February Newsletter

We are very proud to share that Bell Oaks earned the Camden County Middle School of Character Award. This standing shall remain in effect from January 1, 2025 through December 31, 2026.

This distinction is awarded to schools that demonstrate creative and interactive programs that have been implemented to help students recognize the importance of good character and reinforce values such as Respect, Trustworthiness, Responsibility, Fairness, Caring, and Citizenship.

This award is jointly sponsored by the Camden County Commissioners, Camden County College, and Camden County Technical Schools.

We are proud of our Owls for being Respectful, Responsible, and Involved!

Please click the link above for Curriculum Connections and all you need to know about Bellmawr's Wit & Wisdom curriculum from Kindergarten through Grade 8.

We are fortunate to have Officer Tom protecting and serving the students of Bellmawr. Thank you for all you do!

Special thank you to Miss Bellmawr, Kelsey Kulick for bringing extra joy to our 5th graders during a time of need. Your dedication in spending time with our students creates meaningful connections and helps make our school a more engaging place. Miss Kulick, you are a true role model for our students, your willingness to go above and beyond demonstrates the caring spirit that makes our school community special. These moments of fun and interaction mean so much to our students, and we deeply appreciate your commitment to making a difference in their lives.

Our district participated in the Kindness Challenge this month, and our students learned the importance of spreading kindness in our schools and communities. A special thank you to our counselors for making this a priority and for modeling kindness every day.

We also celebrated School Counselor Week, recognizing the incredible work our counselors do to support our students. We are grateful for their dedication and care in fostering a positive, supportive environment for our students.

Alyssa Friedman

Dominck DiCiano

Robin Belz

Alison Elf

February is a special month to many of us who knew and worked with Mrs. Farrell. It is her birthday month, and if you knew Mrs. Farrell, she loved her birthday! As she went through her chemo treatments, she would talk about receiving chemo bags from complete strangers that had items that were not only needed for those hard days, but talked about how grateful she was for the kindness of others. When she was in remission, Mrs. Farrell collected items to give back to the treatment centers that had been so helpful and supportive to her. As her “school family,” we want to honor her birthday month by collecting items to create chemo bags in her honor. Please see the attached list of items we are asking for by school. Our goal is to make 100 bags to take to Unforgotten Haven to distribute to cancer treatment centers in the South Jersey/Pennsylvania area. Thank you for supporting this very important cause and helping us to pay if forward and spread kindness to those who are in treatment along with honoring Tina.

Please see flyer for details.

Chemo Bag Items will be Collected from February 10, 2025 - April 4, 2025

The Tri-State Therapy Dogs recently visited Ethel M. Burke School and Bell Oaks School. Maisie and Angel had a wonderful time spending time with our 3rd-grade and 5th-grade students, providing comfort and joy to all who interacted with them.

Please click the link above or below to view and print the NJ State Immunization Requirement for Incoming 6th Grade Students.

Certain immunizations must be administered before a student's 10th birthday and some must be administered after the student's 11th birthday.

Monday, March 3, 2025: Pre-K and Kindergarten Registration Opens

Monday March 3, 2025-Friday, March 7, 2025: Read Across America Week

Thursday, March 6, 2025: Bell Oaks People's Choice Awards

Friday, March 7, 2025: One Session Day for Students

Tuesday, March 18, 2025: Burke Art & Music Show

Tuesday, March 18, 2025: BOE Meeting 6:00 p.m. at Bell Oaks

Thursday, March 20, 2025 Park Art & Music Show for Students' Families with Last Names A-M

Friday, March 21, 2025: Park Art & Music Show for Students' Families with Last Names N-Z

Friday, March 21, 2025: Bell Oaks Spring Dance

Monday, March 24, 2025: PTO Meeting

We want to emphasize how important regular attendance is for your child's success in school. Consistent attendance helps our students stay engaged, build strong academic habits, and develop a sense of responsibility. When our students are absent from school, they miss valuable learning opportunities, and most of all we miss our students!

Please reference the two quick guides from ConnectSafely.org. They offer essential information for parents navigating popular platforms our students are using. The guides break down key safety features, parental controls, and best practices for keeping our students safe while using these apps. Both guides emphasize the importance of open communication between parents and children and provide practical steps for managing screen time and privacy settings. For Roblox, parents can control chat features and monitor gaming activities, while TikTok offers "Family Pairing" which lets parents guide their teen's app usage. You will also find advice on handling important issues like password security, reporting inappropriate content, and fostering healthy digital habits.