Bellefonte Area School District

Bellefonte Area School District New Hire Spotlight: BASD welcomes Emily Bunk to our staff! Emily is a school counselor at the Bellefonte Area Middle School. Below is a little questionnaire about her: What is something you are passionate about outside of work? I love to sing and spend time with people I love! I also really enjoy hanging out with my cat - Soup. Who would you choose if you could pick 1 person (living or not living) to have dinner with? If I could have dinner with one person, I would pick Kristin Chenoweth. I think it would be so much fun! Using 3 different adjectives, describe yourself in 3 words. Energetic, Outgoing, Loving What is the best piece of advice someone has ever given you? I had an old supervisor who would always tell me "at the end of the day, people will always remember the way you made them feel." It always reminds me to do my best to be kind, think of others' feelings, and treat people with the respect they deserve. Why did you choose BASD? I chose BASD because I wanted to be a part of a community that was similar to the one I grew up in. I love that BASD is on the smaller side while still having plenty of people from different walks of life. We hope that you enjoyed learning a little about Emily and are excited to have her on our staff!

Bellefonte Area School District New Hire Spotlight: BASD welcomes Emma Lusk to our staff! Emma is an Emotional Support and Gifted Teacher at the Bellefonte Area High School. Below is a little questionnaire about her: What is something you are passionate about outside of work? One thing I am very passionate about outside of work is my Havanese Toy Poodle mix- Pepper. She is an adorable little handful and I love her. Who would you choose if you could pick 1 person (living or not living) to have dinner with? I would love to have dinner with Betty White. Using 3 different adjectives, describe yourself in 3 words. I am empathetic, funny and creative. What is the best piece of advice someone has ever given you? My dad is a retired professor from PSU and has 37 years for teaching experience- the best advice he has given me is “put the student first and the rest will fall into place.” Why did you choose BASD? I am born and raised in State College and I have always loved Bellefonte. The history and supportive community here is important to me, and I knew it was a great place to plant roots and begin my first year of teaching. We hope that you enjoyed learning a little about Emma and are excited to have her on our staff!

Next week is Homecoming Week! This year's Grand Marshals for the parade are Mr. Steve Klein and Dr. Jeanne Weaver. "Mr. Steve Klein and Dr. Jeanne Weaver have had an amazing impact on our entire community. They left a lasting impression on the students they taught and aided over the years. Each of them always showed a willingness to make the day memorable for their students at both the secondary and elementary levels. Students often comment on their warm smiles and great conversations whenever they crossed paths with these two caring educators." The parade is Thursday, October 3rd at 6:00 - we hope to see you in downtown Bellefonte!

Today is Human Resource Professionals Day! Everyone in our Human Resources Department works so hard to help cultivate a positive working environment throughout our district. We appreciate you and are grateful for the work that you give us, every day!

Bellefonte Area School District New Hire Spotlight: BASD welcomes Brian Burn to our staff! Brian is a special education teacher at the Bellefonte Elementary School. Below is a little questionnaire about him: What is something you are passionate about outside of work? I am a passionate sports and coaching, having coached on a number of school and recreational teams/programs. What I love most about coaching is the relationships and trust that are developed between a coach and a player. I enjoy working with the kids and watching their skills grow over the course of a season, especially between seasons. I have three kids, all in sports. I have had the opportunity to coach all three of my kids at various stages of their childhoods. They are 14, 10 and 7 years of age. Who would you choose if you could pick 1 person (living or not living) to have dinner with? I'd love to sit down and have dinner with my grandfather. He passed away when I was a 12 years old. I'd tell him how much I miss him, how I wish he could have seen me grow up and the family that my wife, Emma, and I have together. Using 3 different adjectives, describe yourself in 3 words: Empathetic, Funny, Patient What is the best piece of advice someone has ever given you? My grandmother said "Don't bite the hand that feeds you". It took me a while to figure out what she meant but as I got older I realized, it means to respect, be thankful and appreciative to the people who have helped you along the way. Why did you choose BASD? I student taught for BASD while I attended PSU. I fell in love with the students and people in the district. They were all very welcoming, professional and passionate. I knew from the very beginning that this is a district that I wanted to be a part of. We hope that you enjoyed learning a little about Brian and are excited to have him on our staff!

At the Bellefonte Area Middle School, they hosted a virtual author visit with Alan Gratz! Mr. Gratz has written 19 novels for young readers including Refuge, Ground Zero, and Code of Honor. Students listened as he spoke about his inspiration, writing process, and life as an author. Students were able to engage with Mr. Gratz and ask questions at the end.

It's Worker Wednesday! The Bellefonte Area School District is hiring. Listed below are some of the highlighted positions: 1. School Counselor - Bellefonte Elementary 2. Cafeteria Aide - Marion-Walker Elementary 3. Varsity Swim Coach 4. Substitutes - Teachers, Secretaries, Custodians, School Nurse, Paraeducator, Food Service Workers 5. Weekend Custodian 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!

At Bellefonte Elementary, Miss Trina’s life skills class learned about how lemonade is made. One component of lemonade is lemons, so therefore, one of their science experiments was about lemons. Each student got their own lemon, rolled it to get the juices flowing, cut it in half, touched/licked/smelled the inside of the lemon- all faces were a puckered face when they licked it!- and then they poured a spoonful of baking soda on the lemon to see what would happen. The students saw it bubble and fizz and my one student, Holdan Paucke, even said "if you put your ear to it, you can hear it making a fizz noise!" What a great way for students to learn about the different parts of what makes lemonade, lemonade!

For your Calendars: Would you like your opinion heard? The BASD Board of School Directors will be holding a public hearing to receive and consider comments from the public on the issue/question as to whether one or more of the District’s elementary schools should be permanently closed and/or explore other options. This will be held at the Bellefonte Area Middle School on Thursday, September 26th at 7:00PM. Please see the message below for the formal statement provided by the Board of School Directors: NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Bellefonte Area School District Board of School Directors will be holding a public hearing pursuant to Section 780 of the Public-School Code of 1949, as amended, to present information as well as to receive and consider comments from the public on the issue/question as to whether one or more of the District’s elementary schools should be permanently closed and/or explore other options. The hearing shall be held in the Cafeteria at the Bellefonte Area Middle School, 100 North School Street, Bellefonte, Pennsylvania 16823 on Thursday, September 26, 2024, at 7 p.m. Any questions, please contact Dr. Roy Rakszawski, Superintendent.

Greetings! Please enjoy the Snapshot Tuesday newsletter for September 24. Today's newsletter features alumni: Brittany Smith (2010) and Jordyn Nyquist (Berzonsky) (2015). Have a great day!

Bellefonte Area School District New Hire Spotlight: BASD welcomes Sharon Cook to our staff! Sharon is an attendance clerk at the Bellefonte Elementary School. Below is a little questionnaire about her: What is something you are passionate about outside of work? I am passionate about my grandson. His name is Brock and he is 7 years old. I enjoy every minute I can spend with him. Who would you choose if you could pick 1 person (living or not living) to have dinner with? I would have dinner with my mom. She has been gone for 5 years. We always enjoyed going out to dinner together. Using 3 different adjectives, describe yourself in 3 words: Dedicated, adaptable, and confident What is the best piece of advice someone has ever given you? Work hard, never give up, and always be true to yourself. Why did you choose BASD? I have a family history of Bellefonte. I grew up in Bellefonte, graduated from BAHS, and I know many people that now work for BASD. We hope that you enjoyed learning a little about Sharon and are excited to have her on our staff!

The Bellefonte Area High School will have their annual Back to School Night on Tuesday, September 24th, starting at 6:00PM. During the B2S Event, there will also be a Resource Fair that will have a variety of tables for parents to check out about local organizations. These will include the following: -Raider Revolution -Student Council and Mini-THON -Centre Safe -Strawberry Fields -Youth Service Bureau -Tides Program -Jana Marie Foundation -Center for Community Resources -Centre County Mental Health -Skills of Central PA -CareerLink -CenClear -Crossroads Counseling If you are going to the Back to School night, please be sure that you also check out the above tables!

Bellefonte Area School District New Hire Spotlight: BASD welcomes Jeremiah Dobo to our staff! Jeremiah is a band and music teacher at the Bellefonte Area High School. Below is a little questionnaire about him: What is something you are passionate about outside of work? I am a passionate hockey fan, especially for my favorite team, the Detroit Red Wings. Who would you choose if you could pick 1 person (living or not living) to have dinner with? I would have dinner with Detroit Red Wings legend, Mr. Hockey himself, Gordie Howe. Using 3 different adjectives, describe yourself in 3 words: Jolly, Welcoming, Kind What is the best piece of advice someone has ever given you? My father has always told me to create your own luck instead of hoping it will come to you. Why did you choose BASD? Growing up only a half hour away in West Branch, I always held BASD and especially the performing arts at Bellefonte in high esteem. When a position opened that seemed like a perfect fit for me, it was a no brainer to join the BASD family. We hope that you enjoyed learning a little about Jeremiah and are excited to have him on our staff!

If you get a chance to walk the halls of the Bellefonte Area High School, you might come across a large tile mosaic that is implanted on the wall, near the library. This mosaic has been years in the making and a project of tremendous effort from many students and adults. Art teacher, Erin Welsh, provided readers with some background on this project and the amount of love and work that went into it. To read the full article, click the link below: https://www.basd.net/article/1773555

The Salvation Army Centre County Service is accepting applications for the Angel Tree and Sheetz for the Kids Christmas programs. Application dates begin October 3rd! Please see the attached flier for more specific information - and please share with those that would benefit from this!

The third Tuesday in September annually celebrates IT professionals. In our district, our IT professionals help keep our staff and systems moving forward every day. There are countless tech requests that are submitted daily and our IT people do their best to solve every one of them. The district thanks you so much for your hard work!

PSU Sororities held a dress sale at BAHS to help raise money for THON. They sold gently used formal dresses for low prices and earned almost $500 to donate back to THON.

Dear Parents and Guardians, This afternoon, shortly before dismissal, a nonspecific bomb threat voicemail message was left at Bellefonte ES on the attendance line. Students were dismissed and, as a precaution, staff was released when buildings were clear. Since then, our Director of Security, in consultation with local police, has determined that the threat is not credible and is similar to a trend of similar threats that have been made in neighboring school districts recently. All after-school and evening activities will continue as planned. There will be an increased police presence tonight at events and in town. Dr. Rakszawski

On September 22nd from 10:30AM-5:30PM, the Youth Service Bureau is has free winter items for those that could use them! This winter event will be held at 334 S. Burrowes St. in State College. See the flier for more information and please share with those that could benefit from this!

On September 12, the volleyball seniors recognized teachers in their lives that have made a difference. Sadie Ripka selected Drew Eddinger, Taryn Miller selected Sean Seymour, and Emma Haagen selected Matt McDermit. Thank you teachers, for being great educators in these student-athletes’ lives!