Crusader Times
May 2018
Words From Our Principal
Bonita Vista Families,
There is much to celebrate as we bring the school year to a close. Tomorrow night BVM will host the 8th Grade Awards Ceremony at 6pm. On June 5th, we will be having the 8th grade party, and on June 6th at 5pm at Olympian High School, our 8th grade students will be promoting. During this time of celebration and transition to summer, let’s work together to keep our students focused on what is most important: their education. Students should be present at school every day through June 6th, making good decisions, and enjoying the end-of-the-year activities we have planned. I will look to the 7th grade students next year for leadership and modeling good behavior for our incoming students. It is an exciting time!
Dr. Yolanda Williams-Lewis will be moving on to Ranch Del Rey Middle School this summer. I would like to thank her for her years of dedication and service to the students at BVM. We wish her all the best as she moves on to her next professional opportunity. BVM’s new assistant principal will be Liliana Grossman, an experienced administrator, who I am excited to welcome to our team. We are looking forward to working with all returning families and students next year.
My first semester as principal at BVM is coming to a close. While this transition presented unique challenges for me, I can honestly say that I have enjoyed every moment of working with your children. I am humbled and grateful that you have chosen to send your children to us at BVM every day because I realize it is a choice. Many of you heard about the “new principal” coming to BVM and you decided to give me and BVM a chance. Thank you. You have been patient and supportive and kind and I will continue to work my hardest every day to earn the privilege of working with you and your students. While we may not always agree, I encourage you to keep the lines of communication open. I welcome feedback and dialogue about what is best for our students at BVM.
Thank you for your continued involvement and support. It has been a pleasure getting to know so many families this semester and I am looking forward to all the excitement the new year will bring. Enjoy your summer with your families. We will see you in July!
Sincerely,
Teresa Kramer
Principal
Bonita Vista Middle School
Metro League Champions
- Lisabella Alvarez
- Mia Basile
- Samantha Bianes
- Samantha De Lara
- EMMA KERR
- Regina Luna
- Sabrina Nixon
- Keala Nunes
- Elena Pineda
- Kasandra Ramirez
- Andrea Sanchez-Veliz
- Reiann Sulapat
- Sydney Wunderly
All Star Mile
Special thanks to:
• Mrs. Currier and the ASB for providing t-shirts for all of the participants.
• Mrs. Garza for being a tireless supporter and cheerleader.
• Nurse Stoddard for her professionalism and patience.
• Mrs. Kramer for her enthusiastic support and positivity.
• Doug for all of his help setting up and tearing down.
The BVM P.E. Department truly appreciates your support for our program!
Middle School Congress
Over 40 students participated in a series of five workshops conducted by former BVM alumni geared to improve their public speaking and debate skills. Students were challenged each week to analyze and evaluate information. The end result was a speech and debate competition against formidable freshman at the high school. The winners of the competition were:
House 1 : 3rd place – Mia Gonzalez, 2nd place – Lannah Garcia, 1st place – Julian Rodriguez
House 2: 3rd place – Sophia Jackson, 2nd place – Nadia Martinez, 1st place – Giselle Geering
House 3: 3rd place – Samantha Bianes, 2nd place – Kailey Swafford, 1st place – Emily Kruse
Congratulations to all the participants! Job well done!!!
Tri-m Honor Society Induction Ceremony
The Tri-M Music Honor Society had their induction ceremony on Friday, May 18th. Students received their certificates and Tri-M pins to mark the occasion. Each new member prepared a short performance to share. After this official induction, students will be a member of Tri-M as long as they are enrolled in a music class. The three M’s of Tri-M stand for Modern Music Masters. We are proud of this group of students for representing those characteristics here at BVM and beyond.
8th Grade English Department's Bug Unit
Exploring Arts
Exploring Arts just finished studying the music of the 1960's, complete with a tie dye project!
Dual Language Immersion 8th Grade Celebration
Bonita Vista Middle School celebrated our 8th grade Dual Language Students on Friday May 18th. The purpose of the celebration was to congratulate the students for their great accomplishment of finishing the dual language program at BVM. Throughout their 2 years at BVM they took classes in both English and Spanish to further develop their bilingual and biliteracy skills. We are so proud of each and every single one of them! Thank you to all the DLI teachers and parents for their unconditional support! Have a great summer!
Spring Sports Banquet
Students in the following sports celebrated with a spaghetti dinner and awards ceremony for the following sports: Girl’s Field Hockey, Boy’s Volleyball, Girl’s Volleyball, Boy’s Soccer, Girl’s Soccer, Girl’s Basketball, and Boy’s Basketball.
Tyler Durman
SUHSD End of Year Ceremony
Moderate PVA Class Activities
The moderate PVA class partook in a variety of experiences this past month from learning how to fish at the IB Pier to making Mother's Day gifts!
BVH Assembly
BVM had the privilege to host an assembly for 7th and 8th graders displaying the vocal abilities and artistry of Bonita Vista High School’s Sound Unlimited and Music Machine.
Thank You!
Student Art Work
Staff Members of the Month
Jackie Loomis, our U.S. History teacher, is truly a renaissance woman who can teach a number of core subjects. She makes learning fun for the students and at the same time manages to incorporate rigor and high expectations in the process. Former students come back to thank her for preparing them for high school. Therefore it is with high honors that we submit Jackie Loomis for staff member of the month!
Ronnie Valdez, our afternoon head custodian, is our staff member of the month for the month of May! We can always count on Ronnie to support our school for all school events. Our school would not be able to function without his support. His positive attitude and willingness to lend a helping hand is one of the reasons why our school values and appreciates him. Thanks for all that you do Ronnie!
Counselors' Corner
Dear Students,
Countdown until the end of the year is taking place now.
A reminder to 8th grade students, your final grades will be submitted on May 30th. By the end of this semester two, you should be receiving 21 total credits and have passed both years of 7th and 8th grade classes. In order to be eligible and receive your promotion certificate, you must have passed with a letter grade of “A, B, C, or D” for both academic school years to include: (1) English 7th/8th (2) Math 7th/8th (3) Social Science/History 7th/8th (4) General Science 7th/8th (5) Physical Education (P.E.) 7th/8th and (6) one Elective. Notification of students who were at risk of receiving a grade of “D/F” was mailed home with an update of your total amount of credits based on last year’s 7th grade and semester one of 8th grade. For students who did not meet the total promotion requirements or are on the border line of not meeting the minimum requirement, your counselor has met with you. These students parents will be contacted as well. There is no summer school for current 8th graders. Students who did not meet the promotion criteria, you will be able to attend your home high school and start with new graduation requirements for the 9th to 12th grade.
Your effort, dedication and progress has finally paid off. We look forward to June 6th and celebrating you at the promotion ceremony. Congratulations class of 2022 on meeting the middle school promotion requirements!
To our 7th grade class, your final grades will be turned in on June 6th, after End of Course Exams (EOC’s). Your report card will be mailed home from the district. Please take some time to review your transcript. At the end of 7th grade you should have earned 12 credits for the entire academic year. Your hard work and adjustment to middle school this year has paid off. For students who receive an “F” grade at the final semester report card for any core class, you have the opportunity to redeem the credit in summer school. Your counselor has distributed these summer school forms based on core classes that were failed first semester of 7th grade or based on recent semester two Jupiter Grades that reported a low “D” or “F” grade. Summer school will run from June 11th to June 29th, 2018 from 8:00am – 1:30pm for students who need to take 2 block of classes. For students who have failed only one core class, you will only need to attend for one block. If you have any questions about summer classes please contact your counselor. Have a great summer break and we look forward to you being an 8thgrader at Bonita Vista Middle next school year!
Best Wishes,
Your Counselors: Ms. Sigarroa-Sanchez, Mr. Armas, & Mr. Taeatafa
Digital Citizenship Essentials
At the beginning of the year students are asked to sign an iPad agreement with their parents about responsible iPad use. The library staff is aware of many of the everyday problems that occur with iPads. Some of the most common are:
Cracked Screens: Cracked screens are a continuing problem on campus and costly. Students with cracked screens pay $49.00, and need to have all their assignments backed up before swapping out the old iPad for a new one. Students can avoid these mishaps by 1) putting iPads in their backpacks rather than leaving them out; 2) grabbing iPads from each other 3) tossing iPads up in the air like a ball and 4) keeping the iPad case in good condition. Floppy cases left standing on the desk often tip over. To help with the return process, ALL students can automatically back up their assignments - that way if an iPad needs to be replaced, they don’t lose their work.
Games played during school hours: School hours are for classes and homework. Students often try to get around the ‘no game’ rule and stealthily play them when they are suppose to be doing their work. Parents and teachers may be frustrated when students use their time to play games, and end up with poor academic and behavior grades. To avoid this, remember that the iPad is a tool for class first and foremost and take responsibility for establishing good study habits. Students who fail to do this, often have their iPads taken away.
Broken cases: iPad cases sometimes wear out and students need to return them to the library to obtain a new one. There is no charge for this (unless the case is lost). Pay attention to worn, broken and floppy cases and take the time to swap it out for one in good condition.
Stolen/Lost chargers: Students who put off charging their iPads often try to find a plug at school.This is not advised. Often students complain that someone took their charger - well this wouldn’t happen at all, if students did charging at home. iPads need to be ready to use when students come to school. If your charger isn’t working, bring the iPad, brick and cord into the library and we will replace parts that are not working free of charge. The brick is $22 and the cord is $10.00. These charges can be avoided altogether by keeping the working charger at home.
Being a good digital citizen means taking responsibility for iPad use. Remember to follow these tips:
When walking from one class to another, carry your iPad in your backpack
Turn in any worn out cases
Use your class time wisely, plan for homework
Charge your iPad at home
Come to library if your charger doesn’t work
Ms. Funk and Ms. Colin
Technology Corner
As we get ready for the end of the year, it is important to make sure all of your work is backed up before you turn in your iPad. You might need to show a teacher an assignment, but it is also nice to have a record of all you have done throughout your middle school career. Everyone should double check to make sure that their work is being backed up. Once your iPad is reset, there is no going back to get your work.
Notability Back Up
1. Tap the icon for Notability on your home screen
2. Tap the Settings icon, it looks like a gear
3. To set up auto-backup tap Google Drive
4. Type your district email and password
5. Tap Sign In
6. Tap Accept
7. Tap OK. Your notes will now automatically back up to Google Drive
8. Tap Close
If you need help with backing up your iPad, please ask your Advisory teacher for a pass to the Genius Bar during Advisory.
Brian Dougherty
Science Teacher
Blended Learning Specialist
Important Dates
05/24 - 05/29 - 8th Grade End of Course Exams
05/28 - No School - Memorial Day
05/29 - Mariachi Graduation
05/30 - 8th Grade Awards Ceremony
06/01 - 06/05 - 7th Grade End of Course Exams
06/04 - 8th Grade Promotion Practice
06/05 - 8th Grade party
06/06 - 8th Grade Promotion and Last Day of School
Bonita Vista Middle School
Email: Teresa.Kramer@sweetwaterschools.org
Website: http://bvm.sweetwaterschools.org/
Location: 650 Otay Lakes Road, Chula Vista, CA 91910, United States
Phone: (619) 397-2200
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bonitavistamiddleschool
Twitter: @WeAreBVM