Dear Bates Families,
I am happy to report that our new school year is off to an amazing start. Our students returned energized, smiling and eager to participate in team building activities and learning classroom routines. Students made their first entries in their writers’ notebooks with stories of their summer and excitedly shared their favorite summer reads. I hope the transition back to school has been smooth and very positive for your family.
I hope you will join us next Thursday, September 15 for Back to School Night. Our schedule for the evening has been revised to allow families more time in their child’s classroom. If you are the parent of more than one child at Bates, it is our hope the new schedule will better accommodate multiple visits. Please note the new times:
6:00 – 6:30 p.m. Kindergarten and Grade 1 classroom visits
6:30 – 7:00 p.m. Principal Jolley will address all parents in the gym
7:00 – 7:30 p.m. Grade 2 and 3 classroom visits
7:30 – 8:00 p.m. Grade 4 and 5 classroom visits
If your BTS night schedule includes some “down time” from 7:00 – 7:30, I hope you’ll stop by the gym or cafeteria to socialize with Bates staff and families.
Thank you for your cooperation with our new parking lot procedures during arrival and dismissal. Our students’ safety is our number one concern and the new procedures have greatly increased safety for all.
At the end of this email I’ve highlighted a few dates for you to note, including Picture Day. Today we sent home flyers with forms to order individual pictures of your child. If you would like to receive financial assistance to purchase pictures and participate in other school activities please email me at jolleya.
Finally, I’d like to share a few additional highlights of the first days of school. We have enjoyed:
- The Week of Inspirational Math (WIM) during which teachers are sharing videos and leading activities that highlight the importance of making and learning from mistakes, working collaboratively and communicating our thinking. Students have had a lot of fun with these activities!
- Open Circle lessons and activities that teach critical social skills for working and playing together at school.
- A new lunch and lunch recess schedule that has been established for students in grades 2-5. Students now have recess and lunch with just their own grade level, rather than two grade levels together, which they’ve loved! Kindergarten will eat lunch with grade 1 this year.
I will continue to send Bates Buzz emails twice a month to provide you with information and insights on our work as a school. Thank you for your support for a great school year.
Warm regards,
Toni Jolley
Upcoming dates:
Monday, Sept. 12 Kindergarten starts full days
Thursday, Sept. 15 Back to School Night 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 23 Picture Day