Belmont Elementary School
6097 Belmont Ave NE
Belmont, MI 49306
616.863.6362
Dear Belmont Families,
Maycember is upon us! The busyness that is often associated with the holiday season has presented itself this spring. It is certainly an exciting time of year...a time of celebrating growth and reflecting on the past school year. Students continue to work hard as they approach End of Year Assessments. All grade levels will take the NWEA assessments in the areas of reading and math. Students take these assessments three times a year (fall, winter, and spring). These assessments give us a chance to recognize achievement, celebrate growth, and plan for the future.
On May 22, we will officially celebrate the end of "testing season" with a cool treat from our PTO. We look forward to an extra recess that day and a delicious ice cream treat!
With gratitude,
Rachel DeKuiper, Principal
rmdekuiper@rockfordschools.org
616.863.6362
Upcoming Events:
May 5-9 - Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week
May 6 - Kindergarten Field Trip to Critter Barn
May 7 - Early Release Day
May 7 - Social Media Safety Training @ 7 pm
May 9 - Parent/Guardian Class Placement Input Due
May 12 - 3rd Grade Field Trip to Lansing
May 12-15 - Scholastic BOGO Book Fair in the Library
May 14 - PTO Meeting @ 6:30
May 15 - 5th Grade Wax Museum @ 6:30
May 20 - Rockford Family Night at the Whitecaps
May 21 - 5th Grade to Greenfield Village
May 22 - Kindergarten Grandparents Day
May 22 - Adolescent Health Lessons (4th and 5th Grades ONLY)
May 23 - No School (Memorial Day Weekend)
May 26 - No School (Memorial Day!)
May 30 - Field Day (information from Mr. Banta coming soon!)
June 5 - 5th Grade Graduation and Half Day of School
June 6 - Half Day and Last Day of School
Teacher and staff Appreciation Week
Please join us in celebrating our "Plane Awesome" teachers and staff at Belmont the week of May 5! We have a fun travel-themed week planned for our Belmont educators and are still accepting donations. Please scan the QR code to contribute and thank you in advance for helping make the week a special one!
Class Placement for the 25/26 School Year - Parent/Guardian Input
As we begin to consider next school year, parents/guardians are invited to share some information about their student(s) to help inform class placements for the 2025/2026 school year. Please complete this form by May 9. Please know that we cannot honor all requests and that many factors are considered when placing students. Thank you for your input and we look forward to planning for next year!
Belmont Class Placement Parent/Guardian Input
Spring Testing
When we returned from spring break, upper elementary students embarked upon the M-STEP. Our fifth graders will be tested in four content areas: English Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies. Our third and fourth graders will be assessed in English Language Arts and Math.
Shortly after our upper elementary students wrap-up M-STEP testing, all of our students will take their end-of-year NWEA-MAP assessments in the areas of reading and math. You can see our testing schedule linked below along with a parent's guide to state assessments. Please know that we do all we can to prepare students for these assessments and will do our best to support them through the testing season. Thank you for all you do at home too.
Belmont Spring Testing Schedule
STEAM Wish List
Our STEAM classes are looking for shoe boxes, plastic containers, cereal boxes, and fabric. Clean & dry recycled items, left-over party supplies, and paper towel/toilet paper rolls are always welcome!
Native Tree Legacy project - 5th Grade
Belmont 5th Graders participated in a native tree planting with outdoor education teacher, Mrs. Dzirbowicz. This was the grand finale for a year-long project of understanding the value of native plants, research, and planning.
This district-wide project is supported by Justin and Kristina Munsters and Shaner Nursery through donations of trees and planting supplies. Thank you to all for this awesome opportunity!
Take Me Out To The Ballpark!
Did you enjoy Belmont's night at the ballpark? You can now join the greater Rockford Community at the Whitecaps game on Tuesday, May 20th. The game starts at 6:05 pm and the West Michigan Whitecaps will take on the Great Lakes Loons!
The West Michigan Whitecaps and Rockford Public Schools are collaborating once again to raise money in support of our schools. For each ticket purchased through the link below to their home game on Tuesday, May 20th, a portion of the proceeds will be donated directly back to our school district.
https://fevo-enterprise.com/event/Rockfordfamily25
Dk/K Information
If you know of a Belmont family that was unable to attend the DK/K Information Night, please share the link below with them. We look forward to welcoming new families next school year and want to do all we can to answer their questions. Thank you!
Belmont DK/K Information
New student Enrollment is open!
New student enrollment for the 2025-2026 school year is now open! We welcome our new class of Rockford Rams! The district encourages families to enroll their future Developmental Kindergarten or Kindergarten student PRIOR to June 1, 2025, to take advantage of an early, required placement screening. Children who turn five years old on or before December 1, 2025, are eligible to enroll for the 2025-2026 school year. Current Developmental Kindergarten students do not require an additional enrollment. Please see the flyer below or visit rockfordschools.org/enrollment/ for more details and enrollment procedures.
Belmont Field Day - Friday, May 30
Mr. Banta is organizing an extra-special field day for our students. Please read the message below from Mr. B. Thank you!
Please come and volunteer to help supervise a field day station. Stations have been taught to all the kids so everyone will know what to do. Your job would be to make sure kids are following rules and staying safe. Any issues with students will be handled by their teacher or myself. This is a great chance to volunteer for something fun and easy. Please remember to fill out all volunteer info ahead of time and check in at the office before heading out to the playground.
This year we are allowing parents to come and watch field day as spectators. All we ask is that you RSVP. Spectators also need to check in at the office before heading out to the playground. If you have any questions, please reach out at mbanta@rockfordschools.org.
Thank you! ~Mr. Banta
Field Day Volunteer/Visitor Sign-Up: Sign Up Here
Recess Rams
Our students love it when Recess Rams are on the playground! Over spring break, we had two soccer goals delivered and outfitted with new nets. The number of kids down on those fields is impressive and exciting!
Because of this, we can always use volunteers on the playground during our recess times. To sign up to be a Recess Ram volunteer, please click on the link below. THANK YOU for sharing part of your day with us!
Belmont Elementary: Recess Ram
Family School Culture Survey Results
Please find linked below the school culture survey results from earlier this year. We had 50 families complete the survey and appreciate their feedback greatly. These results have also been shared with our Belmont staff and our Belmont PTO. We are reflecting on how we can improve in some areas and look forward to partnering with you in the process.
Please let me know if you have any questions, comments, or concerns. Let's finish the year strong and make the next seven weeks of the 2024/25 school year count!
School Culture Survey - Family Results
Belmont's Annual Education Report:
Belmont's Annual Education Report for the 23/24 school year is now linked to the Belmont page on the district's new website. You can find the report linked at the top of the black textbox in the bottom right-hand corner. Paper copies are available upon request from our office. Please let Holly or Katie know if you'd like a paper copy of this report. Thank you!
Belmont's Annual Education Report - 23/24
TRAILS Unit 5 - Parent Newsletter
Students are headed into the final TRAILS unit of the school year! This unit focuses on Responsible Decision Making. Students will kick off this final unit by participating in Rotation Stations on Friday, April 25. At each station, fifth graders will share with them Belmont's Schoolwide Behavior Expectations using our new RAMS acronym. We look forward to finishing the year strong and embracing the concepts of being Respectful, Accountable, Motivated, and Safe! Please find linked below resources that families can use to support the concepts being learned at school. Thank you!
Responsible Decision Making - Family Newsletter
Belmont Brew Crew
Our PTO was kind enough to award a LEG (Learning Enhancement Grant) to Miss
Sweigart for a student-run coffee cart. Today, the Belmont Brew Crew could be seen rolling down the hallways at Belmont Elementary delivering drinks to staff that ordered them. Students had to read the orders, count money, and deliver the beverages to those who ordered. As you can imagine, both students and staff were all smiles! Thank you to our PTO and Miss Sweigart for supporting these fun learning opportunities for our students! 
Adolescent Health - 4th and 5th Grade Families ONLY
Please find linked below an Adolescent Health Landing Page for fourth and fifth grade families. This page contains information that parents/guardians may want to review before our Adolescent Health lessons on Thursday, May 22. Next week, letters and opt-out forms will be sent to 4th and 5th grade families as well. Please let us know if you have any questions! Thank you!!
NEW FLASHING LIGHTS At Crosswalk!!
You may have noticed the new flashing lights at the crosswalk on Belmont Ave between our school and the fire station. We have been working on getting these since the fall and we are so excited for this added layer of safety. Thank you for all you do to keep our students safe during arrival and dismissal each day!
Drop-Off and Pick-Up
When dropping students off in the morning, please remember the following:
- Doors (main entrance only) open to Belmont students at 8:25. Students dropped off by families in the morning will now enter through the main entrance.
- Vehicles should form a single line along the sidewalk and pull ahead as far as they can (until the sidewalk ends).
- Drivers in this line must stay in their vehicle and continue to pull forward when space allows.
- Students may not exit the vehicle until the vehicle is completely off the main road and at a complete stop.
- Students must walk on the sidewalk to the main entrance.
- Please keep your goodbye routine short and sweet.
- If you have to pull off and wait on the main road, please consider putting your hazard lights on.
- If the driver is exiting the vehicle, they must park in a parking space and walk their child to the sidewalk.
- Another option for morning arrival is to use the lot next to Book Comp across the street and let our crossing guard safely guide students to school at 8:25.
When picking your students up at the end of the day:
- Please form two lanes and pull ahead as far as you can (until the sidewalk ends).
- Please have your child's last name displayed in the window.
- If you need a new yellow sign for your vehicle, please let us know ASAP. These signs help us stay efficient and safe when getting students to the correct vehicle.
- Please avoid large gaps between vehicles. Pull ahead whenever space allows.
- If you choose to exit your vehicle, please park in a parking spot. You should not be exiting your vehicle if you are waiting in one of the two lanes.
- Some families have chosen to pick up their upper elementary students from the Book Comp lot across the road. This is another option and we have a wonderful crossing guard that will help students safely cross the street to you.
Student Absences and attendance letters
Absences MUST be called into the office 616.863.6362. If you need to email an absence, please email both Holly and Katie at hcombs@rockfordschools.org and ktrolla@rockfordschools.org.
Please leave a message on our general voicemail box if you are calling after hours. Whether you are reporting an absence on our voicemail or speaking with Karen or Jamie we need to know the following things:
- Student's name and teacher
- Reason for absence - if it is an illness we need to know the symptoms of the illness - vomiting, coughing, fever, cold, diarrhea, lice - whatever the reason may be
The Kent Intermediate School District (KISD) has given schools within Kent County additional guidance on how to communicate attendance concerns. Their "Strive for Less Than Five" campaign is detailed in the linked video. When absences exceed five and ten days respectively, you may receive a letter. If attendance continues to be a concern, a truancy referral will need to be made and families might need to meet with the school to create an Attendance Improvement Plan.
