On our last day of school this semester, Tuesday, December 20th, we will be celebrating all morning at Belmont! (Don't forget it's a half day with dismissal at 12:10!)

Our PAWS Student Leadership Team made some AMAZING suggestions about how we could make a difference at Belmont and beyond (that's part of our mission statement) as a school, and we're excited to share our plans with YOU! We will be completing TWO separate, but related, service projects during our morning rotations. I absolutely LOVE it when our students share their big hearts with others, and our student leaders were prolific in their ideas to support our community!

In that light, one of the BEst traditions we have enjoyed over past years, was having the opportunity for older students to team up to work with younger students. Throughout our rotations, our K/3, 1/4, and 2/5 buddy classes will experience fun and service as a team. Cue the tears, because some of the interactions we get to see are truly precious!

Service Project #1: Bed of Bags

• We need ALL of your plastic shopping bags (the ones like we get at Price Chopper, Walmart, etc.)
• Students will work together to make the PLARN that our new friend at Bed of Bags-BOB uses to create sleeping mats for people in our community who need a barrier layer between them and the ground. The mats are lightweight and versatile. Our students will have a blast working together to make yards and yards of PLARN! Each bed of bags uses 900 bags. How many do you think we can collect? We're hoping for THOUSANDS!!

Service Project #2: Joy Bags

• We need travel size personal care items or adult socks (suggested items are shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrush, mouthwash, cough drops, WetOnes singles, lotion, bug spray, bandaids, kleenex, disposable razors, shaving cream, fingernail clippers.)
• Students will decorate JOY bags to share some joy with someone they don't know who could use a lift...through the Uplift organization here in Kansas City. Students will then have the opportunity to pick some items from our donations to complete a personalized bag of joy.

BONUS Service Project Opportunity: Uplift can also find homes for no longer used coats, blankets, sleeping bags, or men's boots. We will be happy to collect those and get them to Uplift if you have an opportunity to clean out your closets this month and find that you've got extra.

Back to our Winter Celebration Day on the 20th! We'll be completing our service projects (with your generous help- THANK YOU!) but also will enjoy charades, a dance party and performances by our Belmont Band and Treble Makers Choir. We'll end our morning with PTO Winter Classroom Parties.

Does that sound fun? Want to join us? We've got options!! Please use this link to let us know how you'd like to help out! PSA- Just a reminder that the Family Handbook, and Board Policy require parents to leave siblings at home when volunteering at school. This allows our volunteers to truly focus on our school-agers and make the most out of your time together. Thank you!

YES! You may sign up here to join us as a service project station helper, a travel-with-your-child's-class helper, or a winter party planner (just like in the fall, party parents will plan and facilitate an activity, craft or game and will coordinate with the classroom teacher to make sure that everyone is on the same page.) We will again be limiting the number of parents in the classroom during the 'party' because of space issues, but as the rest of the day will largely take place in our larger areas, we are excited to welcome more of you as you are able!

Families of band and choir performers (siblings included here) are welcome to come watch the band and choir performance in the gym from 10:50-11:20am.

Oh, and it'll BE Pajama Day for all students and staff, so feel free to wear yours, too!

Short Version of Optional Actions to Consider:

• Send in shopping bags! We want THOUSANDS!
• Send in travel size toiletries and/or adult socks!
• Sign up to join us!
• Smile because you are making a difference at Belmont and beyond!

TO ALL STUDENTS AND PARENTS:

USD 232 has been an important and strong participant in the Kansas Teacher of the Year Program for many years. De Soto has had fifteen state finalists and twelve semi-finalists represented in the program since 2000.

We would like for you to nominate any teacher whom you consider to be an outstanding and effective educator and whom you or your child has had as a teacher. This person must have completed 5 years of teaching with at least 2 of them having been in USD 232. If there is a USD 232 educator whom you believe to be outstanding and deserving of special recognition, please fill out the nomination form at www.usd232.org/ktoy . This form needs to be completed by 4:00 PM on January 13, 2021.

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

December 20 Winter Celebration Day, 12:10 Dismissal, No Lunch Served

December 21- January 4 Winter Break

January 5 Bulldogs back in the DAWG House!

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

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.

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Community partner Country Club Bank is providing support to ensure this service is available in USD 232.