West Week in Review
September 4, 2020
Connect with us!
Please check your email weekly for our West Week in Review! In order to help us connect with you and make sure you are not missing any important information, please add messenger@boyertownpa.mg.infinitecampus.org to your trusted senders in your email so that you don’t miss out on important information. Infinite Campus is now open. Also, be sure to follow us on the Boyertown Middle School West Facebook page and our Twitter/Instagram accounts @WhatsUp_West.
There is no school for students on Friday, September 4, or Monday, September 7, in observance of Labor Day.
Save the date!
Library Books are now available!
Even though we're learning virtually for a little while, you can still check out library books! Follow these steps to request books (up to 3 at a time):
- Go to destiny.boyertownasd.org
- Click "Boyertown Middle School West"
- Click the catalog tab on the upper left-hand side of the screen.
- You can search by keyword, title, author, subject, or series.
Once you choose books that you'd like to check out, fill out and submit this Google Form: https://forms.gle/46uWWd1QuTgobaKDA. You must be logged into your BASD Google Account to access the Google Form.
Mrs. Palopoli will email you at your BASD email account to let you know when your books are ready for pick up. Books can then be picked up Monday-Friday from 7:00am-4:00pm at the West main office.
Due dates will be stamped on the card in the back of your book. Be sure to check there to see when your books need to be returned.
Please email Mrs. Palopoli at spalopoli@boyertownasd.org if you have any questions.
Picture Day
All students in grades 6 through 8 who have not previously had their school picture / photo ID taken during the 20-21 school year will have an opportunity to have their picture taken on the following dates during school hours. Additionally, there has been a designated evening date and time scheduled for our BOL and BASD Virtual Learning students.
• Fall Original Dates: 10/13/20 & 10/15/20
• Only Virtual Students: 10/13/20 4:00pm-6:00pm
• Fall Retake Dates: 12/1/20 & 12/3/20
Updates and Reminders for the 2020-21 School Year
Attendance
If your child is absent from school, either in-person or virtually, we are still required to maintain attendance records for them. Please submit absence notes to attendanceMSW@boyertownasd.org.
BOL
If your child is registered for Berks Online Learning (BOL), you will continue to see a West schedule in IC for the present time. There is a two-week trial period for BOL to make sure it is a good fit. At the end of the two week trial period, we will update those students' schedules in Infinite Campus to reflect their BOL courses.
Schedules
Schedules are available in Infinite Campus. As previously noted, please ignore study halls and clubs for the present time. In addition, students should not follow the advisory assignment seen on their schedule. The advisory schedule was reviewed with students this week. We will not be starting advisory classes until the second cycle of the school year.
Class Times
Please note the class times for our school year. Students are expected to log into their homeroom each morning by 7:35am. https://www.boyertownasd.org/cms/lib/PA01916192/Centricity/Domain/1773/Virtual%20Bell%20Schedule%20MSW%209.2.2020.pdf
Google Classroom
Speaking of Google Classroom, that is the platform that all middle school classes will be based in. If you are not familiar with how to use Google Classroom, this brief tutorial may be helpful: https://youtu.be/VOOnCwWZxX4
Office Hours
Teachers have also created an Office Hours Google Classroom. This link can be used during period 10 on any day that the teacher does not have an advisory group. The teacher will be available at this time for any student who needs help or has questions about an assignment to speak with them over video.
Back-to-School Updates
Several documents that have been shared over the past few weeks are available on the West page of the district website. These documents are available here: https://www.boyertownasd.org/Page/6000 if you have not already done so, please check here for codes for the various Google Classrooms.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/15wUE0SSQC9touXvDDmthpGlosR1JjI9otHlclXtb5pc/edit?usp=sharing
Yearbooks have arrived!!!
If you can't remember if you purchased a yearbook, please email Mrs. Palopoli at spalopoli@boyertownasd.org and she can check the list.
Grab 'n Go Meals Continuing!
More Reminders!
Have you completed your summer reading yet?
Summer Reading Requirement Information
Sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth graders have one book to read over the summer. See our website for the letter, book list, and book summaries.
https://www.boyertownasd.org/Domain/908
We are currently working on plans to enable students to check out books from our school library. More to come!
Immunization requirements for 7th grade entry
Attention Parent(s)/Guardian(s) of students entering 7th grade; your child is required to have 1 dose of tetanus, diphtheria, acelluar pertussis (Tdap) AND 1 dose of meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MCV) by the first day of school. At this time, the Pennsylvania’s Department of Health has not made any changes to the state immunization requirements other than to implement a two-month deadline extension. This information can be found in 28 Pa. CODE CH.23 (School Immunization) http://www.health.pa.gov/My%20Health/Immunizations/School/Pages/default.aspx or https://www.health.pa.gov/topics/programs/immunizations/Pages/Immunizations.aspx. Please email Mrs. Hopple, our West school nurse, at dhopple@boyertownasd.org with any questions.
PA Mandated Dental and Physical Exams for 2020 - 2021 School Year
The PA School Code requires dental exams for all students entering Kindergarten, 3rd and 7th grades, and physical exams for students entering kindergarten, 6th and 11th grades. For students entering these grades in September 2020, physical or dental exams that are completed on or after September 1, 2019 are acceptable. If you need a form for an upcoming appointment, you can download one from the BASD website @ http://www.boyertownasd.org under Resources - Nurse – BASD Health Service link. Completed physical and dental forms can be submitted to the health room at the beginning of the 2020-21 school year. Because the health room is closed for the summer, if you submit a completed form over the summer please retain a copy for your records.
Have You Moved or Changed Residence Since March 12?
If you have moved or changed residence since March 12, please contact Mrs. Covaleski at 610-473-3701 or lcovaleski@boyertownasd.org. She will be happy to help you navigate the change.
Take Care and Be Well
On behalf of the entire West staff, our very best wishes that this finds you and your family in good health. We feel blessed to serve this wonderful district!
Resources on Equity
Over the past few months, there has been a significant amount of news, publications, social media, etc. that our students and families have been exposed to that can bring about many questions, thoughts, and feelings.
If you are seeking tools to discuss equity, race, and recent protests with your child(ren), we hope you find these resources helpful.
The Association for Psychological Science provides strategies to talk to your child(ren) at each age level in developmentally appropriate ways.
The BASD has worked with the Anti-Defamation League since 2006 on various initiatives. We are happy to provide you with their Parent, Family, and Caregiver Resource.
Who doesn't enjoy a good picture book? Picture books can help spark conversations with children, and young adults Embrace Race offers, 20 Picture Books for 2020: Readings to Embrace Race, Provide Solace & Do Good.
As always, your school counselors are here to help. If desired, please reach out to your child's school counselor for additional support and resources. We hope you have an enjoyable summer, and we will see you in the 2020-2021 school year.
Support for Social Emotional Learning (SEL)
As a district, we have begun a 3-year implementation plan focused on Social Emotional Learning. Social and emotional learning (SEL) is the process through which children and adults acquire and effectively apply the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions. At this link, https://sel4us.org/blog/social-emotional-learning-supports-around-covid-19/, you will find a post from the Social Emotional Learning Alliance for the United States, that offers SEL supports around COVID-19. The post offers suggestions for families to reinforce each of the 5 SEL Core Competencies which include: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. Thank you for partnering with us to prioritize safety and well-being.
Boyertown Middle School West
Email: sllandis@boyertownasd.org
Website: http://www.boyertownasd.org
Location: 380 South Madison Street, Boyertown, PA, USA
Phone: 610-369-7471