Bellefonte Area School District

Through the GIANT Company’s Feeding School Kids initiative, Bellefonte Area School District announced it has received $5092.71 to expand its school food programs! The funding will be used to assist students with food insecurity issues and support families in need. From Jan. 1 through March 31, customers at GIANT, MARTIN’S and GIANT Heirloom Market stores were invited to round up their grocery purchases to the nearest dollar or convert their CHOICE points into a donation to support their local public school districts’ food programs. Through The GIANT Company’s Feeding School Kids initiative, more than $7.6 million was raised to support meal programs and address food insecurity.

Recently, Bellefonte Area Middle School raised $2,469.40 for their Stall Day! This money will be contributed to their Mini-Thon initiative that raises money for the Four Diamond Foundation! Great job, BAMS!

Good morning! Please enjoy your Friday Coffee Break newsletter for April 18. In today's newsletter, you'll find highlighted activities from BAHS, PGE, and BAMS. Plus a final total amount presented by the GIANT Food Company. Our staff highlight this week is Brittany McCamley and our Class of 2025 spotlight is Emily Anderson. Have a great weekend!

The Jana Marie Foundation joined the high school this month for their April Wellness Friday. The prompt for students and staff was: What are you looking forward to this spring or summer? This is their creation!

In Ms. Storch’s second grade classroom at Pleasant Gap Elementary, the students earned a Flashlight Friday where they got to read books by flashlight! The students worked hard to earn 30 smiley faces in their classroom jar by meeting expectations.

As part of the District's partnership with PSU K-12 Engagement, they are extending an opportunity for families at our schools to experience the planetarium this Spring! Families are invited to attend a planetarium program at Penn State University, where they learn about the night sky and challenges caused by light pollution. The program is designed for families with children ages 8 – 12. The program will run on the following dates: ● Saturday, April 19 from 2:00PM - 3:00PM and 3:00PM - 4:00PM ● Tuesday, April 22 from 6:30PM - 7:30PM ● Saturday, May 3 from 2:00PM - 3:00PM and 3:00PM - 4:00PM ● Saturday, May 17 from 2:00PM - 3:00PM and 3:00PM - 4:00PM Location: 5th floor of Davey Lab (across from the HUB at Penn State) You can register here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeAzD5iqi1lACNWq0InzLlkRfRDIy02Oh8YfKYREVtK9bPnCA/viewform *As part of attending the planetarium program, PSU asks for family member's consent to participate in an educational research study that will help them learn more about how to design planetarium programs for families. This will include a short survey at the beginning and end of the program. Families will receive a $25 gift card for completing a survey 2 weeks later. Participation in the research study is entirely voluntary and families are still welcome to attend the program if they choose not to participate.

Different Offices Trend: BASD Version Last week, members of all parts of the district took approximate 10 second video clips of their spaces to participate in the social media Different Offices Trend. We hope that you enjoy it! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18UzvRZ1Whs

The Bellefonte Area School District is hiring! Listed below are some of the highlighted positions: 1. Elementary Vice-Principal - Bellefonte Elementary 2. High School Learning Support Teacher 3. 4th Grade Elementary Teacher - Marion-Walker Elementary 4. 4th Grade Elementary Teacher - Benner Elementary 5. Jr. High Assistant Coaches - Boys' Soccer and Girls' Volleyball 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!

Congratulations to the High School Majorette team for winning titles at the 2025 PA Open AND State Halftime Show Twirl Team School Majorette Champions (Ages 14-18) over the weekend at IUP! And congratulations to the Jr. High Majorette team for winning the title of the 2025 PA Open Halftime Show Twirl Team School Majorette Champions (Ages 10-13)! Wonderful job representing Bellefonte, ladies!

This past week, the BAHS Drama Club put a remarkable performance of Fiddler on the Roof! The level of talent was extraordinary and the audience loved every minute of the shows. Great job to everyone involved with this undertaking!

The Bellefonte Area School District is proud to announce that Mr. Steven White will be the next Marion-Walker Elementary principal for the start of the 2025-2026 school year. Mr. White had this to say about becoming principal at MWE: "I am excited to move into the role of Principal at Marion-Walker Elementary. I look forward to working with the dedicated staff and wonderful students. My goal is to use my experience and knowledge to further enhance the already exceptional work being done at Marion-Walker Elementary. Finally, I know that I cannot truly replace Mrs. Krisch, but I will do my best to continue the amazing things that she has done over the years." Mr. White has been with the district since 2022 as the vice-principal at Bellefonte Elementary and we are excited to see his new adventure as principal at Marion-Walker Elementary. Congratulations, Mr. White!

A snapshot of some of the major senior events that the Class of 2025 will be participating in. You can find more events at the Bellefonte Area High School webpage.

Good morning! Your Friday Morning Coffee Break for April 11 features BASD employee, Brooke Knight, and Class of 2025 student, Kay Miller. There is a record breaker and a few key senior events highlighted, along with collaboration experience between BASD and SCADS art teachers! Have a great Friday, everyone!

It is National Assistant Principal Appreciation Week! Sometimes, being an Assistant Principal can be a thankless job, but we appreciate ours! They are often the ones that are dealing with the issues of the buildings and it can be a stressful job. Thank you so much to our assistant principals for their hard work every day!

The Palmer Museum of Art invited BASD and SCASD Art Teachers to a professional development workshop inspired by the museum’s special exhibition, The Triumph of Nature: Art Nouveau from the Chrysler Museum of Art. They were given the chance to explore the cultural context and visual language of Art Nouveau through 120 of the finest treasures including painting, prints, sculptures, glass, ceramics, and decorative arts. The teachers enjoyed a brief gallery talk by museum staff, discovered Art Nouveau-inspired resources and lesson plans developed for art educators, and were given time connect with fellow teachers. This program was developed through a collaboration between the Palmer Museum Education Department and art educators Danielle Crowe (SCASD) and Erin Bolger Welsh (BASD). The art teachers were very grateful to have a chance to meet with other art teachers in a different district! Such a great experience and chance for collaboration and growth!

A message from the Superintendent: Dear Bellefonte Community: I am writing to share two important outcomes from last night’s Board of Directors meeting. First, I am pleased to announce that Mr. Steven White has been appointed as the next principal of Marion-Walker Elementary School. Mr. White brings with him a wealth of experience as a school administrator and is highly qualified to take on this leadership role. Although Mrs. Krisch will leave big shoes to fill, we are confident that Mr. White’s steady leadership, student-centered mindset, and commitment to excellence will benefit the Marion-Walker community in meaningful ways. Second, the Board has officially selected the name Bellefonte Elementary School for our new elementary school. This decision followed a thoughtful and collaborative process that included a naming committee made up of board members, administrators, and a teacher. The committee carefully considered community input before making a recommendation to the full Board. Thank you to all who submitted ideas. We look forward to proceeding with the new name. Both of these decisions mark important steps forward for our district. Mr. White’s appointment ensures strong leadership at one of our elementary schools, and the naming of the new school brings us closer to opening a state of the art learning space for our students. These outcomes reflect our shared values of thoughtful planning and community involvement in shaping the future of our District. Thank you for your continued support of our students and schools. As always, we remain committed to keeping you informed and engaged as we move forward together. Sincerely, Dr. Roy A. Rakszawski

Bellefonte Area High School has a Rock Studio class in which students can really delve into the rock category of music. Some play instruments and others sing. Generally, this show is played during a Raider Period, but this year they hosted it on a Friday night and had great success! The audience loved the show and the students did an amazing job!

There is a Board of Directors meeting this evening at the CPI Building in Pleasant Gap. The meeting begins at 7:00PM. The public is encouraged to attend! You can learn about the minutes and see the School Board calendar here: https://www.basd.net/page/school-board

The Bellefonte Area School District is hiring! Listed below are some of the highlighted positions: 1. 3 Elementary Teacher Positions! - PG, BN, and MW 2. School Counselor at Bellefonte Area Middle School 4. Learning Support Teacher - BAHS 5. Custodian - 2nd Shift 6. Elementary Life Skills Support Teacher 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!

Members from the cast of BAMS Drama Club's production of The Little Mermaid traveled to several local senior living communities including Centre Care, The Oaks, and Eagle Valley Personal Care Home on Saturday, March 22. They performed a selection of songs and scenes from their show that was performed at the beginning of March. They had a great time getting to perform again and enjoyed the opportunity to perform for the seniors in our community!