BES Newsletter

Thursday, February 13 - Valentine's Day Classroom Parties

Thursday, February 13 - PTO Meeting, 6:30 pm

Friday, February 14 - No school for students

Monday, February 17 - School is in session (snow make-up day from Jan. 6)

The PSSA testing window starts on Tuesday, April 22 and runs through Friday, May 2. As a reminder, Educational Trips are not approved during the testing window for students in grades 3-5.

Please click on the file below for the cafeteria menu for the month of November:

During the month of February, we will conduct our second school security drill of the year at BES. As a reminder, school security drills are designed to practice procedures to respond to emergency situations such as an act of terrorism, armed intruder situation or other violent threat. The Bellefonte Area School District uses the ALICE program and partners with local and state law enforcement/first response agencies to implement safety procedures. The physical and psychological safety of our students and adults is our number one priority, and we recognize the importance of having procedures in place and practicing them throughout the school year. We try to ensure that our drills are done in a calm manner and are appropriate for the young learners in our building. Any accommodations that need to be made for students with disabilities will be planned for as well. The mental health of our school community is important and we aim to offer support for our students and adults to accompany these drills.

Before the Drill:

• If you are concerned that your child may need extra support, please contact their teacher and our school counselor, Mrs. Brooke Knight at bknight@basd.net so that we can partner with you to support them. We will also do our best to identify students who may need support and reach out to work with you through this process.

• Emphasize that school is a safe place and the adults here are working to keep them safe everyday. Remind them that it is part of our job here at school to practice safety skills so we know what to do in an emergency. Just like we practice fire drills, we practice security drills even though we may never need them. This practice helps make our school an even safer place.

• Make connections to safety habits that are already in place and your child may be familiar with, such as wearing a seatbelt while riding in a car or a helmet while riding a bike.

• Discuss calming/coping strategies with your child that they can use if they have a stressful reaction. Help your child identify an adult at school that they can talk to if they feel upset. If you are worried that your child will not go see an adult and want to make sure they do, please let us know so we can check in with them.

• Let your child know that schools perform security drills throughout the school year and that students will be told by their teachers before it happens that day. Security drills that take place in school are centered around teaching and rehearsing safety procedures and do not involve any simulation of active shooters or intruders.

After the Drill:

• You will receive a notification directly after the drill to make you aware that it has occurred. This notification will be sent on the same day close to the completion of the drill.

• Our School Counselor will make arrangements to follow up with classes, particularly in younger grades.

• It is important for your child to know you and the school are working together to help care for them. Let them know that the school made you aware that a school security drill took place today.

• Ask your child if they would like to talk about it and let their response guide you, you know your child best. Some children will not want to talk about it, and that is okay, too. Other children may simply want to spend time with you and younger ones may process through play. Everyone reacts differently and there is no right or wrong way.

• If your child says that the drill did not impact them negatively, you can reinforce that practicing the drill will help them know what to do and will help to keep them safe.

• If your child does feel sad, nervous, stressed or scared, validate their feelings and help them to utilize helpful coping skills. Contact their teacher and the School Counselor so that we are aware and can help support you and your family. Recognize that it is completely normal and ok for both children and adults to be emotional around these topics or situations.

• Maintain your normal routines. This helps everyone feel more calm and safe overall, it is especially important after a security drill or any other event that could result in feelings of stress, fear or sadness.

• Monitor your child and make time to talk with them. This is also important all of the time, but especially around these types of situations.

If you would like to follow up at any time or have concerns you would like to discuss, please reach out to the school. Remember that we are here to work with you to support your child and help them grow academically while addressing any social-emotional needs that may arise.

School Board Policy 805 as well as page 8 of the Student/Parent/Guardian Handbook provide more information on this topic.

Additional Resources:

Talking to Children about Violence: Tips for Parent and Teachers

ALICE Website

As stated in our Student Handbook, if the real feel and actual temperature are both over 20 degrees, students go outside for recess. If the grass area is snow covered or too muddy, students are still able to be on the blacktop. Please keep this in mind as you dress your children over the winter months so that they are dressed appropriately to be outside for recess.

If you are in need of any winter clothes for your children, please contact Mr. Baughman at mbaughman@basd.net

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