BCSD News & Information

Please note, this communication was originally sent on July 14. Due to our email system updating for the new school year, the newsletter did not distribute to all emails. It is being resent to all families and staff today, July 19, 2022.

8/1 Board of Education Meeting

8/6 Annual Stuff the Bus

8/15 Board of Education Meeting

8/17 BMHS Freshmen Orientation

8/17 BMMS 5th Grade Orientation

8/18 BMMS Grades 6, 7, 8 Open House 5:00-7:30 p.m.

8/22 Elementary Schools Open House 6:00-7:30 p.m.

8/23 First Day of School Grades 1-12

8/25 BMMS Grade 5 Open House 5:00-7:30 p.m.

8/26 First Day of School Kindergarten

9/1 BMHS Open House 6:00-8:00 p.m.

Through the Annual Update, parents and guardians will be able to enter Emergency Medical Authorization, update emergency contacts, and other information pertaining to household and students.

The Infinite Campus Parent Portal can be accessed through the Berea City Schools website and clicking on POPULAR and the Campus Parent button OR by using this LINK.

After logging into the Parent Portal, click on more in the lower left corner, then scroll down to choose Online Registration and Update. We ask that you go through each section of the application updating all data or missing information. Once complete, click on the SUBMIT button.

Thank you for your attention to this important information! If you have any questions about your Parent Portal account or the Online Registration and Update, please click on this link and submit the help request form.

Infinite Campus Annual Update Help

1. Go to https://www.berea.k12.oh.us/

2. Click on the POPULAR link on the upper right and select the Parent Portal icon.

3. Log in to the portal

4. Once logged in, click on More

5. Choose Online Registration and Update
6. Click here to go to Existing Student Registration

7. Read and Confirm the information by typing your name in the box.

8. Use the mouse to sign your name on the line below the box.

9. Click "Submit" and "Begin"

10. Review, update and add information at each prompt using the Next and Save/Continue buttons to proceed.

11. Complete/update each existing student's information.

12. Add any non-enrolled children that will be starting school during the 2022-23 SY,

13. If any of your information on the summary page is highlighted in yellow, you have missed a required field and must edit to go back in and update.

14. Once Done. Click "Submit." There is an option to print the registration on this page.

15. You will receive an email confirmation shortly after your registration is submitted.

NOTES: Since this is an Annual Update, unless you have moved or legal custody has changed, you do not need to upload any documents. All other uploads are only for an existing family adding a new student.

The process CANNOT be successfully completed on a mobile or tablet device.

**If you need assistance, please call the Office of Registration 216-898-8300 or complete the Portal Request form icportalsupport

Sponsored by the Middleburg Heights Chamber of Commerce

The Stuff the Bus annual school supply and fundraising drive supporting BCSD and Polaris Career Center will take place on August 6th from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Fat Head's Brewery, 17450 Engle Lake Drive, Middleburg Heights, OH 44130.

Please mark your calendar for that day. The bus will be located in the back of the brewery and you can drop off supplies in drive through manner. Fat Head's swag + a 10% off Fat Head's coupon will be provided for each donation.

In case you are not available to drop off supplies on the day of event, we encourage you to drop off school supplies at over 15 locations throughout the cities of Middleburg Heights and Berea from July 5th - August 5th.

Locations include: Lifeworks of Southwest General, Middleburg Hts. Community & Recreation Center, Dollar Bank, Grace Church, Bethel Cleveland, Luna Marketing, and more. View the complete list of all drop off locations

School supply lists: https://www.berea.k12.oh.us/supplylists

All students are automatically assigned to a bus route. Bus route information will be emailed in mid-August. Families will receive an email from Stopfinder to view route information through the Stopfinder App (available in the App Store or Google Play). If the contact information for your child is not up to date, it will need to be updated through Infinite Campus. If your student DOES NOT need bus transportation, please notify the Supervisor of Transportation by emailing dcarkido@bereaschools.org.

Bus Eligibility:

• Students in grades K-4 must live 1 mile or more from their home school to be eligible for transportation service.

• Students in grades 5-12 must live 1.5 miles or more from their home school to be eligible for transportation service.

This form is for students requesting to be picked up and/or dropped off at a location other than their home address on a regular basis. Childcare Provider Forms are available for students in Grades KG - 8. A separate form must be filled out for each child.

For service to start at the beginning of the school year, the form must be completed by JULY 31ST.

FORMS RECEIVED AFTER JULY 31ST WILL NOT GO INTO EFFECT UNTIL SEPTEMBER 30TH OF THAT SCHOOL YEAR.

Students will be assigned to EXISTING STOPS ONLY if space is available on the bus.

Your student will only be allowed ONE (1) route in the AM and ONE (1) route in the PM (you can still have your student picked up at home on one route and dropped off at the daycare/babysitter on another route in the afternoon or vice versa). Your student will be on that route for all five (5) days of the week. If you need transportation from or to a different location other than the one you have chosen on any other day of the week, you will be responsible for providing transportation on those days.

You will be contacted by Transportation after your form is processed.
If you have any questions please call Transportation at 216-898-8301 or email us at:
berea_trans@bereaschools.org.

Q: Who was your favorite teacher and why?

A: Mrs. Defazio. She made it a point to know something personal and interesting about every student and learned within the first few weeks of school through individual conferences with kids. I have remembered that genuine care ever since!

Q. What was your favorite subject and why?

A. Government. I'm fascinated by the inner-workings of our government, and the development of laws, policies, etc. and more importantly, how they are implemented.

Q. In your opinion, what is the best thing about BCSD?

A. From what I can tell already, it is the opportunities that are available to students, and the staff members who make those opportunities happen.

Q. What is your favorite movie?

A. Back to the Future

Q. What is your favorite music genre/artist/song?

A. Chris Stapleton

Q. If you could eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?

A. Cereal

Q. Why did you want to work in education?
A. To help shape the future.

Q. Who inspires you?

A. My son.

Q. What is the best advice you have ever received?

A. Professional: Students will rise to your expectations.

Personal: Don't spend your life building a ship and never tasting the salt of the ocean.

Q. Where is your hometown?

A. Brook Park, Ohio

Q. Who was your favorite teacher and why?

A. Ms. Justina, 1st grade teacher with an old fashioned clawfoot bathtub in the classroom. It had a Cookie Monster quilt in it. Students could earn time to crawl in and read their favorite books in the tub. It was all about reading!!

Q. What are your favorite school traditions?

A. First day of school, spirit days, clap outs (including Seniors being clapped out of their elementary schools), Literacy on the Lawn days.

Q. In your opinion, what is the best thing about BCSD?

A. It is my home! I am a resident, a graduate, former and now "new" staff member.

Q. What is your favorite television show?

A. Seinfeld

Q. Why did you want to work in education?

A. I love when I see that lightbulb moment when a child has learned something and realizes it! I want to be a part of making a difference in the lives of students. I want to help them find success not only while students, but also when they move on to adulthood.

Q. What is the best advice you have ever received?

A. From the book, Innovator's Mindset by George Couros, the quote, "Change is an opportunity to do something amazing." Change is hard. Very few like change. Change has a negative connotation. This quote really helped me to view change in a positive light. Change can be hard, uncomfortable, risky and even scary. However, looking at it as an opportunity to do something amazing makes it easier to take risks, think outside the box, leave my comfort zone and take on new challenges.

• Berea City Schools donates food surplus to Audrey’s Outreach

• Berea school board president addresses state’s gun policy, transgender legislation

• ‘Summit’ gets Berea City Schools students ready for middle school

• Midpark alumni band The Foogazies has fun history, bright future

• Berea City Schools’ 5-year forecast shows deficit spending

• Berea school board honors student designer of Tri-City Bark Park logo

For the past two years, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has offered waivers to Nutrition Services Programs across the United States, allowing these programs to offer all students breakfast and lunch, at no charge. These waivers expired on June 30, 2022. This means that starting this school year, 2022-23, the Nutrition Services programs across the nation will return to normal, pre-pandemic operations.

Students not participating in the free and reduced program will be required to begin paying for meals again. Students already approved for free and reduced meals for 2021-22 will be automatically approved for free meals into the first 30 days of the 2022-23 school year. A new application must be completed each school year. If you believe you might qualify for free or reduced meals, you will be able to submit a meal application in early August.

The Berea City School District Nutrition Services Department will provide notification as soon as USDA makes the new 2022-23 meal application available, in order for all families to be able to complete the meal application as soon as possible at the beginning of the 2022-23 school year.

The Nutrition Services Department is committed to assisting families and making this transition back to normal operations as easy as possible. Please feel free to contact the department at 216-267-2142 or email bcates@bereaschools.org

Audrey’s Summer Lunch Sack will be starting up on June 14, 2022 through August 16, 2022
(Every Tuesday) at Audrey’s Outreach. Your children must be students at the Berea City School District.

If you are interested in learning more about this program, please visit Audrey's during pantry hours:

Mondays -11:30am to 2:00pm
Wednesdays - 11:00am to 12:00pm
Thursdays - 4:00pm to 7:00pm

You can also call Audrey’s Outreach at
216-433-1515 with any questions.

Don't forget to participate in the Cuyahoga County Public Library's summer reading program that runs through August 14th for a chance to win prizes!

How to Participate!

1. You are pre-registered. All Berea City School students in Grades K-11 are automatically registered for the summer reading program www.ccplsummerreading.org Contact your County Librarian if you are having trouble logging in.
2. Accessing My Beanstack Summer Reading Account. Download the free Beanstack mobile app from the App Store or Google Play
3. Track your reading.
4. Collect your prize
5. Challenge- Complete 4 of choices from the This or That Readers Choice Board located on the BCSD Summer Reading Passport . Complete and turn in to your choice board and game board school at the beginning of the school year to win additional prizes.

Share your reading on Instagram and Twitter! #CCPLReads2022

BCSD uses Peachjar, an electronic flyer posting and distribution system to distribute school flyers and approved flyers from community groups and organizations that sponsor activities of an educational/enrichment nature for students and staff >> view current flyers

The Berea Board of Education holds regular community conversations to give the public access to board members outside of the formal public participation setting of a meeting. Residents will have the opportunity to meet and discuss any concerns they may have with two board members during a 30 minute time-slot set aside prior to each Board of Education meeting in 2022. The goal of this effort is to more effectively connect with the public and learn more about the community. Visit our website at www.berea.k12.oh.us/boe for a list of 2022 meeting dates.