Hello Butler Families!

Monday brings the 100th day of school! The learning and growth that has occurred since the first days of school has been amazing to see! This is due to the hard work and dedication of the Butler Staff as well as the commitment and support you provide at home. We will have more snow this week, so please keep your ears and eyes out for communications from the district in the event of school delays or cancellations. Like last week, if there is an early release, there will be no afternoon BEDP care provided. Report cards have been posted in your child's Plus Portal account and soon you will have the opportunity to sign up for a conference with your child's teacher. Conferences will be held on March 12 (virtual), March 19 (virtual), and March 26 (in-person). More information about signing up will be coming soon!

Warm Regards,
Julie Babson
Principal

February 10 - 100th Day of School!
February 13 - School Advisory Council Meeting (Virtual @7pm)
February 17-21 - February Break - NO SCHOOL
February 27 - PTA Multicultural Night

Random Acts of Kindness Week is February 10-14 and is an opportunity to highlight and recognize the impact of kindness, friendship, appreciation, and empathy. The Butler School will have a different focus each day during the week with the culmination on Friday. To ensure that we are making this time of year as equitable and inclusive for everyone, students will have time on Wednesday to make cards for classmates and others to be passed out on Friday. Students are not be expected to bring in cards from home, but can bring in cards if they choose.

Monday - RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS KICKOFF! - Start the Butler Kindness Chain
Tuesday - BE A SECRET SPREADER OF KINDNESS AT HOME - Do something kind for someone in your household
Wednesday - BE KIND IN YOUR CLASSROOM - Make friendship cards for classmates and others
Thursday - BE KIND IN YOUR SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY - Write Thank You cards or draw a picture to anyone in your school or community who has helped you in some way
Friday  - BE KIND TO YOURSELF - write down 5 things that you love about yourself - pass out cards made earlier in the week

We Value Your Input! Take the BPS Survey Today!

Belmont Public Schools values your input and invites you to participate in our Family Communications Survey. This survey is designed to understand your communication preferences and how often you want to hear from us. Your valuable feedback will help us tailor our communications to meet your needs. The survey takes 5–10 minutes to complete, and your participation is key to shaping our communication efforts. The survey will be open until Friday, February 14th. Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts. Please scan the QR code or click the link to begin.  https://www.belmont.k12.ma.us/forms/bps-family-communications-survey

Spread the Word: Mention the survey to families at your upcoming meetings/events, emphasizing how their input is for improvement. 

Massachusetts Partnerships for Youth (MPY) is pleased to announce that our free Parenting Solutions Library is now available in Spanish. MPY is offering this valuable resource in partnership with Peace at Home Parenting Solutions, a non-profit organization located in Mansfield, Connecticut. Through this partnership, MPY is providing proven resources to help students’ families thrive. 

Peace At Home Parenting Solutions specializes in empowering parents with evidence-based strategies to foster nurturing connections that safeguard their children's mental well-being. The Parenting Solutions Library is easily accessed using the link on MPY’s home page. No log in or passcode is needed.

The Peace at Home Parenting Solutions Library is a free, valuable resource for PTOs, SEPACs, ELLPACs and other parent-oriented groups. We request your assistance sharing this valuable and free resource through school-based newsletters and school-based organizations. For your convenience, we have created this handout. Please contact MPY Executive Director Margie Daniels at margie@mpyinc.org with questions.

Did you know that Belmont has a Preschool Program for Belmont children who are 3-5 years old that is located at the Wellington School? They are now accepting applications for September 2025 enrollment! CLICK HERE

All children are welcome to apply regardless of language or ability. The Preschool Program serves students who have learning difficulties and students who are developing typically. Some preschool students are English Learners and may receive support from an ELE teacher. It’s a wonderful program with very skilled teachers and aides.

The Preschool is a part-time program.  There are different schedules for a child depending on their age. Tuition for the year depends on the schedule:

• $100 non-refundable deposit to secure placement

• 4 day AM or PM - $3,550

• 4 day extended - $5,100 (limited enrollment)

To apply now, CLICK HERE.  If you already made an account to register another child, use that account.  If needed, all the forms can be translated using a button in the corner of the page.

Kindergarten Registration for 2025 - 2026

Kindergarten Registration for the 2025-26 school year will open on January 29th.  Please see this link for more details.

As a reminder, Butler School’s start time is 8:35AM with a late bell at 8:40AM when students are expected to be in their classrooms and learning has begun. If your child is arriving at school at 8:40am, they are getting a late start to their day as their classmates are already in the classroom starting the day. We all share the same goal to ensure that children are successful in school. Consistent, on-time attendance is key to making that happen. If you have any questions, please reach out to Principal Babson.

Third grade is the first year students take the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) where they will be participating in two English Language Arts sessions and two Math sessions. The information we gather from these assessments helps the school and district determine what is going well and areas of improvement with curriculum and instruction. More information will be shared later this winter/spring, but please mark your calendar for the dates below to ensure your child will be at school.

ELA - April 7 & 10
Math - May 12 & 15

Illness Guidelines 

Cold and flu season is in full swing. Respiratory illness is extremely common this time of year. Symptoms can include fever, chills, fatigue, cough, runny nose, and headache among others.

Our current protocol for those that test positive for all respiratory viruses including COVID-19, influenza (Flu) and RSV includes staying home until you have been fever free for 24 hours (less than 100.0 without the use of fever reducing medications) AND until your symptoms have significantly improved overall. Wearing a well fitting mask for 5 days after staying home is also encouraged to help prevent the spread of the virus. 

A complete look at the guidance can be found here. If your child has been sick and is still requiring frequent over the counter medications for cough, fever, or other symptoms, they are not well enough to return to school. Please be sure to keep them home until they are able to make it through the day without medication.

Head Lice Information 

Head lice are always in the community, and routine inspection of children’s heads by parents is ESSENTIAL to combat the spread. Vacations, holidays, and visits with friends and relatives invite the sustained head contact necessary to share head lice. Regular inspection keeps this from spreading to friends . 

• Please take a moment at home to check your child’s hair for head lice and their eggs (also called nits). Work under good light, such as the natural sunlight from sitting by a window or going outdoors. If eyesight is a problem, have a magnifying glass on hand. Use a bright light and magnifier as you methodically check your child.

• Use a white hair conditioner, and a good lice comb to detect lice or nits. I have more information and written materials regarding this treatment.

• Regular checking at home (monthly) dramatically decreases transmission. Please make checking for head lice a part of your routine hygiene just like brushing one’s teeth. 

If your child is found to have head lice at school, you will be called and advised to seek treatment. After treatment, have your child check in with the school nurse for a quick exam. No extra precautions are needed at home or in class, as research has shown this is spread through behavior, not objects. An article detailing evidence based practice from the American Academy of Pediatrics can be found HERE

Valentine's Day

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. If your child is planning to bring Valentines to school, please keep in mind our no food policy and avoid sending in any candy or food items.. This is for the health and safety of all students and staff at the Butler School, including those with life threatening food allergies and other health conditions. Thank you for your attention to this and for keeping our students healthy and safe every day!

Clothing Donations

Accidents happen. Along with accidents, wet winter weather has found many students requiring dry clothes on many occasions. While I have a limited amount of clothing in the clinic, I am running very low on size small and medium gently used elastic waist pants. Anyone willing to donate these items to the clinic is much appreciated!

Wishing you and your family a happy and healthy new year. As always, please reach out with any questions or concerns

Lisa Harteveldt BSN, RN
Butler School Nurse
lharteveldt@belmontschools.net 

Now that winter has set in, we want to ensure all of our students stay warm and safe during recess while enjoying the fresh air. Students will go outside for recess as long as the temperature and wind chill remain safe. The decision about if students will be going outside for recess is based on the temperature and wind chill using this chart. It is important that students come to school dressed appropriately for the cold weather. Students who are wearing shorts or do not have the appropriate outdoor clothing (jacket, hood/hat, gloves/mittens) will stay inside. When there is snow on the ground, students are only allowed to play on the field if they are wearing snow boots and snow pants. If a student forgets an item, we have a limited supply of extra gear, but it's best if everyone comes prepared. Families are also encourage to look through the lost and found to claim any missing items. Thank you for helping us keep our students safe, warm, and ready to enjoy recess during these colder months. Your partnership makes a big difference!

We want to remind you of the various ways you can find out about school delays and closings. As always, Belmont Public Schools will put out an automated call and email to parents and staff. School closing or delay decisions are made with the support of the other town departments as we consider the safety of our staff and students traveling to school. As usual, any snow days are made up at the end of the school year.

Please take a moment to familiarize yourself with the various ways you can find out about an unexpected school closing or delay due to weather:

WBZ Radio (1030 AM) and TV (Channel 4) http://boston.cbslocal.com/closings/

WRKO Radio (680 AM) and WHDH TV (Channel 7) http://whdh.com/storm-closings-delays/

WCVB TV (Channel 5) http://www.wcvb.com/weather/closings

The BPS Website