The ESL students at BCMS and their teacher, Ms. Lee, celebrated the class and their writing achievements on June 5, 2015. The students were joined by parents, teachers, principals, and school staff members to celebrate their progress and growth as language learners this year and as they presented a collection of their work in the writing genres of poetry, biography, informational research, and personal narrative. The class would like to thank BCMS for being a community that supports and encourages all students!

On June 17, the BCMS advanced Grade 8 Introduction to Engineering & Design class took a walking field trip — led by teacher Amy Ludik — to the Town of Bethlehem water tower located next to the middle school.

“Students learned about this massive structure which we pass every day as we come to school,” said Ludik. “They found out that the height of the main part of the tower is 164 feet! They also learned about how much water the tank can hold, a little about its history and how it helps maintain the water pressure to our homes, schools businesses  and fire hydrants in the Town of Bethlehem.”

According to Ludik, the students asked some great questions like, “How long will the water keep flowing if there is a major power outage in town?” The answer? It will keep flowing even when the power is out, because the water supply is gravity fed.

Family and friends, teachers, administrators and members of the Board of Education cheered on eighth graders from Bethlehem Middle School this morning as 385 students celebrated Moving Up to high school. The celebration was held at BCHS, the place these young men and women of the Class of 2019 will call home for the next four years. Congratulations to all!

View photo highlights of the 2015 BCMS Moving Up Ceremony.

Read a copy of Principal Klugman’s comments to students.

New York State changes immunization requirements for the coming school year

PARENTS ASKED TO ENSURE CHILDREN MEET REQUIREMENTS

New York State has implemented new immunization requirements for students to enter school, effective with the 2015-16 school year. Parents are asked to review the changes and contact their child’s doctor to make sure they have met the requirements for the start of the year.

The changes primarily relate to the DTap, MMR, and polio immunizations and the new requirement that students have their full series of those immunizations prior to entering school. Previously the final doses could be administered within the age range of 4 to 6.

The changes do not impact students entering grades 8-12 in September 2015.

Please contact your child’s doctor before the start of school if you have any questions.

Parents should ensure that a complete copy of their child’s immunization record is on file with the school. Records can be forwarded to the main office of your child’s school over the summer.

Read a summary of the immunization changes here.

The Bethlehem Central School District Board of Education has approved Jody Monroe, the district’s current Assistant Superintendent for Educational Programs, to serve as Interim Superintendent of Schools while the board conducts a search for a permanent replacement for Superintendent Dr. Thomas J. Douglas who announced in June he would be leaving Bethlehem at the end of August for a job in Central New York. Monroe was appointed to the new role at the Board of Education meeting on Wednesday, August 5. She will begin serving as interim superintendent on August 24 and is expected to continue in that role through the end of the 2015-16 school year.

“The board is pleased to announce that Ms. Monroe will be serving the district as interim superintendent,” said Board President Matt Downey. “After a long history with Bethlehem Central, Ms. Monroe is a proven leader and the board collectively feels she will bring continuity and stability to the superintendent’s role during this transition.”

Monroe has served Bethlehem Central for nearly eleven years, first as middle school principal, and as assistant superintendent for seven years.

“I feel privileged to be able to serve the district in this role and would like to thank the board, and community, for their continued faith in my work for Bethlehem Central,” said Monroe. “Even with the many changes facing education, I am confident that our exceptional faculty and staff are poised to continue the outstanding program we have for this community and I will work to maintain Bethlehem’s reputation of excellence.”

Downey said the Board of Education will use the coming school year to do a full search for a permanent superintendent. The district is currently working with Capital Region BOCES District Superintendent Dr. Charles S. Dedrick to conduct the search process. A detailed timeline of the search process, including continuous updates about the search, will be available during the school year at www.bethlehemschools.org/superintendent-search.

As part of the process, the board will be seeking the community’s input. Information on how the community can give feedback during the search process will be posted to the district’s website throughout the search, and will be sent out via the district’s School News Notifier (SNN) system.

Teacher Joanne Smith is greeted by Board President Matt Downey in celebration of her 35th year with the school district. Downey was also joined by Board Vice President Charmaine Wijeyesinghe and board members Lynne Lenhardt and Michael Cooper in celebrating staff milestones.

Bethlehem Central’s seven school buildings came to life today as district teachers and staff returned in preparation for the arrival of students on Tuesday, September 8. The day began for all district faculty and staff at the high school with an opening day welcome from Board of Education President Matt Downey and Interim Superintendent of Schools Jody Monroe.

Downey and Monroe were joined at the morning assembly by Board Vice President Charmaine Wijeyesinghe and board members Michael Cooper and Lynne Lenhardt. Together, they welcomed 41 new teachers and staff and paid tribute to longtime employees who are celebrating employment milestones this year.

Meet the district’s three new administrators for 2015-16.

The new staff members include the addition of 12.3 full-time equivalent (FTE) instructional staff, including eight new positions at the district’s five elementary schools. The new elementary-level instructional staff allows the district to reduce class sizes and provide support to struggling learners in the early grades. New positions were also added to increase STEM learning opportunities and to accommodate student scheduling requests at the high school. The majority of new hires in the 2015-16 school year will fill vacancies created by retirements and by staff who have left the district.

In addressing new and returning district employees, recently-appointed Interim Superintendent Monroe sought to define the kind of commitment she said she often sees in new and veteran teachers and staff at BC. She used the story of her own high school mentor and coach – Warrensburg High School’s Mary Ann Bump, who has seen her community rally in support of her as she has battled recent illness — to describe the lasting impact school district personnel, whether a teacher, coach, bus driver or support staff, can have on students.

Read full text of Interim Superintendent Jody Monroe’s welcome remarks to staff.

“What made Mary Ann (Bump) special were the connections she made with her students and her colleagues: In the classroom, on the field and in other roles she would take on around our school,” said Monroe in her opening day address.

“You are the ones who make the important connections with the children of BC in the same way Mary Ann did for me,” she said. “Years from now, our students will not remember the content you taught them, the food you prepared, the route the bus took or the lessons that were fun or boring to them.

“They will remember YOU as a person: How you treated them; how you inspired them; how you encouraged them,” said Monroe.

View additional photos on Facebook.

Welcome new BC staff members!

• Michelle Adalian – Eagle –Elementary Education
• Giorgios Athanassiadis – HS – Science/Physics
• Olivia Cauthorn – MS/HS – Science
• Sarah Cioffi – District – World Languages Supervisor
• Theresa Costello – Slingerlands – Elementary Education
• Joel DiTata – HS – Library Media Specialist
• Kathleen Dolan – MS/HS – Science/Math
• Darnell Douglas – HS – Counselor
• Beth Ferland – Hamagrael –Elementary Education
• Morgan Flynn – HS – English
• Sarah Foster – MS/HS – Science
• Kevin Fottrell – HS – Business
• Daniel Gildart – Glenmont –Elementary Education
• Amanda Graves – District –Library Media Specialist
• Lizabeth Hall – Eagle –Elementary Education
• Laura Hannigan – Glenmont –Elementary Education
• Maria Ibanez – MS/HS – World Languages
• Jennifer Marra – Slingerlands –Elementary Education
• Kerry McCabe – District – ESL
• Erinn McNeil – Slingerlands –Elementary Education
• Jaimee Meyer – Elsmere/MS –Library Media Specialist
• Stacie Mihok – Glenmont –Elementary Education
• Lindsey Murphy – Elsmere – Elem. SESS
• Laura Naumovitz – District –Library Media Specialist
• Maria Ibanez – MS/HS – World Languages
• Jennifer Marra – Slingerlands –Elementary Education
• Kerry McCabe – District – ESL
• Erinn McNeil – Slingerlands –Elementary Education
• Jaimee Meyer – Elsmere/MS –Library Media Specialist
• Stacie Mihok – Glenmont –Elementary Education
• Lindsey Murphy – Elsmere – Elem. SESS
• Laura Naumovitz – District –Library Media Specialist
• Andrea Pigliavento – Eagle –Elementary Education
• Maria Qualtere – Slingerlands –Elementary Education
• Mackenzie Riegel – Glenmont –Elementary Education
• Ken Rizzo – MS – Hall Principal
• Brittany Rodgers – Slingerlands –Elementary Education
• Kevin Shannon – MS/HS – TechTeacher
• Sarah Trombadore – HS – ELA
• Matthew Urban – HS – SESS
• Jill Venezia – MS/HS – Math
• Lisa Whalen – Slingerlands – Secretary

25 Years of Service to BC

• David Beck
• Brian Carl
• Jennifer Connors
• Melissa Depaoli
• Elizabeth Flanagan
• David Ksanznak
• Robert Languish
• Gina Marsh
• Frederick Powers
• Mary Pat Remmel
• Robin Sarnacki
• Janice Siniski
• Mary Szczech

30 Years of Service to BC

• Donna Asprion
• Salvatore Celeone
• Peter Mitchell
• Charles Reed
• Michael Relyea
• Diane Segal
• Robin Vanness
• Catherine Woller

35 Years of Service to BC

• Camille Micozzi
• Peter Rawitsch
• Joanne Smith

On Wednesday, September 2, the Board of Education formally appointed the district’s Math Department Supervisor Dave Hurst to serve as Interim Assistant Superintendent for Instructional Programs following an internal search process. The position was left vacant when Jody Monroe was named by the board to serve as Interim Superintendent of Schools for the 2015-16 school year in August. Hurst joins two new administrators also appointed by the board this summer to fill vacancies. Kenneth Rizzo has replaced Dave Zadoorian as Hall Principal at the middle school and Sarah Cioffi, who will serve as World Languages Supervisor while Dr. Marisa Bel is on leave for the 2015-16 school year.

David Hurst – Interim Assistant Superintendent for Instructional Programs

• How long have you worked at Bethlehem and in what capacity? I was the K-12 Supervisor of Mathematics for the past 5 years.
• How long have you been teaching? Which subjects?  I have taught math for 22 years … everything from middle school-level math through Multi-Variable Calculus.
• Where did you attend college/graduate school? I earned a B.S. from Plattsburgh State; an M.S.T. from Union College and an A.G.C. from the University at Albany.
• What prompted you to become an educator? I spent time volunteering as a peer tutor and worked at soccer camps in high school and those experiences always stuck with me.
• What do you enjoy most about Bethlehem?  BC has a welcoming atmosphere within the entire school community and I appreciate the collective dedication of faculty, staff, and parents in helping students reach their fullest potential.
• Anything else you want to share? I have been married to my wife Karen for 20 years. We have two sons, Zachary (17) who is a HS senior, and Tyler (5) who is entering Kindergarten.

Kenneth Rizzo – BCMS Hall Principal

• Which district did you come from and how long had you been there? I was most recently at the North Colonie School Distirct where I spent the last 12 years as a teacher and a soccer coach at Shaker Junior High.
• How many years have you been teaching? Which subjects? I have been teaching social studies for a total of 14 years (Grades 6 & 7). I also taught 7th and 8th grade in the summer school program.
• Where did you attend college/graduate school?  I have a bachelors degree from Siena College (2001); a masters from the University at Albany (2005); and an SBL/SDL from the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (2015).
• What prompted you to become a teacher/educator?  As student at Taconic Hills High School, I was privileged to have a US History teacher by the name of Mr. Lant.  He was an exceptional educator who challenged and inspired me to do my best. He was extremely engaging and a teacher whom I felt genuinely cared about me as an individual. I’ll never forget when he hosted our entire class at his home (and bought pizza) in order to help us prepare for the AP exam! I was saddened to learn that Mr. Lant may be retiring at the end of this school year.
• What do you look forward to in Bethlehem? It is truly an honor to be joining the Bethlehem family.  I could not be happier to be a member of such a supportive and student-centered learning community. I am looking forward to working alongside the talented staff at BCMS and in collaboration with the parents of our school. Although a part of me will always miss the classroom, I am very excited to be in a position where I can support achievement in all areas and foster positive connections with students and adults throughout our community.
• Anything else you want to share? My wife Sarah and I met in high school and we have three children – Nicholas (8), Madison (4), and Parker (2).

Sarah Cioffi – World Language Supervisor

• Which district did you come from and how long had you been there? From the Scotia-Glenville Central School District, where I worked for 25 years, including 8 as Department Chair of Languages Other Than English.
• How many years have you been teaching? 25 years.  Which subjects? I have taught French and Spanish, grades 7-12, and college-level French at SCCC for several years,
• Where did you attend college/graduate school? I have a bachelors degree from the University of Vermont; a masters from Union College; and an administrative degree from the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts.
• What prompted you to study foreign language? I had excellent teachers at Shenendehowa, and spending a summer in France during high school really inspired me to continue learning the language.  After that I also wanted to learn another language, so I began to study Spanish.
• What do you look forward to in Bethlehem?  I look forward to working with a top-notch, dynamic, and dedicated group of teachers in the World Language and ENL Departments, and with an administrative team that is second to none.  I’m also excited to get to know our Bethlehem families and to support our language learners in any way I can.  I can’t wait for our students to get back to school and for classes to get underway.  It’s going to be a great year!
• Anything else you want to share? I have two daughters, Sophie (19), who is a junior in college, and Lucy (11), who is starting 6th grade this year.  We are a die-hard soccer family!

This is a reminder to BC parents, students and community members about the importance of pedestrian safety in and around our schools.

Drivers should remember that the posted speed limits around most of our schools during school hours is 20 miles per hour. At schools where the roads are maintained by the state, the speed limits vary. In front of Elsmere Elementary School, on Delaware Avenue, the speed limit is 30 mph. At the high school, the speed limit on Delaware is 35 mph, but is 20 mph on Van Dyke Road in the vicinity of the high school and Eagle Elementary School. This speed limit is in effect from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on school days.

Also, please take a few minutes to review the following safety tips and remind your student walkers about proper safety in getting to and from school and in our parking lots.

• Drive slowly on roadways that pass parks and playing fields, and be on the lookout for children on bikes and for pedestrians. Don’t assume they see you.
• Make sure pedestrians see you before you proceed through intersections or pull out from driveways or parking lots.
• Remember: It is illegal to pass a school bus loading or unloading passengers, even in the parking lot.
• Pedestrians, remember to use sidewalks and marked crosswalks when they are available. When sidewalks aren’t available, always walk on the left side of the road facing traffic and as far from the road as possible. When crossing a street, cross only at intersections and look left, right, and then left again before proceeding across.
• When walking, always try to wear bright-colored or reflective clothing so you can be seen more easily by motorists.

Thank you for your attention to this very important matter!

A message to families from Interim Superintendent Jody Monroe

You may have noticed that on the printed district calendar the April spring break is identified for use, if necessary, to make up for snow days. I would like to clarify the district’s plan for snow day use and contingency days during the 2015-16 school year.

The district currently has up to four (4) available snow days that could be used, at the district’s discretion, before any contingency day from the April spring break would be needed. This means, if the district uses:

• One (1) through four (4) snow days – there will be NO CHANGE to the April calendar.
• Five or more snow days – The April break will be shortened accordingly, beginning with Friday, April 29, 2016, and working backwards from there.

If you have any questions related to our planned use of snow days during the school year, please do not hesitate to contact me at jmonroe@bcsd.neric.org.

The annual BCMS Costume Ball will be held Friday, October 30^th from 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. at the middle school.  The event is open to all 6^th, 7^th and 8^th graders.  Since we will be celebrating the fall season with a costume ball, costumes are mandatory for all students!  Activities include a haunted house in the basement, doughnut eating contests, dancing in the cafeteria, basketball in the lower gym, carnival games in the upper gym, horror movies in the auditorium, bloody bean bag toss, face painting, scary-selfie booth,  FACS Halloween treat-making and more.  The Halloween concession stand will also feature festive holiday baked goods, pizza, popcorn, cotton candy, fruit and other healthy snacks.

Admission to the BCMS Costume Ball is $5.00.  Students can purchase a wristband on Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday during their lunch periods the week of the event.  These wristbands will be the student’s admission to the party.  Wristbands should be purchased prior to the event; only students with wristbands will be admitted!  Also please note, only BCSD students will be allowed to attend this function.  All proceeds will support the P.E program, BCMS Garden Club, and other teams or departments in the building.

A few important notes: 

Drop-off- This is the largest building-wide event of the year!  Carpooling for student drop-off and pick-up is highly encouraged.  Students will be allowed to enter the event through the front entrance and the Patroon House new wing entrance.  Parking cones will be used to create two single lines, one around the front circle and another around the Patroon entrance.  Chaperones will be moving cars forward around these areas to allow for quick drop-off.

Pick-up-  All students will be released at 8:30 p.m.  Parents will not be allowed to come into the building to find their child during the event.  If you need to pick your child up early, your child will need to meet you at one of the entrance location at a designated time.  We will not have staff on hand to seek your child out, so coordinate your plan accordingly.  Along the same lines, please establish a meeting point for your child (and hopefully a bunch of their friends as well) at the 8:30 dismissal.  The large parking lot near the LMC will be open for pick-up parking.

Chaperones/Helpers-   We will need many chaperones to supervise during the event, people to help clean-up after the event, and bakers to contribute Halloween treats!  If you have not signed up through the PTO already, please consider helping out.  This is sure to be loads of fun and a great opportunity to see your child and his/her friends in their social element.  To sign up simply go to this link http://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0444aaac2da1f49-halloween

Middle school can be a difficult time for students; one where they are going through many changes in their life and are confronted with adult situations for the first time. Health education can play a major role in a student’s understanding of what is going on within them, and around them. At Bethlehem Central, Fran Vincent helps fulfill this role and is a key resource for students on campus. 

Fran Vincent, Bethlehem Central Middle School’s health education teacher, will be recognized by the NYS Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (NYSAHPERD) as New York State Health Education Teacher of the Year at this year’s Jay B. Nash Awards Dinner on Nov. 20, 2015. This award from NYSAHPERD is designed to recognize individual contributions to improving the lives of others and supporting quality health education and physical education programs.

Vincent is being honored for her work in presenting on the skills-based curriculum as well as her ability to connect her students to what is being taught. Fran has presented numerous workshops at the annual NYSAHPERD conference and Capital Zone conferences and was a member of the New York State Health Leadership Institute. She is a former board member of Bethlehem Opportunities Unlimited (BOU) and will be speaking at the BOU’s “Talking with Your Teen, An Open Conversation about Substance Use” event on Nov. 12. 

Vincent also leads by example as a USA Triathlon certified level 1 coach, Star 2 spinning instructor and Cooper Institute certified fitness instructor. In her spare time she teaches spinning at the YMCA, coaches Triathletes and competes in triathlons. She has qualified and competed in the 2013 and 2015 Ironman National World Championships in Kona, Hawaii.

Join us in thanking Fran Vincent for her dedication to our students and in congratulating her on being awarded Health Education Teacher of the Year.

Fifty middle school students were honored Thursday morning, November 12, at the BCMS first-quarter Character Awards Breakfast.

The character award recognizes students who display good character on a consistent basis and serve as student role models throughout the marking period. Students are nominated by their team teachers and other staff.

The students were treated to a breakfast provided by the Kiwanis Club. Each student was awarded a certificate by Principal Mike Klugman, and were greeted by Interim Superintendent (and former BCMS principal) Jody Monroe, Board of Education President Matt Downey, Board Vice President Charmaine Wijeyesinghe and Board Member Lynne Lenhardt.

Click here to view Character Breakfast Photo Album on the district’s Facebook page.

Special thanks to the volunteers and staff who made the breakfast a very special occasion for our students! A list of winners and some of the comments received on their nomination can be found below:

MOHAWK HOUSE

Mohawk: 6th grade

• Rylan Gaffney – Rylan is always polite and very persistent.
• Orion Dennin – Orion is always curious and looking to extend his knowledge.
• Daniel Middendorf – Daniel is a good student; things are well thought out.  He has great creativity.
• Victoria Allen – Victoria is very curious about science and the workings of class.
• Madeline Ferreira – Madeline is outgoing and follows through.  She works well with others and is persistent.
• Aimee Lewis – Aimee is curious about class, polite and a hard worker.

 Mohawk : 7th grade

• Nicole DiCarlo – Nicole is a great kid; always kind to those around her.
• Madelyn Gatchell – Maddie is incredibly kind and polite; always reliable and helpful to all.
• Mario Cubello – Mario always has a smile on his face and a positive attitude.
• Ella Kasper – Ella is kind, polite and a pleasure to have in class.
• Samantha Fuscus – Samantha is focused, kind and a pleasure to have in class.
• Benjamin Eisenbraun – Ben is inquisitive and driven; kind to all around him.

Mohawk 1: 8th grade

• Matan Sagiv – Matan shows persistence in each class and works to achieve his goals.
• Nicholas Towle – Nick shows great drive and dedication to his learning.
• Luca Verner – Luca displays creativity in her classes.
• Mackenzie Constable – Mackenzie is very creative in the classroom and in the school community.
• Afnan Dara – Afnan expresses a curiosity and interest in learning new ideas and concepts.
• Chapel Aspin – Elli is always enthusiastic and interested in tackling new challenges in class.

PATROON HOUSE

Patroon 1: 6th grade

• Katerina Van Steele – Katie asks thoughtful questions to increase her understanding of what she is learning during classes and individually with teachers.
• Lauren Kinn – Lauren asks teachers questions during home base when she is confused or unclear, for her work to be of its best quality.
• John Molinsek – John uses home base and after school to get his questions answered so his work can be of excellent quality.
• Nora Samson – Nora shows strong literary curiosity, asking in-depth, interesting questions during Socratic Seminar in ELA class.
• Mackenzie Gorman – Mack’s doodles and drawings reveal her artistic talents.  Some of her doodles, especially in her assignment notebook, are amazing!
• Natalie Sevilla – Natalie’s writing exceeds classroom expectations, with incredible description and details.

Patroon 1: 7th grade

• Julia Reickert – Julia has put forth a lot of effort in her classes so far this year and always tries her best.
• Alan Choppy – Alan is always eager to raise his hand to contribute to class.
• Theresa Van Heste – Tessa has a very positive attitude and asks great questions.
• Daniel Gillespie – Danny asks questions that allow the whole class to get a deeper understanding of the content.
• Elizabeth Hancox – Elizabeth has shown herself to be very creative in class projects.
• Matthew Bogardus – Matt has shown a great talent in his artistic abilities.

Patroon 1: 8th grade

• Loretta Donovan  – Letti is always positive and works very hard.
• Johnathan  Fabe – Jon is very patient with all learners, and he models great character in the classroom.
• Justin Fitzpatrick – Justin is very helpful in the classroom and has a positive attitude.
• Sarah Ansong – Sarah always has a smile and positive attitude.

Patroon 2: 6th grade

• William Bievenue – William is self-motivated; makes corrections on assignments to learn from errors and works hard.
• Ciara Ryan – Ciara is a model student who always does her best and works hard even on difficult assignments.
• Matan Ruggiero – Matan always has great questions to try to learn more.
• Griffin Roeder – Griffin is a deep thinker who tries to take his learning to the next level by asking excellent questions.
• Melanie Couillard – Melanie went above and beyond a recent social studies assignment and made beautiful artwork for children around the world.
• Elianna Figueroa-Sealey – Elianna went above and beyond a recent social studies assignment and made beautiful artwork for children around the world.

Patroon 2: 7th grade

• Brynn Lahey – Brynn is persistent in her quest for academic and personal fulfillment; curious about her community and the world around her.  She also demonstrates creativity inside and outside of school.
• Kaitlyn Grossman – Kaitlyn is persistent in her quest for academic and personal fulfillment; curious about her community and the world around her.  She also demonstrates creativity inside and outside of school.
• Ryan Teplitzky – Ryan is persistent in his quest for academic and personal fulfillment; curious about his community and the world around him.  He also demonstrates creativity inside and outside of school.
• Calvin LaForest – Calvin is persistent in his quest for academic and personal fulfillment; curious about his community and the world around him.  He also demonstrates creativity inside and outside of school.

Patroon 2: 8th grade

• Kelcie Moss – Kelcie utilizes her curiosity and creativity on a regular basis to learn the material well enough to help others.
• Kiersten Murray – Kiersten uses her persistence to achieve very good grades through hard.
• Henry Bievenue – Henry is very curious demonstrated by his frequent questions to gain a better understanding.
• Michael Bievenue – Mike is a very persistent student reaching very high goals through hard work.
• Heaven Pickel – Heaven is a very curious student often asking why, when others just move on.
• Garrett Skultety – Garrett is very persistent with his studies pursuing more help as needed until he understands.

Grade 6 Character Awards – 1st Quarter 2015-16

Grade 7 Character Awards – 1st Quarter 2015-16

Grade 8 Character Awards – 1st Quarter 2015-16

Pictured are: front row – Griffin Roeder and back row (l to r) – Ben Goldberg, Navid Mazidabadifarhani, Sam Cooper, and Michael Fishburn.

Congratulations to the Bethlehem Middle School History Bowl Team which qualified for national competition after being semi finalists in the National History Bee and Bowl Junior Varsity regional competition on Saturday, Nov. 21 at Princeton University in New Jersey. 

The BC team – which included sixth grader Griffin Roeder, seventh graders Ben Goldberg, Sam Cooper and Michael Fishburn, and eighth grader Navid Mazidabadifarhani — finished third in a field of 12 teams. Competing teams were made up of all ninth and tenth grade students. 

The national competition will take place in Washington D.C. in spring 2015.

It is something BC residents look forward to every year: the return of the scarecrows lining Kenwood Avenue and the entrance to Bethlehem Middle School.

Members of the Bethlehem Central Middle School Garden Club worked hard after school today, joining teachers and parents to build a dozen huge scarecrows in front of the school. It is the seventh consecutive year the scarecrows are part of the school landscape.

Thank you, Garden Club and BCMS Assistant Principal Mr. Warford, who has organized the event every year.  

View photo album on the district’s Facebook page.

Twenty-six Bethlehem students had their artwork on display at the New York State School Boards Association (NYSSBA) Conference in New York City in late October. The exhibit, co-sponsored by NYSSBA and the New York State Art Teachers Association (NYSATA), was intended to highlight achievement in Visual Art across New York state. 

The work on display featured artists at every grade level, in a range of mediums, techniques, and genres. Board members and school administrators from across the state attended the NYSSBA Annual Convention and got to view the art display at the Sheraton New York Hotel in Times Square from October 18-20.

“Every teacher in the district submitted two works of art for this exhibit and every school in the district was be represented,” said District Art Supervisor Melanie Painter. The students were also be recognized here at BC, during the November 4 Board of Education meeting.

Congratulations to these student artists:

• LeeChen Zhu
• Ceili Conway
• A.J. Jones
• McKenzie Kresge
• Rachel Morey
• Zephan Conway
• Almir Cecunjanin
• Brittany McKeown
• Cristina Grigas
• Miranda Manziano
• Grace Fitzgerald
• Jonah Eng
• Juliana Okoniewski
• Mara Warford
• Morgan Gilles
• Catherine Wyman
• Tyler Salisbury
• Nanaka Suzuki
• Stuart Pace
• Sohalia Tiu
• Fiona Castle
• Alexandra Roe
• Dylan Rowe
• Tao Xie
• Jack Gray
• Gemma Moore

First quarter report cards for Bethlehem Central Middle School students have been posted to Aspen. 

Please note: Aspen may experience temporary outages this evening between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. due to maintenance work on our network server, hosted by the Northeast Regional Information Center (NERIC). 

Your opinion matters! Please answer a quick, anonymous survey regarding the tools our school district uses to communicate with you and your family. It includes eight questions and should only take a few minutes to complete.

Link to survey here: http://www.fluidsurveys.com/s/BCParentSurvey/

Interim Superintendent Jody Monroe and her administrative team are focusing on ways to identify and address priority issues in our schools. In doing so, the district is surveying students, staff, and our families to help guide future decision making. Students in grades 4-12 are being asked to answer a short survey about school culture; staff is being surveyed about working at BC; and now you and your family can answer a quick survey about preferred methods of communications regarding district issues, school events, parent/teacher communications, etc.

The survey will remain open through Friday, December 11. As always, we thank you for your input and your continued support of BC.

With winter just around the corner, it is a good time to review how Bethlehem communicates weather-related announcements, be it closings, delays or early dismissals.

Cancellations, delays or early dismissals are posted on the school district’s website, right on the homepage at www.bethlehemschools.org.

School closings are also announced on the following local TV and radio stations: Channel 6, Channel 9 (YNN/TWC), Channel 10, Channel 13, FOX23, WFLY (92.3 FM), WGNA (107.7 FM), WGY (810 AM), WYJB (B95.5), WRVE (99.5 FM), as well as http://spotlightnews.com and http://timesunion.com.

Closing information will also be sent directly to your email account via the district’s School News Notifier (SNN) system if you have signed up for the closings and delays notification option. It will also be sent directly to your cell phone via text message if you have signed up for text message alerts.

Please note: Due to the volume of closing notifications sent over SNN, and precautions put in place by the recipient’s email server, these notifications may not be received immediately.

We will also post notifications to our district Facebook (www.facebook.com/BethlehemSchools) and Twitter (twitter.com/BethlehemCSD) pages.

It is best to rely on more than one source of information when it comes to weather-related announcements. This is particularly true in situations that involve power outages, which can affect the district’s ability to send electronic notifications. Emergency preparedness agencies have advised that residents have access to a battery-powered radio so that they can receive information if other communication channels are unavailable.

Read a message from Interim Superintendent Jody Monroe on the use of snow days and contingency plans.

Register your Price Chopper Advantage Card with Tools for Schools!

Why? Because it earns money for your school to purchase school supplies, gym and recess equipment, resources for teachers and students and much more!  It’s free, and the earlier you register the sooner our schools will begin to earn points. Track your contribution on the bottom of your Price Chopper receipts.

Even if you have participated in the past, please keep in mind that each year you need to sign up.

http://www.pricechopper.com/savings/tools-for-schools

School Codes:

• Eagle Elementary: 41667
• Elsmere Elementary: 15747
• Glenmont Elementary: 15775
• Hamagrael Elementary: 15748
• Slingerlands Elementary: 15749
• BCMS: 15745
• BCHS: 15746

Twenty Bethlehem Middle School students spent a recent weekend at Camp Jewell YMCA in Connecticut flexing their leadership muscles while participating in team building and character development activities. The participating students are seventh and eighth graders who are members of the Principal’s Advisory Committee and Student Council.

The group, accompanied by three BCMS staff members, also spent time together hiking, rock wall climbing, square dancing, playing basketball and whiffle ball and tackling a low ropes course as they learned to rely on one another and work as effective team.

View photo album on the district’s Facebook page.

The BCMS students and staff were joined by student leaders from Shaker Junior High School, a middle school located in the North Colonie School District. More than forty students from the two school districts were present for the leadership retreat.

A great time was had by all!