BES Newsletter

Friday, May 23 and Monday May 26 - No school for students

Thursday, June 5 - 5th grade farewell breakfast and parade in morning

Thursday, June 5 is also the last day of school for students. Elementary students will be dismissed at 10:30 am.

Upcoming Field Trips:

Kindergarten - Tuesday, May 20

4th Grade - Monday, June 2

5th Grade - Wednesday, June 4

Field Days

k-2 : Wednesday, May 28

3-5 : Thursday, May 29

Rain Date : Friday, May 30

We are currently looking for a full-time teacher to teach 4th/5th grade ELA. You can click below to view the job posting. Please share with anyone who you think may be interested.

Anticipated Elementary Teacher

One last push for field day volunteers. If you are able, willing, and an approved volunteer, please use the link below to sign up to help with field day:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1AyK-c2c-Vry4NvqsHl1gjntx3OZJPsRX4_90I6NWWeA/viewform?edit_requested=true

As the school year draws to a close, I wanted to take a moment to wish you and your families a safe, healthy, and joyful summer break! It's been a wonderful year watching your children grow and thrive, and we are so grateful for your partnership in keeping our school community healthy. Dr. Griel and Mrs. Zimmerman want to thank you again for your support throughout the school year. It's been a privilege to care for your children. We look forward to welcoming them back in the fall, healthy and ready for another exciting year of learning!

Wishing you all a fantastic summer filled with fun, laughter, and good health!

Supportive families, schools, and communities help children and teens build strong mental health, laying the groundwork for lifelong wellbeing. Support can look like:
- Welcoming open conversations; explicitly and lovingly letting kids know that they are safe to talk to us about anything - big or small - that feels concerning or confusing
- Modeling and enforcing boundaries regarding bedtime, sleep, and internet/device usage. Sleep quality and quantity have a massive impact on brain function, mood, and mental flexibility, and the majority of students that I have heard from report too little sleep. If your children need beds, Sleep in Heavenly Peace builds beds and provides them for free. Visit shpbeds.org/apply
- Directly teaching everyday coping skills, such as briefly stepping away from a frustrating situation and taking a few purposeful breaths to regain equilibrium. We can model these ourselves and show respect and appreciation when kids give them a try.
- Encouraging and providing safe opportunities for regular physical activity and social connection. These mood boosters are often overlooked, but they contribute significantly to overall wellbeing in the long term.
- Valuing intention and resilience over perfection and compliance. We all know childhood is inherently a bit messy and awkward, and it is a time of incredible growth and influence. When we honor - through both our words and actions - kids’ attempts at pursuing their interests, apologizing for a mistake, meeting someone new, or bringing up a hard topic, we reinforce how worthy and brave they are.
- Recognizing and speaking up about the impact that reliable access to safe housing, food, water, and medical care have on mental health. If you are looking for ways to support fellow community members, and/or you are concerned about the stability of your own family’s access to these basic rights, please reach out to a school social worker using the contact information on our website https://www.basd.net/page/socialwork. You will also find information about crisis resources and school and community partnerships.

Please click on the file below for the cafeteria menu for May and June.

Since 2024, our district has partnered with Cartwheel to support the mental health needs of our students via virtual therapy with licensed clinicians. Students are identified and referred for these services by our school teams, but we are pleased to share that you can also request these services directly for your child. Oftentimes, families are the first to recognize that their child might need mental health support so we want to make it as easy as possible for your family to access these services.

Fill out this Family Interest Form to get started.

Please reach out to one of the school social workers or your child's school counselor if you need help or would like to talk things through.

Here are some signs to look out for to determine if your child might benefit from this support:

• Changes in mood or behavior

• Changes in eating or sleeping patterns

• Declining academic performance

• Withdrawal from friends or activities

• Increased anxiety or stress

• Expressing feelings of sadness or hopelessness

• Experiencing transition (related to life, family, peers, school)

• Exposure to a traumatic event

Check out these FAQs about the types of challenges Cartwheel can support, how it works, and more.

Approximately 175 elementary students from BASD will have artwork displayed at the Oaks Retirement Community in Pleasant Gap beginning Monday April 27, 2025 and continuing through Friday, May 9, 2025. Approximately 40 students from Bellefonte Elementary will have art work displayed during this time.

There is a public open house happening Tuesday, April 29, 2025 from 6:00-8:00PM. The public is welcome to come and view the artwork during this time.

-Mrs. Stover

• Field Trip chaperones

• School dance chaperones

• Classroom/building helpers

• Volunteering at classroom parties

• Field Day volunteers

• Holiday Shop volunteers

• PTO/Parent Group events in the buildings during school hours

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Registered volunteers will be approved by the Bellefonte Area School District Board of Directors after they have submitted the following documents:

1. Volunteer Form

2. Statement of Confidentiality

3. Residency Affidavit & Arrest/Conviction Report

4. PA Child Abuse History Certification

5. PA Criminal History clearance

If you plan on volunteering at all during the school year, it is best to get this process completed early. Please contact Liz Stone, the district Volunteer Coordinator if you have any further questions.

You can also visit the volunteer section of our website: https://www.basd.net/o/basd/page/volunteer-program

Be sure to like and follow us on Facebook for more updates and information on all of the great things happening here at BES!

https://www.facebook.com/bellefonteelem

100 W. Linn Street

Bellefonte, PA 16823

Website: https://www.basd.net/o/beles

Phone: 814-355-5519

Fax: 814-353-5338

Attendance Email: beatt@basd.net