WELCOME BACK TO SCHOOL

Race for Education Update

Our Race for Education fundraiser is off to a fantastic start! We’ve sent out nearly 3,250 letters, and we’ve already received heartwarming messages from BSES families and friends cheering on our student runners. These messages will be displayed around the school through fall conferences. To submit a message for your child, simply add a note when you donate $20 or more online at bsespto.com/donate!

On Friday, October 18, all BSES students will take part in their grade’s fun run at the high school track! They’ll run or walk to lively music and will receive a free water bottle, colorful bracelets to track their laps, and a snack apple generously donated by Peters Orchards. Please remind your child to wear proper running shoes and layered clothing to stay comfortable and avoid injury!

Race Day Schedule: Visit ttsu.me/race-day-2024 to see when your child races! Parents and families that would like to walk with their student at their assigned time will have to preregister. A preregistration form will be shared next week. If you are not preregistered parents/family members will not be permitted to walk on the track, but may watch and celebrate from the bleachers. Approved volunteers are permitted on the track to assist students. Visit timetosignup.com/bsespto to sign up to help with Donation Counting (10/9), Race Day (10/18), or our Rain Date (10/21)!

Thanks to our Custodians & Drivers

October 2 is National Custodial Recognition Day, and October 21-25 is National School Bus Safety Week! Let’s take a moment to thank our incredible Custodial Staff for keeping our school clean and running smoothly, and our Drivers for safely transporting our kids every day! Families are invited to show their appreciation by sending a note of thanks or a small gift. You can use our Staff Favorites List linked at bsespto.com/appreciation to personalize your gifts!

Next Meeting - Wednesday, October 16
We'll meet at 9:30am in Mr. Morning's Room next to the Media Center. Agendas & minutes from past meetings can be viewed at bsespto.com/minutes.

Contact
If you have questions about the PTO or want to get more involved but aren’t sure how, reach out to Andrea Everhart (President), Jason Mleczko (VP), Katie Stehr (Treasurer), Nate Biles (Interim Secretary), or Julie Williams (Appreciation Committee Chair). We'd love to get you plugged in at BSES!

Email: bsespto@bermudian.org • Website: bsespto.com
Facebook: fb.com/BSESPTO
Sign-Up Sheets: timetosignup.com/bsespto

Volunteer Clearances
Up-to-date clearances, a valid ID, and a negative TB test result must be on file with the school office prior to volunteering in the building & at events! You may call the school office at 717-528-5147 to check the status of your clearances and you can download instructions & necessary forms at bsespto.com/volunteer.

• Welcome back to the 2024/2025 school year! This first week at BSES was incredible. The collaborative effort between all truly prepared our school for success on day one! Thank you to all of our families for your patience as our Bus Drivers navigated the first week of transportation with grace and compassion for our students. Communication between home and school is very important so when important reminders or notifications are needed, we will be sending Sapphire Alerts to make sure everyone is notified as needed.

  
  

  As we shared at our Back to School night events, we will be sending home a monthly S’more newsletter and biweekly reminders. Please try to read our newsletters, as this will be sure to keep you up to date with all school programs and events. Our teaching staff will be utilizing e-mail and the Talking Points App to communicate with you as needed. This partnership in communication will truly help our year together go smoothly. If you have Facebook, please consider following the Bermudian Springs Elementary School page and the Bermudian Springs Elementary School PTO page for additional items regarding our school. The first PTO meeting of the year will be held at New Horizons Cafe at 6:30 pm on Wednesday August 28th. All are invited and encouraged to attend!

  
  

  This year our school wide theme is “A year of Growth”. We will be working with the students on setting personal goals on how they can grow their hearts, their courage, and their brains and will be working to support them in this. When your child arrives home from school, please ask them how they grew their heart, brain, or courage throughout the day and hopefully this will support in an engaging conversation as to what happened throughout their school day. Next week we will begin reviewing our S.O.A.R. expectations for our school wide PBIS. We briefly reviewed this at Back to School Night, but please be sure to ask your children about it! We can’t wait to engage with our students as a school community and build a climate of safety, trust, and fun.

  Mr. Murphy and I are committed to an incredible “Year of Growth” together with our students, staff, and community. We can’t wait to witness the amazing things that are about to happen!

  
  

  Sincerely,

  Dr. Danielle Curzi

  "You've always had the power, my dear, you just had to learn it for yourself" Glinda from the Wizard of Oz

The elementary school day begins at 8:55 am and ends at 3:35 pm. The start of school is an awesome time filled with excitement and promise.

We look forward to an exciting YEAR OF GROWTH at BSES.

On Friday, August 30th and Monday, Septemember 2nd school will be closed due to the Labor Day Holiday.

On Friday, September 13th school will have a 1/2 day early dismissal for teacher professional development. Bus dismissal begins at 12:15 pm. We encourage parents to be at the bus stop early and to send a note if your child's transportation changes.

Please review the Common Sense Media Digital Citizenship family letter. This will help preview some of the lessons that our K - 4 students will be engaging with.

The BSES faculty is a hard-working dedicated group of professionals committed to providing the students with a high quality education. They have been busy preparing their classrooms, collaborating on curriculum, and planning for the first days of school.

• Kindergarten: Mrs. Bishop, Miss Lua, Mrs. Small, Mrs. Singer, Miss Sporer, Mrs. Stambaugh
• 1st Grade: Ms. Fasick, Mrs. Sherman, Mrs. Smith, Mrs. Wadsworth, Mrs. Will
• 2nd Grade: Mrs. Aiello, Mrs. Barrick, Mrs. Feeser, Mrs. Mleczko, Miss Seifert, Mrs. Shaffer
• 3rd Grade: Mrs. Lerew, Miss Groft, Mrs. Meckley, Mrs. Nelson, Mrs. Schweiger,
• 4th Grade: Ms. Dowell, Mrs. Marriott, Mr. Royer, Mrs. Turocy, Miss Voegele
• Emotional Support: Mrs. Demsey
• Autistic Support: Mrs. Wolfe

Individual student photos will be taken throughout the day on Thursday, September 12th. You will receive information from Lifetouch at the beginning of the year concerning prices and packages.

It is imperative that families review all of the components in the Student Handbook to become familiar with the guidelines and procedures of the building. The electronic version of our handbook will reflect the most up to date information. This handbook ensures that we are able to operate safely and efficiently each day.

English

Spanish

August PTO Meeting
Our first meeting of the school year will be held on Wed, August 28th at 6:30pm at New Horizon Cafe. Doors open at 6pm — come early to meet PTO officers & committee chairs, get help with clearances, & order food! RSVP at ttsu.me/august-meeting so we can email you a finalized agenda, & a menu of food/drink options that will be available for purchase upon arrival.

Bermudian Spiritwear Sale
Purchase Bermudian apparel & gear at bsespto.com/store by Tues, September 3rd to support the BSES PTO! Order pick-up is scheduled for Wed, October 2nd, from 4:30pm-6:30pm in the BSES lobby. Thanks for your support!

PTO Quick Links
Sign Up to Receive our Monthly Email Here

PTO updates posted regularly on our website at bsespto.com/news
Volunteer Sign-Up Sheets: timetosignup.com/bsespto
Facebook: fb.com/bsespto

Email: bsespto@bermudian.org

Our BSES Links & Resources has all the forms and resources that the elementary shool parents may need to access throughout the year. It contains links to our Parent/Student Handbook, attendance excuses, educational/family trip permission forms, health forms, etc.

If you are searching for school related information and forms, please refer to this document.

PLEASE REMEMBER TO LABEL STUDENT ITEMS SUCH AS BOOK BAGS, LUNCH BOXES, COATS AND SWEATSHIRTS WITH YOUR CHILD'S FIRST AND LAST NAME. Labeling student items assists with the identification of lost items.

• Medication forms are required for permission to give children medicine at school.
• Physical (K) and dental forms (K & 3rd) are required.
• Students must be current on all immunizations.
• Temperature of 100 or more and/or vomiting requires a student to be sent home.
• Click this LINK to access these health forms on our webpage.

When it is necessary for your child to receive medication during school hours, the following procedure is required:

1. A written physician’s order and parent/guardian consent must be received for each medication every school year. A form is available from the school nurse or school office personnel to be completed.

2. All medication must be in the original container labeled with the student’s name, medication name, and dosage. (If necessary, request a duplicate bottle from the pharmacist).

3. Any change in type, dosage, or discontinuance of the medication must be reported to the school nurse immediately.

4. Medication must be brought to school by the parent/guardian or a designated adult. Medications may not be sent to school on the person or property of a student. The parent/guardian or designated adult will be required to sign a form with the school nurse every time medication is brought to school, including refills of medications.

Absences

Regular attendance at school is essential to maintain a good academic standing. Excused absences include: illness, family emergencies, pre-arranged doctor and dental appointments, and pre-approved trips and school activities. Each date of absence requires a written excuse within five (5) school days. Absences will be marked unexcused until a note is received within the five-day window. Each excuse must have the student's name, absence date(s), absence reason, and parent signature. Excuse notes received without a reason stated will be marked as unexcused.

Tardies

This year we will again be closely monitoring student tardiness (an accumulation of both late arrivals and early dismissals). For each accumulation of 65 unexcused minutes, the student will receive what will equal to a half-day unexcused absence.

Early Dismissals

Notes should be provided in ADVANCE with the student's full name, teacher, date/time, name of adult picking the student up, and reason for dismissal. Your child will report to the office for dismissal.

Excuses

Please provide the school with written documentation for all tardies and absences.

There are a number of options for providing an excuse/note for your students' absence. Any of the following are acceptable methods to submit this documentation:

• Complete the online electronic form and hit submit.

• Email a note/excuse to Mrs. Laughman at tlaughman@bermudian.org at the elementary school.

• Send in a written note/excuse directly to the office with the student.

The Bermudian Springs School District school board policy states that educational trips during PSSA testing window will not be excused absences. If you are doing your vacation planning, please be advised to avoid the following dates: April 21, 2025 - May 2, 2025.

Educational/Family Trip Form - English

Educational/Family Trip Form - Spanish

My name is Lena Demsey and I am excited to join the BERM community and have the opportunity to work with students in the Emotional Support classroom. I spent the 2023-2024 school year as a long-term substitute in the Lincoln Intermediate Unit’s Therapeutic Emotional Support

classroom at the elementary school and am thrilled to now be an official Bermudian Springs Eagle!

Before taking a role as Special Education substitute (to spend additional time with my family), I worked as both an aide and teacher in the Emotional Support classroom with Capital Area Intermediate Unit. I am a graduate of Mount Saint Mary’s University and am currently pursuing myMaster’s Degree in Special Education.

Outside the classroom, I enjoy spending quality time with my husband and our boys. You may find us enjoying a campfire, playing yard games, supporting our kids in their hobbies and

sports, or cheering in the stands at a dirt track race.

I believe that learning expands far beyond the classroom. In our classroom, we will be incorporating activities that teach both foundational skills needed for educational advancement and skills needed beyond school (examples include problem solving, self-regulation, creative thinking, teamwork, and

respect for others). I can’t wait to work with you and your students!

Hello! My name is Mrs. Ellison, and I'm excited to have the opportunity to join the Elementary school team this year. I have worked for the district for 10 years, mostly in the Middle School.

My husband & i live in New Oxford. We have 5 children, all grown and living on their own. They have blessed us with 4 precious grandchildren (Aria, Braxton, Layton & Charlotte). In my spare time I enjoy traveling, gardening, crafts and spending time with my family.

I look forward to being the Custodian at Bermudian Springs Elementary School this year, and getting to know all of the facility and students.

Below is my letter and picture for the Newsletter. Thank you for the email and opportunity to share a little bit about me.

Hello Bermudian Springs Eagles Community! My name is Mr. Jackson. This upcoming year I will take on two new roles at the Bermudian Springs - Head Coach for the High School and Jr High Girls Wrestling teams and an Emotional Support Aide for the Elementary School. I'm extremely excited to get started in both my new roles and for the opportunity to impact the lives of our students.

I was born in Towson, Maryland and grew up in Manchester, MD before moving to Hanover, Pennsylvania at the age of 23. I have lived between Hanover, New Oxford, and East Berlin for the past 30 years. I have four children (three of which have attended Bermudian Springs): Keith 31, Austin 28 (Bermudian Springs Class of 2014), Brandon 26 (Bermudian Springs Class of 2016) and Riley 14 (Bermudian Springs Class of 2028). I also have a grandson, Abel (Keith and his wife Summer of Littlestown are his parents), who will be a 1st Grader at Gettysburg Montessori School this year and a 7 year old cat named Simon. I am an avid Baltimore Orioles and Baltimore Ravens fan along with being a huge Penn State Wrestling fan.

Thank you for this opportunity to introduce myself. I am ready for a great school year working alongside the amazing Bermudian Springs staff, students, parents, and community. Go Eagles!

Hello, Bermudian Springs, Elementary!

My name is Mrs. Lerew and I am so excited for my new role as a third grade teacher at the Berm! I was born and raised in the city of Harrisburg, PA before my family and I moved to Gardners eight years ago.

I love where we live now and couldn’t imagine living anywhere else! My house is very close to where they make applesauce!

I am a graduate of Mount St. Mary’s University where I got my bachelor’s degree in elementary and special education. I earned my master’s degree from Shippensburg University in special education several years ago. Prior to teaching at the Berm, I taught special education and fifth grade for Carlisle School District.

My family includes my husband, John, and our twins, Jade and Jett who are four years old. Of course I can’t forget our lovable dog, Emmit, our eight year old white lab. We also have six chickens and two turkeys, Nibbles and Dandelion. My family enjoys gardening, going to Hershey Park, and being outdoors.

I am so very excited to be a part of the Berm; I have been anxiously awaiting the start of the school year and can’t wait to meet the students and their families. I feel very lucky to be a part of the Bermudian Springs family and look forward to kicking off the start of a great school year!

See you all soon!

Hello everyone! My name is Anette Lua and I am so excited to be coming back to Bermudian as a teacher. As some of you may know, I started at Bermudian as a student in 2008 and graduated in 2021. After graduation, I began pursuing my passion for teaching through college and just graduated from Millersville University in May. I have always loved this area and our little school, so I could not be more excited to return!

One reason I was eager to return to this area is my family. I have always been very close with my family,

and especially with my siblings. We have a very big age gap which makes me their cool older sister who spoils them! My little sister is 3 years old and my brother is 9 years old. He is heading to 4th grade this upcoming school year, so watch out! Oh by the way, I am also engaged! My fiance and I closed on our house in Gardners this past February. He is also a former student of Bermudian, and my new name next May will be Mrs. Reinert! We do not have any pets, unless you count our 12 chicks. They are getting bigger everyday and we are hoping to have eggs in a few months. When we are not taking care of our chickens, we love to go fishing, hangout with friends and family, and have movie nights.

I am so excited to be back where it all started. I am looking forward to my first year of teaching and the start of this journey. I hope everyone has a fantastic school year!

Hi Bermudian Springs! My name is Mrs. Mehring. I am so excited for my new position as an Emotional Support Aide in the Elementary School. I was born and raised in York Springs, PA. I am a graduate of Bermudian along with my husband and many other members of my family.

I graduated from Lock Haven University with a Bachelor's degree in Community Health Education and a minor in Psychology. Through a previous position of mine, I spent many years teaching lessons about healthy relationships, boundaries, etc. to students in the school districts throughout Adams County. This is where I fell in love with working in the schools and with the variety of students that I saw. For the last four years, I worked with many amazing students as a Behavioral Health Technician in different schools, daycares, and community settings in Adams County. It led me to this position here at Bermudian Springs Elementary School.

My family consists of my husband, my daughter Remee, who will be a first grader in the Elementary School this year, and my four year old daughter Raya. We have two dogs at home, Rocky and Rambo. In our house, we love to have singing parties, dance parties, being silly, and Disney movies.

I am so happy for the opportunity to work in the district I grew up in and look forward to this year!

Hello everyone! My name is Miss Seifert (pronounced–Sigh-fert) and I am thrilled to be joining Bermudian Springs Elementary as the new 2nd grade teacher!

I went to Penn State University for my Bachelor’s degree and I received my Master’s from Messiah University. I previously taught kindergarten for 5 years in the Cumberland Valley School District at Green Ridge Elementary, but at the end of this past school year I realized I needed a change. Since I first stepped foot on the campus here it has felt like home and everyone I have met so far has been more than welcoming! It makes me so happy to know I made the right decision!

My family consists of my high school sweetheart of 10 years and our fur children. We have ten kitties that we have rescued and they keep me more than busy, crazy I know! We live in the woods on a mountain which is perfect because we love to go hiking and spend time in nature. I love to spend my free time exercising, creating art, gardening, and I am always cooking and baking new things!

I am so excited to be joining such a wonderful district and I look forward to having a great school year with you all!

Hello Bermudian Springs! My name is Kristen Teague and I will be the Media Center Aide. I have been in the healthcare field for the past 10 years. I worked as a certified nursing assistant for 8 years, which included nursing homes and the Gettysburg Emergency Department. I transferred to East Berlin Family Medicine as the front office staff. I decided it was time for a career change that would work better for my family, so I applied at the school!

My son Dillon is in 2nd grade this year here at Bermudian Springs. My youngest daughter is 3 and her name is Remington. We have a dog named Zeus, two Guinea Pigs named Smores, and Marshmallow, a cat named Jasper, and a kitten named Oreo that we found and rescued from the Weis parking lot in East Berlin. Our family loves to do anything outdoors, camp, and spend time together.

I am so happy to have joined the Bermudian Springs Family. I am so excited to learn this new role. I am looking forward to learning about all the students here at Bermudian Springs. We are going to have such a great year! Go Eagles

Hi! I’m Amanda Wolfe 🙂

I started substituting at BSES when my youngest went to Kindergarten in 2018 and became the building substitute in 2020, taking on lots of different roles throughout the school. I have a bachelor's degree in psychology from Susquehanna University and have worked with children, in many different capacities, since graduating in 2004.

I am married with two daughters who both attend Bermudian Springs Middle School. Tallulah is a 7th grader and Quillyn is a 6th grader. We have an old dog named Jackson and a cat named Peter.

When I’m not at school, my family and I love to travel. We have a VW Bus that we use for many of our adventures!

I also enjoy cheering on my girls! Tallulah plays travel softball and Quillyn is a cheerleader and dancer.

I am a go-getter with lots of energy, but when I need to relax, you can find me reading, doing yoga or walking.

I’m very excited to be taking on this new adventure as the Autistic Support teacher! I know it will be a challenge, but I’m up for it!

This afterschool program is free to all families regardless of income.

The program is for 2.5 hours per day Monday-Friday. The program starts Monday, September 16. The afterschool program offers:

• help with homework/tutoring
• interactive/cooperative activities
• positive character development
• academic enrichment
• fitness and healthy lifestyle activities
• STEM projets
• social emotional learning, and much more

If you are interested in enrolling your child or need additional information please visit www.cfygettysburg.com/afterschool.

Please follow the below procedures, including communicating with the office and teachers when planning to visit or volunteer. Unplanned visits will not be accommodated. If you have previously volunteered, your clearances and/or driver's license may have expired. It is imperative that all clearances and driver's licenses are up-to-date and on file. Thank you for your cooperation!

• BUILDING ENTRY - To ensure order in the school and to protect the safety and security of students and staff members, all visitors and volunteers entering our school will be required to scan a driver’s license in Raptor before gaining access past the main office. A photo ID visitor badge will be issued and printed in the office and must be visible at all times during the visit. When visitors/volunteers leave the building, they will be required to scan their badge out at the red kiosk. Volunteers who are new to the district are required to complete a Volunteer Disclosure Sheet, have a TB test done, and pass state-mandated background checks. Clearances can be obtained through our website or in the elementary school office.

• SCHEDULING OF APPOINTMENTS – All visitors expecting to meet with a teacher, staff member, or administrator are to have scheduled appointments. Appointments may be scheduled during a teacher’s planning time, before or after school, or at a mutually convenient time.

• IMPORTANT REMINDER – For safety reasons, please do not allow another person in the building. They should buzz the door and be let in by one of our school administrative assistants.

The free meal waiver issued by the USDA is still in effect for the 2024-2025 school year. All school meals will remain free for all students.

Monthly menus can be accessed on the district website at bermudian.org/menus. If you have any questions regarding food services, please contact the Food Service Director, Mrs. Judy Sterling, at jsterling@bermudian.org.

If you are in need of childcare before and/or after school Monday-Friday, Little Life Enrichment Center will be providing care in the Elementary Building this school year. Students in grades K-8 will be provided childcare in the building. The goal is to provide high quality care at reasonable cost for all the families of the Bermudian Springs School District. If you would like more information, please call 717-624-1296 and a staff person from Little Life Enrichment Center will answer your questions.

If you have any address or bus stop changes please communicate this information to Mrs. Ahrens in the elementary office via email at nahrens@bermudian.org.

Important: Please remember that any changes submitted may take up to 48 hours to be implemented.

BSES will share important happenings and pertinent information using S'more newsletter. This newsletter will be in a digital format and will be shared via Sapphire Notification. If you do not receive our newsletter, please contact the elementary school office. The newsletter is also accessible on the school district's website.

"Building Strong Minds, Bold Hearts, and Bright Futures"

Email: tlaughman@bermudian.org
Website: bermudian.org
Location: 7335 Carlisle Pike, York Springs, PA, USA
Phone: 717-528-5147
Facebook: Facebook.com/BSES
Twitter: @BSES_Eagles