Important Dates
April 3 - PTA Spring Dance @6-7:30pm
April 6 - METCO/PTA Bowling @5:30-6:30pm
April 7 - 3rd Grade ELA MCAS testing Session 1
April 10 - 3rd Grade ELA MCAS testing Session 2
April 10 - PTA Board Meeting @6-7pm
April 17 - School Advisory Council Meeting @7pm
April 19 - Spring Clean Up around Butler
A Message From the Tech Department
We at the Belmont Public Schools Tech Department want to extend our sincerest apologies for the difficulties many of you experienced with conference links during our recent parent-teacher conferences. Despite our best efforts to troubleshoot and resolve the issues, the vendor's system encountered major glitches that were beyond our control to fix. We understand how frustrating this must have been for you, and we regret any inconvenience.
K-3 Literacy Curriculum Review Update
As we shared in January, this year BPS is engaging in an early literacy curriculum review process to determine recommendations for our programming at the K-3 level in reading, writing, and word study. This webpage has been established as a way to share updates and information related to this process.
The Literacy Curriculum Council (LCC) has identified three curricula that we are considering for adoption:
Arts and Letters (Great Minds, 2025)
Expeditionary Learning (Open Up Resources, 2025)
Fishtank Plus ELA (Fishtank Learning, 2021).
We encourage you to visit the webpage to learn about the specifics of the LCC's work. This slideshow, in particular, provides details on the vetting process and timeline for curriculum review. As we move forward, updates will continue to be communicated to the community.
Chenery Placement Information
For parents and caregivers of students who will be entering Chenery Upper Elementary School next year, please read the attached letter from CUE Principal Laura Smith about an optional placement survey for parents and caregivers to fill out by April 4th. If you have any questions, you can reach out to Principal Smith.
CUE Placement Letter
Summer Withdrawals
As the end of the school year approaches, we realize that it's a busy time of year. You may be moving or enrolling your child in a private or vocational school.
If your child will not be returning to the Butler School this fall, we ask that you kindly notify us by Friday, June 6, 2025.
If you are not leaving Belmont Public Schools, there is nothing you need to do. Please call or email with any questions or concerns.
Notes from the Nurse
April 7-11 the Butler School will be participating in a national healthy-eating initiative called P.A.C.K.(Pack Assorted Colors for Kids) Week.
This is a fun and educational program encouraging kids to eat a wide variety of colorful fruits and vegetables. Each day of P.A.C.K. Week has been assigned a different color and we are asking you to pack a fruit or vegetable for your child’s snack and/or lunch based on the color of the day. All forms of fruits and vegetables count, so consider packing 100% fruit juice, dried fruits or canned fruits/veggies as tasty options. Here are the days of P.A.C.K. Week with some packing tips to make it easy:
Monday April 7 is Pack Purple Day – consider packing, raisins, blueberries or Concord grapes.
Tuesday April 8 is Pack White Day – bananas, white peaches, pears, cauliflower with dressing are tasty choices.
Wednesday April 9 is Pack Red Day – apples, cherries, strawberries, red pepper slices or grape tomatoes are great options.
Thursday April 10 is Pack Yellow/Orange Day - baby carrots, dried apricots, pineapple, nectarines or oranges are easy to pack
Friday April 11 is Pack Green Day – go green with green grapes, celery sticks, broccoli florets, or a green apple.
We suggest that your child wear the color of the day to make the program more fun! Check out theApril menuto see what colorful foods will be offered each day of PACK. week. Help us promote a variety of colorful and healthy food choices and encourage students to catch a rainbow every day!
Seasonal Allergies
Does your child suffer from seasonal allergies or asthma? If so, please be aware that allergy season is heading our way. Reach out to your child’s doctor about starting any treatments including daily medications to get a head start on the season and keep symptoms under control. There is a poster outside of my office explaining seasonal allergies including the daily pollen levels for Belmont to help students understand more about their health.
Those with asthma and seasonal allergies may experience an increase in symptoms as pollen levels rise. Some symptoms such as runny nose, sneezing, nasal congestion, post-nasal drip, cough and even allergic asthma symptoms of wheezing and shortness of breath mimic those of covid. Be aware of your child’s typical allergy symptoms and be sure not to ignore or confuse symptoms. As always, please reach out with questions or concerns.
Lisa Harteveldt, BSN, RN
Butler School Nurse
phone 617-993-5556
fax 617-484-7921
Care Solace
Did you know the town of Belmont has a partnership with Care Solace to provide any Belmont resident, student, or staff member with mental health support? Belmont Public Schools is committed to the health, safety, and well-being of our students, staff, and families. We are proud to announce our partnership with Care Solace to support our ongoing commitment. If you or a family member are looking for help with mental health or substance use, Care Solace will quickly connect you to community providers matched to your needs. Call 888-515- 0595 at any time or search on your own at caresolace.com/belmont
With a network of over 350,000 providers and services, Care Solace will help you find the right help at the right time, 24/7/365, at no cost to you. They will connect you with providers accepting all medical insurances, including Medicaid, Medicare, and sliding scale options for those without insurance.
You can access Care Solace services in three ways:
Call 888-515-0595 at any time. Multilingual support is available 24/7/365. A dedicated Care Companion will help you every step of the way to research options, secure appointments, and follow up to make sure it is a good fit.
Search anonymously to get matched with an extensive list of care providers at
caresolace.com/belmont.
Contact your school health professional, and they will submit a referral on your behalf.
No matter what you're experiencing, there is hope and help. We are confident that our partnership with Care Solace will help us build a healthier, more vibrant school community.
BHS UNICEF's Family Fun Night
Belmont High School's UNICEF club is thrilled to invite you and your family to our upcoming fundraising event, Family Fun Night! Join us on April 3rd at the Belmont High School Cafeteria for a fun-filled evening for all ages. This fair-like event will feature a wide range of interactive and educational booths run by our club members, including slime making, henna, a bake sale, and an exciting raffle. With free admission, this event provides a perfect opportunity for families to come together and enjoy quality time while supporting a great cause. We do recommend cash donations to support our cause, and our bake sale and raffle will only accept cash. We can't wait to see you there for a night of family fun and meaningful fundraising for UNICEF!
