Belmont Elementary School
6097 Belmont Ave NE
Belmont, MI 49306
616.863.6362
Dear Belmont Families,
We have had a great first couple of weeks embracing March is Reading Month! We know that reading is foundational and sets students up for success now and in the future! This month, we have the opportunity to come together as a community of readers and make reading enjoyable for all! Thank you for doing just that and for participating in One Book, One School!
"You're never too old, too wacky, too wild, to pick up a book and read to a child." ~Dr. Seuss
"Children should learn that reading is pleasure, not just something that teachers make you do in school." ~Beverly Cleary
With gratitude,
Rachel DeKuiper, Principal
rmdekuiper@rockfordschools.org
616.863.6362
march is reading month
This year's March is Reading Month theme is "Track Down a Good Book and READ!" Please find linked below: an informational note, a reading log, and theme day overview. Hard copies of these were sent home at the beginning of the month.
March is Reading Month Intro Note
Track Down a Good Book Reading Log
March is Reading Month Theme Days
Last year, we exceeded our goal of reading 1,000 hours in March! This year, we've raised our goal to 1,200 hours and are tracking our minutes. We passed 200 hours today and have some reading to do to reach our goal. Let's Read, Belmont, and Let's Log those Minutes!!
One Book, One School
Additionally, our Belmont families are embracing One Book, One School by reading Big Foot and Little Foot. Bookmarks and Reading Guides were sent home last week, and students have been answering trivia questions and reading in Widdershins Cavern (setting of the book) at school. Please find linked below chapters 1-12, read by members of our Belmont staff. These are optional resources for students who may need to hear the chapters again or need help catching up.
March Memories Being Made
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RPS Middle School Open house reminder
On Thursday, March 19, both North Rockford Middle School and East Rockford Middle School will be hosting Open Houses from 6:00-7:30 pm. I've linked the information that was originally shared with you by our two middle schools.
Spring Music Program
We are excited to showcase the musical talents of our Belmont students on Thursday, April 16. Our kindergarten, first, and second-graders will take the stage at Rockford High School at 6:00 pm. Please plan to have them there by 5:45. Our third, fourth, and fifth-graders will follow with a 7:00 pm performance. Please plan to have them there by 6:45. Thank you!
Outdoor Education at Edgerton Trails
Please find below information about the 4th and 5th-grade Outdoor Learning Program at Edgerton Trails. This link includes an invitation to an informational night and application information. The application link will be open until March 23.
Kids Have rights
On Tuesday, March 24, the Children's Advocacy Center of West Michigan will be at Belmont to share body safety lessons with kindergarten through fourth grade. These lessons are engaging, child-centered, and age-appropriate. Parents/guardians can opt their child out of these lessons. Please let the school know by March 23 if your student will not be participating in Kids Have Rights so that we can plan accordingly.
For additional information, please click on the links below:
Volunteer Form and field trips
Spring is Field Trip Season! If you are planning to attend or hope to attend a field trip with your student, please consider filling out the volunteer form linked below. Volunteers are asked to complete a volunteer form EVERY year when working with students individually or in small groups. This includes special events, game days, field trips, etc. Thank you!!
RPS Whitecaps night
You're invited to support Rockford Public Schools and kick off your summer with the West Michigan Whitecaps!! Enjoy a fun night out and know that a portion of each ticket bought will be donated directly back to our schools. Game information: Tuesday, May 19th at 6:05 pm. Ticket prices are $20.50 per ticket or $26.50 with a hotdog and soda included. For more information or accessible seating needs, please contact Tyler Glave at TylerG@whitecapsbaseball.com. To purchase tickets please click on the link below.
Purchase Whitecaps Tickets Here
Superintendent Sub for a day!
Attendance/Illness Communication
Please contact the front office when your child will be absent, tardy, and/or picked up early by calling 616.863.6362. We appreciate you communicating directly with them so that they can let teachers know in real time.
When appropriate, please give us a brief description of why your student is absent (stomach flu, headache, respiratory infection, etc.). This allows us to respond to student/staff illness and do additional cleaning when necessary.
If you choose to send an email, please make sure you include both Holly and Katie in the front office. Their email addresses are hcombs@rockfordschools.org and ktrolla@rockfordschools.org. Teachers don't always get a chance to check their emails during the school day, and we appreciate your help with this!
Hand2hand - free weekend food for kids
We would like to offer your student the opportunity to participate in a program called Hand2Hand. This program helps provide a student with food for the weekends and is intended for families who currently may be experiencing a financial burden.
Here's how it works: At the end of each week, students who are signed up for Hand2Hand will receive a minimum of 10 food items in a bag. These food items will be a combination of breakfast, snacks, and lunch or dinner items.
There is no cost to participate! If you sign your student up to receive Hand2Hand, they will continue to receive the weekend bag of food each week throughout the school year. Bags will be discreetly delivered to your child at school.
If you feel like your child would benefit from this opportunity, please complete the form linked below. (You will need to complete one form for each of your children.) If there comes a point when you no longer need the assistance, alert your school office. It will take at least two weeks to receive your first bag. If you do not receive a bag, please contact your school office.
*Please note: if your student or another family member has food allergies, it will be the responsibility of the parent/guardian to check the contents of the bag each week to ensure the food doesn't contain ingredients that could cause an allergic reaction.
Standard Response Protocol (SRP)
HB 4096, the Revised School Safety Code, has been introduced to provide common language for schools during emergencies. Here is an overview of the FIVE actions schools may take when addressing emergencies.
LOCKDOWN - The term "lockdown" should be used when there is an existing threat in or at a school building or a threat is expected to arrive in or at a school building imminently. Secure in a room, confirm the door is locked, and move to a place of cover away from the door and any windows.
SECURE MODE - Determined when a LOCKDOWN, as described, is not necessary, but heightened security and awareness are needed due to a potential EXTERNAL threat. Instruction continues in a normal manner, but access to the school building and movement within the building is highly restricted.
SHELTER - This is used when it is safer to be inside the building than outside. Common situations where this is used would be severe weather approaching or some type of hazardous materials incident in proximity to the school.
EVACUATION - Deals with the need to evacuate the building as it is no longer deemed safe to occupy for any variety of reasons, like fire, chemical spill, gas leak, etc.
HOLD - Hold is utilized when there is a need to have students and staff remain in their classrooms as staff address a concern or issue (medical, student in crisis) in a hallway or common area. Students are released when the office announces all clear.
For more information about our SRP resource, please visit the https://iloveuguys.org/ website.
School Breakfast and lunch menus
As you know, not everything on the school menu is loved by all students. Because of this, we encourage families to preview the menus linked below each day and plan accordingly if what is being served for breakfast and lunch is not something your student will eat.
Best Things We've Seen!
Belmont teachers and staff are using a bulletin board to recognize and celebrate, "The Best Things We've Seen This Month". Areas of emphasis include: Friendship, Kindness Squad, Readers, Spreading Smiles, Safe Choices, Motivated, Respectful, Sharing, Accountable, and Encouragement. If you visit our building, this positive board will be the first thing you see after walking through the vestibule. We've got great students and couldn't be prouder!
Upcoming Events:
March 16 - Kindergarten Information Night at 6:00 pm...spread the word!
March 18 - Book Bingo and Art Show 5:30-7:00 pm (pizza order information below)
March 19 - Middle School Open Houses 6-7:30 pm
March 20 - Popcorn Day
March 20 - Guest Reader for One Book, One School: Dr. Matthews
March 23 - Virtual Assembly with Ellen Potter, Author of Big Foot and Little Foot
March 24 - "Kids Have Rights" presentations (K-4th grade)
March 25 - Early Release Day
April 2-10 - Spring Break
April 16 - Spring Music Program
April 16 - Schools of Choice Enrollment Window Opens
April 22 - VIP Breakfast (A-K families)
April 23 - Belmont Elementary Night at the Whitecaps (students and chaperones can earn FREE tickets for reaching our March is Reading Month goal!)
April 24 - VIP Breakfast (L-Z families)
SAVE THE DATES:
May 19 - RPS Night at the Whitecaps (ticket purchasing information below)
May 21 - Critter Barn Visits Belmont Elementary!
June 1 - Belmont Field Day
Approved RPS Calendar for 26/27 School Year
Kindergarten Information Night
Belmont Elementary will host its DK/K information night on Monday, March 16. Please join us at 6:00 pm to learn more about both developmental kindergarten and kindergarten with Rockford Public Schools.
Kindergarten enrollment
Kindergarten enrollment for the 2026/2027 school year opened on February 18th. Children who turn five years old on or before December 1st, 2026 are eligible to enroll in DK and Kindergarten. All enrollment information can be found on our website at Enrollment Procedures - Rockford Public Schools.
Student Drop-off and pick-up Concerns
We have some growing concerns because the drop-off and pick-up expectations outlined at the beginning of the year are not being followed. When this happens, the safety of our students, families, and staff is compromised. We must do better.
Please review the expectations below and share them with anyone who may be transporting your student to or from school. We expect all members of the Belmont community to treat staff with respect and follow the expectations. We've highlighted the expectations that we seem to be struggling with the most for emphasis. Thank you for your attention to this.
Drop-off and pick-up expectations for all
We love seeing our students every morning and want them to enter and exit the school building safely.
- Please form a single line next to the sidewalk on the south side of the building and pull forward as far as possible (until the sidewalk ends).
- Please avoid large gaps between vehicles.
- Students may never exit the vehicle until it is completely off the main road and must always exit on the sidewalk side.
- We will have staff present to help younger students out of their vehicles and guide them to the main entrance.
- Drivers should remain in the vehicle.
- If a driver needs to exit the vehicle, please park in the parking lot. Increase awareness when crossing with your child to ensure drivers in the drop-off line see you.
- There are NO left turns out of the parking lot during morning drop-off.
The end-of-the-day pick-up line is quite a bit busier. We are doing our best to get your child to you as safely and efficiently as possible. Here are reminders for end-of-the-day pick up:
- Please form two lanes and pull ahead as far as you can (until the sidewalk ends).
- Please remain in your vehicle and have your child's last name displayed in the window.
- A safety officer will walk your student to their vehicle.
- Please avoid large gaps between vehicles. We are trying to avoid a long line of cars on the road.
- If you choose to exit your vehicle, please park in a parking spot. Increase awareness when crossing with your child to ensure drivers in the pick-up line see you.
- Vehicles should never be left unattended in the pick-up line.
- There are NO left turns out of the parking lot during afternoon pick-up.
Thank you for doing all you can to make arrival and dismissal safe for all. It is appreciated.
Congrats to YEARBOOK Winners
Congrats to Evie and Brighton on their winning our front cover yearbook design! Also, congrats to the following students who will have their yearbook designs featured on the back cover: Max, Lennon, Clara, Emmy, Henley, Harrison B, Dylan, Thea, Weston, Porter, Kai, Harrison S, and Kyler!
If you haven't ordered your student's yearbook yet, please do so using the link below. Cost is $15. Thank you!
Examples in Excellence
RPS asks every school to choose one student to represent them each year as an Example in Excellence. Students nominated for the Example in Excellence Award demonstrate strong character traits such as kindness, responsibility, and integrity. Additionally, students nominated are role models for their peers and go above and beyond for their school and community.
As you can imagine, Belmont has many worthy candidates, and choosing just one student is not easy. At Belmont, we had ten students nominated. We would like to recognize all ten of them and extend a special congratulations to Evie, who will be representing Belmont Elementary as this year's Example in Excellence.
This year's Examples in Excellence Nominees are: Kole, Kyler, Joel, Payton, Eva, Ryan, Cal, Kai, and Sylvia.
Unsung Heroes
At the end of each trimester, we reflect on student behaviors and address areas of concern. We also pause to recognize students who are quiet leaders and demonstrate RAMS behaviors without fanfare or recognition. These students may not always have the most Belmont Bucks when shopping at our school store each month, but they are rich in character! Please join me in applauding our growing list of unsung heroes! These students positively influenced Belmont Elementary first trimester by exhibiting exceptional RAMS (respectful, accountable, motivated, safe) qualities without seeking recognition or praise.
First Trimester Unsung Heroes: Rowan, Knox, Penny, Reagan, Nilan, Emma, London, Waylon, Genevieve, Marcus, Ruhi, Joel, and Clara
Second Trimester Unsung Heroes: Indigo, Jackson, Madison, Ryer, Sully, Lucy, Miles, Mason, Emma, Lily, Lyra, Esther, Thomas, Noah, Kole, and Liam
volunteer opportunities
We have several ongoing volunteer opportunities at Belmont Elementary! Please consider signing up for one of the following, but do not include the names of students when doing so. Thank you!
Got a passion for math and time to start each morning with some wonderful students? Reach out directly to Mrs. DeKuiper about volunteering regularly from 8:45-9:30 am. Our instructional coach, Mrs. Honeysett, will provide everything you need to get started.
Also, we have the opportunity to HIRE someone to help us during the lunch hour. This would be a five-hour/week position from 11:40-12:40. Don't hesitate to reach out if interested!
GRASP
Do you want to help your child maintain reading and math skills over summer break? GRASP is an at- home program used by families for 50 years!
Grand Rapids Academic Summer Program (GRASP) is a summer math and reading correspondence program that helps scholars in grades kindergarten through 8th retain skills learned during the school year by providing review exercises.
ENROLL HERE: GRASP ENROLLMENT
Student cell phones and smart watches
- Students with a cellphone may not use them during the school day, and they should be stored in the child’s backpack at all times.
- Please do not text or call your student on their device during the school day. Communication should go through the office.
- Students with smartwatches should have their device set to school mode, which disables distracting smartwatch features—like calls, messages, and games—while keeping essential safety tools active.
- Students should not be wearing earbuds or other noise-canceling headphones unless it is a documented accommodation.
Thank you for your help with this!
Transportation and busing
If you have questions about bus routes or times, please call the transportation office at 616-863-6328 or e-mail the director of transportation, Matt Puett, at mpuett@rockfordschools.org.
Transportation is also encouraging RPS families to get the My Ride app on their phones. For more information on this, please click on the RPS Transportation link below.
RPS School board meeting update
RPS School Board meetings will now begin at 6 pm. They are generally on the second Monday of each month. To view past meeting minutes, review board packets, and/or learn more about how to participate, please click on the link below. Meetings are held at the Administration Building, 350 N. Main St.
Belmont PTO Update:
Our Belmont PTO has a new spirit wear vendor this year. You can order Belmont and Rockford gear year-round!
Belmont Elementary Spirit Wear Store
Please feel free to email Belmont6097@gmail.com for additional information about any of our PTO happenings! For updates in real time, please follow the Belmont Elementary PTO on Facebook.
PBIS, SEL, and RAMS
As you know, Belmont is using a tiered system when supporting students both academically and behaviorally. PBIS (Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports) is the model we are using at Belmont to teach expectations and address behavior. At the start of the year, students were taught the school-wide RAMS expectations (Respectful, Accountable, Motivated, and Safe). This past week, we reviewed our RAMS behavior expectations and reflected on current behavior data. Students brought home a booklet to share with families with strategies to help our students be the best RAMS they can be!
Additionally, students have completed three SEL units: Self-Awareness, Self-Management, and Social Awareness. The self-awareness unit focused on how our thoughts affect our feelings, and the self-management unit focused on how we respond to our thoughts and feelings. Students grew in their ability to manage emotions, navigate challenges, achieve goals, and maintain positive relationships. During our social awareness unit, students learned about different perspectives and about having empathy.
Next week, we will begin SEL Unit 4 with an emphasis on relationship skills.
School Assistance Program (SAP)
more sap information
Student device management and fees
Students in RPS are afforded the opportunity to access and enhance some learning activities through district-provided Chromebooks. Thanks to the support of the 2019 school bond proposal, RPS has been able to support the scheduled purchases of instructional technology for student use. Last year, elementary students received new devices, and this year all secondary Chromebooks are new. Thank you!
To preserve the quality of student devices as long as possible, we educate students about proper care and charge for repair when avoidable damage occurs. Like a textbook, each student is assigned a Chromebook and responsible for proper care. If a device is damaged or lost, a charge will be issued against the student's Family Access account. The charge will reflect Rockford Public Schools' cost to repair or replace the device. It is our hope that the layered approach of informing parents/guardians, educating students, and assigning fees when necessary, will assist to promote a decrease in the amount of overall damage to student devices and increased consistency of student accessibility to learning activities.
Should a student device be damaged, the initial fees are as follows:
Chromebook:
- Broken Screen $30
- Broken Keyboard (missing keys, etc.) $30
- Damaged Chassis/Lost Device $200
- Power Supply (Lost or Not Returned) $15
iPads:
- Screen Repair $110
- Broken/Lost Device $299
During the summer of 2025 all devices were inspected to ensure that they are ready for distribution. School personnel will be diligent about communicating device care expectations to students and we ask that parents and guardians reinforce proper care expectations as well.
During the year if a device requires repair, a district technician will review the damage and decide if a charge is necessary. Normal scratches and wear are expected and will not incur a charge. Any fees assigned will generate an email notification to parents/guardians.
District Calendar Overview
Please contact our office at 616-863-6362 to obtain more information about our district calendar for the 2025-2026 school year.
