Barbara Morgan S.T.E.M Academy
Parent Newsletter ~ December 16, 2020
Important Dates
December:
13 -19 BMSA Roaring Rocket Read-A-Thon....READ, READ, READ and turn in reading logs daily
21 - 31 and Jan. 1 - No School - Winter Break
20 - 31 BMSA Roaring Rocket Read-A-Thon....Pledge money collection
January:
4 - Class resumes - Early Release 2:10pm
5 - On time School of Choice online enrollment application now open!
5 - BMSA Roaring Rocket Read-A-Thon....Pledge money due
7 - Intent to Re-enroll Closed
18 - No School - Martin Luther King Jr. Day
28 - On time online enrollment application Closed
February:
8 - BMSA Lottery Draw for the 2021-2022 school year at WASD District Headquarters
Intent to Re-Enroll at BMSA
If you submit the "Intent to Re-Enroll" form and do not get a call from BMSA, please know your submission has been received and we plan on your return. We will be contacting families who do not fill out the form to ensure they are intending not to return. Students not intending to return will forfeit their spot, opening it up to new incoming lottery applicants.
IMPORTANT SIBLING INFORMATION: Any incoming siblings, new to BMSA next school year, must fill out a new student "Online School of Choice" application which will be available on January 5, 2021 and closes on January 28, 2021. For instance, if you have one child attending BMSA currently, and now have an incoming Kindergartner, please submit the new student online School of Choice application for that incoming child. (Incoming siblings must be 5 years old on or before September 1, 2021.)
HELP SPREAD THE WORD: If you know of any families interested in enrolling at BMSA for the 2021-2022 school year, now is the time! Please encourage your friends and families to visit our BMSA website and complete the "on-time" School of Choice lottery application, which will be available January 5th through January 28th.
The Barbara Morgan STEM Academy lottery draw is set to be held on Monday, February 8 at WASD headquarters.
More information about School of Choice applications can be found on the district website: https://www.westada.org/domain/84 or by calling BMSA directly.
Lost and Found will be donated over Break
Our Lost and Found is overflowing...
If you recognize an item from the photos below, please call the front office (208-855-4430) with the description so we can hold it for you to pick-up after the winter break.
BMSA Roaring Rocket Read-A-Thon is here!
The Roaring Rocket Read-A-Thon packet can be found here with information about the event, prize details, reading requirements, and a donation pledge form.. Or copy and paste the link into your web browser: https://tinyurl.com/y64zzen5
Read-A-Thon Dates:
December 13-19:
Read, read, read! Students log their reading minutes and turn in the reading logs DAILY. Students can read by themselves, on an educational app, or with a 'helper' (family/friend reading with them).
*Parents, please initial the reading logs daily.
Every student who participates and turns in their log sheet daily will visit the PRIZE PATROL for a daily reading prize.
At the end of the Read-A-Thon, based on pledges submitted by January 5th, two students from every grade level will receive a $15 BMSA Gift Certificate to purchase books through Scholastic. The students will be selected based on the most minutes read and the student that raised the most money for our school.
December 20- January 3:
Students collect pledge money. Pledge donations may be made by check to BMSA PTO or by scanning the Venmo QR code on the pledge form.
Happy READING!
December - BMSA Giving Tree
BMSA families take care of each other!
For the 6th year in a row, families fulfilled ALL the requests made and then some. We are so blessed to witness so much generosity and joy as we collect, sort, and distribute the gifts given from the heart. When this program started 6 years ago, I was worried that we wouldn't be able to fill the requested needs, but we did. And every year since then, I have more faith that the needs will be met. Thank you ALL for making this a safe community that cares.
Thank you for your continued support.
Counselor Lindsay: wright.lindsay@westada.org
Counselor Kristin: wright.kristin@westada.org
Yearbooks pre-sale is on now!
Order Your BMSA Yearbook Today!
We are excited to announce, our BMSA Yearbooks are currently being designed and are available for advanced discounted pricing.
- Order now through January 4, 2020 for a discounted rate of only $15 per yearbook.
- If purchased between January 5th - March 5th, yearbooks will be $20 each.
- After March 5th, they will be $25 each until sold out.
- Yearbooks will be distributed in June.
Order online at:
School ID # is 95423
USDA Extends the FREE Lunch Program through the end of the 2020-2021 school year!
All students enrolled in West Ada School buildings will eligible to receive a free breakfast and free lunch each learning day. Meals are available for curbside pick up during remote learning days.
Holiday Curbside Breakfast and Lunches Available at Select WASD Locations
The school nutrition services department will continue serving meals to children ages 1-18 at several sites during winter break. Meals are available December 21-23 and December 28-31, with service from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
CLICK HERE FOR PICK UP LOCATIONS AND ORDER FORM
West Ada Medical Clinic and Covid-19
Did you know, West Ada School District has a Medical Clinic available for our students? More information can be found on our school district website:
Meridian Schools Clinic / Meridian Schools Clinic (westada.org)
During the holidays, they will be running their normal operational hours (with a few exceptions - see below for closed dates), with regular well check appointments in the morning from 8am-12pm and Respiratory Services (and Covid 19 appointments) from 1:30pm-5:00pm.
They will be closed on the following dates:
December 24 only open in the morning
December 25 - Closed
January 1 - Closed
We realize there may be COVID-19 related medical questions that come up during the extended winter break. If your student is not feeling well over the break and has any symptoms that are severe or concerning to you, please call your medical provider.
If your child tests Positive for Covid-19, please send an email to Principal Wright (wright.lauri@westada.org) so contact tracing can be completed during the winter break closure.
Below are Covid-19 resources:
- St. Luke’s COVID-19 Hotline 208-381-9500
- Saint Alphonsus COVID-19 Hotline 208-302-2683
- Central District Health COVID-19 call center 208-321-2222
Upcoming Technology Maintenance
On Monday, December 21 between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., maintenance will be conducted on both PowerSchool and Content Keeper (the District’s content filtering system).
- PowerSchool will be unavailable as system patches and updates are installed.
- Content Keeper maintenance will cause brief interruptions to Internet access on staff and student devices during maintenance activities. Access to all Internet-based services and applications such as Teams, OneDrive (including all files stored in the cloud), and the web versions of E-Mail, Word, PowerPoint, Excel, etc., will be impacted during this time.
The upcoming changes to Content Keeper will improve the technology department's ability to upgrade and maintain the system, reducing the impact of future maintenance activities. We have scheduled this maintenance early in the Winter Break to minimize the impact on our staff and students.
IPAD ISO UPDATE (Grades K-3)
The District has completed testing of iPad IOS 14 and will make the latest version available for District iPads. Students with a District iPad at home can update on their own as early as Monday, December 21, or wait for the update to be pushed to all District devices during our January Maintenance Night, on January 7.
To successfully receive the automated update on January 7, iPads will need to be charged, turned on, and connected to the internet. iPad updates generally take 10-15 minutes to download and another 15-25 minutes to install. If you choose to manually install the update, be aware of this timeline, and choose a time that the device is not needed for schoolwork.
Manual updates can be installed by following these steps:
- Plug your device into power and ensure you are connected to the internet
- Go to Settings > General, then tap Software Update.
- Tap Download and Install.
- To “Update Now”, tap Install.
- To “Install Later”, choose Install Tonight or Remind Me Later. If choosing to “Install Later”, make sure the device remains plugged in and turned on. The iPad will be updated overnight.
Keeping Learning Going During Winter Break
Learning Apps and Programs
- Teams and/or Seesaw Activities: Teachers will not be uploading new content, but students are encouraged to complete any items they have not finished/submitted.
- iReady
- Imagine Learning
- Zearn
- www.Code.org
- These programs and more can be found by accessing student's Clever app: https://www.westada.org/RapidIdentity-Student
Check out more STEM related programs, websites and opportunities on Mrs. Shafter's STEM Class Announcements webpage:
Building a Healthy Community--Classroom Donations
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e0a48a8ab2ea7fa7-building
If you'd like to make a monetary donation to a classroom, please use the West Ada Thank a Teacher link. https://www.westada.org/Page/52729
All staff are greatly appreciative of our supportive BMSA families. Thank you.
Contact US
Secretary Connie Adams - adams.connie@westada.org
Website: https://www.westada.org/Domain/9
Location: 1825 West Chateau Drive, Meridian, ID, USA
Phone: (208) 855-4430
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BarbaraMorganSTEMacademy