One of my highlights for the week was seeing Mrs. Hermes’ class participating in a Socratic seminar! I know other grade levels are also doing Socratic seminars, and student participation is at all time highs in those rooms. After all, students love to talk and have a good argument. The structure of the Socratic seminar routine is an absolute game changer! Click here for the resource Ms. Best sent her families explaining the Socratic seminar approach.

Last week also involved a revolving door of Spookarama decorators and organizers- we are so lucky to have families who volunteer to make this community the great group it is! The event was an absolute blast!

Friday's Coffee Talk focused on resources in case of a strike as well as ways for families to support students! Shout out to Liz for supporting the conversation as well. Click here for more if you were unable to make it. As November 1 draws near, families will continue to receive more communication from the district and possibly me clarifying communication. If you're anything like me, you are still synthesizing a lot of information.

Finally, report cards and conferences are coming up right around the corner! You will see that K-5 report cards look a little different this year- and what a great change that's been made. PPS worked alongside educators from 20 different schools and took feedback from families to refine the report card into a more aligned and easily understood tool. Click here if you would like to learn more or see what the new template looks like! In terms of feedback from teachers on the report card, don't be surprised to see a comment from teachers simply stating "Looking forward to discussing your child’s report card at conferences" since they will get to discuss in person all the progress students are making in class!

• November 2nd - End of Quarter
• November 3rd- Teacher Inservice Day ( No School)
• November 1-21st - Annual Harvest Book Drive
  

• November 20-21. School Conferences

This year our staff has agreed to allow students to dress up for Halloween. We hope all students will participate in the fun by wearing a school-appropriate costume. We ask that student refrain from wearing masks, carrying any fake weapons, or displaying violence. As a K-8, we want to be respectful of all ages in the school.

The district has been preparing for a potential strike by the union, in the event that an agreement can not be reached. If there is a strike, teachers will not be available to provide classroom or virtual instruction and the District will have no choice but to close schools to students until the strike ends. Please refer to the district website for available resources.

Elementary Classes: All elementary teachers will provide a sign-up sheet where parents can select a 20-minute slot to discuss their student's academic progress and goals.

Middle School: Middle School conferences will be held arena-style in the cafeteria. All teachers will be available from 8:30am-7pm. You are not required to meet with your student's teachers, but they will all be available if you have questions or concerns. We highly recommend bringing your student to conferences so they can be part of the discussion.

Interested in learning more about the Talented and Gifted Program? Join us for a virtual informational night with Ms. Presley.

Tuesday, October 31 · 4:30 – 5:30pm
Google Meet joining info
Video call link: https://meet.google.com/uwy-eecg-rkr
Or dial: ‪(US) +1 505-738-1585‬ PIN: ‪429 753 446‬#
More phone numbers: https://tel.meet/uwy-eecg-rkr?pin=1174005250574

Did you miss picture day or want to take a new picture?

We will have picture retakes on November 9th!

Do not miss out on ordering pictures of your student. Orders may be placed online by searching for your school name at mydorian.com and selecting the green Order button. Online orders are available up to 4 days after retake day.

If you already ordered and want a new picture taken please be sure to return your original picture packet to the photographer on retake day.

Did you get an email regarding an ELL monitoring form that needs to be completed by you regarding previous ELL students? These emails are generated through a PPS app, Ellevation, and also the Funded Programs in PPS.

Here is a guide to help you through the launch of the application. I am also available to help you-just let me know a good window of time to drop by!

Ultimately, you are answering the question: Is English language acquisition a barrier to the student's success in your class?

Again, let me know if you would like assistance with this; I am happy to help.

Liz McCarthy

English Language Development (ELD) Teacher

emccarthy@pps.net

Mr. Tabshy will once again be leading a tour to New York City and Washington, D.C. over Memorial Day weekend 2024. This trip is open to all 8th graders. To learn more, click here. To register for the trip, click here. Just a heads up that on November 1st there will be a slight price increase, so hurry and register now

The PTA is continuing its popular BottleDrop recycling fundraiser this year and K-5 students should bring home a Blue Bag this week.

It's EASY to raise money for our PTA by recycling your cans and bottles. Just fill up a Blue Bag and return it at any BottleDrop location (Fred Meyer, New Seasons, and Whole Foods are closest). We hope to raise $7500 this year with your help!

Visit our website for more information, to request more bags, and to track our progress. THANK YOU for supporting our school!

Join the PTA Parent Portal

The PTA is inviting (and asking) new families to sign up for a free account on our website. An account will give you access to:

• receiving our newsletter,
• access to the school directory,
• volunteer sign up forms,
• ·and configuration of student fundraising pages for the upcoming Fun Run.

Joining the PTA is optional after this, but we welcome that too! You’ll be more connected to your fellow families and more informed about all the programs and community events the PTA has to offer. Questions? Reach out to president@beverlyclearyschool.org or webmaster@beverlyclearyschool.org.