BWE News & Notes
Week of June 8-12, 2020
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June 10
- Pick-up/Drop-off Day
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Have a Wonderful Summer BWE Family!
The staff of Bradford Woods Elementary wish all of our students and families a very happy, healthy, safe and fun summer. We hope to see you all in person again in September!
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BWE Student Material Pickup/Drop-off - Wednesday, June 10
Dear BWE Families,
The District has planned for Wednesday, June 10, to be the official date for families to both pick up items left behind at the school as well as drop off items that you need to return to the school. The staff of BWE will be present to help this process run smoothly and efficiently. Below are items that you can expect to pick up or drop off on June 10.
Pick Up
- Homeroom teachers have prepared bags for each student filled with any personal items that may need to be returned to them. Items include supply boxes, lunch boxes, art work, etc.
- The nurse will be prepared to return any medical items that remained at the school.
Drop Off
- Any hardback book such as Science or English Language Arts textbooks
- You do NOT need to return any paper/consumable materials (i.e. GO Math workbooks, Social Studies magazines)
- Library books
- Any end of the year item or gift you wish to give any staff members
- If you are NOT returning to North Allegheny School District for the 2020-2021 school year, please prepare to return your District-issued iPad. If you are planning to return to NASD in the fall, you are advised to KEEP your iPad for the summer.
Procedures
- Important to note: during this entire process you and/or your children will NOT be permitted to exit your vehicle.
- When you enter the BWE parking lot you will be greeted by staff members with walkie talkies who will relay your family’s last name to other staff members who will begin to collect and organize your belongings.
- As you drive slowly up the BWE loop you will see THREE different stations.
Station #1 - Nurses Station
- The first station will be located near the log cabin area of the loop.
- This station is where the nurse will return any medical-related items to you. If this does not pertain to your family, you can proceed to Station #2.
Station #2 - Drop Off Station
- This station will be located midway through the loop (between the log cabin and the main entrance).
- You will be greeted by several staff members who will be prepared to receive any items you have to drop off at the school: textbooks, gifts, library books, etc.
Station #3 - Pick Up Station
- The last station will be located near the lower level parking lot near the gym.
- You will be directed to stop here and pop your trunk and a staff member will place your child(ren)’s bag into your trunk.
*While proceeding through the bus loop, please be sure not to pass any cars. Wait for the cars in front of you to proceed forward before you continue.
Schedule for the Day
To try and avoid too much traffic congestion, we are putting forth SUGGESTED time frames for coming to the school for this process.
- 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.- we suggest families with the last name A-M
- 12:00-2:00 p.m. - we suggest families with the last name N-Z
We understand that parents work and these are crazy times, so if you are not able to accommodate this suggestion, please do not worry!
If you are not able to make this date work at all, feel free to have a neighbor or family friend pick up and drop off your belongings.
2:00-2:45 p.m. - Families with 5th graders
We would like to do something special for our 5th graders!!! Your teachers will email you with further details. If at all possible, we ask our families with 5th graders to come from 2:00-2:45 p.m. on June 10. Even if you have younger children, it is fine to bring the whole family at this time; there is no need to come to the school twice!
We recognize that this is a lot of information to communicate in a written fashion. If you have any questions at all related to this process, please feel free to reach out to me at jeimiller@northallegheny.org.
We look forward to seeing you and your children on Wednesday, June 10 for a proper farewell to the 2019-2020 school year!
Sincerely,
Jaime Eimiller
BWE Principal
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BWE Summer Reading Program 2020
Reading over the summer is extremely important to help prevent ‘Summer Slide’ and to keep all students learning. All BWE students who are currently in Kindergarten through 4th grade are eligible to participate in the Bradford Woods Summer Reading Program, which encourages students to read over the summer.
In this week’s Remote Learning Library Classes, all students in Grades K-4 received information about the BWE Summer Reading program, as well as a copy of the BWE Summer Reading Folder. You can also access the folder and a complete explanation of the Summer Reading Program at this link:
Please print out the folder for your child and help them keep track of their reading this summer. When they return to school in September, have them bring this folder. All students who turn in the folder will be recognized.
Another fun part of the BWE Summer Reading Program is called
#bwesummershelfies2020.
If you are on Instagram, you can follow the BWE Library at @bweslibrary. If you do, throughout the summer, you'll see pictures posted of BWE Students and Staff reading in fun places. If you are comfortable, please post a picture of your child or family reading somewhere fun with the #bwesummershelfies2020 (you'll need to follow bweslibrary on Instagram before the hashtag will work). If you are not on Instagram, or you'd prefer not to post a picture of your child on Instagram, please just email me a picture of your child/family reading somewhere fun. I will save the pictures and will put together a video of all of the BWE students and staff reading pictures. This video will be shared on the BWE morning announcements when school starts up again. In this week's Library lesson, you'll see last year's Summer Reading video. I hope to be able to put a picture of your child in this year's Summer Reading video! Of course, this is a completely optional activity.
As always, if you have any questions about anything Library-related or Summer Reading related, please feel free to email Mrs. Flaherty – mflaherty@northallegheny.org
Let’s make all BWE students into Super Readers this summer!
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#BecomeAFashionDesigner Contest Video by The NA FCCLA Fashion Club
Congratulations to Sarah Mazur and Caroline Eberle from Bradford Woods Elementary. Sarah can be seen in the video at 8:25 min. and Caroline at 9:16 min.
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BWE Yearbook Update
For those who previously placed a yearbook order, Lifetouch has advised that due to the Corona Virus, they have been operating at 30% capacity with social distancing guidelines in place. Thus, the shipment of the yearbooks has been slightly delayed. While we have not been provided with a specific shipment date, the books will likely be shipped within the next several weeks.
Once we have been notified of shipment and provided a delivery date, we will devise
a plan for distribution. Anyone who purchased a yearbook will be notified
by email as to the time(s) and place they may be picked up. Thank you for your patience as we anxiously await them!
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Pull Tab Collection Ongoing
Please save the pull tabs from your canned drinks! Continue saving pull tabs year round! We will collect them once we return to school. The donated pull tabs will be recycled and exchanged for cash to support the Ronald McDonald House of Pittsburgh. More specific information concerning collection times/dates will be forthcoming.
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Composite Class Photos Ordered From Lifetouch
For those families who ordered a composite of their child’s class from Lifetouch last fall, we have just recently received them and they have been placed into your child’s belongings bag which will be available for pick-up on June 10th. Please see information for the Pick-up/Drop-off day on June 10th.
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Spring School Pictures
Lifetouch has advised us that the Spring pictures are being printed. If we receive them prior to June 10th they will be included in the child’s pick-up bag available on June 10th. If we do not receive them until after June 10th we will advise families as to how and when they will be distributed.
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New 2020-2021 PFA Board Members
Historically, the PFA holds its last meeting of the year in May, at which time the new Board members for the upcoming school year are voted upon. Due to the Covid-19 school closure, and since all Board positions are uncontested, we have decided to forgo the traditional vote and instate the new Board members now. It is our pleasure to introduce your 2020-2021 PFA Board:
President – Andrea Bratich
Vice President – Erin Froehlich
Secretary – Renee Caromano
Treasurer – Erin Songer
Technology Coordinator – April Shanahan
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Glow Run Fundraiser Update
As we wrap up this school year, the PFA wanted to provide an update with regard to the Glow Run Fundraiser proceeds. Prior to school closing in March, Mrs. Eimiller created a “Glow Run Committee”, comprised of several BWE staff members, to help oversee how the proceeds will be distributed. The committee has already determined some of the Special Areas and S.T.E.A.M. items which will initially be purchased. The committee has also proposed a BWE Makerspace. This hands-on, interactive, creative STEM space was to take shape over the summer. However, with redistricting on hold, this new space will now be unveiled in the Fall of 2021.
All remaining funds will be used for Specials Areas and S.T.E.A.M. related purchases as decided upon by the appointed Glow Run committee members. We thank you for a wonderful year and for all of your support!
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Virtual Author Visit
Author Brian Yanish was scheduled to visit BWE on Monday, June 8th. We have rescheduled his visit for next year, but you might want to visit his YouTube Channel for a preview of his work. He is an author who writes books about using recycled items to create fun crafts. He also reads one of his books called Pirate Chicken and he reads it to chickens in a coop!! This site is fun and you can easily make some cool crafts with items you already have at home.
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Counselor's Corner
As always, Mrs. Bontempo is here to support BWE students and their families during this challenging time! Visit Mrs. Bontempo’s
website for contact information, a virtual student check-in, resources, and activities.
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Tiger Strong Live Long - Mental and Emotional Well-Being Resources
Since we are unable to see students each day in the school buildings for our usual conversations, information sharing, and check-ins, we have created a “virtual” place where students and their families can visit to gain and utilize resources to support students’ mental and emotional well-being. Students' mental health and happiness are just as important to us as academics during this time of remote learning at home.
This site, “Tiger Strong Live Long”, is a resource guide meant to answer questions, provide information, and give you real-life tips and strategies from familiar voices at school.
Remember:
Reach out to someone if you need help. We’re all in this together.
STAY #TigerStrong
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Technology at Home over the Summer
Parents/guardians are encouraged to visit the North Allegheny website for
resources and information
regarding managing technology at home. These materials can assist in finding information related to digital citizenship and creating a safe virtual environment for students.
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Elementary Report Cards
Report cards will be available in the Tyler portal on June 17, 2020. As a reminder, elementary moved to a pass/fail grading system for academic subjects in grades 2-5 for the fourth quarter of the 2019-2020 school year. Marking indicators will also be modified as follows:
Special Area Classes
Report cards will report the following grades for marking indicators:
- “Appropriate Progress”
- “Needs Improvement”
- The “Strength” marking indicators will not be utilized during the fourth quarter of the 2019-2020 school year.
Kindergarten and First Grade
Report cards will report the following grades for marking indicators for academic subject areas:
- “Appropriate Progress”
- “Needs Improvement”
- The “Strength” marking indicators will not be utilized during the fourth quarter of the 2019-2020 school year.
- Additionally, some marking indicators such as Skills for Success will not be assessed for the fourth quarter of the 2019-2020 school year.
Second through Fifth Grades
Report cards will report grades for academic classes as either “Pass” or “Fail.” The marking indicators under each academic area will not be assessed for the 2019-2020 school year.
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Thank You from the Superintendent
NASD Parents & Guardians:
This has certainly been a challenging end to the school year. It’s been challenging for our students. They have been asked to learn in new ways, organize their time differently, and do all of this without the daily in-person interactions with other students and staff members that are part of the traditional school experience. It’s also disrupted important milestones for our students, particularly our 12th graders who weren’t able to participate in many of the traditional senior activities. It’s been challenging for our families. They have had to organize dedicated learning spaces in their homes, serve as quasi teachers, and do all of this while maintaining a work-life balance.
It has also been challenging for all of us who work in the District. In a very short period of time, we completely changed our educational model and the ways that we interact with students and one another. We also learned that we can move mountains when there is a call to action. But through every situation, good or bad, you learn something that helps you grow moving forward.
Shortly after we moved into a remote learning environment, we distributed a survey to students, families, and staff members regarding their experiences. The feedback we received contains valuable information regarding how we responded to a remote learning environment and helps set the stage for future efforts. Some of the highlights from this remote learning survey include:
- Students and parents would like to see more real-time, live instruction between students and teachers. They miss these important interactions.
- Blackboard in grades 6-12 helps organize student learning.
- The lack of a consistent learning platform in grades K-5 is very challenging for students and parents.
- Staff members are asking for more professional learning around teaching in a remote environment.
- Students and staff members noted in the survey that there are concerns about their mental health and well-being.
This feedback proved valuable as we thought about the end of the current school year and how we might prepare for the 2020-2021 school year. To address some of our needs, we made the decision to change the last student day of the school year from June 11 to June 5. In doing so, we were able to coordinate opportunities for students to return school materials and pick up their belongings next week and this information was recently communicated with students and families. The change to the last student day also created time during the week of June 8 to begin preparing for the coming school year, using the feedback from the remote learning survey to help guide these efforts and provide staff with the professional learning activities that they have requested.
Next week will also give us an opportunity to continue our planning for next school year. We know that the coming school year may look different. We need to think creatively about how we can meet the academic, social, and emotional needs of our students as well as ensuring the safety of our students, staff members, and families. Recently, we developed a Return to School committee for the 2020-2021 school year. This committee, composed of stakeholders from across the District, is tasked with answering a variety of questions, including:
- How might we incorporate the CDC guidelines and Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) guidance in our planning efforts for next year?
- How do we support learning for all students in an environment that flexibly moves back and forth between in-person and remote learning environments when needed?
- How might we incorporate more live video if we are in a remote environment in the future?
- What does this look like for students and families who are physically unable to come to school in person?
- What are the parameters we have to work with at North Allegheny?
These questions, and many others, are being addressed by the Return to School committee.
Education is going to look different for all of us. So let’s take what we have learned over the past three months and build a better future for our students, for our families, and for our staff members. I am confident that we have the people in this District to guide this work throughout the summer in preparation for next year. Once these plans take shape, we will communicate them with the entire school community.
Thank you for embracing change. Thank you for being kind, because the world certainly needs more of that right now. And thank you for being the difference and supporting our remote learning efforts over the past three months. As Mr. Rogers once said, “Often when you think you’re at the end of something, you’re at the beginning of something else.”
Sincerely,
Dr. Robert Scherrer
Superintendent
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A Letter from the North Allegheny School Board & Administrators
Over the last week, our country has been torn apart by the tragic events related to the death of George Floyd and other similar incidents of racial inequities. The North Allegheny School District stands in solidarity with our black and brown students, families, and staff members. We are committed to diversity, anti-racism, and positive support for our school community.
While our District has taken steps to educate students and staff members on racial differences, ways to combat hatred, and how to build an inclusive community, it is not enough. We are committed to working together with our students, staff, and families to continue to build a more inclusive environment.
Plans are already underway to expand the work of our District Diversity Committee and help us lead conversations about racism, inequalities, and ways to embrace diversity in the coming school year. Our hope is that the North Allegheny community can be part of a larger movement that is working to promote positive, systemic change in our changing world.
Children may have questions about protests and racism. We wanted to provide some resources so that you are prepared to have a conversation with your child.
Resources
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June 12 Virtual Commencement
Our virtual commencement will be streamed live on Friday, June 12 at 7:00 p.m. A link to the ceremony will be shared
on the NA website
and via our social media accounts (
Facebook
,
Twitter
,
Instagram
). We encourage you to share the link with family and friends that may want to watch. The link will be live on our website for continued viewing after the June 12 event.
This virtual ceremony was designed by senior students and NA staff. Class of 2020 families were asked to submit photos and each graduate will be featured during the program. This was truly a group effort and we thank all of you for the time you spent to help make it a memorable event. The commencement will include:
- Student Speeches
- Student Performances
- Messages from NASD Administration
- Messages from the Community
- Conferral of Diplomas
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Help Pick a New NA Tiger Logo!
A logo is much more than an image. It’s a symbol of what a school stands for: it’s memorable, timeless, and unique to the District. A consistent logo provides instant visual recognition of a school.
After discovering multiple tiger images in use across the District, a team of North Allegheny staff and students embarked on a project to design a consistent tiger logo. The goal was to create a custom design with unique qualities; friendly enough not to scare our youngest students, but fierce enough for our student-athletes, making it recognizable to the community and the region as the NA Tiger. Key stakeholders met on an ongoing basis to review and discuss various iterations of the design.
Today, we are pleased to share the final two concepts with students, staff, and parents/guardians to help us vote on the final logo. The tiger image will complement our NA letter logo and be available for District clubs, organizations, and sports to use.
Please vote on your favorite NA Tiger Logo by the end of the day on Sunday, June 7.
The winning design will be unveiled at the start of the 2020-2021 school year. A special thank you to the staff and students that provided feedback to the design!
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Volunteer Clearances
School volunteers need to update volunteer clearances every five years. This program began five years ago this coming fall, and many volunteers have clearances expiring in the coming months. Please
reference the North Allegheny School District website
for further information about the types of clearances needed and how to update those clearances.
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North Allegheny Foundation Community Survey
North Allegheny Foundation is asking for insight on our mission to enrich and enhance the educational experiences at NA. Participants who complete the 5 minute survey will be entered in a drawing to direct a $250 grant to the school of their choice. The survey closes on June 8.
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Coronavirus (COVID-19) Information
Coronavirus (COVID-19) updates are archived on the North Allegheny website. This designated webpage will be updated as new information is provided.
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Remote Learning Guidelines
The District will continue with the remote learning plan for the duration of the closure of our buildings. Details on remote learning for elementary and secondary students can be found on the NA website.
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Missed a Newsletter?
All building newsletters are archived weekly on the North Allegheny website. This designated webpage will be updated with links to the previous week’s newsletters at the beginning of each school week by 11:30 a.m. A link to the archive is accessible on the District’s homepage and on each building’s homepage.
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The North Allegheny School District often receives requests for the distribution of athletics and approved non-profit community organization digital flyers. All requests for community flyers to be included in this newsletter must be submitted via email only at
flyers@northallegheny.org
. Flyers will only be posted and removed from the District website on Friday.
Visit our website for details on how to submit flyers
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Main Office - 724-935-5081
Nurse's Office - 724-935-5081
Counseling Office - 724-934-4400
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