Announcements
Weekly Annoucements:
Summer Office Hours: 8:00-12:00 & 1:00-3:00. If for some reason we are not in our office when you stop in, go down to the Middle School office or Superintendent's office and they can help you down there. The school offices will be closed July 1-August 1, however the superintendent's office will remain open.
Final Forms: Make sure to log into Final Forms asap and digitally sign the documents for the 2025-26 school year and update any information including changes to your address, email, phone #, emergency contact information etc.
New Student Registration: If you have moved into the Bluffton School District or will be moving over the summer and are wanting to enroll your child into our school, you will need to set up a new "parent account" in Final Forms to start the process. Please click on the following link to get started: https://bluffton-oh.finalforms.com/. You will need to download your child's birth certificate, proof of residency, custody information and their current immunizations. If you have any questions or need help with the enrollment process, please call 419-358-5901 and Julie Steiner in the superintendent's office can help you. If she is unavailable, please contact Julie Oberly in the elementary office at 419-358-7951. If you do NOT live in our district but want to apply for Open Enrollment, complete the following application for approval: Open Enrollment Application
Bus Transportation Changes: If you are adding your child to a bus route or changing a pick up or drop off address for next school year, please click on this link: "Bus Transportation Form". The completed form will need turned in to the MS office. If you are taking your child OFF the bus route please call Doug Westrich in the MS office and he will delete the child from the route. 419-358-7961
Pictures for the 2025/26 School year: Please mark your calendar for Friday 8/15/25 or Monday 8/18/25 for Back to school pictures. They will be taken in the elementary gymnasium from 8:00-12:00 and 1:00-3:00 on both days. More information will be sent out in August with the back to school information. The MS & HS students will also be photographed at the same time in their own buildings.
2025/26 School Supply List: Click on this link for an updated list for next school year: School Supplies 2025/26 (A paper copy was sent home with students during the last two weeks of school)
Elementary Yearbook: Lange Photography has delivered the 2024-25 yearbooks to our students. If you forgot to order one it's not to late. Use the following link to order: https://orders.
Summer Reading Program: The Bluffton Public Library is offering a summer reading program June 2-July 31. If interested, students should sign up at the Public Library and pick up a reading log. The goal is to get students to read 20 minutes a day 5 days a week throughout the summer with prizes being awarded. Stop at the library to get more information and to regis
Youth Football Camp/ Flag Football Club: There will be a Football camp held on July 15th from 10:00-11:30 a.m. at the Bluffton Harmon Field for students in grades K-6. Registration forms had been sent home with the students but there are extra forms in the elementary office. Email Jeff Richards if you have any questions richardsj@blufftonschools.org. If you sign up for camp, this will also register the 1st-3rd grade camper for the Saturday "Little Pirates" Youth Flag football club which starts August 23.
5th/6th Girls Volleyball: Any girl going into 5th/6th grade next year can register online for the 5/6 Bluffton Volleyball league staring in August. Games will be held at neighboring schools on Sunday afternoons for 5 weeks. REGISTER at https://forms.gle/
ONU Soccer Camp: ONU will be offering a Youth Soccer Camp for 6-13 year old boys and girls this summer. Session I is Monday, June 9-Thursday, June 12 from 9:00-1:00 & Session II will be Monday July 21-Thursday July 24 from 9:00-1:00. You can register online at https://payment.onu.edu/
Bluffton University Girl's Basketball Skills Camp: July 14-16, 2024. Registration forms were handed out to the students on 5/8 and are due back at Bluffton University by June 20th. Session I is 10:00-12:00 for girls entering grades 2nd-4th next year $60 and Session II is from 1:00-4:00 for girls entering 5th-8th next year $70. Contact Chad Shutler with any questions at shutlerc@bluffton.edu. Forms were sent home with the girls in May.
Bluffton Bucs Football Registration: Bluffton Bucs Football team is accepting registrations at this time. You can download a form on Facebook search Bluffton Bucs for the link. Contact Zac Kohli with any questions 419-306-2818 or email blufftonbucs1@gmail.com. Students must be entering the 3rd, 4th, 5th, or 6th grade this fall to play on the team. Forms were also sent home with the students.
Sylvan Learning: Sylvan Learning will be holding summer sessions with personalized tutoring programs, STEM programs, & Academic Camps. Call 1-800-EDUCATE for more information.
Findlay Basketball camps: The University of Findlay will be holding a basketball camp for boys and girls in grades 1-8 on July 7-10. There will be a Day camp from 8:45-11:45 and Specialty Camps from 12:30-2:30 those same dates. Brochures were sent home with students in April. Extra ones are available in the Elementary office. If you have any questions email Coach Dan Shardo at shardod@findlay.edu
Summer Academic Enrichment Virtual Camp for Grades 3-8 - Sign up today if interested and it is Free!! To serve Ohio’s schools and families, Bowling Green State University and our philanthropic partners are offering completely FREE, virtual summer academic enrichment camps taught by our College of Education and Human Development teaching professionals. More information can be found at https://www.bgsu.edu/
Lunch: https://www.blufftonschools.org/lunch-menu-download
Alert System
If you would like to be notified of delays and/or cancellations via a text message on your cell phone, visit sendit.live to sign up for this service. Contact the office if you have any questions.
Progressbook/Report Cards
Progressbook: 3rd-5th grade students whose parents had not yet signed up for Progressbook were given a letter to bring home with a Registration # which is needed when you first sign in. Grade cards will NOT be sent home with 4th - 5th graders this year. They will be able to be viewed and or printed out through this account. You can log into Progressbook through blufftonschools.org. Click on Parent and then Progressbook at the top of the school's webpage. If you have a K-2nd grader and would like to access Progressbook, contact the office for a Registration #.
Free/Reduced Lunches
Free/Reduced Lunches: If you think you would qualify for a Free or Reduced lunch, complete an application asap. You can find it on the schools website @ blufftonschools.org and then click on "Parents" and then "Payschools Central" and set up an account if you don't have one already. It will then let you complete an application online or you can stop in the superintendent's office and pick up a hard copy. You can also add money to your child's lunch account through Payschools or you can drop off a check to the cafeteria before school starts each morning. (There is a mailbox inside the cafetorium to put checks in). Make sure the check has the students first and last name and their student ID# in the memo line or put cash in an envelope with this information.
Elem Procedures
School absences: ALWAYS contact the office regarding absences 419-358-7951 by 8:20. We will inform the teacher. If a student will be leaving early for an appointment, please have them stop in the office as soon as they get to school and we will give them an "Early Dismissal Slip" to give to their teacher. If they do have a Dr Appt, please return a Dr excuse to the office so that we can mark it down as a medical appointment.
School Hours & Lunches: 8:10-3:05 daily. Students CANNOT get into their classroom prior to 7:45. They must sit in the cafetorium if they arrive prior to that time. Walkers are dismissed at 3:00 and the bus riders at 3:05.School breakfasts are $1.50 and lunch is $2.50.
School Fees: Pre-K $20/ Full day Kindergarten-5th grade $40. Fees can be paid online through Payschools or a check can be made out to Bluffton Elementary School and dropped off in the office. If you qualify for a free lunch, school fees will be waived so do not make a payment on fees until you see if your application has been approved/denied.
Transportation Change/Bussing
Transportation Changes: Makes sure to call the Elem. Office 419-358-7951 with any transportation changes (ie. picking up your child instead of riding the bus etc) prior to 2:00 p.m. daily. We will need to know their bus # if a bus rider. Even if you contacted the teacher, you need to also contact the school office. Just a reminder that students are NOT allowed to ride the bus home with each other for a playdate, alternative transportation must be arranged.
Bussing: If you have a bus change email westrickd@blufftonschools.org. If your child has a change in their transportation for the day, you must contact the office 419-358-7941 prior to 2:00 p.m. that day in order for us to make the change.
PTO Fundraisers
Community Market Receipts are being collected by the PTO so DO NOT throw yours away. This is a great way for them to earn money from the Community Market and Chief stores. Receipts can be turned into the Elem office or to your child's homeroom teacher. Remind your parents, aunts, uncles, brothers and sisters to save theirs too!!
Box Tops for Education: Instead of cutting out the actual Box Tops, you now need to download an app to collect them which actually is easier to do than tearing up a box. Check out the following link for more information and help out the Bluffton Elementary PTO collect more money for equipment and activities: https://www.boxtops4education.com/s/
FINAL FORMS
Bluffton Schools is using Final Forms to update your child's personal information including address, phone # and contact information, to register a new student, to sign off on forms, as well as signing off on the parent/student handbook. Please go to our website, www.blufftonschools.org and under the Parents Link, choose Student Registration-Final Forms tab, and follow the instructions. This is where you make changes for your child throughout the school year. This form needs to be updated and forms digitally signed before the beginning of each school year.
Breakfast Program
A small grab-n-go breakfast (cereals, poptarts or granola items with milk) will be served before school on a daily basis from 7:35-8:05 a.m. in the Middle School Cafetorium. The price of a breakfast is $1.50. The federal government has extended their free breakfast and lunch program for all students.
Delays or Cancellations
When it is necessary to close or delay school due to bad weather, announcements will be made on the WLIO website (School closings) , radio stations: WIMA, T102, & WFIN, and on WLIO TV 35. Please do not call the school offices for delay/cancellation information. See “Alert System” below for information on how one may sign up to get alert text messages for delays or cancellations.
Two Year Kindergarten Delay Schedule Plan B
When school is delayed for two hours, the two year Kindergarten class will go to Plan B. This means that the two year kindergarten students will attend school, but will stay in school one hour later than usual. The two year kindergarten class dismissal for walkers and bus students will be at noon.
Dismissal Procedures
Please remember that if your child is going home a different way than normal, he/she will be required to have a note from a parent. If your student does not have a note, then he/she will be sent home the normal way. A Bus Request form must be signed in the elementary office if a parent is changing a daily pick up or drop off.