IN Brentwood-Baldwin-Whitehall Winter 2017 | Page 52

Brentwood
Borough
School
District
SUPERINTENDENT’S
M E S S A G E
BY DR . AMY M. BURCH
Blink and you may miss the school year flying by. It is November
and school has been well underway for more than three months.
September was marked with Open House at each of the buildings.
It is my sincere hope that each family took advantage of the
opportunity to visit the schools and meet the teachers who work so
hard to motivate our students. October was remembered as a time
to celebrate the homecoming of past graduates. November is a time
to celebrate with family in friends and to take part in the sharing of
Thanksgiving. Unfortunately, these months will also be remembered
as some of the most difficult due to natural disasters, incivility, and
social/political unrest.
It was often difficult to turn-on the television or computer without
seeing yet another story of devastation and destruction. All of these
events have an impact our lives, especially our students’ lives. Fred
Rogers passed along the advice his mother gave him, “When I was
a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would
say to me, "Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are
helping.”
Our administrators, teachers, and staff provide a stable, supportive
environment for our students. In times of distress, students are
encouraged to seek comfort from those around them. It was so
reassuring to hear of the positive stories flowing from our schools.
At the elementary level the students and staff adopted a school
in Texas that was hit hard by the Hurricane Harvey. At the middle/
high school level a relief effort led by our athletic trainer, Kelci Rullo
provided much needed supplies to the Houston area. In addition,
two of our high school students hosted a multicultural fair at the
elementary schools focusing on diversity and the literature from
various cultures. These stories are a true reflection of what it means to
be #Brentwoodproud!
50 Brentwood-Baldwin-Whitehall
Winter Weather Approaching
We are entering into the winter season
in Brentwood and with it comes the
possibilities of delays or cancellations.
While our goal is to maintain the current
school calendar we understand that the
safety of our students and staff comes first.
There are multiple ways to remain informed
about delays and cancellations. The most
immediate way to obtain information
about delays and cancellations is to
follow the Superintendent on Twitter @
AmyMBurchDEd. The second best option
is to watch the local news stations KDKA,
WTAE, and WPXI or download their school
closing and delay applications. Thirdly, the
District will release a Skylert message via
phone and email to students and staff. This
would be a great time to update contact
information in Skyward or set a preferred
telephone number. A final note is that the
District operates on a delayed start time
of 10am meaning that classes will begin at
10am. Students are encouraged to arrive
in enough time prior to 10am to report to
their homeroom or first class of the day. No
breakfast is served on delay days.