Good morning BVM Community,

As we approach the final 14 days of our semester, let's take this opportunity to focus not just on academic achievement, but also on creating a more positive student culture. At Bonita Vista Middle School, our mission is to foster an inclusive, supportive, and respectful environment where every student feels valued and understood—especially our students with disabilities.

It’s essential to acknowledge our history. The landmark case Mills v. Board of Education in 1971 established the right for exceptional children, including those with mental and learning disabilities, to receive publicly funded education. This pivotal decision led to the Education for All Handicapped Children Act, signed by President Gerald Ford in 1975, which ensures equal access to education for children with disabilities. Over time, this legislation evolved into the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 1990, continually enhancing services and standards for all students with developmental delays.

To further our commitment to compassion and empathy, we encourage discussions about disability awareness at home. These conversations are vital in promoting respect for our diverse peers. We will be providing additional resources in our letter this Friday, December 6th. Unfortunately, we've noticed instances of bullying on campus, particularly aimed at students with disabilities. We must work together to address this serious issue. Our firm message to students is that bullying of any kind will not be tolerated, especially when it targets students with disabilities.

Talking about these topics at home can greatly help our children develop empathy and understanding. When students recognize the unique strengths and challenges of everyone around them, it nurtures a culture of kindness and inclusion. Simple conversations about being a good friend, offering support, and celebrating each other’s strengths can transform our school environment.

We invite you to explore age-appropriate books, videos, and activities with your children this month that celebrate diversity and highlight the importance of acceptance. If you would like guidance or resources to help with these discussions, please feel free to reach out to us—we’re here to support you. Together, we can ensure that all students at Bonita Vista Middle School feel seen, heard, and respected.

Thank you for your continued partnership in fostering a culture of understanding and inclusion. Stay tuned for more information about our upcoming Disconnect to Reconnect Parent Challenge, which we hope you will participate in over Winter Break with your child! We’ll share more details soon.

Let’s make this week at BVM a great one, together!

Sincerely,

Alex Salazar

On December 2nd, National Special Education Day recognizes changes in federal legislation that led to the nation's first federal special education law.

Beginning in 1971, a U.S. District Court case in the District of Columbia, Mills v. Board of Education, ruled it unlawful to deny exceptional children, including those with mental and learning disabilities, publicly funded educational opportunities. Court cases like this led to the 1975 Education for All Handicapped Children Act. President Gerald Ford signed the legislation into law on November 29th, 1975. The federal legislation required states that accept federal money to provide equal access to children with disabilities. In 1986, legislators added protections to support parents and educators in creating an education plan for children with disabilities. Then, in 1990, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act was renamed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and improved access for all children with developmental delay. Through the years, the act has been enhanced to improve services and standards throughout the educational system.

IDEA made education available to all American children and this day honors the progress that has been made in special education. Before IDEA, many individuals with disabilities received little to no education. Schools were not required to make accommodations for children with disabilities. While some states offered special schools, the education and resources were not necessarily equal. Additionally, many parents couldn't afford to send their children away to a special school.

The law stipulated that children with disabilities had a right to the same free education that every other child had access to. Between the ages of 3 and 21, there are 13 different areas where children may qualify under the IDEA for services. IDEA was instrumental in increasing graduation rates for students with disabilities.

#SpecialEducationDay #SUHSDSPED

BVM families,
Those interested in trying out for girls Field Hockey must first complete the clearance process through the "Home Campus" website. Instructions are attached. You must be cleared before you can tryout. Get cleared before it's too late. Let's go Crusaders! Please click on the link below.

BVM students it's that time of year again--that's right -Girls' Field Hockey is back! We will be conducting tryouts on Friday, December 6th beginning at 1:15 pm in our PE fields! Make sure that you are cleared (see our process above) and make sure to show up! You got this ladies!

Parents and guardians, to report a student absence, please make sure to fill out the following form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScLJrFXTi9s9G9nIzEOJSMEn2NeMLbDqMYUseHAKr5YRwJmYQ/viewform.

For any absences extending to 5 or more school days, please contact Ana.Monge@sweetwaterschools.org, our Attendance Coordinator, to complete an short-term independence study contract.

Please contact Ms. Rubi.deleon@sweetwaterschools.org, our attendance technician, to report any attendance errors.

The Acknowledgment Corner will be continued to be used to highlight and celebrate our students at any opportunity that we can! If you would like your student acknowledged for something we may not be aware of, please feel free to contact me (include a picture or video if possible).

Nominated by Mr. TM, Darrence Catibog! Derrence is a great example of a conscientious musician and student. He always comes to band prepared and he practices at home every day. He always has a cheery disposition and he's just generally fun to teach. Let's go BVM!!!

Nominated by Ms. Bauer, Alexa Garcia. Alexa consistently demonstrates a strong work ethic in math, always completing her assignments with care and dedication. She is patient and kind, often helping her classmates when they need support. Though quiet, she is fully engaged and willingly shares her ideas, making valuable contributions to our math class. Let's go BVM!!!

This past Thursday and Friday, our awesome ASB sold roses for just $2 each, allowing students to express their appreciation, love, friendship, and affection for others. This wonderful idea was brought to us by one of our talented 8th graders, Valentina Lissade! Thanks to her initiative, over 500 roses were sold during these two days. Be sure to check out some of the pictures above!

Students kicked "ash" during this past Friday to show their stance agains tobacco use! Students have the opportunity to walk up to model cigarettes and they could punch or kick the cigarette. Students enjoyed doing this activity. Earlier this quarter (October) students had taken their pledge against tobacco use and other harmful substances. Thank you to the "I Love Myself Club" and their advisor Dr. Meza for putting on this event during lunch time and more importantly for raising awareness on the harmful effects of tobacco use.

Our Builders Club at Bonita Vista Middle School recently hosted a canned food drive called "Hot Cocoa for Cans." During the event, students who donated three canned food items were rewarded with delicious hot cocoa and a cookie. This past week, students collected over six milk crates full of canned goods! These items were later picked up by the Kiwanis Club of Bonita Service Club, which will use them to create Thanksgiving and winter holiday food baskets for needy families from our local public schools, including elementary, middle, and high schools.

We would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to our generous and charitable community, as well as to our Builders Club for their ongoing commitment to serving those in need!

Last Thursday, we held our annual Turkey Trot, in which all students participated and competed in a fun run of just under a mile as part of their PE classes. The winners of the Turkey Trot received turkeys, pies, and T-shirts! Here are the top finishers from each grade level. Congratulations to the following top finishers:

TOP FINISHERS:

7th Grade Girls: Elena Bueno

7th Grade Boys: Richard Henry Reehig

8th Grade Girls: Betty George

8th Grade Boys: Anthony Heredia

To view the top 10 finishers + their times please open the attachment below. Again, thank you to our generous community for donating toward this event and making this even a reality for our students!

Congratulations to all our Fall Sports Student-Athletes! Last Thursday, we celebrated and recognized our Fall Sports Athletes at the Fall Sports Banquet. Some student-athletes earned distinction awards and took home medals for their outstanding achievements with their respective teams. Everyone enjoyed delicious food from El Tapatio, including tacos, chips, and horchata. A heartfelt thank you to all our student-athletes for representing our school this past Fall! We also extend our gratitude to Coach Quijas, our athletic director, all the coaches, and the parents who consistently supported our athletes during competitions.

Students enjoyed participating in ASB's "I'm grateful for ..." spirit week but truly stood out on anything but a backpack day. They showcased their creativity and gratitude by replacing their backpacks with various items they brought to school! This activity was a hit, and we want to extend our thanks to ASB for creating these fun opportunities for our students!

Our student-athletes concluded their final day of soccer tryouts with an inner-squad scrimmage, pitting the 7th graders against the 8th graders. Our coaches will face some tough decisions as they determine who will earn the opportunity to represent this year’s BVM Girls Soccer Team. Over the past 10 years, our Girls Soccer Team has proudly brought home 5 championship banners! Final cuts will be posted this Monday near the girls' PE locker room. Good luck to our students trying out for the girls soccer team!

Our BVM ASB sponsored the Door Decorating Contest last week, and once again, Ms. Caballero’s (8th Grade) and Ms. Hernandez’s (7th Grade) classes took first place for 8th and 7th grades, respectively. Both classes were rewarded with a pizza party, complete with chips and drinks! Thank you to all the advisories that participated, and a special thanks to our ASB for making learning at BVM such a fun experience for our students! When winners were announced it was wonderful to hear the classes cheer in jubilation!

Character building is embedded in an IB education. We want our students to learn and embody 10 Learner Profiles (See attachment below). Our Fourth Learner Profile: BALANCED: We understand the importance of balancing different aspects of our lives— intellectual, physical, and emotional—to achieve well-being for ourselves and others.

Focusing on the intellectual, physical and emotional in order to achieve well being for themselves and others. We would like for our students to recognize their interdependence with other people and with the world in which they live

You can email me pictures and stories of how your student has exemplified being BALANCED if you'd like your student to be featured in our weekly newsletter: alexander.salazar-arbelaez@sweetwaterschools.org.

IB Learner Profile Balanced: We understand the importance of balancing different aspects of our lives— intellectual, physical, and emotional—to achieve well-being for ourselves and others. We recognize our interdependencewith other people and with the world in which we live.

Our Assistant Principals, Mr. Bonilla and Ms. Higadera, treated our awesome staff to pie and whipped cream last Friday. We wanted to show our appreciation for all the hard work that our teachers put in to ensure that our students are safe and learning in a positive school environment! Thank you to Mr. Bonilla and Ms. Higadera for always showing up for our teachers!

Our English Learner Advisory Committee met this past Thursday to discuss different ways that our school can improve on helping our students designated as English Learners. Ms. Higadera, who helps facilitate these meetings, also took the time to recognize some of our English Learners who are exceeding standards and are on their way to reclassification!

We understand that with busy schedules and different work commitments, finding time to eat together can be challenging. However, research shows that teens and kids who share meals with their families regularly are significantly more likely to achieve excellent grades—up to 40% more likely to earn A's and B's compared to those who have fewer family dinners each week.

At BVM, we encourage you to prioritize family meals, even if it’s just on weekends or during holidays. These moments you share around the table can strengthen your family bond and create great memories, fostering communication and support.

We recognize that every family's situation is unique, and even a few shared meals can make a big difference. So, let’s celebrate those opportunities to come together, nourish our bodies, and deepen our connections whenever we can. Thank you for your efforts to make family time a priority!

WishWell presents Family Circles at Bonita Vista Middle School—an innovative series of workshops designed to enhance trust, connection, and communication between parents and children. Please join us for our upcoming workshop December 5th, 5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. COMMUNICATE WITH CONFIDENCE: Learn to express and understand each other better for a stronger family bond.

Families will be treated to Pizza for Dinner while they enjoyed having a space, time, and a facilitator work with them and their student on buidling trust and growing closer with your child(ren).

Make sure to sign up for our up and coming workshops! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScxH9o6MjcwKWycIqOGf5i-BntHnGL_q2MNzR2ZKuJbHYdgng/viewform.

Remember to report Bullying of any kind Crusaders:

Assistant Principals:

Students Last Name (A - L): Roberto.Bonilla@sweetwaterschools.org

Students Last Name (M - Z): Marisol.Higadera@sweetwaterschools.org

Counselors:

Students Last Name (A - Gomez): Woodie.Taeatafa@sweetwaterschools.org

Students Last Name (Gon - Mc): Monica.Echegaray@sweetwaterschools.org

Students Last Name (Me - Z): Veronica.Sandoval@sweetwaterschools.org

General Support:

MTSS Coordinator: Karla.Leonhardt@sweetwaterschools.org

Prinicpal:

Alexander.salazar-arbelaez@sweetwaterschools.org

Reach out and communicate with us!

Email: alexander.salazar-arbelaez@sweetwaterschools.org
Website: http://bvm.sweetwaterschools.org/
Location: 650 Otay Lakes Road, Chula Vista, CA, USA
Phone: 619-397-2200
Twitter: @BVM_Principal