Mrs. Gonzalez's Weekly Update
October 4, 2026
Mrs. Gonzalez's Weekly Update
Hello Raider Families!
Another wonderful week is behind us, and we have a lot of exciting events and schedule shifts coming up as we enter October.
Reminder that this week is Parent-Teacher Conferences and we will have
minimum days with dismissal at 12:00 PM on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. Wednesday will follow our regular late-start time, dismissing at 2:35 PM.
We also have several fun opportunities to connect and support our school community! Stop by the front of the school near the MPR on Tuesday, October 6 from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM for our PTSA Handel's Ice Cream fundraiser. We encourage everyone to come out and support our school, and we appreciate your patience as lines form to grab a treat!
October 9th is our next Principal's Coffee. It is held virtually on MS Teams. Submit questions/or topics by Wednesday, October 7.
Encourage your students to finish up their Reflections submissions before the Thursday, October 15 deadline as well.
Additionally, mark your calendars for FallFest on Friday, October 23, a great night filled with games, delicious food, and fun activities that raise funds for our school.
October is Digital Citizenship Awareness Month, so we have included a Family Tech Planner inside this newsletter for your convenience. Last year we looked at student usage by the hour or random days. One big thing that stood out is student usage between the hours of 10pm and 4am. Students that were on were using a variety of platforms to chat with friends including Google Docs. Conversations and device locations with students from their families proved to be the most effective in limiting their usage at times when they should be sleeping and growing.
Attention 6th grade parents: Information regarding Camp Cuyamaca was sent home with students on Thursday, October 2, including all required forms. Please make sure to fill out and return the pink form by Thursday, October 15. Even if your child will not be attending, we still need the pink form returned with your child's name and a parent signature. Payment does not need to accompany the pink form, but because space is limited, we need these back promptly for planning purposes. We also sent an email with a link to our Camp Cuyamaca Newsletter, which answers most frequently asked questions. For your convenience, the link to the camp newsletter is also available on our school website under "Communication," where you can always find each weekly update and family newsletter.
Read on below for additional details and updates!
Your proud principal,
Bonnie Gonzalez
PUSD Artificial Intelligence Playbook
PTSA Fundraiser - Handel's Ice Cream, 10/6/26
Coffee with the Principal
We hope you’ll join Ms. Gonzalez for our next Virtual Principal Coffee on Friday, October 9, at 8:15 a.m.
This is a relaxed opportunity for families to connect with our principal, ask questions, share thoughts, and stay informed about what’s happening at Black Mountain Middle School. From time to time, our counselors and Assistant Principals may also join us as their schedules permit.
Have a question for Ms. Gonzalez? Please submit your questions by 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 7, so we can help make the most of our time together.
- RSVP: Click here to RSVP
- Submit a Question: Click here to submit your question
Once you RSVP, the meeting link will be emailed to you the afternoon before the Coffee.
We look forward to connecting with our BMMS families!
PUSD is Hiring for IA's and BI-IA's
🎃👻 EFBMMS ANNUAL FALL FEST IS COMING! 👻🎃
🎃👻 HEY, RAIDERS! FALL FEST IS ALMOST HERE! 👻🎃
Get ready for one of our favorite events of the year! The Black Mountain Middle School Annual Fall Fest & Auction is just around the corner, and we can't wait to bring our Raider families together for an evening of fall fun, food, games, and amazing auction items!
- 📅 Friday, October 23, 2026
- ⏰ 5:00–8:00 PM
- 📍 BMMS Quad
- 🎃 FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY!
We're packing the evening with activities and entertainment for everyone!
- 🏐 Dodgeball
- 🔫 Laser Tag
- 🏃 Inflatable Obstacle Course
- 📸 Photo Booth
- 🎉 Games, Activities & SO MUCH MORE!
🎟️ PRE-ORDER YOUR WRISTBANDS & FOOD!
Skip the lines and get ready for a night of fun! Pre-order your event wristbands and food today!
👉 PURCHASE WRISTBANDS & FOOD HERE
🛍️ THE FALL AUCTION GOES LIVE OCTOBER 16TH!
Our online Fall Auction is back, and you won't want to miss it! We've gathered some incredible donations from our generous community, with something for everyone—from hotel stays and unique experiences to everyone's favorite NeeDohs!
Our goal this year is to raise $25,000 to support educational and enrichment programs for our Raiders. Every bid helps us get closer to that goal!
Be sure to register now so you're ready to bid as soon as the auction opens!
👉 REGISTER FOR THE AUCTION HERE
🧡🖤 WE NEED OUR RAIDER COMMUNITY! 🖤🧡
An event this BIG takes a village, and we need YOUR help to make it happen! From running activity stations and helping with food to donating supplies and assisting with event setup, there are so many ways to get involved.
Whether you can volunteer your time, donate supplies, or lend a helping hand, every contribution makes a difference! Have a middle or high school student looking for volunteer hours? We'd LOVE their help! Fall Fest is a great opportunity to get involved, give back to the community, and earn volunteer hours. We'll happily sign off on volunteer hours for students who participate! Please encourage your students to join in—we can use all the helping hands we can get!
👉 SIGN UP TO VOLUNTEER OR DONATE HERE
🏪 HELP US SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESSES!
Do you own a small business, know a local business owner, or have a connection to a business that might be interested in supporting our Raiders?
We are looking for donations of gift cards, products, services, and experiences for our Fall Auction. It's a wonderful opportunity for local businesses to gain exposure to over 1,000 BMMS families who live, work, and shop right here in our San Diego community!
All donors will be recognized through event advertising, BMMS social media, and our Foundation website. We are also offering event sponsorship opportunities for businesses interested in additional visibility.
Please help us spread the word! Share this opportunity with your favorite local businesses (see attached letter), or connect them directly with us. We're happy to arrange donation pickups to make the process as easy as possible.
For donations or sponsorship opportunities, contact Missy Simon at efbmmsfallfest26@gmail.com.
🎃 LET'S MAKE THIS FALL FEST UNFORGETTABLE!
We are so grateful for our incredible BMMS community. These events would not be possible without the generosity, time, and enthusiasm of our Raider families and local businesses.
Bring your friends, invite your neighbors, get ready to bid, and join us for an amazing night!
🧡 THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING OUR RAIDERS! 🖤
We can't wait to see you there!
The Education Foundation for Black Mountain Middle School 🏴☠️
Donate Today to the Education Foundation at BMMS!
Donate Today to the Education Foundation at BMMS! https://educationfoundationbmms.com/donateefbmms Every $1 goes back into the school community.
Get Involved with the Education Foundation at Black Mountain Middle! The Education Foundation of Black Mountain Middle School (EFBMMS)’s vision is to empower teachers and students for a brighter future! We are a nonprofit that supports BMMS with educational and social emotional programs, mini grants for teachers, clubs like Robotics and Science Olympiad, Fall Fest, and more! We need volunteers for events and the Executive Board, contact us today!
Our next meeting is Tues, Oct 20 at 7pm! Want to come? Or have questions about EFBMMS?
Email Kari at efbmmspresident@gmail.com
🔎 Lost & Found: Is Your Child Missing Something?
Our Lost & Found collection is growing! We have everything from jackets, sweatshirts, clothing, and water bottles to glasses, earbuds, jewelry, key chains, and other small items.
Has your child lost something? Now is a great time to take a look!
👕 Clothing & Water Bottles: Have your child check the Lost & Found area outside.
👓 Glasses & Small Items: These items are being held in the Front Office near Mrs. Hunt’s desk.
And a friendly reminder: LABEL, LABEL, LABEL! 🏷️
Please label your child’s jackets, sweatshirts, water bottles, lunch items, glasses cases, and other belongings whenever possible. When we sort through Lost & Found and an item is labeled, we can do our best to reunite it with its rightful owner.
Items that remain unclaimed are periodically donated throughout the school year, so please encourage your child to check the Lost & Found regularly.
Take a look at the pictures below. Something may be waiting to make its way back home!
the little miscellaneous things, jewlery, keychains, ear pods
this collection continues to grow - glasses
jackets, clothing items, and waterbottles
BMMS T-Shirt Design Challenge for Jog-A-Thon
Deadline 10/9/26
Level Up - Jog-A-Thon Fundraiser
PTSA
Have you joined the PTSA?
We hit 200 members! Let's keep it going! Increasing our PTSA membership strengthens our school community. Make a difference- JOIN TODAY!
Reflections
Reflections is an art recognition program open to ANY student in grade 6, 7, or 8. Students create any original piece of artwork that represents this year's theme of "What My Culture Means to Me." The artwork can fall under the category of dance choreography, literature, photography, film production, music composition, or visual arts. There are so many creative students at BMMS. Bring it on and let's celebrate the arts! Entries are due October 15th.
Questions? Email ReflectionsBMMS@gmail.com
Reflections Deadline - 10/15
Click here for workshops and information.
Minimum Days, Students Released at 12pm
Parent Teacher Conference Days - 10/5, 10/6, 10/8 and 10/9
Weds. 10/7 - Regular Late Start, 9am, and Release 2:35pm
ASB Spirit Day 10/14 - Wear Pink
EFBMMS Spirit Wear
October
Filipino American History Month
10/05/26 - Minimum Day, Student Released at 12pm, Parent Teacher Conferences
10/06/26 - Minimum Day, Student Released at 12pm, Parent Teacher Conferences
10/06/26 - PTSA Fundraiser, Handel's Ice Cream, 12-1pm
10/07/26 - Regular, Late Start Wednesday, School begins at 9:00am, students released at 2:35pm
10/08/26 - Minimum Day, Student Released at 12pm, Parent Teacher Conferences
10/09/26 - Minimum Day, Student Released at 12pm, Parent Teacher Conferences
10/09/26 - Coffee with the Principal, MS TEAMS @ 8:15am
10/13/26 - Flag Football Game vs. OVMS @ 3:45pm
10/14/26 - ASB Spirit Day, Wear Pink! Show your support for Breast Cancer Awareness Month
10/16/26 - Breakfast of Champions - Electives
10/19/26 - ASES Basketball Informational Meeting, 3pm, Little Theater
10/20/26 - Orchestra/Choir Concert, 6pm
10/21/26 - School Site Council Meeting, 2:45pm
10/21/26 - All Bands Concert, 6pm
10/22/26 - Flag Football Game BMMS vs. OVMS @ 3:45pm
10/22/26 - Cross Country BMMS @ BHMS, 4pm
10/23/26 - Basketball try-outs, 3:15pm
10/23/26 - EFBMMS FALL FESTIVAL, 5pm-7:30pm
10/26/26-10/30/26 - Red Ribbon Week
10/26/26 - Red Ribbon Week - Wear Red and say no to drugs
10/27/26 - Red Ribbon Week - Wear sunglasses to "shade" away from drugs
10/28/26 - Wear Pj's or cozy clothing - dreaming of a drug free future
10/29/26 - Wear Video Game Gear and run with us (in the jog-a-thon)
10/29/26 - Jog-A-Thon
10/29/26 - Flag Football Game BMMS vs. BHMS @ 3:45pm
10/30/26 - Wear your Halloween costumer and say "BOO" to Drugs
10/30/26 - Cross Country BMMS @ Home, 4:00pm
10/31/26 - Halloween
*Subject to Change
