The Growler

• Jog-a-Thon a Success!
• Bellview Running Club
• Back to School BBQ Next Wednesday
• Halloween Costume Guidelines
• Bellview PTO Update
• Volunteering at School

We held our annual Jog-a-Thon today, which is the main fundraising event for our PTO. Money raised by our students goes directly back into supporting students and classrooms at Bellview! Our PTO had our track resurfaced over the summer so that our students had an smooth and even surface to run on today!

PTO pays for many of the fun experiences that our students participate in including funding for field trips and classroom funds for teachers to use to buy items to support their class each year. Without your support, Bellview events would not have the same flair and meaning. Thank you so much to Nathan Van De Graaff for organizing the event, and to all of the parents that volunteered today to put up tents, fill water jugs, blow up the running arch, mark laps, hand out popsicles, run with and cheer for kids and just all around be present for our students. It makes all the difference!

Students, please remember to bring any pledges you may have collected outside of Pledge Star to school next week so you and your class will get credit for it!

Join us on the track Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 8:00-8:15 AM to run laps and collect feet to add to your track necklace! Students will receive their first foot charm and necklace at an assembly following the completion of their first lap card (4 miles!). We had a number of students receive them today after the second week of Running Club! For each card completed, students will recieve a foot charm to add to their necklace in PE class. Huge shoutout to Lia Spidlen for orgainzing and running this club!

Join us next Wednesday, October 1st for our Back to School BBQ!

Who: Bellview Students and Families

What: A Back to School BBQ

When: October 1st 5-7 PM

Where: Bellview Field and classrooms

Why: Join us in the field for a hotdog or veggie burger grilled up by the Ashland Fire Department from 5:00-6:00. At 6:00, parents move to classrooms (4th and 5ths will meet together in the library) to watch a brief presentation about our Title I program and to get more information about the class from your children's teachers. School aged students will remain on the playground during the presentation. Younger siblings not school age will remain with parents.

Halloween is swiftly approaching and will soon be upon us. Students grades 2-5 are invited to bring costumes to school on Friday, October 31st. After lunch, students will change into their costumes for the class party and school-wide fun run/walk (they DO NOT wear them to school). Parents may come and help with the dressing and applying of make-up after 12:00. Kindergarten and first grade students may wear their costumes to school.

Parents: Please gather to watch the kids finish their costume walk by the track around 2:15 and join us for the dance party on the blacktop afterwards (Kindergarten students will return to their classrooms after the run). The City Halloween parade will start at 3:45, so if you’d like to take your child after the dance party, make sure to sign them out with their teacher.

In the spirit of a safe and respectful celebration, here are the school-wide guidelines for costumes:

• Costumes must be school clothing appropriate—no strapless or spaghetti-strap tank tops without a sweater or shirt over/under them, no flip-flops, no “short shorts”, etc.
• No Masks that obscure the face
• No blood or gore
• No weapons of any kind, including play guns, swords, etc.
• No costumes that imitate a culture that isn't yours (Indian costume, afro or dreadlock wigs, makeup that mimics another natural skin color that isn't yours)

September PTO Meeting Minutes

Thank you to everyone who attended our September meeting! Attached are the meeting minutes.

October PTO Meeting

Our next meeting will be on Thursday, October 2nd from 6:30pm - 7:30pm. This is our Halloween Carnival meeting, where we will be reviewing the event timeline and assigning roles/tasks in preparation for this big event! Childcare and pizza will be provided.

Running Club

The enthusiasm and excitement from the students has been AWESOME! If your child has not yet tried out the Running Club, please encourage them to do so. We meet every Tuesday and Thursday morning on the track from 8:00am - 8:15am (weather permitting, no rain, no snow). The program will continue until November 21st, we'll take a short winter break, and then be back on the track in March 2026.

Spirit Wear Update

The new artwork has been approved by the PTO. Next step: approval of the t-shirt mock ups at the October 2nd meeting. Once finalized, hardcopy t-shirt order forms will be sent home with all students (late October/early November).

Back-to-School BBQ, Wednesday, October 1st, 5pm-7pm - this is a FREE event for all Bellview families! The BBQ will be prepared by our own Ashland firefighters. Volunteers are still needed (watermelon slicers prior to the event), please email Lia if you can help out liaspidlen@gmail.com.

Halloween Carnival, Saturday, October 25th, 5pm-8pm - The Bellview Halloween Carnival is the biggest party of the year, and is attended by our whole Ashland community! This yearly event has become a favourite Ashland tradition for the past 83 years! Be dared to be scared at our haunted house, try your luck at the endless game booths set up around the school, ask a fortune teller to look into your future, and munch on some cotton candy while you wait in line up to get your face painted. Costumes are encouraged. Volunteers are needed for set up, during and at tear down. Please contact Susie if you're able to help out susiegoetz@gmail.com.

Open Volunteer Roles

We are still looking for an Event Coordinator, a Carnival Chair, and a Bingo Night Chair for the 2025 school year. Please contact the PTO if you are interested or would like to learn more.

PTO Meeting dates for 2025-26:

October 2nd Carnival Meeting 6:30-7:30

November 6th 6:30-7:30

January 8th 6:30-7:30

April 2nd 6:30-7:30

May 7th 6:30-7:30

PTO Board:

President: Susie Goetz

Treasurer: Jeff Nichols

Communications: Lia Spidlen

The PTO will be contacting you after school starts to get signed up for Fresh Schools emails, which is the communication system that they use. It is a great resource to stay up to date with PTO and classroom events!

How To Become a Volunteer:

Requirements:

• All volunteers must complete an application and consent to a background check.

  
  

• A copy of your driver’s license or ID card uploaded with the application.

  
  

• Certification of Completion for Sexual Misconduct: Staff-to-Student (not PSA) to be uploaded with application.

Step 1:

• Go to https://pacetraining-or.safeschools.com/login

• Click Register (under the Login button)

• Enter Registration Key: 093efff6

• Sign up under your name (no email needed)

• Select Ashland School District

• Click the green "Register" button

• Complete the course & download the Certification of Completion (Sexual Misconduct: Staff-to-Student) (about 20 minutes)

  • NOTE: After you complete the course and download your certificate, an optional bonus video will be available.

• Return to the district website https://www.ashland.k12.or.us/page/volunteer-in-the-schools

• Go to Step 2 and complete the volunteer application.

Step 2:

• Have a digital copy of your driver’s license/ID card & your Certification of Completion for Sexual Misconduct: Staff-to-Student (not PSA) ready to upload during the volunteer application process.

• For safety, the application cannot be saved and, for this reason, you must complete and submit your application with the required documents at the same time.

• To complete the online volunteer application, click here.

• You must provide a valid email address so you can be notified about the status of your application and future communication. The same email address cannot be used for more than one individual. Don’t have an email address? We suggest you obtain a free email account through Google or Yahoo.

• Background Check: after an application is completed and submitted, the system automatically transfers it to the ASD Human Resources department to be processed. The information you enter must match your driver’s license/ID card, including your full legal name. All information collected on the application will remain confidential and not be shared outside the volunteer program. Once you are cleared, you will receive an email. Please allow at least 2-4 weeks for processing.

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 needed throughout the current school year; however, it is necessary to repeat this process at every new school year (July 1st-June 30th). You will receive a reminder email notification near the time of renewal.

Step 3:
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. Please call ahead if you are ill or unable to keep your appointed times. When you commit to volunteering, people are depending on you.

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