Dear Bucktail Middle High School Community,

As the school year draws to a close, I find myself reflecting on the incredible journey we've embarked upon together. Through both challenges and triumphs, the spirit of unity and resilience has shone brightly within our halls. It is with immense gratitude that I extend my sincerest appreciation to each and every one of you for contributing to the success of our school community.

This year has been marked by remarkable achievements, both academic and extracurricular. From outstanding performances in the classroom to stellar athletic accomplishments and awe-inspiring artistic endeavors, our students have continued to impress and inspire us all.

I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to our dedicated faculty and staff for their unwavering commitment to providing our students with an exceptional education, nurturing their talents, and fostering a supportive learning environment. Your passion, dedication, and tireless efforts have not gone unnoticed, and I am truly grateful for all that you do.

To our students, I commend you for your hard work, perseverance, and dedication to your studies and extracurricular pursuits. Your achievements this year are a testament to your talent, determination, and resilience. You have demonstrated remarkable growth and maturity, and I am incredibly proud of each and every one of you.

Last but certainly not least, I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to our parents, guardians, and community members for your unwavering support and partnership. Your involvement in our school community is invaluable, and together, we have created a nurturing and enriching environment where our students can thrive and succeed.

As we bid farewell to another school year, let us carry forward the lessons learned, the friendships forged, and the memories made. Though we may face new challenges in the future, I am confident that together, we will continue to rise above and achieve greatness.

Thank you for a wonderful year, Bucktail Middle High School. I am honored and privileged to serve as your principal, and I look forward to the many successes that lie ahead.

With Warmest Regards,

Mr. James Poleto

May 1-2 - Science PSSA

May 9 - PBIS Reward Day

May 11- Senior Ball

May 13-14- Lit Keystone

May 15-16 - Biology Keystone

May 16-17- Senior Trip

May 18- Mother Daughter Tea

May 20- Senior Picnic

May 20-21 -Algebra Keystone

May 27 - Memorial Day - No School

June 3 - Bucktail HS Graduation

June 4 - Last Day of Classes for Students - 3 hr. Early Dismissal

June 4 - Central Mountain HS Graduation

KCSD has moved back to ClassDojo as our messaging app. Please be sure to connect (or reconnect) so you don't miss any important information from your child's school or teachers.

Stay informed about:

• School events and activities
• Important deadlines and assignments
• Emergency alerts and school delays/dismissals/closures

You may be contacted by your school's Policy 917/918 team to participate in our Spring committee meeting. We are required to make sure that we maintain open communication between the schools and a variety of stakeholders to review federal programs information and receive feedback. If you are interested in participating, we are always looking for community members who want to be involved in reviewing our data and our plans and want to have input. If you are interested in joining our team, please complete this form to help us maintain a communication list of willing Stakeholders to turn to when we need input.

Title I funds follow the students. When our students attend a nonpublic school, our school funds are allocated on a per pupil basis to the nonpublic school to support any students who have an academic need who would have attended a KCSD school. We work with our nonpublic schools to help support our students, because no matter where they attend, students who reside within the boundaries of KCSD are our students.

Our original allocation for this school year for Title I was $1,550,476. The reallocation just came out March 13, 2024, and that number was reduced to $1,549.039.

Title II funds are designed to support the teachers. We use Title II funds for professional development in areas such as mathematics, English/Language Arts, and social-emotional learning.

Our original allocation for this school year for Title II was $163,939. The reallocation just came out March 13, 2024, and that number was reduced to $160,680.

At all school levels, we use Title IV federal funds to purchase incentives for PBIS (our positive school-wide behavior supports) rewards, and we emphasize the goal of following school rules in all schools. Our original allocation was and remains $127,334.

Required documents for families:

Right to Request Qualifications of Teachers (see Annual Notices and Policy Review button above) - if you wish to request a paper copy, please contact rmurty@kcsd.k12.pa.us .

Note: If your child is taught for four or more weeks by a teacher who is instructing in a content area for which they are not currently certified, the district must notify you. Four-week notification letters will be added here if that becomes necessary.

Non-Discrimination Statement (see Annual Notices and Policy Review button above) - if you wish to request a paper copy, please contact rmurty@kcsd.k12.pa.us.

Title I District Parent Policy - Policy 918

Coaching Newsletter for Families - How We Teach Reading

Title I Complaint Procedure

School Improvement Plan

Math is everywhere! When you measure an ingredient for a recipe, tell time, pay a bill, or look at the daily temperature, you are using math. These activities offer ideas on how to make math fun at home and start building some math skills that kids will use as they get older. Click to learn more!

Video (Spanish Only)

Attendance a priority at KCSD!

Help us reach our Attendance Goal of 94.1%.

For the month of February, our students showed up 89.8% of the time.

As of March 1st, there are only 66 school days left. We want to see you all 66 days!!

Remember: Excuses need to be turned in within 3 days of an absence. Use your school's attendance email to make sure that the excuse notes get turned in on time.

Be Buck Strong: Show Up and Belong!

If you are concerned about a student for any reason, you can make a SAP referral. The SAP referral can potentially lead to any needed services and/or supports the student may need to be successful.

Click on the picture to make a referral!

During middle school, students experience changes, such as transitioning into adolescence, balancing multiple classes/assignments, dealing with peer pressure, developing new friendships, caring about what others think/fitting in and/or personal situations. Parent(s)/Guardian(s) may contact one of our counselors with any questions or concerns they may have regarding their student's academic, career, behavior and/or socioemotional well-being.

A counselor is someone to talk to, who will listen without judgment. A school counselor can assist in short-term counseling and if needed arrange long-term counseling and the SAP (Student Assistance Program) and Tier II support. Counselors can teach students tools to improve and cope with different situations, especially because sometimes it's hard to figure out where to start. Students may be want to see a counselor for the following reasons:

• Want to share an experience/feelings
• Feel depressed and/or lonely
• Have thoughts of self-harm
• Feel stressed and/or anxious
• Feel angry and/or frustrated
• Want to improve grade(s)
• Talk about college/careers
• Relationship/peer issues/conflicts
• Personal issues (divorce/separation, loss of a loved one, etc.)

To learn more or to schedule a meeting, please contact your student's school counselor.

Ms. Sheri Gordon School Counselor

Phone: 570-893-4900 x3519

Email: sgordon@kcsd.us

https://www.smore.com/361wz-keystone-central-school-district#:~:text=VOLUNTEER%20INFORMATION,to%20Clearance%20Page

The link in the button above/QR Code should take you to our Volunteer Application.

You need to apply on-line at https://www.applitrack.com/kcsd/onlineapp/ instead of using a paper form.

Clearances and Mandated Reporter training are also required. Here are the links:

· Clearances

· (Act 34) PA State Policehttps://epatch.pa.gov/home

· (Act 151) PA Child Abuse https://www.compass.state.pa.us/cwis/public/home

· (Act 114) FBI https://www.identogo.com/locations/pennsylvania

Use service code to receive the correct clearance: 1KG6XN

Mandated Report Training http://www.reportabusepa.pitt.edu/

Elizabeth Nace is our Personnel Secretary & Volunteer Specialist, you can use the information below to contact her, and she said she is happy to help you and answer questions!

570-893-4900 x 2319

https://www.kcsd.k12.pa.us/en-US/human-resources-32e72bfe

enace@kcsd.k12.pa.us

86 Administration Drive, Mill Hall, PA 17751

General Link to Clearance Page

If your family speaks a language other than English, the district has access to translators and interpreters that can accompany you in meetings with teachers and school members. If you would like to be connected with a translator or interpreter please reach out to your child’s teacher or the school guidance counselor. The accessibility features in the top right corner of this Smore allow you to translate this page.

Keystone Central School District has School Resource Officers throughout our district for safety and security.

Officer Scott VanGorder - Central Mountain High School

Officer Cory Beaver - Bucktail High School & Renovo Elementary

Officer Luke Motter - Central Mountain Middle School

Officer Mike Fetzer - Elementary district-wide and District Attendance Officer

Officer Todd Brian - District-wide

May 2024 Newsletter

Please use the following link to read the upcoming events and information for May.

https://www.smore.com/n/3hj0c

Upcoming Assessments

Save the Date for State Assessments!

Spring PSSA- All students in grades 3-8 ELA and Math, Science Grades 4 and 8

ELA: Window April 22-26

ELA District Testing April 22,23,24

Math/Science/Make ups: Window April 29-May 10

Math District Testing-April 29,30

Science District Testing- May 1,2

Spring Keystone Exams - All students enrolled in Algebra 1, Literature and Biology Keystone Trigger courses

May 13 – 24 - Spring Testing Window

May 13-14 - 10th grade Literature District Testing

May 15-16 - Biology District Testing

May 20-21 - Algebra 1 District Testing

Local District Assessments

All students in grades K-8 will be participating in our upcoming local district assessments which will be administered in the Fall, Winter and Spring. Students in K-2 will be tested using the Acadience assessment and students in grades 3-8 will be tested using NWEA MAP assessment. These assessments are administered in the Fall, Winter and Spring and will provide you as well as their teacher valuable information on academic growth. To learn more about our assessment please click the links below. The final Testing Window will be May 13-17.

NWEA Family Toolkit

NWEA FAQ

About Acadience

Need to take the SAT, Click here for upcoming dates and registration

Many questions can arise concerning your child's laptop, internet access, busing information or maybe you'd like to volunteer in your child's school. These links below can help you get answers or point you in the direction of who to speak to.

James Poleto, Principal

Phone: (570) 893-4900 ext. 3503

Email: jpoleto@kcsd.k12.pa.us

Dionne Werts, School Secretary

Phone: (570) 893-4900 ext. 3501

Email: dwerts@kcsd.k12.pa.us

Sheri Gordon, School Counselor

Phone: (570) 893-4900 ext. 3519

Email: sgordon@kcsd.k12.pa.us