Paw Print

This year, our Team theme is BE a Light. There are so many reasons. You've all read about how the only thing that is stronger than darkness is light. You may have sung 'this little light of mine' songs. Maybe you're a country music fan so you know that "Be a Light" song by Thomas Rhett. We're not really going down any of those paths at school this year, but we do find inspiration from one of Amanda Gorman's poems that ends with "For there is always light. If only we are brave enough to see it. If only we are brave enough to be it." She wrote this poem partially to prepare for the next generation. Taking care of the next generation is literally our job. Yours. Ours. All of us. Miss Gorman is so very well spoken, and her poem inspires us to be brave, to see possibilities and to be a part of bringing those possibilities to life.

Team BE wants to be brave enough to see the light, even when the challenge feels significant. We want to be brave enough to be the light, for our team, ourselves, our community, our families and most of all for our students. All students.

You might also hear someone from Team BE talking about getting LIT. Friends. That just means that we are Learning It Together. We are determined to reach our goal to support each child by including every professional we have on the team to support each child. We know that we're stronger together. So we're getting LIT! We have literally no two students alike. Nope. Not even the twins. We believe, however, that they are OUR students and that we can move mountains together.

In the Professional Learning Communities at Work process, we work through four questions:

1) What do we want students to learn?

2) How will we know that they have learned it?

3) How will we respond when they haven't learned it yet?

4) How will we respond if they've already learned it?

And then the fifth 'invisible' question: What instructional strategies will be most effective to ensure that students learn? In upcoming newsletters, I'll walk you through each of these questions and how we find the answers!

As a team, we will keep learning in order to make sure that your children learn. We want them to shine! It's how we come to school in the morning! Ready to learn!

Just a reminder that all 3rd, 4th, or 5th grade students are eligible to apply for the PAWS Leadership Team. Fully completed applications are due to Mrs. Schreiber on September 5th!

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 4:30-5:15pm on October 2nd, November 27th, January 29th, and April 1st.

Just a few reminders:

• Breakfast is from 8:25-8:40 so get your Bulldogs here by 8:30 if you want them to have time to eat at school!
• I'm pretty sure that it's illegal to pass a stopped school bus. If there are busses stopped in front of you, please take a sharp left through the parking spaces to rejoin the loop on the other side.
• It freaks teachers out when you get out of your car in the car loop! Please, stop doing that. We'll put your sweet nuggets in for you, we promise. Thank you!

Announcing Bulldog Dash Grade Level Participation Timeframes! (We do this because YOU are invited to join your Bulldog for the dash!! Please read small print and even smaller print below if you have children who are not currently enrolled at Belmont Elementary.)

Bulldog Dash Schedule:

9:00-9:30, 1st Grade

9:30-10:00, Kindergarten

10:00-10:30, 2nd Grade

10:30-11:00, 5th Grade

11:00-11:30, 4th Grade

11:30-12:00, 3rd Grade

Click here to visit the PTO Volunteer Sign Up Genius

Small but IMPORTANT print: Siblings are NOT allowed on the field during the dash. The dash is considered an extension of the classroom and therefore falls under the district guidelines and policies related to volunteers. Volunteers may not be accompanied by siblings. Please understand that if you sign up to be a volunteer for the dash, you are also committing to securing a babysitter for your other children if necessary in your situation. Siblings are defined as any family member under the age of 18 that is not currently enrolled at Belmont Elementary School.

Even smaller but even more IMPORTANT print: Siblings are NOT allowed on the field during the dash. This dash is for currently enrolled Belmont Elementary students and the adults who claim them ONLY. Siblings are not allowed due to the possibility of them being crushed by the running herd of students or acting as an unnecessary distraction to our students who need no distractions. IYKYK. Otherwise, please just follow the guidelines provided. There will be an off to the side observer area, but it would be way more fun to get a sitter and participate with your child!

I told you the link would be coming and here it is! THIS is how we raise most of our funds each your to cover our very modest PTO budget. Our GOAL is to raise $15,000.00 in donations. We are so excited to offer you, our busy parents, an easy-peasy way to support our students and staff monetarily, right here at the beginning of the year when we need it most to plan the rest of the year's fun!

The PTO budget supports so many worthy causes including field trips, Learning Expeditions, our student school supply closet, learning projects and subscriptions, technology, staff appreciation, family events and most successfully...our Grant Fairy Program that makes teacher dreams come true all year long!

By following the link provided, you may provide a flat donation, sponsor your child's track sign (coming home today in backpacks) or sponsor a portion of the track (have fun decorating with chalk at your leisure!). Forwarding the link to friends and relatives and businesses is easy and appreciated!

Some of you may be wondering about the change bottles we've sent home in the past. They were a FABULOUS way for students to participate in FUNdraising, and while we may very well bring them out again later in the year (especially if we don't reach our goal to support field trip funding) we are going to see if we can still reach our goal using this very streamlined, focused donation plan.

If you'd like to tell your children that you'll donate AFTER they complete their Bulldog Dash (which can absolutely be anything from a slow stroll to a sprint) on Wednesday. We will keep the Bulldog Dash Donation Link open until September 8th for your convenience! But, there's more! YOU DON'T HAVE TO WAIT! Click that link NOW!

Look for a blank Bulldog Dash Track Sign in your child's backpack next week! All returned track signs will be displayed around the track on Dash Day! You may return $5 to school with your child or click on that option in the Bulldog Dash Donation Link to pay online.

If every child receives about $50 in sponsorships, we'll hit our goal! The Bulldog Dash is NOT A CONTEST! We're all in this together, so every dollar supports our collective goal! Of course, we'll celebrate when we hit it! We'll also enjoy many, many PTO benefits all year long.

We can do this! Together! THANK YOU!! Did you get that link? Great! Cash and checks also accepted in our school office! You may also send it to school with your children.

It’s choir time! Any 4th or 5th grader at Belmont can join choir. It is a before school activity from 8-8:30am on certain days of the week and students will need a ride to school on those mornings. Check out more information below with a QR code within to sign up! Please read all about it here:

Mrs. Martin's 4th and 5th Grade Choir Information

August 30 BE Papa John's Night

September 4 No School, Labor Day

September 5-8 Bulldog Dash Spirit Week

September 8 Bulldog Dash!!!

September 19 School Picture Day

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!

Would you like to come and enjoy lunch with your child? We would love to have you come experience lunch at BE. Right now we are reviewing lunchroom expectations and letting our Bulldogs settle in to their new lunch routines, but after Labor Day, we'll be ready to welcome two visiting families per grade level per day. We will continue with attendance at lunch through reservation only to ensure that we maintain appropriate safety measures in our cafeteria. If more than one human is coming to lunch from your family, please use ONE spot for your space. For those who are new to Belmont, visitors for lunch are often a parent, grandparent, other close relative, or a family friend visiting from out of town. If we don't recognize the name, or a parent doesn't provide clarification, that visitor may miss their lunch opportunity while we work to solve the puzzle, so thank you for giving us a quick call to verify if the visitor isn't a custodial parent of record.

Lunch at school is considered a special privilege. Please, reserve this opportunity for special occasions or once in a while treats. We have many families and only so many spots! We appreciate your willingness to share the love (and the table!)

A few things to keep in mind:

• Lunch periods are 27 minutes long and we have to stay on schedule. Be here a few minutes early to get signed in. Your child gets REALLY stressed out when they don't see you as they walk down the hall when they know that you are supposed to be there.
• Parents may be joined at their reserved seats by their child only. It can create negative competition with hurt feelings when we allow others to join.
• Parents may bring in outside food for their dining party only. We have several students with food allergies or intolerances, and the students know that for safety reasons we do not share or trade food. Food and/or drink must be consumed during the lunch period and not sent back to class with the student.
• Confidentiality is important to us, so kindly refrain from sharing stories later if you happen to notice that another child is having behavioral or learning challenges. We've got people for that! Feel absolutely free to seek assistance from our on-duty staff if you notice that someone needs help!

How do I sign up? Click this link to let us know when you are coming! Closer to your date, please call the office to reserve a school lunch if you're not bringing your own. The cost of an adult lunch is $4.35, which needs to be paid (with exact change, please) on the date you will eat with us.

If you like LOTS of happy noise all at once and don't mind the possibility of wearing syrup and ketchup on your body when you leave...feel free to join us!

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- CLICK HERE to reserve your spot at a family table!

USD 232 is looking for one or more individuals to split a bus route that have either their LPN or RN licensure. We have some wonderful students with medical needs who are in need of either an LPN or RN to assist them while riding the bus to and from school. The hours are listed below and days to work flexible. If interested, please contact Sara Hoepner, Special Services Coordinator at shoepner@usd232.org, or Lee Hanson, Director of Special Services at lhanson@usd232.org, or Tara Harmon-Moore, Coordinator of Nursing Services at THarmonMoore@usd232.orgfor additional information. The job is also posted on our district website at https://www.applitrack.com/usd232/onlineapp/default.aspx?Category=Health+Services.

Unified School District No. 232 - Frontline Recruitment

Frontline Recruiting and Hiring, Applicant Tracking for Educators. Online Job Employment Applications, Web Based Employment Applications for School Districts and Educational Institutions.

www.applitrack.com

HOURS (These can be covered by one individual or split between two or more)

Monday Thru Friday 7:55 to 9:00 a.m.

Monday Thru Friday 3:30 to 4:40 p.m.

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