🤟✨ That’s a wrap for ASL Club! ✨🤟

Yesterday was the final meeting of our Barhitte Elementary ASL Club, and what an incredible journey it has been! Our students have worked so hard, learned so much, and had a whole lot of fun along the way.

Mrs. Roland is so incredibly proud of each and every one of them—their dedication, growth, and willingness to try something new has been amazing to watch. This group made every Wednesday so much fun, and it’s been such a joy learning and signing together! 💛

From learning new signs each week to building confidence and communication skills, it has been wonderful to see how far they’ve come.

We are so proud of them and already looking forward to another great year of ASL Club!

#BarhitteASLClub #SoProud #SignLanguage #HardWorkPaysOff #SeeYouNextYear 🤟

In case you missed this week’s Regular Board of Education meeting…

* The Board discussed the possibility of the City of Burton beginning a youth advisory board, composed of several students from each of the three public school districts. The Board likes the idea of increasing communication between the City and the school districts as well as providing our youth the opportunity to work with other youth from across the city, refining their voice and increasing their agency.

* The proposed policy updates were read for the second time.

* The Bentley Community Resource Fair will be Wednesday, June 10 from 4:30-6:30 PM with the generous support of Genesee County Community Mental Health Millage funds. The theme of the event is Unplug and Play. We will be providing dinner to those who come; there will be an inflatable obstacle course and numerous give-aways; and importantly, there will be access to numerous community resources for mental and physical health. It will be the perfect way to launch summer!

* Shelley Wooley of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) presented the possible placement of a Career Tech Education lab at one of the buildings donated by McLaren Health. The goal of the SME Education Foundation is to bridge the existing manufacturing community with the education community. They start with a regional market analysis and workforce needs assessment – what can the school offer and what jobs are needed. They use that information to determine the best manufacturing pathway to help the school develop: industrial maintenance, machining and fabrication, mechatronics/robotics, and welding. They have served 12K students in grades 9-12 and are in 133 schools, across 27 states. They help with the funding to provide the machines, curriculum, and professional learning for the teachers. The district pays for the teachers and provides the space. It’s an exciting opportunity for our students and the broader community.

Click here to see whole file: https://aptg.co/5VXlNk

Mrs. Roland’s 3rd graders are getting the sweetest hands-on learning experience thanks to our amazing partnership with 4-H! 🐣💛

This week, we welcomed eggs and an incubator into our classroom, and the excitement is through the roof! Students are learning all about the life cycle as they observe the development of the chicks each day and prepare for the big moment—hatching! 🐥

One of the most exciting moments so far was when 4-H visited our classroom to candle the eggs—shining a light inside so students could actually see what’s happening within. Watching the movement inside the eggs was absolutely incredible, and you could hear the gasps of excitement around the room! 🤯✨

But the learning doesn’t stop there… the kiddos will also be keeping a journal throughout the process and will be helping care for the chicks once they hatch, building responsibility and real-world connections along the way.

To make it even more fun, students created a math project to help name the chicks—combining creativity, data, and decision-making. They are absolutely loving every minute of this experience!

Hands-on learning at its best, and we can’t wait to share updates as our chicks make their big debut! 🐣✨

In case you missed this week’s Regular Board of Education meeting on April 13, 2026…

• Burton historian Mona Ballge addressed the board, sharing highlights of the area and especially for Bentley. She also talked about the book she authored: Our Hidden Settlement: Atherton to Burton, Then and Now, which she generously provided two copies to the district.

• BHS Student Representative Gabe Prast reported that state testing has started with the PSAT and SAT. Spring sports are underway: girls softball, boys baseball, track and field, and boys volleyball. There are 23 more days left for seniors. Students interested in Ferris State University took a field trip there last Thursday and there was another field trip on Friday, though to the Holocaust Museum. This coming Saturday is a “Just Because” lock in–details can be found on Facebook. Finally, seniors are beginning to paint their senior wall square.

• The 2025-26 budget amendment was shared and the board approved.

• We reviewed the new proposed policies from Neola. The second reading will occur at the next board meeting.

• The board approved the contract to move forward with Paradise Dogs for our emotional support dogs. We expect to get two dogs at the beginning of September and the third dog in winter 2027.

• There was a special presentation about Public Act 146, commonly referred to as the dyslexia law, though it is actually a re-writing of the Read by Grade 3 law. The presentation included an explanation of the law, requirements, timelines, and an introduction to the science of reading.

Click here to see whole file: https://aptg.co/YN5F2k

While the Bentley Robo-Raptors FRC robotics team season came to a close on Sunday, they ended up finishing 9th out of 41 teams at the end of the qualifying rounds. Their ranking made them the Captain of Alliance 6 out of 8 alliances in the playoffs and they were presented with the Judges Award. Not a bad way to end their journey this season!  The Robo-Raptors are always looking for new team members, mentors and sponsors. If you are interested, please contact Patty Camp at pcamp@bentleyschools.org for more information. 

You can watch the final three matches from last Sunday's competition here:

Match 63 Kearsley - https://youtu.be/6wi8QssAqzY
Match 71 Kearsley - https://youtu.be/FH9mwddgmko
Match 82 Kearsley - https://youtu.be/Nx9E2eGyNPI