September 24 Newsletter

B.L. Gray Junior High welcomes you to the 2024-2025 school year!

As your principal, I am committed to the success of ALL our scholars and promise to do my best to inspire and lead innovations creating opportunities that will prepare your son/daughter for the future.

The first weeks have been a SUCCESS! Our 7th graders are quickly adapting to junior high, and our 8th graders are doing an amazing job leading with INTEGRITY. Extracurricular programs are off to a STRONG start, and our scholars have demonstrated that they are ready to LEAD by embracing THE RATTLER WAY. Great things are happening, and none of this would be possible without your partnership!

Thank you, parents, for your continued support! TOGETHER, we will make the 2024-2025 school year another great year, continuing our TRADITION of EXCELLENCE at B.L. Gray Junior High.

Mrs. Maria D. Chavez, Principal

Thank you to our NJHS for greeting our families and helping at our Meet the Teacher Night!

Please select the sport below for schedules

7th Grade Football Schedule

8th Grade Football Schedule

Volleyball Schedule

7th and 8th grade Tennis Schedule

BL Gray Junior High School is committed to fostering academic excellence and success for every student. It is crucial for students to come to school regularly because it directly affects the time they have to learn during class. Absences result in missed opportunities for learning, questioning, and active participation in classroom activities. Thank you for partnering with us to ensure the success of our scholars.

Safety is our top priority. We will continue to practice emergency drills each month. Please reinforce with your child the importance of school safety. Thank you for partnering with us; together for safety!

What is Empathy?

Empathy is the ability to be aware of, understand, and be sensitive to another person’s feelings. Instead of focusing on how these feelings impact ourselves, empathy motivates us to focus on others and respond with care and compassion.

Why focus on Empathy?

• Empathy builds positive classroom culture. Empathy empowers students to learn to understand each other to build trust and safety in the classroom.
• Empathy strengthens communities. Empathy helps students strengthen their relationships with classmates, other students, and adults at school, and at home.
• Empathy prepares your students to be leaders in their community. The best leaders understand the people they lead and are able to show they care.

Empathy in Action:

• Take a different perspective. When you take a different perspective, you put aside your own feelings and reactions to see the situation through another’s eyes.
• Put aside judgment. Take a pause, and rather than express conclusions about a situation based on what you see, step back and consider other things you may still need to know or understand.
• Communicate that you understand. Instead of giving advice, respond with reflective phrases like, “It sounds like you...” or “I hear that you...” to express that you understand and care.

My name is Kristine Bish and I am the Community Liaison for our wonderful campus, B.L. Gray.

I am committed to bridging the gap between our school and the wonderful community we serve. Our primary goal is to foster open communication, address concerns, and ensure that our initiatives align with the needs and aspirations of our community members.

As your Community Liaison, I am here to listen to your feedback, understand your needs, and work collaboratively to address any challenges or opportunities that arise. Whether it’s through organizing events, facilitating discussions, or simply being available for conversation, my aim is to build strong, lasting relationships based on trust and respect.

I believe that the strength of our community lies in the connections we build and the ways we support each other. Together, we can create positive change, solve problems effectively, and celebrate our successes.

If you have any further questions or would like to sign up to volunteer, you can reach me at

956-580-5333 Ext. 1672

To email please select the image.

Thank you!

If you are interested in becoming a volunteer with our Partners in Education at B.L. Gray, please come to the front office and fill out an application; you will need to bring a form of identification.

If you have any questions, contact our office at 956-580-5333.