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District Newsletter: 08/13/2026

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District Newsletter: 08/13/2026

Welcome to the New School Year

Cassingham Elementary

Three smiling young girls wearing pink hoodies and backpacks stand together outdoors.
Children with backpacks cross a street at a crosswalk, guided by adults with a safety flag.
A man and a young boy stand together outdoors, the boy holding a colorful umbrella.

 

Maryland Elementary

A smiling man wearing a novelty duck hat poses with a young boy
Three young boys with backpacks stand in front of a "Welcome Back" sign, ready for the school day.
Two young girls with backpacks smile at the camera, ready for an adventure.


 

Montrose Elementary

A woman in a yellow dress greets two children wearing backpacks near a balloon arch.
Two young boys with backpacks smile at the camera, ready for school.
A family poses for a photo in front of large glittery letters spelling out "WELCOME BACK MONTROSE".


 

Bexley Middle School

A group of students and adults gather outside a brick building, with two young women speaking from a raised platform.
Two boys play a balloon game in a gymnasium with an audience watching.
Students in a classroom participate in a group activity, holding colorful straws and string.


 

Celebrating the Class of 2027!

Five young women in light-colored dresses stand in front of a blue backdrop with 'Bexley Lions Seniors' text and lion logos.
A group of seven young men stand together in a gymnasium, posing for a photo.
Four young women smile at the camera, posing together in front of blue bleachers.

 

Class of 2030: Welcome to High School!

Students walk through a hallway filled with bubbles, with a banner overhead listing names.
Four young men in blue 'Link Crew' t-shirts stand together in a gymnasium.
A young person with a backpack walks through a hallway filled with bubbles, smiling.

For the third straight year, the first day of classes was set aside just for freshmen. This year, BHS welcomes the Class of 2030!

With the high school faculty and student-mentor group Link Crew forming a tunnel in the gymnasium, the new high schoolers began the day on Thursday to cheers, bubbles, banners, and high-energy music. 

Each freshman received a name tag and they continued with activities and ice breakers intended to acclimate them to the high school building and schedule. The activities also were designed to build school spirit, camaraderie, and a sense of belonging.

The 183 members of the Class of ‘30 also broke into small groups for building tours, schedule walkthroughs with student-mentors, and lunch together.

Assistant Principal Dr. Willie Cook shared that students desire engagement and opportunities to lead, and Link Crew answers the call. “When I introduced Link Crew to Bexley it was an answer to a request from Bexley students for a more engaging freshmen experience,” he said. “Since then, Lauren Robbins and Alina Pinney have expanded our reach with students. We started with 40 or so Link Crew leaders. Now, we have that, plus 45 more newly titled liaisons to engage with our 9th graders.”

We offer our gratitude and appreciation to the Bexley Education Foundation for their generous partnership on this mission.

Middle School W.E.B. Leaders Mentor Incoming 6th Graders

Two smiling middle school students wear matching light blue t-shirts with a lion and spiderweb design.
A group of smiling middle school students stand in a school hallway with blue lockers.
Two young women in blue t-shirts stand on chairs, one speaking into a megaphone.

Bexley Middle School also celebrates its newest students on the first day of classes and yesterday it welcomed only 6th graders for a day of their own.

Similar to the high school Link Crew, the middle school W.E.B. leaders are 8th-grade students who help mentor 6th graders. The goal of the W.E.B. (Where Everybody Belongs) orientation is to help ease nerves that may accompany the first day of school and help younger students feel a part of the BMS family from Day One!

BMS 6th graders took part in ice breaker and other activities yesterday, and also broke into small groups led by W.E.B. leaders to learn their way around the building and enjoy lunch together.

Updated Attendance Guidelines in Effect after New State Law Enacted

A recent change in state law is effective this school year that emphasizes student attendance in school and requires earlier communication and support by school staff for families and students when attendance concerns arise.

Bexley’s Chief Academic Officer Jason Caudill recently notified all families in Bexley School of the new state requirements and how absences will be tracked, coded, and communicated beginning this school year. If you missed Mr. Caudill’s message explaining the state’s new requirements, you are encouraged to read it online now.

“We understand that illnesses, emergencies, and unexpected situations occur,” Mr. Caudill said in his message. “Our goal is not to be punitive, but to work collaboratively with families to ensure students have access to the instructional time and support needed to thrive.”

Ohio law defines two attendance categories: chronic absenteeism and habitual truancy.

Most absences count under the law and a student will be considered “chronically absent” when they miss at least 10% of scheduled instructional time for any reason, whether absences were excused or unexcused. Before a student reaches the 5% chronic absenteeism threshold, schools are required to initiate attendance monitoring, communication, and intervention effort. Bexley Schools will provide these required notifications when a student has been absent a total of 50 hours in one school year.

FOR CONTEXT
  • For Bexley Middle School & High School: One school day totals 6.1 hours
  • For All Bexley Elementary Schools: One school day totals 5.75 hours

Habitual truancy is determined by unexcused absences. A student will be considered habitually truant if they accumulate 30 consecutive, unexcused hours; or, 42 unexcused hours in one month; or, 72 unexcused hours within one school year.

Religious Expression vs. Religious Observances

A student may be excused for religious expression and will be marked “present” for school for up to three days each school year. A building principal must receive written notice from the student’s parent/guardian within 14 days of the beginning of the school year or within 14 days of the student’s enrollment date.

Religious observance is a student absence of any religious holidays consistent with the truly held religious beliefs of the student or the student’s family when outside “Religious Expression” guidelines. Absences for religious observances are excused absences, but they will count toward chronic absenteeism hours for the school year.

State law requires school districts to notify families of attendance concerns early in an effort to help prevent chronic absenteeism. Three levels of notification are available to the district to notify families of concerns about student absences and the number of hours a student has missed. You are encouraged to read Mr. Caudill’s summary of the notifications to understand the steps Bexley Schools will take to work with families and students.

Strict Guidelines in Effect for Fans Attending Bexley Home Athletic Events

Like the past two school years, please keep in mind that Bexley Schools have stringent admittance guidelines for admission to all athletic events hosted at our athletic venues. These guidelines will be enforced in all athletic competitions, including scrimmages. See the full list of guidelines online.

The procedures include, but are not limited to the following:

  • An adult must accompany elementary students or younger children to gain entrance into an athletic contest, and the adult must supervise the students they take to an athletic event.
  • Backpacks or bags will only be permitted if the bag’s contents are required for a designated purpose (i.e., medical equipment bags, diaper bags, camera bags). In such instances bags will be searched before being allowed into the venue.
  • Small purses no larger than 5”x8”x1” will be permitted. Purses larger than this size will not be allowed.
  • Fans, including students, are NOT permitted to have footballs or basketballs (small or large) within venues; balls or other equipment will be confiscated and returned at the end of the event.
  • There is no student readmittance once they exit the stadium during varsity football games or other announced contests with large crowds and Pride Passes will not be accepted for entrance to the stadium once halftime begins.
  • Students may only exit the stadium through the north gate (by the Cassingham field) when they are accompanied by a parent/guardian. All other students must exit the stadium using the south gate (by the parking lot).

Prohibited spectator items include bottled or canned beverages, tobacco, drones, vaping and alcohol products, noise makers, athletic equipment, or any item deemed dangerous or disruptive by the site managers.

Facial coverings, such as ski masks, scarves, and bandanas covering the face, must be removed at admittance but are permitted within all athletic venues. Religious facial coverings such as the burqa and niqab are exempt from this rule.

Protective facial coverings, such as masks designed to contain droplets and particles you breathe, cough, or sneeze, must be removed at admittance but are permitted within all athletic venues.

Students, parents/guardians, and fans are encouraged to allow extra time to enter an athletic venue prior to the event’s starting time.

 


Bexley City Schools logo and text advertising employment opportunities.

 
 

Part-Time Food Services Staff Needed

The Bexley Schools Food Service Department is actively seeking enthusiastic candidates to join our kitchen staff. We currently have an immediate opening for a dedicated 3-hour position at Maryland Elementary, and we are always looking for dependable substitutes to cover shifts during peak lunch hours, typically from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

These roles offer a family-friendly schedule because you only work when students are in class.

If you are interested in a rewarding job serving Bexley students and earning extra income on a school-friendly schedule, please go to the online application and apply today!

Today Was High-Five Friday in the Middle School

Students walk down a school hallway, greeted by people holding large blue foam hands.
Students and adults high-five with blue foam hands in a school hallway.
A crowded school hallway with students and adults, some holding large blue foam hands.

 

Steps for Families to Take to Use ParentSquare 

Bexley Schools recently notified you of our new mass communication system called ParentSquare. The following may be helpful to understand how the system works and how you can interact with teachers and district staff.

The ParentSquare app sign-in screen displays fields for email or phone number and options to sign in with Google or Microsoft.
  1. The ParentSquare app is available for both iOS and Android users. The app is highly interactive and a good resource for getting communication and messages in a timely manner. Without the app, your messages will be available primarily through email. (Important Note: Make sure to sign in using the email you gave to the district.)
  2. Parents/guardians, if you intend to interact with your students’ teachers via our ParentSquare communication platform, you must activate (register) your account. Messages from the district have been sent to all parents/guardians who have not registered their accounts with an invitation to join ParentSquare, including one sent earlier today. Click the blue button in the message to activate your account.
  3. ParentSquare has excellent and brief tutorials for parents to learn how to interact with teachers, including sending messages. You also can adjust your notification settings, so you manage the messages you receive and how often. You are encouraged to take a quick look at the first steps: Getting Started | Manage Your Account | Manage Notifications | Communicate with Posts & Messages

Important Dates

Aug. 17 (Mon.) – Montrose PTO Coffee on the Playground, 8:15-9 a.m.
Aug. 20 (Thurs.) – College Info Night for Seniors & Parents, 6 p.m., Schottenstein Theatre
Aug. 21 (Fri.) - Cassingham PTO Tailgate, 5:30 p.m., School Playground
Aug. 24 (Mon.) – Montrose PTO Ice Cream Social & Brick Dedication, 6 p.m., School Playground
Aug. 26 (Wed.) – High School Curriculum Night, 6 p.m., Schottenstein Theatre
Aug. 27 (Thurs.) – Elementary School Curriculum Night, 6 p.m., Each Elementary School