BHMS Principal's Update 5/3/21
May Updates
Hope this finds you all well. We are entering the last two months of school. It's hard to believe that we are here. While the summer is quickly approaching, there is a lot more to do at school. Please continue to encourage your children to keep up with the assignments and if needed, stay after school for extra support. We have teachers who stay after school each day. As long as you or your child communicate with the teacher, we will be able to find them a place after school to work and get academic support. If you find your child needs help in this arena, please reach out to the counselors or the administrators. We are here to help.
We continue to rely on your assistance with informing us of positive cases or exposures to the Coronavirus. Please know that as the governor has made various statements about capacity, we are reviewing our protocols as to what we can allow. We are also making plans for our end of year celebrations and recognition ceremonies to ensure they are properly executed according to the most conclusive safety guidance. More information will be coming in the next subsequent weeks.
Thanks as always,
Mike D'Ostilio, Principal
In this Newsletter:
- 5th to 6th Grade Transition Information
- Teacher Appreciation Week
- Building Better Bulldogs
- Spectator Protocols for Home Basketball and Field Hockey Games
- Library Re-opening
- Instructional Changes and Q&A
- Reminder about Instructional Schedule
- Coronavirus Weekly Update (Informs families of our recent reports of COVID-19)
- PTO Updates
- Seeking Teachers out for Academic Support
- Academic Reminders
- Clubs, Activities, and Support
- Links to Past Newsletters and Correspondence
New and Important Information
- Most March and April Event Dates TBD based on new schedule. We are working with capacity regulations to assess what we can have in person. All of our formerly planned events need to be analyzed for safety. We will be sure to communicate with you as things surface.
- 5/3 - 5/7...Teacher Appreciation Week
- 5/4...Teacher Appreciation Day
- 5/5...Spring Musical
- 5/5 - 5/12...Nurse's Appreciation Week
- 5/14...BHMS Crazy Hat Day
Keeping Up with What is Going on at the Hill!!!
Building Better Bulldogs Activity to Acknowledge Different Abilities.
One of the hallmarks about what it means to be a Bulldog is that we realize that no person is better than the other. We all may have different talents or skills, but at BHMS we are all connected because we commit to understanding each other and what each other contributes. At BHMS accepting a person's ability is very important to us. Please review the videos and lessons below
The counselors will coordinate with the lunch study hall teachers to do an in person activity and discussion for next week. We will send out directions to the lunch study hall teachers directly as well. For students who are remote, please consider doing this lesson asynchronously.
Disability Acceptance Lesson
- Show Video: Cole Blakeway: We are all different, and that's awesome! | Cole Blakeway | TEDxWestVancouverED | TED Talk
- Complete the following Microsoft Form about the video: https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=MNRd2DZlrkS7nnRxZaAHNatLRkK8EuNOj0QiatVlh9hUOTA3MVlDNFlMWDIyNEdRV0MyUTgwUjVSWi4u
Click the Button Above to Access Important Information for the In-coming 6th Grade Class
- Sign up for Notifications and Social Media
- Video of Information Session from 4/29/21
- Presentation Slides from 4/29/21
- Interactive Map
- Athletic Information
- Clubs and Activities
May 3-7 is Teacher Appreciation Week
Help Support BHMS Provide Folders for Each Student
Building Better Bulldogs (3Bs) Mission and Vision
This pandemic has created so many questions and concerns for students that are well beyond academics. We are committed to providing a safe environment where students can express themselves as they question the ebb and flow of their world around them. Please see below our affirmations about Buidling Better Bulldogs and the people we as Bulldogs aim to be.
Also included is below is correspondence from Mr. Bollendorf regarding the district stance to how to help students navigate this time.
Key Features in Letter and In Plan
4/12...Day we return from spring break...Collapse cohorts.
- Still in place...1/2 day schedules (pds 1-4 on M/Th, pds 5-8 on T/F, 1/2 hr pds on Wednesday)
- Students report to school same time...No change in bell schedule
- Students can attend 5 days per week
- Provisions for students who continue to opt to remain remote.
- Social distancing (6 feet) promoted but not guaranteed.
- Portable plexiglass to be purchased
- Varied class sizes depending on family decisions to have children return.
4/26...Return to Full Day 8 period day...Tentative plan depending on success of 4/12 plan.
- Students report to school by 7:55. Classes begin then and will dismiss at 2:55
- Bell schedule not yet developed
- Plan to serve lunches. More information to come regarding this in subsequent newsletters.
- Social distancing (6 feet) less possible
- Plexiglass will still be used
- Varied class sizes
- Lunches will be served.
Events
- Outdoor Sports will run. Basketball and Field Hockey Coaches are in the process of setting their schedules.
- Recognition events will be virtual or in person depending on the amount of people permitted to safely assemble per executive order.
- Music classes (band, chorus, orchestra, musical) performances will be offered as in person practice at times with a tentative virtual performance
- Clubs may take place after school after 4/26 per regulations and executive orders on safe numbers for assembly.
- Cancellations...Bulldog Bash, 8th Grade Trip, 8th Grade Dance, Dorney Park Music Festival
Below is a running list of questions asked by families regarding the recent information from Mr. Bollendorf
- First, you have to fill out the survey for the district. See Mr. Bollendorf's letter above for specifics as to how to access the survey through unified classroom. OR
- Go to wtps.org and follow the tutorial there.
- Second, you can also send an email to Dr. Muscelli (assistant principal) gmuscelli@wtps.org. Copy Mr. D'Ostilio (principal) on it - mdostilio@wtps.org. Explain what your intent is for your child. Although you must fill out the survey, we are happy to answer any questions you may have.
- You can decide at any time to have your child in person or remote. It may take a few days for me or Dr. Muscelli to finalize the details. Whatever you choose for the best option for your family, please remember to inform Mr. D'Ostilio or Dr. Muscelli of that decision.
- Moreover, especially 6th graders, if you need a tour of the building, Dr. Muscelli can set that up too.
-Do you anticipate a big increase in the number of students returning for in-person instruction?
- We have 75-80% of the students coming to full in person. Still a significant number of children will be remote.
What happens if we go on vacation? Do we have to quarantine for 10-14 days before we send our children back?
- The guidance we receive from the NJDOH (Gloucester County) is that if you travel out of state, you should quarantine upon your return. This is recommeded guidance, not mandated. Here at the school, Nurse Keane and Mr. D'Ostilio will always recommend the quarantine, asking for the parents cooperation. In the end, we cannot impose that as it is not an executive order. We ask parents to strongly consider it.
- If you decide to quarantine, please make sure Nurse Keane and Mrs. Callahan (attendance secretary) know. bkeane@wtps.org and tcallahan@wtps.org
Based on the social distancing in the classroom, how is contact tracing done? Quarantine?
- If a student tests positive or is "presumptive positive", we begin contact tracing and we review seating charts. Anyone who is less than 6 feet of someone who is either positive or presumptive positive will have to quarantine. The whole class wouldn't be required to quarantine. As students move in the hall, they are never with the student for 15 minutes or more. Since students do not stop by their lockers, it mitigates some risk.
Are the students still going to wipe down desks before and after each class?
- Students wipe their desks upon entering class. They can also wipe their shields if they choose. This will be the same during lunch
Will there be lunch served and how will that work?
- Our cafeteria holds 288 students. We are going to have no more than 75-85 students in at a time. That is less than 30% capacity. Students will bring their shields down with them to eat. They will sit socially distanced (6 feet), eat, then the teacher will escort them to class. Immediately after each group of students is dismissed by the teacher, the surface of the tables is cleaned and sprayed with Virex. Students take their shields back to class.
- Students will take their masks off as they eat. Once the entire table finishes eating, they will be sent to their class.
- Cafeteria staff will serve the lunch to the students at their tables.
- Meals are still free until 9/30 and remote pick up will still be on Mondays at the high school at the 9/10 side.
- Everyone can choose to take a lunch or bring a lunch from home.
once the cohorts are combined and students are 3ft or less from each other....what happens if someone tests positive? does that whole class have to quarantine? and how does that work since they switch classes?
I can confirm we are able to social distance in the cafeteria. We have 24 tables that seat 12 normally. However, for us in this time, we will only sit 4 at a table. All students will have assigned seats.
Are all the classrooms now equipped with approved HEPA filters for Corona virus? If not, is there a plan to install them?
- The forced air in the rooms comes from the hall HVAC system to the rooms. Therefore, right outside each classroom, we have MERV-13 filters which are the recommended filters to fend off the micron particles of COVID-19
How far apart do you anticipate the desks being away from each other in the classrooms?
- It will be 3 feet where possible. I can't guarantee the social distancing. Each student will receive a portable shield on 4/12.
Is there deep cleaning of the schools, and if so how often per week?
- There is no routine "deep" cleaning. However, we disinfect the rooms regularly. Each morning and night, the custodians spray each room with a disinfectant called Virex. Virex works within 3 minutes on surfaces. It's a hospital grade cleaner. Additionally, each student is given a wipe to wipe their desk before they sit down.
Will the students be allowed to use their lockers?
- Students will be able to use their lockers only twice per day. That is in the morning to get their shields and in the afternoon to return the shields to the lockers. Students will be allowed to carry a back pack this year and will need minimal school supplies as we are not giving out handouts per se.
- Students will not use gym lockers or the locker room.
Will anyone be monitoring the hallways while the kids are at their lockers to ensure that no one is "hanging out" , pulling masks down, or taking masks off?
- No one will be going to their lockers during the school day only in the morning and afternoon at dismissal. We don't have that problem with people being flippant with their masks now. Regardless staff and administration will frequently monitor the halls.
- Dismissal and arrivals will not be a problem since we stagger dismissal and not every child arrives at the same time. For the class changes, we will still have one directional and we have the largest hallways. Approximately 80% of our students are returning so it is likely the upstairs hall will be more crowded.
If my child is remote, what time should they be logging into class to start the day?
- All students staying remote should make it a point to be logged into their first class by 8am.
Information in Addition to the Tracker
BHMS had 3 cases reported while on spring break with a verification that no transmission to another individual occurred. As a result:
- 41 since Sept 2020
- Includes Staff and Students
Most Recent Report of an Individual Who Tested Positive for COVID-19
- April 19, 2021
Number of In-School Transmissions (Person transmitting to another while in the building)
- 2
Get Involved by Joining a Club...Families Please Review this Information with Your Children
Bunker Hill Middle School: Home of the Bulldogs
Email: ddijohn@wtps.org
Website: https://www.wtps.org/bunkerhill
Location: 372 Pitman Downer Road, Sewell, NJ, USA
Phone: 856 881 7007
Facebook: facebook.com/OfficialBHMS
Twitter: @Official_BHMS