The 9th grade class attended the first-ever Franklin County Trades and Apprenticeship Fair at MVU—alongside students from NCTC, BFA upperclassmen, Enosburg, Richford, and MVU. Students explored career and apprenticeship opportunities, asked questions, and connected with local employers through hands-on displays and conversations.

Forty-five businesses talked with students Wednesday in MVU’s gymnasium. Franklin County middle and high schools came prepared with questions about job responsibilities and required skills. Click here to watch a video on the Apprenticeship Day.

Teacher Caitlin Madeiros and student leadership representation (Amelia Pinkham, Jacoby Soter, and Eleanor Demore) at the HHB Training in Fairlee, VT.

Hello,

I want to take a moment to congratulate all the adults and students involved in hosting the State Drama Festival this past weekend at BFA. With roughly 250 people in attendance, it was not a small feat!

Having said this, it was a huge success! We had two days of shows and workshops and eight schools experiencing our amazing facilities and strong team of students and adults and we heard a lot of positive feedback from all in attendance!

It's another reason to feel proud of our BFA community and the ways in which we serve and support the state's educational environment.

I just wanted to share how proud I am of this space, our school, our parent volunteers, and these incredible student leaders, artists, and athletes!

Thoughtfully,

Susan Palmer

Huge shout-out to the incredibly talented DJ Kanga (Kyle Anger) and sound engineer SkySplitter (Zach Crawford) for bringing the vibes and sharing your expertise with our school!

Over 45 students got a lesson on turntablism, beat & rhythm making, and music production. Thank you for inspiring us! Click on the link below for a video!

Members of Hope Happens Here (HHH) asked students and staff to wear HHH t-shirt or a white or yellow t-shirt to show support for stress awareness month.

Please click on the link below for a student and parent learning opportunity.

April 16, 2025

Dear Parents, Guardians, and Staff:

The State of Vermont requires all schools and child care providers to test their drinking water for lead. Samples of water from every tap at BFA/NCTC reasonably expected to be used for drinking or cooking were collected and sent to a certified drinking water lab for analysis.

Results for Bellows Free Academy (Saint Albans) are listed in the table at the end of this letter.

We take our responsibility to provide a safe and healthy environment for the children and staff seriously. Any tap that tested at or above 4 ppb was immediately taken out of service for drinking or cooking. We are working on fixes to permanently lower levels of lead in the water.

Lead exposure poses a special risk to children because they absorb lead into their systems more easily than adults do. Lead can slow down growth, impair development and learning, and can cause behavior problems. While the major source of lead poisoning in Vermont children is paint, lead in plumbing pipes and fixtures can add to a person’s overall exposure. Drinking water in schools and homes may contain lead from old pipes, plumbing fixtures (such as fountains and faucets), or the solder that joins pipe sections together.

More Information:

· For questions about the water testing process, or about the law and its requirements, please call the Lead in School and Child Care Drinking Water Program at 802-863-7220 or 800-439-8550 (toll-free in Vermont).

· You can view school and child care results, remediation and any follow-up testing at LeadResults.vermont.gov. (NOTE: If your child’s preschool or after school program is located at a school, the results will be listed under the school’s name.)

· For more information visit: HealthVermont.gov/LeadTesting

· If you have questions or concerns about our facility and the actions we are taking, please contact Leonard Smith, Maintenance Director.

To learn more about lead hazards and lead poisoning prevention, visit HealthVermont.gov/lead.

If you want to test your home drinking water for lead, find a list of certified drinking water labs at TinyURL.com/certified-lab.

Sincerely,

Polly Rico, Principal

Vermont Department of Health
Summary of Lead in Drinking Water Results Bellows Free Academy (Saint Albans)1, 2, 3, 4

Notes:

1. The Certificate of Analysis for each sample that is included in this summary will be sent by email or mailed directly from the laboratory.
2. The action level for lead in school and child care drinking water set by the Vermont legislature is 4 parts per billion (ppb).
3. A first draw sample collects the first water to come out of the tap after a period of inactivity, typically at least 8 hours. A high first draw result may indicate that a fixture is the likely source of lead.
4. A flush sample is taken after running cold water for 30 seconds, which tests water further upstream in the plumbing. A high flush result may indicate that plumbing is the likely source of lead.

Track Meet 4/15/25

You better BELIEVE it! Comet Softball Team is ready for the 2025 Season!

Bobwhite baseball wins season opener; Carson Neveau leads on the mound!

Seniors and Families,

If seniors and families wish to order custom graduation announcements or class rings, now is the time to do so. Your school announcement will have the custom school crest with the school colors. Here is the specific link for ordering: https://www.balfour.com/vermont/saint-albans/bellows-free-academy-saint-albans. If you have any Balfour ordering questions, please contact balfourvt@gmail.com

If you wish to order graduate lawn signs and banners. See the Main Street Graphics web store link for 2025: Class of 2025 lawn signs and more. Contact Main Street Graphics directly with any questions at 802-782-8342 or douglas@msgvt.com, www.msgvt.com.

Remember the Community Service and PLP graduation requirements. Ten hours of community service are due by May 16th. See Mr. Murray.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at 802-527-6400 or email me at tcallan@maplerun.org.

Sincerely,

Theresa Callan, Graduation Coordinator