BJH Bobcat News

August 21-25, 2023

Principal's Message

Dear Bobcat Families,

The first week of school went well. It was nice to see the campus bustling with activity. Students learned about class and school expectations. They also had an opportunity to connect with their teachers and classmates with various activities designed to get to know one another a little better. Building strong social-emotional bonds contributes to a happy and healthy school campus environment. Throughout the school year students will have multiple opportunities to build community through engaging lunch time activities sponsored by our ASB.

Below is some important general information.

RAINY DAYS

In the case of rain, all students are encouraged to wait in the cafeteria until the first bell rings for homeroom. Students should also eat in the cafeteria and the Bobcat Den during snack and lunch to avoid getting wet. Should both Bobcat Den and the cafeteria reach maximum capacity, we will open the auditorium for additional shelter from the rain.

BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT (BTSN)

This Tuesday is Back to School Night (BTSN). There is a parent meeting at 6:30 in the cafeteria. Classroom presentations begin promptly after the brief parent meeting and teacher introductions. Due to limited space in classrooms we are asking that only BJH parents and/or guardians attend this event. Your student will receive a BTSN letter in homeroom. The letter has a blank schedule that your student should fill in for you. This schedule will help you know which classrooms to visit each period. This is a great opportunity to learn more about each teacher's classroom and expectations. Hope to see everyone there. Click HERE to access the Back to School Night Flyer.

MINIMUM DAY

This Tuesday is a minimum day. School will be dismissed at 12:40 p.m.

LATE START

Every Wednesday is Late Start. School starts at 8:30 on Wednesdays.

SCHOOL SITE COUNCIL PARENT MEMBER(S) NEEDED

School Site Council (SSC) is in need of parent members. The SSC is a group comprised of the principal, teachers, classified staff, parents and students. BJH has open positions on the SSC. This committee makes important decisions about school areas of focus, reviews progress on goals and makes recommendations regarding future goals and related expenditures. Please click the SSC Nomination Form to nominate yourself or someone else for this important committee .

BJH SPORTS PHYSICAL

If your student is interested in playing a sport this year you must submit the appropriate paperwork. Students who wish to play fall sports must have the athletics packet filled out and physician physical paperwork completed and submitted to the front office no later than Friday. August 25, 2023 in order to be eligible to try out for Fall Sports. Visit our website to access athletic clearance paperwork https://bjhs.bousd.us/

PARENT TEACHER ASSOCIATION (PTA)

The Brea Junior High School PTA is having open enrollment for PTA. Please support BJH by joining the PTA. Click HERE to join. Homeroom classes with the highest percentage of membership by October 6th will receive a donut party.

BJH Spirit Wear is on sale. Orders are due by September 1, 2023. Spirit Wear is only sold once a school year so don't miss out! Click HERE to order your spirit wear.

The first PTA meeting will take place on Monday, September 18, 2023 at 6:00 p.m. in room E-30. Your voice matters!

iREADY

Students utilized the iReady program in elementary school and will continue to use it at the Junior High. Last week students took the iReady diagnostic #1 in their math class. This week, students will take the iReady diagnostic in their English class. The iReady diagnostic is administered three times during the school year. These diagnostics help teachers understand what students already know and what they still need to learn. The diagnostic celebrates what students already know, helps them progress toward learning grade level standards and helps them understand what they need to know before the end of the school year. iReady is not just a diagnostic, it also can be used to help students practice skills that they are lacking with the use iReady lessons tailored for your student's academic level. This test is taken online and it is adaptive. This means that as your student answers questions the test adjusts the type of questions being asked to match the skill level. Some questions will be easy, some hard and some just right. It is important for students to do their best on this diagnostic because it is used as one factor in math placement as well as English Learner reclassification. Please encourage your student to do the following:

Take your time, do not rush
Read each question and its answer choices carefully
If you see a question about something you have not learned yet, just try your best
For math, show your work on paper for every problem
For reading, reach each passage carefully and reread the passage when necessary
Check your work before going to the next question

Have a fantastic week!

Best,

Sheri Cole

Principal