Good morning, BVM Community,

As we prepare for our final week of the semester and our End of Course Exams, wewanted to send out a few reminders about next week:

This Week’s Schedule (All Minimum Days): This week, all days will be minimum day, which means that all our students will be dismissed at 12:50 am. Start time will remain at 8:05 am. On Monday, students will be taking their finals for periods 1 and 2, on Tuesday students will be taking their finals for periods 3 and 4, and on Wednesday, students will take their finals for periods 5 and 6. Thursday and Friday will be full menu schedule but will also be minimum days with release time at 12:50 am (please see attachment below for schedule breakdown).

iOS iPad Updates:

Please take a moment today to remind your students to update their iOS at home.

This can be done quickly by going to settings, clicking the General tab, and selecting software update from the available options. This message is for students who did not do their updates last Friday (December 6).

Behavior Expectations:

While most of our students consistently demonstrate appropriate behavior on campus, it's important to remind everyone to uphold their best conduct during the final week of school. Some students may mistakenly believe that they won't face consequences for their actions as the school semester ends, but that is far from the truth. Please reinforce the importance of making good choices as we approach this last week as it is all of our responsiblity to ensure we have a safe and productive last week of school.

Furthermore, we aim for all 8th graders to participate in the end-of-year promotion ceremony, and we want to ensure they don’t jeopardize this honor and privilege. Our students have shown remarkable progress in their development--particularly our 8th graders, and we are committed to fostering their continued growth--collaboratively!

Academic Expectations:

We want all our students to do their best academically and conclude on a strong note! This weekend, let’s ensure that students turn in any missing assignments. Please ensure that students receive ample sleep, proper nutrition, and the necessary rest and play at home this weekend and next week. We will do our best to provide a conducive testing environment to ensure our students do well on their end-of-course exams and overall academics! We are looking forward to a great last week!

Winter Break Parent Challenge: Disconnect to Reconnect:

We are thrilled to unveil our Disconnect to Reconnect Parent Challenge, happening from December 21st to January 13th during Winter Break! Get ready to embark on a journey of quality family time and meaningful connections— let’s make this a winter to remember! Also remember that students will return from Winter Break on Tuesday, January 14, 2024 at 8:05 am.

The Why:

Our data and national research indicate that increased time spent on social media, particularly during extended breaks, contributes significantly to mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, harassment, and bullying among students. We are actively seeking ways to encourage our families and students to reduce their screen time and engage more in real-life interactions. Our goal is to help them enjoy their time off in a healthier and more productive manner.

The What:

We invite families to choose one scheduled activity each week to enjoy with their student. We recommend starting with an activity that is comfortable for both parents and students, requiring minimal vulnerability. After that, families can gradually move on to activities that encourage meaningful and insightful discussions with their tween.

We suggest the following order for activities:

1. Movie Date

2. Board Game Night

3. Coffee Shop Date

4. One Lap Around Rohr Park

Final Outcome/Final Call to Action of the Semester:

Several middle schools in our district will be participating in this challenge, and our ultimate goal is to strengthen our community. We strongly believe that by building connections within our community, we can create a safer, stronger, and healthier environment for everyone.

Never underestimate the power of conversation—especially with your child. In education, it's remarkable how many students return to their teachers to express how just one conversation changed their life path. Students rarely come back to share the content they learned; instead, they come to express their gratitude for the connections they made and the impact those connections had on them.

As parents, your influence is even greater than that of a teacher or coach. Therefore, we invite you to take part in the Disconnect to Reconnect Challenge this winter! Let’s go BVM! Together, we can make a difference!

Please feel free to share your memories during or after these activities by posting your experiences and tagging us with #BVMParentChallenge2024.

We are excited to announce our Winter Break Parent Challenge! Please check out the flyer below to learn about this easy challenge where we are asking all parents to complete 4 activities with their student over Winter Break. The idea is to ensure that our families are connecting and reconnecting after our 1st semester of our 24-25 academic school year.

Studies (and our own data) have taught us that the Winter Break can be a very vulnerable time for our students. Therefore, we want to provide our families the opportunity to increase the time they spend with each other during Winter Break to increase in person time and decrease screen time :). Make sure to check out the video below that shares mental health data over the past 14 years and one of the possible causes for the increase in mental health challenges for our adolescents.

BVM Students,

The BVM Spelling Bee is/will be on January 29, 2025. Please fill out the Google form below if you would like to participate. We encourage you to sign up and give it your best shot!

docs.google.com/forms/d/1vTajeHRrpSiKBBJ_0us8lsAWxy6v32aNGSTSLwEvz74/edit

Katherine Kavouklis
English 7
BVM

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 Ms. Funk, Philip Davis. Philip is an excellent reader! He also is participating in Library Club and helping with fundraising after school -- Way to go Philip!

Nominated by Mrs. Vallejo, Yulianna Sandoval. Yulianna has made great progress in Math. She has worked hard and stayed focused to make headway in class. Yulianna has persevered despite facing challenging Math!

Congratulations to our most improved and Rising Star students this semester! The criteria used was the following:

*Improved at least 2 letter grades in one of their CORE subjects (English, Math, Science, or Social Science)

*No Ds or Fs in any subject

A special shout out goes to the following students who improved by two letter grades in multiple subjects: Aaliyah Briones, Santiago Camberos, Gerald Dawson, Jayden Echeverria, Roman Flores, and Kassandra Layno! Let's continue to improve and finish the semester on a strong academic note! Below you can see all students that improved at least two letter grades in their respective subjects!

Let's go BVM!

On Friday, December 13th, we had the wonderful opportunity to celebrate our Winter Sports student-athletes from the Girls and Boys Soccer Teams, as well as our Girls Field Hockey team. We were also thrilled to witness an inspiring performance by our very own BVM Dance Team in front of our 7th and 8th grade students. Our Cheer team also showcased their spirit and enthusiasm, continuing to be one of the most supportive and engaged groups on campus. A huge thank you to our amazing ASB and ASB Advisor, Ms. Schroeder, for organizing a fantastic assembly for all students, complete with exciting activities!

On Friday Night our BVM Band and Choir Groups performed in their annual Holiday Concert. Mr. Atwood led our efforts that evening filling in for Mr. TM who for personal reasons was uable to attend but was with us in spirit. Mr. Bonilla, our assistant principal, was in attendance and had the opportunity to take several photos and videos. Big Kuddos to our VAPA groups and thank you for a wonderful Holiday Concert!

Our BVM Choir group, led by the wonderful and talented Mr. Atwood, was quite busy this week as they had several performances. One of these performances was at the District's Holiday Sing! They will have "A Bonita Christmas to You" Performance coming up on Wednesday, December 18 from 6:00 pm - 8:30 pm at the Southwestern College Performing Arts Center. This event will feature group numbers, specialty acts, and even some audience sign -alongs --so make sure to join us!

What an exhilarating Saturday it was! Our incredible and very active Cheer Team took part in the 60th annual Chula Vista Starlight Parade and Festival, and they dazzled everyone with their energy and spirit! Our amazing assistant principal, Mr. Bonilla, was there to cheer them on and even captured some fantastic videos of their performances! A huge shoutout to Coach Alyssa and our phenomenal Cheer Team for consistently making us proud and bringing so much joy to our community! Keep shining bright! 🌟✨

This past Tuesday, we had the opportunity to attend the SUHSD BSU Family Taco Night at Bonita Vista High School. Our very own BSU was in attendance (3 members) and families were treated to a presentation from Dr. Rachel Stewart from San Diego State. Dr. Stewart informed us about SDSU's Black Resource Center and all the supports black and African American students can expect to receive once they attend San Diego State University.

BSU Elder, Mr. Don Dumas also gave us a history lesson about how much influence Africa has had on the Americas. Please make sure to check out the profound video above.

Congratulations to our very own Drone Club who took 2nd Place in the Autonomous Drone Race this past Saturday at Otay Ranch High School. Mr. Romero, Mr. Taeatafa, and Mr. Claudio (Advisor) were all in attendance supporting our Drone Club's efforts! 9 School participated in this event (including high schools) and our very one Bonita Vista Middle School took 2nd place! Thank you to their wonderful advisor Mr. Claudio for his steady guidance and leadership with this group! Keep shinning BVM!!

We are proud of all our sports teams this weekend for competing and showing up. Although both boys and girls suffered a 1-0 loss to rival Eastlake Middle School, we stand by our awesome student-athletes and we continue to champion and celebrate their efforts!

On another note, our Girls Field Hockey team captured wins over Eastlake (2-0) and National City Middle School (12-0) and stand at the top of the standings after the first week of Field Hockey play with 3 games remaining. Let's go Girls Field Hockey!

Character building is embedded in an IB education. We want our students to learn and embody 10 Learner Profiles (See attachment below). Our Fifth Learner Profile: REFLECTIVE: We thoughtfully consider the world and our own ideas and experience. We work to understand our strengths and weaknesses in order to support our learning and personal development.

IB Learner Profile Reflective: We thoughtfully consider the world and our own ideas and experience. We work to understand our strengths and weaknesses in order to support our learning and personal development.

Download, Print, and Post the Flyer Below on your Refrigerator Please :)

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!

Good morning BVM Community!

We are excited to announce this year’s RISE: African American Scholars Conference will be held at Southwestern College on Tuesday, January 28th from 9am-2pm. We have a great lineup of workshop presenters and keynote speakers, so we hope to have a great student turnout as well! This conference is open to all SUHSD middle and high school students.

RISE: African American Scholars Conference (see attached flyer)

1. Date: Tuesday, January 28th
2. Time: 9am-2pm

1. Location: Southwestern College
2. What: A leadership experience for Black/African American middle and high school students that promotes the academic and cultural enrichment within the Sweetwater Union High School District. Our FREE conference continues the work of past and present African American educators and leaders who work diligently to build a sense of community and educational excellence for students. Lunch will also be provided!
3. RSVP ASAP to reserve your spot: www.tinyurl.com/SUHSDRISE25

1. Maximum capacity of 400 students!!!

2. All students must rsvp AND must complete the RISE Field Trip Form and turn it into the BSU Advisor/Certificated Adult.

Congratulatoins to our amazing ASB Dean, Ms. Schroeder! Ms. Schroeder oversees our ASB, all our student activities, our student recognition awards, and our 8th Grade promotion. She does everything and anything for our school including playing a major role in the leadership development of our ASB students! We are grateful for Ms. Schroeder, her positive attitude, and her sincere efforts each and every day! Let's go BVM!!!

We have been reviewing the study cited above in our efforts to always work on improving our school culture. Although we have seen significant improvements in student behaviors the past 5 years (according to our student incident data), we are always looking for areas of improvement. Our latest area of focus is targeting behaviors related to bullying, especially the bullying of students with disabilities. In following some of the strategies cited in the Princeton study above, we will be pursuing the following steps:

1. Setting Clear Expectations --In Progress

2. Enforcing Consequences for Bullying Behaviors --In Progress

3. Recruiting the help of our Students to Improve Student Culture and Target Bullying Behaviors (Begins 2nd Semester)

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