Belle Fourche School District

Press release from Belle Fourche Police Department - There was a threat made to the Belle Fourche Middle School made through an anonymous social media account using Snapchat. The Belle Fourche School district followed proper protocol and notified law enforcement and went into a lockdown. Belle Fourche Police Officers responded and went through each school building. After completing security sweeps of all the school buildings, it has been determined that there does not appear to be a credible threat to the students or staff. This event appears to be associated with a nationwide trend of social media threats taking place across the country. At this time, we are investigating and taking this matter very seriously. There will be an increased police presence around the schools throughout the week. We'll continue to monitor the situation closely alongside our partners at the Belle Fourche Public School. We encourage students, teachers, and families to remain vigilant and to report suspicious behavior. Thank you, Ryan Cherveny Chief of Police Belle Fourche Police Department

Dear Parents and Guardians, This afternoon, our school experienced a lockdown following a report that later turned out to appear non-credible. While we understand that such events can cause concern, we want to assure you that the safety and well-being of our students is our top priority, and all necessary safety protocols were followed to ensure everyone’s protection. After a thorough investigation by local law enforcement, it was determined that there was no credible threat to our school. All students and staff are safe, and regular school activities resumed once the situation was fully resolved. We understand that these kinds of situations can be unsettling for both students and parents. To support our students, we will have school counselors available to talk with any child who may feel anxious or concerned about today’s event. If you feel that your child needs additional support, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us or encourage your child to visit the counselor's office. We also encourage parents to take some time this evening to talk with your child about what happened today. Open and honest communication can help children process their feelings and reduce any anxiety they might be experiencing. Reassuring them about the safety measures we have in place can also go a long way in helping them feel secure at school. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact the school office. We are committed to providing a safe and supportive environment for all our students. Thank you for your understanding and continued support. Sincerely, Mr. Thompson, Superintendent

Parents of K-4 Students: We are so excited for the start of a new year! Here a few important dates/reminders for you as you get ready to come back to school! August 13: Please stop by South Park anytime between 5:00-7:00 PM to pick up a letter from your child’s teacher and a few other essential documents. To ensure efficiency, there will be separate tables for each grade level and a table for parents with children in multiple grades. Folders will be pre-stuffed for quick pick-up! If you would like to bring your kids, the PTO will have a treat they can pick up, or you can grab it to take home to them. Again, we look forward to seeing our K-4 Parents on the 13th anytime between 5:00 and 7:00. Note: Folders will only be given out to parents. If you are unable to make it that evening, please call the front office the following day and we will schedule a time for you to pick up your materials. August 15: This is the day we get to welcome back our amazing parents AND students at the open house! Please bring your students anytime between 1:00-3:00 and they can meet their teachers and drop off all their supplies. Incoming Kindergarten students will go to North Park for this open house. As you have questions…Don’t forget to check out the school newsletter. It contains all of this and so much more about the start of the year! We’ll see you soon!

REMINDER - to all Parents of returning students to Belle Fourche School District, please complete the Returning Student Registration process at the following link by August 5th: If you have already completed the registration process, thank you! https://forms.office.com/r/L09KVpXMxh

REGISTRATION FOR RETURNING STUDENTS Below is a link for registration for RETURNING STUDENTS ONLY for School Year 2024-25. If you completed the kindergarten registration this past spring, do not complete the returning registration. New to the District students will have a different registration process. Deadline to register for returning students is August 5th. https://forms.office.com/r/L09KVpXMxh Click on the link above - you may need to copy and paste the link. You may need to create an account. This is for security purposes. Complete registration form for each returning student and hit submit.

Attention all parents and student athletes participating in a Fall Sport. We are very excited to start the Fall 2024 season and school year. On behalf of Belle Fourche High School, we would like to formally invite you to our upcoming Parent and Coaches Meeting on Tuesday, July 30 at 6:30pm. This meeting will be held in the Middle School gym. This meeting is scheduled to discuss pertinent information and hand out important paperwork to complete prior to the first practice. We look forward to seeing you all!

Attention all parents and student athletes participating in a Fall Sport. We are very excited to start the Fall 2024 season and school year. On behalf of Belle Fourche High School, we would like to formally invite you to our upcoming Parent and Coaches Meeting on Tuesday, July 30 at 6:30pm. This meeting will be held in the Middle School gym. This meeting is scheduled to discuss pertinent information and hand out important paperwork to complete prior to the first practice. We look forward to seeing you all!

Updated Back-to-School Newsletter - note changes in the Elementary bus loading/unloading - https://5il.co/2r7km

Revised 24-25 School Calendar - note the Homecoming date has changed to October 11th. https://5il.co/2qqgb

Dismissal times for May 23, 2024 (last day of school): North Park – 10:50 AM South Park – 11:10 AM Middle School – 11:30 AM High School – 11:40 AM The busses will run according to this schedule. No lunch will be served on the 23rd.

Just a reminder to all parents and students, we have a regular day of school tomorrow, Friday, April 5th. Thank you.

2 hour late start. Buses will also be running 2 hours late. No breakfast will be served at the school buildings.

Do you know of a teacher who is truly outstanding? The nominations procedure for the Teacher of the Year is underway for 2023-2024. Staff, students, former students, parents and community members are asked to nominate deserving teachers by completing this nomination form and/or if you know of a classified employee (custodial/maintenance, secretarial, classroom assistant, etc.) who has provided exemplary service to the District, please complete the nomination form below.

KINDERGARTEN SCREENING - Monday, March 11, 2024 Time: 8 am to 3 pm at North Park Elementary. You will need to bring your child’s birth certificate and immunization records. Children must be five years old by September 1, 2024. Appointments required—call North Park @ 723-3379 to schedule an appointment prior to March 11. Appointments generally last one hour. Current Kindergarten students will not have school this day.

2 hour late start this morning, Buses will also run 2 hours late.

2 hour late start this morning. Buses will also run 2 hours late.

For tomorrow, Monday, January 15th, Belle Fourche School District will have a 2 hour late start. Buses will also run 2 hours late.

BELLE FOURCHE SCHOOL DISTRICT Thursday, August 17th - FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL South Park Elementary (Grades 1-4) August 17th - Full day of school 8:00 am - 3:20 pm Breakfast and lunch served at South Park Middle School (Grades 5-8) August 17th - Full day of school 7:50 am - 3:43 pm Breakfast and lunch served at Middle School High School (Grades 9-12) August 17th - 10th, 11th, and 12th grade students will report from 7:50 am - 11:15 am 9th grade students will report from 12:15 pm - 3:37 pm No breakfast or lunch served at the High School on August 17 North Park Elementary (Kindergarten) students - a staggered start for Kindergarten students only as follows: Kindergarten students with a last name that begins with letters A-K, your first day of school will be August 17th. This will be a full day of school, 8:10 am. – 3:10 pm. and you will not have school on August 18. Kindergarten students with a last name that begins with letters L-Z, your first day of school will be on August 18th. This will be a full day of school, 8:10 am – 3:10 pm and you will not have school on August 17th. Starting in smaller groups allows us to get to know your child and help the transition to school go as smoothly as possible. Following the staggered start, ALL Kindergarten students will attend every day beginning August 21st, North Park: 8:10 am – 3:10 pm Breakfast and lunch served at North Park All families can use EZSchoolPay.com to put money on your student lunch accounts and you can monitor what they buy or bring money to any school secretary to put funds in accounts. REMEMBER to complete a new Free and Reduced Meal Application for the new school year. Thank you.

The Back-to-School Newsletter is posted on our District website (bellefourche.k12.sd.us - make sure the school is selection as Belle Fourche School District under the school selection, then select Documents - select Parents). Please note on the last page of the newsletter about the calendar revisions. Thank you and have a great rest of the summer!!

Below is the link to watch the 2023 Internet Safety presentation done in April. https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/events/belle-fourche-high-school-belle-fourche-sd/evt4e0aba606f