Parents, we are positively recognizing students for their behavior as they demonstrate the expectations listed above. Students can turn in tickets earned in their classes for items to purchase in our school store and/or to attend future schoolwide events.

Monday, April 1: Late Special Assignment Request Opens

Tuesday, April 2: Spring Awards Assembly [9 AM for K-2nd Grade & 9:45 AM for 3-5th Grade]

Friday, April 5: Spring Photos

Friday, April 5: April Volunteer Cafe [10 AM - 12 PM]

Monday, April 8: Color Run Fundraising money collection closes

Monday, April 8: PCS Summer Enrichment Camp enrollment ends

Friday, April 12: April PTA Meeting [7:45 AM]

Friday, April 12: Color Run [1:30 PM - Dismissal]

Wednesday, April 17: Spring Concert and Art Show [5:30 PM]

Friday, April 26: No school for students

School hours are 8:45 AM to 2:55 PM.

If your student arrives late, you must come into the front office to bring your student in.

Students can come on campus at 8:15 for free breakfast.

The Front Office is open from 7:30 AM until 3:30 PM.

If you need to pick up a student, you must bring your legal ID with a photo (driver's license or passport).

• Every student will be photographed.
• We would encourage you to pay ONLINE with a credit card at: www.VernonPhoto.com/SpringPrepay
• Please feel free to contact Vernon Photography directly at: Support@VernonPhoto.com

Students may not be dropped off at school prior to 8:15 AM. There is no supervision outside before 8:15 AM. Students may enter the cafeteria for breakfast or go to their classroom starting at 8:15 AM. Parents may use the inside lane when dropping off students in the morning. Please pull all the way to the end of the sidewalk (like at dismissal) for students to unload.

Students are expected to be off campus by 3:15 PM.

Please communicate any changes in your child’s dismissal process to their teacher and the front office.

If you need before or after school care, please see the Programs List attached below.

Due to recent safety concerns, we have had to adjust our dismissal procedures.

• All parents must remain in their vehicles. Staff or safety patrols will load your child(ren) into your vehicles.

• At 2:30 PM, PreK3 and VPK students will be dismissed. Between 2:30 and 2:55 PM, parents may use the PreK3/VPK lane (formally the “short” or “left lane”). Only vehicles with the PreK3/VPK tag will be allowed in the short lane.

• Vehicles with both PreK3/VPK students and K-5 students will use the left lane, and then pull up to the front of car line to wait for the older student(s) to be dismissed at 2:45 PM.

• At 2:55 PM, the left “short” lane will be closed, and all cars will need to enter the right “outside” lane for pick-up. This includes any families that are picking up PreK3/VPK students.

• Vehicles picking up K-5 students will use only the right/outside lane. Cars will remain behind the barrier until 2:55 PM, at which point the K-5 car line will begin dismissal.

• Students who walk home will meet at the crosswalk, marked in green. This is the only place that parents will be walking up to meet their student. Parents may not park in the school parking lot and walk up to pick up their students at the walker's area.

• Apply for special assignments and district application programs
• Change your address and provide two proofs of address to the school
• Link your student(s) and view report cards, schedules, grades, and attendance at https://focus.pcsb.org
• Please make sure you fill out the online forms for your student(s)
• Please complete all consent forms on Focus

Pinellas County Schools students, teachers, staff and substitutes ride PSTA buses for free. Our PCS community can take advantage of the free rides any time of day, all year long! You can ride PSTA buses and trolleys for free during winter break and all year round just by showing your Pinellas County Schools ID!

The 3rd grade students have enjoyed their session in Fishing Club although the bite in the creek has been slow. The picture shows Everly with a nice little redfish. Slimy fives all around!!!!!

The students in Ms. Jones and Ms. Seibert's class have been having a great time in the classroom!

Summer Bridge provides engaging learning activities over the summer to prepare students for maximum success when the next school year begins. Most of all, Summer Bridge is designed to be fun for students. Students have continued to show impressive gains, with many students moving from “below proficiency” in reading, math or science to “at or near proficiency.” Most students who came to Summer Bridge already scoring “at or near proficiency” still showed promising learning gains.

Dates: June 3 - 27

Grades: Students entering kindergarten through fourth-grade

Days: Monday - Thursday
Hours: 8 AM - 2 PM

Closest Summer Bridge Locations: Eisenhower Elementary, Ponce de Leon Elementary, Plumb Elementary, Ridgecrest Elementary, and Skycrest Elementary. Summer Bridge assignments are made to your child’s current or designated school.

Transportation is available for eligible students!

In alignment with School Board policy, regular transportation is provided for eligible elementary students attending their zoned school or a designated feeder school if students live more than two miles from the school.

The school district may need to create new bus stops to accommodate students who enroll after May 1.

• If children can be accommodated at an existing bus stop, they will have transportation on Day 1.
• However, if a new stop needs to be created, transportation will be provided, but it may not be available until a few days after Summer Bridge begins.
• Schools that are 100% District Application Programs will have limited transportation areas of 2-4 miles from the schools.

Current students who live in a different county:

A Pinellas County address is required to use the Student Reservation System: https://reservation.pcsb.org. If your child currently attends a PCS school with a Special Attendance Permit (SAP), you will not be able to enroll using the Student Reservation System. For enrollment assistance, please contact Student Assignment.

Need Help Applying?

Contact Student Assignment at 727-588-6210 or StudentAssignment@pcsb.org

Have Transportation Questions?

Contact the Transportation Department at 727-587-2020.

Current students are eligible to apply for various PCS Summer Enrichment Camps. Applications must be made by Monday, April 8th. For more information, visit https://www.pcsb.org/summercamps or click the links below.

Camps for students entering 2nd through 5th grade:

• STEM Summer Innovation Camp

Camps for student entering 4th and 5th grade:

• 3D Printing Art
• Digital Art Making
• Summer of Science
• Movie Making
• Mural Making
• Visual Arts
  

Camps for student entering 6th grade:

• Movie Making Art (3D Printing Edition)
• Mural Making
  
• STEM Summer Innovation
  
• Introduction to Journalism

We will be having a Color Run on April 12th. All monies raised will help fund school-wide events, campus enhancements and classroom needs to benefit all students. We need your support! This is a fun and exciting event for all participating students.

Family members can also participate in the Color Run, but every participant must raise $25 either online or via cash or check by Monday, April 8th.

We are looking for volunteers from 1 PM to 3 PM to help set up, supervise students, and distribute water during our Color Run fundraising event. Only registered, active, and approved volunteers may volunteer.

Sign up to volunteer here: https://forms.office.com/r/WUEqG0LMBe

If you still have cash or checks to turn in, please bring it to the Front Office ASAP.

Color Run Event is on Friday, April 12th

Checks made payable to: American Fundraising Services

Students will need to bring or raise $25 to participate.

Did you know you can pay tuition online for PK3 and VPK? Pinellas County Schools uses the service RevTrak to handle tuition payments in a secure and fast manner.

To attend VPK, all students must have a Certificate of Eligibility (voucher) from the Early Learning Coalition. Starting Jan. 1, please visit elcpinellas.org to apply for the voucher. Families must have the voucher at the time of enrollment at the school. For information about the Certificate of Eligibility, please call the Early Learning Coalition at (727) 400-4411.

Late registration is open!

Log into focus.pcsb.org and access the Student Reservation System to find out if your application was accepted.

If your child is entering VPK as a four year old in Fall 2024, they must have a Certificate of Eligibility.

Visit elcpinellas.org and complete the online application for a Certificate of Eligibility (voucher). For information, please call the Early Learning Coalition at (727) 400-4411.

2024-2025 Tuition Info

• VPK is a free, 540-hour program during the school year that is available at many elementary schools. Students attend free for three hours each day, Monday through Friday.
• VPK + 3 extends the VPK day an additional 3 hours so students attend for the full 6-hour school day. Tuition is $100 per week with a $100 non-refundable registration fee.
  
• Six sites offer free full-day programs with a Certificate of Eligibility (voucher)
  
• Families who qualify for free or reduced-price meals according to the annual Florida Income Eligibility Guidelines will qualify for free full-day VPK.
  
• PreK 3 and full-day VPK will be free for children of all full-time PCS employees at our elementary school sites. Our Employee and Community Preschool sites at Largo and Countryside high schools will offer a discount to full-time PCS employees.
  

Here is the updated calendar with the dates for enrollment: https://www.pcsb.org/cms/lib/FL01903687/Centricity/Domain/4/2023-2024-Registration-Dates.pdf

Belcher is a healthy school. Sweet treats are NOT permitted on campus for birthday celebrations. Thank you for your understanding.

Parents who would like to send snacks should call the school office or teacher to ensure the items are within the guidelines. School provided snacks must comply with the fat and sugar limits of the Pinellas County Schools Nutrition Standards and may not be Foods of Minimal Nutritional Value (soda water, water ices, chewing gum and certain candies) or consist of candy or dessert type items (cookies, cakes, cupcakes, pudding, ice cream or frozen desserts, etc.).

Every Friday, parents are invited to eat outside with their student in our recess area.

Reminders:

• Parents must bring their government issued ID with photo to be checked in at the office.
• Staff will escort parent and student to our outdoor recess lot at the front of the school.
• Students can either get lunch from the cafeteria or parents may bring lunch for their student.
• Once lunch has finish, it is the parent's responsibility to escort the child back to the front office to return to class.

Prepay Link for Parents: www.VernonPhoto.com/SpringPrepay

PHOTO DELIVERY:

Pictures will be delivered back to the school approximately 4-5 weeks from picture day.

• They will be bundled by class
• They will be labeled with the student’s name, teacher, grade & order
• Every student photographed on picture day will receive a packet (if no order, they will have a proof and a link)

If families have questions or concerns, please reach out to Vernon Photography directly at support@VernonPhoto.com.

Recognize a teacher who is making an extraordinary impact on students and their school community. Voting is open for the Irish 31 Cheers to Public Service Awards.

Nearly 80 Pinellas teachers have been nominated. The winners will be announced in late April.

Last year, five of our teachers won awards from Irish 31’s iCare Foundation.

Each winner will receive $1,000 and other prizes. Voting is open through April 14. Vote and learn more at www.Irish31.com/Cheers.

No registration is needed.

The tutoring is free and will be held via Microsoft Teams. Each grade-level tutoring session will include a mini-lesson followed by time for homework help. This tutoring is available until the end of the school year.

To join a session, simply click the appropriate grade level/content area link listed below:

Kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd Grade

Meeting Time: Tuesdays from 4:00pm – 5:00pm

Meeting Link: https://shorturl.at/dlIMR

3rd, 4th, and 5th Grade

Meeting Time: Wednesdays from 4:00pm – 5:00pm

Meeting Link: https://shorturl.at/dlIMR

Volunteers make a daily difference in students' lives and are the reason field trips, Great American Teach In, PTA, and so many other programs are possible.

Volunteer Café

Our April Volunteer Café will be Friday, April 5th from 10 AM to 12 PM. The first or second Friday of every month from 10 am to 12 pm, our volunteers get together to work on various classroom projects. Coffee, juice, and snacks are provided. It is a great time to meet other Belcher volunteers while helping our teachers stay focused on education by completing their busy work. Registered volunteers will receive invitations, reminders, and updates via email.

Please RSVP here: https://forms.office.com/r/H37hvtQ55L

School Store Volunteers

School Store is a year-long behavior incentives program that rewards students for exceptional behavior by allowing them to trade tickets for small items. We need Level 2 volunteers to escort students to and from class and help them trade in tickets for behavior rewards. We are looking for at least 1 volunteer for each morning slot, and 2 volunteers for every Friday slot. Only Level 2 volunteers are able to volunteer for School Store.

Upcoming School Store dates: April 3rd, 4th, and 5th

Sign up for a volunteer slot here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C084AA9A72EA0F4C25-47628241-school

Reactivate Your Account

To volunteer in any capacity, you must have an active volunteer account. The process of registering takes ~5-15 minutes and is very simple. To register, click this link: https://asd.pcsb.org/schoolwiresforms/volunteer/

Existing volunteers must reactivate after every summer to ensure their information is correct. Please use a desktop computer or a laptop, not a mobile device.

Link: https://focus.pcsb.org/volunteer/

Volunteer Focus Log-in Information:

Please use your assigned v.account and password.

Example: Login: v.smitha (usually last name, first initial, not case sensitive)

Password: Smith1973 (last name with the first letter capitalized, 4 digit birth year)

Interested in becoming a Level 2 Volunteer?

This is an optional additional level of background screening that is required when volunteering in a situation where you may be unsupervised with students such as field trip chaperones who are driving, overnight field trips, etc. View the locations and hours of our approved fingerprinting vendors, then follow up with our Family & Community Liaison at lamontj@pcsb.org 7–10 days after fingerprinting to verify your status.

Entering Volunteer Hours:

Every volunteer is asked to record ALL their volunteer hours in the Focus Volunteer System. EVERY hour counts whether you are in the classroom, helping at a special event, working on a project from home or participating in our PTA! These hours are reported twice a year and show the level of community support at our school.

Your help is needed! Just 30 minutes a week can make a difference in a child's life. Listen, encourage, be a friend to a child at a school closest to where you live or work. The Lunch Pals mentorship program pairs students with PCS volunteers who meet for 30 minutes once a week during the student’s lunch. Through one-on-one interaction and attention, this program encourages students to be more communicative, practice good behavior, and invest in their learning by having an additional adult to chat regularly with. Programs like Lunch Pals are not possible without empathetic, supportive adult volunteers. Mentors must be registered volunteers. If you are interested in being a mentor, please email lamontj@pcsb.org or call (727) 538-7437 ext. 2001.

Mentors must attend a 1 hour long workshop.

PTA will be selling t-shirts, hoodies, and other merchandise at the front of the school every Wednesday mornings. Payments can be made with cash or check.

PTA needs parents to keep our school running. PTA supports teachers, students, families, and staff throughout the school year with a variety of activities. You can become a member by simply placing $5 (or a check payable to Belcher Elementary PTA) in an envelope along with your name, your child/children's and their teacher's name(s). Bring it to school or simply send it in with your child. Visit https://www.pcsb.org/domain/1501 for more information.

SAC is a team representing various segments of the community: Parents, teachers, students, administrators, support staff, business and community partners. The SAC is responsible for strategic planning for the School Improvement Plan (SIP) and working jointly with the principal and staff after analyzing relevant data. The SAC helps determine goals within the plan and how best to achieve those measurable goals.

If you are interested in joining, please email lamontj@pcsb.org

Our School Store is a year-long behavior rewards program where teachers distribute tickets to students for demonstrating exceptional behavior in class. Students exchange the tickets for small toys or other items.

We are seeking small toys, books, packaged snack items such as bulk items of snack-sized chips, and other kid friendly items that students can shop for at our school store. Any donations can be turned in at the front office.