Burgettstown Area School District

A look back at the week that was, and a peek at the week ahead. #True2theBlue

• December 10: BMHS Winter Concert
• December 19: Early Dismissal
• December 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 30: No School
• January 1, 2: No School
• January 19: Snow Make-Up Day

Varsity Football All Conference selections were revealed prior to the recent Thanksgiving holiday break. Congratulations are in order for those Blue Devils selected!

Senior Savanna Rush broke the school record for most rebounds in a game with 22 against Sto Rox on Thursday, December 5. Katie Tarr held the previous record, which she set in 2014. Congratulations, Savanna and good luck this season, Lady Blue Devils!

We did not publish a weekly update last week, but have a few more pictures/moments we wanted to share.

Tiny turkeys, happy hearts, and full tummies! Our kindergarten kiddos enjoyed their first school Thanksgiving meal!

The 7th grade team held a STEM activity day leading up to the Thanksgiving break.

The Washington County DARE program donated an entire Thanksgiving dinner to a BMHS family. The meal was delivered to the family in time for the holiday.

Mrs. Koratich and Mrs. Betschart combined their love of music and literature to organize this memorable experience for our students. Thank you to everyone who helped make the trip possible—from teachers and paraprofessionals to our school nurse, bus driver, and so many others. We are certain that lasting memories were made!

Our kindergarten students practiced using dictation boards to hear sounds, form letters, and grow as writers.

BAEC kicked off the 12 days of Holiday Spirit: Holiday Edition this week with a stop at the "North Pole" to see the reindeer!

Early literacy skills shine as kindergarten students use ECRI to read letters and enunciate sounds in Mrs. Dhans' classroom.

96.1 KISS Pittsburgh's annual "Stuff-A-Bus" at Robinson Town Center is in full swing and our second graders and their families added 124 new, unwrapped toys to support Toys for Tots. We thank these students and families for making the holiday shine a bit brighter. A special thank you to Dr. Leap, Miss Dyer, Mrs. Tasz, and Mrs. Boling for teaching students the gift of giving!

When the forest comes to the classroom in fifth grade, Mr. Foster and Mrs. Sieg lead the students through an examination of nurse logs, beetles, millipedes, and the wonder of decomposition.

Mr. Rendulic's 4th graders carefully crafted their own wampum belts with beads and yarn, a skill and creativity inspired by history.

Mrs. Boni shared the pictures of her students posing in front of a Nutcracker at the Benedum Center before performance!

This year, the Burgettstown Athletic Department is introducing digital ticketing for regular season football, volleyball, girls and boys basketball, and wrestling. Though all fans may still purchase a ticket "at the gate," but those who wish to avoid lines and pre-purchase an electronic ticket may do so by accessing the digital ticketing feature on the Hudl Fan page. Single game regular season tickets for both students and adults are available. Also, for those who know that will likely attend all games in a particular season, a season pass can be purchased. Please note: there is a processing fee, per ticket. This fee does not go to the school district, it is a vendor fee in support of the electronic ticketing feature. Scan the QR code or the button below to access the Hudl Fan page.

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.

Our school community has embraced the uniqueness of conducting commencement exercises at Star Lake for decades. The various management groups throughout the years have supported this by donating the use of the facility and we are most appreciative. While it is early in the school year, we want to make note that in order to hold graduation at Star Lake, flexibility in planning is necessary. Believe it or not, the planning for the next year begins shortly after the school year ends. We notify Star Lake management of our desired date and it is recorded as a preferred date. There are no guarantees, and in the past several years, we have not been able to finalize the date until some point in April. We know this causes a bit of anxiousness on the part of our seniors and their families, but if we want to continue this fine tradition, we must remain flexible. After last year's Commencement, we informed the management at Star Lake that our preferred date for this year's Commencement is June 5, 2026. While this is our preferred date, there is no guarantee that we will get it. As the months go by this year, the District will remain in contact with Star Lake management. When we know the confirmed date, we will communicate it to our students and families. Though graduation may be the last thing on anyone's mind this early in the school year, we wanted to communicate this information so there are no misunderstandings.

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

We know our families and our communities enjoy seeing the various photographs and related information about our students and their activities through the various social media platforms and other methods of communication from our school district. If a parent or guardian objects to the use of their child's image and related information, they must notify the school district. Please see the following document for more details.