BES Newsletter

Wednesday, April 16 - Kindergarten Registration 11:30 am - 6:30 pm

Friday, April 18 - No School for students

Wednesday, May 7 - 5th Grade Trip to Middle School

Thursday, June 5 - 5th grade farewell breakfast and parade in morning

*School is in session on Monday, April 21 due to the closure on March 17

Upcoming Field Trips:

Kindergarten - Tuesday, May 20

2nd Grade - Friday, May 2

3rd Grade - Tuesday, May 13

4th Grade - Monday, June 2

5th Grade - Wednesday, June 4

Field Days

k-2 : Wednesday, May 28

3-5 : Thursday, May 29

Rain Date : Friday, May 30

Vice Principal Position:

As you may have seen, our dear Mr. White is moving on to be the principal at Marion-Walker Elementary School. Mr. White will finish the year with us, and then transition to MW over the summer. I am excited for him to be able to get back to being a building principal and very thankful for all that he has contributed to this building and our students over the past few years. His position is now posted, you can click HERE to view it and share it with anyone who might be interested!

New School Name:

You probably saw as well that last Wednesday, the School Board of Directors voted to name the new school building "Bellefonte Elementary School." Regardless of the name, I am excited for our school community to move into this new building and want to make sure to encourage everyone to welcome the Benner Elementary school community with open arms. Together, these two groups of students and adults will help create a new identity and will move forward together, as one, to help our students the best way that we can.

Please Help Stop The Spread Of Head Lice - Check Your Student At Home Frequently:

We need your help! An important link in the chain to prevent the spread of head lice is parent involvement. Please check your student’s head frequently (once or twice a week) even if they have no signs of lice. Parents should examine their child’s head, especially behind the ears and at the nape of the neck, for crawling lice and nits if their child exhibits symptoms of a head lice infestation. If crawling lice or nits are found, all household members should be examined for crawling lice and nits every 2–3 days. Persons with live (crawling) lice or nits within ¼ inch or less of the scalp should be treated. Please contact the school nurse if you have found lice at home.

Signs and Symptoms: Head lice and head lice nits are found almost exclusively on the scalp, particularly around and behind the ears and near the neckline at the back of the head. Head lice or head lice nits are sometimes found on the eyelashes or eyebrows, but this is uncommon. Head lice hold tightly to hair with hook-like claws at the end of each of their six legs. Head lice nits are cemented firmly to the hair shaft and can be difficult to remove even after the nymphs hatch and empty casings remain.

The signs and symptoms of head lice infestation are:

• Tickling feeling of something moving in the hair

• Itching, caused by an allergic reaction to the bites of the head louse

• Irritability and difficulty sleeping (head lice are most active in the dark)

• Sores on the head caused by scratching. These sores can sometimes become infected with bacteria found on the person's skin.

While head lice are certainly a nuisance, they are not a medical or public health hazard. Head lice are not known to spread disease. Please check your student’s head once or twice a week at home.

Head lice move by crawling; they cannot hop or fly. Head lice are spread by direct contact with the hair of an infested person. Anyone who comes in head-to-head contact with someone who already has head lice is at greatest risk. This can happen during play at school, at home, and elsewhere (sports activities, playground, slumber parties, camp). Personal hygiene or cleanliness in the home or school has nothing to do with getting head lice.

Although uncommon, head lice can be spread by sharing clothing or belongings. This happens when lice crawl, or nits attached to shed hair hatch and get on the shared clothing or belongings. Examples include:

• Sharing clothing (hats, scarves, coats, sports uniforms) or articles (hair ribbons, barrettes, combs, brushes, towels, stuffed animals) recently worn or used by an infected person;

• Lying on a bed, couch, pillow, or carpet that has recently been in contact with an infested person. Dogs, cats, and other pets do not play a role in the spread of head lice.

Children diagnosed with live head lice do not need to be sent home early from school; they can go home at the end of the day, be treated, and return to class after appropriate treatment has begun. Nits may persist after treatment, but successful treatment should kill crawling lice.

To eliminate head lice successfully, all treatment instructions and steps must be carefully followed and completed. CDC does not make recommendations as to what specific product or products should be used to treat individuals. Both over-the-counter and prescription products are available. You may wish to contact your doctor, pharmacist, or health department for additional information about which product they recommend.

Please click on the file below for the cafeteria menu for the end of February and March.

Since 2024, our district has partnered with Cartwheel to support the mental health needs of our students via virtual therapy with licensed clinicians. Students are identified and referred for these services by our school teams, but we are pleased to share that you can also request these services directly for your child. Oftentimes, families are the first to recognize that their child might need mental health support so we want to make it as easy as possible for your family to access these services.

Fill out this Family Interest Form to get started.

Please reach out to one of the school social workers or your child's school counselor if you need help or would like to talk things through.

Here are some signs to look out for to determine if your child might benefit from this support:

• Changes in mood or behavior

• Changes in eating or sleeping patterns

• Declining academic performance

• Withdrawal from friends or activities

• Increased anxiety or stress

• Expressing feelings of sadness or hopelessness

• Experiencing transition (related to life, family, peers, school)

• Exposure to a traumatic event

Check out these FAQs about the types of challenges Cartwheel can support, how it works, and more.

Approximately 175 elementary students from BASD will have artwork displayed at the Oaks Retirement Community in Pleasant Gap beginning Monday April 27, 2025 and continuing through Friday, May 9, 2025. Approximately 40 students from Bellefonte Elementary will have art work displayed during this time.

There is a public open house happening Tuesday, April 29, 2025 from 6:00-8:00PM. The public is welcome to come and view the artwork during this time.

-Mrs. Stover

You can now order your copy of the 2024-25 Bellefonte Elementary School yearbook! Go to https://jostensyearbooks.com/?REF=A09880953 to place your order. The order deadline is April 12th. Yearbooks will be $16.50 plus tax, with optional personalization available at additional cost.

• Field Trip chaperones

• School dance chaperones

• Classroom/building helpers

• Volunteering at classroom parties

• Field Day volunteers

• Holiday Shop volunteers

• PTO/Parent Group events in the buildings during school hours

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Registered volunteers will be approved by the Bellefonte Area School District Board of Directors after they have submitted the following documents:

1. Volunteer Form

2. Statement of Confidentiality

3. Residency Affidavit & Arrest/Conviction Report

4. PA Child Abuse History Certification

5. PA Criminal History clearance

If you plan on volunteering at all during the school year, it is best to get this process completed early. Please contact Liz Stone, the district Volunteer Coordinator if you have any further questions.

You can also visit the volunteer section of our website: https://www.basd.net/o/basd/page/volunteer-program

Be sure to like and follow us on Facebook for more updates and information on all of the great things happening here at BES!

https://www.facebook.com/bellefonteelem

100 W. Linn Street

Bellefonte, PA 16823

Website: https://www.basd.net/o/beles

Phone: 814-355-5519

Fax: 814-353-5338

Attendance Email: beatt@basd.net