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Superintendent's Newsletter
October 2023
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Students, Staff, & Families,
It is a beautiful time of year as we put summer in the rearview mirror and head into fall. Between college football, upcoming holidays, and the weather, I am looking forward to these next months! I'm amazed how the time seems to fly by faster with each passing year, but here we are wrapping up the first quarter and getting a solid start on the second.
Use the Table of Contents to the left to quickly navigate to the sections of this newsletter. I continue to marvel at the unmatched talent and dedication of our parents, students, and staff in our community, and hope you all enjoy the rest of this first semester.
Community Input Survey:
As announced during the last school board meeting, we are asking for the input of the entire Botetourt community: residents, businesses, students, families, staff... everyone! This quick survey, which takes 2 minutes or less, will help us understand our community's perspective on the secondary facilities in our school division. Simply scan the QR code or click the image below to access the online survey.
Thank you for taking a moment to participate and adding your voice to the conversation. We've had a great response from parents, and we would love to hear from our students as well!
National School Bus Safety Week:
October 16-20 was National School Bus Safety Week, and this year's primary theme focused on preventing illegal passing of buses that are stopped to load or unload students.
Regrettably, in recent years, school divisions across the nation are witnessing an increased number of drivers passing stopped school buses when they are picking up and dropping off students, and Botetourt is no exception. Not only is this illegal, but it can result in significant property damage, injury, or even death. Botetourt County school buses are equipped with cameras to help identify stop-arm violators.
A few ideas to consider:
- Allow extra time if your morning commute coincides with a bus route.
- Avoid distractions while driving, especially cell phone use
- Use an alternate route
Undivided highways do not have a barrier that separates the lanes of traffic going in opposite directions. Traffic traveling in both directions is required to stop for a bus that is loading/unloading students.
Here's what this looks like:
BCPS Nurses Complete 'Stop the Bleed' Training:
BCPS nurses recently completed 'Stop the Bleed' training, during which they learned the proper technique for applying a tourniquet and packing and applying pressure to stop a severe bleed from a wound. Ottilia Lewis, Trauma Outreach Coordinator with Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital, led the training and was assisted by Jason Ferguson and other representatives from Botetourt County Fire and EMS. We are grateful for their time and collaboration, and to our nurses for their efforts to be trained and prepared for any situation.
Digital Document Delivery:
Our division distributes digital report cards for students K-12. The parent guide pictured below provides useful information about this service. Secondary students and families received this information last school year. Elementary students and families received this information during the week of October 9.
Employees of the Month:
Botetourt County Schools has among the finest staff anywhere! I want to take a moment to celebrate our employees of the month since the start of the school year.
August Employees of the Month
September Employees of the Month
MySchoolBucks:
Program engineers with MySchoolBucks have been working with our Nutrition and Technology departments to resolve two ongoing issues impacting a family's ability to:
- Fund their child's meal account online, and
- See a history of their child's cafeteria purchases.
Mark Your Calendar:
Important Dates: Quarter 2
- October 16: Parent Teacher Conference Day
- October 31: Halloween
- November 7: Teacher Workday (no school for students)
- November 9: School Board Meeting
- November 22-24: Thanksgiving Holiday (BCPS Closed)
- December 14: School Board Meeting
- December 15: End of 2nd Quarter
- December 18: Teacher Workday (no school for students)
- December 19-January 1: Winter Holiday (no school for students)
- January 2-3: Teacher Workdays (no school for students)
- January 4: 3rd Quarter Begins
Fall Tip: Pumpkin Seeds
Planning to carve pumpkins this month? Don't throw out those seeds! They make a tasty treat after being cleaned, seasoned, and baked. Here's how to do it:
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 C. pumpkin seeds
- 2 tsp. fine sea salt
- 2 tsp. oil (your preference)
- 2 tsp. favorite spice blend
Directions:
- Heat your oven to 350° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Bring 2 cups of water and 2 teaspoons of salt to a boil in a medium sauce pan.
- While everything is heating up, scoop the seeds out of the pumpkin and add them to a bowl of cold water. Swish them around until the seeds float and are mostly clean.
- Add the seeds to the boiling, salted water and simmer for about 5 minutes.
- Drain the seeds and remove any pumpkin that might still be connected to them.
- Use a towel to pat dry the seeds. Try to get them as dry as possible.
- Place the seeds in a pile on the baking sheet.
- Add 2 teaspoons of oil and 2 teaspoons of your preferred spice blend and toss until the seeds are coated.
- Spread the seeds into a single layer for even baking.
- Bake for 10-25 minutes, stirring at least once, until the edges are golden.
Let the seeds cool completely and store them in an airtight container, or the refrigerator. The flavor possibilities are endless, so try a few options and find your favorite this season!