The Mission of the Bennington Public Schools is to provide educational opportunities in a safe, caring environment that will prepare all students to meet the challenges of the future.

We will continue to follow the Directed Health Measures guidance with sending home any staff or students that experience one or more of the following symptoms: loss of taste or smell, shortness of breath, or onset of new cough.

The newest DHM also added back the language that you need to stay home if you experience two or more of the following symptoms: fever of 100.4 or higher, chills, muscle aches, headache, sore throat, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea, and/or fatigue. Your continued support in following recommendations from our local health department while both inside and outside of the school environment is a necessity for all. For us to continue with in-person learning, we continue to emphasize to our stakeholders the importance of staying home versus going to social events, social distancing when it is not an option to stay home, wearing your face masks whenever in public or near non-household members, and continuing to make sanitization a priority.

To see the most up-to-date guidance, please click on the link provided: DCHD Requirements for Screening, Exclusion, and Re-Admittance of Ill Students and Staff in Schools.

We will continue to send students home who have diarrhea and vomiting per our previous school health policies, as well as students who show signs of influenza. Temperatures of 100 degrees or above, diarrhea, and/or vomiting are signals warranting immediate dismissal conditions. Children who have vomited, had diarrhea, or a fever of 100 degrees or above during the night or prior to school need to remain at home, fever free for 24 hours. Students who are sent home from school with these symptoms may not return to school until they are symptom/fever free without fever reducing medication for 24 hours. Most viruses are highly contagious for 24 hours after the vomiting/diarrhea has occurred.

As we enter Flu season, please keep your child home if they are experiencing the following symptoms: Fever of 100 degrees or more, muscle aches, congestion, headaches and /or fatigue, as we know these are common signs of the influenza virus. Following the guidelines we have had in place in the years prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, students with diarrhea and vomiting should not return to school until 24 hours after last episode and are able to tolerate food. Students with fever need to be fever free for 24 hours without use of fever reducing medication.

I have recieved some questions about the library overdue notices that are auto-generated. Please know that these are auto-generated and stop once the overdue book has been turned in and processed in the system. The notice is intended to keep parents informed of their student's library books and serves as a reminder for both the parent and student to help return library books in a timely manner.

Students are able to have books checked out for up to two weeks. They can renew or check out a book every week at library class or as needed during the school day, when staff are available. Library classes are a part of the school wide cycle day schedule. When there is a break from school, library class days may change. However, due dates do not. These stay the same until students renew or check out new books because it does take the library computer time to update.

When library books are overdue, students will need to bring them to the library directly. Unfortunately, I will not be able to check books in regularly throughout the day due to classes and instruction. This means you may get a late return notice on a day your child turned in their book.

Here are few things you can do to help your students to turn their books in on time:

• Double check the cycle day schedule for any changes or shifts in the schedule

• Talk with your student about turning in their book on time

• Help your student remember to put it in their backpack

• Talk with your student about taking their books out of their backpack or locker and turning it into the library or classroom book basket

Thank you for your support in helping your child be responsible for their library books!

We have made a quick change in season and are headed to our first real snow fall of the season! Please make sure your students come to school dressed appropriately for winter weather and the changing weather conditions. Students should come dress appropriately with a coat, gloves and hats as needed for their afternoon recess. Layering clothing is sometimes the best option for cold mornings and warmer afternoons. During inclement weather such as rain or wind chill, students will have indoor recess. Students are required to participate in recess and will not be excused from participation without a doctor’s note verifying the reason.

In cases of inclement weather or mechanical breakdown the decision to close school, delay starting time, or dismiss early will be announced over radio station KFAB (1110 AM), television stations KETV, KMTV, WOWT and KPTM. Reports in the morning will be around 6:30 a.m. If we have to use more than the number of days we have scheduled, time will be made up at the end of the school year.

If the decision to delay the start time of school is made, all beginning of the day procedures will be adjusted to reflect two hours. Staff supervision would begin at 10:00 a.m. and a student would be considered tardy at 10:20 a.m. All transportation services will run two hours behind schedule.

Please check your student verification information to verify that all emails and phone numbers are correct and up to date.

The reading and math interventionists have created a slide deck full of Reading and Math Resources that are available for parents. Please click on the PDF below to learn more about Title I services.

Bus Riders - BPS has a new app for parents to download called Ride360 for all bus riders. This is a fabulous tool to let you know bus stop location/times and it lets you know the exact time your child gets on/off the bus.

Bus Fees - The transportation department will be sending out invoices through My School Bucks in September. You will pay for transportation fees through the website.

Bus Passes - Lost bus passes cost $25 to replace. Please email or call the office to order a replacement bus pass if needed.