Paw Print

Each year, our team picks a theme through which we build and live our foundational dreams for our students. This year, our theme is BECAUSE. If you look really closely on our team shirts, or the bulletin board in the foyer, you'll see that there are other important words. For starters, there is a tiny 'the' on the E, splitting BECAUSE into BE the CAUSE. Not to be outdone, the second line reads 'of something positive." Whether you read the theme as BECAUSE of Something Positive or BE the CAUSE of Something Positive, you're absolutely correct. The call to BE the CAUSE of Something Positive is for each of us to explore. We'll break it down during our Character Packs as Caring, Aware, Uplifting, Strong, and Energized. Because we know that our attitudes and behaviors affect the attitudes and behaviors of those around us, we understand that every positive event breeds another positive event...so BECAUSE of Something Positive, we plan to keep inspiring more things positive. I will share more throughout the year so that you can learn right along with us. Our Belmont community is already pretty darn beautiful. Can you even imagine how amazing it will be after every Bulldog grows their positive thinking skills together? Wowza! Like sunshine on a rainy day!

Join us on August 12th 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

6:10-6:40 pm K-R

6:50-7:20 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.

Pro tips:

• Bring all of those new school supplies and get them all put away!
• Take family pictures in the classroom, on the playground, all around the building!
• 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!

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 our office team. If you have any questions, please contact Kristina Lee at klee@usd232.org or 913.667.1810.

Pro tip:

• We have two car loops. The front loop is for kinder and first graders (and their siblings if older). The back loop is for the 2nd - 5th graders. No one has to go through two separate loops to collect all of your children. If you are unsure which loop to cruise, call the office and we'll set you up for success!
• We have a lot of healthy walkers. Please check out all of the options on the form and choose the one that makes the most sense for your family. Not sure? Just ask us!

Family members, vendors, and other visitors to the school will now be required to scan their identification (driver’s license) to gain access. The system will automatically search public offender registries to help prevent unauthorized access, and will print a sticker displaying the visitor’s name, photo, and intended destination as entered by the visitor. The sticker will be worn by the visitor throughout their time in the building, and a simple scan of the sticker upon leaving will record their departure.

We understand a new system of this nature can create concerns, but hope those concerns are alleviated by the fact we only use a visitor’s identification to search information already available to the public, and that nearly every peer school district in the county is using a similar system. Knowing who is in our buildings, and where they are, with a more comprehensive visitor management system strengthens our efforts to better secure our facilities.

The Belmont Elementary Site Council meets four times yearly and participates as an advisory council with liaison expectations in the community. As a committee, we have no actual authority, however, the Kansas State Board of Education, through Kansas legislation, requires schools to solicit feedback from their stakeholders. This group of individuals comes together to better understand the goals and functions of each school community. If you'd like to be a part of our Site Council, please email me ASAP! We will meet (virtually) from 4:30-5:10 pm on September 9, November 4th, January 27th, and April 7th.

I'm so glad you asked! We will not BE welcoming parents into the building on the first day of school. Our Family Welcome Event on the 12th is YOUR OPPORTUNITY to visit your child's classroom. The timeframe for the event is wide-ranging, allowing us to stagger big and little bodies in our hallways and classrooms all evening. We truly love having this evening to invite parents into our classrooms for a peek and face to face introductions! Happiness all around!

On the first day of school, however, all little bodies must be in their seats ready to roll at 8:45 a.m. and the doors open at 8:30 a.m. Bringing parents into the building all at once during those 15 minutes is frantic and overwhelming for many of our students....and some of the team working to kick off our new daily routines as solidly as possible right from the beginning. Therefore, whether you use one of our handy-dandy car loops, send your child on the school bus, or drive slowly into a parking space and walk them to the front door for a hug; parents will stay on the outside while students officially begin their 2024-2025 adventure. Trust me! We've got this! More importantly, your children are ready to be in the routine of school amongst friends...even if they are already complaining about the end of summer and having to get up early.

Speaking of early....STUDENTS NEED TO ARRIVE TO SCHOOL AT THE CORRECT TIME! That's between 8:30 and 8:40 a.m. The only exception could be students entering at 8:25 to go directly to breakfast, or for before-school activities such as choir or PAWS Leadership Team later in the year. Arriving too early isn't safe or fair to either your child or school staff. I'm quite confident that you have already worked out the logistics for your children, and thank you for your attention to expectations.

In a similar light, students need to be exiting their vehicle and walking toward their classroom by 8:40 a.m. if they'll have a chance at getting their things put away in their lockers and getting into their classroom on time by 8:45 a.m. Students who are late to school, especially consistently late to school, are not only at a personal disadvantage after rushing and coming in late and flustered; but they disrupt the important flow of the morning classroom routine that is already underway for everyone else. It is not only helpful for your own child to have a stable, on-time routine; but your time management skills can also have a positive effect on the rest of the class and each child's day. Thank you for helping us to take care of each other, by first taking good care of ourselves.

Belmont PTO would like to say a huge THANK YOU to our Belmont families for their involvement in their child’s school. Without your continued support our students and teachers would not be able to have such an exciting school year. Let's get connected at the PTO sponsored Bulldogs on the Playground Events (see flyer above), our Belmont Family Welcome Night on August 12 (see article below) or our first PTO meeting of the year on Monday, August 26, 6:30pm in the cafeteria.

Keep an eye out on Monday evening for Mr. Holle who will be pumping up the volume for a WatchDOGS revival in the Belmont DogHouse! With at least a week's notice, we'll welcome a DAD (gotta be a significant adult guardian or relation) each Wednesday to work a day at BE. There will be a schedule provided that will include a variety of tasks including building safety, academic assistance in classrooms, and logistical support during lunch, and the reward...RECESS! We guarantee you'll have the opportunity to enjoy lunch and recess with your own child(ren) and after that, we'll put you to work in the classrooms where your extra hands will be the most helpful! Do YOU have the opportunity to take a day off to hang out with about 370 beautiful children and the adults who love learning with them? Look for our Top Dog, Mr. Holle and get your name on the calendar!

Access the WatchDOGS Sign Up HERE.

We are SO VERY EXCITED to welcome our students back to the building on the 14th! As parents, other than knowing that your child is happy and learning during the school day, next in importance is often knowing how to safely get your kids TO school and then how to get them back FROM school.

Lucky for you, we are providing this sUpEr LoNg list of helpful information to help your first day, and every day go well at Belmont! We'll also provide visuals (like the one below) to help!

• OFFICE HOURS are 7:45-4:30 p.m. but there are no kidsitters employed here, so please do not drop off your children prior to 8:30 a.m. when the building opens to students (the only exception is 8:25 breakfast program) and make sure that they are collected prior to 4:00 p.m. at the end of the day.
• All ELEMENTARY students should be dropped off between 8:30 and 8:40 a.m. Students will find it difficult to make it to their lockers and be in their desks ready to learn by 8:45 if they arrive later than 8:40 to school. Students who are tardy to class not only disrupt the classroom routine, but more importantly, begin their day already behind and frazzled.
• KINDERGARTEN and 1st GRADE STUDENTS (and family groups or carpools that include kindergarten or 1st grade students) should be dropped off in the FRONT LOOP- see visual guide below. Students should stay in their cars until reaching the front sidewalk, and must exit on the sidewalk as the parking lot can be quite busy on the driver's side. Drivers should stay in line until the cars in front have completed drop-off.
• 2nd GRADE THROUGH 5th GRADE STUDENTS should be dropped off in the BACK LOOP- see visual guide below. Cars should watch staff and pull up as far as possible before releasing children from the car. Students should exit on the sidewalk side if at all possible. Drivers should stay in line until the cars in front have completed drop-off.
• LATE TO ARRIVE STUDENTS (8:40 a.m. or later) should be dropped off in the front loop. Students arriving at or after 8:45 a.m. must be signed in by a parent.
• Special circumstances may require an alternate drop-off and/or pick-up site for some students- don't be crabby if you see something happening that is different than this plan...it's most likely just a different plan for a very good reason.
• BREAKFAST is served from 8:25-8:45 in the cafeteria. Students may go directly to the cafeteria to eat prior to going to their classroom. This is not a social time, but meant to efficiently provide nourishment to participating students prior to their school day.
• BUS STOP INFORMATION is located in Skyward in your Family Access Account. Click here for How to Find Bus Route Information in Family Access.
• HELMETS are expected for bike and scooter riders and permission from parents should be on file in the office. Bikes and scooters should be walked on the school grounds.
• GOLF CARTS are now street legal in limited areas, but they should not be utilized as transportation in the car loops. Sorry. I know they're fun.
• The SPEED LIMIT on Belmont Drive is 25, but 20 is PLENTY. Please watch out for our kids on the streets and sidewalks. When students enter a crosswalk, it is the law to stop for them. Drive slowly and watch closely. Oh, and put your cell phone down. Kids are only kids for such a short time. Enjoy them.
• PLEASE, help us to be good neighbors by NOT blocking or turning around in driveways of residents near the school. That's just not cool. You might also pay attention if a neighbor is trying to enter or exit their own driveway. Pay it forward and let them out!
• TRANSPORTATION CHANGES should be communicated to the office either by calling 913-667-1810 or by emailing smccann@usd232.org, klee@usd232.org and your child's teacher. All changes should be made at least 45 minutes prior to dismissal.

See! I told you we'd help you out! If you have questions, don't hesitate to call or email to ask!

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August 12 🌻 BE Family Welcome Night (see time info in above article)

August 14 🌻 First School Day of the 2024-2025 School Year!

• 12:10 Dismissal, No Lunch Served
• Patience Pants Required in the Car Loops Until Everyone Gets it Down!

August 15 🌻 First Full Day of School!

August 26 🌻 General PTO Meeting, 6:30pm in the Cafeteria

August 29 🌻 BE Night at Papa Johns (see flyer below)

September 2 🌻 Labor Day - No School

September 3 🌻 BE Night at Skate CIty, 6-8pm

September 13 🌻 PTO BULLDOG DASH FUNdraiser!

September 25 🌻 Conferences

• 12:10 Dismissal, No Lunch Served

September 26 🌻 Conferences

• No School for Students

September 27 🌻 Building Closed

• No School for Students

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

11:00-11:30 1st Grade

11:20-11:50 Kindergarten

11:40-12:10 5th Grade

12:00-12:30 4th Grade

12:20-12:50 3rd Grade

12:40-1:10 2nd Grade

Reservations are 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!

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