Baechtel Grove Middle School

At the July 17th WUSD School Board Meeting, two important decisions were made. First, we will start school on Monday August 31st. Secondly, the WUSD schools will begin the year in a remote (distance) learning environment. It is the goal of the staff to provide a much improved educational experience for students. In grades TK-2 we will focus on packets for students that go with our curriculum and will allow parents to follow the process. In grades 3-5 we will be using workbooks and technology provided by WUSD to enhance the work. Baechtel Grove Middle School will be using a schedule that provides four periods of core instruction, one of PE and an elective period. They will have live online instruction every single day from the district adopted curriculum. We are also providing parent support for technological and other questions and concerns, as well as informational training. You will be able to call the school directly and get a response from designated staff. We all believe that you need to be adequate and meaningful partners in this work. At the High School students will have a three period schedule where the courses last six weeks. Each school will be providing parents and students with many details and procedures in late August before we start. We will transition to on site classroom instruction as soon as the health guidelines allow us to do so. If we want our children back at school, as a community we need to continue to follow health guidelines, to not get on the county watch list with the state. The district is working with other local governmental agencies to provide more free internet access, as well as exploring opening up our school libraries to download assignments. The CIF (California Interscholastic Federation) Sports have been shifted to two seasons with one beginning in mid December and the second season starting in mid March. The majority of sports will be offered, just compacted into two seasons. Their online instruction will look very different this year, as teachers increase their knowledge of virtual instruction. We will be in communication with families as the situation changes. Please stay patient as we transition to this changing environment.

The WUSD School Board is meeting tomorrow night to do some needed business and discuss the reopening options for the fall. There will not be a decision made, it is to soon to know what it will look like on Aug. 31st. When we do consider opening in the fall it will be in a more Covid prepared schedule or remotely. Our goal is to allow parents choice of doing independent study or back in classroom instruction if the conditions allows it. I use the restaurant mentality, if we can’t be in the inside of the restaurant, we can’t be in the classrooms. If the rules are some percentage capacity in the restaurant with masks we will try and provide that option in classrooms. In mid-August our goal will be to call each family and ask parents to choose an option of in class or independent study and we will make the staffing adjustments needed. Beyond staffing we will need to make building specific plans for situations that may occur. Our goal is to provide the safest environment we can and give parents options. If we had to start tomorrow our data is trending the wrong way and the guidelines are locking down more not less, so we would be on home instruction. If you would like to give the board information please use my email address to do so. ( markwesterburg@willitsunified.com ) If you would like to participate in the zoom board meeting this is the address https://us04web.zoom.us/j/9782489039?pwd=V0U2cUtHZUMzQk5xR3d5Vy9wT1JkZz09 There is also a chat box to ask questions or use your time during the public comments section. The WUSD staff is working hard this summer to get ready for this new situation that provides the safest and best academic environment we can financially afford to do.

Hello BGMS Parents, Guardians, and Caregivers, This is Ms. Munguia with some last minute end of the year information. If your student has not returned their Chrome book to us, please do so by the end of the week, or you will be charged a $200 replacement fee. Someone is here from 8 am to 3 pm. Everyone will be receiving a trimester 3 report card this week. You will notice that the GPA was not calculated. This was done because the mixture of letter grades and credit/no credit grades would not produce accurate GPA's. To not effect any GPA's in a negative manner we did not calculate them. Finally, for parents of students in the Early High School Program, we want you to know that you have to make the counselors at the high school aware if you want your child in English 10. Please send an email with your request to the high school counselor assigned to your child. Thank you for your attention and goodbye.

Hello BGMS Parents, Guardians, and Caregivers, This is Ms. Munguia with the final Sunday information call for this school year. A reminder that all student school work to be graded must be turned in by Wednesday of this week. The Eighth Grade Drive Through Promotion Celebration will take place this Thursday, June 4th, beginning at 6:00 pm. The one car per student should be at BGMS no earlier than 5:30 pm to line up. Friday, June 5th is the last day that all students can turn in their Chromebooks, textbooks, instruments, and library books to the BGMS library. All these must be turned in by Friday, even if they are attending summer school. Yearbooks can be picked up at the same time. Friday is the last day of this school year. Report cards will be mailed out at the beginning of next week. It has been a challenging time for all of us. Equally for parents who went from being provided most of the service of educating their child, to having to provide a large majority of that service themselves. I am proud of how you came together as a family with many providing support to their own, and other children to accomplish the learning for our students. The children of this community have benefited from the hard work put forth on their behalf, not only in their education, but in their quality of life during this pandemic. I sincerely thank you for facing this situation with courage and resolve, and putting fears aside, for the wellbeing of children. I will be in communication with you about the start of next year in early August. Thank you for your attention and goodbye.

Hello BGMS Parents, This is Ms. Munguia with an important announcement about Yearbooks. We have confirmation that we will be able to give our eighth graders their Yearbooks during the Promotion Celebration. If students have purchased a yearbook, they will be included in with the eighth grade Promotion Certificates, at the Promotion Celebration. If they have not yet purchased a yearbook, but would like to, please come by BGMS 8:00 am to 4:00 pm tomorrow, Friday, or Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday of next week, with 40 dollars, in either exact change, or a check to purchase one. Sixth and seventh graders will be able to pick up their yearbooks on Friday, June 5th at the same time that they turn in their Chromebooks. They too can come by to purchase a yearbook if they have not purchased one yet. Don’t wait, do it right away. We only had 75 published, and there are only 47 available to be purchased. Thank you for your attention and goodbye.

2020 NorCal Cyber Virtual Summer Camp The Northern California Information Communication Technologies (ICT) Hub at the Sacramento County Office of Education, in partnership with California Community Colleges, is supporting FREE, week-long Virtual Summer Introductory and Advanced Cyber Camps for Middle School and High school (7th-12 trade) students! This opportunity to learn about cybersecurity at no-cost is made possible through generous donations and contributions of NorCal Cyber partners and sponsors. Please provide registration to your school office so you can keep your Chromebook over the summer! Go here to register =>https://www.norcalcyber.org/

Hello BGMS Parents, This is Ms. Munguia with information for this week. I hope that everyone had an enjoyable Memorial Day Holiday, but that students continued to complete some of the work they may not have completed. All work that is to be graded is due to teachers by June 3rd, next Wednesday. We will be receiving packets tomorrow, Tuesday for any week up to week 9. Week 10 work does not have to be turned in. We will also be here next Monday, June 1st for work to be turned in, from 8 am to 4 pm. Zoom classroom meetings will continue this week, and will not continue after the end of this week. As we wind up the school year, please keep in mind that we will be collecting Chromebooks from students on Friday, June 5th from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. These have to be brought by the BGMS library, on that day. A reminder to bring in all BGMS library books, and check out our parent resource site at https://bgmsparentresources.weebly.com/. Next week is the last week of this school year. It has been an exciting year, for many reasons! Ms. Erickson and myself would like to make ourselves available to students for any questions they might have for us pertaining to the end of the year, summer school, or things to come. We will be posting a schedule of Zoom and in person meetings. These are for students, however, I will put out information for parents about questions students had, kind of like frequently asked questions. Thank you for your attention and goodbye.

Hello BGMS Eighth Grade Parents, This is Ms. Munguia with a few announcements that are for our eighth grade students only. They have started the course selection process using a google form. It was emailed to all 8th grade Willits Unified student email addresses. All the students need to do is log into their email and click on the form to access it and start choosing classes for next year. Thy have set the deadline to make selections as Thursday 5/21. They realize there are several students who do not have reliable internet so they plan to call those students after 5/21. If they families not have internet the counselors will connect via telephone the week of 5/26 through 5/29. If you do not know what to sign up for, make an appointment with a counselor at https://calendly.com/nicoleburke, or call the high school at 459-7700, ext. 1514, or text Ms. Bravo if you have her phone number. This is a high school process, it is not from BGMS. The Promotion Celebration, however, is the last event we will have for our eighth grade students. That celebration will be explained in a letter that will be included in the progress report, and promotion letter that will go out tomorrow Monday. Keep learning, and completing work, just three weeks left. Thank you for your attention and goodbye.

Hello BGMS Parents, Guardians, and Care Givers, This is Ms. Munguia with information for this week. This is classified school employee’s appreciation week. We would like to recognize all of our secretaries, instructional aides, cooks, custodians, maintenance staff, techs, and librarians as doing essential work, and being extraordinary workers. Every parent, guardian, or caregiver should be receiving a letter that will be sent out tomorrow, about the promotion status of every student, and summer school information, if needed. More specific information about the Summer School session will be shared with parents as the date gets closer. Tomorrow is pick up for packets for week 9 work, and 10 fun activities. All student assignments to be graded for this trimester 3, must be to teachers by June 3rd. If your student applied for an AVID, Peer Helper, WEB, or Student Council position they can expect an email from the advisor this week with their status. Here is another friendly reminder that any library books from the BGMS library need to be turned in before June 1st. Please bring them by on Mondays. Thank you for your attention and goodbye.

Hello Fifth Grade Parents, Guardians, and Caregivers, This is Ms. Munguia, Principal of Baechtel Grove Middle School with two important dates this week. It is unfortunate that we will not be able to bring fifth grade students in for a visitation this year. We would still like to give you information about some of our programs. Mr. Olds, the Band Director at BGMS is holding an information session for you about students joining the sixth grade band for next year. That will be a Zoom meeting online. The meeting is scheduled for Tuesday night, May 19th, at 5:00 pm. Please email him at chrisolds@willitsunified.com, if you are interested, for a link to that meeting. I will be holding an information night for anyone interested in the AVID Elective for their student in sixth grade, as well. That meeting will be Wednesday, May 20th, at 5:00 pm, also on Zoom, and you can email me for that link mariadelosmunguia@willitsunified.com . Just a reminder that the application for both of these can be picked up tomorrow, Monday, from the BGMS library, from 8 to 4. If anyone is interested and does not have internet service, we would be happy to give you information over the phone. Please call the BGMS office and leave a message, please include your phone number. We look forward to having all of the fifth graders at BGMS next year. I want to assure parents that we will have a WEB program with 8th grade mentors, and there will be an orientation before the start of the next school year. Thank you for your attention and goodbye.

Due to Coronavirus (COVID-19), children who are eligible for free or reduced-price meals at school will get extra food benefits. These food benefits are called Pandemic EBT or P-EBT benefits. P-EBT benefits help families in California buy food when schools are closed because of the coronavirus emergency. Families will get up to $365 per eligible child on their P-EBT card to use on food and groceries. Families with children who get CalFresh, Medi-Cal or Foster Care benefits do not need to apply. Most will get their P-EBT card in the mail during the month of May. P-EBT cards will begin arriving around May 12, 2020.

Hello BGMS Parents, This is Ms. Munguia with information for this week. First there is a message from Tina at the Kids Club after school program. BG Kids Club is onsite M-W-F beginning Monday the 11th from 1:00-4:00 for parents/students to come pick up items, clothing and completed art projects that are at Kids Club Rm. 15. The pottery is beautiful and ready for you to pick up. We are offering a wide selection of fun games, puzzles and a variety of artsy materials. Applications for our 2020-21 year are available. We, at Kids Club, have missed each of you very much and know we were always in the background cheering you on with your new online education. If the days and times listed above do not work for you, please call me at 841-8013, Tina. Please remember that tomorrow all applications for WEB, AVID, Peer Helpers, and Student Body Officers have to be turned in to the BGMS library. If your student has an application and you cannot get it to us tomorrow, please call the school and leave a message. If students have Art to pick up, or masks from Ms. Haigounian’s classes, or items from Ms. Larson’s classes come to the library tomorrow between 8:00 am and 4:00 pm and we will help you get them. This is week 8 of distance learning, we have just one more week of work assignments, a week of fun assignments, and a week to catch up before final grades are given. Now is the time to make sure your student has all their work turned in. Next week, May 18th promotion and summer school notification letters go home. Don’t forget to bring in our library books. Thank you for your attention and goodbye.

New Shelter in Place Guidelines for Stage 2, now in place.

All middle and high school students need to understand that my message about moving up to the next grade level, means that you will go to the next grade. However, if you are not doing your work, you will be repeating those required classes and be credits short that you need to make up. Regardless of your grade credits are required to graduate. Reminder regarding graduation status! Those seniors who meet the state graduation requirements will receive diplomas. Those seniors who don't complete the coursework, we will continue to work with you even into July and August. We are only a few weeks away from the end of the school year, so now is the time to finish strong. June 5th is still currently the date of graduation The school district is going to wait until we have specific guidelines from the state or county health department that covers the time period of June 5th or beyond, prior to announcing any graduation plans. Mark Westerburg

It certainly appears that we will not be returning to normal classroom settings for the remainder of this school year. All school sites have made plans to continue with modified school instruction through the end of May. The first week of June will be used for students to turn in all assignments and for teachers to assign grades. All students will be moved to the next grade unless discussions about retention have already taken place. Although very unlikely- if it is possible before this school year ends to bring back a limited number of students, the District would consider the following: Brookside grade 2 only, Blosser Lane grade 5 only, BGMS grade 8 only and all seniors at WHS. In regards to graduation our preference is to wait it out, meet as a group and make it happen. As I have stated before, we can do it in August if necessary. I prefer this idea over a virtual ceremony. Middle school and high school campuses are planning to hold a summer school session from July 27th through August 14th. WUSD is willing to provide support to all other summer session programs which use our facilities so they may become operational. In regards to the governor's comments about starting school July 1st. There are more problems with that Idea than good. A major issue for a third of our students is transportation, can they get on the bus, with such a confined space we would have to limit buses to 12 students and this is a problem. Another large issue is the heat in July, only about 40% of our facilities have air conditioning and classrooms would be very warm. Along with this are summer jobs, summer school, cleaning facilities, adding 20+ days to teachers' work year, new teachers who won't be here yet, plus all the added cost for operations for a month and half. Although we are anxious to all be together again an early start is not the best plan. When all the students come back in August we will all work aggressively to get back on track. I commend all of our parents and staff for working through this situation, hang in there. My biggest concern in coming back together is the health of our adult staff, the impact from the virus can be harsh and we have a small number of substitutes available. The need to social distance even with a small group is very tough with young kids. If we do have to create A and B days for students to limit the exposure we will do so. Bus routes, siblings, teachers, children and creating off day work for students will be a challenge but we will do it if necessary. In conclusion, we are waiting it out and hopeful that summer will get us a little closer too normal. Our goals for Willits Unified are to finish the year in distance mode, have a graduation ceremony, provide whatever educational services we can in the summer and get ready for next school year. Mark Westerburg

Hello BGMS Parents, Guardians, and Caregivers, This is Ms. Munguia with information for this week. We are in week 7 of distance learning. We have only three more weeks of assignments that students need to complete this year. Week 7, Week 8, and Week 9. After Memorial Day there will be no new assignments just some fun activities that teachers will put together for students, and, of course, the last two weeks is time to turn in any missing assignments. The school year ends on June 4th. The week of May 18th we will be sending the next progress reports home. This will include the promotion status of the student, and a Summer School registration, if needed. Parents can email teachers if they want to join a Zoom meeting to ask the teacher questions. How to join a Zoom meeting is information that you will find in the BGMS Parent Recourses website at https://bgmsparentresources.weebly.com/. All students with internet should be attending their classroom Zoom meetings. They should log on within the first 15 minutes because teachers will close the meeting if no one attends, after a half hour. This is how they are getting help with the assignments, talking to teachers, and seeing their friends. The teacher always has something to show their students during a Zoom meeting. If students are interested in being in WEB, AVID, Peer Helpers, or Student Council Officers for next year, they have to pick up an application tomorrow from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm in front of the BGMS Library. Let me know if you cannot make it during this time and we will make other arrangements. Applications are due next Monday. This week is Teacher Appreciation Week. BGMS teachers have done an amazing job of transitioning to distance learning posting lessons, calling parents and students, supporting learning, and responding to needs. I am inviting all students to write a heartfelt card of appreciation for their teachers. They can be included in with their packets tomorrow, or they can hold them up during their Zoom classroom meeting this week. Bring any type of appreciation by school this week, we will make sure it is sanitized and that the teacher gets it. Don’t forget about the library books, bring them by on Monday. Thank you for your attention and goodbye.

Hello BGMS Parents, Guardians, and Caregivers, This is Ms. Munguia with some exciting news. Ms. Bravo has made a website of resources exclusively for you at https://bgmsparentresources.weebly.com/. These resources are in different places, but we wanted to put everything in one place so that you did not have to search. Distance Learning, Community, and more resources are all available. Tomorrow and Tuesday are the last two days for student pick-ups of items in the PE Lockers. Someone will be available from 12:00 noon to 4:00 pm at the locker rooms. All PE clothes not picked up will be used as loaners for next year. Thank you to everyone who has been dropping off the library books for BGMS. We still have many books checked out to students. Please bring them by every Monday from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. If students are struggling with on line work from any class, paper packets are available to them. We are available every Monday from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm for packet pick up and drop off. If students are having trouble doing their work, they can attend the teacher’s class meetings, on Zoom, or email the teacher. If you do not have internet access, call our office and leave a message. We will give the teacher a message to contact the student by phone. Please do not feel that you are alone, with no help, we are in this together. Thank you for your attention and goodbye.

Hello BGMS Parents, Guardians, and Caregivers, This is Ms. Munguia with another few items for your consideration. I am trying to not overwhelm you, but give you information that will make the at home learning more comfortable. This is a reminder to parents and students to check their Google Classroom stream for each class and their email on a daily basis, for online students, of course. We've found that only a few are doing so and it makes it difficult to provide assistance and/or feedback if students aren't attending the Zoom class meetings and only checking their emails and classroom once a week. All the teachers are reminding students of their Zoom classroom meetings in their Google classrooms. There are two things this week that students need to do, one is to turn in any BGMS library books that they may have at home. They can drop them off in the box outside of the library every Monday from 7:00 am to 4:00 pm. Also this week, 7th and 8th graders should come to school and take out everything that is in their PE lockers. Please drive up behind the gym, and the aides will help your child get their things out of the lockers in the locker rooms. There will be a list, and students will only be able to take things out of their own locker. Only the student needs to stand in line to go into the locker room. Please don’t forget to take the at home distance learning BGMS Parent Survey. The link is in the BGMS website in the live feed announcements. This week every parent or guardian should be receiving in the mail a progress check for their student of the first three weeks at least, of the distance learning. Included in the mailing will be a BGMS Newsletter and the email addresses for all teachers. Many parents have been asking for some way to know how many assignments their students are turning in, and if they are doing enough. The purpose of this progress check is to provide information to parents. Students doing packets, remember to bring in your week 4 work tomorrow and pick up week 5. Thank you for your attention and goodbye.

I have attached a link to the CENSUS 2020. It is very important for school funding to have an accurate census for the district. Federal funding inTitle Programs, food service and grant opportunities come from census data. It is very quick and easy to do. https://my2020census.gov/

UPDATED ZOOM SCHEDULE Parents and Guardians, Here is a copy of the Zoom Meeting Schedule. Each teacher is listed by grade level and period. If you have any questions please contact the office- 707-459-2417 and be sure to leave a message. These meetings are office hours and do not count for a grade. The Zoom Meetings are one of the ways that we are staying connected to our students. Missing your students, Ms. Erickson