Parent Letter - April 9th
Posted on 04/10/2023
Principal's Message

Greetings Birch Lane Families,

Open House: We look forward to welcoming you all to Open House this Wednesday from 6:30-7:30pm. This is a great opportunity to see your student’s classroom and meet their friends. Kona Ice will be on our site from 6-6:30pm if you would like a treat before Open House.

Class Placement for Next Year:
A gentle reminder that the Birch Lane Community does not take requests for next year’s (2023-2024) class placement. If you are interested in a change to or out of our choice Montessori program please contact our office staff so that we can help you with the process. We have gifted staff in all of our classrooms and we work hard to ensure that every student is set up for success in the new year.

Playground Support: Please keep in mind that the Birch Lane Playground is closed to students and families until 3:30pm, when the campus is officially closed. Our staff needs the playground area and blacktop open so that they can instruct PE or other outdoor learning opportunities without younger students on the playgrounds. Additionally, please remember to keep all toys and personal sports equipment at home.

PTA News: Please join us in welcoming the newly elected 2023-2024 PTA board! 
President: Sara Mitchell
Vice President of Membership: Jeff Lee
Vice President of Fundraising: Julie Heuer
Secretary: Laura Doyle

The positions of Treasurer, Historian, and Auditor are still vacant, and we’d love for you to join! We will be unable to legally operate without a treasurer, so many of the programs and experiences that make Birch Lane great may not be available next year without your continued support. If you’re interested, please contact [email protected].

Spring Testing in May
Each spring students in grades 3-6 take the California Assessment of Student Performance & Progress (CAASPP) Summative Assessments in English Language Arts and Mathematics. Students in grade 5 will also take the California Science Test (CAST). These assessments are part of the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium and administered through an online portal. You can view practice and training tests at CAASPP.org More information about Spring Testing here.

Here is Birch Lane’s Testing Schedule (times may need to be adjusted based on teacher/student needs) please do your best to avoid appointments or absences during the attached days.

BLE 2023 CAASPP Schedule

Upcoming Dates:
April 10th - Site Council Meeting, 6:00pm
https://djusd-net.zoom.us/j/89830625187?pwd=ZUkyV1ByMFc4RG14cUEyWlJZRWpuZz09

April 12th - Open House, 6:30-7:30pm

April 18th - Montessori Parent Advisory Committee, 7:00 PM

April 23rd - Garden Party, 9:30-12pm

April 27th - Variety Show New MPR, 6:30-7:30pm

May 1st - Teacher/Staff Appreciation Week


Auction News:

Please see the Sign Up Genius link below for volunteer opportunities that begin in February and the attached letter from our auction coordinator!
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60B0A4BA4A92CA6FF2-auctio

More information to follow. If you have any questions or would like to volunteer, contact Sandy Fitzpatrick at [email protected].

Have a great week, and feel free to contact me if you have questions or concerns at [email protected]. Please check our website for daily updates at https://birchlane.djusd.net/home.