TheBoardacceptedtheAuditReportforthe2012-2013fiscalyearaspresentedbytheDistrict’sexternalauditors,HSMCOrizonLLC.The report found “nomaterialweaknessesordeficiencies” in theDistrict’sfinancial recordsandproperinternalcontrolsareinplace.TheauditorsgavetheDistrictthe“HighestUnqualifiedOpinion,”acleanaudit.TheauditorstatedthatBPShasbeen“themostprepareddistrictwehaveworkedwith.”ThiswasthefirstyearworkingwithHSMCOrizonLLC.Alsotonote,BPSusedamoreaccuratecashbasissystemandwillcontinueimplementingaplanforimprovedsafekeepingoftheDistrict’sfinancialrecordsfromfireornaturaldisasters. Superintendent FrankHarwood presented findings of theAdvancEd survey that students, parents and staffparticipated in this pastOctober.The survey response rates exceeded theAdvancEd requirements of 40% forstudents(BPS69%),20%forparents(BPS24%),and60%forstaff(BPS78%).ThesurveyfocusedonfiveAdvancEdStandards:PurposeandDirection,GovernanceandLeadership,TeachingandAssessingforLearning,ResourcesandSupportSystems,andUsingResults forContinuous Improvement.TheDistrict results foreachstakeholdergroupbystandardweresharedwiththeBoard.Thisincludedthehighestandlowestrateditemsoneachstandardbygroupsurveyed.Theseresponseswillbedisaggregatedbybuildingsfordiscussionandstakeholderinvolvement.TheBoarddiscussedhow theycouldbe involvedat thebuilding levelwhen thesurvey resultsaresharedwithstakeholders. TheSafetyandSecurityCommitteehasbeenmeetingsinceAugusttolookatourcurrentpoliciesandpracticesandhowtoimprovesafetyandsecurityintheDistrict.Eachschoolalsohasasafetysubcommitteetodefinetheirindividual needs. The committee discussed three areas they have recommended for implementation: StandardResponseProtocol(SRP),BellevuePublicSchools’Hotline,andgoingouttobidonthecostofhavinganintercomsystemandalldoorslockedineverybuilding.Afterdiscussion,theBoardagreedtheyshouldmoveforwardonthesethreeareas.Other Board Actions and Reports LauraJohnsonwillbereleasedfromhercontracteffectiveMay22,2014,andMollyBaumertwaselectedtothecertifiedstaffeffectiveNovember26,2013.MichelleJohnsonandKelleyLeidenthalwereelectedtothecertifiedstaffforthe2013-14schoolyeareffectiveJanuary6,2014,subjecttotheirreleasefromanycontractualagreementswithotherschooldistricts. TwoBoardPolicieswerepresentedforreviewandwillbeacteduponattheJanuarymeeting.RevisedBoardPolicy704.04,Audits,wasdiscussedwhicheliminatesusingthemodifiedcashbasisforcompletingauditstoanymethodapprovedbytheNebraskaDepartmentofEducation.OurcurrentauditorshaverecommendedweusethecashbasisforaccountingwhichisapprovedbyNDE.BoardPolicy805.03,Bonding,wasrecommendedfordeletion.BondingforthetreasureriscoveredintheemployeetheftcoveragetheDistricthasunderALICAPforalldistrictemployees. BoardmemberCindyCopichattendedaMetroAreaBoardofEducationmembersmeeting.BoardMembersNinaWolford,CindyCopich,andFrankKumorattendedastateconferenceoftheNebraskaAssociationofSchoolBoards.BoardPresidentWolfordattendedastatemeetingonthefutureoftheStateAidformula,TEEOSA.CindyCopichandNinaWolfordattendedaNASBmembermeetingwithasenatorfromCentralNebraska.

December 18, 2013

InsIdeThIsIssue

BPS Elementary Students Blanket the Town with Good Cheer

Page 2

BPS Elementary Students Earn Top Honors at

Bellevue Robotics Qualifier

Page 3

www.BellevuePublicSchools.org

BellevuePublicSchoolsvBellevue,Nebraska

Education NewsDecember Board Report Includes

Audit, AdvancEd Survey & School Safety

Middle School HAL Students Showcase Their Work Middle School students identified as HighAbilityLearners(HAL)participatedinashowcaseon December 2 at the BPS Welcome Center,during which they shared their first semesterprojects with other HAL students, parents, andteachers. HAL students had the opportunity tochoosefromavarietyofcurriculumtopicsfortheirproject,completein-depthresearchontheissue,andthendisplaytheirunderstandingofthesubjectusing stop motion animation. The projects gavestudents theopportunity todivedeeper into theirparticular interests aswell as complete activitiesthatfocusontheirindividualaffectiveneeds. During the showcase, students were able todisplay completed work in addition to work-in-progressinordertodemonstratetheircontinuouslearningandimprovementthroughoutthesemester.ParentsofHALstudentswereabletobrowseresourcestailoredtogiftedstudentsandinteractwithstudentsattheshowcase,whichHALteachershopewillbecomeasemi-annualevent.AccordingtoAdamLarson,MiddleSchoolHALteacher,andMeganKinen,DistrictK-12HALFacilitator,theHALprogramfocusesonthesocialandemotionalneedsofthestudents,besidesprovidingforstudents’academicneeds. “Althoughtheyareonegroupofstudents,theyareallincrediblyunique,sowefinditcrucialtoemphasizethespecial talentofeachstudentwithin thecurriculum,”saidKinen.“It is important to fosterconnectionsbetweenhomeandschooltoprovidethebestservicesforourstudents,andtheshowcasewastheperfectopportunitytobringfamiliestogethertoshareintheseuniquelearningexperiences.”Larsonadded,“ItwasexcitingforstudentstobeabletoshowoffwhattheyhadbeenworkingoninHALeachweek,anditalsogavestudentsachancetopresentprojectsthatdealwiththesocialandemotionalsideofbeingidentifiedasHAL.” MoreinformationabouttheHALprogramcanbefoundontheBPSwebsitewww.bellevuepublicschools.org underDistrictPrograms.

BPS Elementary Students Blanket the Town with Good Cheer

LeMayandCentralElementary students have spent this holiday seasonparticipating in a community serviceprojecttoprovidechildreninhomelessshelterswithblankets.Thefifthandsixth-gradersspentseveralhourstyingfleeceblanketsbyhand.ThematerialswerepurchasedthroughdonatedfundsfromWal-Mart.LindaWhalen,aBPScounselorwhohasworkedwithOmaha-areashelters,organizedthecommunityserviceproject,nowinitssecondyear.AccordingtoLinda,“Thekidswerereallyexcitedandinterestedinknowingwhotheblanketsweregoingto–itmeantalottothemthattheblanketsweregoingtootherchildrenduringthecoldmonths.”Thisyear’sblanketsarebeingdonatedtoHeartlandFamilyServices.

BPSstudentsfromBellevueandFairviewElementarySchoolscompeted in the Bellevue Robotics Qualifier at Lewis and ClarkMiddle School on Saturday, December 14. Bill Randby, ChiefMeteorologist for KETV Channel 7 News served as this year’scelebrityspeakerandkickedoffthecompetition. Thethemethisyearwas“Nature’sFury”andthestudentteamsworked on creative solutions to aidwith various types of naturaldisastersacrosstheworld. The Fighting Firebirds from Fairview took 1st place in theProjectAwardCategoryoutof25teams.Inadditiontobuildingandprogramming the robots, teams at the robotics tournaments alsohavetocreateasolutiontoaproblemregardingthethemeoftheyear.TheFirebirdsdecidedtotackletheproblemofflooding inSondu,Kenya.They partneredwith a school there (called theSchool ofHope)andeachteammemberhasanePalthattheycommunicatewithonaregularbasis.Usingmostlyrecycledmaterials,theteamcreated awater filtration system that allows flood victims inSondutohaveaccesstofreshdrinkingwaterimmediately. Membersof theFightingFirebirdsareCharlieSims,AllieOtto,DarianDraft,MiaKing,MasonKing,EmmaGage,EvaGorzkiewicz,TyKiviniemi,JacksonBeck,andGrantSchneider.TheteamiscoachedbyGarrettSimsandMichelleBoyce. The Bellevue Elementary Robotics Team earned 1stplaceoverallintheChampionsAward.TheChampionsAwardrecognizesateamthatembodiestheFirstLegoLeague(FLL)experiencebyfullyembracingtheCoreValueswhileachievingexcellence and innovation in both the Robot Game andProject.BellevueElementaryscoredthesecondhighestscoreof theday in theRobotGameout of 23 teams,and sharedtheirinnovativesolutiontohelpcheckandmaintainleveesthatprotectagainstfloods. Members of the Bellevue Elementary Robotics Team are Dylan Araujo, Luke Bartlett, Kekoa Chai, ColtInselman,SyndeyKeith,NolanLausterer,GarrettParker,AshleighRagone,MaggieScott,andAJTaylor.TheteamiscoachedbyDarinToelleandTimKruger. BothteamsqualifiedfortheStateFirstLegoLeagueChampionshipFebruary22,2014,attheAirandSpace

MuseuminAshland.Atotalof50teamsfrom7qualifiersaroundthestatewillbecompetingintheChampionship.Nebraskahasabout125totalteamsthisyear.

BPS Elementary Students Earn Top Honorsat Bellevue Robotics Qualifier

Fighting Firebirds Team Bellevue Robotics Team

District CalendarDec. 20 End of Second Quarter (early

dismissal)

Dec. 23 - Jan. 3 HolidayBreak(noschool)

Jan. 6 SchoolResumes

Jan. 6 BoardMeeting@WelcomeCenter,6:30p.m.

Jan. 20 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (noschool)

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IN MEMORIAMBenedict Syslo

February 2, 1917 - December 12, 2013 Before joining the Bellevue Public Schools onAugust25,1970,BenSysloretiredfromtheUnitedStatesArmyandAirForceafter28yearsofserviceincluding66bombingmissionsoverEuropeduringWorld War II. Syslo then completed a masters’degree in secondary education and taught hisentiresecondcareerasasocialstudies teacheratBellevueEastbeforehissecondretirementonJune5,1981.MemorialsmaybesenttotheArchdioceseSeminarianFund.

State Board Of EducationSelects New Commissioner

NebraskanativeMatthewBlomstedt,Ph.D., fromCentral City, was unanimously approved to replaceretired Nebraska State Education CommissionerRogerBreed. Dr. Blomstedt currently serves as the ExecutiveDirector of the Nebraska Educational Service UnitCoordinating Council. He previously served as thefirstfull-timeExecutiveDirectoroftheNebraskaRuralCommunitySchoolsAssociation,aresearchanalystfortheEducationCommitteeoftheNebraskaLegislatureandhasworked inavarietyofpolicy research rolesoverthepast16years.Duringthistime,Dr.Blomstedtworked closely with policy makers, school districtofficials, and numerous educational stakeholdersacrossNebraska. In 2001, hewas appointed to theNebraska School Finance Review Committee as aschoolfinanceexpertandservedinanumberofothereducational advisory capacities in state governmentandhighereducation.Dr.Blomstedthasnotservedasapublicschoolteacheroradministrator. Dr. Blomstedt earned a Ph.D. in EducationalLeadershipandHigherEducationfromtheUniversityofNebraska-LincolnaswellasaMaster’sDegreeinCommunity and Regional Planning and a BachelorofArtsinPoliticalSciencealsofromtheUniversityofNebraska-Lincoln. Blomstedt’s comments: “I want everyone tofeel as passionate about education as I do.” Hebelieves educational changes should be made “inan incremental fashion”andparticipantsshould “getsignificantbuy-in.”

BEA/BPS Retirement Seminar January 15, at 4:00 p.m. Welcome Center AllBPSemployeeswhoworkatleasthalftimearemembersoftheNebraskaSchoolEmployeesRetirementSystem.Everypayday,eachmemberofthesystemandBPScontributemoneyformembers’retirement. TheBEAinvitesallmembersof theSystemtoattendtheAnnualBEARetirementSeminaronJanuary15,2014,at4:00p.m.attheWelcomeCenter. FormerNebraskaPublicEmployeeRetirementBoardmemberRogerReawillexplaintheSchoolEmployeeRetirementSystembenefitplans.ThenBPSStaffwillexplaindistrictretirementbenefitsforcertificatedemployees. MiddleSchoolprincipalsarepreparedtoarrangeclassroomcoverageforanyteacherwhowishestoattendthisseminar.