Friday, June 19, 2020
Summer is finally here! I think we can all agree that while nothing was perfect or easy throughout this pandemic, we came together as a community and rocked it! While we don’t know what September will look like just yet, we want to be proactive in partnership, so I have a few things to share with you that are purely optional and meant only to offer options for engaging in thinking over the summer. That said, I encourage everyone from students to parents to take a break from the grind starting immediately! This was not easy, on anyone, but I am truly proud of my students and my parents for giving it your best, each and every day. Now is the time to rest, recharge, play (outside!) and check things out you’re interested in just for fun!
First, the attached document offers access to a variety of online learning programs . Once again, these are available for your child at any point, but remain purely optional. In August the district will introduce some additional resources and activities to help you and your child prepare for the 2020-21 school year.
Next: if anyone out there is interested in learning a little French, I have something cool to share with you! Many of you in our community know the Glozer family, and rising senior Addison developed a French website for her Girl Scout Gold Award. While I am thrilled to be able to support a Bernabi alum (as I will support any and all of you in the future), I wanted to capitalize on the opportunity to offer something really cool to my current students. Copied below is the bio from Addison’s webpage, just to give you a sense of how this website and project came to fruition. Check it out at https://the-french-club7.webnode.com/
For my Gold Award, I had planned to develop a program that would teach basic French vocabulary to elementary students through a series of fun presentations from high school French students, in the form of a monthly "French Club", My hope is to inspire a love of the French language into these elementary students, so that they remember this fun experience when it comes time to select their language in sixth grade. However, in light of the recent spread of COVID-19 and consequent school closures, in-person French Club meetings are no longer possible for the foreseeable future. I wanted to share all of the materials I would have implemented in our French Club meetings so that the opportunity to learn a little bit of French was still available for elementary students, so I created this website! After all, learning a new language is a perfect quarantine pastime! On my website you will find PowerPoint lessons that include some basic French vocabulary on a variety of topics, as well as fun activities that go with each topic to practice what you learned.
Last: If you want to get a jump start on shopping for school supplies, our grade level supply lists are now available on our school webpage.
That does it for now, and officially wraps up the 19-20 school year. My plan is to take a break from updates, both here and on Instagram, and follow my own advice by finding some time to step away from work and recharge with my family. As we all reflect on the last few months and store away life-long memories from this experience, I hope that the struggles and frustrations take a back seat to singing and dancing our way through the tough times, showing our support for those on the front lines, and conquering the unexpected. I am always proud to be a part of this community, and the last few months have only reinforced for me how lucky I am to be your principal in good times and quarantine. #OneBernabi
Happy Summer and click on this link for access to Mr. Shufelt’s final weekly wrap that includes a major “house cup” announcement! https://youtu.be/D8vxQ8OAUBU
David Caiazza
Principal