Blackcat Nation,

When the potential for severe weather arises, our decisions rely on close collaboration with multiple resources across the county. We understand the importance of making timely decisions, and we aim to communicate any closures as early as possible. This approach allows us to prioritize safety while also considering the coordination of planned events and activities across the district.

After careful deliberation with area resources, we have determined that it is in the best interest of Bay City Independent School District to close on Tuesday, January 21, 2025. This decision is due to the significant chance of inclement weather, which may create safety hazards for our staff, students, and visitors traveling to and from school.

Bay City ISD does not anticipate needing to make up any missed instructional time. Additionally, all Bay City ISD activities scheduled for January 21, 2025, will be canceled. BCISD campuses, departments, and staff will communicate specific information regarding individual events affected by the closure.

We will continue to monitor weather conditions closely and will provide an update regarding Wednesday, January 22, 2025, no later than Noon on Tuesday, January 21, 2025.

Thank you for your support and understanding as we prioritize the safety of our school community.

Best regards,

Bay City Independent School District

We hope that everyone is staying warm and has made preparations for the upcoming weather. As colder weather approaches, we want to make sure our students stay warm and safe. Please note that our campus doors do not open until 7:15am each day. We are still continuing to see students dropped off prior to 7:15am. There is no supervision prior to this time and also the temperatures have been extremely cold and will continue to be cold this week.

This week's newsletter has quite a bit of information . We kindly ask that you take a moment to read through it and review the information, and as always, feel free to reach out if you have any questions or concerns.

Parents, we would greatly appreciate your support with the following reminders.

Please make sure your child has their IDs when the come to school each day.

It is a requirement that they wear their ID each day and throughout the day.

Students not wearing their ID will be required to call home to have their ID brought to campus.

If that is not an option, students can purchase a temporary ID for $1 in the Main Office.

Students that continually do not wear their ID or do not have their ID will have discipline consequences.

Please note that students who ride the bus will need to have their ID in order to board the bus.

Also, please make sure that dress code is followed.

(Slides, slippers, sandals and blankets are not allowed.)

Parents, please note that students are not to be on their phones or electronic devices during the school day.

Please visit our Facebook page for additional highlights from this past week.

Our newsletter contains the following information:

• Upcoming Dates through April
• Content Area Updates: Saturday Academy, ELAR, Social Studies, and Science
• BCJH 24-25 Yearbook Sale pricing through Jan. 30th
• Incoming 9th Grade Orientation Information
• Early College High School Information Sessions
• Athletics - Information on Girls Basketball and Track and Field and Boys Basketball
• BCJH Student Council's Valentine's Dress Up Days
• Panther Pride Grade Level T-Shirt Ordering Information

JANUARY:

Monday, January 20th - Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Student and Staff Holiday)

Tuesday, January 21st - School Closure (Due to Chance of Inclement Weather)

Saturday, January 25th - Saturday Academy 8-12

FEBRUARY:

Saturday, February 1st - Saturday Academy 8-12

Wednesday, February 5th - STAAR Night 5 - 6:30pm

Saturday, February 8th - Saturday Academy 8-12

Monday, February 17th - Staff Development Day (No school for students)

Tuesday, February 18th - 8th grade students visit BCHS for Course Fair/Information Meeting

Wednesday, February 19th - TELPAS Testing 8th Grade

Thursday, February 20th - TELPAS Testing 8th Grade

Saturday, February 22nd - Saturday Academy 8-12

Tuesday, February 25th - 8th Grade Science Benchmark and 6th/7th Grade TELPAS

Thursday, February 27th - 8th Grade Soc. Studies Benchmark and 6th/7th Grade TELPAS

MARCH:

Saturday, March 1st - Saturday Academy 8-12

Tuesday, March 4th - 6th, 7th and 8th Grade Reading Benchmark

Thursday, March 6th - 6th, 7th and 8th Grade Math Benchmark

Friday, March 7th - Staff Development Day (No school for students)

Saturday, March 22nd - Saturday Academy 8-12

APRIL:

Saturday, April 5th - Saturday Academy 8-12 (LAST SAT. ACADEMY)

Wednesday, April 9th - 6th, 7th, and 8th Grade READING STAAR

Wednesday, April 16th - 8th Grade SCIENCE STAAR

Wednesday, April 23rd - 8th Grade SOCIAL STUDIES STAAR

Wednesday, April 30th - 6th, 7th, 8th Grade MATH STAAR and Algebra 1 EOC

................................

For any questions, please see our Campus Resource Section of our newsletter. It contains the following sections:

• 2024-2025 Bell Schedule (Updated 10/22/24)
  
• Arrival and Dismissal Information and map
• January Menus and Pricing
• Attendance
• Lunch Reminders
• School Messenger App
• Here Comes the Bus App
• Meet the Teacher Presentation - Important Information
• General Information
• Schedules
• Campus Safety
• End of Year Grade Level Fun Day Expectations
• Discipline
• Cell Phone/Earbuds Information (New changes in effect this year.)
• 2024-2025 BCISD Dress Code
  
• Secondary Parent/Student Handbook
• BCISD Secondary Grading Guidelines
• Campus Contacts (Updated 1/3/25)

Stay warm and safe!

Rosemarie Cumings

Principal, Bay City Junior High

rcumings@baycityisd.org

It is open to all students and is highly recommended if your child needs additional academic support.

6th Grade: Sixth graders will be analyzing poetry. We will be looking for figurative language, inferences, tone, and mood.

8th Grade: Students will be reading persuasive texts and learning about rhetorical devices. We will also be continuing the reading and analyzing of our novel we are reading in class.

6th Grade - Students will explore the history of East and Southeast Asia, focusing specifically on Chinese dynasties and the Korean and Vietnam Wars as well as American involvement in those conflicts.

7th Grade - This week, we will be finishing our Civil War & Reconstruction unit. Students have worked hard to understand this pivotal period in American history, and we will wrap up the final lessons.

At the end of the week, students will take a test on the unit. Please encourage them to review key topics such as the causes of the Civil War, major battles, important figures, and the Reconstruction period.

8th Grade - This week the students will start on Unit 7 Westward Expansion. In this unit students will learn about how the United States underwent a period of significant westward expansion in the 19th century, driven by the idea of Manifest Destiny.

6th grade - Students will begin Unit 5: Investigating the Solar System. In this unit, students will start by modeling and illustrating how the tilted Earth revolves around the Sun, causing seasonal changes.

7th grade - Students will continue Unit 5, investigating how thermal energy moves in a predictable pattern from warmer to cooler until all substances within a system reach thermal equilibrium, and explain the relationship between temperature and the kinetic energy of the particles within a substance.

8th grade - Students will continue Unit 6, investigating the Universe. They will categorize galaxies as spiral, elliptical, and irregular, locate Earth’s solar system within the Milky Way galaxy, and research and analyze scientific data used as evidence to develop scientific theories that describe the origin of the universe.

Students may attend games but do need to have a parent/guardian with them at the games.

Students will not be allowed to stay after school.

Students will need to leave the campus at dismissal

and return to attend the game with their parent/guardian.

Students may not be dropped off/picked up for any games.

Thank you.

BCJH Girls Basketball Game Information

BCJH HOME vs El Campo

Date: Thursday, January 23rd 2025

Address: 3010 Carey Smith Blvd, Bay City, TX 77414

Ticket Information: GoFan.co

8th/7th grade B-Team will begin @5:00PM, followed by 8th/7th grade A-Team game.

Parents & Guardians, Please note once the B-Team games ends, the A-Team games will immediately follow. Please arrive ahead of time to ensure you see your athletes' game.

Food Drop-off:

Parents & Guardians, If you are dropping off food for your athlete before our game, please drop-off their meal in the bus loop between 2:30-3:00PM. No meals can be dropped off after 3:00PM in order to avoid conflict with bus pick-up. There will be a table at door #11 in the bus loop. Please leave it on the table with your student's name written on it.

BCJH Girls Basketball Tournament Information

8th grade A & B Team @Sweeny

Date: Saturday, January 25th 2025

Address: 800 N Elm St, Sweeny, TX 77480

Ticket Information: Hometownticketing.com Search: Sweeny

8A first game begins @9AM vs West Brazos

8B first game begins @8AM vs Needville

***Girls need to arrive at school by 6:30AM to depart for Sweeny @6:50AM

7th grade A & B Team @Royal

Date: Saturday, January 25th 2025

Address: 2520 Durkin Rd, Brookshire, TX 77423

Ticket Information: Hometownticketing.com Search: Royal JH

First game begins @8:00AM - brackets attached

7B will play one game vs El Campo

***Girls need to arrive at school by 6:15AM to depart for Royal @6:30AM

Girls Basketball T-Shirts are now on sale! To Purchase click the link below

or use the attached QR Code:

https://www.twopeascreations.com/product-page/bcjh-girls-basketball-shirt

Anne Ferrell

BCJH Girls Athletic Coordinator

6th, 7th & 8th Grade Physical Education

email: aferrell@baycityisd.org

-----------------------------------

To Purchase click the link below or use the attached QR Code:

https://www.twopeascreations.com/product-page/bcjh-girls-basketball-shirt

8th grade A & B Team @Sweeny

7th grade A & B Team @Royal

-----------

John Roberson III

BCJH Boys Athletic Coordinator

email: joroberson@baycityisd.org

Below is our flyer and ordering information for our 2024-2025 Panther Pride grade level shirts. This year's theme is Mission Possible! We will be having spirit days and Pep Rallies throughout the year with grade level colors. 6th grade's color is yellow, 7th grade's is blue and 8th grade's is black. The shirts are cotton and they are available in short sleeves, sweatshirts and hoodies. All orders are online. To access the store, scan the QR code located on the flyer. The website is also listed along with a contact number if you have any questions.

Below is our Arrival and Dismissal map.

CAR RIDERS

DOORS OPENT AT 7:15AM

(Students should not be dropped off earlier than 7:15am)

6th Grade Students:

Drop off and Pick up is located at the Main Entrance off of Carey Smith Blvd. (Please do not use the Church parking lot to drop off or pick up.) This is private property and there is not a crosswalk at that location to the school. The crosswalk is actually located at the corner of Carey Smith and Nichols. Students that arrive after 7:40 need to be signed in at the Main office.

7th and 8th Grade Students:

Drop off and Pick up is located at the South end of the campus off of Nichols and 12th street. (old stadium parking lot) Students that arrive after 7:40 need to be signed in at the Main office.

The safety or your child is our first priority. We are asking, for the safety of your child, please do not drop off or pick up your child off of 11th Street, Sycamore Street, the Tennis Courts or the Pool. We do not have the ability to supervise these areas.

WALKERS/BICYCLE RIDERS

👟👟*CHANGE: WALKERS WILL NOT BE RELEASED UNTIL 3:20pm 👟 👟

(This is to provide additional safety for our walkers.)

North Walkers:

Walkers that walk to the neighborhoods to the North of the campus, will exit the campus through the Main Entrance.

South Walkers:

Walkers that walk to the neighborhoods to the South of the campus, will exit the campus through the South entrance and walk towards Nichols and 12th street where they will walk south towards 11th street. At this time, there is not a fence surrounding the field.

Students will not be allowed to cross the field to enter the campus or leave the campus.

They will be directed to follow the path to Nichols, where we will have crossing guards to assist students.

Signs are posted around the perimeter of the campus stating that there is not student drop off or pick up off of 11th, Sycamore, the Tennis Courts or the Pool area.

BUS RIDERS

Bus Riders will report to the cafeteria at dismissal, where they wait for their bus to arrive. All students need to be registered and then assigned a bus route prior to boarding.

Pre-K students through 12th grade:

Breakfast -- Free

Lunch -- Free

Adults & Guests:

Breakfast -- $3.30

Lunch -- $5.00

Parents of bus riders, please download the Here Comes the Bus App.

This app will show real-time location of your child's bus and gives scheduled and actual arrival times at home and school. It will also notify you when the bus is near.

We shared information and expectations for the 24-25 school year

during our Meet the Teacher Night.

Below is the link to the powerpoint presentation.

Please take the time to view the presentation.

Below is the BCISD dress code for the 2024-2025 school year.

Please make sure to read the entire dress code for this year.

(One Significant change from Elementary to Secondary - No leggings)

Student IDs are part of the dress code and also needed for safety reasons. This helps us quickly identify students, especially with the change of dress code. The expectation is that students are to wear them each day. They are to be worn around their necks. (not from their belt loops or attached to their backpacks) The initial lanyard and ID is provided free of charge. 6th Grade students will receive a yellow BCJH lanyard. 7th Grade's lanyard will be blue and 8th Grade's lanyard will be black. If your child forgets their ID, they will be directed to the main office to call home to have it brought to them or they may purchase a temporary one (sticker ID) for $1.

The District prohibits any clothing or grooming that in the principal’s judgment may reasonably

be expected to cause disruption of or interference with normal school operations. (FNCA Local)

Please see the links below to access the secondary parent and student handbooks.

Rosemarie Cumings, Principal

rcumings@baycityisd.org

Erica Davidson, Secretary to the Principal

edavidson@baycityisd.org

Melissa Ortiz, Assistant Principal (Alpha by Last Name A - L)

ELL Administrator, Title 1 Coordinator

mortiz@baycityisd.org

Charles Hawkins, Assistant Principal (Alpha by Last Name M - Z)

Special Education Administrator

chawkins@baycityisd.org

Valeria Garza, Secretary to the Assistant Principals and Discipline Clerk

vgarza@baycityisd.org

Crystal Hurta, Counselor: Last Names A-L

504 Coordinator Last Names A-L

churta@baycityisd.org

Shelby Kimball, Counselor, Last Names M-Z

504 Coordinator Last Names M-Z

skimball@baycityisd.org

Stacey Silvas, Campus Nurse

ssilvas@baycityisd.org

Jackie Paschall, Attendance Clerk

jpaschall@baycityisd.org

Coach Anne Ferrell, Girl's Athletics Coordinator

aferrell@baycityisd.org

Coach John Roberson, Boy's Athletics Coordinator

joroberson@baycityisd.org

From Left to Right:

Melissa Ortiz-6th Grade Assistant Principal, Charles Hawkins-7th and 8th Grade Assistant Principal, Rosemarie Cumings-Principal, Crystal Hurta-Counselor, Shelby Kimball-Counselor, ,