Welcome Back! Summer seems to have flown by this year. It's incredible to think that you're getting ready to send your children back to school. But I can tell you, I’m so excited to see them! As we prepare for the upcoming school year, I wanted to share some information with you so that you have time to be ready for the first day of school, which is Wednesday, August 20th.

Pancakes with the Principal:

First through Sixth graders KEEP ON READING! Once again, we will be celebrating “Pancakes with the Principal” breakfast after Labor Day. If your bookmark is filled out, it means you have read at least 400 minutes this summer! Be sure to give your completed bookmark to your teacher at Back-to-School Night or within the first few days of school. The deadline to turn these in is Tuesday, September 5th. I will need to determine the number of students participating to ensure we have enough pancakes for everyone. I can’t wait to celebrate everyone’s summer reading success!

Back to School Night:

Our Back-to-School Night will be held on Monday, August 18th, from 5:30 to 6:45 PM. Teachers will be in their classrooms to greet you. This will be an open house format. I know teachers are excited to meet students and parents before the first day of school. Teachers won’t have the luxury to spend a lot of one-on-one time with you. Please schedule a separate meeting time if you have specific topics you would like to discuss with your child’s teacher.

During the school year, the school sends out general information and reminders via emails, phone calls, and text messages. You are the only one who can update your information and settings in PowerSchool. Without changing your preferences, you will not receive text messages. Please log in to your account to ensure all numbers, addresses, and other details are accurate. Additionally, please ensure that your emergency contact information is up to date. (If you have not previously signed up for School Messenger, we will send out more information closer to the start of school.)

Parent Teacher Organization:

Our Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO) will have tables set up at Back to School Night to offer T-shirt sales, information on fluoride at school, and opportunities for volunteering. We are in desperate need of parents willing to help this year. If you could commit to help with ONE activity this year, we would greatly appreciate it!

Kindergarten Info:

Kindergarten will start on Monday, August 25th.

Kindergarten parents, I sent a letter regarding the KEEP Assessment on July 21st. All kindergarten students are required to take this assessment before the start of the school year. This letter provided information about the online scheduler, which will be available on July 27th. To sign up, visit our website at ccsdut.org, select Birch Creek, and then click on the online scheduler in the “News and Announcements” section, Kindergarten Keep Scheduler. The school password is “birch” all lowercase. We have scheduled August 4th through August 6th for you to bring your child to the school for them to complete this assessment. Kindergarten Class lists will be created once KEEP testing has been completed. You will be notified who your child’s teacher is before Back to School Night.

School Safety is our #1 Priority:

Once school starts, ALL doors will be locked. We have our call-in system where you can contact the front office staff to be let into the building. Make sure you have identification with you. You will still need to stop by the office and sign in.

Please plan ahead to minimize disruptions for our staff.

We are asking the following:

Have your children at school on time. The first bell rings at 9:00, and the tardy bell rings at 9:05. This is when doors will be locked.
If possible, please schedule routine appointments outside of school hours. (I know this is a huge ask and not always possible.)
If you need to check your child out, please call the office when you are on your way. We will try to have them in the office by the time you arrive.
We will no longer be checking students out after 3:15. Our office is short-staffed at the end of the day. We appreciate your understanding of this new practice.

School Community Council:

Birch Creek Elementary has a very supportive School Community Council. This year, we are seeking three parent members to join our council. Please contact me (trudy.wilson@ccsdut.org or 435-792-7692) if you are interested in serving on the School Community Council. This is a 2-year commitment, with meetings being held at 4:00 P.M. one afternoon each month. The council's primary focus is to help develop the School Land Trust Plan. If more parents are interested in being part of this committee than we have openings for, we will hold an election for these positions during the first week of September.

Free and Reduced Lunch:

We encourage all families to apply for the Free or Reduced School Lunch Program. Please fill out an application online. (Free and Reduced-Price Lunch Information and Applications). All school-aged children in income-eligible households can receive meal benefits regardless of immigration status of household members. Information provided by the household will not be used for immigration-related purposes.

School and District Policies:

Please review the following district policies with your children: Attendance, Dress Code, FERPA, School Safety, School Fees, Harassment and Discrimination, Student Discipline, Technology and Acceptable Use, and Student Cell Phone (As per policy student’s cellular devices, including wearable devices, must be turned off from bell to bell. All communication needs to go through the office). The Dress Code Policy should also be helpful when shopping for Back-to-School clothes.

Drop-Off/Pick-Up:

Please follow the instructions provided to you at Back-to-School Night. You can also find them on our website. Drop-Off and Pick-Up Guidelines

The abbreviated version is to stay in a single-file line moving forward. Students will exit and enter cars at the designated location for their safety.

In the morning, please maintain a single-file line. Since parents are dropping students off, this moves rather quickly.

When picking up, once your child is in your car, you can pull out and around other vehicles so others can continue to move forward in the line. Remember, NO parking in this area. We appreciate you following the traffic signs and turning right out of the school drop-off/pick-up area.

Last year, we had several parents park in the church parking lot and call their children to cross the road or walk back and forth with their children. With so much traffic, this had become extremely dangerous for our children. We are grateful to be part of a Smithfield City Grant that approved a crosswalk for student safety. The city worked on this over the summer, making it accessible to all users. If you choose to park at the church, please, please, please use the crosswalk for the safety of everyone involved. Set a good example and use the crosswalks to pick up your children. I’m asking teachers to enforce this to keep our children safe. As a reminder, the south side of 220 North is a No Parking Zone. Also, do not park along the red curbs, even at pick-up times. This creates really narrow areas for our buses to access the school. It also blocks the line of vision for drivers pulling in and out of the school.

I look forward to another great year at Birch Creek Elementary. My door is always open. Welcome Back to School!

Trudy J. Wilson
Principal