CHCS students recognized, BPS Emergency Operations Plan, new Bullying Prevention and Intervention Plan approved

It's been a busy past few weeks in the Belchertown Public Schools. The School Committee was pleased to recognize fifth grade teacher, Suzanne Dudley, and students whose poetry works were published in A Celebration of Poets: Summer 2013. Because of the number of poems published, CHCS received a Poetic Achievement Award for having more than 50% of the submissions included in the book. Congratulations go to the following students: Daniel Arends, Anna Auclair, Nicole Beaumont, Hannah Bernard, Ceren Cayan, Nate Courchesne, Kyleigh Girard, Hunter Klingensmith, Kate Mas, Janan Patel, Landen Pease, Kalleigh Samson, Noah Soutier, Matthew Talbot, Andrew Teixeira, and Mackenzie Thomas. Mrs. Dudley and her students were presented with award certificates at the February 11th School Committee meeting.

Suzanne Dudley, back row/left, with some CHCS award-winning poets!

CHCS fifth graders were also treated to a visit by members of Team Jessica on Tuesday, February 11th. As part of a multi-disciplinary unit on boundless playgrounds, that started with a story in their reading series, the children researched boundless playgrounds, which is the concept on which Jessica's Boundless Playground has been designed and will be built. Vicky Martins-Auffrey, Jessica's mother (the student in whose memory the playground has been named), spoke with the children. The children wrote letters, drew pictures, and made suggestions for possible ways to raise funds and gave ideas about how they would like the playground to be built. She shared the preliminary design with them and got some other suggestions for activities they'd like to see included. Alexandra Holcomb, a student in Mrs. Robinson's class, presented Mrs. Martins-Auffrey with a rainbow loom bracelet and $100.00 she raised by making these bracelets and selling them to family members!

Vicky Martins-Auffrey explains Jessica's Boundless Playground's proposed design to the students.

Alexandra Holcomb (L) presents Mrs. Martins-Auffrey with her donation and a bracelet she made.

Belchertown Public Schools Emergency Operations Plan to be presented to the School Committee on February 25th

The School Safety Task Force has completed its work on a new Emergency Operations Plan for the district. The School Committee will consider adoption of the plan on Tuesday, February 25th at 7:00 pm in the auditorium at Belchertown High School. There will be a presentation on the plan and there will be a period for public comment at that meeting.  If you would like to read a draft of the plan, please go to the main page of our web site: www.belchertownps.org and click on the link in the district announcements section.

At their February 11, 2014 School Committee meeting, the School Committee approved a revised Bullying Prevention and Intervention Policy and Plan. The plan will be uploaded to our district web site later this week.

As always, if you have any questions about this blog post, please feel free to call me at 413.323.0423 or send an email to superintendent@belchertown.org. Enjoy the extended vacation week, thanks to our snowy winter - school is closed this week. We look forward to seeing everyone back at school on Monday, February 24th.

Best regards, Dr. Judith Houle, Superintendent of Schools