Beech Tree News Network

I have said many times that it is a total honor to be principal of North Butler Elementary.  This school has such a supportive and caring family atmosphere that has to be unmatched by any school around.  North Butler is blessed by intelligent, loving and charasmatic students, teachers and parents. 

In my first year at NBES I have been blown away by the support from the fine people of North Butler County. There is never a lack of parents and community volunteers willing to step up and provide opportunities for our students.  I genuinely thank  each of your for your willingness to help in any way possible. 

The staff and I are committed to providing the children of North Butler the very best educational experience imaginable. The teachers, staff and administration are dedicated to a mindset of continuous growth, both individually and as a school.  I could not be happier with the staff that clocks in at NBES each day.  I sleep comfortably every night knowing that every teacher, assistant, custodian, cook and volunteer of NBES are true professionals. They go above and beyond to not only educate, but to show love and compassion for every child, every day. 

I want to say goodbye and good luck to our departing 5th graders. The growth and commitment this group has shown this year has been remarkable to say the least. The middle school is blessed to be recieving such a fun loving group of students. I have great hopes for these individuals and I want them to know that I want to be part of thier lives, and I hope they know they may call on me anytime for advice and support. With great confidence I can say that every teacher in our building will be there for them too.  I look forward to watching these student grow into young men and women and put their mark on this world.

Moving forward for 2015-16 school year we will be introducing some new initiatives and programs that I am excited to begin. 

PBIS:
We will be introducing PBIS (Positive Behavior Intervention Supports) to the students come August. This is a positive approach to behavior that focuses on the positive as much as possible. Promoting positive behaviors will curb the motivation of negative behaviors.  The introduction of this will put an end to the traditional "Cool Cubs" that you as parents have become accustomed to to adapt to a system that allows for positive feedback as well. School wide we will be developing the same expectations, behavior tracking as well as a systematic process for communication to the parent.  If you would like to have a part in the planning of this please contact me for more details.

Leader in Me:
We  are very excited to be moving towards a Leader in Me school.  This program teaches leadership qualities and skills to students, empowering them to be true community leaders.

Thinking Skills- Literacy:
This past year we began implementation of thinking skills through gradual release for 3rd -5th grade literacy. We will continue this next year, moving it down into 2nd and 1st grades as well. The students showed great understanding of the thinking strategies this past year and we are excited to continue with this initiative and expect great results.

Archery Education:
Being able to offer archery for the first time is something I am beyond excited about. This is just another way to tie our county heritage and culture to North Butler Elementary. Offering something that the students are motivated by and can help build character is important to me.  Not only will the students have fun, but as a by-product they will gain commitment, work ethic, sportsmanship, and other traits important to a successful life. This will be offered for grades 2-5 to start, with hopes to offer to the younger grades soon.  Look for more info in August.

Boys and Girls Club at North Butler:
I am excited that our North Butler families will have access to a nearby Boys and Girls Club next year. The club will be using NBES as a charter site. Instead of the current transportation to Morgantown, now any student enrolled at North Butler will be able to attend the club right here at the school.

Breakfast and Lunch Free to all Students:
All students will eat free next year at both elementary schools and the middle school. Having the assurance that all kids can get a nutrional breakfast and lunch without placing any financial burden on their family gives me much comfort. I want to thank our nutritional director and her staff for this tremendous opportunity.

Once again I want to thank each and everyone who has helped in any way this school year.  It has been a great honor to serve North Butler this year and I am very blessed to be the principal of a school in a community like ours. If I can ever be of help to you, or if you have concerns you feel I should know about please feel free to contact me anytime.

Josh Belcher, Principal