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Greetings from Bethany!

Welcome to our online resource for current parents, where we are gathering together important information, links, and updates for you.

This is the new home of the Bruin Weekly.

You can find important information on this hub, including resources, contact information, recent news, calendar events and more.

To help the Bethany community as a whole and parents of all grade levels, we decided to separate one calendar into two. All events are still available, but you may need to resubscribe.

Website calendar

To view calendar events online, select Calendar at the top of this page.

When you are on the calendar page, have a look at the right side of the screen. By default, below the monthly calendar, both Academics and Athletics should be checked. From there, it is up to you—select Academic, Athletics, or both.

BCS calendar subscribing

Subscribing to the calendar

If you would like to sync the calendar to your own devices, select which calendar you want, then choose the 'Subscribe' link above the monthly calendar. When it is shared with your device, it would likely be named as 'Bethany Christian Schools -Academics' OR 'Athletics' OR 'Custom Calendar'.

We hope that this is helpful for you. You are welcome to send an email to [email protected] if you have any issues or questions.

Information and upcoming events

Semester 1 classes wrap-up at the end of this week!

Young Instrumental Concert
Best wishes to musicians performing concerts tonight in the chapel: Beginning Instruments at 6:30 and middle school instruments at 7:30. Call time for 5th graders is 6:00; call time for middle school students is 7:00. Wear your concert attire.

Roller Skate Family Night
PTO invites all BCS families to join us for an all school roller skating party Thursday, January 16 from 6-8pm at Jarissa’s Fun Zone in Bristol. Cost of admission is $3 per person; skate rental is included but  concessions, laser tag, and arcade are additional. Let’s skate!

Sports Card Club
The afterschool sports card club plans to meet most Wednesdays from 3:45 to 4:15 beginning in two weeks: Jan. 22. The club is open to any interested student in grades 6-12. For more information talk to Mr. Willems.

Chess Club
Chess Club will meet and continue to meet each Tuesday 3:30-4:30 for all students on a tournament chess team.

  • Text Alerts
    If you wish to receive text alerts from Bethany (including weather delays/cancellations), opt in by texting “Y” to 67587 from the wireless device you wish to receive texts. In order to receive texts, you also must have the mobile device number on file with Bethany. If you have opted in and still do not receive the text from our next schoolwide broadcast, contact the technology director, Benji Hurst.
  • Drop off and pick up
    Reminder, parents who are dropping off and picking up students in the south lot should NOT take a shortcut through the middle of the parking lot. Please drive along the outside and be patient as students are picked up. We appreciate your help in keeping all students safe.

    As we enter the winter season, and on days with the start of school delayed 90 minutes, please include extra travel time into your morning routine so that you can safely get to school on time.
  • BCS eLearning Day Expectations/Reminders
    With winter weather again approaching, we wanted to send some reminders about days off and our eLearning Day expectations. Delay and cancellation information is available online.

     

    We adhere to state guidelines and expectations relating to eLearning days. State guidelines allow for three asynchronous eLearning days where work can simply be posted, but no student/teacher interaction must occur. While we may utilize these asynchronous eLearning days for specific reasons, our normal eLearning day will involve teachers and students interacting and/or meeting virtually during the normal class schedule time.  The following guidelines will be followed to help ensure a productive eLearning day:

    • students will be reminded to take home necessary materials the day before when possible
    • the normal class schedule will be followed for that specific day (schedule reminders will be sent home via email and text)
    • attendance will be taken for each class
    • teachers are encouraged to meet virtually (Google Meet, Zoom) to share information, explain the lesson, have discussions, etc.
    • class information as well as links for Google Meet and Zoom will be posted on Google Classroom

    While in person learning is always best, we are well positioned to offer a valuable eLearning day experience.  We appreciate your efforts to help make learning continue when we are forced to cancel school.

  • Parents, please make sure to contact your students during the day through the office. Do not text or call students as they are not to be on their phones during most of the day. We appreciate your help!
  • With the new Indiana state law and Bethany expectations relating to technology (cell phone) use, we are asking that parents communicate with their student through the Bethany office during school hours. The office will communicate with students on your behalf. View the new technology policy in the Student-Parent Handbook that was emailed to all families.
  • If you know your student will have a planned absence, please notify the office as soon as possible so we can make teachers aware and can make academic preparations. If you have a student who is home ill or has a medical appointment, please notify the office as soon as possible that day. Contact the office at [email protected] or call 574-534-2567.
  • Parents who are not receiving text messages from the school and would like to, text Y to 67587. Parents who want to stop receiving messages need to opt out by texting Stop to the same number.

Lower School

Our Lower School teachers maintain a Google Site to share classroom updates and photos, keeping you connected with what’s happening in your child’s class. These sites are refreshed every Friday morning and are accessible We encourage you to check in each Friday to stay informed and enjoy a peek into your child's week!

Class Newsletters (updated weekly by faculty)
Kindergarten 4th Grade
1st Grade 5th Grade
2nd Grade 6th Grade
3rd Grade  

Dolly Parton's Imagination Library
The Imagination Library reaches children from birth to age five with FREE, age-appropriate books and supplementary learning activities each month. Through the Imagination Library, children receive their own books mailed directly to them at home. The Imagination Library is available, for free, to every family in Elkhart, LaGrange, and Noble County with children under five years of age.



Middle School


After School Math Study Table
Continuing each Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, Math Study Table is open to all Math 7, Math 8, and Algebra 1 students. Study table will be held in room 112 (Mr. Mast’s room) from 3:35-4:15. This is a great place for students to receive individualized assistance on assignments and test preparation.


Upper School


At the Plymouth speech tournament on Saturday, Sofia Johar took 11th in prose interpretation. Elena Unzicker earned her third NFL degree, Excellence.

Bethany makes it possible for our students to travel and study abroad through the exchange program in Asunción Paraguay with Colegio Alemán Concordia a private K-12 Mennonite school founded in 1975 by German-speaking Mennonites, where classes are taught in German and Spanish. As a part of the exchange, two students from Bethany study in Paraguay during the Fall semester and we reciprocate the experience hosting two students from Paraguay during the Spring semester. The experiences that students on both ends acquire are enormous, and we are ready to start the selection process for the two students who will participate in the exchange program for the 2025 -2026 school year exchange. Learn about this opportunity and the application process.

After School Math Study Table
Continuing each Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, Math Study Table is open to all Math 7, Math 8, and Algebra 1 students. Study table will be held in room 112 (Mr. Mast’s room) from 3:35-4:15. This is a great place for students to receive individualized assistance on assignments and test preparation.


Athletics


Tonight's varsity girls basketball team vs Career Academy has been postponed due to the weather. It is rescheduled for Thursday, January 23, at 7:30pm. The game will be played at Success Academy (3408 Ardmore Trail, South Bend—enter at Door C).