Crusader Times

Dear Bonita Vista Families,

As we approach the Spring Break and prepare for testing season, I would like to take a moment to celebrate some of the great things that are happening at our school. We at BVM take great pride in our students and their accomplishments and I would like to share their success with you. During the Presidents’ Day Weekend, the BVM Choir received a Superior rating at their festival, which is the highest possible achievement. One of our students, Brio Hurd, has been selected to represent BVM at the state level in the arts by the PTSA for his talent in singing/rapping. Twenty nine BVM students were selected for the district science fair and all of those students placed at the district level, which qualifies them for the county science fair. The Knowledge Bowl Team finished a successful season, being edged out at the very end by Rancho del Rey. They played a difficult and impressive match. And just this weekend, the BVM girls’ soccer team won the championship match for the Metro League banner. These are truly accomplishments to celebrate.

Your student received the first progress report of the semester on January 26th. Please take a moment to review the grades and contact teachers immediately if you have any questions or concerns about the grades. BVM offers multiple opportunities to achieve success. Be sure to work out a plan with each teacher to ensure the success of your child.

Finally, we acknowledge that this is a difficult and scary time when it comes to school safety. The safety committee attended a full day training at the district recently. Plans are being developed for drills and continued communication between the site and the district to ensure the safety of our students. Small modifications have already been implemented to improve safety, including securing the campus during 7th period, a new evacuation policy regarding fire alarms, and the addition of traffic control on Ridgeback Road after school. On any given day you might see me or Mr. Quintero directing traffic and helping student cross Ridgeback safely. We will continue to work as a team to make safety a priority at BVM. BVM could benefit greatly from parent volunteers during morning and afternoon supervision. If you are willing to donate your time, please contact Mrs. Martha-Irene Garza to sign up!

Your continued support and input is greatly appreciated. I want you to know we are listening and we hear you. The academic success, safety and happiness of your child is our priority. I am proud to be a member of the Bonita Vista Middle School family.

Sincerely,

Teresa Kramer

Principal

Bonita Vista Middle School

We would like to congratulate Mr. Martinez and the girls’ soccer team for winning the Metro League Championship on Saturday, February 24th! They were presented with a banner that we will proudly display at BVM for the first girls’ soccer champions. Please take a moment to congratulate Mr. Martinez and the girls when you get chance. And thank you, Mr. Martinez, for the countless hours you spent developing skills and teamwork in our girls. Their performance on Saturday was impressive! Congratulations!

All Students have been asked to compete at the GSDSEF/County Level in March!

First Place

Natalie Crane - Animal Science

Cyan Schiele - Physics & Astronomy

Kaitlyn Bernardo - Physics & Astronomy

Lannah Garcia - Plant Science

Sam Evans - Product Test & Consumer Science

Second Place

Patrick Piazza - Animal Science

Roxanne Hernandez - Animal Science

Mathew Davis - Animal Science

Gianna Picart - Behaioral & Social Science

Ella Morales - Chemistry

Dorien Geske Wilson - Computer Science

Carlos David Rodriguez - Microbiology

Gabby Apsay - Physics & Astronomy

Kailea Vickers - Product Test & Consumer Science

Third Place

Nicco Brambila - Chemistry

Noah Burke - Chemistry

Pablo Shimizu - Engineering, Energy, & Transport

Sofia Parra - Environmental Science & Managment

Madison Almodovar - Environmental Science & Managment

Aailyah Campbell - Plant Science

Dahlia Navarro - Product Test & Consumer Science

Fourth Place

Samantha Godshall - Medicine & Health

Lauren Endaya - Medicine & Health

Makaylah Cirignario - Product Test & Consumer Science

Audrey Fernandez - Product Test & Consumer Science

7th grader, Sofia Parra, won at the Council Level for her Visual Arts piece called Reach for Star. Her piece was sent to the District level which includes all of San Diego County and it got Honorable Mention.

8th grader, Brio Hurd, won at the council level and got Award of Excellence at the District level. Only one student in each category gets this award. It is the equivalent to 1st place. His piece goes on to the state level! His music piece is called Sweet Dreams.

Congratulations to the BVM Knowledge Bowl Team for an outstanding season. These students worked daily in advisory to study and learn the “National Academic Quiz Tournament” questions, and went above and beyond to work as a team at all meets. In addition, all students on the team participated at every competition and demonstrated leadership skills. They have shown that knowledge is power! Someday, you’ll see them on Jeopardy. They will always be champions to BVM.

Mrs. Heredia

On Saturday, February 10th, BVM participated in the 2nd Annual State of the District event with approximately 600 participants. This year’s theme was “Why Relationships Matter.”

The student speakers included Student Board Representative Isaiah Irizarry (BVH), ASB VP Shaylee Clark (OLH), student with exceptional abilities Marissa Blagtas (CVH) who delivered her speech using American Sign Language, SYH graduate (2013) and MISTI Tutor Brenda Melendrez, and RISE teacher at SoH Stephanie Balbaneda. Over 130 student facilitators helped solicit feedback and input on our four LCAP Goals from our different stakeholders. It was a great day for students, families, and staff in Sweetwater.

On January 26th a group of students attended a science and technology fair at the Activity Center near Balboa Park. The students saw some real life applications of what they are learning in the classroom. They were able to visit several booths where they got the opportunity to learn about engineering, Newton’s laws of motion, light and electricity and even got to learn about the brains of different animals.

The Exploring Arts class is studying US History through music and art this semester. In one unit, we discussed how the Kumeyaay-Ipai tribes once lived in the area we call home today. One significant part of Kumeyaay culture is the Bird Song; a song that is about nature and performed with a traditional rattle made from a gourd. For our project, students wrote their own Bird Songs in small groups after a visit outside and made rattles from recycled water bottles. The songs were performed in class for Ms. Kramer and Ms. Garza.

On January 31st, Ms. Romo's and Ms. Comer-Davies' classes got the opportunity to tour the Chula Vista Library and the Heritage Mesuem. The students were then given the opportunity to visit the Chula Vista Heritage Museum and some historic houses in Chula Vista.

This month we would like to congratulate Mr. Tapia for receiving Staff of the Month! Mr. Tapia teaches Mariachi and guitar and he is a dedicated educator He brings his energy and enthusiasm about music and art to his students every day. His Mariachi band is fantastic and it is clear that he inspires his students to get over their teenage anxiety and really bring out their fearlessness as artists and musicians during their public performances.

Crusaders!

You and your parents/guardians are invited to attend an important informational meeting about the entire College/University process. Please sign up for the “College Making It Happen” event that is taking place on Thursday, March 1st from 6-7pm in the cafeteria. You must turn in a registration form to attend. Counselors have done presentations in your advisory class and issued a registration form sign up that should have been given to your advisory teacher. You may also look on the school website for another copy. Any new 8th grader to the school or 8th grader that did not attend last year can register for this event. Our presenter will be the Compact for Success District Counselor. Booklets with a wealth of information on the college process will be given as well as an opportunity drawing for gift bag prizes donated by the ASB. We hope students/parents are able to attend to set goals about your student’s academic future!

Sincerely,

Counseling Team

I've been blogging for a few years now and think it is a great way to communicate online. There are different tools available for creating blogs, and I happen to use Wordpress, an open source resource used to make websites and blogs.

So, ‘why blog?’, you ask. People blog about the topics they are interested in. According to Quora author Shirpra Sinha, "The purpose of writing blogs could be promotion of a product or service, awareness about social issues, information sharing about any subject or purely passion for writing." Some bloggers blog professionally, and yes, they get paid for doing so.

Often teachers assign blogging as a way to engage students and improve writing skills. Blogging allows students to experiment with different kinds of media and online tools to create their own style, while developing an online presence, voice, tone and subject expertise. Students often respond to one another’s blogs and by so doing, become aware of audience, and different points of view.

As your school librarian, I read many of the new books that come to the library so that I know more about them and can recommend a particular title when students ask about what to read. I am something of an expert on new books in our library. In the last month, I've read about 15 new titles. So to give you insight into what’s on the shelf I’ve decided to start my own blog that describes new books. Here’s my first post: https://wp.me/P3NVCG-3z

Terry Funk

Teacher Librarian

Your iPad is a tool given to you by the school district to help you achieve success in your learning career. It allows you to access information that otherwise would be unavailable to you, create content using different types of media, and show your teachers what you have learned in a variety of formats. In order to be successful with your iPad it is important to remember a few things:

The following are not permitted during class time unless it is part of the curriculum:

● App or internet games

● Videos

● Messaging

The following are never permitted:

● Harassing or bullying

● Inappropriate content

● Inappropriate use of online materials

The following are permitted:

● Protecting your personal information and the information others

● Properly using and citing online materials

● Encouraging others in proper tech use

Following these guidelines will help you manage your iPad use and increase your level of success in the classroom.

Brian Dougherty

Science Teacher

Blended Learning Specialist

03/01 - College Making it Happen

03/03 - Saturday School, Saturday Scholars, and Credit Retrieval

03 05 - 03/08 - Incoming 8th Grade Registration with Counselors

03/08 - Principal's Round Table

03/09 - AVID College Trip

03/10 - Saturday School, Saturday Scholars, and Credit Retrieval

03/12 - 8th Grade Panoramic Picture

03/15 - School Site Council Meeting

03/19 - 03/30 - Spring Break

04/02 - Students Resume

Email: Teresa.Kramer@sweetwaterschools.org
Website: http://bvm.sweetwaterschools.org/
Location: 650 Otay Lakes Road, Chula Vista, CA 91910, United States
Phone: (619) 397-2200
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bonitavistamiddleschool