Dr. Joe J. Bernal Middle School

Hello, Bernal Families,

Fabulous February has arrived! We know that Valentine's Day is an exciting day for our students. In order to keep the focus on instruction and to limit disruptions, I want to remind/inform everyone of our campus policies. Secondary schools do not have class parties. Students will not be allowed to carry items/gifts. All items will need to be kept in their backpacks. Any item too large to fit in a backpack will be held in the front office. As always, thank you for your continued support.

I wanted to take this opportunity to brag on our students. We reviewed data for the second grading period and I am happy to present you with a snapshot of student accomplishments (see below). We are so proud of our Bernal Black Knights!

• We have 1156 student recognitions for the 2nd marking period:

• Perfect Attendance- 182

• A Honor Roll- 303

• AB Honor Roll- 568

• Learner Profiles- 49

• Pillars of Character- 54

We have been busy planning and preparing for the 2025-2026 school year. We have held multiple parent academic/elective nights, our 8th graders visited our feeder high schools, we hosted our incoming 5th graders in December and all students have had a chance to complete a course card, which is where they select courses that they are interested in taking next school year. Early planning is extremely important. We take the student requests and we use this to build our master schedule and hire the very best staff to fill any vacancies we may have. The ultimate goal is making sure we are ready to provide the very best experience for all of our students. I will make sure to continue providing updates and we approach the last few months of this school year.

We are always looking for volunteers, call our front office if you are interested in being a volunteer. The background check/application can be found at https://hrvolunteer.nisd.net/TempMod.nsf?Open As a reminder, you must complete a background check every school year.

We are Black Knights and Black Knights are We!

We will have our 7th grade dance on Thursday, February 13th from 5:30pm-7:00pm. Students must have their school IDs to purchase a ticket and to attend the dance. Wristbands will be sold during lunches on Thursday, Feb. 13th for $5 (cash only). Concessions will also be sold at the dance. Students must go home after school and return at 5:30pm. All students must be picked up in the front of the school no later than 7:15pm.

** Students with disciplinary infractions between Jan. 17th- Feb. 13th will no be allowed to attend.

We are thrilled to announce the 2nd Annual GT Market Day! This event will be happening on Friday, February 14th! We will showcase student created work, games and more. Our 6th, 7th and 8th grade entrepreneurs have been hard at work over the last 4 weeks building their business and we can not wait to show you!

Event Details:

• Date: February 14th

• Time: 9:00 am to 3:15 pm

• Location: Practice Gym

• Acceptable Payments: Cash ONLY (please remind students to bring cash!)

• Ticket Pre-Sale: Feb 10th-13th (8:00-8:30 AM Cash only (tickets will be sold in the GT Room B100E)

Please help us and remind your child to bring their school ID with them everyday. The expectation is for all students to have their IDs visible at all times while on campus, this includes when they are in attendance (audience members) for extra-curricular events. Bernal spirit lanyards are sold in the front office for $7 (cash only), or students can choose to purchase any school appropriate lanyard. All students will receive their first ID for free; if lost, students will be charged $5 for a replacement. We appreciate your continued patience as we attempt to implement this extra layer of security for our campus.

Our 6th graders are the back-to-back attendance competition winners! Second marking period attendance rates are as follows:

6th Grade- 94.9%

7th Grade- 94.1%

8th Grade- 94%

Total- 94.3%

Our campus goal this year is 96%

Feb. 3-7- National School Counseling Week

Feb. 3- Theatre One Act Play 5:45pm

Feb. 13- 7th Grade Dance 5:30-7:00pm

Feb. 14- GT Market Day

Feb. 17- Staff Development Day, Student Holiday

Feb. 18- Choir Pre UIL Concert 5:30pm Bernal Cafeteria

Feb. 24- APEX Fundraiser Starts

Feb. 25- Thespian Induction Ceremony 5:45pm Bernal Cafeteria

Feb. 26-27- TELPAS

Feb. 28- Talent Show 5:00pm Bernal Cafeteria

Would you like to be highlighted on our next newsletter? Please contact Marla.Reynolds@nisd.net for more information on how you can partner with our campus. We can't wait to connect with you!

Cell phones and other personal technology will only be allowed before school, during lunch and after school. Phones and other personal devices (ex: airpods) must be put away and turned off/silenced before 8:35am. Electronic devices should not be used/visible during transition times and passing periods. The goal is to maintain the focus on instruction during the instructional day and remove the distraction caused by personal devices. Cell phones, airpods and other technology may be confiscated at the discretion of campus staff.

As a reminder, the campus is not responsible for lost/stolen items. We encourage everyone to leave expensive items at home. Please remind your child that they should not be borrowing, trading, or loaning personal items while on campus. In addition, all PE lockers should remain locked at all times.

The NISD Learner Profile is a system of eight characteristics that were identified during the strategic design process as the most vital for students to achieve success. These eight characteristics represent a promise to our community and align with our campus mission and vision. We will be finding opportunities throughout the year to highlight students exhibiting these characteristics!

Website: https://www.nisd.net/bernal
Location: 14045 Bella Vista Place, San Antonio, TX, USA
Phone: 210-398-1900
Facebook: facebook.com/NISDBernal/
X: @NISDBernal