🌟 Thank You, Mrs. Pretzer & Ms. Mandy! 🌟
We want to give a huge shoutout to Mrs. Pretzer, our district’s incredible Nature Coordinator, and Ms. Mandy, the Midland County ESA's amazing Adaptive P.E. teacher, for organizing and leading the Peer 2 Peer group at BCEL this year!
This special lunchtime group brought together students from our 2nd grade classrooms and our ASD room—creating meaningful opportunities to connect, learn, and grow together. Through shared experiences, laughter, and friendship, these students showed us the true power of inclusion.
Without the thoughtful leadership and dedication of Mrs. Pretzer and Ms. Mandy, this group wouldn’t have been the success it was. Your impact on these students’ lives is immeasurable, and we are so grateful. 💛
At the heart of it all, we are reminded that what brings us together is our shared human need—to be accepted, to feel loved, and to find comfort in friendship. Here’s to continuing to build bridges, foster empathy, and celebrate what makes each of us beautifully unique.
Get ready to make a SPLASH - literally! BCMS is all set for a fun-filled Dunking for Dollars FUNdraiser where our middle school students have a chance to dunk some of their favorite middle school staff members, all for a great cause! Hosted by the BCMS student council, all proceeds will go towards outdoor upgrades, supplies and equipment and student enrichment. Do a few extra chores, return some pop cans and get your DOLLARS ready to DUNK! Fundraising sales begin Tuesday, May 13th-Wednesday, May 21st during ALL lunch hours.
Mrs. Stark's Kindergarten students learned about the importance of the milkweed plant through reading, talking, singing and dancing. They then took apart milkweed pods to extract the seeds. Thank you Lori McLaughlin for donating the milkweed pods!
Mrs. Seifert took her students outside for an engaging math lesson. They took measurements and used them as a basis for conversions and computations.
✨ Today was a special day at BCEL! ✨
We were thrilled to welcome Mrs. Slabaugh and her incredible Peer 2 Peer high school students to our campus. They shared a powerful message about the importance of positive self-affirmations, and our students couldn’t get enough of it! 💬💖
From inspiring conversations about positive self-talk to creating colorful chalk messages and drawings on our playground sidewalk, our kids were truly uplifted by the “big kids” who spent time encouraging them.
A huge thank you to Mrs. Slabaugh and her amazing students for spreading kindness, confidence, and positivity. We loved every moment of your visit!
On Friday, high school students from the Peer2Peer group visited Pine River to share a special treat with a positive affirmation. They also used sidewalk chalk to write encouraging words leading up to the school entrance. Thank you for spreading kindness and brightening the day for our Pine River students!
2025 BC Transportation Community Cook Out.
Thank you to everyone for coming out today and volunteering or participating in our Community Cook Out!
Thank you Homer Twp. Fire Department and Midland Twp. Fire Department.
As a friendly reminder, our Community Cookout is scheduled for tomorrow from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. We hope you can join us for some hotdogs and laughter!
Janet, from Randi's Green Thumb, taught Mrs. Methner and Ms. Terrill's students about what plants need and helped them each plant their own flower.
Thank you Ashley Ballien-Czolgosz, Rachel Ludwig, and Heidi Varner for volunteering their time to set up the BCEL/Pine River Nature Art Show. Thank you Mrs. Dopp's class for cleaning our playground and nature areas.
🌿🎨 What a wonderful afternoon at the BCEL/Pine River Nature Art Walk!
Today after school, families came together to celebrate our students’ amazing artwork displayed throughout our beautiful nature spaces. The weather couldn't have been more perfect — sunshine, fresh air, and creativity all around! ☀️🌳 (We didn't even notice the wind :) )
It was a joy to see so many smiling faces enjoying the outdoors, connecting with one another, and admiring the incredible creativity of our students. Thank you to everyone who came out to support and celebrate with us — what a fun and inspiring way to end the day! 💚✨
Third graders from Pine River traveled to the Chippewa Nature Center to learn more about spring frogs. They learned about the life cycle of a frog, characteristics of frogs and turtles, frog sounds, and much more! Students had the opportunity to dip into vernal ponds, which are only filled with water during the spring. This makes them a fantastic habitat for eggs, baby crawfish, stoneflies, tadpoles, and more.
🐛🌱 Exciting news from BCEL! Our students met some very special new team members today—worms! These little composting champions are moving into our new vermicomposter, where they'll help turn our food waste into nutrient-rich soil. 🥕🍎
Instead of tossing scraps in the trash, we’re giving them new life—thanks to our hardworking worms. It’s hands-on science, sustainability, and environmental responsibility in action!
🌧️ Recess in the Rain! 🌧️
When you're a nature school, rain doesn't stop the fun — it adds to it!
Our BCEL students geared up in their trusty Oaki suits and headed outside to soak in the fresh air and splash in every puddle they could find. Slippery slides, muddy boots, and endless smiles — just another joyful day of learning and playing with nature.
We love our nature school! 💚🍃
The Pine River 5th grade students enjoyed beautiful weather on Monday for their annual egg drop! This exciting science activity is a favorite each year as students put their creativity and engineering skills to the test. Great job, 5th grade!
We are so lucky to have an incredible partnership with the Chippewa Nature Center! 🌿 BCEL is privileged to welcome CNC naturalists into our classrooms to support our nature-based learning with hands-on lessons and amazing resources.
Last week, Mr. Ian brought some fascinating fossil specimens for our 2nd graders to explore—what an awesome way to bring science to life! 🦴🔍
Thank you, CNC, for caring about our kids and helping us nurture their curiosity and love for the natural world. 💚
BCEL and Pine River invite you to join us for our annual Nature Art Walk this Thursday!
The event will begin at 3:45 PM under the pavilion on the BCEL playground.
We’re looking forward to seeing everyone there for an afternoon of creativity and nature-inspired fun!
K-5 elementary staff collaborating and learning around the Bookworms program!
Thank you to all of the transportation staff for getting the kids to the Loons game last week!
