The Bethlehem Star

We are entering our final month of the 2024-2025 school year. As we begin to wrap things up, it is so rewarding to see all of the progress our students have made. We appreciate the support you have given to your child, the teachers, and our school as we have partnered with you this year. It has been an absolute honor & privilege to serve your family. Please reach out if there is anything you need.

We hope to see you at some of our school events this month!

Sincerely,

Mrs. Reid

We are excited to start the Georgia Milestones Assessments this week. Thank you for ensuring we have terrific student attendance throughout this week and next. We look forward to getting our scores back!

Please join us the week of May 5-9 as we celebrate the fantastic teachers and staff at BES. We are certainly blessed to have such wonderful human beings leading and guiding our classrooms and students. Let's shower them with expressions of gratitude this week!

If your child will be in our Pre-K program next school year, this night is for you! We look forward to sharing more about the Pre-K experience. Come and join us for a night of fun (and ice cream)!

Is your child going to be in Kindergarten next school year? If so, we would love to have you join us for a night of fun and adventure. Come and learn more about Kindergarten and how we can work together to make it a wonderful year for your child.

We are blessed to have a wonderful school nurse at BES, Mrs. Moira Bernard-Moore! We will honor her on her special day, May 7. We hope you might take a moment to send her a note of appreciation. We love you, Nurse Moira!

Our 5th grade class will have their end of elementary celebration on Tuesday, May 20 at 8:00 AM followed by the 5th grade walk at 9:30. Families are invited to join us in the gym for the ceremony and then to stick around to see our 5th graders make their final laps around the school. After parents and families leave, the 5th grade students and their teachers will have a fun outside party with inflatables and water. We are so proud of this group of students and wish them all the best as they move on to middle school.

We are excited to honor former BES students who are part of the 2024 graduating class of Apalachee High School or Barrow Arts and Sciences Academy. The former STARS have been invited to walk our halls in their caps and gowns on Monday morning, May 19 at 9:00 AM. This is always a very special time for us as we get to celebrate our former students, and our current students get to see what their future holds.

Note: 5th grade will have their formal celebration on Tuesday, May 20 at 8:00, followed by the 5th grade walk at 9:30. They will then have a "students only" party outside at 11:00 with their teachers.

BCSS Families,

You now have access to a free and convenient online resource to help support your student’s well-being - the Mental Health Series Platform.

WHAT IT OFFERS

• On-Demand Resources: Access pre-recorded sessions, insightful articles, and actionable steps at your convenience.
• Live Webinars: Join interactive webinars hosted by professionals, with hundreds of sessions available annually, including 16 topics each month. Sessions are offered in English and Spanish with anonymous participation.
• Ask a Therapist Live: Once a month, you can connect virtually with a licensed family therapist to get real-time answers to your questions. The first session is on May 7 at 8 p.m. [Learn More & Register]

HOW IT WORKS

• Explore Topics that Matter to You: Whether you're interested in managing anxiety or understanding social media use, the comprehensive catalog has you covered.
• Choose How You Engage: Resources are available in multiple formats, ranging from a quick overview to an in-depth live session.
• Start Now: Visit and bookmark https://parentguidance.org/mhsindex for instant access to the catalog of support materials and start scheduling sessions. The May calendar is attached to this email.

We hope you find these resources beneficial for your family.

We would like to thank Ms. Donna Childers for her many years of service at Bethlehem Elementary. Ms. Childers is retiring after a very successful career. She has educated many students in our community, and we will miss her. Cards are welcomed. Happy Retirement, Ms. Childers!

May 18 is National Speech and Language Pathologist Day. On Friday, May 16 we will honor our two incredible Speech & Language Pathologists, Mrs. Haley Dunn and Mrs. Katie Reece. These ladies do an incredible job of supporting our students! We are incredibly grateful to have them serving as SLPs at BES!

5-9: Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week

5-6: Georgia Milestones Assessments-Math (3rd-5th grade)

6: Get the Scoop on Pre-K 6:00-7:00 PM

7: Georgia Milestones Assessments-Science (5th grade only)

7: School Nurse Appreciation Day

8: Wild About Kindergarten 6:00-7:30 PM

18: National Speech Language Pathologists Day

19: End of Year Parties & AHS/BASA Graduation Walks

20: 5th Grade Celebration 8:00; 5th Grade Walk 9:30; End of Year Parties; Progress Reports

21: Last Day of School--Dismissing students at 10:45 AM

We have a few of our School Governance Team members whose terms are coming to an end. We would like to thank Mr. Joseph Brown, Mrs. Karen Smith, and Mrs. Bel Outwater for their service. As such, we will need to fill their vacancies. We will need at least two parent representatives and at least one community representative. If you or someone you know is interested in serving, please send an email to Mrs. Reid-- mindy.reid@barrow.k12.ga.us so your name can be placed on a ballot for elections in August. Thank you!