Announcements

Lunch Menu: https://www.blufftonschools.org/lunch-menu-download

Leo Club 5K Run/Walk: The Leo Club is sponsoring a 5k on Saturday 5/23 at 9:00 a.m. at the Bluffton University Saltzman Stadium. Registration can be found using the following link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/17Z8wYNbXH1hZ2Hk9Su558wikv7hkkB1-/view?usp=sharing .  

Bluffton Soccer Club Travel Team Tryouts: See attached flier for details regarding U9-U15 soccer tryouts which will be held 5/18, 19, 21, 22. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dOlLZ7KQUwlsX58M-ziGYPOtzsu9xgPx/view?usp=sharing

Bluffton Swim Team: The Bluffton Sardines Swim Team will have a parent meeting on Monday, 5/18 at 7:00 p.m. Click on the following Link to sign up for Swim team and find out more information regarding practices and meets:  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rGNTT8vfom5zvRpCfmqmr881j7dHHwbS/view?usp=sharing

Rhodes State Rhodesology Summer Camp: June 8-12 from 8:00-4:30 at Rhodes State College in Lima. Programs available for students in grades 2nd-4th, 5th & 6th or 7th & 8th. click on the following link for more information: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1VCuCutp03af3VW0fBKOvVI1-rAGu2l-R/view?usp=sharing 

Tennis Camp: The Bluffton HS girls tennis coach is offering a tennis camp this summer for 1st-8th grade students from June 15th-18 at the Bluffton Tennis Courts across from Harmon Football Field. See the attached flier for more information: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1eAY86kz82hxArqd2w6DMcu6p0utUxTHa/view?usp=sharing. Register at swinghitace.com . Registration deadline is 5/25/2026

Bluffton University Soccer camps: A Youth skills camp (Ages 6-13) will be held June 23-25 from 9:00-10:00 a.m. which will be hosted by Bluffton University Men's and Women's soccer teams. There will also be another Kids soccer camp (Ages 6-13)  8/4-6  hosted by the women's soccer team from 5:00-7:00. This camp will be designed for each age group to work on age appropriate skills. See attached flier to that has registration information: https://drive.google.com/file/d/19fhu36Hu2krn9eyFiy6tSDHPJrvrICn0/view?usp=sharing

Youth Volleyball Camp: The Bluffton Youth volleyball camp will be held Tues Jun 2 &  Thurs June 4 from 9:00-11:00 am. for students going into 3rd-6th grade and 12:00-2:00 for students going into 7th & 8th grade. If you pre-register by 5/1 you will receive a t-shirt. The cost is $35. Contact coach King with any questions 419-303-7860  Click here for the registration form: https://drive.google.com/file/d/11HI0bakPsnISqJno3PvqQSYiCBO1iegN/view?usp=sharing

Bluffton Bucs Midget Football Information: Click here for the registration form: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_1jJkIxCjfVGY78_t44hC_xkimUBF_l2/view?usp=sharing and here is more information regarding this summer: form.   

Boys Basketball Camp: The boys youth basketball camp will be held in the HS gymnasium on June 8-10th. The 1st session (1st-4th graders) will be from 10:00-12:00 with the 2nd session (5th-8th graders) from 1:00-3:00. Complete the following document to register: https://drive.google.com/file/d/13DfoZJA5_nYgXx5lSNKg85gLLpdVAYZw/view?usp=sharing

Youth Football Camp/Little Pirates Flag-Football Club : July 23, 2026 from 10-11:30 for next years K-6th graders. Forms were sent home with students but you can click on this link if you did not receive it and print it out: https://drive.google.com/file/d/10X-UX58tusqqr4kaOm_7JwIh1tm_Vo_c/view?usp=sharing

Lady Pirate Youth Basketball Camp: June 8 & 9 from 5:00-7:00 p.m. in the HS gymnasium for girls going into grades 3rd-6th. The cost is $30. Forms were sent home with students the week of 4/13. Contact Adam Burris with questions at burrisa@blufftonschools.org. Here is the link if you misplaced your form:  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HQX1s2AjeCnR84pwQtvYl5rE8emAd5gh/view?usp=sharing

Girls Basketball Skills Camp at Bluffton University: June 22-24 for 2nd-8th grade girls. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ps7lRa-fsGwmXyna_kn1S0X42FUYrEdU/view?usp=sharing

Kindergarten Registration is open for Bluffton Schools for 2026-2027: Bluffton Elementary School has announced that kindergarten registration for the 2026-2027 school year is now open for children turning 5 by 8/31/2026. To register, visit https://www.blufftonschools.org/parents/student-registration/ and select the 2026-2027 school year to begin the registration process. Documents needed to complete the registration are: 1. Child's Birth Certificate 2. Parent Driver's License 3. Proof of Residence - Example a bill with the parent's name on it 4. IF applicable court judgement entry for custody. Immunization records are needed but will not prevent the completion of the registration which can be uploaded later or brought into the office. For more information,  Call Julie Steiner  at 419-358-5901.

2026-27 School Calendar: The new calendar has been set for next school year. The first day will be Monday, August 31 for 1st-12th grade and Sept 2 for Kindergarten students. Back to school pictures will be taken on either Friday 8/21 or Monday 8/24. Mark your calendar!

Type 1 Diabetes Information: We are required by the state to inform parents about diabetes. Please click on the following link for the information:  /fs/resource-manager/view/b6c76f22-9c76-4002-8859-0a2f10c16d70

Please sign up for the 2025/26 school year NEW SCHOOL ALERT system if you have not yet done so. Text the following to 22300 on your cell phone and then under messages type in #BLUFFTONSCHOOLS to receive Bluffton school alerts and delays, #BLUFFTONATHLETICS to receive Athletic alerts and/or #BLUFFTONMUSIC for Bluffton Music Booster alerts.  The OLD text alert system is no longer available so don't miss out on hearing about 2 hour delays, cancellations and other important events going on in the district. If you send your message and it does not send you a text response back, you may need to unblock a short code on your phone. For Iphones: go to Settings>Messages>Blocked contacts, then swipe left on the number you want to unblock and tap the Unblock button. If the short code isn't in your blocked list, check your Message Filters in the same "Messages" setting to ensure "Filter Unknown Senders" is turned off, as this can hide short code messages. If you still don't receive messages, contact your wireless carrier to ensure short code messaging is enabled for your account. 

School Hours: The tardy bell is at 8:10. All day Kindergarten students are dismissed at 2:50. Kindergarten parents must wait outside of the front doors of the elementary school and your child will be released when the teacher/student sees you. 1st-5th grade Walkers are dismissed at 3:00/Bus riders at 3:05.  Students who arrive between 7:30-7:45 a.m. must sit in the middle school cafetorium until 7:45 when they will be dismissed to go to their homeroom.  Office Hours: 7:30-3:30 M-F

New Student Registration: If you have moved into the Bluffton School District 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 Westrick in the MS office and he will delete the child from the route. 419-358-7961

 

 

 

Progressbook:  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 the Student's Progressbook account.  A letter will be sent home with your student with directions on how to log into PROGRESSBOOK if you have not yet set up an account.  You can also view your 4th & 5th grade child's current grades in their class prior to receiving their grade card. 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 #.  Grade cards can be viewed and printed for K-5th grade students through Progressbook. 

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 “Parent Alert System” for information on how one may sign up to get alert text messages for delays or cancellations.

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 12:00 instead of 11:00 on a 2 hour delay day. 

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. 

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 or the office needs to be notified by 2:00 so that they can contact the teacher.  If your student does not have a note or the office does NOT receive a call by 2:00, 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.

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.

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 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.

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/

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.