End of August 2022

BV Schools Families,

What a positive start to the school year! It just feels right when students fill the hallways again! This week, we welcome our preschool students to their first day.

The BV Schools Monthly will be published on the last Monday of each month to share information with families.

In addition to this written update, there will also be a monthly virtual or in-person meeting that is open to all families on the 2nd Monday of the month at 5:00 pm. The purpose of this monthly meeting will be to share information of importance to our district and community at just the right time as well as to receive feedback and have dialogue with our families. The first meeting will be September 12 at 5:00 pm. A link to join will be sent by text the morning of each meeting. Mark your calendars now!

September topics: District priorities. Student Safety. Public Education and our local school district. Other topics TBD.

October topics: District areas of strength and places to grow - based on multiple measures. Other topics TBD.

This year, you will see and hear us reminding each other to be BV Schools Proud! Proud means that you understand the value and dignity of something. I am proud of our students and the staff who support them. Pride turns to arrogance when we are unwilling to acknowledge that while of great value and demonstrating growth and success in many areas, we also have areas in which to grow. Just as we can be proud of a young child learning to crawl, even though they can not yet walk, or we can be proud of a musician who performed a moving piece, even though missing a few notes, so we can be proud of all that makes BV Schools so special, even in our pursuit to be even better.

Public education is in the crossfire of politics these days. There are generalizations being made about what is or is not happening in all classrooms across the country that can be of concern. Before passing judgment, be sure you know your local school district. Together, BV Schools can rise above the division - our children deserve our best assumptions toward one another. We will be better together.

Connecting our families to our schools is of high priority this year. It is our responsibility and desire for our families to be close to our schools and know what is happening. Trust grows with information. Increasing BV Schools Proud! in our families and community is the purpose of these monthly newsletters and monthly family meetings. As well, we have events planned throughout the year for families to come to the schools to join your children in the learning process. These will be in addition to Learning Conferences and Celebrations. Be on the lookout from your child's teachers and principal for these showcase events!

Open House and Curriculum Nights are an important event for our families to connect with our schools and student learning. Please make these evenings a priority.

August 31, 6:00 pm - BV Middle and High School. The format returns to families following their students schedule.

September 7 - 5:00 pm - Avery Parsons. There will be two rotations, each about 30 minutes so you can attend multiple classrooms if you have more than one child in the school.

My belief is that schooling is an experience. It is not simply a preparatory, waiting period for “real life” to begin. Our gift is today; tomorrow is not guaranteed. Each day students show up, we promise to create worthwhile experiences that matter for TODAY. In making the very best experience today, our students will be prepared for the future. We place a high value on student participation and attendance from preschool through 12th grade. We want our seniors to be the most involved in their school! Childhood and adolescence is too short to rush them through school - these are sacred times when being supported, gaining independence, and being part of something bigger than themselves is possible. You will see our schools recognizing and expecting participation and encouraging full attendance at every grade level.

Let’s stand above the negativity and speculation that is too prevalent in our world. Our little community can be different - maybe even the difference our children need. Hope is a difference maker. There has never been a better time than now to be BV Schools Proud!

With care and pride in our schools,

Lisa Yates, Superintendent

Buena Vista School District

Participation and Attendance

We are all still re-adjusting to post-COVID life. We certainly may have gained some new technologies that make remote/virtual connections possible and create efficiencies, but these can lack authentic connection. Learning and critical thinking deepens and is enhanced with discussion, teacher facilitation, and the sharing of ideas. In person participation in school is a priority. This year, to assist with our rebound to a more typical routine of school, all 6th-12th grade classes will include a minimum of 20% of the final grade attributed to student's participation in class. Points will be earned for being in class and engaging in the learning tasks. Certainly, there will be circumstances when a student is not able to be in class due to a unique situation or illness. However, the general expectation is that participation and attendance is a priority.

Work Based Learning (WBL)

BV Schools is expanding opportunities for high school students to explore careers through work based experiences while earning high school credit. This has always been an option, but over the last two years, with the advocacy of our District Accountability Committee (DAC) and Board of Education, students will be further supported in these experiences. We have two district staff (Adam Fuller and Jessica Bright) who will be working with our local businesses to provide rich learning experiences for our students that are based in real world work experience. This will allow our students to discover even more where their skills and interests might match with career options. If you own a small business or have connections that might be of interest to our students, please reach out to us! Again, this is making the most of the school experience and not rushing students out of school. We can all come around them and make their school experience the very best - and they will then be ready for work or college when they get there! No need to rush it!

Homecoming Week is September 12!

Dress up days throughout the week for all schools - check for information from schools

September 15 - Home Volleyball at 6:00 pm

September 16 - Parade, Powder Puff and Bonfire!

September 17 - Football Game at 1:00 pm

We would love to see our families attend any of these events to cheer on our students.

There will be several home football games throughout the month of September. It is a great way to connect with other school families while supporting the district. Please remember to join your children at the game and either sit together or stand together!

Social Media, Website and App

Another way we are trying to spread BV SCHOOLS Proud! is through social media and our live feed on our app/website. See below to download the app! Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. @bvschoolsthepeak