THE BVCS STAFF CONNECTION
Big Valley Christian School’s Information Night and Visitors’ Day is coming! Please pass the information on to your friends and family as they consider their options for the coming school year.
Information Night takes place on Wednesday, February 8 for 7-12 and TK - K.
Visit Day takes place on Thursday, February 9 from 8:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Interested families can see classes and daily activities in action, and 7-12 students can shadow for the morning. If you have students interested in shadowing, please have them call our 7-12 office at 209-571-4800.
Teachers - you'll be getting more information from your principal/director soon!
NEXT MANDATORY ALL STAFF MEETING:
January 17 All Staff starting at 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. in the Venue.
HOMECOMING JANUARY 27 - ALUMNI INVITED!
Do you know an alumni? Help us get the word out and invite any alumni you know to the BVCS Winter Homecoming!
BVCS DINNER & AUCTION:
BVCS Dinner & Auction is back, in-person, February 24, 2023! Spread the word, add it to your newsletters and join us for this exciting BVCS Impact Fund fundraiser. We are looking for sponsors, donations, and tickets are on sale now for full tables and individual tickets. We will have our Text2Bid silent auction February 20-24 and finish off the week with the in-person dinner and live auction at Kickin' Spur Ranch. Go to the link below to find out more and purchase your tickets or tables. We'd love your help to add staff experiences auction items. Our families love to bid on your fun experience items. If you have an idea or want to participate but need help thinking of what to do, contact auction@bvcs.org by February 7.
What is Rancho Santa Marta?
Rancho Santa Marta is a non-denominational Evangelical Christian Ministry for needy children in Mexico. Their Mission and Vision is to expand the reach of the Gospel in their region of Mexico by meeting the needs for these children-at-risk. They operate a school with 240 students as well as an orphanage. Their two foundational programs are a home for homeless, orphaned or abused children, and a kindergarten, elementary, junior high and high school with a special education mainstreaming program for children with learning disabilities.
DO-A-THON MISSION UPDATES:
We have finished the Do-A-Thon fundraising for BVCS Impact Fund but we haven't stopped "doing" things!
This week's highlight is the BVCS 3rd Grade classes and Rancho Santa Marta Orphanage in Mexico. Classes started out by learning about Mexico as a nation. They learned about their language, geography, and cultural practices. Mrs. Hernandez/Mrs. Ortez' class learned about the Rancho Santa Marta Orphanage and how they could help them. Mrs. Cook's class listened to mariachi music, and also learned about a Mexican holiday - Las Posadas - at Christmas. Before Christmas, all 3 classes teamed up to collect items to send with their check for 10% of their classes Do-A-Thon earnings. Paper, pencils, chalk, tennis balls and more as well as personal messages from the students. These items will be much appreciated at the Rancho Santa Marta Orphanage and Christian School! Join with these students as they continue to pray for Rancho Santa Marta throughout this school year.
Stay tuned for more class updates and our exciting opportunity to partner with the BVCS Junior High and High school classes as they get ready for their spring Serve Days.
TRACK & FIELD:
We are looking for track assistant coaches who can help with the different events in track and field; high jump, long jump, triple jump, hurdles, sprinting, long distance, throwing, etc. Please reach out to Sarah Beers, sarahbeers@bvcs.org, if you have any questions and what events you might be interested in helping with.
You don’t have to be an expert; we will train you. We are looking for people with a passion for sport, and to support and encourage youth in the Lord.
THE DANGERS OF SOCIAL MEDIA:
Our desire is to help inform every parent, preschool through 12th grade, about the dangers our children face in our broken world. Our next session will cover the topic of Social Media, starting at 6:00 p.m. in the Lions' Lair on Wednesday, January 25, 2023. We hope to see you then! Please mark your calendars for all the upcoming information sessions
THE BVCS JOB FAIR:
Do you know anyone interested in working at BVCS? Send them to the Job Fair! If you are interested in volunteering at this event, you can sign up on Helper Helper now!
DOOR REMINDERS:
Doors remain locked.
A child can open the classroom door for a child, but an adult must open the classroom door for an adult.
Doors cannot be propped open. No door stops!
If you are working with ONE student in your classroom, your door should be propped open. Once a second student arrives, the door needs to be closed/locked.
Thank you for considering safety over convenience at all times.
BVCS SICK POLICY REMINDER:
Stay home when you’re sick.
Return when you are 24-hours symptom -free (without the use of medication).
Consult the CDC if you have any other questions.
ABSENCES:
Please remember to complete a Discretionary Leave Request if you will not be able to work. That means if you are out sick, taking a day off, taking a professional day, are not able to be in your classroom because you are speaking in chapel, or other school-related business. This includes staff development days.
After you return please remember to complete an Absence Report. Those reports come directly to the Director of Operations so we can expedite them and your pay will reflect appropriately.
Discretionary Leave – BEFORE YOU GO. Everyone completes this form for a planned day off to receive approval. Your leave is not guaranteed.
Absence Report – AFTER YOU RETURN. Everyone completes this form after a planned or unplanned absence.
We want to give our staff an ongoing opportunity to provide feedback to leadership regarding decisions of the school, in an effort to promote a culture of participation and transparency.
If you have a question or comment and you're not sure who to ask, you can use our feedback form. You'll be contacted within a week of submission.
IMPORTANT DATES:
Jan 13 1st - 6th Progress Reports
Jan 16 No School - MLKJr Day (No ExCare)
Jan 17 TK - 12th Minimum Day
Jan 17 ACSI Spelling Bee 5th - 8th Grade
Jan 18 PS - 6th Chapel
Jan 23 Re-Enrollment Begins
Jan 27 HS Homecoming
Feb 4 BVCS Job Fair for the 2023-2024 school year
Feb 9 Preview Day
Feb 14 Open Enrollment Begins
Feb 14 ACSI Spelling Bee 1st - 4th Grade
Feb 17 TK - 12th Minimum Day
PHILOSOPHY OF CHRISTIAN EDUCATION:
For those of you who need to write your Philosophy of Christian Education for your ACSI credential, and would like some support in completing it, I will be hosting a 2-day workshop where we will be walking through the process. At the end of the two days, you'll have your paper written! Mark your calendars for Tues. and Wed. June 6 & 7, 2023 from 9:00 - 1:00 in the Lions' Lair (both days).
UPCOMING ACCREDITATION MANDATORY MEETINGS FOR *ALL STAFF:
Jan 17 All Staff 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. in the Venue
Feb 17 All Staff 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. in the Venue
April 6 All Staff 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. in the Venue
May 30 All Staff 9:00 - 11:30 a.m. in the Venue
*Hourly staff may need to miss some meetings due to office or Extended Care coverage. See your direct supervisor for details.
PASSWORD TO ACCESS THE STAFF CONNECTION ON OUR BIG VALLEY CHRISTIAN SCHOOL APP:
lions2021