The purpose of this newsletter is to celebrate the outstanding work that our students and staff are doing in each of our schools, provide district-level updates, and notify you about important upcoming events.
2025-2026 School Year was Strongest Academic Performance in District History
Bolivar Schools is celebrating its strongest academic performance since MAP testing began in 1998! Thanks to the dedication of our students, educators, and families, the 2025–2026 assessment results set all-time district records across core subjects, soaring past state averages!
More Information Banner Awarded Prestigious Navy ISR Scholarship
Congratulations to Bolivar High School senior Chapel Banner! Chapel has earned a prestigious four-year Navy ROTC scholarship through an Individual Scholarship Reservation (ISR), placing him among an elite group of only 100 students selected nationwide this year!
The scholarship covers full tuition and fees at any approved university while Chapel completes naval science coursework, physical training, and leadership development. Upon graduation, Chapel will be officially commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Navy.
Free Senior Citizen Night November 12th
Bolivar High School is thrilled to host our community seniors for Senior Citizen Night on Thursday, November 12th.
We will host dinner in the commons starting at 5:30 PM, with performances by our BHS Jazz Band and Choir. Then, stick around at 7:00 PM as our drama students cut loose on stage with their fall musical, "Footloose."
The entire evening is 100% free as our way of saying thank you for always cheering on our schools! Please RSVP by calling 417-326-5228.
Y-Academy After-School Childcare Available for K-5th Graders
The Bolivar School District and the Ozarks Regional YMCA are pleased to announce that we will be offering Y-Academy after-school childcare when school begins in August. Information about the YMCA program is below.
Things to know:
The program runs from after school until 6:00 PM, only when school is in session. We do not offer care for early release due to inclement weather, with the exception of early release Fridays.
Students in grades K-5 are eligible to register. The program will be held at Bolivar Primary School, and BIS students will be bused over after school.
Tuition is due semimonthly, from September 1st to May 1st. We do not pro-rate for missed days or absences. A 2-week email notification is required for any account adjustments. Tuition is $92.00 with a YMCA Family Membership, $112 without a YMCA Family Membership.
We accept state subsidy
Registration is now open! Spots are available on a first-come, first-served basis. To register, follow this link:Y-Academy Registration.
Teacher Proud Tuesday and Super Staff Saturday Nominations
Liberators, we are partnering with the Greater Ozarks Cooperating School Districts again this year for Teacher Proud Tuesday! On the second Tuesday of each month, we will recognize the incredible work happening in our classrooms. Teacher Proud Tuesday is sponsored by Mid-Missouri Bank.
Each month, we will honor five teachers across our district who demonstrate excellence and dedication in their work. Every teacher selected throughout the year will be in the running for their building's Teacher of the Year award at the end of the school year!
Our schools couldn't run without the incredible hard work and care of our non-certified staff. We will recognize these vital team members with Super Staff Saturdays!
On the third Saturday of every month, we will highlight five outstanding individuals across our district who keep our buildings running, our students fed, and our offices welcoming! Super Staff Saturday recognizes non-certified staff members: food service, custodians, maintenance, paraprofessionals, nurses, secretaries, bus drivers, and technology. The staff members selected for Super Staff Saturday will be in the running for their building's Employee of the Year award
Use the link below to submit a nomination for Super Staff Saturday!
Liberators, a reminder that for the 2026-2027 school year, we will dismiss all school buildings exactly one hour earlier on Fridays to provide essential collaboration and professional learning time for our teachers.
We’re excited to introduce ParentSquare as our new, district-wide communication platform! From now on, all school-to-home messages -- including updates from schools, grade levels, classrooms, clubs, and sports -- will be shared through ParentSquare. This unified approach ensures that families have a single, easy-to-use hub for staying connected with everything happening in Bolivar Schools. Whether it’s a classroom reminder, a game update, or a district announcement, you’ll find it all in one place. Getting Started is Easy: Download the free ParentSquare app today so you never miss an update!
Thank you for partnering with us to make communication clear, consistent, and accessible for every family. If you have any questions about ParentSquare, please reach out to Braden Berg - bradenberg@bolivarschools.org.
Bolivar High School
BHS FFA Excels at National Convention
Our Bolivar FFA chapter represented Bolivar on the national stage alongside over 70,000 members, and their dedication paid off in a major way.
Join us in celebrating these incredible honors:
• Ellie and Garrett Samek: 5th Place in the Nation in the Agriscience Fair (Environmental and Natural Resources)
• Hailey Hale and Cade Raney: Awarded the American FFA Degree, the highest honor achievable in the organization
• Ellie Samek: Served with distinction as a National FFA Delegate
• Bolivar FFA Chapter: Recognized nationally as a 2 Star Chapter
From competing at the highest level, attending leadership workshops, exploring career pathways, and touring cutting-edge facilities like Heartland Group Greenhouses, Traders Point Creamery, and Chip Ganassi Racing, our Liberators demonstrated outstanding leadership!
Buckle Up Phone Down Challenge
Our Liberators are stepping up to lead the way on Missouri roads! It takes courage to speak up from the passenger seat, but looking out for our friends and classmates is what being a Liberator is all about.
Watch as our students share why putting the phone away and buckling up matters on every ride. Scan the QR code in the video to take the safe driving pledge and help us protect our community!
A huge congratulations to 2025 graduate Julia Jones on completing her Dental Assistant Registered Apprenticeship through OCHC - Ozarks Community Health Center’s Bolivar clinic and our BOMO Works Apprenticeships & Internships program!
Julia discovered her passion for healthcare during her junior year at Bolivar High School, gained hands-on clinical experience at OCHC as a senior, and recently completed the Dental Assisting program at OTC. She now aims to become a dental hygienist!
Thank you to OCHC for investing in our students and strengthening our local workforce. We are incredibly proud of your hard work and dedication, Julia!
BHS Veterans Day Breakfast and Ceremony
Bolivar High School is honored to invite our local veterans to join us for our annual Veterans Day celebration on Wednesday, November 11th! We will begin the morning with breakfast at 8:30 AM, followed by our assembly at 9:30 AM. Please RSVP by calling BHS at 417-326-5228.
College and Career Fair Our Seniors and Juniors spent the afternoon exploring exciting possibilities at this year’s College and Career Fair. With more than 50 institutions on hand—including four-year universities, technical institutes, and military branches—the room was buzzing with great conversations. We are so excited to see what comes next for our Liberators!
Bolivar Middle School
BMS Bullying Prevention Assembly Students at BMS learned about physical, emotional, social, and cyberbullying and the impact of our words and actions. We challenged students to think before they act, speak, or send. Small acts. Big impact! Our Friends of Rachel’s Challenge students worked in small groups after the school-wide assembly to share ideas for making a difference at BMS. From including others to encouraging classmates, they’re planning ways to put kindness into action and start a chain reaction of positive change in our school!
Donation to our BMS STEM Department A huge thank you to Kevin and Kaitie Kelly and their business, VisualWorks Design, for donating $4,000 to our BMS STEM department! The money will go towards our VEX robots program!
Science Olympiad Looking for Sponsors
Our Science Olympiad team has been hard at work building, testing, studying and problem-solving, and they're heading to their first competition in Olathe, Kansas on November 7!
What is Science Olympiad?
Science Olympiad is a nationwide team competition where students go head-to-head in 23 events covering biology, earth science, chemistry, physics, engineering and technology. Some events are tests, some are hands-on labs, and some have students design and build devices before competition day.
This year our students are competing in:
Anatomy & Physiology, Botany, Disease Detectives, Heredity, Water Quality
Dynamic Planet, Meteorology, Remote Sensing, Rocks & Minerals, Solar System
Boomilever, Electric Launched Glider, Roller Coaster, Scrambler
Codebusters, Experimental Design, Ping-Pong Parachute, Write It Do It
We need sponsors!
Your support helps cover building materials, lab supplies and travel costs. As a thank-you, every sponsor gets their business featured on the back of our team t-shirts, worn at every competition!
Bronze: $100
Silver: $200
Gold: $300+
These kids are our future engineers, doctors and scientists, and a little local support goes a long way.
To sponsor, contact Ciara Wheeler at ciarawheeler@bolivarschools.org by November 2nd!
BMS Halloween Dance
Bolivar Intermediate School
BIS Games with Guys
What a fantastic evening at Bolivar Intermediate School for our Games with Guys event! Our BIS boys and their families filled the building with lots of laughter and quality time together. Thank you to all of our incredible BIS staff members who helped make the event a great time for our families!
BIS Mark Twain Reader Award Winner
Our FIRST Bolivar Intermediate School Mark Twain Reader Award Winner!
We are excited to celebrate Trenton Schulz, our very first BIS student to earn the Mark Twain Reader Award this school year!
Trenton has accomplished something pretty impressive! He has read all 12 books nominated for this year’s Missouri Mark Twain Readers Award! That’s a lot of reading, and we are so proud of his dedication!
One of our goals at BIS is to help students develop a genuine love for reading, and we hope Trenton’s accomplishment encourages others to pick up a book and take on the challenge themselves!
We were also excited to have Trenton’s parents join us during our Monday Morning Meeting to celebrate his accomplishment! Congratulations, Trenton! We’re proud of you and can’t wait to celebrate more BIS readers!
Coach's Mighty Milers Club Sign-Up (Formerly 100 Mile Club)
Have you heard your kids talk about Coach’s Mighty Milers running club? Use the link below to sign up!
Y-Academy After-School Childcare Available for K-5th Graders
The Bolivar School District and the Ozarks Regional YMCA are pleased to announce that we will be offering Y-Academy after-school childcare when school begins in August. Information about the YMCA program is below.
Things to know:
The program runs from after school until 6:00 PM, only when school is in session. We do not offer care for early release due to inclement weather, with the exception of early release Fridays.
Students in grades K-5 are eligible to register. The program will be held at Bolivar Primary School, and BIS students will be bused over after school.
Tuition is due semimonthly, from September 1st to May 1st. We do not pro-rate for missed days or absences. A 2-week email notification is required for any account adjustments. Tuition is $92.00 with a YMCA Family Membership, $112 without a YMCA Family Membership.
We accept state subsidy
Registration is now open! Spots are available on a first-come, first-served basis. To register, follow this link:Y-Academy Registration.
Bolivar Primary School
BPS and BIS Conscious Discipline
Across our classrooms and morning assemblies, our BPS and BIS Liberators are building a true school family through Conscious Discipline! From welcoming morning greetings to celebrating self-control and cheering on classmates, our teachers and students unite so every child feels supported and ready to thrive.
Y-Academy After-School Childcare Available for K-5th Graders
The Bolivar School District and the Ozarks Regional YMCA are pleased to announce that we will be offering Y-Academy after-school childcare when school begins in August. Information about the YMCA program is below.
Things to know:
The program runs from after school until 6:00 PM, only when school is in session. We do not offer care for early release due to inclement weather, with the exception of early release Fridays.
Students in grades K-5 are eligible to register. The program will be held at Bolivar Primary School, and BIS students will be bused over after school.
Tuition is due semimonthly, from September 1st to May 1st. We do not pro-rate for missed days or absences. A 2-week email notification is required for any account adjustments. Tuition is $92.00 with a YMCA Family Membership, $112 without a YMCA Family Membership.
We accept state subsidy
Registration is now open! Spots are available on a first-come, first-served basis. To register, follow this link:Y-Academy Registration.
Bolivar Early Childhood Learning Centers
Hiring for Little Liberator Daycare Worker
We are hiring a Little Liberator Daycare Worker! If you or someone you know is interested, please call our Parson Early Childhood Center at 417-328-5615 or visit our website!
11/8 Parents as Teachers Appreciation Day 11/11 BHS Veterans Day breakfast: 8:30 AM and ceremony: 9:30 AM 11/12 BIS Fall Picture Retake Day 11/13 Special Olympics Bowling Tournament 11/13 Christmas Tree Lighting in Downtown Bolivar @ 5:30 PM 11/15 BMS Band Concert @ 2:30 PM 11/17 BMS Choir Concert @ 7:00 PM 11/19 School Board Meeting @ 6:00 PM 11/23-27 No School - Thanksgiving Break 12/1 BPS 2nd Grade Concert 12/2 Special Education Day 12/3 4th Grade Music/Singers/Ringers
Bolivar R-I School District bolivarschools.org
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988 Missouri School Violence Hotline: 1-866-748-7047 Missouri Child Abuse & Neglect Hotline: 1-800-392-3738
Chapel has earned a prestigious four-year Navy ROTC scholarship through an Individual Scholarship Reservation (ISR), placing him among an elite group of only 100 students selected nationwide this year! 
Then, stick around at 7:00 PM as our drama students cut loose on stage with their fall musical, "Footloose." 
It takes courage to speak up from the passenger seat, but looking out for our friends and classmates is what being a Liberator is all about.
Bolivar Middle School
Anatomy & Physiology, Botany, Disease Detectives, Heredity, Water Quality
Dynamic Planet, Meteorology, Remote Sensing, Rocks & Minerals, Solar System
Circuit Lab, Crime Busters, Food Science, Hovercraft, Thermodynamics
Boomilever, Electric Launched Glider, Roller Coaster, Scrambler
Codebusters, Experimental Design, Ping-Pong Parachute, Write It Do It
Bronze: $100
Silver: $200
Gold: $300+
