Dear Bacich Community,

We are so happy to have our parents and guardians meeting with teachers for conferences this week. Our partnership with you is paramount to the success of your child. Thank you for working with us to strengthen the school-to-home relationship by focusing on the social and academic development of your child. If you have not scheduled a conference with your child’s teacher, there is still time. Please contact your child’s teacher as soon as possible or call the front office for assistance. We would like to meet with every parent/guardian in person or over Zoom during conference week.

The social emotional skills of our Bacich students continues to be a priority for our school. Our fabulous new counselor, Andrea Cashman, has been providing our students social and emotional development lessons since the start of the school year. This month, the classroom lessons are focused on gratitude and empathy. Talking to your child about visits from Ms. A is a great way to begin a dialogue about gratitude as we move into the season of thanks. Along with the classroom lessons, we are focusing on our six pillars of character through school wide assemblies, classroom lessons, reading, and other activities. Each assembly highlights one character attribute from the six pillars. As we complete the activities for that pillar, we are ‘building the character’ of a lifesize puzzle of a Bacich Bear. So far, we have learned about Respect and Fairness. Daily, students are recognized for demonstrating any of the six character traits and receive Bacich Bear Cards from any staff member. Each Friday, Bacich Bear Card recipients are announced by grade level during our Bacich Bear Broadcast Live! and can come to the office to receive a bear magnet. This practice allows us to positively reinforce these six character traits every day.

For the remainder of the calendar year, I will visit each class for a guidance lesson on gratitude. We are very fortunate that Kentfield is such a resource rich school district. I am definitely grateful every day to be part of the KSD. This school district offers an abundance of resources from a full time school nurse and elementary counselor to engaging enrichment instructors and high end technology resources. Each of these dedicated supports enhance the teaching and learning in the classrooms – we truly are fortunate. I know I am definitely grateful every day to be part of the KSD!

Today during my lessons, I heard some wonderful ways that students and families are supporting community members in need. In the future, I hope we can coordinate school-wide community service projects.

I will be grateful to you, parents, if you can ask your children something they learn everyday — whether it be an academic or social-emotional skill.

Thank you to all of the families and students who donated books to our library from the KSPTA book fair! Your generosity overwhelms me with gratitude! Keep everything except the library lion visit.

Thanks so much!