Bethel Elementary School News
January/February 2018
Notes From the Principal's Office
We are well into the school year and the end of the 3rd marking period will be here before we know it. Now that the school year is more than half way over, I want to take some time to reflect on where we started the year, things we have done, and where we are going in the future.
Over the summer a team of teachers and support staff met with me to develop a new vision for our school. I called this team the Building Leadership Team. We knew that we needed to provide direction for our school and our students. United as a team, we accomplished that goal. I presented the vision statement of our school to the faculty upon their return from summer break, to families during Back to School Night, and to students as they entered our building on day one.
Creating a vision statement was not enough. We needed to develop a plan to achieve our vision. As a Building Leadership Team we flipped the operation of our school on its head and revised how we do things. I am proud to share our progress with you today and am excited to share our future plans!
What We've Done
- Created our Building Leadership Team
- Participated in a staff book study on the book Mindset: The New Psychology for Success
- Developed a platform for student lead conflict resolution through our Peacemakers program
- Created a system for Positive Office Referrals to celebrate student achievement.
- Had students set goals and celebrated their achievements. Over 80 goals have been met so far!
- Developed an after school clubs program in partnership with our PTO. Our winter clubs served over 60 students out of a population of 370. This is 100% voluntary by our teachers and 100% free to our students!
- Telling "our story" through Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Follow us by searching the hashtag #bethelkids1 on Twitter and Instagram. Follow us on Facebook by searching @BethelTrojans.
What's Next?
- Community outreach events. Stay tuned for more information!
- Create a student leadership team.
- Grow our community partnerships.
- Develop a growth mindset for our students!
- Expand our reach to service kids through our clubs.
At Bethel Elementary School, we have plenty to be proud of. We have developed programs that puts kids first and gives students a voice in their education. Our team has developed programs that provide a safe environment for our students to thrive. It is my privilege and honor to lead this school and serve the Bethel community.
PSSA News
Bethel Elementary will be administering the ELA (English/Language Arts) PSSA’s to students in Grades 3-6 April 10, 11, and 12 and on April 17 and 18 we will be administering Math PSSA’s to students in Grades 3-6. Students in Grade 4 students will be administered the Science PSSA’s on April 24 and 25. All PSSA’s will begin first thing in the morning. Please be sure to have your child at school on time so they can start the test with their class. Let us know if your child has a pre-planned appointment on any of the PSSA test dates, so we can plan for their make-up time.
Student Attendance
While we do not want sick students at school, attendance is important to make sure students are getting a full education. Any time a student is out, please get a doctor’s note, or a parent excuse to school within three days of your child being out. Excuses can be sent in with your child, emailed to Wendy Fisher, School Secretary, or submitted through the online form found on our website. Absences without an excuse get marked as unlawful days. After 10 parent excuses the law requires medical notes for each absence. Please communicate with your child’s teacher, Mrs. Seidel, School Counselor, or Mr. Brown, Principal if we can help you with your child’s attendance.
News From the Reading Coach
During the week of January 14th, students at Bethel Elementary school participated in the Literacy Council of Reading-Berks 2018 Readers WIN campaign. The students raised over $1600. Funds raised will help people learn to speak English, and help adults, who cannot read, learn how to do so. The students pledged to read a certain number of books or magazines and get relatives and friends to sponsor them. Thank you to the community for your support and to everyone who participated in this year’s Readers WIN campaign!
STEM News
During the month of February, 2nd grade students participated in an exciting cross-curricular project based around the Winter Olympics. Students kicked off this learning experience by watching the live stream of the Junior High School’s Opening Ceremonies. It really got our elementary students pumped to be doing a project in correlation with the Junior High students. 2nd graders appeared on the morning announcements, researched different countries, created flags for that country, and tracked their country’s medal count using a large pictograph in the hallway. Students also completed a STEM challenge to create a bobsled for their country to compete in the Tulpehocken Winter Olympics! On Friday, February 16th, students met at their buildings and raced their bobsleds down the “course” made of 10 -foot rain gutters. It was a high-energy event enjoyed by all!
Fun With Our Futures Night
Thursday, Mar 22, 2018, 05:00 PM
Tulpehocken Junior-Senior High School
Title 1 News
Upcoming Events
March 6, 2018-March 9, 2018 - Scholastic Book Fair
March 7, 2018 - Title 1 Family Literacy Night
March 16, 2018 - Grades 4-6 PTO Fun and Games NightMarch 21, 2018 - Kindergarten Registration
March 22, 2018 - Fun with Your Future Night
March 9, 2018 - Spring Pictures
March 30, 2018-April 2, 2018 - Spring Break
Bethel Elementary School
Website: www.tulpehocken.org
Location: 8390 Lancaster Avenue, Bethel, PA, United States
Phone: 717-933-4131
Facebook: facebook.com/BethelTrojans
Twitter: @bethelkids1