VOLUME I, ISSUE 2 –SEPTEMBER, 2006 Academy Teachers Mrs. Armacost - Geometry, Rm #104 Room Phone: (858) 484-1300, x3014 Email: [email protected] Mrs. Ashton - Elective & Math, Rm #402 Room Phone: (858) 484-1300, x3042 Email: [email protected] Mr. Frost - 6th Grade Basic Ed, Rm #EB11 Cell Phone: (858) 243-8778 Email: [email protected] Ms. Garner-Paine - 7th Basic Ed, Rm #203 Cell Phone: (858) 472-9010 Email: [email protected] Mrs. Hudson - 7th/8th Math, Rm #808 Cell Phone: (858) 248-7931 Email: [email protected] Principal’s Welcome Letter! For those of you I have not had the pleasure of meeting yet, my name is David Hall. As most of you already know, I am coming back to BMMS after working in the San Dieguito Union High School District for the last ten years. Before leaving the district I was the assistant principal at BMMS. I am joined by two new faces who will be our Assistant Principals, Teresa Palzkill and Casey Curringan. We have enjoyed getting to know the students in the Academy’s program. The commitment they show to their education is evident every time we walk into a classroom. These students are living the pillars for success. teerism we require from our families. This commitment is vital to our success. When this partnership between the Academy and the families we serve is strong,, student achievement is also strengthened. All of us who are new to BMMS are committed to listening to and learning from the families who make up the Academy. Please remember your volunteer hours can be served through working with the PTSA or the Foundation. I am working with these groups to increase parent involvement with our school and to make sure we remain responsive to your ideas and concerns. I will be working with Mr. Moore to insure that we build on the success of the Academy. Our high expectations extend to us as profession- Mrs. Lorenz - 6th Math/Science, Rm #EB12 Cell Phone: (858) 442-1926 Email: [email protected] The importance of our parent commitment to the Academy is realized through the volun- Mrs. Menk - 8th Basic Ed, Rm #401 Cell Phone: (858) 248-2162 Email: [email protected] Back to School Night Mr. Moore - 7th Basic Ed, Rm #806 Cell Phone: (858) 243-8779 Email: [email protected] Miss Nolasco - 6th Math/Science, Rm#805 Cell Phone: (858) 243-8780 Email: [email protected] Mrs. Page - 6th/7th Science, Rm #810 Cell Phone: (858) 243-8777 Email: [email protected] Mr. Pillsbury - 6th Basic Ed, Rm #807 Cell Phone: (858) 243-8781 Email: [email protected] David Hall—BMMS Principal als. We are committed to improvement and making the Academy even more successful than it is currently. Your continued interest and support is necessary for this to happen. We had a smooth opening of school. Students and staff are very energetic and happy to be back. I am looking forward to a great year. David Hall, Principal Black Mountain Middle School Wednesday, September 6th @ 6pm is Back to School Night. This is MANDITORY ACADEMY EVENT. An adult representative, of every Academy student, must be present. Come and visit your student’s classrooms, meet their teachers, find out valuable information about course curriculum and classroom specific topics, and get to know their daily schedule and routine. Participate in question and answer sessions with teachers and sign up for teacher conferences. Please remember Back to School Night is an obligatory Academy event and provides an immeasurable opportunity for parents to learn what to expect this academic year. Thank you in advance for taking an active role in your student’s education in the Academy. Soar with us! INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Teacher List, Principal’s Welcome, Back To School Night 1 Mr. Moore’s Message, Weekly Schedule, Communication, Attendance Procedures 2 Volunteering, New Teachers 3 Nutrition Class, Carpools, Alternative Programs, Academy Calendar 4 PA GE 2 Mr. Moore’s Message ‘06-’07 Hello Academy Families, We are also attempting to It is great to be a part of the improve communication Academy team. I’m looking through this monthly newsforward to seeing you all at letter. Academy parent Laura Nagro has been inBack to School Night, on dispensable in making this September 6. happen. My roll, in The Academy, I would like to thank all of has changed this year. I you who have volunteered am still a 7th grade Basic during the summer and fall. Education teacher and have added the position of I can honestly say we have a wonderful group of parAcademy Administrative Coordinator. In this capac- ents who are motivated to meet their Academy comity, I hope to manage all of mitment. This publication our programs so teachers lists many of the ways you can focus on teaching. can participate as a volunteer. One of my goals is to improve communication with We also have a strong parents. I hope you have group of dedicated teachbeen receiving email from ers. We featured some of me. If not, contact me at [email protected] or the new ones in this newsletter. They are truly commy Academy cell phone mitted to providing your (858-243-8779). Dennis Moore— Academy Administrative Coordinator children with a special learning experience. I look forward to a wonderful year with you and your children Sincerely, Dennis Moore Communication Communication is a key “pillar and commitment” of the Academy. To review the Academy Commitments visit the following site: http://powayusd. sdcoe.k12.ca.us/pusdbmms/Academy/commitment.htm. Students and parents should be sure to contact teachers by Academy cell phone or email whenever needed. Their contact information is available on the cover of this newsletter, as well as on the Academy website teacher link: http://powayusd. sdcoe.k12.ca.us/pusdbmms/Academy/teacher_links.htm All Academy teachers use LearningPoint for grades and assignments. Please check this regularly as it is a significant communication tool. Have your student change their email in LearningPoint. There is a link on the BMMS website for LearningPoint and LearningPoint Parent Assistance. Check it out at: http://powayusd.sdcoe.k12.ca.us/pusdbmms/learningpoint.htm For general campus information go to - • BMMS website: http://powayusd.sdcoe.k12.ca.us/pusdbmms/default.htm. • BMMS PTSA Newsletter: http://www.powayusd.com/pusdbmms/pta/Newsletters.htm. • Academy website: http://powayusd.sdcoe.k12.ca.us/pusdbmms/Academy/default.htm. Weekly Schedule • Monday: 8:59 am – 3:30 pm (Our late start is due to teacher professional growth” time. This is a PUSD requirement. Students, who are dropped off early, go the gym for study hall). • Tuesday - Thursday: 7:40 am – 3:30 pm (2:30 pm—3:30 pm is PE) • Friday: 7:40 – 2:27 (No PE) Attendance Procedures When your child is absent, please call the attendance hotline at 484-1300 option 2 before 9:00 am each day the student is absent. A parent/guardian must make this call. Whenever possible, absences for medical visits should be cleared with a doctor/dentist note. Tardies: ·Students arriving late to school must come to the Attendance Office accompanied by a parent/guardian or with a note stating the reason for their tardy. Parents may excuse up to three tardies for personal reasons per semester. Tardies after this point will result in the student being assigned to after school detention. All tardies accompanied by a doctor/dentist note will be excused. Remember – Tardy students walking into class impact the learning environment for everyone. Please be on time. OCIS Contract: Should there be a planned absence of five days or more, please see the attendance assistant as soon as possible to set up a homework contract for the student. This contract allows the student to complete work that he/she would be doing if they were in class and helps the school to continue to receive funding from the state. A contract should also be used for extended illnesses, planned surgeries, etc. A minimum of 3 days is required to set up an OCIS Contract; a week’s notice is preferred. Home tutors may be appropriate for some extended medical problems. Please notify us as soon as possible if you feel your child may be eligible for such support. Early Release: If you need to pick your student up from school before the end of the school day, please send a note to the office before school on that morning, specifying the time you will pick them up, so that we can have them in the office waiting for you. If you determine during the day that you will need to pick up your child early, please, call (858) 484-1300 ext 3906 as soon as possible. This will prevent delays for you (such as trying to find your child while he/she is running cross-country) and will help us to minimize interruptions to the classroom learning environment. All students must be signed out in the office before departing early! VOL UME I , I SS U E 2 – SEP TEMBER, 20 06 ACADEMY VOLUNTEEERS Academy parents volunteering on campus must first sign in at the Front Desk with Marlene, - as do all volunteers at BMMS. Be sure to get a volunteer button or name tag to wear. This is just a safety precaution to identify any non-staff adult on campus. The office personnel deal with many parents daily, and they may or may not recognize you when you arrive, so please, do fill out your name and location in the Volunteer Binder each time you come. You must also sign out as well. You may log your time in either of two ways to get volunteer time credit for your student. Before you exit campus, write your hours of service on the sign-out sheet,- or you could fill out a yellow half sheet called Volunteer Record Slip and leave it with Marlene Lawless (Office Receptionist. Either way, we will credit your child with the time you devoted while at school. To volunteer on campus, a Volunteer Verification form must be completed. Volunteers on campus must also have a current TB test. Additionally, PUSD has two levels of volunteers for on-campus activities. For complete information go to the following site or obtain a copy from the office: www.poway usd.com/pusdbmms/pta. Also, be aware that if you attend PTSA meetings, participate as a coach in Science Olympiad, help out in the BMMS Library, Student Store, Equipment Check Out Room, or help with Academy PE, then these times count as well. Don't forget driving and chaperoning on field trips or even doing class clerical work at home count toward volunteer time! There are many valuable ways to support the Academy. We welcome anyone who wishes to surpass their mandatory 20 hours. It's a great partnership and we are glad to have you help! P AG E 3 VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES: • In class office tasks. (stapling, • Library helper (contact Janet Alkema ext. 3937). All Other BMMS activities – Student Store, lunch supervisor, and lunchtime equipment check out (11:10-12:42 Contact Marlene Lawless ext. 3900). • Looking up Lexile scores for classroom libraries of Academy teachers. filing, grading, copying, etc.) • PE aide from 2:30-3:30pm Monday – Thursday (supervising activities with PE teacher’s direction). See the PE schedule on the Academy website. • Field trip Chaperone (field trip info available soon). • • Fund raiser (Ivy League Night Auction, restaurant nights, etc.) Science Olympiad or Math Field Day volunteer or teacher (2:30-3:30). • • Special Events (4th of July celebration, etc.) Maintenance: Improving the learning environment (build cabinets, paint, etc.). • Newsletter • • Website helper • Career day presenter (20 min. presentations to classes of students during 9th per. 2:303:30pm). Carpool coordinator (keep list of carpools and are the contact for those who need to add or change carpool). • A Family may choose to make a monetary donation in lieu of volunteer time (10 hrs. maximum). We recommend a $10 per hour donation ($100 = 10 hrs.). • In class tutor (reading groups, math tutor, etc.) • Recycling supervisor (during school hours – collection by students. We also need a person with a truck to take collected recyclables to the recycling center.) Contact Dennis Moore for Volunteer information and sign-up: 858-243-8779 or at [email protected]. New Academy Teachers ~ Say Hello Mrs. Louise Armacost When Black Mountain Middle School first opened, I was a sophomore at a Louise Armacost — Academy Geometry brand new high school called Mt. Carmel! The high school wasn't quite ready to open that fall, so we attended BMMS on a double session schedule with the middle school students for the first six months. During high school I played volleyball, ran track, and was involved in student government. After graduation, I went on to earn a degree in education from San Diego State University. A teaching position brought me back to BMMS. I have taught here for over 20 years! This school has such a great group of dedicated, won- derful teachers and the most amazing students, that I can't imagine working anywhere else. I began by teaching both 7th and 8th grade Basic Ed classes before moving to the math department over 12 years ago. My husband is a teacher at Mesa Verde Middle School. We celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary last summer with a trip to New York and Boston. We have a daughter named Chelsey who is studying to be a teacher at Sonoma State University. She is on a basketball scholarship there. Go Seawolves! Our son Tyler is a senior at Rancho Bernardo. Tyler plays volleyball for the Broncos. His club team just took the bronze medal in the Junior Olympics in July. I am my children's biggest fan! I look forward to an incredible year at The Acacemy. BMMS has been my home away from home for many years. What a great place to teach and learn! Mrs. Arlene Ashton Hello Black Mountain Academy! My name is Arlene Ashton, and I am a new member of Arlene Ashton — the Math and Elective & Math Elective teams this year. I have been married for almost 10 years and have two beautiful sons, ages 4 and 7. We live within the district, and my older son attends one of our fine elementary schools. I was fortunate enough to stay home with my kids for 6 years. Before that, I had a brief career as a statistician and a counselor at a medical laboratory in Los Angeles. I am very excited to be teaching at The Academy and to return to Black Mountain Middle School after attending here as a student (many years ago) and as a student teacher (not so long ago). Alex Anella My name is Alex Anella. I am 21 years old and a senior at the University of San Diego. I am Alex Anella — majoring in Communication Student Teacher Studies with a media emphasis along with the Single Subject Teaching Credential Program in Math. I went through Poway schools, going to Midland Elementary, Twin Peaks Middle, and Poway High Schools. After I finish my semester of student teaching, I would like to become a middle school math teacher. I worked with Mrs. Jansci (BMMS - Math) this past spring and am now thrilled to be supporting The Academy in Mrs. Hudson’s 7th & 8th Grade Math and Mrs. Lorenz in 6th Grade Math. VOL UME I , I SS U E 2 – SEP TEMBER, 20 06 P AG E 4 Nutrition Class Carpools We are pleased to be offering a nutrition class to all Academy students this year. The six-week class will be taught by Mr. Frost as part of the Physical Education program. While other PE offerings are scheduled by request, nutrition will be mandatory for all students. Academy Families need Car pool Assistance: Students are traveling to our campus from all PUSD boundary areas. We established car pool groupings at our “Meet and Greet” for new students. We also have some carpools that have been established for the past two years (our 8th grade group). Mr. Moore has recently received emails from Academy families in need of carpools as follows: The class will focus on the importance of eating well, and will discuss the causes for the alarming escalation of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease rates in our country. Much emphasis will be placed on learning how to read nutritional labels and comparing the relative merits of different food choices, including those from fast food restaurants. Time will also be given to issues relating to bodyimage and eating disorders. • A current car pool of three Academy families, would like to add an additional family to drive every other week in the morning. They live by the Doubletree (Penasquitos Drive and Janal Way). • An Academy mother is looking for a carpool for her daughter. They live near the corner of Scripps Poway Parkway and Pomerado Rd. in Southwest Poway. Tutors & PUSD’s Alternative Programs Introducing… Alternative Programs which provides services, and resources to students and families throughout the Poway Unified School District. These programs include appropriate instructional strategies, sound curriculum, personal development activities, a strong partnership between home and school, and a systematic approach to prevention and early intervention. Utilizing a variety of strategies allows the opportunity to assist and support parents in planning for their child's unique talents and abilities to reach his/her greatest potential.....whatever it takes! Please access the links to find out more about Alternative Programs and to find an extensive tutor list: http://www.options4kids.com/ Also, below are Advanced Placement Students proven to be excellent tutors for nominal fees. Nazia Hossain Hm: 858-759-1897 / Cell: 858-504-9205 Christopher Skalka Hm: 858-484-7024 / Cell: 858-776-2593 If you need car pool assistance, can help with the above requests or would like additional information, please contact: Dennis Moore - 858-243-8779 or [email protected] Tahiya Sultan Hm: 858-733-1413 / [email protected] ACADEMY CALENDAR - September, 2006 MON TUE WED THUR FRI 1 BMMS Cookie Dough Fundraiser 4 5 LABOR DAY No School 11 Back to School 6 Night — 6pm 12 Pat & Oscars 13 7 8 14 15 20 21 22 27 28 29 Fundraiser (Crrml. Mtn.) Science Olympiad Meeting (2:30, Rm.701) 18 Cookie Dough 19 Orders Due 25 Picture Day Makeups (during PE) 26 Professional Growth Day - No School 9353 Oviedo Street San Diego, CA 92129 Ph: (858) 484-1300 Fx: (858) 538-9400 Looking Ahead … • Rest. Fundraiser10/3, Soup Plantation • Meet the Principal10/4, 10am, PCR • Coffee Concert 10/6, Band Room • Teacher Conferences10/30-10/31 Non-Student Days • Rest. Fundraiser11/8, Rubio’s • Veterans Day11/10, No School • Rest. Fundraiser12/12, Islands’ • Winter Break12/18-1/1 No School Mr. David Hall, Principal Mr. Dennis Moore, Program Coordinator Laura Nagro, Newsletter Editor Send Articles to: [email protected]