Bonita Vista Middle School Community,

Good morning! Although our weather continues to be mercurial, our focus and mission remain unwavering at Bonita Vista Middle School and it is great to be able to greet you all this morning!

Over the weekend, our Boys Flag Football Team pulled off an incredible win by defeating the number one seed, Chula Vista Middle School, 18-12—earning their spot in the Championship Game this Saturday at 12:00 PM at Otay Ranch High School! Our girls will also be playing in the Flag Football Championship Game at Otay Ranch High School at 11:00 am. Last but not least, our Track Team will have their final track meet at Eastlake High School at 2:00 pm! If you are available, we would love to see you at any of these events! Let’s show up and support BVM!

On another note, our awesome BVM Dance Team lit up the stage in front of a sold-out crowd at the Ruth Chapman Theater at Eastlake High School during the 2025 BVHS Spring Dance Concert. What a fantastic showcase of talent and school spirit, not to mention a very emotional evening for some of our parents who had seniors perform their last dance with their peers and in front of their school. Some students participating in dance have danced since they were 4 years old --again --it was a very emotional and beautiful evening at the Spring Dance Concert. Thank you to Ms. Timmons and all our wonderful BVM and BVHS dance students!

CAASPP Testing begins this week!

Students will have the opportunity to demonstrate their growth in literacy, numeracy, engineering, critical thinking, and problem-solving—all essential skills for becoming successful, well-rounded members of our community and contributing members to our society at large.

Our goal this week is clear: 100% student attendance (Did you know that BVM ranks #1 in attendance in all middle schools for the past 4 years?).

To support this attendance goal, we’ll be holding an opportunity drawing for students with strong attendance—read below for more details. We also encourage families to help students succeed by ensuring they get plenty of rest each night, stick to consistent bedtime routines, and eat a healthy breakfast each morning.

Please note: We’ll be on a minimum day schedule all week (see below for details).

At BVM, and in alignment with our mission statement and our values, we are committed to developing the whole child. While we provide a wide range of platforms for students to grow socially and emotionally—as highlighted by this weekend’s events—this week represents a key moment for our academic excellence to shine. We've shown academic improvement (particularly in the areas of Math and Science) the past three years, so let's keep the momentum going!

And finally, this week we also celebrate our incredible teachers, not just at BVM but across our district! Please don’t hesitate to send a kind note or gesture to one of your student’s favorite teachers. A little appreciation goes a long way.

Thank you, BVM community, for continuing to be such wonderful partners in our mission. Let’s make it a great week—together!

Sincerely,

Alexander Salazar
Principal, Bonita Vista Middle School

Dear Bonita Vista Middle School Families,

May is the month when we recognize and celebrate our classroom heroes! We need your support to honor our teachers during Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week on Thursday, May 8th, 2025 with breakfast and gift cards.

To collect gift cards, I will set up a drop-off box in our main office, along with a sign-up sheet. Gift cards will be collected starting April 15th to May 8th, 2025. Help us ensure that all 65 BVM teachers receive a gift card in celebration of their special day.

Please click here to access our Teacher Appreciation Week signup genius and help us celebrate our wonderful teachers on Thursday, May 8th, 2025. Together, we can create a memorable and fantastic week for our Crusader teachers.

All donations must be dropped off at our front office. Thank you for your support!

For questions, please feel free to contact our Parent Liaison, Evelyn Clabeaux, at evelyn.clabeaux@sweetwaterschools.org or (619) 397-2210

Click on the link below to sign up for donations:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C084DACAB2DA4FFC07-54471022-bvm

Click on the link below to sign up to volunteer at the celebration:

https://forms.gle/EWxDggBrq3AACt536

Thank you,

Dr. Salazar

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 Coach Beck, Kamia Santos. Kamia is holding at a fantistic 95.2 percent in her physical education class. Kamia pays attention to detail. She pushes herself daily, and she is a leader among 7th graders. I am so proud of her. Congratulations Kamia!!! Let's go BVM!!

Nominated by Mr. Atwood, Briana Maldonado. Briana is a model student in our "Crusader Chorale" choir. Briana is always focused, attentive, and ready to rehearse! Briana is responsible and reliable, and has grown considerably in her two years of choir. Briana embodies the very best of our students in the choir program. Let's go BVM!!!

This week Audrie and Costanza represented the BVM Student Voice at the CARE Network Conference in Point Loma. Students were asked to reflect on their experiences as a student at Bonita Vista Middle School. The CARE NETWORK is an organizatio that works with several middle schools in our county on helping us ensure that are students remain on track (for College) by fostering and encouraging deeper student -teacher relationships. For Bonita Vista Middle, Ms. Bauer and Ms. Heredia our the lead teachers driving this initiative. Thank you BVM!!!

BVM TUPE/I Love Myself Club 2025 Knott's Bery Farm Trip! Dr. Meza and I love Myself Club you have been nothing short of amazing in promoting an anti-toboacco campus at BVM! You have put on great assemblies, great public service announcements and have raised awareness around this very important issue! Thank you for making a positive contribution to the world and helping us meet our mission statement each and every day! Let's go BVM!!!

Thank you to Beyonce and Diego who took some time last week to build some chairs for Ms. Funk, our Librarian! We have already seen students enjoying these wonderful chairs! What Beyonce and Diego did not know is that they would be getting treated to a Starbucks Gift Card by Ms. Funk! Thank you BVM for continuing to be an awesome community!

For the 2nd consecutive year, our awesome Bonita Vista Middle School Boys Flag Football Team took down the #1 Seed --Chula Vista Middle School. If memory serves me correctly, our boys have now done this for the 2nd straight year! Congratulations to all members on the Boys Flag Football Team, our awesome Cheerleaders who are always in support, and our amazing parents as well! Good luck to our Boys and Girls Flag Football Team who will be playing in the Championship Game next Saturday at Otay Ranch High School --Girls at 11:00 am and Boys at 12:00 pm. Let's go BVM!!!

Thank you to Ms. Timmons and our amazing BVM Dance Team who put on an awesome performance at this year's Bonita Vista High School Spring Dance Concert.

BVM Dance Team:

Makeia Juliana Yuri Bencito

Melanee Cotton

Daniel David

Cassandra Lahmann

Luna Lavenant Fuentes

Areli Lopez

Claudia Luna

Jordyn Martin

Polette Martinez

Samanthamaire Nora

Eisley Phelps

Our BVM Dancers had the opportunity to perform "Finesse" and "Break Free" while also having the opportunity to perform a several collaborative performances with dance groups from Bonita Vista High School. It was an emotional evening as several parents had the opportunity to watch their students one last time before their graduation! What a beautiful community --let's go BVM/BVHS!!!

Character building is embedded in an IB education. We want our students to learn and embody 10 Learner Profiles (See attachment below). Our Eighth Learner Profile: Thinkers: use critical and creative thinking skills to analyse and take responsible action on complex problems. Thinkers exercise initiative in making reasoned, ethical decisions.

IB Learner Profile Thinkers: We use critical and creative thinking skills to analyse and take responsible action on complex problems. We exercise initiative in making reasoned, ethical decisions.

Happy National School Lunch Hero Day! Our nutrition staff does an amazing job in taking care of ALL our students. They make sure that our students are always well fed. Our students literally run to our cafeteria lines not just becuase they love Pizza and Chicken Wing Day, but because of the care and kindess and exceptional customer service our nutrition services provides to all our students! On behalf of all of us, thank you!!!

Are you a current 7th, 8th, or 9th grader interested in learning how to play field hockey? Thinking about playing in middle school or high school? Come join us for a FREE Field Hockey Clinic!

• Date: Saturday, May 17, 2025

• Time: 9:00 AM – 11:30 AM (Check-in begins at 8:30 AM)

• Location: Otay Ranch High School Stadium

• Cost: FREE!

All participants will receive a Metro Conference Field Hockey T-shirt!
Register today by visiting the MSAL Field Hockey Clinic Link https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSffpMj_P3jFMZUtT_ozOe3h_xfaQxjYTPiUb7U-iLgn05gseg/viewform or by scanning the QR Code. Don't miss out on this fun opportunity to learn new skills and meet new friends!

Are you passionate about performing arts? Do you dream of dancing on Broadway or acting on stage? Bonita Vista Middle School is excited to partner with Southwestern College to offer two amazing courses this Fall—right here on campus!

📢 Open to all students looking to explore their creative side!

🔥 Dance 181: Musical Theatre Dance I
📅 Tuesdays & Thursdays | 4:00 PM - 5:15 PM

• Learn foundational musical theatre dance techniques

• Perform choreography from Broadway & Off-Broadway musicals

• Final showcase performance required!

🎭 Theatre Arts TA 141: Performance Studio I
📅 Tuesdays & Thursdays | 4:00 PM - 6:05 PM

• Master the art of acting & stage performance

• Develop skills in script analysis, rehearsal techniques, & ensemble work

• Mandatory participation in rehearsals & live performances!

💡 Why enroll?
✅ Earn college credit while in middle school!
✅ Get hands-on experience with industry-level training
✅ Prepare for high school & beyond in the performing arts
✅ Have fun, express yourself, and shine on stage!

Don’t miss this opportunity to be part of something extraordinary! Spots are limited—sign up today!

For more information, see the flyer above!

🎶💃 Let’s bring the stage to life, BVM! 🎭🔥

We are thrilled to celebrate Ms. Laurel Bade, who has been honored as Bonita Vista Middle School’s 2024-2025 Teacher of the Year—an award voted on by her colleagues in recognition of her dedication and impact.

On Thursday, March 21st, we had the privilege of celebrating Ms. Bade, a longstanding Spanish teacher who has played an instrumental role in fostering a love for the Spanish language, Latin American cultures, and traditions among our students at Olympian High School (see the pictures and video above). Beyond her exceptional teaching, Ms. Bade is known for her kindness, enthusiasm, and unwavering commitment to student success.

We are incredibly fortunate to have Ms. Bade as part of our BVM family! Congratulations, Ms. Bade, on this well-deserved honor! 🎉👏💙 #BVMTeacherOfTheYear

Families, below is a message from Superintendent Aguirre that was sent to you on Friday, February 7, 2025.

• In recognition of the complexities surrounding immigration matters, we have developed a dedicated section on our website aimed at providing accessible, reliable information and resources for all members of our community. It is our commitment to ensure that everyone has the necessary support to navigate these issues effectively.

• I encourage you to visit our website to explore these valuable resources. Our goal is to empower our community by providing the information needed to address any questions or challenges related to immigration.

• Click on this LINK to access the resources.

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!

We are thrilled to recognize and celebrate our Certificated Staff Member of the Month—Ms. Kavouklis!

Ms. Kavouklis is truly one of Bonita Vista Middle School’s finest educators. A master of both curriculum and instructional strategy, she brings a deep passion for English and a genuine love for teaching that radiates in her classroom every single day. Her dedication to her students and her role as a mentor make her an invaluable part of our school community and our district writ-large.

Beyond the classroom, Ms. Kavouklis played a key role in BVM earning the No Place for Hate School 2024 designation. Her leadership through the Drama Club and the powerful anti-bullying play they presented last year made a lasting impact on our campus culture and the Anti-Defamation League took notice!

We are incredibly fortunate to have Ms. Kavouklis on our team. Congratulations, and thank you for all that you do! 💙🎉

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.Higareda@sweetwaterschools.org

Counselors:

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

Students Last Name (Gon - Mc): Alexa.Vera@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