BEA District E-Newsletter

Upcoming Important Dates:

September 1st-First Day of School-Grades 8-12

September 1st-K-7 Back to School Conferences 12pm-8pm

September 2nd-K-7 Back to School Conferences 8am-4pm

September 3rd-First Day of School-Grades K-7

September 10th-High School Picture Day

September 11th-5th Grade Farming of Yesteryear Field Trip

September 14th-Parent Advisory Meeting 5:30pm District Conference Room

September 14th-School Board Meeting 6pm

September 14th-Homecoming Coronation

September 16th-BEA Foundation Meeting 5:30pm

September 18th-Homecoming PepFest/Parade

September 19th-BE Welcoming Community Bonfire 6pm Putnam Park

September 24th-6th/7th Grade Parent/Teacher Conferences

September 29th-9th Grade Respect Retreat

September 30th-7th Grade Courage Retreat

September 30th-MN Education Fair-Juniors

September 30th-Kindergarten Center Creek Apple Orchard Trip

Welcome back, BEA!

There is something special about the beginning of a new school year. The hallways begin to fill, classrooms come to life, and our buildings once again become the busy, energetic places they are meant to be. As we prepare to welcome our staff and students back, I am especially excited about what this year - and the years ahead - have in store for Blue Earth Area Schools.

First, I want to take a moment to say thank you to our communities.

Over the past year, so many of you took the time to learn about the condition of our school facilities, attend meetings, ask questions, have conversations with school leaders and community members, and engage with the information we shared. Most importantly, you exercised your right to make your voice heard at the polls in August.

With the passage of the referendum, we are beginning an incredibly exciting new chapter for our district. Thank you for putting your trust in Blue Earth Area Schools and in the future of our students.

Now the real work begins!

Over the coming months, we will begin the design process for our new PreK–6 building. One of the most exciting parts of this process will be gathering input from our staff, students, families, and community members about what this new school can and should look like. We already started this journey with a great group of staff and community members who toured three newer constructed elementary schools to see the possibilities of what could be for BEA! We want this to be more than a new building - we want it to be a space that reflects who we are as a community and creates incredible learning experiences for our students.

The design phase is expected to take approximately 10–12 months, followed by approximately two years of construction. If everything stays on schedule, we anticipate welcoming our PreK–6 students into their new school in fall 2029.

That may seem like a long way off, but there will be a lot happening between now and then! We are committed to keeping our community informed throughout the process and sharing updates, opportunities for input, and milestones along the way. Be sure to follow Blue Earth Area Schools on social media so you don't miss the updates!

And while we are looking ahead to the future, there is plenty happening right here and now.

A tremendous thank you to our custodial and maintenance teams for the countless hours they have put in over the summer preparing our buildings for another school year. From deep cleaning classrooms and hallways to completing repairs, moving furniture, maintaining grounds, and tackling all of the behind-the-scenes work that often goes unnoticed, their work is essential to getting our schools ready for students and staff. We are incredibly grateful for everything they do to make our schools clean, safe, welcoming, and ready for learning.

As I look around our schools in these final days before students return, I can't help but feel excited. We have so much to look forward to - a new school on the horizon, continued opportunities to grow and improve, and, most importantly, another year of learning, growing, and making a difference in the lives of our students.

Welcome back, BEA! Here's to a fantastic 2026-27 school year and an exciting future for Blue Earth Area Schools. I can't wait to see what we accomplish together!

Getting 8–10 hours of quality sleep for students can be a huge factor in school and activity success. Here are a few quick takeaways on why and how to set nighttime tech habits:

• Reduce Wind-Down Stress: Disconnecting before bed keeps late-night social drama, social media distractions, and school stress to a minimum.

• Protect Melatonin & Memory: Blue light delays sleep onset by up to two hours, blocking the deep sleep students need.

• Stop Nighttime Interruptions: Midnight notifications disrupt sleep cycles. Even brief check-ins keep the brain on high alert.

Ways to help

• Set Up a Central Charging Station: Have devices charged overnight in a communal space (like the kitchen) 30–60 minutes before bedtime.

• Use a Real Alarm Clock: Swap phone alarms for standard alarm clocks to remove the temptation of keeping the phone on the nightstand.

• Automate Downtime via Settings: Utilize built-in phone features (Apple Screen Time or Android Digital Wellbeing) to automatically lock distracting apps at a designated hour every night.

• Schedule "Do Not Disturb" Routines: Set phone modes to silence all non-emergency calls and texts past a certain time to eliminate late-night distractions or interruptions to sleep.

As we prepare to kick off another academic year, I want to welcome back all of our returning families and a special greeting to those joining us for the first time. Our staff has been hard at work getting classrooms ready, and we are thrilled to welcome your children back through our doors. Mark your calendars for our upcoming Back-to-School Conferences, which will take place on Tuesday, September 1st, and Wednesday, September 2nd. These conferences offer a fantastic opportunity for students and parents to meet teachers, tour classrooms, and drop off school supplies before our official first day of school on Thursday, September 3rd.

While you are in the building for your conference, please make sure to stop by the 28 gym, above the lunchroom, to get your child’s school pictures taken. Having photo sessions during conference days helps us streamline the process and ensures every student is included in our yearbook right from the start. We appreciate your partnership in making this transition smooth and positive for our students, and we cannot wait to see the energy and smiles fill our hallways once again. Enjoy these final days of summer, and we will see you on September 1st and 2nd!

Ahoy, Bucs! Are you as thrilled as we are to begin charting our course for the school year? To help all of our Buccaneers set sail for a swashbuckling start, here are some important treasures of wisdom from the media centers.

• Students may borrow up to three books at a time. Kindergarten students will work their way up to three books.

• The borrowing period is three weeks and books can be renewed one time.

• Lost or damaged books will need to be replaced by families through the purchase of an exact duplicate or payment of the book’s replacement fee.

Please reach out to Ms. Frederickson if you have any questions regarding the media centers.

To better meet the academic needs of our students and fully align with the updated Minnesota English Language Arts (ELA) standards, our district has purchased brand-new ELA curriculum for all students in grades K–12. This update ensures our educators have access to high-quality, engaging materials designed to build strong literacy, critical thinking, and communication skills across every grade level.

Starting this school year, students in grades K–7 will dive into Arts and Letters, a dynamic program that fosters rich comprehension, vocabulary, and writing skills through literature. Meanwhile, students in grades 8–12 will utilize Into Literature, a curriculum crafted to challenge older learners with complex texts, analytical writing, and modern media literacy.

We are thrilled to bring these updated resources into our classrooms to support your child’s academic growth!

Welcome Back!

The Guidance Office is thrilled to welcome our students and families back for another great year at Blue Earth Area. Whether your student is figuring out middle school transitions, diving into high school academics, or finalizing post-graduation plans, my door is always open to support their academic, career, and personal success.

Upcoming Guidance Events & Announcements

• Junior Class Field Trip: 11th Grade Education Fair
  
  

• When: Wednesday, September 30, 2026 | 9:00 AM – 10:30 AM

• Where: Fairmont High School

• Details: All 11th-grade students will travel to Fairmont High School to attend the regional College & Education Fair. This is an excellent opportunity for juniors to explore post-secondary pathways, meet directly with representatives from various colleges, universities, trade schools, and military branches, and gather valuable planning resources. Transportation will be provided by the district. Permission forms and additional schedule details will be sent home with students during the first week of school.

• Drop/Add Deadline & Schedule Adjustments
  
  

• High school students wishing to request a schedule adjustment for the fall semester must visit the Guidance Office by Friday, September 8th. Adjustments are subject to course availability and graduation requirement alignment.

• Stay Connected: Check Your Emails!

• Please make sure both students and parents check their school-registered email accounts regularly throughout the year. Email is my primary means of communication for critical updates regarding college visits, testing registration, scholarship opportunities, and graduation requirements.

Contact the Guidance Office

jholland@beas.blueearth.k12.mn.us

507-526-3201