As we approach the end of the first semester, there are a few items that we wanted to share with you. This time of year is always filled with excitement, as the first half of the year comes to a close and the second half begins. I can't believe how quickly this school year is flying by!

I have certainly enjoyed working with you over the past month, and I am appreciative of all the staff and families with whom I have been able to build connections. Mr. Neall is home and recovering, and he plans to be back in his role as Bobcat Virtual Learning Director for the new semester. I will continue to support him and the program in any way necessary, so don't be afraid to reach out. I am excited to continue to help him build a strong program for our virtual learners when he returns. In the meantime, please continue to reach out to me for any help as I continue Interim Director responsibilities until January 26th.

In addition, I will be happy to host a couple of parent meetings for current BVL parents over the next couple of days to answer any questions or field any concerns about the end of the semester and the beginning of the next semester. I know this is last minute, but some parents have requested it since you haven't met since Mr. Neall left in December.

• Elementary Parent Meeting - Wednesday, January 13, 6:30-7:30pm
• Secondary Parent Meeting - Thursday, January 14, 6:30-7:30pm

Meetings can be accessed at the following link: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/8072191939?pwd=M3JGT3JHQzNpNG8waWdvY25ydjN4dz09. If necessary, you can use the Meeting ID: 807 219 1939 and the Passcode 385980. As a reminder, Zoom calls cannot be accessed using a student device. You will need to use your phone or a different computer.

Finally, Mr. Neall and I sincerely appreciate all of the feedback, concerns, and suggestions that we have received over this past semester. We value your input as we continue to grow and improve this program. In order to give everyone an opportunity to have a voice, please complete this parent survey if you would like to provide us with information about your experiences or suggestions for the future. We welcome all constructive feedback so that we can continue to grow and improve our program!

Mrs. Allyson Walroth

Interim Bobcat Virtual Director

Secondary Curriculum & HS Assistant Principal

By this time, you should have heard from your student's teacher about how exams will work. Instead of doing live exams, some teachers will have time limits on their exams or will be using outside sites that allow them to lock students in to the exam in order to mitigate any concerns about cheating or sharing of tests. Teachers will be communicating information about their specific exams. If your student has not heard from any of his/her teachers, please reach out to them directly.

We will also be hosting a couple of New Student Orientations next week to welcome parents and students to Bobcat Virtual Learning. If you would like to join us, the meeting times are as follows:

• Elementary Students - Wednesday, January 20, 4:30-5:30pm
• Secondary Students - Wednesday, January 20, 6:30-7:30pm

Meetings can be accessed at the following link: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/8072191939?pwd=M3JGT3JHQzNpNG8waWdvY25ydjN4dz09. If necessary, you can use the Meeting ID: 807 219 1939 and the Passcode 385980. As a reminder, Zoom calls cannot be accessed using a student device. You will need to use your phone or a different computer.

In the meantime, follow the instructions below to access Semester 2 schedules.

For elementary and middle school students, there is a set schedule for both semesters. For this year, with the current curriculum, students do not have options for electives (aside from middle school students taking a world language). For high school students, the schedules were built off of the course request sheets from last spring. If the virtual curriculum did not offer an exact match, we tried to find a class that was similar, or we reached out to students to ask what they would prefer to take instead.

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

• Wednesday, January 20 - 8:00am-4:00pm
• Thursday, January 21 - 12:30pm-6:30pm

Pick up will occur at the HS West Campus, located at 1 Jewett Trail. Please park in the large, main parking lot and enter the front door that is closest to Jewett Trail. We will have a table right inside the front entrance.

If your student has checked out a novel for the first semester, you can return them during the workbook pick-up times that are listed above. If you would like to avoid the lines, there will also be a 24-hour drop off tub located outside the front door of both middle schools and both high school buildings beginning January 4, 2021. Books can be placed in any of those four tubs and will be logged back in for students.

If you would prefer not to come up to the school to have your picture taken, the yearbook will be accepting portraits from students through YBK+, a portal with directions for how to make a great self-portrait at home.

For a great video detailing this entire process, click here.

East Middle School - Bobcat Virtual students whose "home building" would be EMS will be able to sign up for an appointment to have their pictures taken with EMS students on January 19 and 20, from 2:15-7:00pm. These will take place in the EMS Cafeteria. All students who plan to have their picture taken MSUT sign up here for a time slot. For more information about ordering pictures and self-screening symptoms, please see this picture day flyer from EMS.

Please keep an eye on the elementary building Facebook pages or contact the schools directly for more information.

The following schools sent me their dates/times directly:

Brendel Elementary -

• February 9 & February 10
• No times have been announced yet. A SignUpGenius Link will be sent out when it gets closer to the date.

Cook Elementary -

• February 23 - at Cook - 3:00pm-5:00pm
• February 24 - at Cook - 3:00pm-5:00pm
• All Bobcat Virtual students attending the Cook pictures must register ahead of time through this SignUpGenius Link.

Indian Hill Elementary -

• Wednesday, February 17 - at Indian Hill Parent Room - 11:00am-2:00pm
• Thursday, February 18 - at Indian Hill Parent Room - 11:00am-2:00pm
• All Bobcat Virtual students attending the Indian Hill pictures must register ahead of time through this SignUpGenius Link.

Mason Elementary -

• Tuesday, February 23 - at Mason - 3:00pm-5:00pm
• All Bobcat Virtual students attending the Mason pictures must register ahead of time through this SignUpGenius Link.

Myers Elementary -

• Monday, February 1 - Last name A-K Bobcat Virtual pictures at Myers - 10:00am-12:30pm
• Tuesday, February 2 - Last name L-Z Bobcat Virtual pictures at Myers - 10:00am-12:30pm

Reid Elementary -

• Friday, February 5 - at Reid - 8:00am-12:00pm

For more information and descriptions of the available scholarships, please see the Scholarship Information Site from the high school.

As you may know, all seniors are required to complete a Senior Exit Presentation as a requirement of their graduation. Many students have struggled with understanding what a good presentation entails, so Rachel Kenney, BV/HS English teacher, has volunteered to run a workshop to help students prepare. This is a voluntary workshop, and any student working on a Senior Exit Presentation is welcome to join.

Since the deadline for Bobcat Virtual students is Friday, February 19th, they should attend the workshop on Tuesday, February 2, from 2:15pm-3:15pm.

Students can access the workshop by using this Google Meet link: https://meet.google.com/lookup/kenney2020.

Content covered in the workshop includes:

• Purpose of the Senior Exit Presentation
• Overview of the requirements
• Tips for a successful presentation
• Resources to use
• Q & A session