Bellefonte Area School District

In a recent trade time led by Mrs. Douty and Mrs. Harris, participants learned how to use the Cricut Design Studio to create graphics and designs. They also learned how to use the heat press to transfer the designs to shirts and sweatshirts. It was a very fun trade time for teachers and staff!

Greetings!

Please enjoy the Friday Coffee Break newsletter for December 19th. Today's newsletter features some fun STEM and Literary pieces. Our spotlights are Jaqueline Begnal from BES and senior member Sophie Harper. This will be the last newsletter until January 9th.

Have a great weekend!

Mrs. Jodon’s 4th and 5th grade technology classes at Marion-Walker and Pleasant Gap elementaries, put on a Macy’s Day parade STEM style. The students created their characters, drew the streets of NYC, and used ozobots to carry their characters through the parade.

MTSS Coordinator, Nicole Kohlhepp, and the Director of Curriculum and Instruction, Jackie Wynkoop, were selected to present a session at the annual SAS (Standards Aligned System) Conference, which is a major statewide event for Pennsylvania educators focusing on new initiatives, effective teaching strategies, leadership tools, and collaborative learning to improve student outcomes, featuring keynotes, breakout sessions, and connections to state standards. They presented a session for curriculum directors on the topic of curriculum writing, which highlighted a new process recently implemented in the district on curriculum storyboarding. It was a packed house!

Happy Holidays from our staff at the Bellefonte Area High School!

This past weekend the competitive cheer team competed at Districts, which was held in Altoona, and earned 1st place! This puts them in a bid to go to the PIAA State Championship, which will be held in Johnstown at the 1st Summit Arena on January 9 & 10. Congratulations, to the team!

Greetings!

Please enjoy the Friday Coffee Break newsletter for December 12th. Today's information shares activities related to November and Grief Awareness Month, it also highlights our ELKS Teen of the Month - Natalie Jolley! Our staff spotlight is Karen McCulley from MWE and the Class of 2026 member is Aubrey Schreppel.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

At the middle school, Miss Waite’s Spanish 1 students got into the fall holidays by disguising turkeys and then wrote an explanation as to why they are not the wanted turkey! These photos are from her period 1 class.

Members of the high school Drama Club and Concert Choir travelled to New York City on November 21. The group toured the Lincoln Center, had dinner, and then returned to Lincoln Center for the Broadway revival of 'Ragtime'. The Choir had performed the show's "Make Them Hear You" at their spring concert last year and it was fantastic to hear it in the context of the show.

In November, Mr. Miller’s BAHS students learned about CPR procedures. They were given the opportunity to get certified and conducted peer evaluations in which each student goes through all of the steps and skills to perform CPR.

Due to inclement weather, Bellefonte Area School District will operate on a 2 Hour Delay schedule today - December 11, 2025. Please be safe when out on the roads.

Congratulations to Natalie Jolley for earning the December ELKS Teen of the Month! Natalie is an exceptional young woman whose work ethic, leadership, and commitment to her school and community make her truly stand out among her peers. She consistently demonstrates maturity, initiative, and a sincere desire to make a positive impact wherever she goes.

Natalie is a hardworking student, both in and outside of the classroom. Academically, she challenges herself with a rigorous course load. She is a respected leader on the Cross country, Indoor track, and Outdoor track teams. She is deeply involved in Key club at the local and state levels and she started the Chinese Club at BAHS to provide students with a new opportunity to explore language and culture. Congratulations, Natalie!

November was Child’s Grief Awareness Month. At BAMS, many know someone who is grieving, and students and staff want them to know that they are here for them. This is why BAMS created a wall of support, with this year’s theme being Champions of Hope. At different times throughout the month, all BAMS students had the opportunity to write a message in memory of someone who has died, or in support of classmates who are grieving. These messages and memories are posted on the wall across from the auditorium, and will remain up through the winter holidays and for the duration of the 2nd Marking Period.

The Bellefonte Area School District is hiring!

Here are a few highlighted positions:
1. Health and Physical Education Teacher - BAMS
2. Assistant Varsity Gymnastics Coach - BAHS
3. Assistant Boys Lacrosse Coach - BAHS
4. Assistant Varsity Wrestling Coach - BAHS
5. Utility Clerk - BES and BAHS

There are other positions available as well! Please click on the link to view them: https://www.applitrack.com/basd/onlineapp/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Today was the 67th day of school!

On Thursday, December 11th - the BAHS Student Council is hosting a Mini-THON Dinner Night at the Texas Roadhouse! Please see the attached flyer for more details. Texas Roadhouse will require people to show a copy of the flyer (can be on their phones) for the 10% donation to be activated.

Greetings!

Please enjoy the Friday Coffee Break newsletter for December 5th. Today's newsletter features 5th grade teacher from Marion-Walker - Anthony Hamorsky; along with Class of 2026 member - Payten Stull. Winter sports are in full swing!

Have a great weekend!

Hannah and Maddie from the Jana Marie Foundation were at the high school for monthly Wellness Friday in November. The activity was contributing to the Circles of Control poster during the lunch periods. They also offered a meditation and brain break activity in classrooms.

In the new ELA curriculum, Kindergarten has been learning all about farms. The Essential Question that they were exploring was: What happens on a Farm and some of our learning goals include building vocabulary and engaging in conversations about the things, animals and jobs that would take place on a farm?

To gain some more in depth experience, Miss McCartney from Bellefonte Elementary, invited Mr. Dustin Gearhart, a farmer from the Mount Union area to speak on some of the livestock and crops that he farms. He had a slideshow full of his animals and equipment that he uses and answered questions about farming. The class enjoyed this learning experience and being able to speak to a farmer first hand about the jobs they do!