Belmont Newsletter
Belmont Elementary School
6097 Belmont Ave NE
Belmont, MI 49306
616.863.6362
Dear Belmont Families,
This past week we welcomed Belmont Elementary alumni back to the building. They are proud members of the "Class of 2025" and ready for the next chapter. There were a lot of smiles, a few tears, and so much joy. Elementary schools are special places where wonderful memories are made and a love of learning is nurtured. Congratulations to the Class of 2025 and thank you Belmont families for sharing your future graduates with us!
With gratitude,
Rachel DeKuiper, Principal
rmdekuiper@rockfordschools.org
616.863.6362
Teacher and staff Appreciation Week was "Plane" Awesome!
Thank you to our PTO and all those who made our Staff Appreciation Week a success! We were treated to something AmaZinG each day and felt so appreciated. Belmont Elementary continues to be an amazing place to work and learn! Thank you for your role in making Belmont such a special place!
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
Upcoming Events:
May 19 - RHS Graduations - Congrats Class of 2025!
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 4 - Last School Store!
June 5 - 5th Grade Graduation and Half Day of School; Dismissal at 11:55
June 6 - Half Day and Last Day of School; Dismissal at 11:55
Spring Testing - final week!
We are heading into the final week of spring testing. Students will wrap up NWEA testing next week with math and then celebrate with a "Dippin' Dots" treat and extra recess on Thursday, May 22. We will share NWEA MAP Growth results with families and look forward to celebrating student growth while also preparing for future learning.
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!!
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
Memorial Day Weekend
In observance of the Memorial Day holiday, Rockford Public Schools will be closed on Friday, May 23rd and Monday, May 26th. We hope you enjoy the extended holiday weekend with your family.
June 5 and June 6 - half days
Thursday, June 5th and Friday, June 6th will be half days of school. Elementary students will be dismissed at 11:55 and lunch will not be served on those days.
STEAM May Wish List and more
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!
A heartfelt thank you to all the families who volunteered their time and donated supplies to support STEAM this year. Your generosity and enthusiasm made so many hands-on learning opportunities possible for our students!
As we begin planning for next year’s STEAM Night, we are gauging interest from families who might like to help out. If you're interested in being involved, please take a moment to fill out our short interest survey: STEAM Night Interest Survey
Well minded matters - Summer Edition
Soon our students will be on summer vacation and enjoying all that Michigan has to offer during this season. Please find linked below a variety of resources to help you make the most of summertime with your children.
Well Minded Matter - Summer Edition
Rockford Book Bus - Summer 2025
The Rockford Book Bus is getting ready for another summer of fun. Neighborhoods can start signing up using the link below. The Book Bus will also make regular stops at Belmont Elementary. Our PTO does a wonderful job of turning those school stops into "Summer Playdates" for our students. We can't wait to embrace another summer of reading adventures on the Rockford Book Bus!
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!
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.
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
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
Student Clubs
Student Clubs are wrapping up at Belmont Elementary. We had a lot of students participate and couldn't be more proud of our leaders. Getting a student club "approved" is quite a process, but our students didn't hesitate and worked hard to make these opportunities a reality. We have two more clubs wrapping up next week (Go Soccer, Soccer Club on Monday and Mini-Book Club on Wednesday). Our Wings of Fire Club wrapped up this past Tuesday. Students in this club made some pretty amazing dragons together and I loved listening to them talk about the characters in this book series!
Belmont Brew Crew
Our PTO was kind enough to award a LEG (Learning Enhancement Grant) to Miss
Sweigart for a student-run coffee cart. The Belmont Brew Crew has been doing a great job at preparing and delivering both hot and cold beverages each Friday. Students continue to sharpen their reading, math, and customer service skills. As you can imagine, both students and staff enjoy their weekly visit from the Brew Crew immensely! Thank you to our PTO and Miss Sweigart for supporting this fun learning opportunity for our students! 
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.
