Blackford Intermediate School

A Message from Superintendent Yencer I hope this message finds you and your family doing well. It continues to be a unique year at BCS, and we are so thankful for the support of our families and students during this unusual time. . I wanted to send a quick note to share that as Covid-19 cases rise across the state and within our county, we are monitoring daily the number of students and staff who are on quarantine for close contact or symptoms, as well as the number of positive for COVID-19. Health protocols in place in your student’s classroom, busses, and student spaces, as well as the hard work of our district staff, has helped us keep kids safe. As of today, there is only one positive student case across the district, and less than 2% of our in-person students are quarantined. We continue to send our daily information to the Blackford County Health Department, and share information frequently with the County Health Officer. The Indiana State Department of Health displays data in county-by-county format that looks at the number of cases (adjusted for population) and positivity rate (The percentage of tests that are positive). In the past several weeks our county numbers have increased, however, due to the outstanding efforts of our families, students and staff, our schools’ numbers have actually declined. Currently, we are not making any changes to our programming. We will continue to closely evaluate and monitor the situation. It is a good time to remember to stay diligent on your family’s health protocols such as engaging in social distancing, frequent hand washing, and proper face mask use. Most importantly, we would like to remind parents that if students exhibit symptoms to please keep them home. Thank you for your continued support of BCS. Stay safe, Bruins! -Superintendent Chad Yencer

Congratulations to the first quarter Honor Roll recipients from Blackford Intermediate School! We are proud of all your hard work!

Do you have a child with a disability? If so, the following information might be of interest to you. These free webinars are not affiliated with Blackford County Schools; however, we always want to share information that might be helpful for our families. Many parents state they worry about how their child with disabilities will be cared for when they are no longer alive. Interested in learning about the planning process and how you can have peace of mind? Below is a link to a FREE online educational webinar about special needs planning. Topics covered include an overview of SSI & SSDI, Medicaid & Waivers, ABLE accounts, special needs trusts, and other important considerations to help family members better understand how planning for a child with special needs is different both legally & financially. Click on the registration link (Located under the date that works for your schedule) to sign up. A confirmation email will be sent with login information. Please share with others you know that may find this information relevant and valuable Thursday, October 29th at 12:00 pm (CDT): https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8154525099202402831 Tuesday, November 3rd at 1:00 pm (CDT): https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5602500337018056463

Just a reminder that if your student plans on participating in the Blackford Youth Basketball program, the sign-up form must be returned to school by tomorrow, Wednesday, October 28.

The third graders in Mrs. Enos’ Class are conducting a seed search as part of their Science Lesson. Students cut open bean pods and tomatoes to discover the seeds. In their “think journals” students noted the number of seeds and described their characteristics (size, shape, color, texture, smell). We then created a graph to show the number of seeds, making a prediction as to the numbers of seeds we would find in the next pod!

Ms. Hangbers 5th Grade Math Classes are working hard on Mean, Median, Mode and Range with Skittles.

6th Grade Newsletter!

Picture Retakes will take place Friday, Oct. 23 at 8:00

4th Grade Newsletter

Our new sign was installed today!

Reminder: If you would like for your student to obtain a free flu shot at school from Health Heroes on Oct. 22, be sure to complete the parent consent form by Oct. 20. You can pick up a form at your student's school or here: https://bit.ly/3iGDyYZ

Check out the latest job openings at BCS! https://bit.ly/3lHlGPw

BCS has Instructional Assistant positions available at BJSHS and Montpelier Elementary. If interested, please submit a letter of intent and a resume to the principal/supervisor listed. Join Us! Check out our other job openings. https://bit.ly/36ROe4O

6th grade newsletter!

Good news! Health Heroes will be at each of our schools on Thursday, Oct. 22, to offer free flu vaccines to all students and staff. The student consent form will need to be thoroughly completed and returned to school by Oct. 20. Contact your student's school for more info.

Lunch menu for Thursday, October 8th: Soft Shell Taco Lettuce/Meat/Cheese Hash Browns Steamed Corn Chilled Fruit Milk

Breakfast menu for Thursday, October 8th: Banana Bread Juice Craisins Milk

Wow! Hard to believe Fall Break is almost here! (Oct. 12-16.) Thanks to the kind generosity of the Blackford County Community Foundation, Community and Family Services, Grace United Methodist Church, Purdue Extension Blackford County, and the Good Seed Initiative, the Pit Stop in Hartford City will provide free lunches to families in need during Fall Break. If this is your family, please stop by the Pit-Stop to pick up lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Students are encouraged to be present when picking up the lunches.

A friendly reminder from Assistant Superintendent Greg Roach regarding transportation: As we start the last week of our first grading period, I want to thank you for your understanding and cooperation in helping us have a great start to our school year. I want to remind you that due to COVID-19 safety concerns and the possible need to contact trace, we are unable to approve one-time, non-permanent bus changes for students. Students need to ride their assigned bus or have an alternate option for transportation. I know this can create hardships for parents at times, but we need to do all that we can to keep our students safe and this is a measure that is necessary. Thank you in advance for your help in our efforts to keep the students of BCS safe.

3rd Grade Newsletter!