Superintendent's Newsletter

I am excited for the beginning of the 2022-23 school year! Our teachers returned on Monday and have been busy preparing their classrooms and instructional materials. On behalf of all Botetourt County Schools staff, we are looking forward to students joining us Wednesday, August 10 for the first day of school! The past two years have been uniquely challenging like no other in recent memory, so it will be refreshing to start the year in a more familiar, pre-Covid way again.

The beginning of a school year is an exciting time and I encourage families, teachers, and schools to forge strong lines of communication early in the year. I will continue to use Superintendent Updates for formal announcements and information, but this year I want to connect using a quarterly newsletter that highlights the wonderful things happening across the division for our students, staff, and community. Updates and newsletters will be sent out via School Messenger, social media, and posted to the Superintendent's page of the BCPS website.

We have a wonderful group of new teachers this year! Join with me in welcoming them and all our new staff members to the Botetourt County Schools family.

Parents and guardians complete these forms for each child every school year through the BCPS Parent Portal. Select the image to the left to watch a parent tutorial video from our Youtube Channel.

School Messenger is one of the primary ways we get information out to the community and is accessed from the BCPS Parent Portal. It only takes a few minutes to set up or adjust your contact methods and notification preferences. Select the image to the left to watch a parent tutorial video from our Youtube Channel.

Students in 7th and 12th grades are required to have certain immunizations prior to the start of the school year. Botetourt County Schools partnered with the Botetourt County Health Department to provide several vaccination clinics over the summer to assist families with fulfilling these requirements. See the attachments below for more specific details on which immunizations are required for your 7th or 12th grade student.

Although federal funding is no longer covering the cost of all student meals, Virginia passed legislation that would cover these costs for students who qualify for reduced meal prices. This legislation is effective now and will carry through the end of the 2023 - 2024 school year. Refer to our Nutrition Department website for more information. You can also begin the application process by scanning or selecting the image below; we strongly encourage all families to complete this application.

In addition to School Messenger, we are active on Facebook and Twitter and use these resources as one more way to connect with our community and relay information. Follow us for important announcements, celebrations, and highlights!

• August 10: First Day of School
• August 11: School Board Meeting
• September 5: Labor Day Holiday
• September 8: School Board Meeting
• October 10: Parent/Teacher Conference Day
• October 13: School Board Meeting
• October 14: Quarter 1 End (2-hour early dismissal)

Select the calendar image (left) to navigate to the Calendar page of the BCPS Division website.

Pictured above, from left to right:

1. Tim Davidick (Valley District) - Board Member
2. Anna Weddle (Amsterdam District) - Board Chair
3. Jenny Wilson (Buchanan District) - Board Member
4. Dana McCaleb (Fincastle District) - Board Vice-Chair
5. Matt East (Blue Ridge District) - Board Member

Need to reach out to the board member from your district? Click on their name to send them an email.

Unless otherwise posted, school board meetings are held on the second Thursday of each month. Meetings begin at 5:30 PM and immediately go to closed session following opening ceremonies. Open/Public sessions begin at 6:30 PM. Join us in person or watch live at www.bcps.live. Click the image for a direct link.