Family

Questions or problems? Contact the BCS Main Office at mainoffice@bethany-ed.org or (203) 393-3350 x601.

New Student Registration Request
You will receive a confirmation email that your request was submitted. 

Students enrolling in the current school year will receive a second email from donotreply@bethany-ed.org with additional information and next steps within 1-2 business days.

Students enrolling in the next school year will receive a second email from donotreply@bethany-ed.org with additional information and next steps in the future.

Next Steps
Please review and gather the following documentation, as applicable:

The Bethany Public School District offers a voluntary device protection plan for parents/guardians and students. The plan will cover the cost of accidental damage to the District-owned device in accordance with the terms and conditions provided. Intentional abuse or mishandling or non-accidental loss or damage to a device, charger, or school provided accessories due to negligence remains the full responsibility of the student/family and will NOT be covered under the Device Protection Plan. In these cases, the parent/guardian is responsible for the full cost to replace or repair the device.

District Protection Plan

The District shall provide repairs at no cost for normal wear and tear, prorated per occurrence. The protection plan cost is $50.00 annually for each device payable online at www.mypaymentsplus.com. Coverage will begin upon receipt of payment and ends at the conclusion of the school year or upon the student’s withdrawal. Families eligible for Free or Reduced School Lunch meals will be offered discounted rates, visit www.mypaymentsplus.com for those costs.

What’s Covered

• Accidental Damage including but not limited to broken screen, liquid spillage, dropped, broken keys, power cords.
• Unavoidable theft – A police report must be submitted within 72 hours of the theft.

What’s Not Covered

• Lost devices are not covered by this plan. A full replacement cost will not exceed $250.
• Excessive scratches/wear to device exterior.
• Foreign objects (paperclips, pens, etc.) inserted into the ports/openings
• Intentional marking, defacing, removing name labels, and asset tags.
• Damage caused by tampering with hardware components or operating systems (i.e., jailbreaking) to alter District configurations.

Prorated Repair Cost Sharing

Device Warranty

The District’s device warranty covers defects in materials and workmanship. This limited warranty covers normal use, mechanical breakdown or faulty construction and will provide replacement parts necessary to repair the device or device replacement. The warranty does not cover damages caused by inappropriate use, abuse or neglect, accidents, or device viruses. All device problems should be reported to the IT Director immediately.

Device Case

The District will provide a protective Gumdrop case for all students.

Contact BCS Technology Support and describe the issue you are having.

The Bethany Community School Bus Routes are published below. Routes are subject to change as students move in and out of the district. Questions about your child's bus stop should be directed to Beth Cohen, Transportation Coordinator at beth@bandbtrans.com or (203) 393-9750.

2020-2021 School Bus Rules and Regulations

BCS Transportation Committee Appeals
Please email written appeals to beth@bandbtrans.com and scarpenter@bethany-ed.org.
The subject line should state, "Appeal to BCS Transportation Committee."
They will notify the committee and convene a meeting. You will be notified in writing of the committee's determination.

Parents and caregivers are invited to call 833-258-5011 and/or visit www.talkitoutct.com to speak with trained professionals (in both English and Spanish) who will listen and discuss your concerns and, if additional help is needed, refer you to responsive services. The "Talk It Out Line" is available Monday-Friday from 8am to 8pm; and on weekends from 1 pm to 8 pm.

The purpose of homework is to help students become self-directed, independent learners. Good study habits should be initiated early and emphasized throughout the school years. Well-structured assignments, designed so that the child can complete them without the help of a parent, foster a positive self-image and develop a child’s sense of responsibility. Homework assignments vary in content, frequency and amount according to the student’s ability and grade level.

Specific homework assignments may:

• Strengthen basic skills.
• Extend classroom learning.
• Stimulate interests outside the classroom.
• Reinforce independent study skills.
• Develop initiative, responsibility and self-direction.
• Stimulate a worthwhile use of leisure time.
• Acquaint parents with the student’s work in school.

If a student cannot complete homework assignments within a reasonable period of time, parents should contact the teacher who assigned the work to discuss the situation.

Parents can show their support by following theses homework tips:

• Make sure your child has a quiet, well-lit place to do homework.
  Avoid having your child do homework with the television on or in places with other distractions, such as people coming and going.
• Make sure the materials your child needs, such as paper, pencils and a dictionary, are available.
  Ask your child if special materials will be needed for some projects and get them in advance.
• Help your child with time management.
  Establish a set time each day for doing homework. Don't let your child leave homework until just before bedtime. Think about using a weekend morning or afternoon for working on big projects, especially if the project involves getting together with classmates.
• Be positive about homework.
  Tell your child how important school is. The attitude you express about homework will be the attitude your child acquires.
• When your child does homework, you do homework.
  Show your child that the skills they are learning are related to things you do as an adult. If your child is reading, you read too. If your child is doing math, balance your checkbook.
• When your child asks for help, provide guidance, not answers.
  Giving answers means your child will not learn the material. Too much help teaches your child that when the going gets rough, someone will do the work for him or her.
• When the teacher asks that you play a role in homework, do it.
  Cooperate with the teacher. It shows your child that the school and home are a team. Follow the directions given by the teacher.
• If homework is meant to be done by your child alone, stay away.
  Too much parent involvement can prevent homework from having some positive effects. Homework is a great way for kids to develop independent, lifelong learning skills.
• Stay informed.
  Talk with your child's teacher. Make sure you know the purpose of homework and what your child's class rules are.
• Help your child figure out what is hard homework and what is easy homework.
  Have your child do the hard work first. This will mean he will be most alert when facing the biggest challenges. Easy material will seem to go fast when fatigue begins to set in.
• Watch your child for signs of failure and frustration.
  Let your child take a short break if she is having trouble keeping her mind on an assignment.
• Reward progress in homework.
  If your child has been successful in homework completion and is working hard, celebrate that success with a special event (e.g., pizza, a walk, a trip to the park) to reinforce the positive effort.

Bethany Community School students participate in standardized and benchmark testing at designated times during the school year. Individual and group testing results are used to assess student progress and to improve educational programs. Personally identifiable individual student test results are confidential and will be shared with parents. General test results, class data, etc. will be compiled for statistical purposes and program evaluation.

Currently, we give the Smarter Balanced Assessment (SBAC) to all grades 3 through 5 students. Students in grade 5 will still take the science subtest of the Connecticut Mastery Test (CMT) in the spring of 2015. We also give the Otis Lennon School Ability Test (OLSAT) to students in grade 3 to determine academic strengths and weaknesses. We will give parents advance notice of the dates of these tests to ensure that children are prepared and well-rested. All SBAC, CMT and OLSAT test results will become a part of each child’s student record. Results of these tests will be given to parents.

What Parents and Students Should Know

More information about the BCS PTO