Mr. Glover's Weekly Update
September 17th, 2023
No School on Monday, September 18th
Professional Growth Day
Mr. Glover's Weekly Update
Hello BMMS Raiders Families!! I hope you are having a wonderful Sunday. If you are enjoying this special time with your family, you are in luck!! Tomorrow we will conduct a district wide Professional Growth Day, Monday September 18th. All of your BMMS Educators will be actively participating in professional growth training sessions that will allow us to continue to make our school a wonderfully safe and supportive environment for your child and their learning. So please make sure that you do not bring your child to school during this time. We will welcome them all back to school on Tuesday as we begin Start with Hello Week from September 19 through September 23. Schools and youth organizations all over the country participate in Start With Hello Week to celebrate everyone working together to build socially inclusive learning environments for all students. Start With Hello Week activities at Black Mountain Middle School are geared to bring attention to social isolation and help create a culture of inclusion and connectedness.
6th Grade Breakfast of Champions Celebration
During last week’s Breakfast of Champions celebration, BMMS honored students for exemplifying the Core Values of Black Mountain Middle School. During the celebration, teachers were able to highlight students at a special breakfast with their families and the principal. Thank you to all of the students, educators, and families that were in attendance for the event. This was a wonderful opportunity to celebrate our students who are modeling the Raider Way early in the school year.
AVID Induction Ceremony
AVID Induction ceremony for all of our AVID students to mark the beginning of their journey towards high academic achievement for the school year. The night was a beautifully emotional ceremony for our educator, students and families. A special thanks to our dedicated AVID Leadership Team for all of their hard work organizing the event and a special thank you to Mrs. Reyes and Mrs. Sgambelluri for their masterful commitment to the AVID Program here at Black Mountain.
Join School Site Council
Our School Site Council (SSC) is a committee of certificated and classified staff, administrators, parents and students whose purpose is to create our annual SPSA. This group meets several times during the year to review multiple measures of student progress and the allocation of capital resources, to best support instructional practices and intervention programs aligned with school wide achievement goals. Please email Mr. Galaz lgalaz@powayusd.com if interested in joining.
Traffic Changes for Next Week
We are getting closer to the final stages of the traffic and parking lot construction. The last stage of the construction process will involve the resurfacing and striping of the ADA crosswalk in the front of the school. This construction will impact the front ring road of the school for next week. The ring road of the school will be completely blocked off which will limit access for buses as well as afternoon traffic for pickup as well as our ADA loading and unloading area. The construction company will align the gates in the middle of the second row of the parking lot. This will be the pass-through for buses as well as afternoon drop off and pick up for families after school.
Please review the diagram below for information. After this construction is completed, we should be on schedule to have our parking lot open between September 22nd and September 25th.
Thank you all again for your continued cooperation and patience.
More Than A Meal
Although all students now receive school breakfast and lunch at no charge, families are still encouraged to complete the Free and Reduced Price Meal Application.
Please complete either an online application or a paper "Free and Reduced Meal Price Application Form." The paper forms can be obtained from and returned (completed) to any school office.
Our Online Meal Application Process is FAST, SAFE, SECURE, PRIVATE and AVAILABLE anytime, anywhere, and is the preferred method.
You will be notified by mail of your child's eligibility.
Please complete only one application (online OR paper) per family. The information you give will be used to determine your child's eligibility for free or reduced-priced meals.
This information may also be used for other state or federally funded benefits.
Factors considered in the application process are household size and total household income. HOUSEHOLD SIZE is considered all persons, related or unrelated: Including parents, children, grandparents who live in your home and share living expenses. The TOTAL HOUSEHOLD INCOME is the income each household member received last month before taxes - this includes wages, social security, pension, unemployment, welfare, child support, alimony, and any other cash income.
Foster children are categorically eligible for free meal benefits. An application is not needed yet there does need to be documentation of status by a state or local entity familiar with the child's status. Foster children may be included in the household application as part of the household size.
September is Attendance Awareness Month
Help your child be an Attendance H.E.R.O.:
Here. Everyday. Ready. On-time.
Parent partnership is crucial to ensuring our students are receiving the full advantage of consistent school attendance. Students who attend school regularly are significantly more likely to achieve proficient academic levels in reading and math, do better on tests, as well as likelier to graduate and be successful in future endeavors. Help us accomplish this by:
Establishing consistent bed times and wake up times
Planning ahead to avoid scheduling appointments and vacations during school
Communicating with teachers regarding illnesses or religious/cultural holidays
Staying engaged and regularly checking in with your children about their experiences
Emphasizing the importance of attendance with your children
Reaching out to us for help to address any barriers to attendance
Thank you for your support and partnership!
For more attendance tips and resources go to bit.ly/attendancehero
Start with Hello Week
Each year, thousands of schools and youth organizations nationwide participate in Start With Hello Week, a national call-to-action week dedicated to making new social connections and creating a sense of belonging among youth.
Below are the activities for Start With Hello Week @ BMMS:
Monday- Pro- Grow Day - Non-student day
Tuesday - Start with HELLO with a smile DAY- Say Hi with a smile to 5 people you don’t know. Sign the Pledge (lunch activity).
Wednesday - No One Eats Alone Day - Invite someone new or who is alone to sit with you at lunch. Westview Ambassadors will be greeting students in the morning before school.
Thursday - Favorite Shirt Day- Wear a favorite shirt that shows something important about you or is important to you.
Lunch activity - Start with a Hello Wall - Write positive messages.
Friday- Wear Green Friday - Show your support for inclusion.
LatinX and Hispanic Heritage Month
September 15th was the start of a month-long celebration of LatinX and Hispanic Heritage and culture. During this month we at BMMS would like to honor a significant person or event that has shaped Hispanic Heritage and/or history. We hope to inspire everyone to challenge themselves to learn something new this month in an effort to increase our knowledge and understanding of the Hispanic culture and community. Sept. 15 is the date when five Latin American countries declared independence from Spain in 1821 — Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Mexican Independence Day is Sept. 16, while Chile’s is Sept. 18.
This week we would like to spotlight the histories, cultures, and contributions of Hispanic Americans with roots in Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America, and South America by highlighting several events that are occurring in San Diego this weekend and beyond.
Old Town San Diego will host its Fiestas Patrias this Saturday, Sept. 16, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
The San Diego Public Library will showcase “Nuestra Cultura,” a series of free Hispanic Heritage Month events at branches across SD.
The Padres will host Hispanic Heritage Weekend at Petco Park Friday, Sept. 22-Sunday, Sept. 24.
The House of Spain at the International Cottages will host the Latino Lawn Program on Saturday, Sept. 23, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
Career Fair / College & Career Week
College and Career Week will be the week of December 4-8th. Please mark your calendars. This week will include spirit days, door decorating contest, morning announcements, and homeroom lessons related to college and career exploration. The Career Fair is planned for December 8th during both lunches. More information coming soon on how you can support it. We are looking for parents to share information about their career path. A sign-up document will be publicized in the next few weeks.
Week at a Glance
Mon., September 18, No School; Professional Growth Day
Tues., September 19, Periods 1-7, Start 8:00am
Weds., September 20, LATE START, Periods 1-7; Start 9:20am
Thurs., September 21, Periods 1,2,3 & HR; Start @ 8am
ACADEMY PE (M-Th) - Students released at 3:40PM
Fri., September 22, Periods 4/5,6, 7 & HR; Start @ 8am
NO ACADEMY PE ON FRIDAYS, Students released @ 2:45pm
Calendar
09.18.23 - Professional Growth Day, NON-STUDENT DAY
09.19.23 - Step It Assembly
09.19.23 - ASES Flag Football Try-Outs, 3pm
09.20.23 - ASES Flag Football Try-Outs, 3pm
09.21.23 - ASES Flag Football Try-Outs, 3pm
09.22.23 - ASES Cross Country Meet @ OVMS, 4pm
09.26.23 - Hearing & Vision Screening, 8th Grade
09.27.23 - Picture Make-Up Day
09.27.23 - Team Leader Meeting, 3pm
09.29.23 - ASES Cross Country Meet @ BMMS, 4pm
Planning Ahead? Check out the calendar on our school's website.
- ASES Sports, sports, and more sports
- Parent/Teacher Conferences, Week of 10/9/23-10/13/23
- Scholastic Book Fair, 10/16/23-10/20/23
- Red Ribbon Week, 10/23/23-10/27/23
- Professional Growth Day - Secondary Schools, 11/1/23