Bobcat Bytes
April 22, 2022
Dear Bobcat Virtual Families,
Thank you to all of our families who brought their 3rd-11th grade students in for testing last week. We were happy to see so many of your smiling faces.
As a reminder, makeup testing starts next week and runs through the next few weeks for students who were unable to make the initial testing. For a detailed schedule of when your student is required to attend, please see this communication that was emailed home earlier this week. Only students who missed any portion of the testing from last week need to attend.
Don't forget - common work submission deadlines for the second semester of Bobcat Virtual are as follows:
- Senior Deadlines: Since seniors are done on May 20, 2021, the work submission deadlines for seniors in high school classes will be May 13, 2021, at 11:59pm. Exams will be given/collected during the following week.
- Elementary classes and middle school classes that do not give an exam and are not tied to high school credit: Wednesday, June 8, 2021, at 11:59pm
- High school classes and middle school classes that have an exam and are tied to high school credit: Friday, June 3, 2021, at 11:59pm, with exams the following week
We hope you have a great weekend!
Allyson Walroth
Bobcat Virtual Learning Director
awalroth@gbcs.org
810-591-1658
Congratulations to the Martinez Family!
One of our BVL secretaries, Elaina Martinez, had a baby on Thursday, April 6! Jose Alfredo is home and fitting right in with his older siblings. Congratulations to Elaina and her family!
Our other secretary, Stacey Abram, will be filling in for Elaina for the rest of the school year, and Starla Dach will also be subbing for us occasionally. Don't worry - we are still here to support you in a timely manner!
Teacher Appreciation Week: May 2-May 6
The PTO is working hard to make sure that Teacher Appreciation Week is fabulous for our amazing teachers. They are looking for help and support. Please reach out to PTO Secretary Meg Sprecher at megsprecher9@gmail.com for more information and details.
4th, 5th, and 7th Grade Human Growth and Development
The Grand Blanc Board of Education provides a program of instruction in human growth and development to all students in 4th, 5th, and 7th grades. As a component of the Human Growth and Development program, the following content is generally taught to our in-person students:
- 4th grade: concepts relating to the onset of puberty and reproductive health
- 5th grade: reproductive health
- 7th grade: HIV/AIDS and other serious communicable disease prevention as well as sex education
For our Grand Blanc and Flushing students, these will be available in a separate asynchronous Google Classroom
for students whose parents choose to opt them in to the lessons. These will be appropriate to your student's grade. They will be able to work through this content at their own pace and with your support.
By law you have the right to excuse your child from the class, if you choose. Please visit the GBCS Human Growth & Development website to see sample resources and explore the topics covered during this program.
Please take time to review the information on the website. If you would like your child to participate you need to complete the Opt-In Form linked here. Please complete this form by April 22. Once we have collected names of students, they will be added to the Google Classroom the following week. If you would not like your child to participate, you do not have to do anything.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions at 591-6649.
Student Clubs
Our amazing 6-12 English teacher, Mr. Stuck, has started multiple student clubs for our secondary (grades 6-12) students. All clubs are virtual. Students do not need to worry about coming in to the school.
There is a different club each day of the week:
- Monday - Gaming Club, 1:00-2:00pm, Google Meet code: bvlgame
- Tuesday - Arts & Crafts Club, 1:00-2:00pm, Google Meet code: bvlcraft
- Wednesday - BVL Cafe, 1:00-2:00pm, Google Meet code: bvlcafe
- Thursday - Anime Club, 1:00-2:00pm, Google Meet code: bvlanime
- Friday - Fandom Club, 1:00-2:00pm, Google Meet code: bvlfandom
For a description of each club, please see this newsletter from Mr. Stuck. All secondary students are invited to attend!
Here are some drawings created during Art Club!
Prom Information
If your student has purchased a prom ticket, we have been asked to share the following documents for you to pass along to your student:
If you have any questions about Prom, please direct them to Mrs. Coffman (acoffman@gbcs.org).
Senior Celebration!
This year our traditional "post-Grad" party will be a "Pre-Grad" celebration. In order to allow seniors to enjoy the graduation ceremony and spend time with family and friends, we moved the date to Saturday, May 21st after seniors complete their final exams on Friday, May 20th. There are many chair and committee positions open for parents of ALL grades. This is a great way for parents of freshman and sophomores to get involved with your student's class and follow your student through their high school years.
College Board Accounts
A College Board account is required of all students. If you do not have a College Board account set up, please do so at
www.collegeboard.org . The student needs to be the one to set this up. Do not set up a second account.
This account is needed for PSAT9, PSAT10, and SAT review, score viewing, and score sending to colleges. Please keep your login and password somewhere where you can find it as needed. These accounts are sometimes used during class time. If you already set up an account and cannot remember your login and password information, please call College Board at 1-866-756-7346. Staff do not have access to students information.
Seniors - Order your Cap and Gown!
If you haven't already, It's time to order everything you need to celebrate and commemorate this Senior Year. This includes cap and gown, graduation announcements, and class apparel.
CLICK HERE for all the important information you need. The EASIEST way to order is click on the link and order online at Jostens.com. Call with any Questions - Jostens of Mid-Michigan 810 658-1700 (office line)
CLICK HERE for special GBHS Packages.
Each week we will profile one of our amazing virtual staff members so that you can meet everyone!
Mrs. Rachael Tait
Position: Special Education Teacher
Experience: 18 years with GBCS. 19 years in education. 2nd year with BVL
Most Excited About: I love the relationships that are developed with colleagues and students in the virtual setting
Looking Forward To: Getting to know my students and their families!
Interests: CrossFit, swimming, kayaking, and cooking
Who Can Help?
If you need something, please don't be afraid to reach out:
- Main Desk/Technology Help: 810-591-1658
- Enrollment/Grades: Elaina Martinez - 810-591-6391
- Counselor: John Hentes - 810-591-1634 or jhentes@gbcs.org
- Mentors (grades 6-12): Elizabeth Ralbusky (last names A-J) - 810-591-6368; Scott Thurlow (last names K-Z) - 810-591-6366
- Coordinator: Kevin Keilitz - 810-591-6375 or kkeilitz@gbcs.org
- Director: Allyson Walroth - 810-591-1658 or awalroth@gbcs.org
- Classroom teachers should all include information on how to contact them on their course. If you have course-related issues, please reach out to your teacher first. They will respond back within 24 hours (during the work week) and can usually clarify things quickly. You can also attend their office hours, which should be listed in their course.
Allyson Walroth
Director of Bobcat Virtual & Secondary Curriculum Director
