Senior High News

Dear BASD Families, 

All Butler Area School District students will have an early dismissal on the last day of school (Friday, June 9). 

The Senior High School and the Intermediate High School will dismiss at 11:15 am on June 9th. 

All K-5 elementary schools and Center Avenue will dismiss at noon on June 9th. 

Please note lunch will not be served on this day. However, breakfast will be available for students. 

Wishing everyone a wonderful summer! 

The Butler Buzz recently featured Julie Hopp, BASD's Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Professional Development. Ms. Hopp sat down with Tricia Pritchard to share the latest updates from our elementary schools. Watch the episode to learn more about how each of our elementary schools has its own unique focus -- and how community members can get involved!

Click to watch the episode. 

The comprehensive science classes along with the biology classes recently wrapped up a unit on heredity and genetics.

Colin Zedrick, owner of Berkley Creek Labs and Pet Retreat, spoke to the students about heredity in dogs such as coat color, conformation, and common genetic diseases. Mr. Zedrick used examples from his breeding program, and even figured probabilities based on student questions. He was also able to talk to the students about his career path and his responsibilities as a business owner.

Mr. Zedrick's dog Milo, who is a therapy dog, also tagged along and stole the show!

The compression science classes are co-taught by Mr. Bob Wick and Mrs. Kara Sroka. The biology classes are co-taught by Ms. Anna Kasicky and Ms. Alyssa Slagle.

NexTier Bank recently made a donation $25,000 to The Golden Tornado Scholastic Foundation, Inc. via Pennsylvania's Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) program. 

Carol Achezinski, NexTier Bank’s Senior Vice President, Treasury Management, visited the Butler Area School District central office to deliver the check. 

Thank you to NexTier Bank for their generous support of our students and our schools! 

The National Agriculture in the Classroom Organization (NAITCO) has selected the Community Agricultural Partnership at Summit (CAPS) as the recipient of its 2023 Partnership in Agricultural Literacy (PAL) Award.

CAPS was selected for its innovative effort to use an agricultural focus to expand student learning and meet the needs of the whole child. CAPS is committed to cultivating lifelong learners and informed citizens with respect and appreciation for conservation, agriculture, and the outdoor environment.

The Foundation and Pennsylvania Farm Bureau celebrated CAPS on May 25 in the school’s outdoor classroom. View photos from the May 25th event. 

 “Summit (CAPS) has created an environment of agricultural literacy by providing opportunities for students and occasionally their families to be immersed in agriculture throughout the year by incorporating it into the students’ learning throughout the day,” said Chris Hoffman, foundation chairman. Hoffman is a Juniata County hog farmer and president of the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau.

With the support of community partners, the Pennsylvania Friends of Agriculture Foundation, and many others including the county 4-H Extension Educator, Audubon Society, conservation district members, CAPS is working to use agricultural concepts as a pathway to learning. Donated resources, educational presentations, and unique hands-on experiences such as the Mobile Ag Ed Science Lab have helped provide the means for students, teachers, staff, and families to immerse themselves in a world of agriculture, both during the school day and at home.

In order to accomplish this goal, CAPS has taken an aggressive approach to curriculum development and professional learning, offering staff an opportunity to participate in the Pennsylvania Friends of Agriculture Foundation’s Educator’s Ag Institute, both virtually and in person. In addition, building staff have been working to design lessons for their classrooms centered around National Agricultural Literacy Outcomes, utilizing resources and materials made available from NAITCO. These resources have been piloted at the Summit building and will be shared with the other six elementary buildings in the Butler Area School District to ensure all students are introduced to vital agricultural concepts. Grade-level teachers have worked together to develop ag kits for use within the established curriculum, allowing for an agricultural overlay for classroom instruction.

“CAPS is committed to cultivating lifelong learners by providing engaging lessons for students in all content areas. Students are excelling academically and achieving social emotional growth while also developing respect and appreciation for conservations, agriculture and the outdoor environment through the different agricultural components we have available on our campus.” said Chad Broman, the school’s principal.

“This has truly been a partnership, as CAPS has worked with a wide range of community groups, foundations, and others to expand agricultural literacy access. These dedicated individuals have built a program that, with the right leadership and commitment, could be replicated at other schools,” said Charlene Shupp Espenshade, executive director of Pennsylvania Friends of Agriculture Foundation.

They will be honored at the 2023 NAITCO Conference “Beyond the Beaches” taking place June 26-29 in Orlando, Florida.

About PA Friends of Agriculture Foundation
Pennsylvania Friends of Agriculture Foundation is a charitable organization supported by the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau. The Foundation has been educating the public and promoting agriculture, the largest of the Commonwealth’s industries since its inception in 1986. To learn more about foundation programs, go to www.pfbfriends.com.

The Senior High School had their annual 11th grade Career Action plan interviews in May. About 400 students participated. 

A variety of professions were represented, including attorneys, game commission, state police, taxidermist, doctors, engineers, nurses, anesthesiologists, music educator, therapists, welders, contractors and more! 

Thank you to everyone who volunteered their time and expertise to our students. In addition, thank you to the new Dunkin on Route 8 for graciously donating donuts and coffee each morning. 

Intermediate High School Starfish leaders earned a field trip to Camp Guyasuta for team building and a high ropes experience as a reward for their work serving their school community this year!

The Starfish leaders completed 27 service activities throughout the school year.

Great work, Starfish leaders!

Commencement Rehearsals

Commencement rehearsals will take place on Thursday, June 8 and Friday, June 9 from 8:00 - 10:00 am. 

Chromebook Collection Dates

• 11th & 12th Graders - Tues. June 6
• 9th & 10th Graders - Wed. June 7

Financial Obligations 

All financial obligations must be paid in order to receive a diploma. Payments can be made in the SHS Office (7:30 am - 3:00 pm) by cash or checks payable to:  Butler Area School District.

The prom was held on Friday, May 12 at Butler County Community College. The theme was "A Night at Gatsby's."

View the 2023 Butler Senior High Prom Video.

The Community Development Corporation Student Advisory Board was created with the intent to bridge the gap between Butler County students and Butler County businesses.

Student representatives toured four facilities this year. About 15 students were able to patriciate, including 5 from Butler Area School District.

Thank you to Butler Technologies, Inc., CID Associates, Inc., Coherent Corp., and IDL Worldwide for welcoming students to their facilities.

View a video to learn more.

🎉🎉Spoiler Alert! 🎉🎉

Butler's very own KDKA Hometown HighQ team won the championships! Congratulations to Charles Simms, David Krainbucher, Max Channells!

KDKA HighQ is sponsored by GBU Life. They generously award $4,000 to the winning team! In addition to the grand prize money, the students will have the opportunity to tour the KDKA studio.

Tune in to KDKA on June 3 at 11 am to watch the semifinals. We don’t have an official air date for the championship yet, so stay tuned!

View more photos. 

Miliannette Muniz was crowned queen and Ethan Babay was crowned king at the Butler Senior High School prom.

Miliannette is the daughter of Vimarie Irigoyen of Butler.

Ethan is the son of Andrew and Nina Babay of Butler.

The prom was held on Friday, May 12 at Butler County Community College. The theme was "A Night at Gatsby's."

Senior Owen Maharg and junior Kylee Bernhard organized and planned a great event for current Intermediate High School students. The event -- which was called High School Head Start -- was an opportunity for IHS students and families to learn more about the Senior High School. 

Senior High School students attended the event to represent their clubs, activities and organizations. The Rock Orchestra and Drum Line also gave great performances. 

The goal is for the Head Start program to be a yearly event that provides the current Intermediate High School students with information on the different organizations that the Senior High School has to offer.

"We want to get students connected to an organization they can take pride in as early as possible," explained Owen.

Thank you to Kylee and Owen for their work on this project!

Butler Area School District students recently competed in Academic Games Leagues of America National Tournament in Orlando, Florida!

Andrew Benjamin, Easton Floris and Blake Giocondo qualified for the national tournament and traveled to Orlando to compete. Andrew is in 7th grade at the Intermediate High School, Easton is in 6th grade at the Intermediate High School and Blake is in 5th grade at Northwest Elementary School.

Prior to traveling to Orlando, students competed regionally against teams within the Midwestern Intermediate Unit 4 at Slippery Rock University. Next, they competed in a state level competition at Grove City College. Their performance in the local and state level competitions qualified them for nationals.

In addition to, Andrew, Easton and Blake, Max Channells, David Krainbucher and Simon Miller qualified for nationals, but were unable to attend. Max and David are juniors at the Senior High School and Simon is in 6th grade at the Intermediate High School.

Academic Games Leagues of America is "dedicated to developing 'Thinking Kids' of character, integrity, and excellence." The games challenge students to use higher order thinking skills in the subjects of mathematics, language arts, and social studies.

Congratulations to these students on their outstanding accomplishments!

Senior High School student Emily Rogers was one of three finalists for the Challenge Program's Student of the Year!

Emily was one of more than 500 students who applied for the Student of the Year award. The applicants were then narrowed down to ten. At that point, each of the 10 students went through an interview process. Emily was one of the top three finalists! 

As a finalist, Emily was invited to "The Crystal Owl Gala" where the three finalists were honored, and the winner was announced. In addition, Emily's parents, along with Senior High teacher Mr. Jon McKay and Senior High counselor Mrs. Alecia Mowrey, attended the gala. The group enjoyed a limo ride to the Omni William Penn Hotel for the gala. 

Although Emily was not the grand prize winner, she did receive a $2,000 reward. 

Thank you to Deep Well Services who served as the business partner for the Senior High. We sincerely appreciate their generous support. 

Congratulations to Emily on this incredible accomplishment! 

Butler Senior High School will crown its prom king and queen on May 12 at Butler County Community College. The theme of this year’s prom is “A Night at Gatsby’s.” 

Members of the prom court are:

(Back Row, Left to Right): Ethan Babay, Luke Benkart, Mark Collins, Martin Imhof, Owen Maharg, Derek McLafferty, Jun “Jake” Zheng, Conner McTighe, Ryan McLister and Lance Slater

(Front Row, Left to Right): Carlie Baker, Carson Boden, Savannah Briggs, Jenna Capriotti, Tajah-Rae Edwards, Maisy Gibson, Ruby Link, Miliannette Muniz, Anna Munko and Annabelle Turner

Congratulations to the 2023 Prom Court! 

The Senior High KDKA Hometown HighQ trivia team won their semifinal round! The team consists of Charles Simms, David Krainbucher, and Max Channells. This was their third round of winning, so they are now in the top three of 81 original teams.

We don’t have an air date for round three yet, but you can catch their second round this Saturday, April 29 at 11 am on KDKA.

Congratulations to Charles, David and Max!  And thank you to Mrs. Peters for serving as the team's sponsor!

Butler Area School District's Kennywood Day is June 17, 2023

View the flyer.

Purchase instructions to visit Kennywood on June 17th for $35.99.

1. Go to www.kennywood.com/schools.
2. Click the 'Buy Now' button to advance to the next screen.
3. Enter your '2023 School Ticket' ticket quantity.
4. Enter Promo Code butler in the 'Promotional Code' box, then click 'Apply.'
5. Click 'Continue' to advance to the ticket calendar. Select your district day (June 17) to apply the discount offer and then click 'Continue.'
6. Select (again) your district date (June 17), then click 'Continue.'
7. Click 'Continue' to advance and complete the remaining steps to purchase your tickets!

Purchase instructions to visit any date through June 30th for $38.99.

1. Go to www.kennywood.com/schools.
2. Click the 'Buy Now' button to advance to the next screen.
3. Enter your '2023 School Ticket' ticket quantity.
4. Enter Promo Code butlerflex in the 'Promotional Code' box, then click 'Apply.'
5. Click 'Continue' to advance to the ticket calendar. Select any visit date through June 30th to apply the discount offer and then click 'Continue.'
6. Select (again) your visit date, then click 'Continue.'
7. Click 'Continue' to advance and complete the remaining steps to purchase your tickets!

Northwest, Emily Brittain and Center Township Elementary Schools recently installed traverse rock walls in their gyms. Northwest Elementary and Emily Brittain Elementary both received a Golden Tornado Creative Teaching grants that enabled the schools to install a rock climbing wall in their gyms. At Center Township Elementary, the wall was purchased through a SOAR and PTO fundraiser.

The traverse rock walls enable students to build confidence in their skill sets of grip strength, forearm strength, back/core and even leg strength.  In a world where people – children and adults – often spend significant time sitting at a desk with their backs in a rounded position, the use of a traverse wall helps build back strength and pull strength that caters to a more balanced posture.  

“Our newly installed traverse rock walls encourage students to take healthy risks by challenging their grip strength and upper body strength, which aids in better posture and overall stature,” said Julie Saeler, PE teacher at Northwest. “Daily life does not ask much of our upper bodies and the rock wall certainly provides a safe healthy challenge.”

Mrs. Saeler wrote the Creative Teaching Grant for Northwest because she was looking for a new age alternative to traditional cargo nets and rope climbs. The traverse rock wall enables teachers to challenge their students in a variety of ways. The color-coded grips can be placed in a pattern that challenges students on a beginner, intermediate, and advanced level; or can be placed for height differences spanning kindergarten through fifth grade students.

For example, teachers can challenge students to stick to one color grip for their hand and foot holds or challenge them to traverse the whole wall without stepping down.

“Through practice in physical education class, students will be more likely to choose activities on the playground and beyond that challenge their hang/grip/and pull strengths; all reinforcing strength in the weaker areas of our bodies due to modern activities of daily living,” explained Mrs. Saeler.

Many students start off intimidated by the wall. They don’t immediately trust their body/ability to hold themselves on the wall. In just a few short classes, it’s thrilling to see students begin to try the wall, realize they can hold their body weight, and quickly progress to a timed wall hold and then a length wall walk (building up how much length they can cover before stepping down).  

More advanced students find challenges in sticking to the harder color patterns that require their mind to focus, implement problem solving skills, and physically push their mobility and strength limits.  

Thank you to The Golden Tornado Scholastic Foundation, Inc. and the Center Township PTO for their support!

View more photos.

The Manufacturer & Business Association, along with partners the Butler County Chamber of Commerce and the Butler Manufacturing Consortium, hosted the first Butler Manufacturing Day at the Intermediate High School. It was a great opportunity for students to meet local industry professionals and learn more about careers in manufacturing. Representatives from 17 companies participated in this event. Read more in the Butler Eagle.

PARTICIPATING COMPANIES

• Penn United Technologies Inc.
• Cleveland-Cliffs Inc.
• Oberg Industries, LLC
• CID Associates, Inc.
• United Plate Glass Company, Inc.
• Butler Technologies Inc.
• Channellock Inc.
• Bayer
• IDL
• NEFF Automation
• Penna Flame Industries
• MSA The Safety Company
• Coherent Corp.
• Magee Plastics Company
• Du-Co Ceramics Company
• J. V. Manufacturing Company, Inc
• Berner International Corporation

Thank you to everyone who participated for representing our district so well.

The Grable Foundation Board of Trustees and Pennsylvania Deputy Secretary of Education, Dr. Jeff Fuller, as well as Special Advisor to the Deputy Secretary, Dr. Carrie Rowe recently visited Butler Area School District.

The Grable Foundation has supported numerous projects throughout our district over the years, including providing significant grant funding for our work at Summit Elementary and Broad Street Elementary. The purpose of their visit was see the agriculture programming at Summit and the fresh market at Broad Street Elementary.

Students at both Summit and Broad Street lead our visitors on tours of their building to highlight all of the great things that are happening at school. Thank you to our student tour guides for representing our district so well. And, thank you to all of the faculty and staff who helped make this visit a success!

View more photos.

Butler Area School District students Ashleigh Day and Liza Wick reached the highest level a high school musician can achieve by earning a place in the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association (PMEA) All-State Festival music ensembles. Ashleigh is a senior who plays the viola and Liza is a sophomore who plays the violin. Both students have been members of the Butler orchestra program since 5th grade. They are currently members of the Butler Rock Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra.

Each year, thousands of high school musicians across the state audition in their geographic area. Individually, students perform for a panel of judges. Student musicians who rank the highest advance to compete against student musicians from other parts of PMEA Regions. The highest-ranking student musicians at the PMEA Region level qualify to perform in one of six Pennsylvania All-State music ensembles.

The student musicians who qualify will perform at the annual PMEA All-State Festival at the Kalahari Resort in The Poconos, Pennsylvania April 19-22, 2023. Nationally recognized conductors at the convention direct the groups who rehearse for two days and conclude with a performance. Learn more about the event and the guest conductors at: https://www.pmea.net/pmeaall-stateinformation/

Congratulations to Ashleigh and Liza on this well-deserved honor!

Inspired Hearts and Hands recently brought a fun musical program to Broad Street's after school program!

Four musicians from the Senior High School are part of a saxophone quartet called Need for Reeds, which was started by Jonah Mechling. The quartet played a variety of kid friendly songs for the elementary scholars and then answered quite a few of their questions. They also encouraged the scholars to try out an instrument in Butler as they move on to the older grades.

If you would like to purchase a Butler yearbook online, please visit http://ybpay.lifetouch.com. You can search for "Butler Senior High School" or use code 14323623. 

Prices for a yearbook are as follows: (For just a yearbook-other options are available at additional costs):  

• $65 until 2/28
• $70 until 4/30
• $75 until 5/31
• $80 until 6/30

Please note these prices are for the yearbook only. There are other options available for an additional cost. If you would like to order a yearbook, please do so by June 30. There will not be any additional sales beyond that date. 

Believe it or not, it is time to start thinking about kindergarten enrollment for the 2023–2024 school year. If you have a child who will be 5 years old on or before September 1, 2023, it is time to contact your neighborhood school. If you know a kindergarten-aged child in your neighborhood, please share this information with their parents.

Visit our Kindergarten Registration page for more information.

Step 1: Calling All Five Year Olds!

It's important to let us know your child will be attending kindergarten in the fall as soon as possible. You can do that by completing the form online.

Important information as well as Invitations to kindergarten transition events will be emailed to everyone who completes this form. Please fill it out as soon as possible to ensure you stay up-to-date and have all of the information you need to help your child successfully transition to kindergarten in the fall.

Questions?
School contact information is listed to the right on this page (or below if you are on a mobile device). If you are not sure which school your child would attend, call 724-287-8723.

Thank you for your help! We look forward to seeing your family soon!

Step 2: Complete the Enrollment Packet

Click to download the 2023-2024 enrollment packet.  If you don't have access to a printer, you can pick up a packet at the District Administration Building (110 Campus Lane, Butler, PA 16001) or any of our K-4 elementary schools.

Once you have completed your child's kindergarten enrollment packet, there are several options for submitting the information. You can submit your child’s paperwork in one of three ways. 

1. Drop it off at your child's school.
2. Mail it to your child's school.
3. Email it to the main office of your child's school.

You only have to do one of the three options. More details about each one is included below. 

Visit our Kindergarten Registration page for more information.

Forty students from Broad Street, Emily Brittain, McQuistion and Northwest Elementary Schools were invited to participate in “Shop with a Cop” this December. The students met with about 50 local area police officers at Walmart where they had the chance to purchase items for Christmas.

Thank you to Butler Township Police, the Sheriff's office Office, Butler City Police, PA State Police and BASD School Police for making this incredible experience possible!

View photos on Flickr.

Rock Orchestra went on their Winter Tour today to Emily Britain, Broad Street and Center Township Elementary. Congrats to our musicians on THREE fantastic performances! May your music inspire the next generation of Butler Orchestra!

View more photos on Flickr.

On Saturday, December 10, the Tornado Varsity Voices hosted their first ever Winter Wonderland Extravaganza event at the Intermediate High School, complete with Reindeer Games, face painting, cupcake decorating stations, and a special visit from Santa himself!

Following the Extravaganza, the Tornado Varsity Voices performed their Winter Choir Concert, which featured the 6th Grade Chorus. Repertoire included the Pentatonix arrangement of God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, a fun version of Deck the Halls in 7/8, and our a capella take on the hit song Up the Ladder to the Roof. The audience joined us in caroling to end the concert.

Directors Bryan Helsel and Ali Erevia could not have been more pleased with how it all came together, and are already looking forward to next year's event! After all, the best way to spread holiday cheer is singing loud for all to hear!

The Community Agricultural Program at Summit (CAPS) will soon add a new greenhouse to the school grounds. The greenhouse will enable students at Summit Elementary to grow fresh produce year round, which will then be made available at Broad Street Elementary School.  

The addition of the greenhouse and growth of the CAPS program is possible thanks to the generous support of many people and organizations. 

Butler Area School District was the recipient of a “Moonshot” grant, which is funded by The Grable Foundation. The grant focuses on helping students at Summit and Broad Street develop skills that are needed throughout our region – entrepreneurship, environmental science, agriculture and community involvement. 

The Hays Excavating team prepped the site for the greenhouse and the possibility of future expansion. The company offered their time as well as the use of their equipment and supplies at a significantly discounted rate. Bauer Excavating also contributed the use of their forklift and helped prepare the site of the playground area. In addition, M&M Lime donated several loads of stone for the greenhouse installation.

Keystone Ridge Designs donated furnishings for the outdoor classroom at Summit while Heasley’s Nursery donated many plants and trees that have been planted on the school grounds. 

Seneca Resources also made a generous donation to the project that is being used to help grow and expand Summit’s herb garden. 

We’d also like to thank the members of our CAPS Advisory Board for all of their help and guidance. In addition, we’d like to thank the faculty, staff, students and families at Summit who have worked hard during the school year – and over the summer – to make this program a successful learning opportunity for students. 

Thank you to our school community for embracing the CAPS program! 

Dear BASD Families:

The winter season is just about here. I’d like to remind you of our school delay and closing procedures. 

I make the decision to delay or cancel school after I review the weather forecast and consult with our Transportation Department. When necessary, the district also consults with the municipalities and other resources within our community.  Each decision regarding whether or not to delay or cancel school is made with student safety as the primary concern. I recognize that any delay or cancellation can create hardships for our families and do not take this decision lightly.

Delay/Closing Plan

In an effort to maximize in person instruction for our students, we will have traditional snow days this year. This means students will not have school, nor will they have to learn remotely. The days will be made up according to our calendar. 

If we have a particularly bad winter with more than a few snow days, it is possible that we will  move to remote learning. In that case, we will distribute devices and/or learning materials to students. More details will be shared if we get to the point where we have to implement a flexible instructional day.

If we have to delay, all BASD schools will operate on our two hour delay schedule.

Delay/Closing Communication

If a school delay or closing is necessary, families can get the information from a variety of sources.  

• Our school district website –  www.basdk12.org 

• Facebook – www.facebook.com/butlerareasd 

• Twitter – www.twitter.com/butler_area_sd 

• Instagram – www.instagram.com/butlerareasd 

• KDKA TV and www.kdka.com

• WPXI TV and www.wpxi.com 

• WTAE TV and www.thepittsburghchannel.com 

• An automated phone call, text message and email

We recommend that families use our website (www.basdk12.org) as their primary source of information. This is the first place the information is posted. Our website (www.basdk12.org) gives us the flexibility and space to share all necessary information. 

Please do not rely solely on the media (KDKA, WTAE, WPXI). There have been occasions beyond our control where we have not been able to report accurate or timely delay/closing information via media. We will not be able to include detailed instructions via these sources. Thus, they should only be used as a secondary source.

Update Your Contact Information

We also recommend that you take a moment to make sure your contact information is up-to-date and your communication preferences are set in the Tyler Parent Portal. We will contact parents/guardians via phone, text and email. 

Please remember changes may not take effect immediately, so be sure to update your information as soon as possible. 

Thank you for your patience this winter!

Sincerely,  

Brian J. White, Jr., Ed.D.
Superintendent
Butler Area School District

The Senior High School donated a record breaking 16 Thanksgiving dinners to families in need. In addition to a turkey, families received everything they need to make all the traditional Thanksgiving side dishes and desserts.

Thanks to everyone who helped make this possible, including our school police officers who delivered some of the meals to families.

Despite the age gap, the teachers noted how well the students were collaborating as the classrooms had a notable hum of productivity. 

Each year during American Education Week, senior class officers begin the process of selecting a graduate from Butler High School to receive the Distinguished Graduate Award.

Do you know a past graduate who has achieved something outstanding in their chosen profession or has made contributions to the community, state, or nation? You may obtain a nomination form from the Senior High website (under Quick Links) or at any school office. Click to complete the form.

The deadline to submit your nomination for this distinguished award is April 1, 2023. The recipient is announced each year at commencement.

Did you know you can check out our fish at any time? Check out the live stream to see what's going on in our Senior High catfish tank, McQuistion trout tank and McQuistion catfish tank.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5cxpLatASRgPvQ70Jzv1sw

Butler Area School District students and staff have been working hard to display positive behavior in school and their efforts show!

This year, many of our schools have been recognized for implementing School-Wide (SW PBIS) or Program-Wide (PW PBIS) Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports with fidelity at the Tier 1, 2 and/or 3 level during the 2021-2022 school year. 

“Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports is an evidence-based, cost-effective, systems approach for establishing the social culture needed for schools to be effective learning environments for all students. Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports eliminates barriers to learning, creates and maintains a safe and effective learning environment in schools, and ensures that all students have the social and emotional skills needed to succeed in school and beyond. Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports helps schools teach students expected behaviors and social skills, creates student behavioral health and academic support systems, and applies data-based decision-making to discipline, academics, and social/emotional learning. Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports uses the three-tiered approach of universal interventions (for all students and settings), secondary interventions (for students who are at-risk), and tertiary interventions (for individual students needing specialized assistance).” (papbs.org) 

• Center Avenue Community School successfully implemented SW PBIS with fidelity at Tiers 1, 2 & 3.
• Center Township Elementary School successfully implemented SW PBIS with fidelity at Tiers 1 & 2. 
• Summit Elementary School successfully implemented SW PBIS with fidelity at Tiers 1 & 2. 
• Connoquenessing Elementary School successfully implemented SW PBIS with fidelity at Tier 1. 
• Emily Brittain Elementary School successfully implemented SW PBIS with fidelity at Tier 1. 
• McQuistion Elementary School successfully implemented SW PBIS with fidelity at Tier 1.
• Northwest Elementary School successfully implemented SW PBIS with fidelity at Tier 1. 
• Intermediate High School successfully implemented SW PBIS with fidelity at Tier 1. 
• Senior High School successfully implemented SW PBIS with fidelity at Tier 1. 

Congratulations to our students and staff! Great work!

The National Honor Society has started the Peer Tutoring program! The NHS members will meet with students through Google Meet. If students need help while doing homework or studying for a test.

Click to sign up for Peer Tutoring

Juniors Nicanor “Jun Jun” Andrada, Jr. and Meghan Reay were crowned the 2022 Tornado Prince and Princess at Butler High School’s homecoming on Friday, September 30.

Other members of Butler’s homecoming court included Zeta Achezinski, Ava Brewster, Grace Nichols, Sarah Szebalskie, Riley Chapla, Noah Collins, Coleton Welter and Legend Wilkinson-Icenhower.

Congratulations to all of these students!

Dear BASD Families, 

We are very fortunate to have the support of The Golden Tornado Scholastic Foundation, Inc. in our school community. The Foundation directly gives back to our Butler Area School District students and schools through their programs. 

Did you know they awarded more than $122,000 in scholarships to BASD students in 2022? In addition to awarding eighteen $2,000 scholarships, the Foundation facilitates more than 40 scholarships backed by private donors. 

In addition to supporting scholarships, the Foundation awards up to $30,000 for educational Creative Teaching Grants each year. These grants support creative and innovative projects that promote excellence in teaching and learning in BASD classrooms. 

The Foundation has been instrumental in creating the STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) Room at the Senior High School. Students in multiple classes utilize the room’s innovative technology such as laser engravers and a 3D printer. The hope is to expand the program and establish a similar room at the Intermediate High School.

Not only is the Foundation supporting educational initiatives across the district, they are also committed to fighting hunger by supplying weekend food for students in need. Each student who participates in the program discreetly receives a plastic bag every Friday that is packed with child-friendly, single-serving snacks and easily prepared meals in their backpack. 

All of this and more is made possible through the generous support of our incredible community. You can support the Foundation through a monetary donation, volunteerism and attending their events, such as the upcoming Tuff Tornado Run. 

Show your support while having a blast at the Tuff Tornado Run!

The Tuff Tornado Run is a fun family friendly event that will take place this Saturday, October 1 from 1-4 pm at Alameda Park. All levels of runners, walkers and teams are welcome to participate. Come join us for an afternoon of fun and fitness while supporting the Foundation’s causes – and prepare to get dirty as you make your way towards the finish line to the mud pit. There will be food trucks, a DJ and plenty of fun activities.

It’s not too late to register! Visit the Foundation’s website for more information and the link to register.

Thank you for your support of our students and schools!

Sincerely,

Brian J. White, Jr., Ed.D.
Superintendent
Butler Area School District

Jack and Jane Arthurs generously left a gift of $100,000 to The Golden Tornado Scholastic Foundation, Inc. Their gift will be used to further the mission of the Foundation, including supporting need based scholarships for students. 

Jack and Jane Arthurs were incredibly involved in the community throughout their lives. They were both especially passionate about helping children. Although Mrs. Arthurs passed away in 2015 and Mr. Arthurs passed in 2020, their legacy continues today. 

“My aunt and uncle never went to college. They really wanted to make sure that kids in need received help to go to college or a trade school,” said Pat Green, Mr. & Mrs. Arthurs’ niece. “They were passionate about being able to provide an educational opportunity for children who may not otherwise be able to afford it.”

“The Arthurs generously made five major gifts, including the gift to The Golden Tornado Scholastic Foundation, Inc.. Helping and supporting children was the common theme,” said Mr. Dick Musko, who was a close friend of the couple for 45 years and currently serves as a board member for The Golden Tornado Scholastic Foundation, Inc.

“Their goal was that whatever they had left would be used to support different charities,” said Mrs. Green. “Anything to do with kids was important to them.”

“We are incredibly grateful that Jack and Jane Arthurs felt compelled to support our Butler Area School District students and schools,” said Dr. Brian White, Superintendent of the Butler Area School District. “The Golden Tornado Scholastic Foundation, Inc. is able to do incredible work throughout our school community thanks to the support of generous donors, such as Jack and Jane Arthurs, as well as the work of many dedicated volunteers.”

In addition to their desire to support education, the Arthurs were supporters of St. Jude's and The Shriners Children's Hospital in Erie, PA.

Mr. Arthurs proudly served our country in the U.S. Navy, and was later a representative of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. In addition, he served on many local charities and organizations, and was previously on the board at Slippery Rock University. 

Mrs. Arthurs was also involved in the community as a member of the Order of the Eastern Star, a board member of the Music and Arts Festival, and a member and historian for the Carlisle Newcomer’s Club. 

“Their gift to The Golden Tornado Scholastic Foundation, Inc. will have a major impact. It will make a difference.” said Mr. Musko. “I hope their generosity will inspire others to do something similar.” 

The Golden Tornado Scholastic Foundation, Inc. is an independent nonprofit organization that promotes excellence in the Butler Area School District through programs like Creative Teaching Grants, The Kids' Weekend Backpack Program, funding scholarships for graduates, and by raising the profile of public education in the Butler community. This gift will be used to further support the Foundation’s mission.
 

Congratulations to the 2022 Butler Senior High School Homecoming Court!

Pictured front row, left to right:
Grace Nichols, Meghan Reay, Sarah Szebalskie, Zeta Achezinski and Ava Brewster

Pictured back row, left to right:
Riley Chapla, Noah Collins, Coleton Welter, Nicanor "Jun Jun" Andrada and Legend Wilkinson.

The Butler High School homecoming princess and prince will be crowned before the football game on September 30 at 7:00 p.m.

The homecoming court is, front row, left to right, Grace Nichols, Meghan Reay, Sarah Szebalskie, Zeta Achezinski and Ava Brewster; back row, left to right, Riley Chapla, Noah Collins, Coleton Welter, Nicanor "Jun Jun" Andrada and Legend Wilkinson.

The homecoming dance will be from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. on October 1 at the high school.  

Dear BASD Families: 

I hope the school year is off to a good start for you and your family. I am grateful for everyone’s efforts and patience as we begin the new school year. As we start the new school year I wanted to share some information and updates with you.

Attendance

One of our goals for the school year is to improve student attendance. Unfortunately, with everything that has occurred over the past few years, student attendance decreased. Many students had legitimate reasons to be absent. However, in some cases, attendance at school became casual.

Students may not believe it, but they thrive with consistent expectations and routines. I am asking you to make being present for school on a daily basis an expectation in your home.   Research consistently shows that students who miss 10% or more of a school year do not achieve their full potential.

To put that into perspective, if a student misses 2 days each month, they will exceed being absent 10% or more by the end of the school year. 

Let’s start off strong. I'd like to share a handout that provides even more information on the importance of attendance. Click to view the attendance handout.

If your child or your family needs additional attendance support, please contact your child’s counselor or principal.

Join Our Team

We are so fortunate to have an incredible faculty and staff at Butler Area School District. However, we are still short handed in a variety of employee and contracted position categories. If you are seeking employment – or know somebody who is – we have numerous opportunities available. We encourage you to apply!

Please call Valley Lines if you are interested in being a bus driver or a bus monitor at 724-287-0003. We are experiencing critical shortages in bus drivers that may impact our ability to operate in a normal manner. Please encourage folks to consider becoming a bus driver.

Please call Aramark at 724-214-3223 if you are interested in working in food service.

Please call 724-214-3108 if you are interested in working as a paraprofessional.

Please call ESS at 724-996-3247 if you are interested in working as a substitute teacher. A Bachelor’s degree (in any area) is required.

For more information, visit www.basdk12.org/employment

Free Breakfast for All Students

We have been informed that the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania will provide funding to schools that participate in the School Breakfast Program to provide free breakfast for all enrolled students for the 2022-2023 school year, beginning on October 1, 2022.

Therefore, Butler Area School District will provide free breakfast for all students in grades K-12. Please note this only applies to the breakfast meal. There will still be a cost for the lunch meal unless students are eligible for free/reduced meals or attend one of our CEP schools (Broad Street, Emily Brittain and McQuistion).

If you have any questions about the free breakfast program for the 2022-2023 school year, please contact Helen Walker at helen.walker@basdk12.org. 

I’m looking forward to a great school year and hope you are too!
 

Sincerely,

Brian J. White, Jr., Ed.D.
Superintendent
Butler Area School District 

Spirit Week is Monday, September 26 through Friday, September 30. 

Monday 9/26 - Monochrome Monday
Wear all one color of your choosing.

Welcome to our new website! Here is a quick guide to finding some of the most frequently visited pages.

The link to our main page is still www.basdk12.org.

Schools

The drop down to select another school is in the top right corner.

• Click here to visit www.basdk12.org.
• Click "Schools" in the top right corner OR in the main navigation bar. Both are circled in yellow on the screen shot below.
• Select your child's school.

Calendars

When we conducted our communication audit, upcoming events was the most requested thing our community looks for on the website. In addition to our interactive events calendar, we also have the one page calendar overview, the elementary day 1-5 calendar and an athletics calendar.

• Click here to visit www.basdk12.org.
• Click on "Calendar" at the top right of the page. This is circled in yellow on the screen shot below.
• Select which calendar you would like to view.

The Icon Menu

Some of our most frequently visited pages are lined in the icon menu. This includes the directory, Tyler, lunch menus, school & community flyers and new student registration.

• Click here to visit www.basdk12.org.
• Click on the icon below the image that represents where you'd like to go.

Directory -- This is where you can search for a staff member's email address by their name. Please note, we're making adjustments to our directory that should be live soon.

Tyler -- This is our Student Information System and your link to your child's schedule, grades, attendance and more.

Menus -- This links to our lunch menus.

Flyers -- This page includes school and community flyers. You'll find information about upcoming events, registration for community athletics, community resources and more. This page is updated often.

Registration -- This is a link for new student registration. Kindergarten registration information will be linked here when it's time for new students to enroll in kindergarten.

Employment

We're hiring! Visit our Employment page for our current job opportunities.

• Click here to visit www.basdk12.org.
• Click on "Employment" in the main menu bar.

Please use this form if you require district transportation for your specific session of Vo-Tech from Thursday, August 25th through Wednesday September 7th.  DEADLINE TO REGISTER is Friday, August 19th at 3pm.  On the form you will fill out your name, grade, and contact information along with your scheduled session. If your need for transportation is only for some of these days, please email transportation@basdk12.org with the details of your request.

Please also remember that Vo-Tech begins on Thursday, August 25th.  Transportation will be available, but if you are driving to Vo-Tech you may park in the Lower Lot.  Lower Lot parking for Vo-Tech students will be available from Thursday, August 25th through Friday, September 2nd.  On Tuesday, September 6th parking will only be available for those students that purchased a parking pass. 

Dear Center Township Families,

It is with great excitement that I write this letter to introduce myself as the new Assistant Principal at Center Township Elementary. I am very humbled and honored to have the opportunity to join your school family in this role! 

I have been dedicated to the field of education for more than 15 years in the Butler School District. During this time I have worked with students ranging in age from kindergarten to twelfth grade with the majority of my time in the elementary setting. I hold a degree in Elementary and Special Education as well as a Master’s in Reading, Reading Specialist Certification, and Principal Certification. I had the honor of being a classroom teacher at Oakland Township Elementary and Center Township Elementary. In addition to being a classroom teacher, I also had the opportunity to serve both teachers and students as an Instructional Literacy Coach in the district. I live in Butler with my husband and our two children. We are proud to call the Center Township community our home! 

I view education and learning as a life-long process and look forward to continuing to learn more about the students and families in our school community. I believe that our students are the very reason we each walk through the doors every day and are the center of every school-related decision. I am excited and eager to unite my experiences and skills as an educational leader, my openness to learn, and my child-centered approach to education with the Center Township village. I look forward to building a partnership in education with you, Mrs. Cherry, the staff, and community to ensure your child’s love of learning, growth, and success.

Please know that my door is always open to you. I sincerely welcome your conversation and input during this year. They say it takes a village to raise a child – and I’m so honored to be a part of that at Center Township Elementary.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Tanya Lewis
tanya.lewis@basdk12.org

We encourage all families to apply for free/reduced meal status, as your student(s) will be eligible for other school and community benefits based on their status. Several school programs are available at a free or reduced rate based on your family’s meal status. This includes AP tests, athletic programs and summer school, just to name a few. In addition, the P-EBT card is based on your family’s free/reduced meal status.

Join Butler Area School District's food service team!

Now Hiring:

• Food service workers
• Food service worker leads
• Food service manager

Apply through Aramark, BASD's Food Service Provider. Click to apply. Search for zip code 16001 to find Butler Area School District's job openings.