West Week in Review
March 27, 2020
Connect with us!
Please check your email weekly for our West Week in Review! 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.
Thank You Everyone
Thank you everyone for your patience with us as we navigate through the closure. While these are trying times, know that we are committed to supporting you and your children, our students, through this new experience.
As of now, the district is closed with an anticipated return to school on Monday, April 13. We are following all local, state, and federal proclamations and this could change. As soon as we have new information, we will update you.The district has cancelled all field trips for the remainder of the 19-20 school year. We are working on refunds where applicable. In the meantime, please do not hesitate to reach out to me via e-mail with any questions or concerns. Take care and stay healthy. sllandis@boyertownasd.org
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 during this school closure.
Student Services - School Counselor Contact Information
We are here for you! School Counselors are only an email or phone call away. If you would like to reach out to your child’s school counselor, please feel free to do so. Counselors are monitoring email messages and receive phone messages through their district email.
Community Assistance Needed
The COVID-19 outbreak has produced an increased need for donations at two of our local assistance agencies. Boyertown Area Multi-Service and the Salvation Army of Boyertown are in need of personal care items, paper products, cleaning supplies, and foods such as granola bars, peanut butter, jelly, bread, pancake mix, syrup, oatmeal, cereal, canned meat, and canned soup. They would greatly appreciate any support you can give.
BASD Spirit Week
Next week we will be hosting a district-wide spirit week. The theme is Spreading BASD Cheer. We are asking students to take a break, get outside and decorate your sidewalk. Write or draw a positive message to help boost the spirits of those who live in your community. If you don’t have a sidewalk, make a sign for your window, or a poster for your door. Anything to help lift your neighbor’s spirits. We cannot wait to see your messages! If you have a photo you'd like to share, please tag West as your location on Facebook or email it to sllandis@boyertownasd.org. Stay safe and be well. One Boyertown!
Students: What Can I Do Now?
Students in all grade levels are encouraged to engage in educational opportunities. To this end, the Office of Teaching and Learning has created a webpage (link below) for students/families for Voluntary Virtual Learning Opportunities. Please feel encouraged to visit the site to see the array of resources available to students. Note that embedded in each Grade Span list of activities are some “Unplugged” activities that do not require technology for completion. https://sites.google.com/student.boyertownasd.org/basdvvlo/home
Also, all students K-12 have access to the IXL platform which is an online educational resource that provides learning opportunities for all grade levels in various content areas. Students’ teachers will provide login information to students if they have not already done so. If your child does not have a log-in by the end of the day, please reach out to me and I will be happy to help you gain access. We encourage students to explore and try out the resource.
- Set up a daily routine for yourself. I would suggest the following:
- Check your student e-mail once a day for new messages.
- Explore the IXL website.
- Review information from your teachers’ webpages and Google classrooms. Your teachers miss you! Many of them have posted review activities to help you keep your skills sharp.
- Read! If you need some suggested titles, visit the West Library page or e-mail Mrs. Palopoli. She would be thrilled to hear from you!
- Take care of yourself: Exercise for at least 20 minutes daily (see “Try the Fit at Home Challenge!” below for suggestions), get 8 hours of sleep, and eat healthy.
- Practice mindfulness. Your school counselors’ Road to Success classroom has several great activities posted.
Accessing IXL
Students can access the IXL site using the IXL BASD LINK and the “Sign in with Google” button.
Once they click on the “Sign in with Google” tab, they can use their regular BASD credentials to log in.
Students can also sign in to their Google accounts first, then try the “Sign in with Google” button for IXL. They should automatically get in to IXL.
When students are signed in to their student account they also have an "Analytics" tab. Parents are able to sit down with their students and review the practice data associated with their account which includes usage, trouble spots, scores, questions, and progress on the account!
Tech Support
The Boyertown IT Department is offering in-person hardware service appointments for student and staff computers that are broken and need servicing. Appointments can be scheduled by using the appropriate links below. There are two choices to select from:
- Option 1- IT Technician appointments to diagnose operation issues which can include; battery problems, black screens, not powering up, student laptops not connecting to Wi-Fi, and other operation issues. These appointments are available in 1-hour time slots. Please click the link below to schedule an appointment.
Link for Diagnosis Appointments
- Option 2- Laptop pick-up; Appointments strictly for students or staff who have been notified their repaired laptops are ready for pick-up. These appointments are available in 15-minute time slots. Please click the link below to schedule an appointment.
Link for Repaired Laptop Pick-Up Appointments
To help maintain social distancing practices, staff and students are asked to wait outside the building to limit exposure and maintain distancing from the IT Staff. For 1-hour time slot appointments, you will need to provide a cell number. The IT Department will contact you when the diagnosis has been completed or a loaner can be provided.
For those users that require other support, our IT help desk is available 7:30am to 4:00pm by dialing 610-473-3500 Option 1.
Check out the banners
with timely messages
from our Community Artists Club!
Using Your School G-Mail Account
If you need to reach out to any adults at school for help during this time of extended absence, please feel free to reach out via email. Please remember that you should NOT be sending mass emails through your school G-Mail account or using your G-Mail for personal use. Mr. Schmaldienst and I have already received a few flagged emails since last week.
Free Internet Service Available
Both Comcast and Service Electric are sponsoring free internet services at this time.
Comcast Internet Essentials – free internet for 60 days: https://www.internetessentials.com/covid19
Service Electric - SECTV will offer free 10x5 Internet service for 90 days for new customers during this ongoing national emergency: https://www.sectv.com/Web/aspHome.aspx?strSystem=LV
Important announcement from Boyertown Area School District Food Services Department Regarding Distribution of Grab-n-Go Meals for March 30 through April 10, 2020
Beginning on Monday, March 30, 2020, grab-n-go meals will be consolidated to two days per week with pre-packaged meals being provided on Mondays and Thursdays. Meal pick up time will remain from 11:00 am-1:00 pm at the Senior High loading dock. On Mondays, families will receive three breakfasts and three lunch meals per child. On Thursdays, families will receive two breakfast and two lunch meals per child. All meals will be pre-packaged and will continue to meet or exceed meal patterns and nutritional guidelines set by the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program. For our staff to best plan and prepare for this bulk pick up, if you plan to participate and have not already done so, please communicate the number of students that will be participating by contacting the Food Services Department via email at Foodservices@boyertownasd.org. We look forward to continuing to provide meals for your children during school closure.
Try the Fit at Home Challenge!
During the time when we are asked to stay home, it is important not to surrender to anxiety, boredom, and negative emotions. This challenge will help you to stay in shape both physically and mentally by encouraging you to engage in physical, social and emotional activity each day. Every Monday, the BASD Wellness Committee will post a physical activity log, journaling log, and a list of daily challenges. All you need to do is follow along and have fun. When does it start? The challenge starts on Monday, March 23rd, and lasts for as long as the schools are closed. Who can participate? ANY Boyertown Area School District Student, Student Family Member, Staff, Staff Family Member or Boyertown Community member! How do I sign up? There is no need to sign up. Just log on to our website and print out the weekly log and challenges. Fit at Home – Boyertown Wellness Challenge
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