Representative Stern Visits B-A

State Representative Stern is scheduled to visit Bellwood-Antis Tuesday May 15th.

Welcome Representative Stern!

Additional information on Rep. Stern can be found at www.jerrystern.com

May Safety Message

May – National Youth Traffic Safety Month

You make choices every day – what to wear, what to eat, what TV show to watch. So, why not make the choice every day to be safe behind the wheel, to protect your safety and the safety of others? May is National Youth Traffic Safety Month. So remember that buckling your seat belt only takes a couple of seconds and that text (LOL) message can totally wait. Choose to be a “good” statistic, choose to wear your seat belt, choose not to drive impaired and choose to always keep your hands on the wheel and your eyes on the road.

To help you make wise choices behind the wheel you can visit the Just Drive PA website. It features a “Distracted Driving” page highlighting Pennsylvania’s new anti-texting law and the dangers of distracted driving. Also included is information on various highway safety topics including impaired driving, motorcycles, young drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians, child-passenger safety, and much, much, more. www.justdrivepa.org

Bellwood-Antis High School Nationally Recognized

Bellwood-Antis High School has ben recognized for a fifth consecutive year as one of U.S. News and World Report's "Best High Schools" - Bronze category. To read the full article on the U.S. News and World Report's site, click (here).

IMMUNIZATION REQUIREMENTS

PA State law requires that all students have evidence of basic immunizations before school entry. Students who are missing one or two doses will be granted provisional enrollment until April 2012.

Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act

What do the changes in the National School Lunch Program’s nutrition standards mean to you?

On Wednesday, January 25, 2012 new standards for the National School Breakfast and Lunch Programs were introduced by the USDA as part of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act.

The Nutrition Group, your child’s cafeteria provider, has always strived to provide nutritious meals to your student We are pleased to reassure you that your child’s food service program already reflects many of the nutrition prlndples mandated In the new regulations.

You are probably wondering how these new standards will change your child’s school lunches.

Some of the changes you will see Include:

Larger portions of fruits and vegetables.
Students will be REQUIRED to take a fruit or vegetable with their reimbursable lunch. (In the past, your student could decline both the fruit and vegetable component of their meal if they wished)
Whole grain food choices will be increased.
Only fat-free and low-fat milk choices will be offered.
Calories will be limited based on age levels.
The amounts of saturated fat, nuts fat and sodium will be limited.

We are certain you will agree these are all positive changes to your child’s lunch program. Please feel free to contact your school’s food service director Kim Hunter if you have questions or for more information.

2013-2013 PTO Nominations

PTO Nominations for school Year 2012-2013 are posted

(here) on the District's PTO site in the Announcements section.

B-A Foundation Thanks its Contributors

The Bellwood-Anits School District Foundation's mission is to develop and promote financial support for activities, ideas, and projects that are of value and importance to the contributors.

The Foundation would like to express their sincerest thanks to the following contributors:

• Altoona Regional Health System
• Central PA Community Foundation
• Charles Caracciolo Steel & Metal Yard
• Dan Himes Construction
• DelGrosso Foods, Inc.
• First Commonwealth Bank
• Giant Foods
• M & T Bank
• Nutrition Group
• P C Works Plus
• Raystown Transit Services
• Young, Oakes, Brown & Co.

To learn more about the Foundation, please visit the following website (here).

Noha Davis named to PA Sportswriters All-State Basketball Team

BASD Congratulates Noah Davis. Noah was named to Third Team Class AA Pennsylvania Sportswriters All-State Basketball Team. To read more at the Altoona Mirror's website, click (here).

All-State Chorus

BASD Congratulates Claire DeArmitt and Samuel Mills for making All-State Chorus and earning an opportunity to audition for All-Eastern Chorus.

"Water - Protect the Source" Poster Contest

Congratulations to 8th-grader David Grove, 1st place in his division in the Blair County Conservation District and Altoona Water Authority “Water – Protect the Source” Poster Contest. Posters are on display at the Logan Valley Mall.

Pennsylvania Middle School Association Central Region and Bellwood-Antis School District Presents:

Dave F. Brown, Ed. D., has written Why America’s Public Schools Are the Best Place for Kids to provide a research reality to the effectiveness of America’s public schools.

Negative perspectives from the press, politicians, and political action groups to use public dollars to support privatization of schools via vouchers or charter schools are unfounded.

The responsibility of meeting the needs of all learners, as public educators do, can-not be politicized. Americans must identify that the delivery of effective education is provided by the educational professionals who have for decades met the needs of a diverse population and succeeded on every front to improve the lives of U. S. citizens through the opportunities provided by a public education.

Education is a profession and a research-based field; a fact that is frequently ignored by those who disparage public schools. As members of the education profession, it is imperative that in an ever-increasing period of negative attacks on America’s schools, educators have the information that reveals public schools successes and purposely and publicly disseminate these facts. The stakes have never been greater for protecting public education.

If you’re searching for evidence that supports your local public schools and the educators who work there, Brown provides it in a clearly written format for all citizens to comprehend in his new book, Why America’s Public Schools Are the Best Place for Kids (available in all formats from http://www.rowmaneducation.com/

Date: Thursday, May 17, 2012
Place: Bellwood-Antis High School
Time: 4:30 Refreshments and Reception
5:00 Book Talk and Questions
6:30 Book Sales and Signing

Act 48 Hours Available for Teachers

Is your contact information up to date?

Winter brings the possibility of weather related closings and delays. To make sure that you get the benefit of an automated call for a delay or closure, now would be the perfect time to update any changes in address or phone so that you receive the message.

High School Office - 742-2274

Middle School Office - 742-2273

Elementary Office - 742-2272

Bellwood-Antis Digital Academy

Choosing a quality cyber school for your child is critical to his or her future. At the Bellwood-Antis School District, we understand that the skills he or she builds during K-12 school years impacts career and college choices, earning power and success in life.

Selecting Bellwood-Antis Digital Academy (BADA) will ensure that your child is prepared for the demands of the real world while providing a quality educational experience in the environment of your choice. BADA is designed to meet the needs of students who are considering enrolling in a cyber school or who are already enrolled in a cyber school, but would prefer a more local, personalized option.

BADA offers a true blended learning environment that allows students to complete coursework in the privacy and comfort of home while still participating in school activities. Students have the option to take a course of interest on-site at Bellwood-Antis during the regular school day or attend the Career and Technology Center. BADA students can also participate in athletic teams, art and gym classes and other “extras.”

For more details on the Bellwood-Antis Digital Academy, please follow the link (here).

My Lunch Money

Parents can say goodbye to sending cash and checks to the school cafeteria, by creating a secure online account to manage their student's cafeteria account easily and conveniently. Whether it's viewing what meals your child purchased for the week, or simply setting weekly or daily spending limits for your child, myLunchMoney.com provides you with a direct link to your student's school wherever you have internet access. Now parents can experience the benefits of using myLunchMoney.com by taking advantage of some of our popular features:

Spending History - Parents can view a 7 day history of student purchases.
Low Balance Email Notification - Parents can receive email notification when their student's account balance is low.
Expired Credit Card Notification - Parents can receive email notification prior to credit card expiration.
Meal Control Settings - Parents can select 'meals only' and/or 'ala carte' meals for their students.
Spending Limit Settings - Parents can set daily and weekly spending limits for their students.
Multi Student funding - Parents can fund multiple students at the same time.

In addition to adding myLunchMoney.com, the 'Smart Pay' feature is designed for busy parents that want to make sure their child always has money but may not always have the time to constantly check their account balance. Smart Pay allows parents to set their account to automatically replenish when the balance gets low and sends automatic monthly transaction reports of all their myLunchMoney.com payments.

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