January 10, 2023: 8th Grade Visit to tour NHHS

January 13, 2023: Early Dismissal - Staff Inservice

January 14, 2023: End of 2nd Marking Period

January 16, 2023: School Closed - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

January 23, 2023: Report Cards Open on Parent Portal

January 25, 2023: BOE Meeting @ Hoppock - 7:00 PM

February 17-20, 2023: School Closed - President's Day Weekend

Dear Families,

Happy New Year! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season filled with family and friends and were able to find some time for rest and relaxation. As we enter the new year, it is once again time to assess where we are, set goals for the new year, and to challenge ourselves to be better individuals than we were the year before. This process requires us all to be a bit vulnerable and willing to look inward and be honest. For our students, this sometimes requires the help of the adults in their lives, like a parent, counselor, coach, or a teacher. Our role is to help foster kindness, acceptance and understanding towards others.

Since starting here in Bethlehem, I quickly realized what caring and thoughtful students we have across all grade levels. It warms my heart to see students helping one another, authentically asking how someone's day is going, and being compassionate when compassion is needed. These acts show the true character of the students we have in our schools. However, I always like to look for ways in which we can improve and this is where you, as parents and guardians, can help.

I have received reports from students at both schools that some classmates are treating them unkindly and are saying very hurtful things to them about the way they look, how they dress, their perceived sexual orientation, etc. My goal is always to help the students facing these comments by empowering them to stand up for themselves, ignore rude comments, and to talk to a trusted adult when needed. I was faced with many of these same challenges when I was in elementary and middle school so I always make sure to relate to the students experiencing these adverse situations.

My number one goal for the Bethlehem Township School District is to establish and maintain a school community where acceptance, not tolerance, is the norm. Whether you are tall or short, black, brown or white, gay or straight, whether you wear designer clothes or hand me downs from a family member, EVERYONE IS ACCEPTED! We will celebrate our differences and applaud those who show kindness to all, regardless of those differences. Please continue to help in this mission by talking to your children about our differences and how no matter what differences we have, we ALL have one thing in common...We are human beings and we all deserve the right to feel valued, loved, and ACCEPTED for who we are!

I thank you in advance for your help in spreading this message and helping us achieve our goal of having the most kind, caring and accepting school community!

Sincerely,

Ed Abato

Chief School Administrator/Hoppock Principal

We have received some questions pertaining to making up the "snow day" that occurred on Friday, December 23rd. According to the district calendar for the 2022-2023 school year, there are 3 days that have been built into the calendar. If we use exactly three snow days then the calendar will remain as is. If we use fewer than three snow days, then we will gain whatever days we haven't used back, either at the end of the school year or tacked on to an already existing vacation. However, if we use more than three snow days, we will be taking back days that are currently scheduled to be closed. The order of these dates are listed at the bottom of the school calendar. To access the school calendar, click here.

The 8th grade students at Hoppock Middle School are preparing for their transition to the high school next year. As a part of this process, NHHS will host a half day orientation on Tuesday, January 10, 2023 from 9:00am to 12:15 pm. Students will be bussed to the high school. Click here to access more information. You only need to return this form if you DO NOT want your child to attend the orientation.

Students in 6th grade will have the opportunity to participate in the L.E.A.D. program (formerly known as D.A.R.E.) starting next week. We are excited to have Tpr. II. M. Lombardi from the NJ State Police joining us every Tuesday for the next 10 weeks to lead this valuable program for our 6th grade students. Topics include drug use, how to deal with peer pressure, decision making, as well as other important topics. For more information on this program, click here.

Click here for a flier regarding the pop top collection that the Peer Leaders are running to benefit the Ronald McDonald House.

Mrs. Race's algebra class applied what they learned about linear functions to create art. Some projects were originals, some were made from a template. They had requirements they had to adhere to and the kids did an amazing job! See the pictures below for just a few examples of what they did!

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.

Registration is now open for the NHYB season. Click here to access a flier to get more information on registration. Registration ends on January 17th.

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

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.

The students and staff at Hoppock Middle School organized a very special welcome back celebration for one of our students who has been battling cancer since last year. Lucy has been on home instruction for quite some time and was finally give the green light to return to school. It was such a special day...So special that the local news station decided to report on the story. Click here to see the special segment!

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.

We are thrilled to announce that we are working with an outside company who will be redesigning our current website. As a new employee of the district, I know how important a well organized, user friendly website is for a district. It is the "face" of our schools and is the place where parents, staff, students and community members should be able to go to easily access accurate information. More information will be coming soon regarding the launch of the new site!

If you have any suggestions as to what you would like to see on our new website, please email me at eabato@btschools.org with the subject line "New Website Suggestion."

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.