Blackford County Schools

Thank you for your service to Blackford County Schools, Mrs. Burkholder.
#AlwaysABruin

Students in Mrs. Sydney Walter's 2D art class at BJSHS recently participated in the 2026 Paint Out on the Square. Their work is currently on display at the Blackford County Arts Center until November 12. Everyone is invited to attend the reception and awards presentation on Thursday, October 22 at 5:30 p.m. to support our Bruin artists.
For more information, see the attached flyer.
#BetterAtBlackford

We have a couple of reminders for the upcoming week:
- The School Board meeting set for October 20, 2026 has been rescheduled to October 27.
- Parent/Teacher Conferences take place on Wednesday, October 21. There will be NO SCHOOL for students.

It's been a busy week at BCS! Students at Blackford Primary School learned important fire safety lessons from the Hartford City Fire Department. A big thank you to HCFD for sharing their knowledge (and fire hose) with our students!
#BetterAtBlackford

Over the years, students at BJSHS have decorated ceiling tiles that have adorned the Sutton Center hallway. Due to renovations at BJSHS, there have been changes to the hallway ceiling and the tiles had to be removed. If you had a decorated ceiling tile placed along the hall that you would like to pick up, please call 765.348.7560 to schedule an appointment to come get it before the October 30 deadline. Thank you!

We have spirit, yes, we do! We have spirit, how about you?
Our BPS Cubs show their Homecoming spirit to help cheer on our Bruins! Let's GO!
#Homecoming2026

We have royalty in our midst! BJHS Teacher's Assistant and 2023 BJSHS graduate, Riata Rouch, has had the Fall Break of a lifetime. Riata proudly represented Indiana at the 2026 All American Quarter Horse Congress Queen contest, where she competed with other contestants from the United States and Canada. Candidates are judged in three categories: Interview, Knowledge, and Horsemanship. Riata not only won the Knowledge category, but she came home as the overall winner, being crowned the 2026 Congress Queen. She will spend the next 12 months traveling to major horse shows and events throughout the United States, serving as Ambassador of the American Quarter Horse Association. In addition to working at BJSHS, Riata currently shows her horse, Woody, and is a student at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods college.  If you would like to follow her journey, you can find her on Facebook under 2026 All American Quarter Horse Congress Queen. Way to go, Riata! We are BruinProud!

As the BJSHS Homecoming Spirit Week continues, we are celebrating the decades today. It looks like our Blackford Bruin is celebrating his own walk through the decades. (Apparently, it has been a looong walk!) Let's go, Bruins!
#BetterAtBlackford #hoco

Thank you for your service to Blackford County Schools, Mrs. Lewis.

BPS PTO is having a GLOW dance!! For any questions any feel free to contact Carrie Holloway and Whitney Brown at BIS 765.348.7584!! Lets GLOW and come have some fun! We will have games, a basket raffle, refreshments and glow sticks!! Wear your neon, bring a parent and come have fun! Extra flyers are in the office!

Will the real Cruella DeVille please raise her gloved hand???
Cruella was definitely in the house at BJSHS today as we continue Homecoming Spirit Week! Let's go, Bruins!
#BetterAtBlackford #hoco

BJSHS is currently putting together an initiative to bring guest speakers (in person or by sending in videos) to our 7th grade students to talk about career paths, personal growth, and what success looks like after graduation. To make this as impactful as possible, we want to hear directly from our former Blackford students!

Dear Blackford High School Alumni,
I hope this email finds you well!
As a graduate of Blackford High School, your journey after high school offers invaluable perspective for our current students. I am reaching out to invite you to share your experiences and insights with our 7th-grade students as they begin thinking about their own futures.
We are looking for alumni willing to help in one of two ways:
- **In-Person Speaker:** Come speak directly to a group of 7th graders about your career path and post-high school journey. (In person, on a Friday around 2:20pm. We can coordinate on dates.)
- **Short Video Recording:** Submit a short (around 5 minutes) video sharing your story if you are unable to join us in person.
In your video or talk, we’d love for you to touch on a few key ideas:
- What "success" means to you today.
- Is what you're doing now what you expected to do when you were in high school? (Did your path stay the same, or did it take unexpected turns? Has your concept of success changed?)
- A favorite memory or valuable lesson from your time at Blackford.
- How high school helped prepare you for your next steps (college, trade school, military, or workforce).
- Advice on connecting high school to future goals and finding your path.
If you are interested in participating—either in person or by
video—please send an email to tpauley@blackfordschools.org by November 6, 2026.
Thank you so much for your support of our students and community!
We look forward to hearing your inspiring stories!
Bruin Grit, Never Quit!

Are they heading to work at Taco Bell, checking in on the auditorium construction or biking the Hilly Hundred? BJSHS seniors Kloie Carpenter, Brayden Acker and Landon Libby are ready for work while ELA teacher Monica Myers is ready for a day of cycling through the hills!
In the second photo, the entire BJSHS staff gets in on the "Dress for the Wrong Occasion" theme for today!
#BetterAtBlackford

BCS is currently experiencing an internet outage. Unfortunately, this impacts phone service across the district as well. We apologize in advance as we do not have an estimate of when it will return. We appreciate your patience as we work through this issue.

The Blackford County School Board will be in session for a Special Meeting this Tuesday, October 13, 2026 at 5:30 p.m. at the Administrative Offices. Join us!

Just a reminder that if your child needs a warm coat, hat and gloves for cold weather, you can pick those up for free at the Rotary Coat a Child event this Saturday, October 3 from 9 to 11 a.m. at the Girl Scout House in Hartford City.

Students in Mrs. Liz Holdcroft's class at BPS learned very important lessons today- Identifying money and what is not money. The students were surprised to find Assistant Principal Shalee Myron's cat June in a treasure chest. The class learned that June is indeed not money!
#BetterAtBlackford