Baechtel Grove Middle School

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

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.

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 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/

WUSD April 15, 2020 School Board Meeting Video https://youtu.be/dOmTXIUzBlU

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

This is the link to the BGMS Parent/Guardian Distance Learning Survey. We would like all of our Parents, Guardians, Caregivers, and any adult who is helping students with their work at home, to take this survey. Este es el enlace a la encuesta de aprendizaje a distancia para padres / tutores de BGMS. Nos gustaría que todos nuestros padres, tutores, cuidadores y cualquier adulto que esté ayudando a los estudiantes con su trabajo en casa, respondan esta encuesta. https://forms.gle/53C6vyc4Z1UByTQr8

Hello BGMS Parents, Guardians, and Caregivers, This is Ms. Munguia with announcements for this week. I hope that everyone had an enjoyable break last week with no additional assignments. From the Superintendent’s message, it is now evident that we will be in partnership with parents for at home learning for the rest of this school year, but hang in there we only have about seven weeks left in the school year, and we know that this will take additional supports for both students, and those helping them learn at home. We are receiving many ideas for supports from other districts in California. We want to know specifically what actions we can take to make the learning more comfortable and more effective at home. We are asking students and parents (including everyone who helps them learn at home) to take a survey to help us understand these needs. Students will be sent the survey to their email, tomorrow, and parents, guardians, and caregivers will be sent the link to their phones in a text message, tomorrow, as well, or they can access the survey through the link on our website. Families who pick up packets will be provided a paper copy of the survey. Teachers will continue to post assignments to their Google Classrooms by 10:00 am on Mondays, and packets can be picked up, and turned in, in the library, from 8:00am to 4:00 pm on Mondays. Please bring in week 4 and pick up week 5 tomorrow. We also would like you to return the library books on Mondays, just drop them off in the box in front of the office. We will post the Class Schedule of Zoom meetings on the BGMS website so that you know when students can meet with their classes (each one of them) to get help from the teacher. If you have questions call the main office and leave a message, or send me an email, mariadelosmunguia@willitsunified.com. Thank you for your attention and goodbye.

Hello BGMS Parents, Caregivers, and Guardians, This is Ms. Munguia with a clarification for Baechtel Grove Middle School. We are in week #3 of our at home learning. For our families who are working on paper packets, that packet of work does not have to be turned in until Monday, April 13th. For everyone, there are no additional assignments for next week. It is our Spring Break. Take the time to do something especially fun at home with your children. There are many suggestions at www.randomactsofkindness.org/, or learn how Google Classroom works with this YouTube video "Parent's Guide to Google Classroom." Students can also work on any work they have not completed for any teacher. The next week is week #4 and that work will be available on April 13th as well, for everyone. We appreciate the help that students have been receiving at home for their at home learning, and thank you in advance for the weeks to come. We hope you are safe, happy, and enjoy your week. Thank you or your attention and goodbye.

Willits Unified Schools has extended the Modified School period through Friday May 1st. All the Mendocino County Schools will be under this extension. We will be monitoring the situation. I look forward to returning to school as soon as it is safe for staff and students to be together.

Hello Parents, This is Ms. Munguia with announcements for this week. Parents are doing an amazing job of keeping students learning. We are moving into our third week of at home learning. Teachers will be posting their assignments in their Google Classrooms by 10:00 am on Monday. Teachers will also be providing face to face, meeting time for classes online this week. The teacher will invite their students through the Google classroom. Also on Monday we will be receiving completed packets and handing out week 3 packets, at the BGMS Library from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. This will only take place on Monday. Please have each teacher’s work stapled together, and the student’s name on each stapled group. After this week is our Spring Break. Teachers will not put out any additional work that week. It will be time for students to catch up with any week 1, 2 or 3 work that they might not have completed. Breakfast and lunch pick up, from 8 to 10 and 11 to 1, at Willits High School will continue during the week of spring break. Parents can still go to the parent portal and see how their students work is being graded. For Chromebook issues please email the director of technology at jennifermaples@willitsunified.com. It is very important that students continue to do the work they are given, to the best of their ability. We will not be learning at home forever. Continuing to learn, and practice what we know, while we are home, will keep students on course to be able to do the next grade level work. As usual, if you have questions, or a need, please call the BGMS office and leave a message. Thank you for your attention and goodbye.

Even in the midst of trying times like this, good things can still happen. Today we received the fourth new bus from grant funds. This is a huge savings to the district and has significantly upgraded our transportation department. Can’t wait for us to get back on the road.

This is a column that I posted in the Willits Weekly and Willits News.

Hello BGMS Parents, This is Ms. Munguia. We have completed one week of at home learning. You have done a tremendous job of keeping your students learning online, or with packets. It has not been easy for you, students, or teachers to learn our new system of learning. Thank you to those of you who gave us feedback. We will continue to refine our skills needed for this system. We have a lot of resources that are being sent to us from outside sources. I know that grading is a concern for everyone. As we move to week two, teachers will be talking to students about how they are grading. I will not call you on Sunday, but I will give you directions for continuing to week number 2 now. Those who are working online will have all work uploaded by 10:00 am on Monday morning. Remember to submit your work through Google Classroom, by today, and Friday of each week, unless you hear differently from your teacher. If you have paper packets, come on Monday to the BGMS Library, 8th grade from 9:00 am to 10:00 am, 7th grade from 10:00 am to 11:00 am, and 6th grade from 11:00 am to 12:00 am. We have to scatter you due to the social distancing requirement. Staple each teacher separately, you will put them in the teacher’s box. Go to your first period teacher’s box and in front of the box you will find all your teacher packets for week #2 clipped together under your name. There will be a staff member there to assist you. If there are any questions, please call the office, and leave a message. Again, these are challenging times, we will get through this sooner if we take care of each other. Thank you for picking up materials, and getting students online. We are committed to take care of their learning needs. Thank you for your attention and goodbye.