BMS STAR - Week 18

Good Afternoon BMS Teachers and Staff,

We have a busy week full of learning and meaningful moments ahead!

Please review all the important information for the upcoming week. The instructional staff meeting on Wednesday is cancelled.

As you move through the week, remember to keep breathing. Pause when you need to, and take it one moment at a time.

Have a peaceful weekend.

#ALLIN!

V

Data reflects December 1-December 11.

Happy Friday, wonderful BSD2 educators.

While this date may seem like it’s in the distant future, it will be here before we know it! Friday, February 27, 2026 is our County-Wide Institute Day. Please review this document carefully for important information about County-Wide Institute Day. Please note that there are required action items for educators that are due on Friday, December 19th.

Wishing you a positive afternoon, and a restful weekend,

- The Teaching & Learning Team

Thank you for participating in today's Ugly Sweater Day! Here is the Google Form to vote.

Please submit your responses by 7:30 AM on Monday!

Also, some of the images wouldn't load and I had to take a screenshot for the form!

Happy Friday!

BMS has a busy week next week. Please look at some of the fun things happening next week from Sunshine and STAR.

Monday - Spirit Week Begins - Great To Be Green - Dress at the Grinch or wear green

• Secret Santa for those participating: First gift, around $5 is to be given today

Tuesday - Show Your Stripes - Wear Red and White, or dress like a candy cane

• Holiday Gathering at 2:15 in the cafeteria
• Potluck sign up
• White Elephant gift exchange, please bring a WRAPPED present.
• We also ask that you bring an electronic device, a cell phone or computer.

Wednesday - Holiday Hat Day - Santa hats, winter beanies, elf hats or reindeer antlers

• Secret Santa for those participating: 2nd gift around $5 is to be given today

Thursday - Merry, Bright, and Blingy - Let your spirit shine. Wear light up accessories or festive colors

Friday - Snowed In Pajama Day - Roll out of bed, holiday pajama day

• Secret Santa for those participating - Today your final gift is delivered. $15-20 gift.

You may reveal yourself or keep it a holiday mystery.

Any questions... Let us know!

• Holiday Gathering at 2:15 in the cafeteria
• Potluck sign up
• White Elephant gift exchange, please bring a WRAPPED present.
• We also ask that you bring an electronic device, a cell phone or computer.

Beginning February 2026, Elmhurst University will offer our staff a discounted tuition rate for their fully online ESL or Bilingual Endorsement program. This partnership provides a flexible, accessible pathway for those interested in strengthening their practice in order to better serve our multilingual learners.

A few key details:

• Program Format: Synchronous/ Asynchronous fully online cohort model
  
  

• Start Date: February 2, 2026
  
  

• Endorsements Offered: ESL or Bilingual
  
  

• Duration: Approximately 1–2 years, depending on pacing
  
  

• Tuition: Typically $540 per semester hour discounted to $380 per semester hour for BSD2 educators. BSD2 will reimburse educators up to 70% of tuition costs.

I am so excited about this opportunity, that I will be enrolling to complete my ESL endorsement. Please join me! Check out this flyer for more information.

If you are interested in earning your ESL or Bilingual Endorsement through Elmhurst University, please complete this short Google Form by Wednesday, December 17th. Additionally, you will need to complete the online application for admission to Elmhurst by Thursday, January 15th. The spring semester starts on Monday, February 2, 2026.

If you have questions about the program, please reach out to Amanda (Amy) Passmore at amanda.passmore@elmhurst.edu. For support with your application, please reach out to Carrie Ostergard at carrie.ostergard@elmhurst.edu.

Please take a moment to review the updates in Powerschool.

Field: 'Parent Contact, Yes, No, By Who, Date, Time'

• Issue: Staff would enter in the information, but after saving, it switched it to a short string of numbers.
• Investigation Finding: The data field type used was one that only accepts numbers.
• Solution: This data field type was changed to allow for text and numbers. FYI...there is a limit of 79 characters.

Field: Tier I / Tier II Interventions Attempted

• Issue: Staff were entering lengthy entries, but after saving, it only saved the first 79 characters.
• Investigation Finding: This is a limitation of Powerschool. The only field that allows for more than 79 characters is the log entry description box. All other text fields have a limit of 79 characters.
• Solution: Created separate fields for each tier ('Tier 1 Interventions Attempted' and 'Tier II Interventions Attempted') allowing for more text to be entered for interventions at each tier. Each will still have a 79 character limit.

Please let me know if you would like to host an activity for Wellness Day!

Sign up here!

As we welcome November, we also welcome a season of gratitude. This makes it the perfect time to launch our Those That Excel Award.

As part of our strategic plan, we are committed to hiring, retaining, and supporting exemplary staff. Recognizing those who serve as outstanding ambassadors of our district is an important part of that commitment. An ambassador of D2 is someone who represents excellence in their school and across the district. Nominees for the Those That Excel Award should truly embody the D2 Indicators of Excellence and must be nominated by their colleagues.

If you have someone in mind who reflects these qualities and would like information on how to nominate them, please click here. Nominations are due by February 13, 2026.

Additionally, if you are interested in serving on the Those That Excel Selection Committee, please click here to complete the interest form. The committee meets once to review nominations and select this year’s honorees.

And finally — mark your calendars! Award recipients will be announced at our End of the Year Recognition Event for all staff at White Pines on May 12th at 3:45 PM. It is always a wonderful celebration, and we hope to see you there!

Join us for our next PTO meeting. We meet in the cafeteria once a month and start promptly at 6:30 PM.

• President: Diana Medina
• Vice President: Marissa Jimenez
• Secretary: Mojca Anaya
• Treasurer: Michelle Juran

Our next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, January 8.

Check out the Fall Band Concert!

• December 12 - Churchville Charger Tournament

• December 13 - Churchville Charger Tournament

• December 14 - Churchville Charger Tournament

• December 15 - BMS Holiday Assembly (for Grade 2 & 4 Elementary Students) @ BMS

• December 15 - BMS Holiday Assembly (6-8 Band and Chorus) @ BMS

• December 17 - 4:00: BBB/C/D - Sandburg

  7th: Away

  8th: Home

• December 18 - 4:00: BBB/C/D - Jefferson

  7th: Home

  8th: Away

• December 20 - January 4 - Winter Break

• SY25-26 BSD2 Classroom Expectations and Guidelines
• BSD2 Dress Code
• BMS Go-To Contact List 2025-2026 (Live Document - still adding to it)
• BMS Referral Flowchart Revised August 2025.pdf
• 8.18.25 Institute Day
• 8.19.25 Institute Day
• Prioritizing Student and Staff Safety

• Grounding our Work in The Opportunity Myth

  • Slide deck

  • Three Levels of Text Protocol

  • 6 Word Summary Strategy

• Attendance and Absenteeism Policies, Procedures, and Expectations
• Student Handbook
• 2025-2026 Educational Support Personnel Handbook (7/25)
• Lunch Reflection Slides
• Part 2: Examining the Research– The Opportunity Makers
• Slide Deck
• The 4 C’s Text Protocol
• 3-2-1 and Headline summary activities
• Instructional Coaches - September Newsletter
• 9.10.25 Instructional Staff Meeting
• Log entry Slides 9.12.25
• Institute Day: Middle School Professional Learning 9/19/2025
• 10.7.25 Specialized PLC - Developmental Designs
• 10.22.25 SY25-26 PLC & SLO Midpoint Review Meeting
• BMS CICO Training 25-26
• 11.4.25 Specialized PLC - Developmental Designs
• eLearning & Report Card Follow-up
• 11.5.25 Instructional Staff Meeting
• 11.5.25 Staff Meeting Exit Ticket Follow-Up

All purchases, even small ones, should be submitted for purchasing by the District or school offices. Staff should not purchase items with their own funds. Reimbursement requests are generally not accepted any more.

Please know this is different than what you may be used to. We are not able to provide reimbursements moving forward. Thank you for your cooperation.

Schools will be available the first two Saturdays (August 16th and August 23rd) as well as the last two Saturdays of the school year (June 6th and June 13th). Teachers will have access from 7:30am-3:30pm.

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

Jacquelyn LeMon-Williamson, Assistant Principal

jlemon@bsd2.org

Kim Shaffer, Interim Assistant Principal

kshaffer@bsd2.org

Mary Hamilton, Students Services Coordinator

mhamilton@bsd2.org