Administrators’ Notes from Kelley Hough & Danielle Shanks

Tue, 12/04/2018 - 11:34am

“Patience is not the ability to wait, but how you act while you’re waiting.” – Joyce Meyer

Students looked bright and springy for their pictures today! Hopefully you will enjoy the beautiful weather this weekend and spend some quality family time with one another. Today students were “caught” being continually kind and respectful; those students got to choose an awesome prize from our “Cool, Kind, Kids Prize Cart.” Please continue to remind your students about the Golden Rule, “do unto others as you would have them do unto you!”

Speaking of Kindness!

Last quarter, many students were nominated by staff members for the Q2 Kindness Award. These students received an invitation to attend the Kindness Pancake Breakfast on April 3rd at 8:25 AM and are able to bring one of their favorite “grown-ups” to celebrate. Check with your child to see if they received an invitation.

Bus Evacuation Drill is Tuesday April 9th

Each school year, the Code of Maryland Regulations requires that we perform school bus evacuation drills. All students, to include those with an IEP or 504 plan, must participate. We have selected April 9th to conduct the drill at BWES. Since evacuation drills are an important ock experience for students riding our school buses, it is imperative that you convey to your child(ren) the seriousness associated with the possible evacuation of a school bus under potentially hazardous conditions.

Last week, your child's MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) Winter Home Report came home. Your child's Student Progress Report provides specific information on your child's performance on the Winter 2019 administration of the MAP test in reading and mathematics.  If you have any questions about your child's academic performance, please contact your child's teacher.

Science Fair and Enrichment Fair are COMING!

There is still one week left to register for the BWES Science and Invention Fair! Register now online: https://sites.google.com/view/bwesptascienceinventionfair/home. EVERY STUDENT WHO REGISTERS TO PARTICIPATE WILL RECEIVE a HOMEWORK PASS from the PRINCIPALS!

The Fair will take place at BWES on Thursday, April 25th with advanced registrations due by April 5th. Check out the website for more information. This activity is open to all BWES students. Participating students will create and present a project involving scientific investigation or the creation of their own invention.

End of Q3 is Coming!

April 5th is the end of Quarter 3 and also a ½ day for students. Students will be dismissed at 12:15 PM. Report Cards will go home after Spring Break (April 13 - 22nd) on Wednesday, April 24th. There are no additional “scheduled” days for parent/teacher conferences however, you can request to meet with your child’s teacher(s) at any time. Your partnership with your child's teacher is most beneficial if it continues through the year, so you should maintain a relationship beyond the initial conference.

Career Day is Rapidly Approaching

Career Day is April 26th, 2019 and we need YOUR experiences! Whether you are a nurse, mechanic, astronaut, custodian or business owner or anything in between - we need you!

We are looking for a variety of people interested in spending a day (or a few hours) talking to our students about their career. Many of our students are unaware of the career opportunities available to them and this is a fantastic way to provide them with first hand knowledge of potential career paths. This is also a great way for you to get involved in BWES and make an impact on the students’ future. If you are not interested but know someone who is, please give them (or us) the necessary contact information. You can contact our Guidance Counselor, Ms. Ashley Armstead (ashley_armstead@hcpss.org) to sign up or for additional information!

Digital Workshop Resources

“Kids are growing up in a digital playground and no one is on  recess duty!” - Kevin Honeycutt

 

We had a small BUT mighty group of parents attend Wednesday’s Digital Citizenship Parent Workshop! We discussed some of the following questions:

 

  • What IS my child doing online?

  • How does allowing my child to have a cell phone impact their social-emotional wellbeing?

  • What is Fortnite, Snapchat and TicToc and why is my child obsessed with it?

  • Is my child involved in cyberbullying? Is my child experiencing cyberbullying?

  • What can I do as a parent to ensure my child is using technology responsibly?

 

We plan to hold this workshop again at a later time. In the meantime, here are highlights shared:

 

3rd, 4th, and 5th graders were surveyed about what APPs they use. Take a look at what we found out!

 

Ask yourself the following questions:

  • How late is your child on their cell phone?

  • Who are your child’s online “friends?”

  • Do you have access to your child’s cell phone?

  • What is the purpose of your child’s cell phone/internet access?

  • How much screen time does your child have?

  • How often do you talk with your child about their online experiences?

  • How often do you watch/listen  in on what your child is doing online?