Dear Bacich Community,

Professional Learning

One thing that we educators have in common is a belief that learning is a lifelong process. Classroom teachers continually reflect on their teaching and seek ways to improve as educators. We learn from each other as well as from outside experts. This past week during our Wednesday afternoon staff meeting, the Bacich staff had the opportunity to participate in a training session with Julie Kurtz, the founder and CEO of The Center for Optimal Brain Integration (www.optimalbrainintegration.com). The title of her presentation was “Top 10 Tips to Support Children During Times of Uncertainty and Stress.” We learned about the main parts of the brain and the function of each part. In order to access the part of our brain needed for learning, we need to feel safe and calm.

The three hours we got to spend with Ms. Kurtz was fantastic and we all walked away with new understandings that we can use to inform our teaching. One tip that we discussed was the benefit of predictable routines for children. Predictable routines help children feel safe and secure. When children don’t know what to expect, they can become anxious. Routines are not only helpful in the school setting but also at home. Establishing routines for homework completion, getting ready for school, and mealtimes are just a few examples of home routines that support children and reduce stress and anxiety.

We are fortunate that on November 10, we have an entire day dedicated to professional development. Our school calendar includes two professional development days for staff. We appreciate these days because we value professional growth and learning. We will focus on academic language development strategies that are supported by research and benefit all students.

Parent-Teacher Conferences 11/15/22 - 11/18/22

Teachers are looking forward to meeting with you to discuss your child’s progress and growth. Please make sure to sign up for a conference; teachers sent out conference sign ups on Friday (11/4).

The week of November 14 will include four minimum days to accommodate our parent teacher conferences. Monday (11/14) will be a regular day. On Tuesday - Friday (11/15 - 11/18) we will follow the Wednesday minimum day schedule. Please make sure to make arrangements to pick up your child on time (see below for the minimum day dismissal schedule).

• TK - K dismissal - 12 p.m.
• 1st and 2nd Grade dismissal - 12:15 p.m.
• 3rd and 4th Grade dismissal - 12:30 p.m.

With gratitude,

Dear Bacich Community,

This month’s guidance lessons focused on using I-Messages or I-Statements. This is a very important step in teaching our children how to solve small problems on their own. When a person is upset or frustrated because of someone else’s behavior, it is important to let that person know your feelings. Here is the format.

I feel ____ when you ____. Could you please ____? Thank you.

Ask your child to demonstrate this process to you. Many of our students love role-play or creating skits to model what we learn in class.

Sincerely,