Congratulations to all of our students for completing the first semester of the 2021-2022 school year! We know they have been working hard and learning a lot, and we couldn't be more proud of the growth they have made so far this year!

Semester 1 grades will be available on Jupiter on Friday, January 28. Flushing report cards will be emailed to parents separately.

Teachers have been working diligently to make sure that Semester 2 classes are set up and ready to go. There is no school on Monday, January 24, because it is a Records Day for teachers. Our first day of the new semester is Tuesday, January 25. By 8:30am on Tuesday morning, courses should be active, and students can log in to Canvas to start working. (Refer to the login information below.) Because we are gaining over 100 students next semester, we had to add a few new teachers. This may mean that secondary students have a different teacher for the second half of their year-long class. We tried to keep those changes to a minimum.

This is a friendly reminder to make sure you have completed the Family Contract for each of your students in order for them to gain access to their courses on Tuesday. (The contract can be found at a link below.)

Most of our courses have recommended pacing guides and deadlines that teachers have created to help students stay on schedule. While these deadlines are flexible, students are expected to make every attempt to meet them so that they do not fall behind. Once they are off schedule, it is very difficult to catch up. Work will be indicated as "missing" and will be logged in the gradebook as a zero, but it can still be turned in late for a full grade.

Final deadlines for the end of the year work submission are as follows:

Seniors:

• Friday, May 13 (exams the following week)

High school classes and middle school classes that have an exam and are tied to high school credit:

• Friday, June 3 (exams the following week)

Elementary and middle school classes that do not give an exam and are not tied to high school credit:

• Wednesday, June 8

We look forward to an exciting semester of learning!

Allyson Walroth

Bobcat Virtual Learning Director

awalroth@gbcs.org

810-591-6649

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 - 810-591-6649 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.

As we are continuing to grow and develop, we are creating new documents and processes to help increase student and building success. For the second semester, we've created both a Student Handbook and a Family Contract. All families should read through the materials together and must complete the Family Contract before accessing semester 2 courses on Tuesday, January 25. Students who fail to follow the contract may be ineligible for readmission to Bobcat Virtual Learning in the Fall of 2022.

Canvas is the system that houses all of our courses. Once you log in to this, your students will see their classes and be able to begin working.

Login Site: gennet.instructure.com - This is a different site than we used last year. Do NOT use last year's website.

Login Information: Pick the button that says "Login with Google." Do not manually enter your email and password.

Full-time BVL students should have the following number of tiles:

• Elementary (grades K-5): 6 tiles (homeroom, language arts, math, social studies, science, specials rotation)
• Secondary (grades 6-12): 7 tiles (homeroom and six subjects)

If you have fewer or more than the number of tiles listed above, please contact your teacher, our counselor, or your assigned mentor (listed as the homeroom teacher) to get that fixed.

Please visit our Student Resources page for helpful Canvas navigation videos.

We have opened Semester 2 schedules for all Bobcat Virtual students on StudentVUE and ParentVUE. Please access your student's schedule to make sure that there are no errors in the classes they have been assigned. You can do this by logging in to StudentVUE/ParentVUE, selecting Class Schedule on the left-hand side of the screen, and then changing the focus across the top from "Today" to "Semester 2."

With such a tight schedule for Semester 2, the only class changes that we will be making are for the following errors:

• The student has completed and passed the class in a previous year
• The student has not met the criteria for the class they are placed in
• The student is a senior and is missing a graduation requirement
• The student has fewer than 6 classes on their schedule

If your student meets any of the above qualifications and you would like to speak to someone regarding his/her schedule, please contact:

• Elementary and middle school students - Mrs. Walroth, awalroth@gbcs.org, 810-591-6649
• High school students - Mr. Hentes, jhentes@gbcs.org, 810-591-6354

If you are new to Bobcat Virtual for Semester 2, you should have received this welcome communication from us. This includes instructions for accessing classes, expectations for virtual learning, information about contacting teachers, and a variety of other topics that will be helpful for new students to Bobcat Virtual Learning.

If you missed our New Student Orientations, here are the presentations we went over:

• Elementary (K-5) Student Presentation
• Secondary (6-12) Student Presentation

A concurrent student has four or more in-person classes at one of our district’s buildings and one or two classes in Bobcat Virtual. Concurrent students are expected to log in every day as if this were an in-person class. High school students must go to the BVL Lab (located at the high school West Campus) during their virtual hour. Elementary and middle school students should discuss a learning space with their counselor or school's principal.

• Attendance is taken and is mandatory
  
• Flexible attendance for high school students may be offered during 1st or 6th hour, if the student demonstrates achievement in virtual classes and participates in two-way contacts

Throughout the year, teachers will be reaching out to K-8 students to participate in district-required testing that is used to inform instruction and grading

• This must be conducted in a live virtual session
• It is required for students to participate
  

In the spring, all 3-11 grade students must participate in state-mandated testing

• This is an in-person test, which means students must come to the school to participate
  
• More information will be sent in early spring

Dear Parent or Guardians,

Bobcat Virtual has recently hired a Social-Emotional Interventionist! Social Emotional Learning (SEL) is designed to help students build life skills through further development of 5 main categories: self-awareness, self-management, relationship skill, socialization, and responsible decision-making. Improvement of these skills can lead to improved interactions in the classroom, at home, and within their community, as well as follow them into the future. Our BVL SEL Interventionist, Amy Trudeau, will begin reaching out to families and students individually, as well as, formulating small group activities for our students to join. She will be providing lessons surrounding the 5 main categories mentioned above.

Lessons will be delivered through daily computer check-ins, individual sessions and small groups sessions which will interact virtually primarily over google meet.

Please enter the google form link below and give your permission to either decline or allow your child to participate in upcoming social-emotional skill building lessons through individual sessions and/or groups. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me by email atrudeau@gbcs.

GOOGLE FORM PERMISSION FORM LINK:

https://forms.gle/VY9xVraLkG4ZoTjN9

Amy Trudeau, MSOT OTRL

SEL Recovery Interventionist

Bobcat Virtual / Perry innovation Center

atrudeau@gbcs.org

*Please note I work between two buildings, therefore, email is the quickest way to reach me*

We have exciting news! The district's Dining Services would like to begin to provide a free breakfast/lunch program to all full-time Grand Blanc Bobcat Virtual Learning families. Students must be enrolled directly in Grand Blanc Community Schools to take part in this program.

In order for us to gauge interest/need from BVL families, please complete the following survey: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc1bwSzo-19Qc7bEWtxKgOrxI6Z-VvTLobqvzESo29rmGFspQ/viewform?usp=sf_link

According to the USDA mandate, they must follow the school calendar and can only offer free food when school is in session. This means that they will not have food available on days when school is not in session, like over Thanksgiving break or Spring Break. It also means that some weeks may not have five full breakfasts and lunches if it is a shortened week at school.

For families who indicate they would like to take advantage of this service, they are tentatively planning to have a pick up once a week on Thursdays from 12:30-1:00pm at the High School East Campus bus pick-up line. This plan is TENTATIVE and is subject to change based on feedback from this survey.

If you have not already done so, please fill out and sign the Free and Reduced-Price Meal Application: https://lunchapp.com/. Don't forget to indicate Bobcat Virtual Learning as you student's building.

Once we receive feedback from families, we will communicate further about the details of the program and the start date.

Please contact us at Grand Blanc Dining Service with any questions: (810) 591-6675 or (810) 591-6928.

If you have a 5th or 8th grade student, it's time for them to exchange their Chromebooks for a new model. We now have all of the new Chromebooks in the BVL lab, located in the High School West Campus (1 Jewett Trail). Please bring in your student's current Chromebook, case, and charger during our office hours Monday-Friday from 7:00am-3:00pm.

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 PSAT8/9, 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, It is almost senior scholarship time at GB! (This does NOT include 13th yr Early College students).

Please see the scholarship/award informational letter below for more information.

View scholarship/award descriptions:
Visit: www.gbcs.org/page/1134

ALL ARE DUE FEBRUARY 25 at 12:15. Late applications and recommendations are not accepted. If there is a snow day, only printed applications are accepted the next school day by 12:15 p.m. All applications submitted online are still due by February 25 by 12:15 p.m.

View, print, submit scholarships/awards applications: (only available to print Jan 24 - Feb. 24)
Visit: www.gbcs.org/page/1213

Recommendation link to send to those you want a recommendation from - or you can print out a paper. Applications you print out already have the recommendation form attached if one is needed. ALL recommendations must be submitted through this link.
www.gbcs.org/Page/1125

When you are applying for scholarships/awards that are submitted online, you must be logged into your “student school google account”.

If you have any questions, please email Mrs. Briggs at tbriggs@gbcs.org

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. Currently, the cap & gown set is $33.50 but the PRICE WILL INCREASE ON FEBRUARY 1st to $50.00.

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.

Finally, if seniors order a class ring before the end of January, they can get an additional $40 off when using the code OFFER40 at checkout.

GBHS/BVL is pleased that we offer our students unique travel opportunities where they can experience amazing once-in-a-lifetime trips and earn a high school/college credit at the same time.

This class is the ultimate hands-on learning experience! When students travel, they expand their knowledge of the world around them, discover more about themselves, and grow more confident. These skills are critical for creating the global citizens of tomorrow, and I would love to have your student join us on this adventure.

Students, you will experience culture you've only dreamed about, eat foods you've only seen on the Travel Channel, and see art and architecture you’ve only studied in books. Experience an adventure that will change your life forever.

The 2023 Summer Study Abroad program tour's focus is The Heart of History - A Grand Tour of Europe.

Here are some of the unique highlights of the tour that I’m most excited about:
- Gaze up at Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel ceiling
- Walk in the footsteps of the Renaissance (Florence)
- Explore the Medieval city of San Gimignano
- Spend the day exploring the ancient ruins of Pompeii
- Visit the prison where Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI were kept before their execution
- Take a guided tour of the Normandy and the D-Day beaches
- And so much more!

Sound Amazing? To learn more join me for the info session on Wednesday, February 9 at 5 PM. The meeting will be both live, in room 624C at West Campus and via Google Meet. The link will be sent directly to you once you have RSVP'd. The link will also be available on the Study Abroad Web Page the day of the meeting, posted approximately 4:45 pm.

At the meeting I will be discussing all travel logistics—including safety, affordable payment options, earning high school/college credit, a $100 early enrollment discount and so much more!

Please register to attend the meeting by Monday, February 8, to receive a direct link to the Google Meet.
Meeting RSVP link
bit.ly/3tSaNSi

For more information about this tour, a detailed itinerary, EF Tours policies, and price, you can view the Summer Study Abroad 2023 Website by following the link below. This link can also be found on the GBHS website (scroll down to the bottom of the home page)
sites.google.com/gbcs.org/summer-2021/home

EF Tours official website:
www.eftours.com/2480353tx

If you are a high school student who recently switched to BVL, it is your responsibility to return your textbooks, calculator, etc. to the library. If you do not return them, you will be charged for their replacements.

Each week we will profile one of our amazing virtual staff members so that you can meet everyone!

Link to Register: https://forms.gle/S8sCRuVrWXZMfSmw5%20

More Information: https://www.gbcs.org/hgd

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: 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 - 810-591-6649 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.