Parents, we are positively recognizing students for their behavior as they demonstrate the expectations listed above. Students can earn points (badges) within Focus in their classes for items to purchase in our school store and/or to attend future schoolwide events.

Friday, May 2: Volunteer Cafe (10 AM - 12 PM)

Friday, May 2: Color Run (1:30 PM - Dismissal)

Saturday, May 17: Start of Summer Picnic (10:30 AM - 1PM)

Friday, May 24: Last Friday Family Lunch

Thursday, May 29: Last day of school (Dismissal is at 2:55 PM)

• School hours are 8:45 AM to 2:55 PM.
• The Front Office is open from 7:30 AM until 3:30 PM.
• Students can come on campus starting at 8:15 AM for free breakfast. For safety reasons, students should not be dropped off and/or left unattended before 8:15 AM.
• If your student arrives late, you must come into the front office to bring your student in.
• If you need to pick up a student, you must bring your legal ID with a photo (driver's license or passport).

Please visit https://focus.pcsb.org and update all contact information for your student(s), including phone number, email, address, emergency contacts, and any additional people who may pick up your student(s).

• 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, in partnership with T-Mobile, is now offering student free internet access and mobile hotspots to close the digital divide.

L-12 students in Pinellas County public schools without reliable Internet access at home are eligible to receive a free LTE hotspot device. The hotspot is able to connect to 15 devices and comes with unlimited high-speed data. Signing up is simple: just request a hotspot by emailing our Media Specialist Mr. Humes at HumesP@pcsb.org

Learn more at pcsb.org/tech

Students may not be dropped off at school before 8:15 AM. Due to safety reasons, students should not be dropped off or unsupervised before 8:15 AM. You may pull your car to the end of the line and wait in your car until 8:15 AM; then, your student may come onto campus. Students may enter the cafeteria for breakfast or go to their classroom starting at 8:15 AM.

Students are expected to be picked up by 3:15 PM. Our car line has become more efficient and is ending earlier. Each day, we are often finished between 3:10 and 3:15 PM. At 3:15 PM, students who have not been picked up will be brought into the front office. At this time, the person who is picking up the student will need to come into the front office and sign out their student.

Please see the Programs List below if you need before or after-school care.

Pinellas County Schools students, teachers, staff, registered volunteers, 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!

For Level I volunteers who do not have a physical PCS ID, please complete this form to receive your digital volunteer badge: https://forms.office.com/r/KsZfUUk2bL

In April, our students completed various science and engineering projects at STEM Night.

The Color Run Event is on Friday, May 2nd from 1:30 PM to dismissal.

What to wear

1. Wear an old T-Shirt (preferably white)
2. If your student earned a T-Shirt, they will be passed out prior to the event.
3. Students can save the T-Shirt as a souvenir or wear for the event.
4. The color powder washes out of most clothing but can stain some materials. 100% cotton clothing is recommended with typical machine washing.
5. Glasses or goggles are not necessary but recommended.

Safety

Safety is our main priority! The color powder is made with high quality cornstarch, food dyes and baking soda. All materials are 100% FD&C and/or D&C approved and contain natural fire-retardant materials.

The color powder is gluten free and does not contain dairy, nuts wheat, soy, or other common allergens. Although it is made from all food safe ingredients, it is not intended for human consumption.

Anyone who has asthma, is allergic to any of the ingredients or has any respiratory issues should exercise caution when participating in our event.

How to keep the colors in your shirt after the event

1. Lay shirt flat and spray to soak with white vinegar: spray generously, (and we mean really soak it) and be aware that the colors may blend and bleed together as the fabric becomes wet.
2. Keep the T-Shirt flat to dry and iron with high heat: If you hang when still wet, gravity will bring all the colors to the bottom and turn them to a muddy brown. Instead, keep flat till dry, then place a rag between the shirt and the iron to set the color with heat.
3. Toss in the dryer: As a final assurance to set the color, turn the shirt inside out and throw in the dryer on high heat for about 10 minutes.

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.

Belcher Elementary 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.).

All food must be in the original, unopened store packaging. Homemade food items are not allowed. In accordance with 64E-11.002 Food Code, all snacks or food must originate from an establishment that is under the regulatory authority of a state or federal agency.

Belcher Elementary School’s PTA is growing, and we want YOU to be a part of it! By joining the PTA, you’ll have the opportunity to: stay informed connect with other parents make a meaningful impact on your child’s education. PTA members help plan events, advocate for students, and support teachers— making our school an even better place to learn and grow.

Register as a Volunteer

To volunteer in any capacity, you must have an active volunteer account. Volunteers can chaperone field trips, assist with school events, and help out in classrooms. The process of registering takes ~5-15 minutes and is very simple. You will need to upload your government issued photo ID. Your application will be processed through the Office of Strategic Partnerships of Pinellas County Schools. You will receive an email with your volunteer ID and password. This will be used to log your volunteer hours and access the calendar. Note: Please use a desktop computer or a laptop to register, not a mobile device.

Reactivate Your Account

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)

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.

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.

Volunteer Café

The first Friday of every month from 10am to 12pm, 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. This program is occasionally adjusted to a curbside pick-up event as needed. Registered volunteers will receive invitations, reminders, and updates via email.

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 LewisDa@pcsb.org

The Adopt-A-Class Program allows an individual, business or organization to sponsor a class or a department of their choice, with a tax-deductible donation. By becoming an Adopt-A-Class sponsor, you will help ensure that the children in your class or department have the resources they need to succeed. Your investment in this program goes beyond the satisfaction of meeting our current needs. You can take pride in knowing you are molding the future leaders of our community.

Benefits of being an Adopt-A-Class Sponsor:

• A certificate of partnership
• Thank you letter from the sponsored class or program
• Tax-deductible receipt letter for your donation (if requested)
• An invitation to our appreciation event
• The knowledge and good feeling that you have made a difference!

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 prior to being matched and meeting with students.

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

Families, we are in need of new or gently used clothing for our closet. Right now, we are completely out of boys' and girls' pants and underwear. We are always accepting clothing donations, ranging from toddlers up to adult medium. We also accept closed-toe shoes. Any clothing not within the size range or dress code will be donated to Clothes for Kids.