July 24, 2018
The safety and well-being of our students is our highest priority. We are excited to welcome Pete Ramirez, Dr. Rachelle Warren, and Doug Taylor as a part of our continued focus on addressing comprehensive safety and security. These new employees will support the District's continued efforts to sustain safe and supportive learning environments for our students.
 

Our District has a goal to "sustain a safe and supportive learning environment to provide a secure, nurturing, non-threatening, respectful, and disciplined learning environment where all members excel and exhibit moral excellence." The school board provides direction to achieve this goal but it is a shared responsibility that will be realized through careful planning, commitment and a skilled staff.

You may have seen recent news stories highlighting the District's planning efforts regarding comprehensive safety and security. In light of recent tragedies across the nation and in Texas, my team and I have carefully reviewed existing strategies and activities to address safety and security, and developed plans for continued improvements to ensure the safety and well-being of our students and staff.
 
Three new employees will assist us in addressing  all aspects of the District's comprehensive safety and security elements. A Coordinator of Safety will assist with the day-to-day security of our campuses, focusing on coordination with our School Resource Officers (SROs), campus security guards, local law enforcement agencies and other partners like the Texas School Safety Center. Doug Taylor, a familiar face to Belton ISD, is a peace officer with 21 years of experience with the Belton Police Department. He has previously served as an SRO in Belton ISD and is committed to helping us achieve our goals in this area. Doug's wife is a district employee and he has children attending our secondary schools.
 
A Coordinator of Emergency Preparedness will provide oversight of district and campus emergency operation plans, safety training for staff, and support efforts to communicate and educate the community on important safety topics. Pete Ramirez, a Belton High School graduate, has more than 30 years of experience as a peace officer for the Temple Police Department. He has been an SRO, worked in juvenile investigations, and has been responsible for the development of public safety plans. As the spouse of a Belton ISD employee and parent to two of our students, Pete is committed to our goal and will use his expertise to help us improve.
 
A Director of Social Emotional Learning and Multi-Tiered Systems of Support will focus on our students, who are at the heart of the safety and security plans. Dr. Rachelle Warren will use her experience as a teacher, school administrator, and director for the Anti-Defamation League to help us further develop a social emotional learning program and will work closely with our safety coordinators to strategically implement threat assessment protocols to ensure that we are supporting our students.

The safety and security of our students and staff is our highest priority. It's a responsibility that belongs to all of us, and one that we take seriously.
 
Sincerely,

Susan Kincannon, Ed.D.
Superintendent


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We could not be prouder of our TeamWorks team and instructor Craig Sullivan who captured the national title at the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference in Louisville, Kentucky for the second year in a row! All of these students are currently working in their trade.

Ashley Ficker also won a gold medal from the Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) National Leadership Conference in Atlanta, Georgia in the Interior Design category! She was awarded a $3,000 scholarship to The Art Institute, along with a full scholarship to the summer seminar at the prestigious Savannah College of Art and Design.
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There's no place else to be but in Belton, Texas, on the Fourth of July! Special thanks to the M100, the Magic Belles, BHS Cheerleaders, and the Transportation and Child Nutrition Departments for their participation.
Message from the School Board President:

While Belton ISD students and families are enjoying their last few weeks of summer break, planning and preparation for the new school year continues. The Board and Administration are dedicated to continuous improvement of the District and the success of all of our students. To that end, District and Campus Improvement Plans that outline the priorities for the school year and drive the District's budget will be adopted at our next meeting. 
 
These plans lay out important and ambitious goals for a wide range of service or program areas including: student instruction, academic and extracurricular programs, facility maintenance, human resources, community engagement, as well as safety and security measures.
 
Given the events of the last school year, I applaud the thoughtful approach the Administration has taken in examining our past efforts in order to identify areas for improvement within Goal 4 of the District Improvement Plan. Goal 4 states - "Belton ISD will sustain a safe and supportive environment to provide a secure, nurturing, non-threatening, respectful, and disciplined learning environment where all members excel and exhibit moral excellence."
 
When parents send their kids to school on the first day of classes next month, they should have confidence that our staff has been working diligently to review and enhance all elements of safety and security.
 
Another important Board action scheduled for the August 20 meeting will be the adoption of the 2018-2019 budget. The budget will include a previously approved two-percent raise for all employees of the District. As a Board, we understand that great employees make a difference in the lives of our students. Recruiting and retaining outstanding employees, from the school bus driver to the classroom teacher, is a high priority for our school board and the community we serve.
 
Exciting things await our students in the upcoming 2018-2019 school year! Thank you for your continued support of our schools!

Sincerely,

Mike Cowan
President, Board of Trustees
Over 140 students in 3rd through 8th grade attended the Gifted and Talented Summer Enrichment camps earlier this summer. Students participated in a variety of activities teaching them useful lessons in Coding, Physics and Art History all while having fun! In addition, f or the first time, Belton ISD partnered with the National Inventors Hall of Fame to offer a summer program for students in K-6th grade. S tudents participated in an innovation camp focused on creative problem solving, teamwork, entrepreneurship and curiosity. Camp Invention was an exciting week filled with creating, making, building prototyping, and most of all, fun!