Belle Ringer

The Belle Ringer

Hello, Belle River Families!

October was a busy and exciting month for everyone! We want to take a moment to thank all of our families for supporting your students and our school community. Thank you for attending parent-teacher conferences and supporting our school through the book fair. We also appreciate everyone who donated candy or decorated a door for our Trick or Treat Around the River event!

A special shout-out goes to our amazing PTO! Thank you for providing breakfast and dinner for our teachers during conferences and for lending a helping hand at the book fair. Your continued support and generosity mean so much to our staff and school community!

Attendance Matters!

School attendance is about more than just showing up; it is the foundation for student learning and future success. Research shows that missing just 10% of the school year (approximately 18 days) can negatively impact academic performance. Chronic absenteeism is linked to lower reading proficiency and an increased risk of falling behind.

Students who attend school regularly have more opportunities to build essential skills, strengthen relationships, improve grades, and stay on track for graduation. Every lesson missed is a learning opportunity lost, while every day in the classroom is another step toward reaching their full potential.

Thank you for making school attendance a priority and helping your scholars make the most of every learning opportunity!

Looking Ahead & Reading at Home

November should be a fairly calm month as we look forward to Thanksgiving break! As we settle into our routines, please remember to make nightly reading a priority for your scholars.

Just 20 minutes of reading each night can make a lasting difference in a student's academic success!

Regular reading helps students develop stronger vocabulary, improve reading fluency, build comprehension skills, and expand their overall knowledge. Daily reading also builds confidence, strengthens critical-thinking skills, and helps students become more successful learners.

Every page read is an investment in your child's future. The more students read, the more opportunities they have to learn, grow, and succeed!

Thank you, Belle River families, for your continued partnership and support. We are grateful to have such a wonderful school community!

Wishing everyone a wonderful November and a happy Thanksgiving!

November 2026

ECSD School Calendar 2026-2027

East China School District Transportation Facebook Page

Transportation Handbook

Breakfast and Lunch Menus

Belle River General Information

Principal: Jennifer Lupo

Office Staff: Administrative Secretary – Mrs. Shannon Drinkwine

Office Paraprofessional – Tammy Randall

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL –Tuesday, September 8 (Half Day of School, Dismissal at 12:08 p.m.)

SCHOOL HOURS - The school day begins at 8:45 a.m. and ends at 3:39 p.m.

HALF DAYS FOR STUDENTS - Dismissal at 12:08 p.m.

PLC EARLY RELEASE WEDNESDAYS – School ends early at 1:39 p.m. Please refer to the school calendar for dates.

ARRIVAL PROCEDURE – BEGINNING OF THE DAY

Students are asked not to arrive at the building prior to 8:35 a.m., as supervision is unavailable.
Latchkey is available for students who need to arrive before 8:35 a.m.
Students will enter and exit through their assigned doors as follows.

5th and 4th grade through door 1
Kindergarten and 1st grade through door 4
2nd and 3rd grade through door 11

Any arrivals after 8:45 a.m. must enter through the main office doors.

If you drive your child to school, the designated “Student Drop-Off Area” location (end of the sidewalk leading up to the building) must be used when dropping off your student. The circle drive is for buses only. Students enter the building through grade level assigned doors.

DISMISSAL PROCEDURE – END OF THE DAY

If someone other than a parent is picking up a child and is not on the emergency card, a signed note must be provided by the parent authorizing this release.
Students will not be released to persons on the emergency card before dismissal time, unless prior arrangements have been made with the parent/guardian.

CHARTWELLS FOOD SERVICE PROGRAM

Breakfast and lunch are offered free of charge. Menus can be viewed on the Nutrislice app or through this link: https://eastchinaschools.nutrislice.com/menu/belle-river-elementary-school/breakfast

SKYWARD

Skyward is our student database. You can access your child’s information through Skyward Family Access. If you do not know your Skyward username and password, please contact East China School District Administration Office at (810) 676-1000.

THE BELLE RINGER

Our school newsletter, The Belle Ringer, is a valuable home-school publication that contains important information about programs, special events, schedules, dates for holidays, classroom highlights, and more. At the beginning of each month it will be sent via Skyward messenger, posted to our school Facebook page and to the Belle River district webpage.

ABSENCE PROCEDURE

If your child is absent from school due to illness or other reasons, you must notify our attendance line at (810) 676-1066 (24-hour hotline) by 9:30 a.m. All absences must be called in with the reason for the absence. Absences are verified by the office each morning.

EARLY DISMISSAL PROCEDURE

Parents will be notified in advance if an early dismissal is scheduled. If early dismissal is required due to weather conditions or emergency situations, every effort will be made to notify parents. Please keep emergency phone numbers on your child’s emergency card current.

LATCHKEY PROGRAM

A latchkey program is available at Belle River Elementary for parents who require supervision for their children before and after school. Latchkey hours are 6:30 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. and 3:39 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. Latchkey is also available on half days. For additional information and to make latchkey arrangements, please go to the Latchkey information page on the ECSD website.

SUPPLIES

All students will be supplied with basic classroom supplies. A suggested list of additional classroom supplies was sent to families with classroom placement letters. For safety reasons, gym shoes are required to participate in physical education class.

SNACKS

Students are encouraged to bring a healthy snack each day that can be eaten independently within 10 minutes. Healthy snacks include fruits, vegetables, cheese, pretzels, goldfish crackers, nut-free granola bars, popcorn, etc. Dessert foods such as candy, cookies, and cakes should not be sent in for snack time.

BIRTHDAY TREATS

We love celebrating our students' birthdays, but we must prioritize student safety, health, and instructional time. If you would like to send a treat to school with your child, we encourage fun, non-food items instead. Great alternatives include stickers, pencils, bookmarks, or a book donated to the classroom library in your child's name. Thank you for your cooperation in keeping all of our students safe and healthy!

IMPORTANT: Emergency cards will be sent home with your child on the first day of school. It is important that the Emergency Card be updated and signed for each child and returned by Thursday, September 10, 2026.

Thank you for your cooperation in creating a safe, organized school for our students.

Skyward Family Access

Using Skyward to Access Your Student's Information

Using a secure Login ID and password, you can log into Skyward Family Access and view your students’ data, such as progress reports, attendance records, report cards, transcripts, lunch information and more. Your one login to Family Access allows you to view data on all your enrolled students in the district, even if there are multiple school sites.

How to log into to Skyward Family Access:

Go to the ECSD website: https://www.eastchinaschools.org/
Click on the Parent Resources tab and scroll down to Skyward Family Access Login.
Enter your Login ID and Password on the Skyward Family Access login screen.
Reminder, your login is login is parent first name, a period, parent full last name.

Positive Behavior Expectations

At Belle River, we believe that every child deserves to feel safe, valued, and ready to learn each day. When students feel comfortable and supported, they are more confident to try new things, make mistakes, ask questions, and do their very best academically.

Our Positive Behavior System helps us create this kind of learning environment. We teach students that positive behavior is not just about following rules—it is about being kind, respectful, responsible, and ready to learn. These skills help children build strong relationships, solve problems, make good choices, and become successful learners.

To help make expectations clear and consistent, our school uses a Behavior Matrix. The matrix shows students what positive behaviors look and sound like in different places and situations throughout our school. We will teach, practice, recognize, and celebrate these behaviors so students know what is expected and feel confident putting these skills into action.

We know that children learn best when the adults in their lives work together. Families play an important role in helping children understand the value of kindness, respect, responsibility, perseverance, and making positive choices. We encourage you to talk with your child about the expectations on our Behavior Matrix and celebrate the positive choices you see at home and at school.

Together, we can help our children grow into confident, caring, and responsible learners while creating a school where everyone feels safe, included, and ready to learn.

Thank you for being an important part of our school family and for partnering with us to help every child succeed.

We are one team, with one mission, to be our best together.