Dear Parents and Guardians of the Bonita Vista Middle School Community,

Good afternoon! We are pleased to share that, thanks to improved local air quality and the effective management of the Border 2 Fire, our campus will resume normal operating conditions. Below, you’ll find links to the resources and data that helped guide this decision.

As we move into the last week of January, we’re excited to focus on starting the second semester with strong academic momentum. This is a crucial time to help our students build positive habits and stay on track for success. To support this, we are launching our Spring 2025 tutoring schedule, which begins tomorrow, January 27th. Please take a moment to review the schedule to ensure your child takes advantage of this valuable resource. With the first progress report just a month away (February 28th), early preparation and consistent effort will make all the difference--not to mention that the first big assessments in your student's classes are more than likely happening in these next two weeks.

We’re also thrilled to highlight opportunities for students to engage in positive activities on campus. Flag Football tryouts will be held this week, with girls’ tryouts on Monday and Tuesday and boys’ tryouts on Thursday and Friday. While football is a popular sport, we encourage all forms of student engagement that promote connection, teamwork, and personal development. Please check out our Week-at-a-Glance to view other opportunities for engagement this week including our upcoming Valentine's Dance.

Finally, I encourage you to explore the many resources featured in this week’s newsletter, including the Featured Parent Professional Development link below. This week’s highlight is found in the Adam Grant podcast episode, “Improving Teen Mental Health with Lisa Damour.” It’s a meaningful conversation offering insights and strategies to support the emotional well-being of our teens that include helping your tween manage their emotions, friend groups, and social media.

Let’s continue to work together to make this week positive and productive for our entire community. We look forward to seeing all our students ready to begin the day at 8:05 AM tomorrow morning.

Thank you for your continued support, and here’s to a great week ahead!

Sincerely,
Alex Salazar
Principal, Bonita Vista Middle School

In this insightful episode of Adam Grant’s podcast, psychologist and best-selling author Dr. Lisa Damour delves into the challenges and complexities of teenage mental health. Drawing from her extensive experience and research, Dr. Damour provides a clear and compassionate guide for parents navigating the emotional ups and downs of adolescence.

Key topics include:

• Understanding the normal range of teenage emotions and distinguishing between healthy stress and signs of deeper struggles.
• Practical strategies for supporting teens as they manage academic pressures, social dynamics, and growing independence.
• How to foster open communication, validate emotions, and build resilience in teens while maintaining boundaries.

This episode serves as an invaluable resource for parents seeking to better understand and support their teens during this pivotal stage of development. It offers actionable advice while empowering families to approach mental health with empathy and informed care.

*You’re invited to listen and reflect on the strategies shared, finding what works best for your family as you support your teen in their journey toward emotional well-being.

Hello Crusaders,

Attached is a copy of the updated tutoring schedule for Spring 2025. Schoolwide tutoring officially begins on Monday, January 27. There are some teachers who are offering after school tutoring this week. Additionally, before school tutoring is offered this week in the library and after school tutoring is available in Room 305 this week.

Students do not have to sign up for tutoring to attend.

Thank you,

Ms. Monge (Ana.monge@sweetwaterschools.org)

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 Mr. Galindo, Alexia Chavez. Alexia is always willing to learn. Even on the days that she is off or not feeling well, she participates, pays attention, and volunteers. She asks questions and she answers questions. She is the type of student who understands the value of being knowledgeable. She is always willing to help others and is a pleasure to have in class. Let's go BVM!!! Thank you to Mr. Galindo for nominating Alexia and thank you to Ms. Schroeder for securing Chic-fil-A gift cards for our 2nd semester Crusaders of the Week award recipient winners!

Nominated by Ms. Timmons, Claudia Luna. Claudia is in her second year in dance and this year's President. She has improved vastly in her maturity and leadership skills and continues to be a role model for her classmates. She is hardworking, dedicated, and brings positive energy to the class. She loves to improve in her dance skills and motivates our class to do their best. Let's go BVM!!! Thank you to Ms. Timmons for nominating Claudia and thank you Ms. Schroeder for securing the Chic-Fil-A Gift Cards for our award recipient winners for Crusaders of the Week 2nd semester!

Some of our awesome and dedicated Crusaders decided (last Monday, January 20th) to further serve our community through their campus beautification efforts at Allen Elementary ---one of our local and beloved feeder elementary schools.

Thank you to Avery Heulsman, Gabriela Anderson, and Sofia Moreno Ranon for making our school proud once again! As an IB Candidate School and a No Place for Hate School, we love recognizing our students for their service orientation and their kindness! Thank you also to Ms. Ranon who makes these types of events possible for our students! Let's go BVM!

Did You Know? Our Teachers Had Homework Over Winter Break!

That’s right! Over the Winter Break, our dedicated teachers took the opportunity to dive into Empty the Cup, a powerful resource packed with practical strategies for increasing social-emotional awareness in the classroom. Following the break, Ms. Higadera led an engaging professional development session where teachers explored ways to integrate these strategies into their teaching.

Empty the Cup offers tools that not only enhance social-emotional learning but can also be applied as academic strategies to support content delivery. During the session, teachers collaborated to discuss how these methods could enrich their classrooms. One particularly popular approach is the Hi/Low strategy, where students share a “High” (a highlight of their day) or a “Low” (a challenge they faced). This simple activity fosters meaningful connections and creates a more supportive learning environment.

A big thank you to Ms. Higadera and our incredible teachers for continuing to champion effective instruction and prioritizing the whole child in our classrooms. Together, we’re creating spaces where both academic and emotional growth thrive!

Last Thursday, Ms. Gomez-Caballero hosted a Parent Night for our 7th-grade Dual Language Immersion (DLI) families to review the program’s vision and expectations. The meeting was an excellent opportunity to connect with parents and share our collective goal: to continually improve Bonita Vista Middle School’s DLI program and provide an exceptional learning experience for our students.

Our aim is to empower DLI students to graduate from middle school as biliterate, globally-minded citizens. The DLI program is also a key component in advancing our International Baccalaureate (IB) implementation efforts. By taking half of their classes in Spanish—including Spanish, Social Science, and Science—our students actively develop the skills to thrive as multilingual learners and leaders.

We are deeply grateful for the dedication of our DLI Coordinator, Ms. Gomez-Caballero, and our amazing DLI teachers: Ms. Abundes, Ms. Juarez, Dr. Meza, and Mr. Reyes-Cornejo. Your hard work and commitment are instrumental in shaping a brighter future for our students.

Thank you to all the parents and staff who continue to support this incredible program!

Character building is embedded in an IB education. We want our students to learn and embody 10 Learner Profiles (See attachment below). Our Sixth Learner Profile: Knowledgeable: We develop and use conceptual understanding, exploring knowledge across a range of disciplines. We engage with issues and ideas that have local and global significance.

IB Learner Profile Knowledgeable: We develop and use conceptual understanding, exploring knowledge across a range of disciplines. We engage with issues and ideas that have local and global significance.

Dear Crusader students and families,

We are excited to announce that the Comienza con un Sueño Conference at UCSD is returning in person! This exciting conference is a FREE, accessible, and culturally enriching event designed for Latinx students in grades 6-11 and their families. While the focus is on the Latinx community, we invite individuals from all backgrounds from Bonita Vista Middle School to join us and benefit from this invaluable experience.

Bonita Vista Middle School is generously providing transportation to ensure you can attend. To help us create an unforgettable and impactful learning experience, we kindly ask for your assistance in providing the necessary information. Students who participate in the Comienza con un Sueño Conference will be able to receive Saturday School Credit.

The conference is scheduled for Saturday, March 15th, 2025 at UCSD. Our d eadline to register for this conference is February 18th. Please be advised that this is on a first come first served basis. We need to know the total number of attendees for transportation purposes.

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Thank you for being a part of this amazing opportunity!

For questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact our Community Relations Facilitator, Evelyn Clabeaux at evelyn.clabeaux@sweetwaterschools.org or (619) 397-2210

Estimados estudiantes y familias de BVM,

¡Nos complace informarles que la Conferencia Comienza con un Sueño en UCSD regresa en persona! Esta emocionante conferencia es un evento GRATUITO, accesible y culturalmente enriquecedor diseñado para estudiantes latinos en los grados 6-11 y sus familias. Si bien la atención se centra en la comunidad latina, invitamos a personas de todos los orígenes de Bonita Vista Middle School a unirse a nosotros y beneficiarse de esta valiosa experiencia.

Bonita Vista Middle School proporcionara generosamente transporte para garantizar que pueda asistir. Para ayudarnos a crear una experiencia de aprendizaje inolvidable e impactante, le pedimos amablemente su ayuda para proporcionar la información necesaria. Los estudiantes que participen en la Conferencia Comienza con un Sueño podrán recibir crédito de escuela del sábado.

La conferencia está programada para el sábado 15 de marzo de 2025 en UCSD. La fecha límite para registrarse a esta conferencia es el 18 de febrero. Tenga en cuenta que esto se otorga por orden de llegada. Necesitamos saber el número total de asistentes para fines de transporte.

POR FAVOR HAGA CLIC AQUÍ PARA REGISTRARSE

¡Gracias por ser parte de esta increíble oportunidad!

Si tiene preguntas o inquitudes, no dude en comunicarse con nuestra facilitadora de las relaciones de la comunidad, Evelyn Clabeaux al evelyn.clabeaux@sweetwaterschools.org o (619) 397-2210

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!

A big congratulations and heartfelt thank you to Mr. Sias, who has been recognized as our Certificated Member of the Month for January!

Mr. Sias is not only an incredible teacher of Art and Advanced Art but also a true team player who goes above and beyond to support our school community. Whether it’s helping out during Kindness Week, decorating our front office with beautiful student artwork, or creating stunning backdrops for school events, Mr. Sias consistently demonstrates his dedication and creativity.

Thank you, Mr. Sias, for your unwavering commitment to BVM and for making our campus a more vibrant and welcoming place. We appreciate 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.Higadera@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