Message from Mr. Fredrickson
Dear Families, I'm excited to introduce Ben Parsell, our new music teacher. As you may recall, our former music teacher needed to resign for personal reasons. Below is a letter of introduction from Mr. Parsell. I think your students will enjoy working with him for the remainder of the year. His first day was this past Monday, December 16. Last Friday our school had a surprise celebration that was earned through the Bobcat Fun Run. It was an all-school dance party followed by a teacher flash mob. We had a lot of fun! We created a video of it so you can see how it went. Thank you to parent, Lindsay Brown and teacher Michele Mondoux for making this happen at Birchview. I hope each of your families has a restful, joyful winter break. We are thankful that we get to partner with you in the education of your children. As always, please let me know if you have any questions or concerns about your child's programming. Warmly, Mr. Fredrickson News from Our Specialists Here's what has been happening in the media center! We have a very special guest visiting Birchview on February 26. S.T.E.M Day 2020 Birchview is hosting a school-wide science, technology, engineering, and math (S.T.E.M.) day on January 17 and we are looking for volunteers to present to our classes at 8:45 and 9:30. If you work in a field where you use any part of S.T.E.M. and would like to come present or demonstrate some of what you do, we would love to have you. Birchview Night Out! Join the Birchview Community for food and fun at our BV Eats Fundraiser January 14, 4:00-9:30 p.m. at Punch Pizza in Wayzata (1313 Wayzata Blvd E.)! Please tell the cashier you are dining to support Birchview Elementary, or show them the attached flyer, and 20% of your purchase will be donated to our school. Amazon Smile for Birchview Elementary! Did you know Amazon will donate a portion of every purchase you make to Birchview Elementary? It costs you nothing and couldn't be easier: - Visit Amazon Smile as your default Amazon site (This is a slightly different web address than Amazon, but don't worry - It's the same company and the same pricing).
- Click on the orange "Supporting" drop-down menu under the search bar.
- Designate your charity by searching for and selecting "Birchview PTA"
- Shop as usual!
Free Food Over Winter Break December 21 through January 5, 4-5 pound bags of food provided for free over winter break at all Twin Cities YMCA branches. Simply go to the front desk and ask for a bag of food. No membership is required. To find the nearest location, visit The Sheridan Story website. Lost and Found Our lost and found is overflowing with hats, mittens, gloves, sweatshirts, jackets, lunchboxes and water bottles. Next week, we will have them spread out on tables in the main hallway so that lost items can be found more easily. Please encourage your student to look for their lost items! Trojan Pride Shout Out Congratulations to Bright Start, Charlie, Kellan, Kayf, Bianca, Landon, and Griffith who were part of this week's Trojan Pride Shout Out. These students did great work showing Trojan Pride in the lunchroom, hallways, Bright Start, and their classrooms. Keep showing the 4 C's, everyone! Emergency Contact Information It is very important that we have accurate emergency contact information for each parent/guardian. Please take a moment to verify and update your family information in Skyward Family Access. Birthday Book Program Our popular birthday book program will be back this year. This program helps grow our library collection while formally commemorating a special day in the lives of our students. December Wayzata Legislative Action Committee Update The Wayzata Legislative Action Committee (LAC) met Wednesday, November 11. Scott Croonquist, executive director of the Association of Metropolitan School Districts (AMSD), presented the 2020 AMSD Legislative Platform and Position Papers. AMSD, which Wayzata Public Schools is a member of, advocates for metropolitan school districts and works to advance legislation that supports student achievement. The LAC also discussed the draft of the 2020 Wayzata Legislative Platform, which Annie McDaniels, citizen chair of the Wayzata LAC, will present at the Monday, December 16 Wayzata School Board Work Session. In the coming months, members of the Wayzata LAC will be meeting with senators and representatives from the nine senate and house districts that represent Wayzata Public Schools to discuss these legislative positions. The Wayzata LAC is a non-partisan group of citizens that monitors legislative activity as it affects K-12 education and advocates positions on behalf of the district. For more information, please visit the Wayzata Committees webpage or contact Brian Combs, your school’s Wayzata LAC representative. Cold, Flu, and Lice… What Can You Do to Help? Influenza, commonly called “the flu”, is a contagious respiratory illness caused by the influenza virus, which infects the nose, throat, and lungs. It can cause mild to severe illness, and at times can lead to death. If your child will be out sick with the flu, they must be without a fever for over 24 hours before returning to school. When contacting the school to report that your child is sick, please be specific including if the fever is 100 or greater and if your child has a cough or a sore throat. More information is available on the Minnesota Department of Health website. Head lice are a common problem for children in childcare settings and schools and anybody can get it. Most cases of head lice are acquired outside of school. Remember to check your child’s head after returning from a play date or sleepover – two common settings where head lice are spread. Regular observation by parents can also be an effective way to detect and quickly treat head lice. More information is available on the Minnesota Department of Health or CDC websites as well as ways to treat head lice. When to keep your child home from school Home Base is Hiring! If you enjoy working with school-age children between PreK to grade 5, you may be qualified to work in our Home Base before- and after-school childcare program! You must be available to work after school during the school year and we have summer hours, too. Typical shifts are three hours, between 2:00 and 6:00 p.m. (up to four-hour shifts possible). Starting pay for Program Assistants is $14.78 per hour and $17.09 per hour for Program Instructors. Apply online today! Wayzata Education Fund's Thank a Teacher Program We have a lot of amazing teachers and staff here at Wayzata Public Schools. What better way to show them you appreciate them by giving back to our schools? From November 21 to December 17, any donation through Wayzata Education Fund's Thank A Teacher program will come with a certificate of appreciation to that teacher or staff member from the student named in the donation. As a bonus, any donation of $25 or more also comes with a bundlet from Nothing Bundt Cakes-Minnetonka, our generous partner in this program. Say thank you and support a good cause all in one! We've had so many great Ask Ali questions in our inbox – thanks to all who have submitted! Ali, along with her network of local experts, has been working hard to answer these questions. Responses are posted every Monday on her blog at partnersinpreventionmn.org/askali. Parents, you've got to check out the responses to these questions! There are some interesting ones that have been asked; chances are you might be wondering some of these things. Winter after school class opportunities at Birchview: Art Lab Grandmasters of Chess Code Yeti - Exploring Structures with Loads! Junior Robotics: WINTER Financial assistance is available, find more information here or call 763-745-5200. Upcoming Events: Young Scientist Roundtable: Man's Best Friend Helping to Treat Brain Cancer -There is groundbreaking work being done at the University of Minnesota’s Veterinary Medical Center and Masonic Cancer Center in the treatment of brain tumors in dogs. Dr. Liz Pluhar, Board Certified Veterinary Neurosurgeon and Director of the Canine Brain Tumor Clinical Trials Program, will discuss new immunotherapies that greatly extended the survival of canine patients with Glioblastoma (GB) and how these are to be translated into trials in human GB patients. *note date change from the printed calendar Wednesday, January 15 at 7 p.m., Central Middle School Auditorium Parenting with Vision: Bully Proofing Your Kids - Bullying is experienced in a variety of forms and can be distressing for both kids and parents. Navigating the dynamics of bullying can be complicated and has become even more difficult with the prevalence of cell phones and social media. Parents may feel overwhelmed, defenseless and caught off guard when issues of bullying emerge with their child. Learn about the different types of bullying that exist, who is likely to be affected, and what parents can be attuned to, and leave with tools that can be used within parent-child relationships to be preventative and responsive to issues of bullying. January 13 at 7 p.m., Central Middle School Auditorium **Most examples in this presentation will pertain to students within the ages of kindergarten through 8th grade. However, all parents, grandparents, and caregivers are invited to attend. Events are free with no registration required. Friday, January 3, 2020 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM Thursday, January 16, 2020 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM Thursday, January 23, 2020 3:30 PM - 7:30 PM Monday, January 27, 2020 3:30 PM - 7:30 PM Wednesday, January 29, 2020 3:30 PM - 7:30 PM Thursday, January 30, 2020 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM Friday, February 7, 2020 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM Friday, March 6, 2020 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM Monday, January 13, 2020 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM Wednesday, January 15, 2020 7:00 PM - 8:45 PM Tuesday, January 21, 2020 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM Wednesday, January 22, 2020 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM Thursday, January 23, 2020 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM Monday, January 13, 2020 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM Monday, January 27, 2020 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM 425 Ranchview Lane, Plymouth, MN 55447 | 763-745-5300 |