SCHOOL NEWS

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Bell Top Elementary School
East Greenbush Central School District
39 Reynolds Road
Troy, New York 12180-8695
Telephone: (518) 207-2600
Fax (518) 283-1184

September 8, 2010

Dear Parents and Guardians,

            Welcome!  I hope that your child experienced a fantastic start to the 2010-2011 school year.  Our entire staff put a tremendous amount of time and effort preparing for the students’ arrival.  Each school year is filled with an opportunity to learn, grow, and establish new friendships.  Providing the very best educational experience for all children here at Bell Top School will continue to be our shared priority.  Our school staff encourages and recognizes the importance of parent involvement in the educational process.  We encourage and welcome your participation throughout the school year.  We will continue to support, organize, and establish ways that will enhance our district’s motto of a “School-Community Working Together”.
In order to ensure the safety and well being of all students and staff, please review the following school logistics:

  1. Bell Top’s A.M. Arrival and P.M. Departure Policy:        
    1.   Parents dropping their child off to school must park their vehicle in the lower parking lot and then escort their child to the center doors.
    2. Please do not drop children off on Reynolds Road and allow them to cross our bus entrance area. 
    3. Please do not park or pull-in in front of the building (front circle) between 8:40-9:10 A.M. and 3:10-3:40 P.M. as it interferes with our A.M. arrival and P.M. dismissal and it causes a severe safety hazard for students exiting and entering their buses.
    4. If your child is being dropped off for school after 9:10 A.M., you must accompany your child/children to the main office so that they can be properly signed in. 
    5. Children should not be dropped off prior to 9:00 A.M.  There are no available staff members to supervise children prior to the official start of the school day at 9:00 A.M.  If you arrive at Bell Top before 9:00 A.M., you must remain with your child in the center foyer area until the morning bell rings. 
    6. If you need to pick-up your child prior to the PM bus dismissal, please make every attempt to do so between 3:10 and 3:20 P.M. due to hallway congestion, moderate parking availability, and the negative impact on your child’s academic time. 
    7. All notes, lunches, materials, etc. should have your child’s full name (first and last) included on them in order to avoid any confusion.
    8. Bell Top’s school day begins at 9:10 A.M. and ends at 3:30 P.M.  As the school year progresses the majority of our buses will depart from Bell Top at approximately 3:35 P.M.  If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us at 207-2600.
    9. At the end of the day, we have a Silent Dismissal so that all staff and students can hear announcements.  This is necessary due to the logistics of our “load and go” dismissal and our unique and confined space for all of our buses. 
    10. Students who attend Greenbush Child Care are dismissed from their classrooms at approximately 3:22 P.M.
    11. Grade 4 Bus Buddies are dismissed to go to their “Kindergarten Buddies” at approximately 3:25 P.M.
    12. Grades 2, 3, and 5 are called for dismissal as their buses arrive here at Bell Top.
    13. The majority of our buses will depart from Bell Top School at 3:35 P.M.
  1. School Safety:           
    1. To ensure the safety of our students and staff here at Bell Top School all exterior doors will be locked at approximately 9:10 A.M. each day.  At this time Bell Top goes to our single point of entry method for all visitors.
    2. The single point of entry at Bell Top School will remain at the center entrance of our building.  For all individuals that require handicap access to our building, the exterior doors located by our kitchen area will also be available.
    3. Each time a guest arrives here at school during the instructional day they will be required to buzz the main office to gain access to the building.
    4. All visitors will be instructed to report to the main office to sign-in properly.  
    5. Once a visitor is buzzed into the building, our main office staff will monitor the visitor’s entry into the school via one of the monitors in the main office. 
    6. When a visitor arrives in the main office they will be required to show a valid ID unless known by the office staff. 
    7. All visitors to Bell Top will be required to wear a tag that identifies them to all staff members as a visitor. 
    8. The Bell Top staff understands that all non-staff persons in the building must have this tag displayed. 
    9. All visitors are required to sign-out of the building in the main office as well.  This procedure allows our staff to properly account for all individuals in the building in case of an emergency or drill situation.
  1. Student Verification Forms:
    1. Please review and update your child’s form ASAP. 
    2. Please sign and return your child’s student verification form even if there are no changes to be made.  It is imperative that the information on the verification forms be updated as soon as possible since emergency cards are vital for contact information.
    3. When updating your RapidNotify phone number, please be aware that phone numbers with an extension cannot be used.
    4. No out of the area cell phone numbers will be called for the emergency (RapidNotify) system.
    5. Only one e-mail per address/field can be utilized.  Additional ones will be deleted.
  1. Cafeteria and Recess:
    1. Please write your child’s first and last name on all envelopes (teacher’s name also helpful).  We often receive envelopes without any names on them. 
    2. The Bell Top salad bar will be available every day.  This provides a healthy and fresh alternative for our students.  Fresh fruit is always available as part of the salad bar.
    3. Lunch menus are always available on the district’s webpage.
    4. There are no changes in prices from last year.
      1. Breakfast costs $1.25 for elementary and middle school students
      2. Lunch costs $2.25 for elementary school students
    1. Children from households that meet Federal income guidelines are eligible for free meals or reduced price meals. Reduced price meals cost each eligible student $0.25 for lunch and $0.25 for breakfast. To apply for free or reduced price meals, submit a Direct Certification letter from the NYS Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance OR complete the application, sign it, and return it to Bell Top School as soon as possible. We cannot approve an application that is not complete, so be sure to fill out all required information.  Applications are available on the district website.
    2. Point of Sale (POS) on-line payments can be done at home through MyNutriKids.com via the district’s webpage (Click onto menus and then click onto MyNutriKids.com for step by step directions.
    3. Please dress children appropriately as we will be going outside for recess whenever possible. 
    4. It is a good idea to write your child’s name on all belongings (jackets, lunchboxes, etc.) as we often establish a large collection of these items in our “Lost & Found”.
    5. When visiting us here at Bell Top, please browse our “Lost & Found” for any of your missing items.
  1. Important Dates in September  to Remember             
    1. Thursday, September 9, 2010: NO SCHOOL (Rosh Hashanah)
    2. Friday, September 10, 2010:    Bell Top Ice Cream Social (6-8 PM)
    3. Monday, September 13, 2010: String Information Night for Parents (7 PM)
    4. Wednesday, September 15, 2010: AM Bus Drill (AM Arrival) and BOE Meeting at Administration Center (7:30 PM)
    5. Thursday, September 16, 2010: Open House for Grades 3-5 (7-8:30 PM)
    6. Thursday, September 23, 2010: Open House for Grades K-2 (7-8:30 PM)
    7. Monday, September 27, 2010: George Steele (Environmentalist) at Bell Top
    8. Tuesday, September 28, 2010: George Steele (Environmentalist) at Bell Top
    9. Wednesday, September 29, 2010: BOE Meeting at Administration Center

It is a pleasure to be part of the Bell Top Elementary School Community and I am looking forward to working with you and your child.  Please do not hesitate to contact me at any point during this school year with any questions, concerns, or suggestions.

Sincerely,

 

 

Jim McHugh
Principal

 

 

New York State Testing Program (.pdf) - Bell Top Elementary School, Grades 3-5

Upcoming Events
DATE
EVENT
TIME
9/2/10
 New Student "Meet & Greet" 2 - 3 pm
9/7/10

First Day of School for Grades 1-5

Kindergarten by Appointment only

  
9/8/10
 Full Day of Classes for all Students  
9/9/10
 No School  
9/10/10
 PTO Sponsored Ice Cream Social 6 - 8 pm
9/13/10
 5th Grade String Parents Info Night 7pm
9/15/10
 BOE @ Administration 7:30pm
9/16/10
 Bell Top Open House Grades 3-5 7-8:30pm
9/23/10
 Bell Top Open House Grades K-2 7-8:30pm
9/27-28/10
 George Steele visits Bell Top  
9/29/10
 BOE @ Administration 7:30pm
   

 

CALENDAR