August 6, 2019

Welcome Back Bruce Families,

On behalf of the entire faculty and staff, I hope that you have enjoyed a restful and relaxing summer!   As I begin my first full year at Bruce Elementary, I am particularly grateful for the blessing of this community of staff, students and families, and I am eager to see you again on the first day of school, Monday, August 26, 2019.  Last spring and through the summer, we have had many hours of good discussion about how staff and families can work together to ensure that our students are receiving an education that supports and empowers them as they strive to reach their full potential. We have spent the summer working hard to strengthen and enrich our academic program, fortify our identity as a Fifth Ward Community School, and put systems in place that will facilitate teacher/family communication in every classroom.  We are proud and excited to launch the 2019-2020 school year with our incredibly talented and dedicated teaching staff and your ongoing support and partnerships!

Let us begin this school year the same way we begin every day with our students, grounded in the mission of B.K. Bruce Elementary School:

 Bruce Elementary exist to inspire scholars to be catalyst of hope, knowledge, and perseverance for themselves, their family, and their community.

Below please find some important notes and reminders about the start of the school year.  Thank you in advance for your attention to the many details.

• Morning Procedures: Doors open for breakfast at 7:10 AM, school begins at 7:30 AM.  In order to ensure a productive start to the day and maximize learning time, we ask that students arrive on time daily.
• Students in Grades K through 5 will report directly to the cafeteria where they will be greeted by their classroom aides and several teachers each day. Students will be served breakfast in the classroom. Breakfast will be served until 7:50 AM.  
•  Pre-K/K families will drop their students off in the library the first week of school. The doors will open at 7:10 a.m. and school will begin at 7:30 AM. Parents we ask that you say your goodbyes to students before they transition to their classrooms for instruction at 7:35 a.m. Parents will not be allowed to walk students to the classroom.
• Students in Grades 1 through 5 will report directly to the cafeteria when doors open at 7:10 a.m.  Teachers will pick students up at 7:30 a.m. from the cafeteria.  Breakfast will be served in the classrooms until 7:50 AM. 
• Late students: Students in all grades that arrive after 8:05 AM will receive a late pass and be marked late by their homeroom teacher.  Students that are late more than 4 times in a trimester will begin to incur penalties.

• Afternoon Procedures: School is dismissed at 2:50 PM each day, with periodic 11:30 AM early dismissals. These will be announced on the Monthly Parent Calendar.
• Students who are picked up will obtain a carpool number during our Back to School Bash/Meet the Teacher Event scheduled for Friday, August 23, 2019.
• Students who take the bus will meet in the cafeteria and wait in their bus line until the designated staff person escorts them to their bus.
• Students who walk home will be released from the back gate of the school on Gillespie near the community center. This dismissal mode is for students who walk only.

• First Day of School: The first day of school is Monday, August 26, beginning at 7:10a.m.  When you arrive on September 6^th, please proceed to the cafeteria where teachers will be waiting to meet their class.  Each teacher will have a sign with the section of his or her class for easy identification.  After the blessing, teachers will take their class to the classroom. Please help us reduce congestion and confusion by saying goodbye to your student in the front entryway.

• Back-to-School Bash/Meet and Greet Friday, August 23, 2019: We have redesigned Back-to-School night so that it not simply includes valuable information about the school and classroom, but also gives you an opportunity to meet other families.  We will have a short Back-to-School uniform fashion show. We are asking our families and partners to attend. 

• School Uniform:

Shirt: Light Blue, Navy Blue, Yellow, and White.

Bottoms: Navy Blue, Khaki, and Black

Friday Only: School Spirit Shirt and Jeans

• School Handbook: With school safety, student learning, and teacher/family communication as our highest priorities. You will receive the Handbook during the first week of school. We will dedicate time during the Back to Bash to introduce you to most important sections in the handbook.

• School Supplies: School Supply list are available on the school website.