Paw Print

We have had some new families join us during enrollment this week, so I wanted to make sure that this information made it to them, now that we know about them! Welcome to Belmont if I'm talking about YOUR family!

Our office is staffed daily from 7:45am - 4:30pm. Please, don't hesitate to call or stop by if you need assistance with anything related to getting the school year started! (Exception: we will all be out of the building on the morning of August 9th for District Convocation.)

Hello, Belmont Learning Community!! I realize that it's ONLY the middle of July, but I wanted to take a quick minute to send out some helpful information (yes, there will be LOTS more coming your way before we actually kick off the 23-24 school year) in the event that you have a minute to spare to read it!

If you're new here...welcome to Belmont! We hope you love it here! If you're a returning family...we're so looking forward to welcoming you back to the dog house!

It's going to BE a BEautiful year of learning and growing together! Our Bulldogs are going to light it up!

Whoa!! This is so FUN!! Read below to see when YOU and YOUR FAMILY should show up at the Belmont Elementary Playground to meet and play with other Belmont Families with children in the same grade! Special thanks to our PTO for organizing Kona Ice at the amazing price of only $2 each! Wowza! Come on down and BE cool with us!

Monday, August 7

• 6:30-7, Kindergarten
• 7-7:30, First Grade
• 7:30-8, Second Grade

Tuesday, August 8

• 6:30-7, Third Grade
• 7-7:30, Fourth Grade
• 7:30-8, Fifth Grade

Join us on August 14th to meet your child's classroom teacher and drop off school supplies. Teachers are looking forward to welcoming your family into their classrooms and although this won't be a time for lengthy personal conversations, it is a great time to share contact information and get tuned in to classroom communication tools so that you can stay connected with your child's learning environment throughout the year. We'll welcome you, you'll welcome us to your child's team, and we'll work to settle some of those butterflies that may be flying inside some nervous bellies. New can be hard, but we are here for your family!

It would be SUPER helpful for you to aim for the time indicated below according to your family's last name:

5:30-6:00 pm A-J

6:15-6:45 pm K-R

7:00-7:30 pm S-Z

Our Belmont Elementary PTO (Did you know that YOU are a member as soon as you enroll your child at Belmont?) and multiple community groups will also be represented at our Welcome Night to answer your questions and help you and your child get connected.

The parking lot gets busy, so feel free to enjoy a family walk to school if you live nearby. BE safe out there! Much appreciated!

Who out there is looking for a new job during the 23-24 school year? Is it YOU? Is it someone you know?

We have had great success thus far in our hiring process, however, we are welcoming six new students in our Connections C classroom this fall, and every student needs and deserves individual instruction and care throughout their school day in order to be their most successful awesome self! So...we are still looking for new teammates.

If a full-time position is outside of your availability, we also have two part-time positions. One would be all day on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The other would be from 12:15-4:00 pm daily. Want to talk? Call me!

The positions are: Center Based Paraprofessional in our Connections C program, specially designed for students with a significant disability in communication. Many, but not all, of our students learning in our Connections C program are diagnosed with Autism. Please click this link for more information about this vacancy.

We are excited to BE welcoming new learners into our program and are looking for dedicated and caring individuals who can follow a program and are ready to learn something new. Previous experience could be helpful, but we are happy to train the right individuals to join our team to make a difference at Belmont!

That's right! Click here to apply! Or share this link with a friend or family member. We have young adults working while attending college, second career adults enjoying a big change, and almost everything in between. There might just be a place for you! 913-667-1800. Click, or call now!

Start practicing these simple acts of safety with your children now so that they'll be ready when the school year begins!

• When riding in a car...buckle up, buttercup! Even young children can learn to quickly buckle and unbuckle themselves. Stay buckled ALL THE WAY TO THE CURB in the morning! Buckle up AS SOON AS YOU SIT in the afternoon! Children pin-balling around cars in the parking lot are just not a good look for parents who love their children as much as you do.
• When riding a bicycle...wear a helmet, and either ride on the sidewalk or beside the curb on the right going the same direction as traffic.
• When walking to school...stay on the sidewalk or walk beside the curb on the left, facing traffic.
• When YOU are driving near our school or in the parking lot...put down that phone. You cannot get this time back with your children. Use every minute to pump them up and help them learn how to BE present and make people feel valued.
• If you have time, take your children on a bus or streetcar and practice staying seated, even without a seatbelt. Every child should get to ride a school bus at least for a field trip this year and practice on a bus helps our driver to concentrate on the road.

Practice makes permanent. Let's do this together!

As long as your children make it to school, we're not so worried about HOW they get here, but it is rEaLLy iMpOrTaNt to us to know how we should be sending them home. If you have a KinderDog through 5th grader, please click here to let us know how your child will be getting home each day. You may enter all of your children on one form if their transportation is the same. This form will go directly to Kristina Lee in the office. If you have any questions, please contact Kristina at klee@usd232.org or 913.667.1810.

I just happen to have a few TOTALLY FUN ideas that you may not have thought about!

• Teach your child how to open packages that you might be sending in their lunches. You know...build your own pizza lunchables, for example. Or those little packages of fruit that explode when you touch them. And...well, any of it really. OF COURSE we will help them at school, but you should know that there are usually 2-3 adults serving 120-150 students each lunch period. It's hard to be everywhere at once. Anything your Bulldog can do to help themselves helps all of us! Those BENTO boxes are amazing!! No packages!!
• While you're at it, start thinking about helping your child to be ready to follow a school lunch timeline. We have 27 minutes to get the grade level through the line, seated, fed, cleaned up, lined up and back to class. Whew! If your kiddo is a piddler or a talker, try setting a timer for about 15 minutes and practice eating at a steady rate. I'm NOT saying to teach them how to shove it all in, just how to focus on the business of eating so their bellies feel satisfied and their brains don't starve all afternoon.
• During your family meals, whether at home or at a restaurant, work with your child to build their own self-regulation skills. Start simple with staying in one seat. Add in keeping their food on or near their plate. Extra points for knowing how to take care of little spills and use a napkin. Bonus mega millions when they pile all of their trash on their plate (or tray) and make it all the way to the trash can or counter without leaving a trail. Now that's a life skill that'll take them places!
• Buttons, snaps, zippers and shoe laces are powerful toys to master before school. Oh, and maybe practice the mittens before winter.
• Give your child opportunities to carry more than one thing at a time, or to begin to follow multi-step directions.
• How about balancing something without tilting...you know...like a lunch tray! That takes incredible brain and body strength.
• Play family games and don't let them win unless they really do win! Play by the rules. Take the turns. Celebrate winning fairly and that losing doesn't make you a loser.
• Oh, and please, remind them to shut the restroom door before they go...in the toilet (not on the floor), then pull up their pants, flush the toilet and wash their hands before hustling back to work!

Not every child is going to be at the very same developmental place at the very same time, and that's absolutely okay. But. Sometimes our students just aren't there yet because we forget to teach them and let them try it on their own. Because sometimes, let's be honest.....that can seem like it's taking F O R E V E R and ain't nobody got time for that. But....when our kiddos can do something for themselves, we gain back our time, and they gain precious confidence. Have fun growing together!

August 7 PTO Bulldogs on the Playground: Kindergarten Families, 6:30; 1st Grade Families, 7:00; 2nd Grade Families, 7:30

August 8 PTO Bulldogs on the Playground: 3rd Grade Families, 6:30; 4th Grade Families, 7:00; 5th Grade Families, 7:30

August 14 Family Welcome Night (see article for times)

August 16 First School Day of the 2022-2023 School Year!

August 21 General PTO Meeting

August 24 BE Skate Party, Shawnee Skate City, 6-8 p.m.

August 30 BE Papa John's Night

September 4 No School, Labor Day

September 8 Bulldog Dash!!!

September 27 Early Dismissal at 12:10- No lunch served, Conferences

September 27 & 28 Conferences

September 29 No School, Building Closed

Visit the BE Online Calendar of Events (by clicking on the button below) for a more complete list of activities!

Do you LOVE to listen to happy children's voices, open small food packages and get dozens of sticky hugs on the daily? We have a lunchroom aide position available at Belmont from 11:15-1:15 daily. If you have a friend who might want to split the job with you, we could probably work that out! We're looking for positive energy to join our fast-paced work environment. Apply here if interested!

11:15-11:42 1st Grade

11:25-11:52 Kindergarten

11:55-12:22 5th Grade

12:05-12:32 4th Grade

12:35-1:02 2nd Grade

12:45-1:15 3rd Grade

Reservations required to join your child for lunch- when we are ready, you'll be able to CLICK HERE (it's not ready yet) to reserve your family table!

Sign up for Text Alerts

Receive emergency information, school closings, early dismissals and administrative reminders on your mobile device. This text and email service is free, but check with your mobile provider as text messaging and data rates may apply.

To subscribe >> Click Here

Community partner Country Club Bank is providing support to ensure this service is available in USD 232.

Email: phargrove@usd232.org
Website: be.usd232.org
Location: 5805 Belmont Drive, Shawnee, KS 66226, United States
Phone: (913)667-1810
Twitter: @BEBulldogs