Bellefonte Area School District

Bellefonte Area School District would like to highlight a recent new hire: Keri Sanders! Keri is the secretary in the school counseling office at the Bellefonte Area Middle School. Here is a little information on Keri: What is something you are passionate about outside of work? I am passionate about Scouts. I am an Assistant Scoutmaster with Troop 34 and love camping, hiking, and going on adventures with my boys. Who would you choose if you could pick 1 person (living or not living) to have dinner with? I would choose Elvis. I love his music and would love to sit and have a banana, bacon, and peanut butter sandwich with him! Using 3 different adjectives, describe yourself in 3 words. I would describe myself as kind, caring, and compassionate. What is the best piece of advice someone has ever given you? The best piece of advice I have been given is to "be patient and trust the process" when it comes to pretty much anything in life. Why did you choose BASD? My children attend BASD and I have always loved all the care they received during their education. The love all the staff show their students made me want to be a part of the BASD family. We hope that you enjoyed learning about Keri Sanders! BASD is very excited to have her on our staff.

Bellefonte Area School District would like to highlight a recent new hire: Tracy Long! Tracy is the Human Resources Director for the district. Here is a little information on Tracy: What is something you are passionate about outside of work? I'm passionate about my grandson, Lane, who is two years old, and my pets. I have two greyhounds, Moe and Millie. I also have two grand puppies. Jack is a black lab and Ruby is a Frenchie. Who would you choose if you could pick 1 person (living or not living) to have dinner with? I would have dinner with my former French teacher, Mr. Morton. He tells great stories. Using 3 different adjectives, describe yourself in 3 words. Loyal...Reliable...Empathetic What is the best piece of advice someone has ever given you? You can do anything, but not everything. Why did you choose BASD? BASD's reputation, values, and culture speak volumes about the district. I chose BASD because my skills and interests aligned with the role and the culture. We hope that you enjoyed learning about Tracy Long! BASD is very excited to have her on our staff.

The Bellefonte Area School District is hiring! Listed below are some of the highlighted positions: 1. School Counselor - BAMS 2. Varsity Swim Coach - BAHS 3. JH Assistant Girls Basketball Coach - BAMS 4. Middle School Reading Specialist - BAMS 5. JH Assistant Track and Field Coach - BAMS There are many more listed on our website, which can be viewed here: https://bellefonte.tedk12.com/hire/index.aspx Please share with family and friends - a fully employed school district is what our children deserve!

Today is National Education Support Professionals Day! The day honors a long list of those that keep schools running smoothly. They include all secretaries, classroom aides, cafeteria workers, maintenance workers, bus drivers, and the others who support educators, school leadership, and the students. These professionals do their part in making public schools exceptional for every child so they can be safe, learn, grow and achieve. We thank you!

The Bellefonte Area School Board will have its meeting this evening at 7:00PM. The meeting will be held in the Bellefonte Area Middle School cafeteria and the public is encouraged to attend! You can find the Board Agenda here: https://www.basd.net/page/boarddocs-agendas-and-minutes

Katie and Maddie of the Jana Marie Foundation were at the high school for the monthly Wellness Friday on November 15th. The November activity was to make gratitude cards!

Delaina Burris is an art senior at Bellefonte Area High School and is planning to continue to study art after graduation. She currently is working on a very cool project with her art teacher, Mrs. Erin Welsh. Delaina and her friends have been creating their own mosaic since the beginning of the school year and have just recently grouted it for completion! To learn about Delaina's experience on the process, click the following link: https://www.basd.net/article/1877010

Author of the popular Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, Jeff Kinney, did a virtual author visit at BAMS. Mr. Kinney showed us around his fun studio, taught us how to draw a character from his books, and then talked about his life as a writer as he answered student questions.

Looking for a book recommendation? While at the BAMS Library, check out Gleep's monthly recommendation on his tiny library book cart that they 3D printed.

BASD's Food Service Department is in desperate need of workers! There are MANY positions that need to be filled. Please share and encourage others to apply - we need your help! You can apply here: https://bellefonte.tedk12.com/hire/index.aspx Or go to basd.net and select Employment Opportunites.

Rebecca Leitzell has had a unique teaching journey within the Bellefonte Area School District. She is one of the rare educators that have experienced secondary level, elementary level, teaching in person, and teaching online (past the pandemic) - and she has done this all within BASD. If you would like to read more about Mrs. Leitzell’s experiences, please click here: https://www.basd.net/article/1859148

At the end of October, Benner Elementary wrapped up the Kids’ Heart Challenge. All the students in the school participated in a culminating event that included jumping rope and an obstacle course. All students worked hard to do their best while enjoying time with their classmates. But they worked even harder earning donations this year…and the school reached its goal and raised an amazing $16,835.43, which is almost $2,000 more than our previous best! This money will be used to provide vital research and educational programs through the American Heart Association. Great job, everyone!

November 11-15 is National School Psychologist Week. School psychologists provide direct support and interventions to students; consult with teachers, families, and other school-employed mental health professionals to improve support strategies; work with school administrators to improve school-wide practices and policies; and collaborate with community providers to coordinate needed services. Thank you for all of the work that you do for our students!

Thank you to our Veterans!

At Marion-Walker Elementary, Miss D’Ambrosia worked with the first grade students to build bridges to escape the (pretend) zombie apocalypse! All they knew was that the zombies can't walk on bones so the students built their bridges out of them (Q-tips!). There were so many creative ideas on how to get across the ravine!

At Pleasant Gap Elementary, the third grade students had to answer the question: If you were stranded on a desert island, how could you use your knowledge of condensation to make drinkable water? Miss D’Ambrosia helped the students make some solar stills! The dirty water evaporated, condensed on the plastic film, and dropped into the collection bucket. It went from really salty to completely drinkable water!

The BAHS Library recently got FitDesks! The FitDesks are meant for students to get some movement in while reading a book or doing work on their computers while in the library.

At Marion-Walker Elementary, Miss D’Ambrosia worked with the kindergarten students to create a sailboat. They had to learn what would float and catch wind, and then tested the boat with raceways! They modified their designs and created some great boats!

Bellefonte Area School District would like to highlight a recent new hire: Karen Morris! Karen is an 8th grade ELA teacher at Bellefonte Area Middle School. Here is a little information on Karen: What is something you are passionate about outside of work? I love to read and travel. I'm addicted to my kindle and try to get to the UK to visit my family at least every two years. I make chainmail jewelry, sew, and do other crafty things when I have the time and space. I also edit a business journal, so I'm passionate about the Chicago Manual of Style and linguistics in general. Who would you choose if you could pick 1 person (living or not living) to have dinner with? David Tennant and Michael Sheen. What's not to love about an actor who volunteered his time during the pandemic to help students with their Shakespeare homework, or played an amazing Doctor Who and Hamlet and Crowley (in Good Omens)? And it wouldn't be the same dinner without his partner in crime in Good Omens and Staged, a web-based masterpiece to come out of the pandemic. I'd love to learn what prompted Michael Sheen to basically become a non-profit actor who uses the money from his fame to support Wales and its people, history, and culture. Using 3 different adjectives, describe yourself in 3 words. Inquisitive, Distractible, Philosophical What is the best piece of advice someone has ever given you? Don't take it personally. It's also the hardest piece of advice I have following :-) Why did you choose BASD? I was impressed by the ideals of BAMS conveyed by Joe and Sommer during my interviews and I was excited to work with a smaller student population. Also, it's close to home, so I didn't have to move away from my family. We hope that you enjoyed learning about Karen Morris! BASD is very excited to have her on our staff.

Last night, BAHS Student Council had their annual Mini-THON Volleyball tournament. The tournament raised $1,054 for Mini-THON! The team, BlackHawks, won the tournament. That team consisted of Tanner Ebeling, Ryder Hamilton, John Servant, Ollie Thornburg, Tate Tooker, and Peyton Vancas. Congratulations on the win!