BELMAR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Inspired ● United ● Prepared
Soaring To Excellence

Dear Students and Parents:

On behalf of the Belmar School District administration, faculty, and staff, we would like to extend a warm welcome to our students and their families as we begin the 2019-20 school year. We are looking forward to a productive partnership with you to ensure our children can achieve their highest potential. We are excited to share with our families new initiatives that we will be introducing this school year.

Belmar Elementary School is thrilled to announce that we have received funding through the NJ Department of Education’s Preschool Expansion Aid initiative, allowing us to open two new preschool classrooms including both three and four year old students from Belmar and Lake Como. All four preschool classrooms will be receiving new furniture, as well as new outdoor play equipment. All classrooms will be implementing the Tools of the Mind curriculum, in which intentional make-believe play is the heart of the classroom. The preschool expansion initiative allows for us to continue implementing a high quality preschool program for all our young learners.

We are proud to collaborate with Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and the NJ Department of Education to implement the program PBSIS (Positive Behavior Supports In Schools) at Belmar Elementary School this year. PBSIS is a multi-tiered system of support for behavior and social-emotional wellness that promotes equity for all students. Research on school climate and student achievement suggests that the quality of interactions staff have with students is an important predictor of positive academic and social outcomes. It will be known as the The SOAR Program at Belmar Elementary School as students will learn what it means to SOAR to excellence by showing Respect, Responsibility and Kindness.

Belmar Elementary School has continued to embrace 21st century learning by providing opportunities for students to have access to the most up to date technology. We recently purchased 40 ViewSonic ViewBoard Interactive Touch Panels for each of the instructional spaces in the school. These panels deliver incredible interactive capabilities for 21st century classrooms. Featuring 65 inch touchscreens, ViewBoard displays let multiple users write, edit, and draw on screen for dynamic presentations and creative brainstorming. Each room will also have a Touch Screen Chromebook that will enable the teacher to control the panel from wherever they are in the room or to share their screen so all of the students can see what the teacher is modeling.

We look forward to introducing a multi-tier approach to the early identification and support of students’ needs through a system known as Response to Intervention (RTI). RTI consists of a data driven process to inform decisions that lead to student achievement for both general and special education students. Through this process, we will be able to personalize learning by targeting strengths and areas of weakness. Additionally, we are moving to an inclusive model in our middle school grades, allowing for general education and special education students to be educated in a differentiated learning environment. These two initiatives will create a well integrated system of instruction and intervention guided by child outcome data in which all students will benefit.

Our district will continue to implement our Math Workshop model. Math Workshop is the key to success in a Guided Math classroom. During Math Workshop, work is differentiated to meet the various learning needs of the students. This Guided Math framework accommodates a vast array of learning tasks. Students work independently, either individually, in pairs or other groups on math station tasks designed to reinforce, maintain or extend their mastered knowledge.

“Inspired, United, Prepared, Soaring to Excellence.” Our motto represents the shared vision of our BES school family and is fostered by a leadership team that promotes a nurturing and academically challenging school environment.

We look forward to meeting all of our families at Back To School Night on Tuesday, September 17th at 6:30 p.m.

Mr. David R. Hallman, Superintendent
Mrs. Sarah Wilton, Assistant Principal
Mrs. Lauren Vasile, Supervisor of Special Services