Every week is a great week in Blue Devil Country! Please scroll down to learn more. #True2theBlue

• February 10: Act 80 Full Day- NO SCHOOL
• February 17: Snow Day Make-Up- SCHOOL IS IN SESSION
• February 28: Act 80 1/2 Day

Due to the cancellation of school for inclement weather on January 22, there will be classes on Monday, February 17th. This make-up day was built into the school calendar for this year.

Due to a forced water shut off by Pennsylvania American Water on Monday, February 10, the school buildings will be closed during the day. This is an Act 80 Inservice day, so most employees will be working remotely, but the buildings will be locked. We anticipate water service resuming in the later afternoon, so athletic practices should be able to occur on Monday evening, and the school board meeting scheduled for Monday evening remains and will be in-person.

Senior night for girls basketball was Thursday evening, and seniors Miley Stroud and Carlee Pennington were recognized. Their season will continue into the postseason because the teams streak of playoff berths continues. More information on playoff action will be provided when the brackets are announced next week.

Thursday, February 6th, marked the 100th day of school! Our elementary students celebrated in a variety of ways, from dressing up to participating in a glow party. The 100th day was a hit! The groundhog may have seen his shadow last weekend, signaling six more weeks of winter, but our students know what really matters—there are fewer than 80 days of school remaining this year!

Hundred days of growth,
Bright minds bloom at BAEC,
Learning never stops.

(Haiku credit: ChatGpt)

BMHS student Trent Stevens, and other WACTC students learn may valuable skills as they participate in the Collision Repair Technology program. The students are fortunate to be taught by Blue Devil Alumni Lee Roy Bowman.

Our boys basketball team celebrated Senior Night on Tuesday evening. Four players and four cheerleaders were recognized. The seniors are: Addison Brady, Sam Elich, William Lemmon, JT Newark, Parker Rommes, Caroline Scruppi, Faith Smith, and Ella Steele. We wish all of our seniors well as their season has concluded.

BMHS music students were proud to be selected for the Washington County Chorus and Band Festivals last weekend. They joined over 100 other musicians from across the county to perform challenging and exciting music. Bravo to all involved! Pictured Below Front Row L-R: Molly Baker, Maleena Henry, Drew Quinones Back Row L-R: Shelby Powers, Shannon McGivern, Mars Curry, Ella Steele, Bridgette Dye, and Lucy Snatchko . Not Pictured: Lacey Streng)

Yes, "dating" is a thing at the elementary center... dating a BOOK, that is! Our students blindly selected a book ("Blind Date") in library class this week, and spent time reading that book.

The Pennsylvania Department of Education, Bureau of Special Education (BSE), monitors all school districts and charter schools in the state at least once every six years to ensure that they are complying with federal and state regulations for special education. The Burgettstown Area School District will be monitored this year. As part of this monitoring, the BSE is seeking parent opinions about the special education services being provided. In addition to surveying parents, they are also interested in hearing directly from students about their educational experience. If your child is 14 years of age or older, they invited to complete the student survey. Although parents and students 14 years of age or older are not required to participate in the survey, the BSE encourages them to do so. Click HERE for the complete letter from the Department of Education.

As the regular season for winter sports comes closer to an end, our students participated in one last pep rally to celebrate our Blue Devils!

The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) establishes "testing windows" for Keystone and PSSA tests. These windows are blocks of time in which school districts may schedule their administration of the various assessments. Each of our schools consider events that are occurring within school during these dates and then determine the specific dates that are the most appropriate to use. Attendance at school, and participation in the assessments is important, so we are providing the testing windows that PDE established for 24-25, 25-26, and 26-26 so families may consider if planning vacations or other planned absences. KEYSTONE ASSESSEMNT NOTE: The Burgettstown Area School District does not typically participate in Summer Testing, and rarely utilizes the Winter Wave 1 window.

This year, the Burgettstown Athletic Department is introducing digital ticketing for regular season football, volleyball, girls and boys basketball, and wrestling. Though all fans may still purchase a ticket "at the gate," but those who wish to avoid lines and pre-purchase an electronic ticket may do so by accessing the digital ticketing feature on the Hudl Fan page. Single game regular season tickets for both students and adults are available. Also, for those who know that will likely attend all games in a particular season, a season pass can be purchased. Please note: there is a processing fee, per ticket. This fee does not go to the school district, it is a vendor fee in support of the electronic ticketing feature. Scan the QR code or the button below to access the Hudl Fan page.

We remind students, employees, parents, guardians, and community members that smoking, the possession or use of alcohol or other drugs, and the possession of weapons on school grounds, including outdoor athletic areas, by any individual, is prohibited. These acts are subject to police action and must also be reported to the Department of Education.

Our school community has embraced the uniqueness of conducting commencement exercises at Star Lake for decades. The various management groups throughout the years have supported this by donating the use of the facility and we are most appreciative. While it is early in the school year, we want to make note that in order to hold graduation at Star Lake, flexibility in planning is necessary. Believe it or not, the planning for the next year begins shortly after the school year ends. We notify Star Lake management of our desired date and it is recorded as a preferred date. There are no guarantees, and in the past several years, we have not been able to finalize the date until some point in April. We know this causes a bit of anxiousness on the part of our seniors and their families, but if we want to continue this fine tradition, we must remain flexible. This week, the members of the Class of 2025 were informed that Star Lake was contacted on May 31, 2024, and informed that our preferred date for this year's Commencement is June 5, 2025. While this is our preferred date, there is no guarantee that we will get it. As the months go by this year, the District will remain in contact with Star Lake management. When we know the confirmed date, we will communicate it to our students and families. Though graduation may be the last thing on anyone's mind this early in the school year, we wanted to communicate this information so there are no misunderstandings.

Student and employee safety is extremely important to us. We are constantly looking for ways to make our schools, school grounds, and property safe for all. Recently, we ordered signage that will be placed on all of our school busses, warning that unauthorized boarding will be subject to criminal prosecution. This is not something new, it is simply something we are creating a greater awareness of.

According to the Pennsylvania Crimes Code:

§ 5517. Unauthorized school bus entry. (a) Offense defined.--A person who enters a school bus without prior authorization of the driver or a school official with intent to commit a crime or disrupt or interfere with the driver or a person who enters a school bus without prior authorization of the driver or a school official who refuses to disembark after being ordered to do so by the driver commits a misdemeanor of the third degree. (b) Notice.--A school district may place a notice at the entrance of the school bus that warns against unauthorized entry.

Our school district prides itself on providing the best possible learning environment for our students, and school buildings and other facilities that can be a source of pride for the community. We are constantly monitoring the conditions of our schools, athletic complexes and other district-owned property but sometimes we miss things. You can help us by completing this form when you notice something that you think needs our attention. It can be something as basic as noticing that there is a light out in our parking areas, or that the trash receptacles at the baseball field need emptied. Just like you have for your home, we have a running list of items that need our attention. These items get prioritized and acted upon. We may already know about the issue you raise, but if we don't, we can't prioritize it until we do. We are all in this together and your input is greatly appreciated. Please click her to access this form: HERE

We know our families and our communities enjoy seeing the various photographs and related information about our students and their activities through the various social media platforms and other methods of communication from our school district. If a parent or guardian objects to the use of their child's image and related information, they must notify the school district. Please see the following document for more details.