Pioneer Post

We acknowledge and are mindful that Bidwell Jr. High School stands on lands that were originally occupied by the first people of this area, the Mechoopda, and we recognize their distinctive spiritual relationship with this land, the flora, the fauna, and the waters that run near campus. We are humbled that our campus resides upon sacred lands that since time immemorial has sustained the Mechoopda people and continues to do so today.

Monday, March 24:

• The Addams Family Musical Class in the Rock Room 2:50-4:30 pm
• Bidwell Soccer - Girls Tryouts: 2:55-5:00 pm
• BCBH Strengthening Families Program Meeting Room 402 6:00-7:45 pm
  

Tuesday, March 25:

• Minimum Day - DWSD Day - Release time 12:11 pm
• The Addams Family Musical Class in the Rock Room 2:50-4:30 pm
• Bidwell Soccer - Boys Tryouts: 2:30-5:00 pm
  

Wednesday, March 26:

• Bidwell Soccer - Girls Tryouts: 2:55-5:00 pm
• Impact Mentoring in Room 404 4:00-5:30 pm

Thursday, March 27:

• The Addams Family Musical Class in the Rock Room 2:50-4:30 pm
• Bidwell Soccer - Boys Tryouts: 2:55-5:00 pm

Friday, March 28:

• Bidwell Soccer Team Rosters posted to Google Classroom

Saturday, March 29:

• Saturday Success Academy - (Sign-up Form)

Wednesday, April 2:

• CJSF Meeting in the Library 8:30 am
• PTA Fundraiser at Raising Cane's on E. 20th St., 2-10 pm

Thursday, April 3:

• Incoming 6th Grade Parent Night - GYM 6:00 - 7:30 pm

• 5th Grade Visitation Day during the school day

Student Bell Schedule

Minimum Day Bell Schedule

2024/25 Student Calendar (Updated 5/22/24)

2024-2025 Behavioral Policies and Procedures

Please remember to contact the Attendance Office if your student is going to be absent via email at: aleonard@chicousd.org or call 891-3080 Ext. 41115. Please include your student’s name, the date of absence, and the reason for the absence.

In order to ensure the greatest likelihood of students fulfilling our mission at Bidwell—of being academically, emotionally, and behaviorally ready for high school and beyond—we have a 96% minimum attendance goal for each and every student. Please work with your student to encourage them to get to school even for a class period or two if they have the sniffles, are feeling a little under the weather, or even going out of town for some appointment or trip. 96% means no more than SEVEN all-day absences for the school year. It really does make a difference in terms of their overall academic behavioral and emotional readiness and greatly reduces the stress that they experience from falling behind and missing school.

Parents, please take a minute to watch and discuss these important introductory videos/slides regarding Bidwell School Culture and Expectations. 😊

This week's focus is on "Campus Expectations." We felt this would be a good time to remind students about our expectations around campus (office, MPR, counseling, etc.)

Families, as the weather starts to warm up as we head into spring, your Bidwell team would like to remind you about our reasonable dress code standards. While staff would rather do almost anything other than critique the way a student is dressing, we also have an obligation to the entire school population to do our best to ensure that students are not walking around with parts of their body commonly considered to be “private” exposed. When a item of clothing is borderline, we try to discreetly encourage the student to make a different choice moving forward, and if they are a repeat offender, then we will likely have them call home for a change of clothes. It would be a big help, especially if you know that your student likes to flirt with the dress code standards, to check them before they leave school for the day if possible. When in doubt, bringing an extra set of clothes is a good idea. Please check out the 5-minute video linked below for a more thorough explanation about our dress code and philosophy. Thank you for your partnership and helping us to bring out the best in our students!

David S. McKay

Principal

Bidwell Junior High School

Chico Unified School District

(530) 521-9228

DMcKay@chicousd.org

Greetings, Bidwell 8th Grade Families!

I hope this message finds you all having enjoyed a fun and relaxing Spring Break! As we start the 4th quarter of this excellent school year, it is time for me to send out our annual reminder about how 8th graders' behaviors during this last quarter can jeopardize their promotion ceremony privileges. If an 8th grader commits a suspendable offense between now and 6/5, they will lose their promotion ceremony privileges along with the dance afterwards. While all students who meet the CUSD Promotion Requirements still have the right to move on to the 9th grade, students who commit a suspendable offense between now and 6/5 will forfeit their privilege of participating in the ceremony and dance. We expect our 8th graders to be our role models and leaders on campus right up until the last day of school. Fighting, horseplay, harassment, and vaping offenses, for example, have a significantly negative impact on the positive school climate that we work so diligently to maintain. We are not going to have a student who commits one of these offenses during their final days with us walk across the stage as an example of what The Bidwell Way looks like. By now, each and every student and family member should know how to get help with a developing conflict, whether it be emailing a specific teacher/counselor or emailing/texting Mr. Siplin or myself. We can usually resolve developing conflicts quickly and painlessly. If, on the rare occasions when our initial plan doesn't put an end to it, letting us know right away will trigger a secondary response that will put a stop to the negative behaviors in question. "Not wanting to make it a big deal," or "Not wanting to be a tattle-tale," are not excuses for taking matters into one's own hands. Students know how and where to get help and parents know how to reach us.

We typically do NOT have to put more than a handful of 8th graders on the No-Go List for the promotion and dance, mainly because your students are amazing and continue to do the right thing because it is the right thing to do. This school-wide reminder, however, will go out periodically, both in the Post and in Morning Announcements as friendly reminders of our clear expectations.

As always, please contact me directly with any questions and concerns. Here's to NO ONE having to be placed on this list this year!

Respectfully,

David McKay
Principal
dmckay@chicousd.org
(530) 521-9228

Bidwell Families,

In order to help all students maintain positive momentum as the school year progresses, we will be offering Saturday Success Academies on the following dates:

3/29, 4/12, 4/26, 5/10, 5/17

The purpose of these academies is to provide productive, fun environments for students to strengthen their connection to our school while completing missing assignments and raising their grades under the supervision of a certificated staff member. Besides time for work completion and help, students will have access to engaging enrichment and/or recreational activities as well. Saturday Success Academy is not designed to be a punishment but rather another opportunity to help each and every Bidwell student achieve our goal of at least 95% attendance, zero missing assignments, and zero failing grades. You will receive an invitation if your student has multiple absences, multiple missing assignments, and/or multiple failing/in-danger of failing grades. Space is limited so we will prioritize invitations based on need. Please contact me if you don’t receive an invitation but would like your student to attend Saturday Success Academy.

If you would like to sign up your student for the next Saturday Sucess Academy, complete this sign-up form:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScFef5FJIRJsxIEJWYMVuOMFcW8w33jDtqhhGeNtphKzu6O6A/viewform

David S. McKay

Principal

Bidwell Junior High School

(530) 521-9228

DMcKay@chicousd.org

Bidwell’s Best Winners: Week of 3/10/25 – 3/14/25

• Mr. Johns - Maximillion Wysocki
• Ms. Elyssa Johnson - Jason Schneider
• Ms. Stephanie Johnson - Lizzy Scarborough
• Ms. Jones - Izabela Llamas

The following students are our NO TARDY / 95 % Attendance winners for this week:

• Bryson Perak
• Jenny Stiles
• Wa Lor
• Liam Honea

There were 791 students last week with No Tardies!!

I would like to recognize Luke Peasha for the "Out and About," award. Mr. Peasha's presence in the 300-wing hallway has been helpful and appreciated. He greets students with a smile as they walk to class and his supervising presence encourages good decision making from the young Pioneers on our campus. For this reason, I would like to award Luke Peasha with the Out and About Award for the month of February. Thank you, Luke!

-Durell Siplin

Today, we're not just celebrating another monthly Positive Pioneer, we're celebrating a force of nature, a living legend, a... well, let's just say, someone who makes showing up to work feel less like a chore and more like a hilarious, heartwarming adventure.

Can I get a drumroll, please? (Mimics drumroll with hands)

We're here to present the Positive Pioneer Award to none other than the magnificent, the marvelous, the downright mischievous... Ms. Caty!

Now, let's be honest, we've all had those mornings. You know the ones. You drag yourself in, coffee barely kicking in, and you're bracing for the day like it's a particularly aggressive dodgeball game. But then, you hear it. That unmistakable, bright, and utterly genuine "Good morning, sunshine!" from Ms. Caty. And suddenly, the dodgeball game feels more like a gentle game of catch, with sunshine-filled softballs.

Ms. Caty, your greetings are genuine and full. They're like a shot of espresso mixed with a hug from a golden retriever. They're the kind of greeting that makes you believe, for a fleeting moment, that maybe, just maybe, you can conquer that mountain of paperwork or survive the rest of this month’s faculty meeting.

But it's not just the greetings. It's the attitude! Oh, the glorious spunk! Ms. Caty, you have a comedic timing that would make professional comedians weep with envy. You can turn a mundane lesson on the water cycle into a stand-up routine about the existential dread of a raindrop (I’m just guessing this is what you talk about in 6th grade science… it probably checks out). You bring joy and a love of learning to this school, and frankly, we're all a little bit addicted to it. Very few things have made me happier than your return to Bidwell at the beginning of this school year after some time away.

And let's not forget the 6th graders. They speak of Ms. Caty with a reverence usually reserved for pop stars and mythical heroes. If you listen closely, you can hear whispers in the hallway. Just yesterday I participated in a conversation with some of them that ended with "I bet Ms. Caty will sponsor our video game coding club!" “Oh yeah, she’s totally awesome… and she likes legos! Ms. Caty will totally do it!” It's practically a cult of personality, and honestly, who can blame them?

Caty, you're not just a teacher, you're an experience. Even when you’re in the position of needing to drop some hard truth on a student you do it in a way that emboldens them to be better. You are a true pioneer in the art of making learning fun and you inspire us all to be a little bit brighter, a little bit bolder, and a whole lot funnier. I’ve so enjoyed being your colleague and friend since all the way back to our days at Parkview Elementary School… Oooo, dang. We’re getting old.

So, please join me in congratulating the one, the only, the absolutely unforgettable Ms. Caty, our Positive Pioneer!

-Tanner Johns

This person’s creativity, insight, and collaborative spirit encourages student voice and creates a welcoming classroom environment.

While it can be difficult to navigate supporting students in a general education setting, this person always makes staff feel welcome and useful. Working with Ms. Langel is always an absolute pleasure.

-Sabrina Gutierrez

• 4th Place: Lily Emmerling memorized 68 digits
• 3rd Place: Kai Penne memorized 78 digits
• 2nd Place: Jacob Montes memorized 80 digits
• 1st Place: (for the second year in a row) Madison Kelly memorized 221 digits

• March 24th - Bidwell Soccer - Girls Tryouts: 3pm-5pm
• March 25th Bidwell Soccer - Boys Tryouts: 2:30pm (due to the minimum day schedule)-5pm
• March 26th - Bidwell Soccer - Girls Tryouts: 3pm-5pm
• March 27th - Bidwell Soccer - Boys Tryouts: 3pm-5pm
• March 28th - Team Rosters posted to Google Classroom

Please be out on the field, ready to go by 2:55 p.m.! That means being changed into your gear for practice and ready to go. Lockers are not open after 3:00 p.m. so ensure that you have all your things with you.

There are two things you MUST have in order to participate. If either of these are missing, you will have to sit out until they are turned in. They are a signed permission slip and shin guards. If you have any questions, make sure to sign into the Google Classroom for Soccer. (Join Code: yewembg)

Unfortunately, due to the high demand, there will be cuts this year. Coach Stone will be talking to students about these at the start of tryouts. There will be 3 girls teams and 4 boys teams this year. If you are unable to attend one or both of the tryouts, you MUST contact Coach Stone via email or message Melissa Costello through Google Classroom (who will forward this to Coach). You can reach Coach at: soccer.stone.futbol@gmail.com

Bidwell Soccer fan gear now available for purchase!

This web store will be live through March. Purchases will be delivered to the school on April 17th.

Coach Tim Stone will coordinate the delivery with items being handed out during practices.

https://stores.inksoft.com/Bidwell_Soccer/shop/home

Visit the online Bidwell ASB / Student Store at https://bidwelljuniorstudentstore.myschoolcentral.com/ to purchase one of our new items!

Hello Bidwell Families!

Bidwell PE is looking for any ping pong tables that families might want to donate to the PE Department. We are in need of some new tables and if you have a table laying around that you no longer use, we would be happy to take if off your hands. 🏓

If you are interested in volunteering with Chico Unified School District, please compete the Online Volunteer Form.

Website: http://bjhs.chicousd.org/
Location: 2376 North Avenue, Chico, CA 95926, United States
Phone: (530) 891-3080

For urgent issues, please contact Administration directly at:

David McKay, Principal, (530) 521-9228, dmckay@chicousd.org

Durell Siplin, Assistant Principal, DSiplin@chicousd.org