The Growler

Inspiring future leaders to imagine and build a better world through thoughtful action and kindness.

• School Supply Process Different This Year
• Class Placements
• Kindergarten Start Information & Schedule
• Reminder, All Returning Students Need To Register
• New District Security Measures
• Help! We Need Our New Playground Installed!
• Pick Up & Drop Off Expectations
• Calendar & Important Dates
• Volunteering at School

We are changing the way that we ask families for school supplies for the 2023-24 school year. We have a plan that will help smooth out logistics for families, save everyone money, and make sure every student starts the year off on a positive note.

Here's how it works:

• We will purchase supplies that have traditionally been on a class supply list for every student.
• By purchasing in bulk, our per student cost will be $40 per student, where the same items would cost a family $60-90 per student at retail stores.
• Please send whatever portion of that $40 is possible for your family. Because we are providing supplies for all students regardless of their ability to pay, if your family can contribute more than $40, it would go a long way to supporting students at Bellview whose families may be struggling right now.

Additional benefits of this plan:

• Saves money for all families by using bulk purchasing
• Eliminates the hassle of having to go to multiple stores to find the correct items
• Allows teachers to organize and prepare supplies before school starts so that the first days of school can dive right in to the fun and learning (and you don't have to lug three grocery bags on the first day of school!)

We know the Bellview community is so supportive of all kids at our school and so appreciate everything you do to support making our learning environment the best it can possibly be!

There are several options for getting us the $40 before school begins (or after!):

• Send cash or check in to school with your student when school starts or stop by the office between 7:30-4:00 Monday through Friday
• Call Meg at 541-482-1310 to pay by card over the phone, or stop in during office hours

Thank you for your support!

Class placements will be communicated after noon on Friday August 18th. Teachers will email their class a welcome message that day, or you can call Meg in the office at 541-482-1310.

The process of class placement is a complex one, and one that we take seriously. The teachers that work with your students every day work together to create balanced classes for every teacher the following year. We do not accept parent requests for a particular teacher as there are so many factors to consider for each group of students. We appreciate your trust and understanding. Each and every teacher at Bellview is fantastic, and brings unique skills and talents to our community.

August 23rd: Individually scheduled small group meetings

Kindergarten teachers, principal and counselor meet with students and families to get to know each other and what to expect. Class placement notifications will be communicated the morning of the 24th. Sign up for a time here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080F4FAFAE29A0F85-kindergarten

August 25-29: Teacher/Student/Family Individual meetings

Teachers will meet individually with kindergarteners and their families. Your child's teacher will call you to schedule.

August 30: Kindergarten begins!

We will have a 8:20-12:30 schedule for these first few days and students and families get to know our school routines, especially pick up and drop off!

September 5: Full days begin, 8:20-2:50 (1:30 dismissal every Wednesday)

Returning students need to register for school every year. Registration for the 2023-24 school is open for returning students on the district website, here: https://www.ashland.k12.or.us/page/enrollment-and-registration .

You should have received an email reminder with a link to register your specific students as well. Contact the office with any questions: 541-482-1310

This year, our district is enacting new security expectations for schools. It is unfortunate that we have come to this place as a society, but out of care for our students and staff, it has become necessary.

Beginning on August 23rd, all school doors will be locked at all times, unless there is a staff member monitoring the door. This is not the welcome that I would like our community members to receive, and please know that our families are certainly welcome to escort students to and from school when the door is staffed, and to volunteer as soon as your background check is completed! Here is what will look and feel different this school year:

• There will be a staff member greeting students and families at the front door in the morning
• As soon as school begins, the front doors will be locked. We have a door camera and if you are coming to the school after 8:20, you will need to call the office for someone to come and let you in.
• All exterior doors will be locked. A staff member will let students in should they need to access the building from the bus ramp, playground or cafeteria.

Last year, in partnership with the school district, the PTO and grant dollars, we were able to purchase this beautiful playground structure to replace our old one that has reached the end of it's lifespan. Yay!

The next hurdle is to have it installed so our students can use it. We have run into many roadblocks with our usual channels for acquiring this kind of service, so I am reaching out to our broader community for help. Please reach out if you know of a licensed, bonded, contractor with the necessary equipment that would be willing and available to do this project!

STUDENT ARRIVAL/DROP-OFF Procedures:

• All students not riding the bus should use the front entrance to the school on Tolman Creek Rd.. Families driving their students may use the drop off loop out front.
• Please do not stop your car in front of the school door to let your child out of the car. Instead, pull all the way to the front of the loop to make room for other families to drop off their students behind you so that we don't get traffic backed up into the street.
• Do not get out of your car for any reason in the drop off circle. Make sure your child exits on the right side of the car and is ready to get out when you stop.
• If your child needs assistance for any reason with their seatbelt or managing their things, please park your car to help them and walk them over to the sidewalk.
• Students arriving between 7:50-8:15 can go to the library or the playground, or eat breakfast in the cafeteria before the first bell rings at 8:15.
• No student may go to their classroom before 8:15.
• Students arriving at 8:15 can report directly to class.
• Students arriving after 8:20 will need to report to the office to check in.

STUDENT PICK UP PROCEDURES:

• Students in Grades K-2 will be picked up in the lower pick up loop at the end of the primary wing of the school. There is a separate entrance and exit to this loop so you don't have to mix with the cars for the other grades.
• Students in grades 3-5 will be picked up in the circle in front of the main entrance to the school.
• Siblings will go to the location of the youngest sibling's grade
• School is over at 2:50. That means your student will not be available to be picked up until after 2:50. Please do not arrive to the parking lot earlier than about 2:47 at the earliest to pick up your child. This causes traffic to back up on the street and gridlock in the parking lot that is not fun for any of us, or our neighbors. Traffic flows freely once the students are outside and ready to go. If you aim to arrive right at 2:50, that will probably work best, after that traffic is flowing!

How To Become a Volunteer:

Step 1:
Complete the Volunteer Registration Form, which includes the Notice of Background Check form.

Once completed, please submit the forms and a copy of your driver’s license to the Office Manager of the school where the volunteer position is needed. Forms may also be mailed or faxed to the school office. If no school is specified, forms may be submitted to 885 Siskiyou Blvd., Ashland, OR 97520.
Once you have passed your background check, you are cleared to apply to volunteer for any position throughout the school year. No additional background check is necessary, however, it is necessary to repeat this process each school year.

Step 2:
Mark your calendar with the agreed upon days and times. Please note that certain positions require training and a time commitment. Make sure you can fulfill the volunteer commitments before agreeing to the position.

Be prompt and dependable. Call ahead if you are ill or unable to keep your appointed times. When you commit to volunteering, people are depending on you.

Principal, Bellview School

She, Her

Email: christine.mccollom@ashland.k12.or.us
Website: https://www.ashland.k12.or.us/o/bes
Location: 1070 Tolman Creek Road, Ashland, OR, USA
Phone: 541-482-1310
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Bellview-Elementary-School-104141858437771