Dr. Splane, Principal

Mr. Garner, Assistant Principal

Email: rvelasquez@ogsd.net
Website: bernalis.schoolloop.com
Location: 6610 San Ignacio Avenue, San Jose, CA, United States
Phone: 4085785731
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BernalBroncos/
Twitter: @BernalOGSD

Dear Bernal Families:

I thought I would start this month’s newsletter with a new year’s quote:

“I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes; because if you are making mistakes, then you are making new things, trying new things, learning, living, pushing yourself, changing yourself, changing your world. You're doing things you've never done before, and more importantly, you're doing something. ― Neil Gaiman

That quote keeps with the positive growth mindset we have at Bernal. Certainly we want to be wise about thoughtful about the mistakes we allow ourselves to make, but I’m sure the message hits home: keep striving to better yourself!

I hope that you all had a wonderful holiday season filled with reflection, family, friends and lots of laugher. The New Year is upon us and our instructional goals for Bernal students continue. Our second round of Math and Literacy benchmark testing continues and wraps up soon. There will be a link on our school website as well as the January newsletter to request a copy of your student’s benchmark results.

Be sure you are checking your student’s grades on school loop regularly. Our practice is to have your student’s grades updated at least one time per week. The end of the term will be approaching soon so be sure you and your student do not have any last minute surprises regarding their grades. Encourage your student to inquire directly with their teacher either in person or through school loop if they have a question about one of their grades. Having your student develop this skill of working directly with their teachers on grade-related questions will prepare them for high school and beyond.

- Jamal D. Splane, Principal

Welcome back from the holidays! I hope everyone had an opportunity to enjoy their vacation time. Winter Break provides the much-needed opportunity to connect with family and recharge for the New Year. Lastly, let’s take a moment to look at New Year’s Resolutions. Every New Year provides us with endless possibilities for new beginnings. Did you make a resolution for yourself? A fitness goal? A health goal? An intellectual goal? A goal for creating greater balance? New Year’s Resolutions provide a great opportunity for you to help your child to better understand that we all have the power to change the things in our life that we want to improve.

Thinking about the goal of being a successful middle school student, what shift will you make to improve as a student? Keep in mind, simply saying, “I will do better in math,” is not a Resolution – it’s just a dream if there’s no concrete plan with measurable goals set for making this change. A better Resolution might be: “I will practice every math problem that I found difficult in class even if they are not assigned as homework.”

Parents, help your child choose an Academic New Year’s Resolution that is realistic and encourages him/her to stick to it. Each and every study skill that your child can develop while practicing in middle school will be of great value once he/she is challenged to achieve at a level where the stakes are much higher in high school.

- Miles Garner, Assistant Principal

For most students, January means a return to school after a winter vacation. Because there are few three-day weekends or other interruptions, the months between winter and spring breaks are the time when teachers plan to put the pedal to the metal. However, this it means we need to have students who are ready to get back into their routines quickly and work harder than they did before break.”

With holiday festivities, late movie nights and sleeping in behind you, it is time to get down to business this month. These tips will help you get your family in the back-to-school mode and give your kids the tools they need to have a “ready, set, go” attitude in the New Year.

Unplug and Get those ZZZs
Much like summer, winter break brings loosened reins on TV, computer and other media. It’s easy for kids to become night owls when they know they can sleep in the next morning. Both of these habits can make the first week back to school challenging, even for the most motivated student. Before sending him back to the grind, taper back on screen time and ease back to a reasonable bedtime.

Remember Breakfast
If your family adopts a “fend-for-yourself” attitude about breakfast during vacations, it is time to change gears. Healthy, filling breakfasts are one of the most important factors in a child’s ability to focus in class. If they arrive at school hungry, they will likely be sluggish and distracted from the get-go. If the breakfast they did eat consisted of sugary cereal or doughnuts on the fly, they will often experience an energy decline an hour into the day. Start his day off right with a nutritious and filling breakfast, such as oatmeal or toast with peanut butter.

Get Organized
Take inventory of your child’s school supplies. Does he need refills on paper or pencils? Is his binder exploding with old papers and pages of doodles? Does his backpack have granola bar wrappers crumpled at the bottom? Help him return to school with pencils sharpened and notebook organized. His teacher will thank you!

Read…
and not just with your child. Get back into the habit of scanning the notes that come home from school and check school loop. For many kids, their initial enthusiasm for filing these notes in an organized way will have waned. Take the time each day to check for letters and flyers from the school. Though some of it may not be pertinent, this habit will make life much easier for everyone when the time comes for permission slips to be turned in or conferences to be scheduled.

Check In
You may have had a parent-teacher conference just before the holiday season. If not, take a moment this month to check in with the teacher about your child’s progress, especially if you have concerns. It is still early enough in the year to work on behavior or skills that are holding him back from reaching his full potential. If you are confident your child is cruising along quite nicely, a quick email to ask his teacher if there is anything you need to know or can do at home will help keep the lines of communication open.

Back to Homework
Just like at the start of the year, your child will have to get back into the habit of regular homework. So will you. Decide if what you were doing in the fall was the best schedule for fitting in homework and reconfigure it if necessary. The more often you can make yourself available to help your child, the better.

Tuesday, January 14th

• Bernal's 1st Annual Arts & Electives Expo Night (6-8pm in Forum)
• MOD Pizza Fundraiser on Cottle (all day)

Monday, January 20th - MLK Jr. Holiday (No School)

Tuesday, January 21st - Teacher In-Service Day (No School for Students)

Saturday, January 25th (8:15am-12:30pm) - Super Saturday Academy

Wednesday, January 29th - Santa Teresa High School Parent Information Night @ 6pm in Bernal's Gym

Thursday, January 30th - All 8th graders attending Oak Grove High School and Santa Teresa High School will select their courses (during PE class).

1/10 - Onesie Day!

1/17 - VSCO vs. Eboy/Egirl

1/24 - Athletes vs. Mathletes

1/31 - Nike vs. Adidas

Join Bernal's HSA for our next Dining for Dollars at MOD Pizza on Cottle on Tuesday, January 14th! Show them the flyer below and/or mention you're with Bernal!

Don't miss out on enjoying some delicious pizza before/after our Arts and Electives Expo at Bernal!

Have an absence? Please attend Bernal's Super Saturday Session on Saturday, January 25th from 8:15am - 12:30pm! Students will participate in activities such as: Coffee Filter Snowflakes, Snowman Scene Competition, Valentines Day History Trivia, Valentines Cards and fun "Minute to Win it" games!

Permission slips will be sent home on Thursday, January 9th and must be returned by Friday, January 17th.

Attending the Super Saturday will allow students to make up one absence from this school year. Students need to turn in their permission slip by Friday, January 17th and attend the full session so they can:

• Earn 10 Bronco Bucks!

• Be entered into a raffle to earn a pizza party for them and 5 friends!

• Earn an In-n-Out certificate!

• Be entered into a raffle to win a mile pass for P.E.!

Please email Allison Crawford at acrawford@ogsd.net if you have any questions!

*If a student turns in a permission slip late, they will NOT be able to order a lunch. They will need to bring their own snack/lunch.

A blank permission slip is attached below for your convenience.

The pictures below are from out last session! Don't miss out on another Saturday of fun!

Students have completed their Winter iReady Diagnostic assessments in Reading and Math. If you would like a copy of your student's Reading and/or Math growth results, please complete this survey no later than Friday, January 31st.

If you have any questions, please contact:

Allison Crawford

acrawford@ogsd.net
408-578-5731 ext. 300218

Attention Parents of 8th graders who will be attending Santa Teresa High School next year!

Please join us for an informational meeting about STHS on Wednesday, January 29th at 6:00pm in Bernal's Gym. Students will be selecting courses the following day.

Don't miss out!

GEAR UP FOR HIGH SCHOOL!

Santa Teresa High School and Oak Grove High School will visit Bernal on Thursday, January 30th to help 8th graders with their course selection for 9th grade (during their PE class).

Don’t be absent!

A Team Games: (7th: 3:30; 8th: 4:45)

Tues., Jan 7th - Murphy @ Bernal

Thurs., Jan 9th - Bernal @ Brownell

Tues., Jan 14th - Valley Christian @ Bernal

Thurs., Jan 16th - Bernal @ Britton (3:45/4:45)

Wed., Jan 22nd - Davis @ Bernal

Thurs., Jan 23rd - Bernal @ Solorsano

Tues., Jan 28th - Bernal @ South Valley

B Team Games: (3:30 start time)

Thurs., Jan 9th - Herman @ Bernal

Tues., Jan 14th - Bernal @ Herman

Wed., Jan 15th - Davis @ Bernal

Thurs., Jan 23rd - Bernal @ Davis

Tuesl, Jan 28th - Christopher @ Bernal(3:45/4:30)

Five Star Pizza has generously offered to do a WEEKLY fundraiser for Bernal on Thursdays! They will give Bernal 10% of ALL proceeds earned on Thursdays by Bernal supporters! This includes Dine in, Carry out, and even Delivery! Show the flyer below!

On Tuesday, February 11, 2020, Bernal Intermediate will be having students benefit from Kaiser Permanente Educational Theater. Please see the attached Parent Guide for additional details.

If you do not want your student to participate in the Nightmare on Puberty Street live theatre production, please send a note to Bernal Intermediate office one week prior to assembly (no later than February 4, 2020).

Parents/Guardians,

HSA has put together a sign up sheet if you would like to bring treats for our teachers during their staff meetings. Please use THIS LINK to sign up! Thank you!

Bernal's Home & School Association is accepting direct donations to help support Bernal students and teachers! The donations are even tax deductible!

Donate online today using THIS LINK or pick up a flyer and envelope in the front office if you'd prefer to donate with cash or a check.

The Bernal library will be open from 10:30am – 3:30pm Monday-Friday for the school year. Students are welcome to come in at lunch and after school to work on homework they have. Computers and printer are available for them to use for school work. It's also a great opportunity for them to use the time and space when they have group projects!

Click HERE for more information about Oak Grove's General Education Bussing Transportation options.