In the Holiday Spirit

Last week was a busy week as we concluded lots of activities before our holiday vacation break.

Students at all of our schools collected items for those less fortunate. Below is a photo of students from Chestnut Hill Community School with food items that were donated by the children. Our students are to be congratulated for their generous spirits!

On Thursday, December 19th, our first graders at SRE presented, "It's A Small World." This is the culmination of their study of the customs and cultures from across the globe. There were recitations, songs, and dances. Many of the children dressed in costume from the countries they represented. They did an outstanding job!

Students in costume, representing Sweden, share their country's holiday customs.

Children perform Nigun Atik, an Israeli dance.

On Friday, December 20th, BHS hosted our Senior Citizens for a concert and sing-a-long in the auditorium, followed by a brunch in the cafeteria. Musical selections were provided by the Women's and Mixed Choirs, the Percussion II Ensemble, and the Wind Ensemble. The food and beautiful cafeteria decorations were provided by the Student Council and National Art Honor Society students. The seniors thoroughly enjoyed both the music and the meal!

Seniors and students enjoy some time together over brunch.

Holiday Extravaganza! Concert Rescheduled

The BHS Holiday Extravaganza! concert was snowed out on December 17th and has been rescheduled to Friday, January 3, 2014 at 7:00 pm in the BHS auditorium. There are still tickets available for $5.00 per person and may be purchased at the door. We hope you will come and join us for an evening of holiday song!

Coffee and Conversation with the Superintendent

Our second quarter Coffee and Conversation with the Superintendent gatherings will take place on Thursday, January 9th, for parents/guardians of CSS, SRE, and CHCS at 6:30 pm in the CHCS Library (with thanks to the CHCS PTO for hosting). The gatherings for JBMS and BHS parents/guardians will take place on Thursday, January 16th, at 6:30 pm in the BHS Library. The topic of these gatherings will be school safety, with an opportunity for parents and guardians to learn about and give feedback to revisions to the district's Bullying Prevention and Intervention Policy and Plan, as well as our Emergency Operations Plan. So we can be adequately prepared for you, please call my office at 413.323.0423 or send an email to superintendent@belchertown.org to let us know if you plan to attend. 

Holiday Vacation

Our schools are closed for the December holiday vacation, Monday, December 23, 2013 through Wednesday, January 1, 2014. We will reopen on Thursday, January 2, 2014. On behalf of the Belchertown Public Schools, I would like to wish everyone a happy holiday season and we will see you all in the new year!

As always, if you have any questions or comments about this blog post, please call my office at 413.323.0423 or send an email to superintendent@belchertown.org.

Best regards, Dr. Judith Houle, Superintendent of Schools