Principal Message

Greetings Black Forest Hills Community,

It is with great joy and excitement that I welcome you back for the 2025–2026 school year! As I begin my second year as principal of Black Forest Hills Elementary, I am filled with gratitude and pride in all that we accomplished together last year, and an even greater sense of anticipation for what lies ahead.

Thanks to the commitment of our amazing staff, and through intentional professional development and realignment with our English Language Arts and Math curriculum, we saw growth in our academic outcomes. The percentage of students scoring at or above grade level on CMAS increased across ELA, Math, and Science. This is an incredible accomplishment, and we’re just getting started. We will continue to grow and challenge our learners as we work toward the district’s goal of having all students reading at or above grade level by 2030.

This summer, our building underwent some exciting upgrades thanks to the passing of the recent bond. We had new flooring installed in all hallways and classroom sink areas, plumbing work completed, and our bottle fill stations replaced throughout the school. These improvements have freshened up the building and support a more modern and functional learning environment for our students and staff.

As we begin this new school year, I want to assure you that our top priority is student safety. Not only their physical safety, but also their social and emotional safety. We have strong supervision and safety protocols in place, and we are committed to providing a safe and supportive environment for every child, every day. Additionally, we have effective Social Emotional Learning opportunities to aid in supporting our students.

We’re also looking forward to a fun and engaging year of learning, deepening our connections with families, and making sure every student at BFHE has the very best experience possible. We are a proud community of learners, and we will continue to build on our commitment to inclusion, academic excellence, and strong relationships.

There will be some updates to processes and procedures this year. We’ll be communicating those changes with you as we get closer to the start of school, so please keep an eye out for future messages.

Important Dates to Know:

• Thursday, August 7: Families will receive communication from your student's teacher.
• Friday, August 8, 2:00–4:00 PM: Optional Meet & Greet — drop off supplies and briefly meet your teacher.
• Staggered Start to the School Year:
  • Monday, August 11: Grades 3, 4, and 5 only
  • Tuesday, August 12: Grades 1 and 2 only
  • Wednesday, August 13: All Grades (PK–5) report to school
• Wednesday, August 20, 5:30–6:20 PM: Back to School Night
  • Session One: 5:30–5:50 PM
  • Session Two: 6:00–6:20 PM (Please attend only one session per student)

Once the school year begins, I will send out a weekly newsletter called “Hootie’s Highlights.” It will include updates, reminders, and insights into life at BFHE. You will only receive this newsletter if you opt into school emails when completing your annual parent forms, so be sure to stay connected.

Here’s to a safe, joyful, and inspiring school year ahead.

Go Owls!

Brandon Tullio

Principal