Paw Print

Belmont Elementary: A PAWSitive Place to Learn!

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Red FriYay Brings PTO Family BINGO Night

We are going to have SO MUCH FUN capping off our Spirit Week together at our traditional Belmont PTO Family BINGO Night Friday, February 10th!


Doors open at 6:00pm for raffle ticket sales and BINGO board pick up. The first call of BINGO will be at 6:30pm. Attendees will enjoy free popcorn and H2O all evening! Raffle tickets are very reasonably priced and may be purchased at the door. Each person receives ONE FREE BINGO board and additional boards may be rented for $1 each.


Thank you SO MUCH to all who have culled their book shelves to fill our BINGO BOOK PRIZE LIBRARY! Our Bulldogs are going to LOVE choosing new books to read. Our planning team has been working hard to secure great raffle prizes, but if your business wants to toss something into the mix, we'd love that! Please, email pto@belmontpto.com to make arrangements for drop off or pick up. We can't wait to welcome your family to our event! All proceeds go right back to our school through PTO supported activities.


Want to lock down some FREE raffle tickets? Just click the link to sign up for a 30-minute volunteer spot! BINGO Night Volunteer Sign Up!

BE a Friend Valentine's Day Party Facilitator Sign Up Available Now

All students will be celebrating the joys of friendship on Tuesday, February 14! Each grade level has chosen the party time that best fits their schedule. Each party planner is responsible for planning and facilitating a thirty minute party that could include game, craft or other activity. Please save the food treats for home!


Students are encouraged to bring a valentine for each member of their class. Classroom teachers will provide a list of student first names for the older grades (younger students are often just encouraged to sign their own name and then the passing out process is much simpler!) Your child's classroom teacher will also let you know if they have a plan for a Valentine box at school or if your child should decorate and bring one from home. Back in the day we had contests. I made a baby grand piano and still didn't win! Ha! Those were the days! No cell phones. No social media. Anyway, our BE a Friend Valentine Parties are about celebrating the simple act of BEing a friend and acknowledging friends. Thank you for including everyone! It's pretty easy to feel the love around here and we're excited to have a full day of celebration in the hallways.


Our party schedule for the day is:

  • 9:00-9:30, 5th grade
  • 9:30-10:00, 1st grade
  • 11:15-11:45, 3rd grade
  • 11:45-12:15, Kindergarten
  • 2:45-3:15, 2nd grade
  • 3:00-3:30, 4th grade


Join the Party by clicking this link!

YOU are Invited to Conferences on 2/15 or 2/16!

Click here to choose your date and time preference. We will make every effort to meet with you during scheduled conference days. If you are unavailable during these dates, we will try to find a time during a school day, but flexibility will be key!

Want to Help Feed the Teachers?

Please, click the link to sign up if you would like to help provide snacks for the teachers during their long conference work days! Thank you also, to the PTO for providing Sombrero's for our meal break on Thursday during conferences!

Get in on the FuN with PTO!!

Click here to see what's coming up in PTO Family Events! We would LOVE to have YOUR HEART and HANDS join our efforts! There's literally something for everyone! YOU matter to our students!

2022-2023 Yearbook Orders are OPEN! Don't Miss Out!

We are creating so many memories this school year and if you may want to have a permanent copy of our year! If so, please visit inter-state.com/order and enter code 74535Z to get to the order form. The deadline to order is Friday, March 10th. Doing so guarantees that your child will have a yearbook on yearbook signing day the last week of the school year. We do generally get a few extra copies to sell in May, but there is no guarantee that we'll have enough available. Yearbook orders are definitely optional, but if you want to opt in, the time to do it is before March 10th!

Kindest Kansas Citian Contest Opportunity for Student Participation

Every year students have the opportunity to participate in the Kindest Kansas Citian contest. Student participation is optional. It is a one-page drawing (K-2) or essay (3-5) demonstrating the positive impact the nominee has made on the student’s life, written by the student. Contest judges are looking to identify kind acts that come from the heart. Students will discuss the contest briefly during their January 9-13 counselor lesson, but no paperwork will be sent home; all information is available right here in the Paw Print.


The entries must be submitted online through the link below, and is best done at home due to information needed, such as parent phone number, email address, and nominee’s full name. The submission will be the responsibility of the parent/guardian or the student. The contest’s due date is Friday, February 17th. : https://kindestkansascitian.org/public-essay-submission?teacher_id=590. Belmont will have a slideshow to honor all of the students and their nominees. If you have a photo of the nominee you would like to be included in the slideshow, please email it to Miss Arbaugh. Kind people don't do kind things to be recognized for their actions, but it's still nice for them to know that they've made a difference in someone else's life.


If you have any questions, please let Miss Arbaugh know: narbaugh@usd232.org

Kindergarten 2023-2024 Parent information Night

Do you have a 2023-2024 kindergarten eligible child living in your home? Does your neighbor? We're gearing up for enrollment with a parent information night on Wednesday, March 1, 2023.


Click here to let us know you've got a future Bulldog heading our way! Or click here to get started on the actual enrollment forms! (Caveat- not ALL of the information is available for 23-24 just yet, but we've got enough here to get you headed in the right direction!) f

USD 232 Preschool Enrollment for the 2023-2024 School Year!

USD 232 offers high quality preschool programs for children, ages 3 to 5, that are not yet kindergarten eligible. All programs are half-day, hold low student to adult ratios and use research-based curriculums tied to the Kansas Early Learning Standards. Preschool programs are located in the NEW Cedar Trails Exploration Center at the corner of Mize Blvd & 83rd St., next to Mill Creek Middle School. Grant funded (FREE) preschool spots are available for students who qualify. Transportation (busing) will also be available for grant funded spots and special education services (as determined by IEP team).

Preschool Enrollment for the 2023-2024 school year begins on February 13, 2023. On that date, an online application will be available on the USD 232 Early Childhood website at https://www.usd232.org/Page/9209. Paper applications are also available within Cedar Trails Exploration Center (Lenexa, KS) and Starside Elementary (De Soto, KS) offices. All applications must be submitted to the Cedar Trails Office by March 3, 2023 at 4pm, to be considered within the first round of enrollment.

For more information, please visit https://www.usd232.org/Page/8960

Contact the Cedar Trails Office at 913-667-1820 with questions.

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Making A Difference Award Nominations are Always OPEN!

We are blessed to have such an amazing team here at Belmont! If you would like to send a special thank you to anyone on the team, please consider nominating them through the USD 232 Making a Difference Award program, sponsored by the USD 232 Education Foundation and the Great American Bank. All you need to do is click on the link below and fill out some general information about your deserving nominee! Thank you for helping our staff feel your appreciation for the love and dedication they put into our children's educational journey.


Nominations are received through the end of each month with the winner being announced the following month. The winner is surprised with a $250 check and a special award crafted by USD 232 CAPS students at Cedar Trails. Please, feel free to nominate any USD 232 employee who has made a difference for your child this school year.


Making a Difference Nomination Form

Specials Next Week: G, S, D, A, W

Click on this link to see the DAWGS Specials Schedule for the entire 2022-2023 school year. It's ready to print and post on your fridge!

Coming Up at BE:

February 9 2nd Grade Music Program, 9:00am and 6:30pm

February 10 PTO BINGO Night, 6pm-8pm

February 14 PTO Sponsored BE a Friend Parties

February 15 12:10 Dismissal, Conferences

February 16 No School, Conference

February 17 No School, Building Closed

February 20 No School, Presidents' Day

February 23 Belmont Night at Pink Charming

March 1 Belmont 2023-2024 Kindergarten Parent Meeting

March 9 1st Grade Music Program, 9:00 and 6:30pm


Visit the BE Online Calendar of Events (by clicking on the button below) for a more complete list of activities!

Girls on the Run at Belmont

Girls on the Run is coming back to Belmont this spring. The program is open to 3rd-5th grade girls and will be sponsored by Mrs. Stephanie Martin and runs from March 6 - May th, ending with a GOTR 5k at Swope Park on Saturday, May 6th. If you are a parent of a 3rd-5th grade girl who would be interested in helping coach or mentor girls for GOTR, please email smartin@usd232.org.
USD 232 Electronic Flyers

Find information about opportunities throughout the district. Visit often!

DHS Wildcat Softball Spring Clinic

Click here for information!

2022-2023 Lunch Schedule

11:15-11:42 Kindergarten

11:25-11:52 1st Grade

11:55-12:22 3rd Grade

12:05-12:32 2nd Grade

12:35-1:02 4th Grade

12:45-1:15 5th Grade


Reservations required to join your child for lunch- CLICK HERE to reserve your family table!

USD 232 District Wide Safety and Security Update

Schools now have two points of controlled visitor access at main entrances.


USD 232 is pleased to share that all schools now have two points of controlled visitor access at main entrances. The update to our physical security is part of our continuous improvement process to help keep students safe when school is in session.


What can I expect when visiting the school?

We will always strive to make our schools warm and welcoming environments for students and families, balanced with the need to implement simple security measures.

Families are already familiar with the video/intercom door access system at each main entrance, which has been in place since October 2018.


New! Once a visitor is granted access through the main door, the interior vestibule doors will now remain locked. This creates an additional safety barrier for our school. If visitors have a need to enter the office area, the office staff can electronically grant access through the interior vestibule door.


Here are a couple of examples:

Signing your child in or out? You'll be welcomed into the inner office.

Dropping off forgotten work, band instruments or birthday treats? You may leave it on the shelf inside the exterior door and we will be happy to collect and deliver it for you!


We believe this simple addition to our safe schools protocol will help enhance our overall safety commitment to our students. And, as a reminder when thinking about school safety, if you see or hear something that concerns you, please say something so that we can investigate and involve law enforcement, if necessary.

We're Here to Help!

It's clear that the cool thing to do is come to school in shorts and a t-shirt when it's 30 degrees outside. Fine. The natural consequence for this choice is being cold...and potential frostbite.


If, however, your child is not quite prepared for colder weather because your family could benefit from a hand up in the form of coats, hats, gloves, shoes....PLEASE don't hesitate to reach out. We're here to help and happy to quietly do so. Call or email anytime.

Preparing for Winter Weather

Now is a good time to review plans and be prepared this winter for when our school district cancels or delays school due to inclement weather or other emergencies. Information is communicated in the following ways as soon as a decision is made.

  1. Sent via text message through our schoolNEWS Alert System. Sign up for text message alerts.
  2. Posted on the front page of the district’s website.
  3. Local television stations (ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC)
  4. Social media - Follow @usd_232 on Twitter

Again, this is just a reminder to be prepared this winter. Read more about inclement weather procedures.

schoolNEWS ALERT

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.