Check out the App for the Bethel Public Schools. If you go into your App Store and type in Bethel Public Schools, you should be able to install it for free. The App can provide you quick mobile access to information commonly requested.  

Our calendars, time schedules, social media feeds, athletic schedules, district social media, lunch menus, etc. are all in the App. You can even call the schools from the App.

After you download the App, you will be prompted to select the schools from which you want to get information. Essentially, this is the "news", push notifications, and the "events calendar". This is a screenshot of what the App looks like.

Bethel Public Schools is committed to innovative teaching and learning using 21st-century personalized curriculum with 1:1 digital resources available in a protected anytime, anywhere learning environment. While we are dedicated to providing rich, relevant, and rigorous resources we will only do so in compliance with Federal and State laws on student data privacy. On the district’s website, the Student Data Privacy pages are designed to inform and address staff, students, and parents on using approved digital resources in our district. 

If you are new to the district, we have a Blended Learning website to support our students, staff, and families as they use digital tools to enhance teaching and learning.  It is a wonderful resource—please bookmark this site!

Latest BOE Meeting:September 21, 2023

http://devos2.bethel.k12.ct.us/show?video=11ece3d55e34

Missed any part of Convocation 2023? Check it out here

http://devos2.bethel.k12.ct.us/show?video=c73eb1a50d77

Want to check out the decades of Convocation view it here

http://devos2.bethel.k12.ct.us/show?video=49ae51721cc6

Latest BOE Meeting

http://devos2.bethel.k12.ct.us/show?video=5c89fefcd9e0

Check out our full lineup here

https://sites.google.com/bethel.k12.ct.us/betv/home

Watch when you want to watch? Go to our Video On Demand Channel
http://devos2.bethel.k12.ct.us/show-videos?g=4d17c1b509fc&page=1&filter=vod

Watch LIVE Events from BEtv 

http://devos2.bethel.k12.ct.us/Show-Videos?g=13639a4f&page=1&filter=live

The Bethel Public Schools, as a learning community devoted to the academic and social growth of our children, creates educational opportunities that inspire competence, creativity, teamwork, and a drive to excel. In an environment of trust and respect, high expectations for student performance are evident in the discussions, actions, and policies of the Board of Education. Board of Education policies can be found on our district website. As a way to increase communication about Board of Education policies, we include Board of Education policy updates in this section of our newsletter as they are approved by the Board. You can find the Board of Education policies on the district website at Bethel Board of Education Policies 

Recently Revised/Reviewed Policies & Regulations: 

• Regulation – 5131.911 – District Safe School Climate Plan – 10-21-21 

• Policy/Regulation 5118 - Nonresident Students - 10-21-21 & 3/17/22 

• Policy/Regulation 1140 - Distribution of Materials- 10-21-21 

• Policy 1170 - Recognition of Citizens, Staff Members, Members of Board of Education, Students- 10-21-21 

• Policy 1312 - Public Relations- 10-21-21 

• Policy 3524.2 Green Cleaning- 10-21-21 

• Policy/Regulation 5141.3 - Health Assessment and Immunizations - 10-21-21 

• Policy 5131.911 - Bullying & Teen Dating Violence Prevention and Intervention - 11-18-21

• Policy/Regulation 1220 - Citizens Advisory Committee- 12-16-21

• Regulation 1221 - Citizens Advisory Committee for the BOE- 12-16-21

• Policy 1331 - Smoking in School Facilities- 12-16-21

• Policy 1411 - Law Enforcement Agencies- 12-16-21

• Policy/Regulation 4118.231 Drug, Alcohol and Tobacco-Free Workplace - 12-16-21

• Policy 2232 - Electronic Records and Information - 2-15-22 

• Regulation 2232 - Electronic Records and Information - 2-15-22 

• Policy 5141.231 - Chemical Health Policy for Student-Athletes - 2-15-22 

• Regulation 5118 - Nonresident Students - 3-17-22

• Regulation 5111 - Admission - 3-24-22

• Policy 1416 - Fiscal Authorities  4-21-22

• Policy 1700 - Otherwise Lawful Possession of Firearms on School Property  - 4-21-22

• Policy 2000 - Concept and Roles in Administration  - 4-21-22

• Policy 2111 - Equal Employment Opportunity - 4-21-22

• Policy 2112 - Professional Learning - 4-21-22

• Policy 2113 - Grievance Procedures - Title IX -  deleted 4-21-22

• Policy 2130 - Job Descriptions - 5-19-22

• Policy/Regulation 2131 - Superintendent of Schools - 5-19-22

• Policy 2141 - Recruitment and Retention of the Superintendent of Schools - 5-19-22

• Policy 2142 - Evaluation of the Superintendent - 5-19-22

• Policy 6162.52 - Student Privacy (PPRA) - 6-21-22

• Policy 6162.51 - Student Surveys (deleted) replaced with Policy 6162.52 - Student Privacy (PPRA) - 6-21-22

• Policy 6141.51 - Enrollment in an Advanced Course or Program and Challenging Curriculum - 6-21-22

• Regulation 5131.911 - District Safe School Climate Plan - 10-20-22

• Policy 6148 - FAFSA - New Policy - 10-20-22

• Policy 2150 - Administrative Staff - 10-20-22

• Policy 6146.1 - Grading/Assessment Systems- 10-20-22

• Regulation 6146.1 - Grading/Assessment Systems - This regulation has been deleted - 10-20-22

• Policy 6146.11 - Weighted Grading and Calculation of Grade Point Averages, New Policy - 10-20-22

• Policy/Regulation 5113 - Student Attendance and Truancy - 12-15-22

• Policy 5141.21 - Administration of Student Medications in the Schools - 12-15-22

• Policy 4118.235/4218.235  - Reports of Suspected Abuse or Neglect of Children or Reports of Sexual Assault of Students By School Employees - New Policy - 12/15/22

• Policy 2210 - Administrative Discretion in Absence of BOE Policy - 1-19-23

• Policy 2220 - Representative and Deliberate Groups - 1-19-23

• Policy 2222 - Administrative Council - 1-19-23

• Policy 2231 - Policy and Regulation Systems - 1-19-23

• Policy 2300 - Role of Board of Education and Superintendent - 1-19-23

• Policy 6144.1 - Curricular Exemptions - 4-20-23

• Regulation 6153 - Field Trips - Day Trips and Overnight Trips (Curricular and Extracurricular) - 4-20-23

• Regulation 6153.1 - International Field Trips - 4-20-23

• Policy/Regulation 4111 - Recruitment and Selection - 5-18-23

• Policy/Regulation - 4111.1 Equal Employment Opportunity - 5-18-23

• Policy - 4111.3 Minority Recruitment Plan - 5-18-23 

• Policy/Regulation - 4112 Appointments and Conditions of Employment - 5-18-23

• Policy/Regulation - 4112.5 Security Checks and Fingerprinting - 5-18-23

• Regulation 5141.11 - School Bus Accidents  - 6-15-23

2023-2024 Bus Routes are posted on the district website under “Departments” on the menu bar and then “Transportation Information” 

If you have questions with regard to the Bus Routes, please contact the Bus Company directly at 203-748-8091.

In the morning when it is necessary to close school due to inclement weather or have an unscheduled early dismissal due to forecasted inclement weather for the afternoon, the “Schools Closed” or “Early Dismissal” announcement will be made over the following radio, television stations, websites, Twitter, and text message via our SchoolMessenger communication system.  

             WLAD                 AM      Danbury 800 on the dial

             WINE                  AM      Brookfield         940 on the dial

             WICC                  AM      Bridgeport         600 on the dial

             WEBE                         FM      Bridgeport         108 on the dial

             WEZN                 FM      Bridgeport         100 on the dial

TV Channel 3, TV Channel 8, & TV Channel 6.

Bethel Public Schools Website – www.bethel.k12.ct.us

Connecticut Weather Website – www.ctweather.com

Follow me on Instagram & Threads @christinelcarver, Bethel Public Schools Facebook Page, X @BethelCTSuper,  and Bethel Public Schools Website 

When school is in session for the day and it is necessary to have an unscheduled early dismissal (click for times) due to weather or other emergency an “Early Dismissal” announcement will be made.  You will be notified by our automated message system, SchoolMessenger, via voice, text message, email, and appropriate announcements will be made over the above radio, television stations, websites, and Twitter. 

*Therefore, it is important your contact information is accurate and you update your contact information promptly if this information changes. If during the school year any of your demographic information were to change, you can update it at any point by contacting your child’s school directly.

The SchoolMessenger caller ID for all phone notifications is: (855) 326-1797.

**Please add this number as a contact in your phone so you can easily identify the call is coming from the Bethel Public Schools.

Please Note:  There will be no school activities, including athletics, on days when school is closed due to inclement weather.

For emergency announcements, SchoolMessenger notifications are sent out as soon as decisions are reached. Being on the notification list is not a substitute for monitoring your local media (radio, TV and so on) in situations where a delay in opening or school closing is an obvious possibility (such as when the weather forecast calls for snow). The BPS website, is updated as media calls are made.

Please note, although the district does not charge you for this service, it does not pay for text message charges that may be incurred by you for sending or receiving text messages. Check with your wireless carrier for possible charges. 

SchoolMessenger alert for Text messages

For all NEW parents/guardians: 

Reminder to New BPS Parents/Guardians - SchoolMessenger:

The district uses the SchoolMessenger notification service to send important information to families through phone calls, emails, and text messages.

To comply with wireless carrier requirements and protect against unsolicited text messages, you may receive a text message on the wireless cell phone number which the district has on your file, requesting that you "opt-in" to receive important information from the district via our SMS text messaging service.

The message you receive will come from our 'short code', 67587 and read similar to the following:

"Bethel Public School messages. Reply Y to subscribe or STOP to cancel. Msg&data rates may apply. Msg freq varies. Visit schoolmessenger.com/txt for info"

So that you may continue to receive these important messages, we encourage you to reply with "Y" or "Yes" when you receive such a verification message. If you do not reply, you will not receive any further text messages from our schools.

To opt-out of all text messages from SchoolMessenger, visit http://www.schoolmessenger.com/txtmsg/ or reply with "STOP" to the opt-in message that you receive. If you opt-in, but later decide to opt-out, simply send "STOP" to 67587.  You may also reply "STOP" to any message from our organization.

Please check with your wireless carrier for information about your mobile service plan and any possible charges related to text messaging.  Our organization does not reimburse for any charges associated with sending or receiving text messages. See flyer for details/QR Code.

SchoolMessenger Call-In Message Retrieval

As you know, our automated message system, SchoolMessenger, allows us to communicate important information to parents, guardians, and staff via voice, text message, and email.  Our SchoolMessgenger account now has a Call-in Message Retrieval feature.

The Call-In Message Retrieval feature is a powerful option that allows SchoolMessgenger phone call recipients to dial a toll-free number where they can replay previous phone notifications that they may have missed, or someone else answered the call, in cases where a cell phone call was dropped before the message could be completed, the reception was poor and/or the recipient was unable to understand the message.

The SchoolMessenger caller ID for all phone notifications and Call-In Message Retrieval is:   (855) 326-1797

*Again, please add this number as a contact in your phone so you can easily identify the call is coming from the Bethel Public Schools.

Please Note:  When a recipient wants to call into the system to listen to a message they might have missed, they simply hit re-dial on their phone, and, if their caller ID is not blocked, the system will identify them and play back the most recent 10 calls to that number from the past 30 days - including the time/date that the message was sent.

If the recipient has their caller ID blocked, the system will prompt them to enter the number that received the original call, after which the system will replay the recent messages to that number.

CT State Department of Education State Mandated Screenings

The Bethel Public School District follows the mandated screening guidelines as set by the State of Connecticut. 

NON-COMPLIANCE:

The Connecticut General Statutes (Section 10-204a and Section 10-206) require local boards of education to ensure that each child attending school be adequately immunized and have an up-to-date health assessment (physical) on file.  The Bethel Public School District requires that all students who enter Grade 7 and Grade 10 have a mandated health assessment dated on or after July 1, 2022, in order to be compliant.

These forms can be found below: 

STATE OF CT - HEALTH ASSESSMENT RECORD: Age 5 - Grade 12

Because the school district must comply with the state regulations, your child will not be allowed to begin 7th grade/10th grade on the first day of the 2023-2024 school year, 8/28/23, unless you provide the school with an updated health assessment and/or documentation with the necessary immunizations completed before that date.

Please provide the proper documentation to your child’s school; paperwork can be mailed, faxed, or emailed to your child’s school.

PARENTAL/GUARDIAN RESPONSIBILITY: 

It is your responsibility to alert the health office of your child's school if your child requires medication. Parents/guardians are responsible for dropping off their child's medication (i.e. EpiPens, inhalers, diabetic supplies, etc) at the start of each school year and replacing this medication upon expiration. These medications must be accompanied by the doctor's orders which must be signed by both the doctor and parent/guardian. 

Failure to have the medication and doctor's orders in the health office will result in your child not being able to participate in athletics, field trips, school activities, etc. 

*** Please also note that physicals for athletics are only valid for 13 months. It is your responsibility to make sure that your child’s physical is updated so that they are able to continue participation in their chosen sport. 

Bethel Public Schools have opted into the State Transition Assistance for Breakfast and Lunch Expenses (STABLE) funds.  These funds will provide one breakfast meal per day at no cost to ALL students and one lunch meal per day at no cost for students eligible for reduced-price meals. Because free lunch status has been extended for the school year 2023-2024 to include reduced eligible students, it is important that all families who might qualify for Free or Reduced Lunch submit an application as soon as possible. Applications can be found on the Bethel Public Schools' website under departments, Foods & Nutrition, or in the main offices at each school.  

2023-2024 Free Reduced Lunch Press Release

The Board of Education complies with all applicable federal, state and local laws prohibiting the exclusion of any person from any of its educational programs or activities, or the denial to any person of the benefits of any of its educational programs or activities because of race, color, religion, age, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, national origin, alienage, ancestry, disability, pregnancy, genetic information, veteran status, or gender identity or expression, subject to the conditions and limitations established by law. It is the policy of the Board that any form of discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, religion, age, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, national origin, alienage, ancestry, disability, pregnancy, genetic information, veteran status, or gender identity or expression, or any other basis prohibited by state or federal law is prohibited, whether by students, Board employees or third parties subject to the control of the Board. The Board’s prohibition of discrimination or harassment in its educational programs or activities expressly extends to academic, nonacademic, and extracurricular activities, including athletics. It is also the policy of the Board to provide for the prompt and equitable resolution of complaints alleging any discrimination on the basis of protected characteristics such as race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, alienage, disability (including pregnancy), veteran status, or gender identity or expression. 

Title IX District Coordinator: Dr. Kristen Brooks, Assistant Superintendent, 203-794-8613   1 School Street, Bethel, CT 06801 

Section 504 District Coordinator:  Dr. Christine Sipala, Director of Special Education & Pupil Services,  203-794-8616 , 1 School Street, Bethel, CT 06801 

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