To our families who are learning with us at home, you can find support for your child, for their learning, and for yourself on 2 new pages of our website.

On a computer, visit our website, hover over Our Schools, and you'll see PreK-6 ePirates as a "school," as well as 7-12 ePirates. Select the grade level you need and on that page, you will find links for support, messages specific to our virtual ePirates, and more.

We are happy to share the news that the USDA has extended the Summer Feeding Program for all children up to 18 years of age. This means all students in the Belton School District can receive meals at no cost. At this time, the extension goes through September 30, 2021. These changes go into effect on Tuesday, September 8, 2020.

How this will impact your child:

ePirates (learning from home) can order their meals the night before and pick up between 9 - 9:30 am at Yeokum Center of Innovation, 613 Mill Street. Orders need to be placed by 7 pm the night before by simply filling out this form. The menu for ePirates can be found on our website. Students will receive meals at no cost.

We still encourage families to complete the meal benefits form if you have not yet done so. The form, while primarily designed to give families meal support, also provides Belton students with other educational opportunities that might not otherwise be available. If you are unable to fill out this form electronically or need a paper copy of the meal benefits form, please contact your child’s school office to have one sent to you.

Dear ePirates,

Welcome to the 2020-2021 school year!  We hope this message finds you doing well with our unique circumstances.  We wanted to take a few moments to welcome you and your family to this new year and share some important information with you.

Mr. Mike Cummins and Dr. TJ Winkelmann will be serving as the ePirate administrators for all PreK-6 buildings.  Mr. Cummins is the Assistant Principal at Mill Creek, and Dr. Winkelmann is the Assistant Principal at Hillcrest STEAM Academy. 

We have included our contact information below:

Mr. Mike Cummins, ePirate Administrator: Cambridge, Gladden, and Mill Creek 

816.348.1576

Dr. TJ Winkelmann,ePirate Administrator: Bosco, Grace, Kentucky Trail, and Hillcrest STEAM Academy 

816.348.1130

School Hours 

• The daily schedule for your child depends on the home school of the ePirate teacher assigned to your child. Class rosters are being developed based on virtual enrollment by grade district-wide. Classroom lists are currently being finalized and will be sent soon. 

If your teacher's Home School is Cambridge, Gladden, or Kentucky Trail, the availability for contact will be 8:30 am - 3:30 pm

If your teacher's Home School is Mill Creek, the availability for contact will be 8:40 am - 3:40 pm.

If your teacher's Home School is Hillcrest, the availability for contact will be 9:10 am - 4:10 pm.  

Teachers will be reaching out to you via video later this week with more information specifically on what life will look like in the ePirate virtual program. 

Attendance

Participation is required each day as an ePirate. The following will count for a student’s attendance:

• Completion of lessons and activities turned in on the day of or the next day of attendance.
• Electronic submission of lessons and activities on the day of or the next day of attendance.
• Log of electronic/web-based/app activity.

K-6 students will not be online all day, but there will be scheduled times to meet with the teacher and/or their classmates.

Back to School Night

Classroom teachers will be sending you more information regarding a virtual Back to School Night. This will look different this year and will be in video form where you can watch anytime.  

Breakfast/Lunch

ePirates will have the opportunity to order and pick up meals; details will be coming soon from the district level. If your child is eligible for free or reduced-price meal benefits you must complete the Meal Benefits Form every year.

Devices for ePirates: 

We want to be sure your child is ready to start school on August 24th, and we have 2 opportunities scheduled for you to come to pick up a device.

Please stop by the Yeokum Center of Innovation on either Thursday, August 20th, and Friday, August 21st between the hours of 11 am - 7 pm. Yeokum is located at 613 Mill Street, just south of Grace Early Childhood Center.

Please pull up to the north entrance awning and have a sign in your dashboard with your children’s names written clearly and large enough for the tech staff to read. Please also include the child’s grade on the sign. If you have multiple children, you can put all names/grades on one sign.

You will not need to leave your vehicle, but for security reasons, we will ask to see some form of ID to verify you are the parent/guardian of the child receiving the device. 

Grade/School-Specific Information

Hillcrest 2-6th grade: If your 2nd-6th grader still has their district-issued device from the 2019-2020 school year, please bring it to this event to exchange for an updated one. Hillcrest first graders were issued updated devices as kindergarteners and do not need to attend this event.

K-2nd grade students will be issued an iPad in an Otterbox case and a cable/charger.

3-6th grade students will be issued an iPad in a case, a keyboard, and a cable/charger.

Technology Assistance

If your student is having trouble accessing the assignments on their district-issued devices, please reach out to your student’s teacher for support. BSD will be hosting two Zoom meetings for parents to learn about their child’s district-issued device. Mark your calendar for Wednesday, September 2, 2020 at 4:30pm-5:00pm or 6:30pm-7:00pm. We will share the link on Monday, August 31, 2020.  

If your child’s district-issued device is broken or misplaced, please fill out the Technology Support - Devices.

Sincerely,

Mr. Mike Cummins and Dr. TJ Winkelmann

ePirate Administrators

When your child is not in a Zoom meeting, open the app. Touch the Settings icon and select Meetings.

You can toggle off meeting controls if needed, turn on the option to always use a virtual background, toggle on to always mute their mic when they first enter a meeting, and more.

If you select their profile from the original Settings menu, you can ensure their display name is your child's first and last name and ensure the account is tied to their email and not yours or another family member's.

We have standardized these devices to provide a proven common tool for all students and cannot support nor guarantee the proper functioning of the wide range of possible devices out there. 

Having all students on the same device also makes reaching and teaching students at a distance more consistent for the teachers.

Free WiFi available in many locations in Belton - Library, Community Center, and restaurants like McDonald’s, Starbucks, and other public businesses.

You can also contact the school district; we may have additional hot spots available for check out.

While the school district owns the device, we encourage parents to set limits and rules when that device is in your home. 

• Set time limits for your child and set an “iPad curfew.”
• Create a workspace for your child in a common area of your home.
• Designate a charging station that is not in the student’s bedroom.
• If your child is done with school work and spending too much free time on the iPad, take it away.
• Content filtering is ONLY provided when the child is using an iPad at school. We do not have content filtering on devices at home.

Common Sense Media is a great resource for parents and families. The school district uses their curriculum to teach Digital Citizenship, and their website has lots of other great resources like ratings for apps, websites, video games, and movies that can help parents make educated decisions on what media to use with their children.

For more parent support or help using the iPad for schoolwork, contact Ivy Nelson.

(816) 348-1174

• Keep the iPad dry. If you need to clean or sanitize it, use a Clorox wipe that you have squeezed all the excess liquid out of, and then wipe down the iPad without removing the outer case that the district provided.
• Avoid extreme temperatures, like leaving the iPad in a car on hot summer days.
• Encourage responsibility with your child’s use of the iPad, keep it in a safe place when not being used, and never place food or drinks within three feet of it to avoid damages.
• When in doubt, use your best judgment, or reach out to the technology department for help.

1. All apps on student iPads will be installed from our Self Service, NOT the regular App Store. Locate the icon below for the Self Service App and open it.

2. Find the apps your child will need and click Install next to them.

1. Find the Settings app (looks like gears).
2. Find your home WiFi name from the list of options and enter the password for it when it prompts. If your child will be using a hotspot from the district, set it up first (following the instructions that came with it) and then find its name from the list and enter the password you were given for it. 

Your child WILL receive a protective keyboard case for the district-issued iPad, but the shipment is delayed due to COVID-19. We will contact families as soon as those arrive. In the meantime, please help your Pirate be VERY careful with the device.

Fill out the Technology Help Request form. You can also email your child's teacher for simple troubleshooting tips or just to let them know you're having issues.

Be with us at HOME remains in place for the entire semester. 

A new survey will be sent to all parents who opted for their child to Be with us at HOME (distance learning) in December asking if they'd like for their child to return to in-person learning.