BMS STAR - Family Bulletin

Dear Blackhawk Middle School Families,

We are already into February, and it’s hard to believe how fast the school year is moving! This month brings exciting learning opportunities, celebrations, and important reminders for our students and families.

Join us in our BMS Kindness challenge and American Heart Association challenge taking place this month! Details are listed below.

Also, save the date for our Retro Kahoot Family Night PTO Event on March 7!

I look forward to seeing many of you during our Spring Conferences!

Thank you for your partnership. Please feel free to email me if you have any questions or celebrations!

#HawkHooray

#BlackhawkPride

Diana Vergara

Dear Blackhawk Middle School Families,

Spring Conferences will be held on February 21, 2025 from 8:30 AM - 3:30 PM. Teachers will not be available during lunch from 11:15 AM - 11:45 AM.

All parents are invited to attend Spring Conferences. Conferences will be held in person at Blackhawk Middle School with your child’s classroom teacher. Translation support is also available and can be requested online.

To make signing up for a conference easier, Blackhawk Middle School will use MyConferenceTime.com. Parents can sign up beginning on Monday, February 3 online using their computer or mobile device. Simply follow the instructions listed below.

To schedule your preferred time for a parent/teacher conference:

1. Go to www.myconferencetime.com/blackhawkms.

2. Choose your child’s grade level and select their classroom teacher.

3. Select the desired date/time for your conference by clicking on “Sign up.”

4. Submit the requested information.

If unable to attend in person, parents may contact their child’s teacher to inquire about virtual options.

Please contact the school office if you need assistance. Please sign up early for the best selection of times. The deadline to sign up is Monday, February 17. We look forward to seeing our Blackhawk Middle School families and students at Spring Conferences.

Blackhawk Middle School

Located in Bensenville, IL

Thank you for joining us as we support the American Heart Association! With the American Heart Challenge, we’ll raise funds and awareness for things like congenital heart defects, nutrition security, CPR training, mental well-being and more as we work to end heart disease and stroke.

Through your participation and support you're not only helping hearts in our community, but you're also helping those who need it most. Your donation will fund groundbreaking research and programs that literally keeps hearts beating and helps people have longer, healthier lives.

Thank you for helping us reach our goal!

“Give Kids a Smile Day”, is Friday, February 28, 2025. The event will be held at the Wheaton Dental Clinic location by appointment only.

Stay connected! Use the BSD2 website for more information about the strategic plan and information about Blackhawk Middle School!

The PowerSchool Parent Portal is an online system that will provide parents access to their students’ schedules, attendance, assignments and grades.

• Powerschool/Standards Based Grading Handout English
• English - Apple & Android Device Written Directions.pdf
• Powerschool/Standards Based Grading Handout Spanish
• Spanish - Apple & Android Device Written Directions.pdf

District 2 calls eLearning Days when closing schools due to extreme weather or other emergencies.

Emergency eLearning Days are not “snow days.” Even though buildings are closed, there’s still “school,” as instruction will continue remotely. Attendance will be taken, and students will be engaged in live instruction for the entire five-hour school day.

An eLearning Day counts as a regular school day, and does not require the District to use a built-in emergency day at the end of the school year.

Parents will be notified no later than 6 a.m. if the District is closing its schools and holding an eLearning Day. (No announcement means it will be a normal school day.)

What to do on an Emergency eLearning Day

Emergency eLearning Days will begin an hour later than the normal school day to provide teachers planning time to adjust their instruction for eLearning.

• Blackhawk Middle School: instruction begins at 8:50 a.m.
• Tioga & W.A. Johnson Schools: instruction begins at 9:40 a.m.

K-8 students should log into their Chromebooks that they already bring home daily, go to their Google Classrooms through their Classlink page, and join eLearning from the Google Meets link(s) posted there.

eLearning Day Parent FAQ

Join us for our next PTO meeting on Thursday, February 13! We meet in the cafeteria and start promptly at 6:30 pm. We have a lot of fun things we are planning out. Hope to see all of you there! Blackhawk PTO

Students Participating in Clubs

All students must have a permission slip on file for both before and after-school clubs. Students may walk home, be picked up, or take a late bus after clubs and activities. Buses are available for students whose clubs end at 4:00 PM and 4:30 PM. Students taking one of our late buses are expected to be home within 30 minutes of departure. It is important for your child to know their address to ensure drop off at the correct stop.

BSD2 now has a new technology system that allows an invoice to be generated for Chromebook repairs. We started issuing invoices on December 9. Take a moment to review the Chromebook Agreement from the first week of school.

Advisory lessons were provided for students the first week of school and the week of December 2.

Thank you for your collaboration.

Yearbooks are sold online. Click here to order. Blackhawk's order number is 8818. The softcover yearbook is $17 and the hardcover yearbook is $24. Students can also bring in cash or a check made out to Blackhawk Middle School. Students should see Mrs. Berardi for help with ordering. Yearbooks will be sold until March 31. Students will receive their yearbook in May.

February

• 2/11: Retirement Home Performance
• 2/17: President's Day - No School
• 2/18: February Band Concert at 6:30 pm (6/7/8 Band, Jazz Band) Information Sheet
• 2/20: Portillo's BMS Fundraiser
• 2/21: Spring Conferences - No School
• 2/22: IGSMA Solo & Ensemble Contest (select students only - see schedule here)
• 2/25: 8th Grade Promotion Picture Retakes
• 2/28: Teacher Institute Day - No School

You can translate this newsletter to any language! You can also change the size of the text and use a high contrast mode!

• If you are reading this on a computer, the feature is on the top right by the heading.
• If you are reading this on a phone, the feature is the round icon in the bottom right corner.

As pertussis (whooping cough) case activity has been rising nationally and locally, please see the attached DuPage County Health Department (DCHD) Pertussis Fact Sheet (also available here). Pertussis fact sheets in Spanish and Polish are also posted here: https://www.dupagehealth.org/237/Medical-Alerts-and-Fact-Sheets

District 2 prohibits sex discrimination in any education program or activity that it operates. Individuals may report concerns or questions to the Title IX Coordinator. The notice of nondiscrimination is located at https://www.bsd2.org/students-families/non-discrimination-title-ix-and-anti-harassment

Diana Vergara - Principal

dvergara@bsd2.org

Jamie Hogue, Assistant Principal

jhogue@bsd2.org

Jacquelyn Le-Mon, Assistant Principal

jlemon@bsd2.org

Mary Hamilton, Students Services Coordinator

mhamilton@bsd2.org