Bison Blurb

The first day of school is Tuesday, September 2. We can't wait to see everyone! Please read important arrival and dismissal information below.

The doors to the school open daily at 7:45. Students may enter through Door 1 near the flag pole. All students will report to the cafeteria regardless if they are eating breakfast or not. Students will remain in the cafeteria until the bell rings at 8:15. 5th grade students will have the opportunity to eat breakfast if they choose, and then will be dismissed to wait in the gym until the first bell rings. Please do not drop students off prior to 7:45. There will be no supervision until that time!

When dropping students off and picking them up from school, please be mindful of staying in your vehicle. If you are in your car in the drop off or pick up line, we want to keep it moving in order to maintain the safety of our students! If you need more time, please park in one of the designated parking spots and walk up to drop off or pick up your child. Just a reminder that the main parking lot by the office is used for buses only. Pick and drop off takes place in the circle area leading up to the cafeteria entrance. Please reference the map below for the appropriate places for drop off and pick up.

The official start of the school day is 8:20. Dismissal is at 3:40. We ask that if your child is in Pre K-3rd grade that you record in their planner how they are getting home each day. This will help us make sure all students get home safely. If your child is attending the BASE after school program they must be registered. This can be done in Powerschool in the Forms tab. If you have any questions regarding BASE, you may contact Madeline Selby at (269) 469-6062 or by email at mselby@nbas.org. It is very important to note that no transportation changes may be made after 2:30 pm each day. Your child is to ride only their assigned bus unless an emergency arises, in which case you must have permission from our transportation director Tom Whitsel. He may be contacted at (269) 469-6009 or by email at twhitsel@nbas.org.

We hope you had a wonderful summer filled with fun, relaxation, and plenty of good books! For purposes of planning on your part, our Summer Reading Challenge work is due by Friday, September 19, 2025.

Students who return their completed reading challenge materials will be recognized for their hard work and commitment to keeping their reading skills sharp over the summer. Those who complete the challenge will also be treated to a special trip to Nancy’s for ice cream!

Please make sure your child’s bingo board/reading log (or other assigned work) is turned in to their classroom teacher by the deadline.

Please be sure to complete all enrollment forms. These must be complete before students return to school. Feel free to reach out to our office at (269) 469-6060 with any questions you may have.

The food service department asks that you complete the Child Nutrition and Education Benefits Application. This form is important for funding for our district and also for providing resources to our families, such as Title I services, Blessings in a Backpack, Toys for Tots and summer camp scholarships.

For the first week of school, New Buffalo Elementary teachers and staff will be focused on building trust and positive relationships with students. We will be reviewing school expectations for the hallways, playgrounds, cafeteria, buses, etc. Students will have plenty of time to get to know the teachers, classmates, office and support staff, and myself. We want this first week to allow our students to get used to getting back into a routine, familiarizing themselves with their new class and teacher, and experiencing all of what makes New Buffalo Elementary such an AMAZING place.

During the first few weeks of school, students will begin fall testing. The information collected from these assessments will help us determine the best learning path for each student. We ask that you make sure your child has a good night's sleep and a healthy breakfast to keep their minds fueled.

Below are the testing dates:

September 4- Dibels Testing for K, 2nd, and 4th Grade

September 5- Dibels Testing for 1st, 3rd, and 5th Grade

September 9- NWEA Reading for K-5th Grade

September 16- NWEA Math for K-5th Grade

Our schoolwide expectations for students are:

Be responsible. Be respectful. Be safe.

1. The first day of BASE is Wednesday, September 3rd!

2. Please make sure the BASE registration form is filled out in Powerschool before your child is signed up for BASE.

Picture day is coming on September 11!

The in-school dentist is coming to New Buffalo Area Schools on Friday, September 19th. The Michigan Mobile Dentist - Smiles Partners is a state licensed mobile dentist outreach that provides cleanings, x-rays, fluoride treatments, etc. at school during your child's regularly scheduled school day. Enrollment forms have been sent home with your child school or you can click here to register online. Enrollment forms are due asap.

New Buffalo Area Schools is committed to maintaining a safe, healthy, and supportive environment for all students. As part of this commitment, we are partnering with local law enforcement to help ensure our schools remain nicotine and drug-free.

This year, our schools will conduct planned safety sweeps with specially trained detection dogs. These sweeps will include hallways and lockers.

We want to assure you that these measures are preventative in nature and are being implemented to reinforce our school community’s shared expectation of a safe and drug-free learning environment.

Thank you for your support as we continue to prioritize the well-being of our students. If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact the school office.

September 2- 1st day of School- 1/2 day with a noon dismissal

September 3- First day for BASE after school program (students must be registered)

September 4 & 5- Hearing and Vision Screenings

September 8- Pre K Starts

September 10- Girl Scout meeting @ 6:00 in cafetera

September 11- Fall Picture Day

September 18- Dental Screening for Kindergarten students only

September 19- Mobile Dentist

September 25- Summer Reading Challenge Celebration (ice cream at Nancy's)

September 26- Berrien RESA Play Group 10:00 am

September 26- Walk To School Day

October 2- NBES Leadership Team (Former PTO) meeting @ 4:00 in media center

October 9- Parent Teacher Conferences, 1/2 Day for Students

October 10- No school for students

October 16- Fall Picture retake day

October 24 Berrien RESA Playgroup 10:00 am

October 31- Halloween Parties @ 2:30

November 20- 1/2 Day for Students

November 21- 1/2 Day for Students

November 26- November 28- Thanksgiving Break

Melissa Lijewski, Elementary Principal- mlijewski@nbas.org, (269) 469-6060

Jenna Wendel, Administrative Assistant- jwendel@nbas.org, (269) 469-6060

Renee Bowen, Student Services- rbowen@nbas.org, (269) 469-6069

Madeline Selby, BASE Director- mselby@nbas.org, (269) 469- 6062

Tom Whitsel, Transportation Director- twhitsel@nbas.org, (269) 469- 6009

Jacob Stella, Technology Director- techstaff@nbas.org, (269) 469-6020

Susan Martinic, Food Service Director- smartinic@nbas.org, (269) 469-6048

Mark German, Director of Operations- mgerman@nbas.org, (269) 469- 6018

New Buffalo Elementary Website

New Buffalo Elementary Facebook

Child Nutrition and Education Benefits Application

Cafeteria on-line payments

Food Service Menu

Annual Bullying Notice here

Contact information for all departments found here

Every student. Every day.