Letter from the Principal
12/1/23 - December Family Message Hello Falcon Families! We are well and truly into winter now, with the freezing temperatures this week. Please be cautious when driving in our parking lots and walking on the sidewalks. Our custodial staff is putting out deicer on our sidewalks and entryways any morning ice is present. Take care when walking around to avoid slipping. Winter Break will begin December 18. If your family is traveling and your student will be missing school, please inform the attendance office and ensure your student talks to their teachers about what learning will be missed. Now that we are in the holiday season, we wish all of our families lots of joy, rest, and time with loved ones. To kick off this season of celebration, please join us this weekend at our 2nd Annual Winter Carnival - Prairie Gives Back! Scroll down in this s’more to see the details of the free and fun event being put on by PHS students and staff for our entire community! Please keep reading below for more important information from BGPS and about events coming up soon. GO FALCONS! Mrs. Woehr Principal School board approves capital levy for Feb. 13 special election Proposition no. 7 will appear on the ballot for the special election on Feb. 13, 2024. If approved by local voters, the three-year capital levy would provide funds to repair or update roofs and heating/cooling systems, update security measures, expand career and technical education opportunities and replace outdated technology. All schools in the district would receive updates. Read more about the capital levy. Get help with applying for college financial aid Seniors and families looking for help completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid or the Washington Application for State Financial Aid can attend one of three upcoming in-person events: Jan. 4, 2024: Battle Ground High School, 3-6 p.m. Jan. 10, 2024: Battle Ground High School, 3-6 p.m. Jan. 16, 2024: Prairie High School, 3-6 p.m. At least three days prior to attending one of these events, parents/guardians and students must each set up an account by creating a FSA ID. Ninth annual BGPS Industry Fair set for February 15 Save the date! The ninth annual Battle Ground Public Schools Industry Fair will be held at Battle Ground High School on Thursday, Feb. 15, from 5-7 p.m. This free event is open to the public and childcare will be provided. Come meet with local employers to learn about apprenticeship opportunities and employment in fields such as health care, education, manufacturing, technology, construction and many more. There will also be a resume workshop in the high school’s career center from 3-6 p.m. If you are an employer interested in attending this free event expected to draw hundreds of students, families and community members, fill out this form or contact BGHS career guidance counselor Kevin Doyle at doyle.kevin@battlegroundps.org or 360-885-6598. Did you receive our annual report? Our 2023 Report to Our Community should have arrived in your mailbox if you live within the district. You can also view it in a digital format. The report includes information on enrollment, demographics, educational progress, budget and recent curriculum adoptions. There is also a report highlighting some of the challenges facing aging buildings in the district, especially among the district's southern schools. What you need to know about vaping among youth Inhaling and exhaling the aerosol produced by an electronic vapor device, also known as vaping, carries health risks. Vaping products can include nicotine, chemicals, marijuana or other drugs that can affect students’ learning, attention and self-control. While most youth nationwide are choosing not to vape, we are concerned whenever a student chooses to use these products. Read about how the district helps students make healthy choices, how parents and guardians can help teens and consequences when a student uses vaping products at school. Employee Recognition Award Do you know an amazing staff member? The new Employee Recognition Awards will highlight staff members who reflect the district’s strategic plan goals. Three nominees will be selected each month and recognized at a board meeting. Everyone is welcome to submit a nomination. Survey on school meals Sodexo, our nutrition services provider, is surveying families about meal offerings in schools. Please take a minute to provide your feedback. Your thoughts are important! Family and Community Resource Center opens in its new location The FCRC is now open at its new location on the Lewisville campus (406 NW 5th Ave.), open Mon.-Thurs. from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Fridays from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Visit the FCRC webpage for more information. BigFuture scholarships from the College Board Current high school juniors and seniors can be entered into monthly drawings for $500 or $40,000 scholarships until February of their senior year. No essay, minimum GPA or test score is required, and there are also no citizenship requirements. To be entered into the monthly drawings, complete steps on the BigFuture website such as starting a list of possible careers and applying for financial aid. Student online safety Keeping students safe online is a priority in Battle Ground Public Schools. Recent events have reinforced the need to use caution when interacting online. These include national reports of online groups targeting children and teens. While we are not aware of BGPS students being targeted by these groups, it is important for staff, students and parents/guardians to work together to keep our young people safe. How you can help students be safe Please periodically review these tips with your child: Students should keep their passwords confidential. They should not share passwords or allow others to use their Chromebook after they sign in. Use school email addresses for only school-related communication and activities. Be cautious when accepting friend requests; communicating with other people online; and sharing photos, videos, and identifying information on social media and other sites. Review privacy settings to limit who can see this information. Monitor what your child is doing online and discuss risks associated with sharing personal content. Use GoGuardian Parent to see how your child is using their device. Get information on GoGuardian Parent. How BGPS keeps students safe BGPS supports the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act and insists that websites the district uses adhere to this law. The district provides active supervision and filtering of content on all devices in accordance with the Children’s Internet Protection Act. The district restricts access to apps that have the potential for abuse or pose cybersecurity risks. Student data privacy agreements protect student information in conjunction with the Washington Student Data Privacy Alliance. Students learn about digital citizenship and appropriate online behavior, including interacting with other individuals on social networking websites and in chat rooms, and cyberbullying awareness and response. Learn more and find links to resources. Russian, Ukrainian and Spanish translation and interpretation services Услуги по устному и письменному переводу на русский и украинский языки 360-885-5433 Servicios de Traducción e Interpretación en Español 360-885-5431 Report incidents anonymously with SafeSchools December schedule reminders Wednesday one-hour late starts: Dec. 6 and 13 Winter break: Monday, Dec. 18 - Monday, Jan. 1 (return to school on Tuesday, Jan. 2)
Please report bullying, intimidation, harassment, threats and safety concerns using our anonymous reporting system. Reporters can remain anonymous. Emergencies should always be reported to 911. Learn more about emergency procedures and safety protocols.
