March 15, 2023: BOE Meeting @ Hoppock Library 7:00 PM

March 21, 2023: Strategic Planning Meeting - 1st Meeting @ Hoppock 6:30 PM

March 22, 2023: Early dismissal for students; Staff Inservice

March 23, 2023: End of 3rd Marking Period

April 6, 2023: Early Dismissal

April 7-14, 2023: Spring Break

April 19, 2023: Strategic Planning Meeting - 2nd Meeting @ Hoppock 6:30 PM

April 26, 2023: BOE Meeting - Budget Public Hearing @ Hoppock Library 7:00 PM

April 28, 2023: Hoppock Social 7:00 - 8:30 @ Hoppock (more info below)

Dear Families,

I hope this message finds you well! As we approach the end of the third marking period and the start of the final marking period of the year, I want to once again remind everyone of the importance of students attending school daily. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, "Students who attend school regularly have been shown to achieve at higher levels than students who do not have regular attendance." Not only does it allow students to achieve at higher levels, but it also instills a positive work ethic which will carry through to adulthood and future careers.

Along with student deficits caused by poor attendance, each school district is evaluated at the state level on their attendance data each year. For a district, the "Climate and Environment" score that a district receives is directly related to the attendance data for that district. A negative score in this area can greatly impact our district's yearly School Performance Report.

Below is a link to the current BTSD policy on student attendance. Please note that you will receive letters from the district periodically if your child begins to accrue excessive absences from school. Also, if your child is absent ten or more days from school, a referral to truancy court may be filed. This would be done on a case by case basis. Other consequences for poor attendance may include exclusion from extracurricular activities and/or retention at their current grade level. Parents will also be required to attend an attendance improvement meeting in order for us to be able to brainstorm ways in which we can ensure a child's attendance at school each day. Click here to access the district's current policy regarding student attendance.

Please note that this message is not meant to have parents send sick children to school. If your child is truly ill, please take the time needed to recover. As always, the professionals of the BTSD are here to help. If you need any assistance with getting your child to school each day, please reach out to the administration. Thank you for your help in ensuring that your child gets the best possible education by attending school each day!

Sincerely,

Ed Abato

Chief School Administrator/Hoppock Principal

The NJDOE is conducting a comprehensive needs assessment to improve the service system for children and families experiencing homelessness and/or housing instability in Hunterdon County. The survey will take no more than 10 minutes to complete. Know that all responses are confidential and will be used exclusively to identify gaps in service and enhance communication, connections and supports.

English Survey – https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MKVR1Family

Spanish Survey - https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MKVR1FamilySpanish

The survey will remain open until March 30, 2023.

The Peer Leaders will be hosting a Hoppock Social on April 28th with food, games, music and crafts!

All grades, 6th-8th, are invited to attend! The dance will be from 7:00 - 8:30. There is a $1 fee to attend, but more important than that, we ask that you bring your whole positive selves as this is the first Social at Hoppock in over 2 years!! Thank you to the Bethlehem Twp. PTA for helping to sponsor this event!

The Student Council donated 63 pounds of personal care items to The Village Food Pantry in Milford for their February fundraiser. We are so proud of this group for thinking beyond themselves to help others in our surrounding communities!

The 5th grade student council ran an extremely successful drive, collecting 904 pounds of food for the Open Cupboard Food Pantry! What an amazing act of service to help those in our community who are in need. Congratulations to the student council!

Click here to access the flier for the North Hunterdon Jr. Lions Volleyball Middle School Clinic.

Click here to access the flier for the North Hunterdon High School Volleyball Program for incoming 9th grade students.

We are excited to share that our new website is LIVE! Check it out now! Thank you to all who have helped by sharing their suggestions with us! As you explore the new site, please let us know if there is something that isn't working or you have a suggestion on how to improve it even more! Thank you to JAM Graphics for their expertise in website design as well as their amazing service as we worked collaboratively to create this new site for our schools.

Bethlehem Township School District

At the end of February, students in grades K-2 completed the NJCAP bullying program. The program was broken into two session where students were introduced to what bullying is, how they identified feelings surrounding bullying, as well as who and where they feel safe with/in the building. Students were engaged through the use of books (Chrysanthemum) and various activities such as feeling boards and were taught how they can keep themselves and others safe by being an upstander. The program will be back in March for grades 3-5 for the upper elementary program.

On February 16th, the Hunterdon County Librarians Association nominated and chose our annual K - 12 Hunterdon County Enthusiastic Reader Award winners. Although numerous students from all grade levels throughout the county are nominated each year at the annual HCLA Winter Workshop, only one winner per grade level is chosen.

In order to be nominated by a Hunterdon county school or public librarian, readers must exhibit an enthusiasm for reading and recommending great books, independently read on a volunteer basis, visit school and public libraries and select fiction and non-fiction books at or above their reading level.

Our Media Specialist, Mrs. Swenson, was thrilled to nominate several Conley and Hoppock students this year, but she is even more thrilled to announce Bethlehem Township’s very own 2023 Hunterdon County Enthusiastic Reader Award Winner, 5th grader and all around awesome young man, Mason Lampariello.

The Hunterdon County Library Association invites each winner to the Hunterdon County Library headquarters for our annual family celebration in May with a mystery guest author, yummy cake and a few other fun surprises. Congratulations Mason! We are so proud of you!

This is a reminder that students are not permitted to utilize their personal technology, i.e. cell phones, tablets, or any other device unless given specific permission by the building administrator. These items, if brought to school, need to remain in the student's backpack and/or locker. If a student uses their device without permission, it will be confiscated and returned to the student at the end of the school day. If it happens a second time, the device will be confiscated and a parent/guardian will be responsible for retrieving it from the main office.

If a student needs to contact home, they are always welcome to use the phone in the main office. If you need to contact your child during the school day, you should do so by calling the school. Thank you for your anticipated cooperation.

Please be sure that your child comes to school dressed appropriately for the weather. Students will go outside for gym and recess as long as the temperature is above freezing and there is no inclement weather.

The Bethlehem Township School District is currently looking to fill the following positions:

F/T Spanish Teacher Grades 6-8

• Approximate start date: ASAP
• Spanish certification required

Homebound Instructor - PreK

• NJ Preschool Teacher & TOSD Certifications Required
• Up to Eight (8) hours per week
• $45.00 per hour

If interested in any position, please submit your cover letter, resume, and certification(s), along with a completed application to:

Margaret Andrews, Secretary to Mr. Edward Abato, CSA

mandrews@btschools.org

Bethlehem Township School District

280 Asbury West Portal Road

Asbury, NJ 08802

Do you love working with Children? Do you have a day (or four) a week free? Are you looking to make a positive impact in children's lives and help our community? Then come join our family!

The Bethlehem Township School District is looking for dedicated substitute teachers and paraprofessionals to work in our schools. All substitutes are required to apply for and obtain their county substitute certificate.

Requirements & Compensation

Teacher:

• Sixty (60) college credits
• Fingerprinting & background check
• Mantoux test

• $120 per day
• Paid training (half day)

Paraprofessional:

• High school diploma
• Fingerprinting & background check
• Mantoux Test
• $105 per day
• Paid training (half day)

Custodian:

• High school diploma
• Fingerprinting & background check
• Mantoux Test
• $100 per day
• Paid training (half day)

If you are interested in either opportunity, please reach out to Peggy Andrews, Administrative Assistant to the CSA. She can be reached at (908) 479-6336.

It is that time of year again...Flu season! Please click here to access a notice from our school nurses about steps to take in order to keep your child and family healthy as well as guidance as to when to keep your child home from school.

We also have free Covid-19 tests available to families. Click here for more information.

Safety and security of our students and staff are our number one priority. Over the next several months, we will be doing an audit of our safety procedures and protocols and will be making changes, as needed, to them. We will be working with law enforcement throughout this process to understand from their perspective what is needed to ensure the safety of everyone who attends and visits our buildings.

While we are unable to share specifics to our security plan with parents and the community, there are things that you can do to help us keep our schools safe.

• Appointments are required for any visitor to the building. If you need to meet with a staff member, please schedule an appointment with them in order for your name to be added to the appointment sheet that is shared with our office staff.
• When you get to the building, you will need to state the reason for your visit prior to be allowed into the building. PLEASE ONLY USE THE FRONT ENTRANCE NEAR THE OFFICE.
• Once in the building, all visitors are required to sign in & wear a visitor's badge that must be worn for the duration in which you are in the building.
• When you are ready to leave, please return your visitor's badge and be sure to sign out so we know who is still in our building.

Thank you for helping to keep our students and staff safe within our schools!

One of my initiatives as the new Chief School Administrator for the Bethlehem Township School District is to be more visible on our school's social media pages as well as through the use of this newsletter platform. I would like the community to see all of the amazing things that are taking place within the walls of our school. This includes photographs of our students and staff, with no names attached. Currently we have no parents that have requested to not have their child photographed for these purposes and with these parameters. If you would like to request that your child's photograph NOT be used for these purposes, please reach out and let me know. Again, only photos will be used and no names will be posted, unless permission has been given for certain circumstances.