days absent – Referral to Pupil Personnel Worker25 days absent – Possible court action, may vary depending upon past attendance history10 days tardy – letter mailed homeIf you should have any concerns about your child’s attendance, please contact Mrs. Scarafile, Assistant Principal, at 410-887-7007 or lmurphy3@.Magnet ProgramsThe Magnet Program brochures and applications for the 2018-2019 school year will be posted and available for download on the Office of Magnet Programs’ Web site Office of Magnet Programs beginning at 12 noon on Wednesday, October 4, 2017 through 1 PM Friday, November 17, 2017.The Magnet Application deadline for the 2018-2019 school year is Friday, November 17, 2017. Magnet applications may be submitted online until 1 p.m. on Friday, November 17, 2017. Applications may also me mailed to the Office of Magnet Programs, postmarked by Friday, November 17, 2017.Magnet Application meetings will be held September 19, 2017 at Milford Mill Academy Auditorium at 6:30 pm and September 28, 2017 at Kenwood High School Auditorium at 6:30 pm.BCPS Magnet EXPO will be held on Saturday, September 16, 2017 from 10 am – 2 pm at the Radisson North Baltimore Hotel, 2004 Greenspring Drive, Timonium, MD 21093. Please visit the web at Office of Magnet Programs or call 443-809-4127 for more information on Magnet School open houses.Board of Education MeetingsThe following dates and times are for Board of Education meetings, work sessions, and public hearing for the 2017-2018 school year. All meetings begin at 6:30 pm in E Building, Room 114, Greenwood Campus.Regular Montly Meetings:MonthDayYearJuly112017August8,222017September12,262017October10,242017November7,212017December5,192017January9,232018February6,202018March 6,202018April 172018May8,222018June122018July102018August7,212018Work Sessions and Public Hearings:TopicMonthDayYearFY 19 Capital Budget Work SessionAugust222017Lansdowne ES Boundary Public Hearing*December62017FY19 Operating Budget Public Hearing**January162018FY19 Operating Budget Work Session***January232018New NE Elementary School Boundary Public Hearing****February212018FY2020 Capital Budget Public HearingMay232018*Snow Date – December 7, 2017**Snow Date – January 17, 2018***Snow Date – January 24, 2018****Snow Date – February 22, 2018 ................
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