Burgettstown Area School District

Every week is a great week in Blue Devil Country! Please scroll down to learn more. #True2theBlue

• March 15: Act 80 1/2 day
• March 18: Act 80 Day: No School
• March 19 and March 23: Kindergarten Registration. Click HERE for more information
• March 21: End of 3rd Nine Weeks

When is Commencement? This is a question on many people's mind this time of year, and one we are hearing more often. As most people know, Commencement is held at the Pavilion at Star Lake. The ownership group of the pavilion generously donates use of the space and we are most appreciative of this as it gives our students and families a very unique experience for the milestone moment. Unfortunately, since we rely on this generosity because we could not afford to pay for the use of the space, in some years it leads to a delay in setting the date of Commencement. Their management needs to identify definite openings in their concert schedule before committing to a date for us. We have been actively working with them to solidify a date. In fact, these discussions begin for the next one immediately after each Commencement. We are hopeful that we will have the date in the near future.

Just as we are proud of all of our student-athletes for their accomplishments in all sports, we are also proud of our coaches. A student's athletic accomplishments, and team accolades, do not happen by accident. It takes many selfless hours on the part of our coaches to guide the athletes as they pursue excellence. Last week at WPIAL Individuals, wrestling coaches Gary Havelka, Louie Vigliotti, and Joey Vigliotti captured AA Coach of the Year honors at the Junior High level (Coach Havelka), Assistant Varsity level (Coach L. Vigliotti), and Head Varsity level (Coach J. Vigliotti). These three former Blue Devil wrestlers exemplify what it means to be #homegrown and are great role models for our student-athletes. Congratulations, coaches, and THANK YOU!

Senior Zack Schrockman decided to continue his football career by signing a Letter of Intent to play at Seton Hill University next fall. Best of luck, Zack!

Last weekend, Rudy Brown won a WPIAL championship in the 152 lb weight class at the Indivdiual Championships held at Chartiers Valley. Rudy and six of his teammates are in Altoona this weekend, competing for a chance to advance at the PIAA level.

...students were learning how to multiply decimals in mathematics. They were learning about an author's perspective, how to find details in a passage, and how to use quotations correctly. The fifth grade teachers worked with small groups of students during their intervention time. The students demonstrated excellent teamwork skills and were productive when working independently as well!

Leap Year: In library class this week at the elementary center, 2nd graders discussed leap year an listened to a story about this special day. Then they played a game of "Would You Rather" and some students chose to have another day in the school week!

A few more pictures to share: Students at the MSHS using Spheros to build their coding skills, Mrs. Bailey's students used a phonics game to work on letter identification an sounds, Coach Zitner and seniors Kaitlin Nease, Martina Whyte, and Nina Casagranda stand tall as these seniors made Burgettstown history as the only girls basketball players to be 4-time Section Champions, and Zack Schrockman poses with family and a few of his coaches after he signed his Letter of Intent for Seton Hill.

We remind students, employees, parents, guardians, and community members that smoking, the possession or use of alcohol or other drugs, and the possession of weapons on school grounds, including outdoor athletic areas, by any individual, is prohibited. These acts are subject to police action and must also be reported to the Department of Education.

Student and employee safety is extremely important to us. We are constantly looking for ways to make our schools, school grounds, and property safe for all. Recently, we ordered signage that will be placed on all of our school busses, warning that unauthorized boarding will be subject to criminal prosecution. This is not something new, it is simply something we are creating a greater awareness of.

According to the Pennsylvania Crimes Code:

§ 5517. Unauthorized school bus entry. (a) Offense defined.--A person who enters a school bus without prior authorization of the driver or a school official with intent to commit a crime or disrupt or interfere with the driver or a person who enters a school bus without prior authorization of the driver or a school official who refuses to disembark after being ordered to do so by the driver commits a misdemeanor of the third degree. (b) Notice.--A school district may place a notice at the entrance of the school bus that warns against unauthorized entry.

Our school district prides itself on providing the best possible learning environment for our students, and school buildings and other facilities that can be a source of pride for the community. We are constantly monitoring the conditions of our schools, athletic complexes and other district-owned property but sometimes we miss things. You can help us by completing this form when you notice something that you think needs our attention. It can be something as basic as noticing that there is a light out in our parking areas, or that the trash receptacles at the baseball field need emptied. Just like you have for your home, we have a running list of items that need our attention. These items get prioritized and acted upon. We may already know about the issue you raise, but if we don't, we can't prioritize it until we do. We are all in this together and your input is greatly appreciated. Please click her to access this form: HERE