Berea City School District

2/6 Sextortion: The Hidden Pandemic Documentary Screening (event present by Ohio IACA and Berea PTA Council)

2/9 Listening Leaders

2/9 Middle School Conferences

2/13 Berea Board of Education Meeting

2/15 Preschool and Kindergarten Registration opens

2/16 High School Conferences

2/20 No School, Presidents' Day

2/22 Elementary School Conferences

Dear Titan Families,

Please know that we do our best to keep our students and staff safe at all times. When it comes to the decision of whether schools remain open or be closed, there is often no perfect decision that everyone can agree upon. Last week's decision was a complicated one. The timing of expected winter weather was forecasted to arrive during the start of the school day commute and we had to consider the safety of our students and staff. Neighboring districts also made the same decision to close.

As soon as we make the decision to close schools, we will send an automated message via the designated telephone number that parents/guardians provided. While our system showed that 95% of the calls were successful in reaching the destination, we looked into several issues from families who reported they did not receive the call. Our findings included incorrect phone numbers, families who had previously unsubscribed from calls, and deactivated numbers. We know experiencing communication issues is frustrating. Please be sure your Infinite Campus information is up to date.

If you have opted out of receiving notifications on your personal device and want to opt back in, please follow these instructions:

• Phone calls: Call the Blackboard Phone Hotline at "855-502-STOP (855-502-7867)" from the phone line that has been opted out.
• Text (SMS) messages: Reply START to "60680" from the phone line that has been opted out for non-emergency messages. Reply START to "54968" for emergency messages.
• Email: Go to a past email and re-subscribe.

Please note that closures can also be seen as an alert on the district website, posted on district social media accounts, and they are reported to TV news stations. We advise first checking the district website or social media as TV stations are sometimes delayed.

For more information, please review our school closings and delays page on our website.

Tracy L. Wheeler

Superintendent

Berea City School District is having our next Family First Night with the Cleveland Cavaliers taking on the Boston Celtics on Monday, March 6, 2023! There will be no school assignments, athletic practices, and no after school activities. Discounted Cavs tickets are available at a special offer to BCSD families! You MUST purchase tickets through this link for access to BCSD Family First Night tickets.

The Cleveland Cavaliers will be making the night extra special for a select number of grade K-12 students to participate in pre-game on-the-court activities such as high-fiving Cavs and Celtics players in the Cheer Tunnel or participating as an Anthem Lineup Buddy during the National Anthem.

Families who plan to attend the Cavs game and purchase tickets are asked to please complete this brief entry form for the chance to be one of 40 students selected for a pre-game on-the-court activity representing our schools!

• The deadline to enter for a chance at being selected for a pre-game on-the-court activity is Monday, February 20. Families of students selected will be contacted on Wednesday, February 22.

We hope you’ll join Berea City Schools in a night out with your friends and family and our Cleveland Cavaliers!

The Ohio Facilities Construction Commission, in coordination with the Ohio School Safety Center and the Ohio Office of Budget and Management, has awarded $100 million in federal funds to Ohio schools to improve overall building safety and security. These federal grants were in addition to $5 million in state funds awarded for Round 1 of the school safety grants program in 2021.

The $100 million in federal grants were awarded in two rounds, both with an application deadline of October 3, 2022. Round 2 of the program was available for schools that applied but were not awarded grants in 2021. In this round, 1,065 schools were awarded $42.2 million. Round 3 was a competitive grant opportunity that attracted applications from more than 2,000 schools. In this round, 708 schools were awarded $57.8 million—the balance of the $100 million in federal funds.

The Berea City School District was awarded grants for all buildings. Berea-Midpark Middle School received $50,000. Berea-Midpark High School, Big Creek Elementary, Brook Park Elementary and Grindstone Elementary were each awarded $100,000, respectively. Grants will be utilized to upgrade camera systems, purchase visitor ID systems, and install bollards posts in high traffic areas. These enhancements to our buildings will greatly improve building safety and security.

The Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and Berea PTA Council present Sextortion: The Hidden Pandemic, a documentary uncovering the hidden world of online child exploitation and what we can do to stop it. Please join us on Monday, February 6 at 6:30 p.m. at Berea-Midpark High School for the film showing followed by a brief Q&A with representatives from the Ohio ICAC Task Force. We hope to see you there!

• View the documentary trailer
• Reserve your spot

Titans Studio will once again be sharing "Did You Know" videos in honor and celebration of Black History Month. Be sure to follow @Titans_Studio_ on Twitter or on Instagram to view these student videos that will be posted during the month of February.

The Berea City School District is offering volunteer opportunities in the district for our military veterans. This is our way of being able to connect our veterans with the BCSD in a meaningful way. We are providing a variety of ways for you to volunteer if you wish to do so.

Once an application has been submitted, your application and requested materials will be reviewed by members of our team. When your application is approved, you will be notified by school personnel to discuss how to proceed.

If you have any questions about any of the options, please do not hesitate to reach out to Superintendent Wheeler at twheeler@bereaschools.org or 216-898-8300.

Reminder, please take a moment to review the District's new strategic plan, Destination 2027. Then provide us with your insights, which will help ensure success as we continue to grow and evolve >> Destination 2027 Survey

• Berea Board of Education cuts meetings to one per month

• Berea school board tweaks time when agendas will go public

• Berea Board of Education elects new president Cori Farris

HESK is our tech help desk for students and staff. Parents/Guardians can fill out a ticket for their child.

Please review HOW to clean your chromebook.

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. The goal of this effort is to more effectively connect with the public and learn more about the community.

Additional district financial information such as our annual financial reports, forecasts, budget documents, etc., can be found on the district website under the Treasurer's Department page or by using the QR code.