November/December 2016

Paula Webster Stacey Rominski

Principal Assistant Principal

Hello Families, During the month of November, we celebrate American Education. At Bainbridge Elementary School we are committed to providing every child with a quality education. During the month of November, and every day, we will celebrate public education and honor those who are making a difference in the lives of children. A partnership between home, school, and community is integral to student success. In order to maximize student learning, educators, families, and community members must work together in a way that allows all of our students to reach their full potential. As we begin the second marking period, please reflect on how you and your child’s teacher can partner to stretch your child’s strengths and address areas that might need refinement. As always, our doors are open to answer questions, receive suggestions, and collaborate in the best interest of student learning. Our teachers are available by phone, e-mail, or face-to-face conference throughout the year. Do not hesitate to reach out to us and we will do the same. Some items in particular to pay attention to: Family Involvement Plan Please be sure to review our Family Involvement Plan, which is attached to this newsletter. Teachers and family members collaboratively developed this plan during Open House in September of this school year. Bainbridge Elementary School defines family involvement as the participation of families in regular two-way, meaningful communication with the school involving student academic learning, social, and emotional development, and other school activities. Please contact an administrator if you have questions or would like to provide additional feedback about our plan. Students Accessing Power School We have received a number of inquiries about students creating power school accounts to monitor their own grades. Here is the good news! Our district has set up students to have access to Power School and they do not even have to create an account like their parents. The students will access the same sign in page as their parents, but students will only need to enter their google username (without the ccps.org) and their google password. As always, we are here to serve and support our students and their families. As the winter months and holidays approach, we wish you the best. Feel free to reach out to us at any time. Regards, Paula Webster Stacey Rominski Principal Assistant Principal

Counselor’s Corner!

November and December’s character trait is CARING & COMPASSION! Teachers and families should encourage children to help others in need, do kind things for others, think of other people’s feelings, include others in activities, be kind even when others are not, and listen to what others have to say. Promote compassion at home by doing things for others as a family. We will be doing a compassion collection during the month of December – we will collect personal hygiene items, mittens, gloves, and hats for those in need. If your child is in need of a coat or Christmas assistance - please contact Mrs. Price.

Congratulations to September Students of the Month for showing RESPECT! Pre- Kindergarten - Dylan Birch, Andrew Warner Kindergarten- Leah Jones, Kelsey Taylor First- Astrid Cox, Serafina Deplitch, Nevaeh Clark Second- Aleah Simpkins, Paige Taylor Third- Riley Day, Emma Lidy, Lilly Ann Lidy Fourth - Chase Freburger, Lillian Walpole Fifth- Rileigh Manthei, Abby White

Congratulations to October Students of the Month for showing RESPONSIBILITY! Pre- Kindergarten- Breana Simpkins, Macen Mashall Kindergarten- Chase Hendrickson, Emma Workman First- Ralph Blunt, Cristopher Balcarcel-Garcia, Ian Cummins Second- Amanda Poore, Keith Lewis

Third- Dominic Ferrigno, Makenzi Pugh, Brooke Taylor Fourth- Madeline Cox, Caitlyn Mitchell Fifth- Braedyn McWhirter, Owen Kilduff

Our next iFamily will be Tuesday, November 22nd from 8:15- 8:45 and our focus will be on gratitude! We hope to see you there!

News from Nurse Jen

Winter Health Tips:

If your child suffers from winter nosebleeds,

try using a cold air humidifier in the child’s

room at night. Saline nose drops or

petrolatum jelly may keep nasal tissues

moist. If bleeding is severe or recurrent,

consult your pediatrician.

Cold weather does not cause colds or flu.

But the viruses that cause colds and flu tend

to be more common in the winter, when

children are in school and are in closer

contact with each other. Frequent hand

washing and teaching your child to sneeze

or cough into the bend of his/her elbow

may help reduce the spread of colds and

flu.

Children 6 months of age and up should get

the influenza vaccine to reduce their risk of

catching the flu. It’s not too late to get the

vaccine! Around 80% of all influenza illness

generally occurs in January, February, and

March.

Office News

Got school fees?

Field trips, meals and more. Pay online with our….Online Store “School Cash Online”.

Make payments anytime…online

Use your cell phone, tablet, or computer

No need to send cash to school

Our website is secure

Register in less than 5 minutes

To register go to: http://ccps.schoolcashonline.com or look for the School Cash logo on our school website. Non-Sufficient Funds (NSF) CHECK NOTICE All checks, e-checks, and credit card payments returned for NSF will incur a $10.00 fee.

School Office Hours

The office hours at Bainbridge Elementary School: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday:

8:00 AM – 4:30 PM Wednesday: 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM Should you have a question or a concern regarding your student’s transportation that is not an emergency, please call the school at 410-996-6030 and leave a message. Someone will follow up with you the next school day. If there is an emergency regarding your child’s transportation after the school office has closed, please contact either Cecil County Public Schools Transportation department at 410-287-4658, Marshall Bus Co., LLC at 410-658-3308 or JJ Marshall Bus Co., LLC at 410-378-2619.

Transportation For your child’s safety, all transportation changes must be made in writing and received in the school office before noon of that day. Students are NOT permitted to ride another bus home with another student even with written documentation. Please plan accordingly.

CHANGE OF TELEPHONE NUMBER OR RESIDENCE Throughout the school year if you have a change of address, home telephone/cell phone number, work number/email address, and/or emergency number, notify the school office at once so that we can update your student(s) records.

Parents: We Need YOU! Please join PTO

today. Your $5 membership fee helps fund and support many events here at Bainbridge as well as the purchase of needed supplies. You should have received a membership flyer recently. Please check those student backpacks and return the form and fee to school ASAP. You do not have to be available to volunteer to join, but we are always looking for additional help with special activities

New PTO Officers for 2016-2017

Co-Presidents: Annetta Lidy and Tinesheau Howell Vice-President: Jennifer Manthei Treasurer: Julie Taylor Secretary: Susie Carter Chair of Christmas Shop Committee: Candice Thompson

December 5-8 will be our annual Christmas Shop –

we need volunteers to assist with checkout, gift

wrap, and to help younger children shop.

We are also looking for a volunteer or two to help PTO with box tops. This could be done at school or at home. Please email Susie Carter at sscarter@ccps.org if you are interested in helping with our box tops drive.

Upcoming Events

November 14-18 - American Education Week

15-17 - Turkey Trot/Time to Shine

15 - Grade 5 Field Trip to RSHS-“Comic

Book Artist” 9:15AM-11:45AM 15 - PTO Subworks Family Night

4:00PM-9:00PM

18 - Veterans Day Program 9:30AM

- Show Your Patriotism-Wear Red, White

And Blue

PTO Movie Night: Doors open at

5:30PM with pizza and snacks available

for purchase. Finding Dory begins at

6:00PM

22 - i-Family 8:15AM-8:45AM

23-25 - School Closed - Thanksgiving Holiday

December 1 - MP2 Interim Period Ends

2 - Fall Picture Retakes

5 - KG Field Trip to Playhouse on

Rodney Square

5-8 - PTO Annual Holiday Shop

9 - Decade Day-Dress From Your Favorite

Decade

12 - MP2 Interim Reports Issued To Students

12 - Winter Concert 6:30PM-7:30PM

13 - PTO Subworks Night with Santa

4:00PM-9:00

16 - Red and Green Day

19 - Winter Concert Inclement Weather Date

6:30PM-7:30PM

22 - Ugly Sweater/Shirt Day

23 - Inclement Weather Make-Up Day, If

Not Used, Schools Closed For Students

& 10 Month Staff

Dec. 26-Jan. 2 School Closed – Winter Holiday

January 3 - School Resumes 16 - School Closed – Martin Luther King

19 - Parenting Workshop-Growing Healthy

Kids 9:10AM-10:00AM

20 - MP2 Ends

23 - Professional Day – School Closed For

Students

24 - MP3 Begins

31 - Report Cards Issued To Students

CLASSROOM NEWS

Pre-K is a busy place! We are doing a great job of following routines and directions. We enjoy listening to stories, singing and playing with friends while learning. We have been introduced to all letters of the alphabet. All children are working on identifying all letters of the alphabet. I have been assessing individual skills. So far we have two children in the afternoon class who can identify all upper case letters of the alphabet and one afternoon child who identifies all lower case letters. Some children

are close to identifying all upper & lower case letters. If your child needs help identifying letters, you can help by putting five letters out at a time. For instance, start with the letters in your child's first name, when they are mastered, continue with last name letters and letters in family members names and then finish with the left over letters. We are also working on identifying letter sounds and words beginning with the sounds. We are also working on identifying all numbers 0-10, identifying shapes, matching shapes, rote counting, and counting objects with a one to one correspondence. You may want to exchange the extra clothes we keep here for warmer ones. Many children still have the shorts from the summer in their lockers. If you send clothes in, please put a note in the folder telling us the clothes are in the backpack. Please remember that we issue report cards 3 times a year and not 4 times like the other grade levels. You will receive the first report card in December. We hope you enjoyed the songs and crafts we sent home for Halloween. The children enjoyed telling us about the Halloween events. Thanks for your continued support of our Pre-K program.

Hello Kindergarten families! Please remember to dress your child appropriately for the weather as we go outside every day that it isn't raining. Also, please bring a snack and water bottle daily. Homework should be completed independently with your child's best efforts. It does not need to be perfect, as long as they tried their best! Sight words will continue to come home so please review them with your child. We have a field trip coming up on December 5 to see Click Clack Moo at the theater! More information will come as the date gets closer. Thanks for working with your child to make Kindergarten successful and fun!

Our 1st graders have survived the first marking period!! And so have we! We are very proud of them all. The transition from kindergarten to first grade is not an easy one. We commend them AND you for working hard. As the second marking period begins, there is one big change occurring. Spelling assessments will now be graded. There will be a spelling assessment EVERY FIVE DAYS. Please look for the date of the test recorded on your child’s take home list or sent out in a remind notice! Students are encouraged to master the patterns and understand the ‘rule’ as opposed to simply memorizing the specific list. Especially, as our patterns become more intensive. Finally, please remember that outdoor recess will occur unless the weather is rainy or 32 degrees and below! As our weather begins to cool, students should be wearing appropriate jackets and shoes for outdoor recess. If you any questions, please contact your child’s teacher! We thank you for your support!

The first marking period is already over and we’re moving smoothly along into our second marking period! Our field trip to Fair Hill Nature Center was a flurry of activity with our students learning lots of new things about bugs and their habitats. Thank you to the chaperones who came with us and to everyone who volunteered to chaperone. Our next field trip will take place in the spring. We will send out more details closer to the time. As a reminder, due to the increasing amount of allergies present in our classes, no food (including candy or store bought goods) will be allowed into school. If you wish to send in something for class parties or birthdays, you may send in pencils, erasers, stickers or other items that are not food.

In Math, we will be focusing on fluently adding and subtracting within 100 using multiple strategies. We will also start working with time and money. Time is an especially hard concept for our students to grasp so help with homework or giving them time to practice will be a great help. In ELA our students will be starting to grapple with writing narratives and working on the requirements of a paragraph. Our spelling will still follow the Bookworms reading program - please work with your child on their spelling lists daily. In reading, we will be covering a variety of fiction and non-fiction books and working on helping students identify important information and answering comprehension questions based on the texts. We will have Social Studies this marking period. Unit 1 will be covering citizenship and government (what it takes to be a productive member of society) and Unit 2 will cover geography (maps and where we are in the world.) We look forward to another productive marking period with you and your child!

We can hardly believe that the first marking period has come to an end. The fall can be a very busy season for many. Please remember to continue checking assignment books for homework and other notes from school. Parents can also use this tool to communicate with the teachers. Over the coming weeks, the third grade students will be reading the fiction titles: Sundiata, Lon PoPo, American Tall Tale. They will also be working with informational texts about soil, rocks & minerals, and Maps & Globes in their reading block. In math, the students will continue to use their multiplication skills to calculate area. After that, they will be moving on to representing and interpreting data using a variety of graphs. Please continue to practice multiplication and division facts at home. We will spend the second marking period on social studies instead of science. Our

first social studies unit is a study of communities. We will focus on Cecil County and the Amish community. We kicked off the new unit with our trip to the Amish House and Farm. The students will be able to apply what they learned on that trip. We are looking forward to a great second quarter. Thank you all for supporting your young learners.

It is hard to believe we have completed the first marking period! Here is a review of what we have completed in the first marking period, as well as a glimpse into what we will be doing in the classroom as we progress into the second marking period. ELA

Students read Bridge to Terabithia and discussed the text structure of fictional text that uses a timeline to progress the story. We began using the characters’ actions to help determine character traits. In addition, we focused on the author’s choice of words to set the tone and mood of the story.

As a class, we continued reading Jerry Spinelli’s Maniac Magee. The students have been discussing character traits and continue working on story mapping.

We introduced various aspects of poetry by using the book Zombies! Evacuate the School. We will continue to use this book to study poetry throughout the year.

Spelling will look different this year. Spelling lists will be handed out on day 1 of a 5-day cycle. Students are responsible for the spelling of the words and the definition of the words. They will also be required to use these words in super sentences. Please note that not all spelling tests will be on a Friday. Check your student’s agenda for spelling test dates. Students will be required to turn in spelling homework daily.

The second marking period will introduce additional non-fiction work.

In Shared Reading, we will be reading chorally Blood on the River and Can’t You Make Them Behave King George?. Spelling and Meaning words will be primarily from this text.

In Interactive Reading, we will be reading a variety of books that further explore non-

fiction, primary and secondary sources, and how to begin to research. The books that we will be reading are Roanoke: The Lost Colony, Miss Alaineus, Go Straight to the Source, and Around the World in 100 Years.

Students should continue to read for 20 minutes each night. Reading logs are due at the end of a two week cycle.

In Math we will be finishing Topic 4 and will be

moving into Topic 5: Use Strategies and Properties

to Divide by 1-Digit Numbers. We will be exploring

dividing numbers using a variety of strategies and

will continue to use our estimating skills to

determine if our answers are reasonable. After

Topic 5, we will move into Topic 6: Use Operations

with Whole Numbers to Solve Problems. In this

topic we will continue to develop our problem

solving strategies as we learn how to solve multi-

step word problems.

In Social Studies we will be working through Unit 1: Geography, learning about how to construct and interpret maps, examining characteristics of places and regions in Maryland and the United States, comparing human characteristics of different places and regions of Maryland and the United States, and describing how geographic characteristics of a place or region change over time and affect the way people live and work. Thank you for your continued support as we begin another marking period. As always, please do not hesitate to contact us here at school if you have any questions or concerns.

The fifth grade team is excited to be back for the 2016-2017 school year! The fifth grade has been doing a wonderful job collecting points on their “Bainbridge Passports “. We are very proud of our students as they continue to show the 3 “BEs” of Bainbridge. In Math, we are currently working on our 1st Topic: Understanding Place Value in which the students are focusing on place value relationships in both whole numbers and decimals. They will also

practice the skills of comparing and rounding decimals. Throughout the year, students will also be practicing the Mathematical Practices, which are processes the students use to help them understand math. These processes are valuable tools when solving math problems. We would like to express how very important it is for your child to study their multiplication facts every night. Knowing multiplication facts will help your child to grasps the various skills and concepts we will be learning throughout the school year. Our first unit in Science is titled “Ecosystems and Environmental Engineering”. For this unit, we will become environmental engineers to first learn how pollution affects ecosystems and the organisms that inhabit the ecosystem. We will then use what we have learned about pollution in ecosystems to clean up an oil spill. In English/Language Arts we are reading two exciting books, Tuck Everlasting and Walk Two Moons. Students are using their listening comprehension skills to analyze, their decoding skills to identify unknown words, and their writing skills to respond to each story. Students have a weekly word study quiz in which they have to spell their words and know the meanings. They should also be reading 15 minutes every night and completing their reading log. We look forward to an exciting school year!

Thank you to the staff, students, families, and volunteers who made the book fair a success! The profits will be used to add some great new books and e-books to Bainbridge Elementary School's collection. ~ Miss Parker

Bainbridge Elementary School

Family Involvement Plan

2016-2017

Our Mission

Bainbridge Elementary School defines family involvement as the participation of families in regular two-way, meaningful communication with the school involving student academic learning, social and emotional development, and other school activities. We ensure that:

● Parents play an integral role in assisting with their child’s learning.

● Parents are encouraged to be actively involved in their child’s education at school.

● Parents are full partners in their child’s education and are included, as appropriate, in decision-

making to assist in the education of their child.

The Bainbridge community believes that the improved academic achievement of all students is a responsibility shared by the home and school working together. There will be opportunities provided for parents, guardians and other family members to share their expertise and to be an involved part of the team making appropriate decisions for their child’s education.

We appreciate the teamwork of parents, teachers, and students that lead to overall student success! We welcome your questions and comments regarding our School Improvement Plan, our Title 1 Program, and our Parent Involvement Plan. Please direct your inquiries or comments to an administrator or the Family Involvement Team, through the office.

Key Points for Communicating with Us

Ways you can communicate with Bainbridge Elementary: ● Phone: (410) 996-6030

● Email: Visit the school website, http://schools.ccps.org/bain to locate the email address for your

child’s teacher.

● Please feel free to contact your child’s teacher with any questions, scheduling conferences, or

general information.

● Please contact Stacey Rominski, Assistant Principal, for volunteer opportunities, and ways to get

involved.

How Bainbridge communicates with you:

● Phone

● Newsletters

● Flyers

● Email

● Student Planner

● Surveys

If a response is requested, please do so in a timely manner. Inform the school immediately of any address or telephone number changes for any and all contacts we have for your child.

Power School Parent Portal: This is a place where you can view online grades for your child. Please contact the main office for sign on information.

Volunteering

Bainbridge Elementary School welcomes parent and community help and support.

Bainbridge Elementary appreciates volunteers to help in the school.

● Please attend one of the Volunteer Orientation sessions we offer in the fall.

○ For safety reasons, volunteers helping in school are required to attend an orientation every

year, and complete a background check form every 2 years.

● The Assistant Principal will provide training and information about volunteer activities

throughout the year. Let your child’s teacher know if you can volunteer.

● Our Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) offers many opportunities to volunteer at their general

meetings and events.

Chaperones, when chosen to help with a class field trip, will be approved after a background check is completed.

Important Information and Resources

● Curriculum information

○ www.mdk12.org

● Bainbridge Elementary Facebook Page

○ www.facebook.com/bainbridge.ccps

● Remind Text Messaging, optional application to receive texts or email about BES updates

○ http://remind.com/join/bainbri

● Google calendar:

○ https://schools.ccps.org/bain/calendar.html

● Maryland Parent Information Resource Center (PIRC). This site has information to help you

help your child to succeed in school

○ www.mdpirc.org

Increasing Capacity for Learning at Home

The faculty and staff at Bainbridge Elementary School will work with parents as equal partners in their child’s academic process. We will assist families in understanding academic content standards, student performance levels, and Title I requirements. To increase parent involvement and understanding of these standards, we will:

● Provide support through our Family Involvement Team (FIT).

○ You are invited to attend our FIT meetings to discuss school topics, such as Title 1 benefits,

curriculum, and school funding.

● Host family workshops and events, such as iMom and All Pro Dad breakfasts, and curriculum

nights.

● Provide family resource materials, including summer enrichment resources and experiences.

● Provide reading incentive programs involving family participation, such as Cecil County Public

Library Programs.

Families are invited to attend activities that will help to provide a better understanding of how they can assist their children at home such as those listed below:

● Back to School Cookie Social

● Volunteer and Chaperone Orientations

● Open House

● Family Involvement Team (FIT) Meetings

● Teacher Conferences-upon request

● Math, Reading, and/or STEM Family Nights

● Monthly Breakfasts

Information and resources will be shared in a format that provides full participation of ALL families, in a language that all parents and families can understand.

Shared Decision Making

At Bainbridge we include parents in the school improvement process, in making school decisions, and develop parent leaders and representatives.

● All parents are invited to attend the annual Open House where the following items will be

reviewed and families will be asked to provide input, feedback, and suggestions:

○ BES Title 1 Family Involvement Plan

○ BES Title 1 Home and School Compact

● BES encourages participation in the PTO program by sending fliers home, using School Messenger,

and school emails to announce events.

All families are encouraged to complete surveys in order to review and improve parent involvement.

Parents are encouraged to assist in educating school personnel on how to work with parents as equal partners in their child’s educational process.

● Parents are encouraged to attend events.

● The School Improvement Team meets throughout the school year to meet these three goals:

○ Help all students meet or exceed high academic standards

○ Ensure all students learn in a safe, inviting environment

○ Ensure that all students benefit from support provided by the school staff

● Family Involvement Team meetings provide opportunities for families to be involved in

decision-making. We discuss many different topics, including:

○ Title 1 and the requirements

○ Compacts/Family Involvement Plan

○ Budget information and ideas/input

○ School improvement ideas

○ The Family Involvement calendar

○ Maryland College and Career Ready Standards

○ State and local assessments

Collaborating with Families and the Community

At Bainbridge we strive to identify and use resources and services from the community to strengthen school programs, family practices, and student learning and development.

Bainbridge Elementary School is thankful for its many community resources and services! Listed below are some of the many organizations that have helped us:

● Our local churches have donated many school supplies and equipment.

● Cecil County Library has provided reading programs at BBES.

● Cecil County School of Technology provides classroom demonstrations of their programs.

● Business partnership with Subworks Pizzeria

● Maryland Dental School conducts dental screenings and sealants to students.

● The Agape program supports food distribution to students throughout the year.

● Maryland Department of Public Works The University of Delaware and Towson University.

● University of Maryland 4-H Extension

● CCPS Sheriff’s Department School Resource Office.

● The Bainbridge Parent Teacher Organization