Post Messenger Recorder -

The sound of school bells signaling the change between class periods may have quietly faded away to the sounds of nature as summer has sprung upon us, but learning, and learning opportunities are always present. One can look no further than summer school class offerings, chances to once again bring students together socially, summer sports, and the constant desire of the Belleville Community to support its students through recent scholarship donations for the graduating class of 2021 - not to mention the on-going planning that is constant in an effort to enrich the lives of students for the 2021-22 school year and beyond.

Such opportunities come in all different shapes and sizes, but what is important for success is learning to recognize them! "Education exposes young people to a broader world, a world full of opportunity and hope." says Christine Gregoire, the former Governor of Washington, and she is correct! Whether it is offering the simple opportunity to bring the class of 2024 together socially for a swim this summer (after school was already out) to enrich social-emotional well-being, or to "kick start" the next class of incoming kindergarten students with summer class offerings to ready them for school in the fall, or to plan a post-season sports schedule to make all sports activities happen following the closures due to a pandemic; educational opportunities are all around us if we choose to take them and can help enrich our students' lives! Furthermore, these opportunities don't end when a graduating class of students each receive their diploma before they descend the staircase into the awaiting sea of friends and family members happy to congratulate them on all they have accomplished - it extends beyond the walls of their high school through the support, love, and encouragement as their community sends them onto their future by making scholarship dollars available so they can turn their dreams for success into reality!

This year's Belleville High School Honors Awards ceremony, held on Friday, June 4th, yielded $94,700 in scholarships given to our graduating seniors. What an outpouring of support and an investment in the educational future of our 2021 graduates from our community! This financial support offers opportunity for so many of our students who would not have been able to shoulder the cost of furthering their education. In such a challenging year, having the Belleville Community stand strong for our students meant so much and District Administrator Nate Perry would like to offer his deepest gratitude: "The School District of Belleville would like to thank all of the individuals, families, and businesses that have funded local scholarships. The community of Belleville continues to show tremendous support, even in tough times, for our students and their quest for higher education." 

Investing in the future so our students can find the opportunities they need for success is an on-going process, but those efforts are being acknowledged. Just this week, both the Belleville Elementary and Belleville Middle Schools were honored by Project Lead the Way (PLTW) for their excellence. Belleville Elementary School (BES) earned the 2020-21 Project Lead the Way (PLTW) Distinguished School honor in "Launch" for the second consecutive year; and, the Belleville Middle School (BMS) earned the 2020-21 Project Lead the Way (PLTW) Distinguished "Gateway" School recognition for the third year in-a-row! These national-level honors are proof that the School District of Belleville is continually working to make its educational programs better so that they can offer not only opportunities for its students, but hope for their future.

District Administer Nate Perry acknowledges this fact. "The school district is extremely pleased and thankful for the generosity from local individuals, families, and businesses to support our graduates in their pursuit of higher education. The school board and administrative team are also very proud that the investments made in our STEAM facilities and programming are reaping benefits with our students earning college credit through their high school coursework."

Opportunities do come in different shapes and sizes, but they are the building blocks for success and it is important that we train our eyes to recognize how each of these chances can be a "light bulb" moment to ignite a passion for a meaningful life-long friendship, excite a young child to delight in learning through inquiry and build the needed confidence to "try" to learn to be a valuable part of a team; or, just to know that their community cares enough to make an investment in their future. When we recognize opportunity, we learn that there is always hope and hope goes a long way in making bright, successful futures in the world of education for our students.