Bacich Bears News
Dear Bacich Community,
I hope you enjoyed the beautiful Mother’s Day weekend! Thank you to our first grade families who attended the first grade concert this past week. The students did an amazing job singing, dancing, playing instruments, and introducing the songs. It is quite impressive to see some of our youngest students perform with such poise in front of our school community! Thanks to music teacher, Becky Poon, for her incredible dedication to our chorus program.
Fourth Grade Gold Country Trip
This week marks the return of the Bacich overnight Gold Country Trip! Our fourth graders will spend two days and one night in Gold Country. The trip includes a tour of Sutter’s Fort, lunch outside the State Capital, gold panning and related activities, visiting the historic town of Coloma, and a night spent at Earthtrek on the American River. I would like to express my deepest gratitude to Bacich fourth grade teachers Victoria Denson and Marjorie Bukowski and the rest of the fourth grade teaching staff for their incredible efforts to put this trip together. I would also like to thank fourth grade families and KIK for their financial support of this field trip. Our students are likely to remember this trip as an important highlight of their fourth grade year.
TEAM Time Spotlight
If you have ever spent time watching elementary school students play a sport or game, you likely noticed that for many students, taking your outs is a challenge. Students often have a hard time accepting that they are out and will argue instead. One of the TEAM (Together Everyone Achieves More) lessons in our last unit this year is about how to take your outs like a good sport. Students practice how to be a good sport by continuing to be a part of the game even when they get out. This lesson helps students to become encouragers, fun players, helpers, and gracious winners and avoid being an arguer, sulker, victim, or bragger.
CAASPP Testing Third and Fourth Grade
The California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress, or CAASPP, is the standardized academic testing that students across the state take every spring. This assessment was on pause for two years during the pandemic but was reintroduced last spring.
The state requires Districts to administer CAASPP testing in an effort to provide valuable information about student progress. This tool is an online, computer-adaptive assessment in English Language Arts/Literacy (ELA) and Mathematics for 3rd - 8th grade students.
Bacich third and fourth grade students will take the CAASPP May 22 - June 2. Please refer to the Bacich CAASPP Testing Calendar. To learn more about CAASPP, visit the California Department of Education (CDE) webpage.
Individual student score reports displaying CAASPP results will be available in the Aeries Parent/Family Portal in July/August and will include an overall score and a description of the student’s achievement level for ELA, Mathematics, and Science if applicable.
KSD Reclassification Ceremony
This Thursday, May 18, we gather in the Bacich Community Center from 6-7:30 p.m. for our annual KSD Reclassification Ceremony for students who recently achieved bilingual status. It will be a beautiful celebration of students from TK-8 who have recently achieved this momentous milestone. All are welcome and encouraged to join us to celebrate this incredible accomplishment!
I hope you enjoy a fantastic week!
With gratitude,
Maria Martin
Bacich Principal
mmartin@kentfieldschools.org
Bacich Lost & Found
Please check the Lost & Found for any items your child may be missing.
The Lost and Found will be donated Friday, May 19.
Calling Bacich Volunteers!
Do you have a desire to be on the Bacich campus more? Are you available during the school day, specifically during lunchtime from 11:55 to 1:20 p.m.? If so, we have the spot for you, as we are hoping to bring more parents back onto campus.
A Sign Up Genius will be forthcoming, in the meantime please reach out to Ann-Marie Skaggs at askaggs@kentfieldschools.org to express interest.
Pizza Wednesdays!
$6 for a slice of pizza, with a serving of organic blueberries and baby carrots
The KSPTA is piloting a fundraiser. We’re selling a pizza lunch with organic fruit and a vegetable on Wednesdays after school. Proceeds will fund t-shirts for all Bacich students and staff for the 2023-2024 school year with the image: We All Belong at Bacich.
Pizzas will be served in the Bacich lunch quad, following your child’s dismissal time.
- UTK & Kindergarten: 12 p.m.
- 1st & 2nd Grades: 12:15 p.m.
- 3rd & 4th Grades: 12:30 p.m.
Projected Dates:
- Wednesday, May 17, 24, 31, and June 7
How to Order:
- Order at www.kspta.org/product/bacich-pizza-2023/ by 9 p.m. on the Monday before.
- Pay online or place an order online and pay on the day of with cash or check.
A limited quantity of pizza will be available for purchase without pre-orders. Please ensure your child has a caregiver as food pickup is after dismissal time.
Does your child attend Marin Enrichment? KSPTA volunteers are coordinating with Marin Enrichment staff to have your child’s pizza brought to Marin Enrichment. Please send your child to Marin Enrichment as usual and KSPTA will deliver.
Is your child a budding entrepreneur? Contact VP of Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging, Vicki Sonu Song, so that both caregiver and child can participate in selling lemonade or baked goods! Proceeds will be donated to the KSPTA and be used to fund projects to promote belonging in our district.
We need volunteers! Please contact Vicki Sonu Song at equity-inclusion@kspta.org.
Wait Until 8th Pledge
The KSPTA is sponsoring the Wait Until 8th Pledge. This initiative supports waiting until children are in 8th grade to provide access to a smartphone. The Wait Until 8th organization lists five top reasons to postpone access to a smartphone:
- Smartphones are changing childhood
- They are distracting and addictive
- Smartphones expose your child to inappropriate content
- They increase the risk of anxiety and depression
- Cyberbullying is an important concern
There are many devices that parents can use to be able to get in touch with their children, other than a smartphone. The Wait Until 8th website has additional information for parents. The KSPTA has identified a parent class champion at each grade level who is available to answer questions you may have. Please refer to this document for more information about the KSPTA Wait Until 8th campaign. I encourage you to consider taking this pledge!
Draft School Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA) - Bacich 2023-2024
The Bacich School Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA) for the 2023-24 school year is a comprehensive document that provides details about the school’s planned actions to support student outcomes and overall performance. The goals and actions in the SPSA connect to the Kentfield School District’s Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP), which lays out goals for the entire District. The Bacich SPSA for 2023-2024 contains four goals and specific action steps to achieve the goals. We would like to solicit your feedback on this important plan. Please take a few minutes to review the DRAFT SPSA and provide feedback using this Google form.
Family Math Nights
The Marin County Office of Education is hosting “Family Math Nights” for parents and caregivers of children, ages birth to 6 years. The virtual sessions are facilitated by Lisa Kaplan Shaanan from Early Education Equity. Spanish translation provided. The Zoom link will be emailed to you the day before the session.
Please join us on one or more of the following sessions on Thursdays from 6:30-7:30 p.m. Registration Link
- June 8
La Oficina de Educación del Condado de Marin está organizando "Noches Familiares de Matemáticas" para padres y cuidadores de niños, desde el nacimiento hasta los 6 años. Las sesiones virtuales son facilitadas por Lisa Kaplan Shaanan de Early Education Equity. Se ofrece traducción al español. El enlace de Zoom se le enviará por correo electrónico el día antes de la sesión.
Únase a nosotros en una o más de las siguientes sesiones los jueves de 6:30 p. m. a 7:30 p.m. Enlace de registro
- 8 de junio
Bacich Library - New May Blog Post!
Welcome the month of May with Ms. Warnick's favorite books and activities to honor May Day, Mother's Day, Memorial Day, and Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month at the bacichlibrarybookbuzz.blogspot.com
Learn more about the library and search for books: sites.google.com/kentfieldschools.org/bacich-library
Susan Warnick
Bacich Librarian
swarnick@kentfieldschools.org
Upcoming Bacich Events
2022-2023 Bacich Bell Schedule
Mondays by 9 p.m.: Orders due for KSPTA Pizza Wednesdays. Please see the KSPTA section for more details.
Wednesday, May 17, 2023: Bacich ELAC Meeting, Bacich room 7
Friday, May 19, 2023: Lost & Found items will be donated.
Monday, May 22, 2023:
- Bacich Principal Chat, 8:30 a.m., IDEA Studio
- Bacich Site Council meeting, 3:15-4:15 p.m.
Thursday, May 25, 2023: Kindergarten Concert, 8:30-9 a.m.
Wednesday, May 31, 2023: Bacich Parent Volunteer Celebration, 8:30-9:30 a.m.