Principal

July 2025

Website: www.bogotaboe.com > Parent Portal (top right corner)

Dear Bogota Hawks Students and Families:

I hope you're enjoying a restful start to your summer with both family and friends. As we prepare to kick off a new school year in September, I am excited to begin my 22nd year in education, 11th as an administrator in the district, and third as principal of Steen. It’s an honor to be part of the Bogota community, and I look forward to continuing our shared work in moving the district forward.

Going Green

We are thrilled to announce that Steen School is officially ALL GREEN! This means no more bulky packets, no more writing your student’s name on 100+ forms, and significantly less paper use! ALL communication going forward will be through RealTime.  This includes notices, events, progress reports, and report cards. 

But for this Go Green mission to continue to succeed, we need your help!

  • Step 1: Log on! All your previous information has been carried over from last year. 

  • Step 2: Verify your contact information.  This includes an updated email and all phone numbers. 

  • Step 3: Verify your emergency contacts. Who do we contact if we cannot reach you by telephone, email, or cell phone?  We need the name, their relationship to you, friend/relative, etc., and a phone number for that person.  

  • Step 4: Electronically sign off on all standard first-day parent packet documentation when logging into your RealTime.  

If you experience any issues logging in or need help with your username or password, please call Steen main office at 201.342.6446. 3001.  All documentation must be signed off on by the first day of school. 

Looking Back and Moving Forward

As we begin a new school year, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for the incredible support and collaboration over the past two years as your principal. It has been a time of growth, learning, and meaningful connection within our school community. I am confident that Bogota will continue to thrive under the strong leadership of our Superintendent and Board of Education, along with the unwavering support of our dedicated staff, the Parent Teacher Organization (PTO), and our families.

Looking ahead, I’m filled with both excitement and optimism. While Steen will now serve only grades 3–5, our mission remains unchanged: to foster a safe, inclusive, and engaging learning environment where every student can thrive. I genuinely believe that a strong school is built on a foundation of family and community, and I am deeply thankful for your ongoing support. This year, we are committed to raising the bar through high-quality instruction, student leadership opportunities, and increased expectations for ourselves, our staff, and our students.

Citizenship Grade

Last year, we kicked off our citizenship initiative with all grade 3-5 students.  A citizenship grade is a way for teachers and administration to communicate a student's behavior, social skills, and overall contribution to the classroom and school community as a citizen. Unlike academic grades, which measure how well a student understands and applies knowledge, like math, reading, and science, a citizenship grade focuses on the student's conduct and character.  This grade offers many positive benefits for students, teachers, and parents, including promoting/reinforcing positive behavior, developing social skills, encouraging responsibility, enhancing the school experience, supporting personal growth, facilitating communication, and fostering a positive school culture.  Each parent/guardian will receive a Live School account you can use to check students’ discipline write-ups and/or their current grade. 

Social Media

As a staff, Bogota is committed to constant contact and teamwork with our parents and students. We regularly use our district and school Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook to showcase our school's significant events and day-to-day activities.  Please follow us for all of the up-to-date information.  

Code of Conduct: Our Code of Conduct (included when you log into RT)  has been written to ensure parents and students know the consequences of unacceptable behavior in school. It provides for parent participation in the discipline process. Repeated acts of defiance will be dealt with according to district policy.  

STUDENT RECOGNITION:

We proudly recognize students’ academic excellence and creative achievements throughout the year. This is accomplished during awards programs, announcements, Hawk of the Month, and postings.  We are very proud of Bogota's students' hard work and diligence, and love to show them off.

FREE AND REDUCED LUNCH APPLICATION:

You may now apply for free and reduced lunch via our website.  Please visit www.bogotaboe.com.  Click Our District>Lunch Resources and follow the instructions provided.  Application instructions have also been included for your convenience (in both English and Spanish). Online application results are effective immediately.  YOU MUST FILL THIS OUT EVERY SCHOOL YEAR. 

Stay healthy and safe. We look forward to another successful year (BUT first, enjoy that summer!).

Sincerely,

Kelly Foley DeCongelio