Sharkbytes Complete Newsletter

Walter Stiern Middle School

Sharkbytes Newsletter March 2012

MESSAGE FROM

JULIE SHORT, PRINCIPAL

As we begin the 2^nd Semester here at Stiern we are focusing on three key elements that have a direct impact on your student’s academic achievement.

1) The first element is attendance. Grade level standards are very demanding and if your student misses even one day of school, he/she could spend several days trying to complete the class work that was missed and understand any new concepts that may have been taught during their absence. If your student is ill, please call the school and keep him/her home. If the absence is for any other reason, do your best to avoid appointments scheduled during school hours. We appreciate all that you do to have your student here at school each and every day.

2) Behavior and following school and class rules. Class room behavior may be the number one cause of student’s not learning or achieving academic success. Even though continual talking, being out of the seat, sleeping in class, or refusal to participate in the instruction may seem like minor rule violations to you or your student, they become major obstacles for the teacher in the class room. These student behaviors require the teacher’s attention and eventually limit the teacher’s ability to affectively instruct the rest of the students in class. Please spend time talking with your student about their responsibility to follow the rules so that everyone has the same opportunity to get a quality education. Those individuals that continually impede the education of other students in the class room are subject to removal from the class room and suspension.

3) Failure to pay attention in class, failure to complete class work and homework, and failure to participate in the learning harm the student’s chances of a quality education and future opportunities. I cannot stress enough the limitations your student may be placing on themselves educationally when they decide not to participate in class room learning activities. If your student is bored, ask them what they did in class. Ask your student if he/she raised their hand, asked questions, completed their assignments, or took an exam. If you begin to ask them daily what they are doing in school and they never have anything new to say, your student is probably not putting the required effort into his/her studies.

This lack of effort will only become critical when your student is nearing graduation of 8^th grade or high school. Do not wait until then to address these issues. It will be too late.

We are about 40 instructional days away from your student taking the annual California Standards Test (CST). You, your student, and the staff here at Stiern need to continue to work together so that your student has the best possible chance for academic success.

Thank you for your continued dedication to your student’s future.

From the Desk of Irma Gomez,

Community Relations Liaison

631-5480

Parent Institute for Quality Education (PIQE) Classes at Stiern. 6:00 p.m. -7:30 p.m. These workshops are offered at no cost to parents or guardians. Free child care provided.

Mar. 7 - Understanding the Importance of Middle School as a Bridge to High School.

Mar., 14 – Preparing to Meet the University Admission Requirements.

Mar. 21 – School Counselor go over Student Transcripts and College Representative.

Mar. 28 – Graduation, 6:00 p.m. in Cafeteria.

free parenting workshops are being held @ BCSD Education Center, 1300 Baker St. :

Texting and other electronic toys / March 10. 2012

Discipline Series – Raising Self-Reliant Children/Parent Essentials – March 1 – March 29, 6-8:30 p.m.

Electronic Cyber bullying / April 21, 2012

Contact Parent Involvement Program at 631-4763 to register. Free child care provided.

Free English Classes for parents:

P.M classes Start October 11, 2011 thru May 10, 2012

Tuesday and Thursday

Mt. Vernon School 5:00 – 7:30 p.m.

Sierra School 5:00 – 7:30 p.m.

Evergreen School 5:00 – 7:30 p.m.

McKinley School 5:00 -7:30 p.m.

Thursday

Jefferson School 5:00- 7:30 p.m.

Saturday

Pauly School 8:30 – 11:30 a.m.

For more information please call 631-3139 and ask for Ana Sanchez from CBET.

Walter Stiern is going to have Saturday School this year! Small classes, hands-on learning- fun, fun, fun!!

When? March 24, April 14, April 21

7:30 Breakfast

8:00 Class starts

11:30 Class ends

Where? Right here at Stiern. Buses will make the following stops:

Route #1

Stop: Departs: Returns:

Jefferson School 7:20 12:25

Williams School 7:25 12:20

Palm & Monterey 7:30 12:15

Arrives at Stiern 7:40

Route #2:

Stop:

Mt.Vernon/Quincy 7:20 12:25

Horace Mann Ave.

& Horace Mann Ct. 7:25 12:20

Hilburn & Caliente 7:30 12:15

Arrive at Stiern 7:40

Buses will leave Stiern at 12:05 and drop off in reverse order (Returns).

Why? It will help you get ready for the upcoming CST’s, and it will be fun! There will be prizes given out the last Saturday for attendance and a pizza party, as well!

ACADEMIC BOOT CAMP

Stiern will be offering an after-school Academic Boot Camp beginning Monday, March 26. It will operate from 2:00 – 3:00 p.m., Monday through Thursday each week through April 23. An after-school bus will be available for regular bus riders. This Boot Camp will assist our students in improving their test taking skills by receiving intense tutoring and instruction. Fill out, sign, and return the After School Student Contract which has been sent home.

Whooping cough (pertussis) has been widespread in California. Many students have had to miss school because they were sick.

To help protect your children and others from whooping cough, as of July 2011 a new California law requires students to be vaccinated against whooping cough.

All students entering 7^th grade will need proof of an adolescent whooping cough booster shot (called “Tdap”) before starting school in August 2012.

By law, students who do not have proof of receiving a Tdap booster shot will not be able to start school until proof is provided to the school. (The tetanus-diphtheria booster shot, [called “Td”], will not meet the requirement.)

We want to make sure your student starts school on time:

1. Get your child’s Tdap shot and bring proof to your child’s school office now. A large number of students must receive a Tdap shot between now and the start of school next year. Make an appointment with your child’s doctor or clinic for your child to get a Tdap booster shot now. Avoid the back-to-school rush.

2. Save your proof of immunization. Be sure to keep the written proof of your child’s Tdap booster shot in a safe place.

Getting the adolescent whooping cough shot now will not only help protect your child against the ongoing threat of whooping cough but will also meet the new school requirement.

If you have any questions, please contact the school office.

LATE START DAYS

THERE WILL BE A TWO HOUR (2 HOUR) DELAY FOR START OF SCHOOL ON THE FOLLOWING DAYS:

MARCH 22

MAY 17

BUSES WILL RUN TWO HOURS (2 HOURS) LATER FROM THEIR REGULAR MORNING SCHEDULE. BREAKFAST WILL NOT BE SERVED ON THESE LATE START DAYS. SCHOOL DISMISSAL TIMES WILL REMAIN THE SAME

8^TH GRADE GRADUATION

MAGIC MOUNTAIN TRIP

SATURDAY MAY 12, 2012

8 A.M. – 8 P.M.

$65.00

Eligibility for participation includes the following:

· Limited to the FIRST 150 8^th grade students that are GRADUATING and ELIGIBLE TO WALK across the stage

· $20 holds your spot

· Must be paid in full by May 1, 2012

· Price includes: transportation, park entrance fee, and lunch

· Buy your ticket at the Student Store during your lunch period

· NO SUSPENSIONS MARCH 1 – MAY 11, 2012

· Leaving Stiern at 8:30 a.m. (student to be at Stiern by 8:00 a.m.)

· Leaving Magic Mountain at 6:30 p.m.

· Return to Stiern at 8:00 p.m.

Payment to be made at the student store anytime the store is open (generally Monday, Wednesday, and Friday). The $65 charge includes transportation, admission to the park, and a meal voucher that can be redeemed at several restaurants around the park. Space is limited to the first 100 8^th grade students that qualify and make all payments. A waiting list will be maintained as there are several students each year that drop out for one reason or another.

This 8^th grade trip is ONLY for students that are on course to graduate. If a student is not going to walk across the stage, he/she cannot go to Magic Mountain.

FREE Children’s Immunization Clinic

San Joaquin Community Hospital will be offering FREE Childhood Immunizations for children against vaccine preventable diseases at the following sites for the month of March 2012:

Sports Authority – Monday. Mar. 5, 4821 Ming Ave. (parking lot) Bakersfield from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm

Walgreens – Wednesday, Mar. 7, 40 Chester Ave. (parking lot), Bakersfield, from 9:00 a.m. – 2:oo p.m.

Canyon Hills Church at The Summit – Thursday, Mar. 8, 7100 Auburn St. (parking lot), Bakersfield, from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm

Wal-Mart – Tuesday, Mar. 13, 8400 Rosedale Hwy (parking lot) Bakersfield, from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm

Kern Co. Dept. of Human Services - Wednesday, Mar. 14, 100 E. California Ave. (parking lot) Bakersfield, 9:00 am to 2:00 pm

Vallarta Super Market – Monday, Mar. 19, 2705 So. H Street (Parking Lot), Bakersfield

from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm

Greenfield Family Resource Center – Tuesday, Mar. 20, 5400 Monitor Street (parking lot), Bakersfield from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm

San Joaquin Community Hospital – Wednesday, Mar. 21, 2801 Chester Ave. (parking lot), Bakersfield from 1:00 pm to 6:00 pm

N O R Sears Park – Monday, MR. 26,

444 Norris Rd (parking lot), Bakersfield

from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm

Vallarta Super Market – Wednesday, Mar. 28 , 5951 Niles St (parking lot), Bakersfield

From 9:00 am to 2:00 pm

ACCESS TEXTBOOKS ON-LINE!

If you have access to a computer, you or your student can log in under the generic username (below) and password (below) to access and print any items from their Holt materials (textbooks and workbooks) for English, Math, History and Science. If your student loses their practice book they can print the pages, or if absent, parents can call Stiern and ask for the page numbers and log on to Holt On-line to access them:

Website is: http://my.hrw.com

6^th grade username: 6shark

7^th grade username: 7shark

8^th grade username: 8shark

All passwords are shark

SCHOOL SITE COUNCIL MINUTES ARE POSTED ON OUR WEBSITE IN BOTH ENGLISH AND SPANISH. CHECK THEM OUT AT http://schools.bcsd.com/stiern/index.htm

District Attendance Policies

We are required to record any/all minutes your student does not attend school. Please be aware this will affect your student’s perfect attendance. It is now even more important that you schedule appointments (doctor, dentist, etc.) for after school. Thank you for your help and cooperation regarding your student’s attendance.

24 hour Attendance Line 631-3240.

You have 5 days to clear your child’s absence.

Please remember to call and clear your student’s absence. Absences not cleared will be marked as unexcused

INDEPENDENT STUDY PACKETS

PARENTS: If you are planning to have your student out of school for 5 or more consecutive days, we can put together study packets for student use during their absence. Your student will receive academic credit as well as attendance credit. The study packets also apply if your student is out on medical leave or ill for an extended period of 5 or more consecutive days. Contact our Academic Coach, Ana Rivera, at 631-5480 a few days prior to your child’s extended absence to obtain an Independent Study Packet.

2011-2012 YEARBOOKS!

To order a yearbook(s) for your student(s), please complete and return the enclosed Yearbook Order Form. The cost is $35.00, and the yearbooks are in full color! No checks accepted, cash or money order only. Payments can be made to front office or Kendall Marshall, room 608. All preorders must be made by March 16. No yearbooks will be sold after the preorder date. If there are any yearbooks left over in May, they will be first come, first sold

SCHOOL CALENDAR

Mar. 6 - DAC Meeting-Ed. Center

Mar. 8 - School Site Council Meeting

2:10 p.m. Stiern Library

Mar. 8 - Band & Orchestra Standards

Festival @ CSUB 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

Mar. 8 - Emerson @ Stiern-Boys & Girls

Softball

Mar. 9-30 – Jog-A-Thon Fund Raiser

Mar. 13 – RAC Meeting – Ed. Center

Mar. 14 – Math Bowl

Mar. 14 – Curran @ Stiern

Mar. 16 – Payment for Yearbook pre-

orders due.

Mar. 16 – Regional Track Meet @ Stiern

Mar. 19 – Stiern @ Sequoia

Mar. 22 – LATE START DAY

Mar. 22 – Henry Greve Speech Contest

Mar. 24 – Saturday School

Mar. 26 – Academic Boot Camp Begins

Mar. 26 – Compton @ Stiern

Mar. 30 – Report Cards go home

Apr. 2-9 – Spring Break

Apr. 10 – SCHOOL RESUMES

Apr. 12 – Chipman @ Stiern

2012 YEARBOOK ORDER FORM

NAME: __________________________ ADVISORY_______________

2011-2012

Stiern Yearbook

$35.00

When you purchase your 2012 Yearbook before February 3, 2012, your name will be printed on the cover

SIGNATURE_____________________

DATE______________

February 2012

MESSAGE FROM

JULIE SHORT, PRINCIPAL

Dear Parents:

Resources

As your student begins the second semester of the school year please keep in mind that your support at home for your student is critical to their ongoing academic achievement. Stiern provides many resources for both parents and students to assist their achievement in all academic areas. We have after school tutoring, clubs, and sports as well as intervention programs for your students. We have numerous Parent Involvement activities and instructional programs for parents as well. This newsletter will outline some of those services for you. If you have access to the Internet, you can also utilize our School and District websites to locate additional information on all of the services we offer. Our school’s website address is http://schools.bcsd.com/stiern and our District’s website is http://bcsd.com. It is our hope here at Stiern that every child will be successful and look forward to school each and every day.

Academic Planning and Growth

Our school updates the Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA) each year in the fall. School Site Council advises this process. This plan describes our schools academic history, our goals, and the action steps we will take to achieve those goals. We have five areas of focus which include, Reading/Language Arts, Mathematics, English Language Development for English Learners, Parent Involvement, and Safe School Learning Environment. Should you wish to review a copy of our SPSA, please contact Jan Smith at 631-5480 to request one. Thank you.

Parent Involvement

We know that most of our Stiern students are working very hard to pay attention in class, complete class work and homework, and ask questions when they need assistance. We have many dedicated students and committed parents. This is a time of year where students tend to become more interested in social activities and less interested in school work. We need your help in continuing to support education as the number one priority with your student(s). Try to:

Have a quiet and safe area for your student to complete homework and class assignments each evening.
Call the school and ask to speak to a teacher if you have a question or concern about the class work or your student’s performance.
Reinforce at home that school comes first before social activities.
Ask questions about what your student has learned each day.
Offer assistance with class assignments or call the school and request tutoring if you notice your student falling behind.

Our students will not learn if they do not put forth effort in their studies. Our students will not learn if they pay more attention to their peers than they do their parents and their teachers. Together we can meet their needs academically and help them achieve the success they require in order to later move on to high school and beyond. Thank you for your continuing efforts in partnering with our school. There is nothing better than seeing a student smile because they feel good about their achievements.

Thank you.

FOGGY DAYS

During the winter months the valley fog sets in. Please watch your local news for information regarding Bakersfield City School District transportation delays or log on to Kern County Superintendent’s web page at http://alertline.kern.org.

Stiern’s office staff does not answer phones until 7:00 a.m.

Remember that the fog delay only effects bus riders.

From the Desk of Irma Gomez,

Community Relations Liaison

631-5480

Patent Institute for Quality Education (PIQE) Classes at Stiern. 6:00 p.m. in the Cafeteria. These workshops are offered at no cost to parents or guardians. Free child care provided:

Feb. 1 - Planning Session

Feb. 8 - Supporting the Academic Achievement of Adolescents through their Changes

Feb. 15 – Connecting Academic Success and Positive Self-Esteem

Feb. 22 – Overcoming Obstacles to School Success.

Feb. 29 – Motivating Teenagers to Read

Mar. 7 - Understanding the Importance of Middle School as a Bridge to High School

free parenting workshops are being held @ BCSD Education Center, 1300 Baker St. :

Texting and other electronic toys / March 10. 2012

Discipline Series – Raising Self-Reliant Children/Parent Essentials – March 1 – March 29, 6-8:30 p.m.

Electronic Cyber bullying / April 21, 2012

Contact Parent Involvement Program at 631-4763 to register. Free child care provided.

Free English Classes for parents:

P.M classes Start October 11, 2011 thru May 10, 2012

Tuesday and Thursday

Mt. Vernon School 5:00 – 7:30 p.m.

Sierra School 5:00 – 7:30 p.m.

Evergreen School 5:00 – 7:30 p.m.

McKinley School 5:00 -7:30 p.m.

Thursday

Jefferson School 5:00- 7:30 p.m.

Saturday

Pauly School 8:30 – 11:30 a.m.

For more information please call 631-3139 and ask for Ana Sanchez from CBET

LATE START DAYS

THERE WILL BE A TWO HOUR (2 HOUR) DELAY FOR START OF SCHOOL ON THE FOLLOWING DAYS:

FEBRUARY 23

MARCH 22

MAY 17

BUSES WILL RUN TWO HOURS (2 HOURS) LATER FROM THEIR REGULAR MORNING SCHEDULE. BREAKFAST WILL NOT BE SERVED ON THESE LATE START DAYS. SCHOOL DISMISSAL TIMES WILL REMAIN THE SAME

SPRING PHOTOS

Spring photos will be taken on Friday, February 24.

Mark your calendars!

SHARK SHOUT OUTS!!

CONGRATULATIONS to Coach Kendall Marshall and Karina Salazar, Selena Paiz, Ismael Garcia, Spencer Hardin and Stephen Marve for placing 3^rd in the Verse Choir category; Natalie Ruiz 3^rd in Humorous Interpretation Solo; Ruthie Zarate and Genaro Iniguez 4^th in Humorous Interpretation Duo at the Oral Language Festival. All will compete in the County Level Feb. 25.

FREE Children’s Immunization Clinic

San Joaquin Community Hospital will be offering FREE Childhood Immunizations for children against vaccine preventable diseases at the following sites for the month of February 2012::

Sports Authority – Monday. Feb. 6, 4821 Ming Ave. (parking lot) Bakersfield from 9:am to 2:00 pm

Kern Co. Dept. of Human Services - Wednesday, Feb. 8, 100 E. California Ave. (parking lot) Bakersfield, 9:00 am to 2:00 pm

Canyon Hills Church at The Summit – Thursday, Feb. 9, 7100 Auburn St. (parking lot), Bakersfield, from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm

Wal-Mart – Tuesday, Feb. 14, 8400 Rosedale Hwy (parking lot) Bakersfield, frm 9:00 am to 2:00 pm

San Joaquin Community Hospital – Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2801 Chester Ave. (parking lot), Bakersfield from 1:00 pm to 6:00 pm

Vallarta Super Market – Monday, Feb. 20, 2705 So. H Street (Parking Lot), Bakersfield

from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm

Greenfield Family Resource Center – Tuesday, Feb. 21, 5400 Monitor Street (parking lot), Bakersfield from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm

Apple Market – Thursday, Feb. 23, 9710 Main St. (parking lot) Lamont 9:30 am to 2:30 pm

N O R Sears Park – Monday, Feb. 27,

444 Norris Rd (parking lot), Bakersfield

from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm

Vallarta Super Market – Wednesday, Feb. 29 , 5951 Niles St (parking lot), Bakersfield

From 9:00 am to 2:00 pm

ACCESS TEXTBOOKS ON-LINE!

If you have access to a computer, you or your student can log in under the generic username (below) and password (below) to access and print any items from their Holt materials (textbooks and workbooks) for English, Math, History and Science. If your student loses their practice book they can print the pages, of if absent, parents can call Stiern and ask for the page numbers and log on to Holt On-line to access them:

Website is: http://my.hrw.com

6^th grade username: 6shark

7^th grade username: 7shark

8^th grade username: 8shark

All passwords are shark

SCHOOL SITE COUNCIL MINUTES ARE POSTED ON OUR WEBSITE IN BOTH ENGLISH AND SPANISH. CHECK THEM OUT AT http://schools.bcsd.com/stiern/index.htm

District Attendance Policies

24 hour Attendance Line 631-3240.

You have 5 days to clear your child’s absence.

Please remember to call and clear your student’s absence. Absences not cleared will be marked as unexcused

INDEPENDENT STUDY PACKETS

2011-2012 YEARBOOKS!

To order a yearbook(s) for your student(s), please complete and return the enclosed Yearbook Order Form. We will accept “Early Bird” yearbook orders that include free name imprinting through Feb. 3, 2012. The cost is $35.00, and the yearbooks are in full color! No checks accepted, cash or money order only. Payments must be made to the Student Store.

SCHOOL CALENDAR

Feb. 2 - Booster Club Meeting 2-3 p.m.

Feb. 6 – Sierra @ Stiern

Feb. 7 - DAC meeting – Ed Center;

noon-1:15 pm

Feb. 8 - DELAC Meeting – Ed Center

9-11 a.m.

Feb. 8 - PIQE Class 6 pm Stiern Cafeteria

Feb. 9 - Sch. Site Council Meeting

2:10 p.m. Stiern Library

Feb. 13 – LINCOLN DAY – NO SCHOOL

Feb. 15 – PIQE Class 6 p.m. Stiern Cafeteria

Feb. 16 – 6^th Grade Awards Assembly 8:10 am; 7^th Grade Awards Assembly 9:10 am

Feb. 17 – 8^th Grade Awards Assembly 8:10 am

Feb. 17 – Sweetheart Dance

Feb. 20 – WASHINGTON DAY – NO SCHOOL

Feb. 21 – RAC Meeting – Ed Center 6-7:30 pm

Feb 22 – PIQE Class 6 pm Stiern Cafeteria

Feb. 23 – LATE START DAY

Feb. 24 – Spring Photos

Feb. 25 – Kern Co. Oral Language Festival –

Norris Middle School

Feb. 29 – PIQE Class 6 pm Stiern Cafeteria

Mar. 1 – Booster Club Meeting 2-3 p.m.

Mar. 7 – PIQE Class 6 pm Stiern Cafeteria

Mar. 8 – BCSD Band & Orchestra Standards

Festival – CSUB

Mar. 14 – Math Bowl

2012 YEARBOOK ORDER FORM

NAME: __________________________ ADVISORY_______________

2011-2012

Stiern Yearbook

$35.00

When you purchase your 2012 Yearbook before February 3, 2012, your name will be printed on the cover

SIGNATURE_____________________

DATE______________

December 2011

MESSAGE FROM

JULIE SHORT, PRINCIPAL

Dear Parents:

Thank you for participating in November’s Parent Conferences.

This year we had over 500 parents’ attend the conferences. I hope that the meetings with your child’s teachers were positive and productive. As always, we work toward building a solid relationship between school and home so that all student’s have the best opportunity for academic success. Please know that a conference with one of your student’s teachers does not need to be limited to once a year. You are welcome to contact the school and speak with your child’s teachers when you have a question or a concern about your child’s education.

Williams Uniform Complaint Procedures

The District investigates and resolves complaints that are formally filed through the Williams Uniform Complaint Process. The majority of the complaints come from two categories; insufficient textbooks and facilities. If you are interested in additional information regarding the Uniform Complaint Procedures, please go to the BCSD Webpage at www.bcsd.com. You can view Student Services and Board Policy.

YOU ARE INVITED TO WALK THE CAMPUS WITH ME

As I continue to hear both positive and negative comments about Stiern, our programs, and our instructional practices, I wish to extend an invitation to parents and community members to visit our wonderful school. I want to share with you the excellent teachers and support staff Stiern employs. I hope to show you many aspects of our school that are often unnoticed or disregarded but which play a vital role in our schools ongoing success.

If you are interested in seeing the inside workings of a public school campus and not just observe it on a television or movie screen, please contact the school office and request to walk the campus with me. I will be scheduling two such walks a month to share with parents and community members the many aspects of public education from instruction in the classrooms, providing meals to over 1, 300 students daily, supervising students during recess/ lunch /passing periods/ before and after school, providing first aid, investigating violations of school rules and applying consequences, teaching students social skills and appropriate behaviors in a public setting and making sure that students are provided with the absolute best public education any school in Bakersfield offers. I look forward to meeting you and walking with you.

As the winter holiday fast approaches, I want to wish you and your family a safe and happy holiday season. I am looking forward to seeing you here for our Winter Concert December 21st at 7:00PM in our Multi-purpose room. Thank you for your continued involvement with your child and your support of Walter Stiern Middle School.

THE POWER OF CHOICE

Does your child react negatively to your requests? Do they ignore you, talk back, or do the complete opposite of what you ask? Giving them choices may assist in easing some of the negativity you may face. The Setting Limits in the Classroom book by MacKenzie and Stanzione give teachers a proven valuable strategy for allowing students to take responsibility for their actions by making the correct choices.

This strategy can be applied to parenting as well. The first thing to assess is the way you get your child to do what you want them to do: do you make demands? Do you make requests that aren’t whole-hearted? The most effective way to get children to do what we want is by taking a democratic approach: calmly state their options and the consequences (either positive or negative) for each.

My parents always had a problem with me cleaning my room. Both of my parents demanded that I do it when they said to. The consequence was yelling if I didn’t obey: that was something I could live with, so I didn’t always clean my room when they told me to. What might have worked better was if they had given me choices and consequences. If I clean my room, I would be allowed to hang out with my friends during the weekend. If I chose not to clean my room, I wouldn’t be allowed to hang out with friends. The choices are simple and straight-forward. Regardless of my decision, the outcome was of my own choosing and the consequences were fair.

In the classroom, the teachers that use this strategy find there is less attitude, fewer tantrums, and more responsibility placed on the student. If you find your child reacting negatively to your requests, it may be worth trying at home. Imagine: your child may clean their room without either of you getting upset or angry!

Walter Stiern Pentathlon

This year’s Pentathlon promises to be full of success and fun! Stiern’s Pentathlon team will compete in five categories: ELA, Writing, History, Science, and Math against other BCSD elementary and middle schools. The competition is held for fourth through sixth grades. Last year, Stiern won third place in the Super Quiz!

Team building will begin in December and students will compete in May. This year’s History and Science categories are complementary, and the coaches have already planned a number of cross-curricular activities and lessons which will enhance the knowledge of the students.

Our coaches and students commit to practicing afterschool daily, and during some lunches. It’s hard work, but the successes and memories created are priceless. We look forward to a great season! If you or your child is interested in learning more about Pentathlon they may contact the head coach, Kenya McCormack, by calling the school or emailing at mccormackk@bcsd.com . Our coaches this year include: Kenya McCormack: ELA, History, and Writing; Alba Borreli: Science; Mike Long: Math.

Go Sharks!

FOGGY DAYS

Stiern’s office staff does not answer phones until 7:00 a.m.

Remember that the fog delay only effects bus riders.

From the Desk of Irma Gomez,

Community Relations Liaison

Thank you to all the parents that attended the Parent Involvement events this past month.

11/17/11 Library open house/ National Parent Involvement Day
11/22/11 Internet dangers / Cyber bullying
12/5/11 Information on Gangs from 6-7 p.m.

UPCOMING PARENT CLASS

Parent Institute for Quality Education (PIQE)

Coming to Stiern February 1, 2012.

If you have any questions please call the School @ 631-5480 and ask for Irma Gomez

free parenting workshops are being held @ BCSD Education Center, 1300 Baker St. :

Texting and other electronic toys / March 10. 2012

Electronic Cyber bullying / April 21, 2012

Contact Parent Involvement Program at 631-4763 to register. Free child care provided.

Free English Classes for parents:

P.M classes Start October 11, 2011 thru May 10, 2012

Tuesday and Thursday

Mt. Vernon School 5:00 – 7:30 p.m.

Sierra School 5:00 – 7:30 p.m.

Evergreen School 5:00 – 7:30 p.m.

McKinley School 5:00 -7:30 p.m.

Thursday

Jefferson School 5:00- 7:30 p.m.

Saturday

Pauly School 8:30 – 11:30 a.m.

For more information please call 631-3139 and ask for Ana Sanchez from CBET

LATE START DAYS

THERE WILL BE A TWO HOUR (2 HOUR) DELAY FOR START OF SCHOOL ON THE FOLLOWING DAYS:

DECEMBER 15

JANUARY 26

FEBRUARY 23

MARCH 22

MAY 17

BUSES WILL RUN TWO HOURS (2 HOURS) LATER FROM THEIR REGULAR MORNING SCHEDULE. BREAKFAST WILL NOT BE SERVED ON THESE LATE START DAYS. SCHOOL DISMISSAL TIMES WILL REMAIN THE SAME

MINIMUM DAY

Friday, December 23 is a Minimum Day. Dismissal at 12:55 p.m.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Walter Stiern Library Media Center News

The Fall Scholastic Book Fair will be held in the Library Media Center December 9-15, 2011 from 8 a.m.-2:00 p.m. The book fair is a great place to find holiday gifts for family and friends. Proceeds from the book fair will be used to update our library’s paperback collection this year.

SHARK SHOUT OUTS!!

A big SHOUT OUT to all our spelling bee participants, and Congratulations to Joey Torres, winner, and Genaro Iniguez, alternate.

Stiern’s Cross-Country teams took first place at the December 3-4 Haritage Park meet. Congratulations to both teams for your hard work, and to the coaches and all the Stiern staff for helping. A special thanks to Mr. Floyd for overseeing the meet and making it a success.

ACCESS TEXTBOOKS ON-LINE!

If you have access to a computer, you or your student can log in under the generic username (below) and password (below) to access and print any items from their Holt materials (textbooks and workbooks) for English, Math, History and Science. If your student loses their practice book they can print the pages, of if absent, parents can call Stiern and ask for the page numbers and log on to Holt On-line to access them:

Website is: http://my.hrw.com

6^th grade username: 6shark

7^th grade username: 7shark

8^th grade username: 8shark

All passwords are shark

FREE Children’s Immunization Clinic

San Joaquin Community Hospital will be offering FREE Childhood Immunizations for children against vaccine preventable diseases at the following sites for the month of December 2011:

Greenfield Family Resource Center – Tuesday, December 20^th, 5400 Monitor Street (parking lot), Bakersfield from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm

San Joaquin Community Hospital – Wednesday, December 21^st, 2801 Chester Ave. (parking lot), Bakersfield from 1:00 pm to 6:00 pm

Vallarta Super Market – Monday, December 19^th, 2705 So. H Street (Parking Lot), Bakersfield

from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm

N O R Sears Park – Monday, December 27th

444 Norris Rd (parking lot), Bakersfield

from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm

Vallarta Super Market – Thursday, December 28th , 5951 Niles St (parking lot), Bakersfield

From 9:00 am to 1:00 pm

SCHOOL SITE COUNCIL MINUTES ARE POSTED ON OUR WEBSITE IN BOTH ENGLISH AND SPANISH. CHECK THEM OUT AT http://schools.bcsd.com/stiern/index.htm

District Attendance Policies

24 hour Attendance Line 631-3240.

You have 5 days to clear your child’s absence.

Please remember to call and clear your student’s absence. Absences not cleared will be marked as unexcused

INDEPENDENT STUDY PACKETS

2011-2012 YEARBOOKS!

SCHOOL CALENDAR

Dec. 5 - Parent Workshop – 6-7 p.m. at Stiern

“Local Gang Information”

Dec. 7 - Sch. Site Council Meeting

2:00 p,m.,Stiern Library

Dec. 9-15 – Scholastic Book Fair

Stiern Library 8am-2pm

Dec. 8 - Stiern @ Chipman (Basketball/

Soccer)

Dec. 13 – Stiern @ Sequoia

Dec. 14 – DELAC Meeting – Ed Center

9-11 a.m.

Dec. 15 – LATE START DAY. 2 HR.

DELAY

Dec. 21 – Compton @ Stiern

Dec. 21 – Winter Concert 7-8 p.m.

Stiern Cafetorium

Dec. 22 – Christmas Music Concert

8^th Gr. 8-9 a.m.

7^th Gr. 9-10 a.m.

6^th Gr. 10-11 a.m.

Stiern Cafetorium

Dec. 23 – MINIMUM DAY. 12:55

DISMISSAL

Dec. 24 – Jan. 8 - WINTER BREAK –

NO SCHOOL

Jan. 9 - SCHOOL RESUMES

Jan. 10 – Washington @ Stiern

Jan. 12 – Sch. Site Council Meeting

2 p.m. Stiern Library

Jan. 12 – Booster Club Meeting 2-3 p.m.

Jan. 16 – MARTIN LUTHER KING

DAY – NO SCHOOL

Jan 18 – DELAC Meeting 2-3 p.m.

Ed Center

Jan. 25 – Stiern @ Emerson

Jan. 30 – Stiern @ Curran

Feb. 2 - Booster Club Meeting 2-3 p.m.

Feb. 6 – Sierra @ Stiern

Feb. 8 - DELAC Meeting – Ed Center

9-11 a.m.

Feb. 9 - Sch. Site Council Meeting

2 p.m. Stiern Library

Feb. 13 – LINCOLN DAY – NO SCHOOL

2012 YEARBOOK ORDER FORM

NAME: __________________________ ADVISORY_______________

2011-2012

Stiern Yearbook

$35.00

When you purchase your 2012 Yearbook before February 3, 2012, your name will be printed on the cover

SIGNATURE_____________________

DATE______________

November 2011

MESSAGE FROM

JULIE SHORT, PRINCIPAL

Dear Parents:

Thank you for participating in November’s Parent Conferences.

We may have broken a one day record with nearly 180 parents showing up for conferences on October 31^st alone. I hope that the meetings with your child’s teachers were positive and productive. As always, we work toward building a solid relationship between school and home so that all students have the best opportunity for academic success. Please know that a conference with one of your student’s teachers does not need to be limited to once a year. You are welcome to contact the school and speak with your child’s teachers when you have a question or a concern about your child’s education.

Williams Uniform Complaint Procedures.

Walk the campus with the Principal.

This year has been such a positive time for our school in getting feedback and support from our parents at home. I wish to extend an invitation to our parents and community members to visit our wonderful school and take a tour of the campus with me. I want to share with you the excellent teachers and support staff Stiern employs and share with you many aspects of our school that often go unnoticed. Parents and community members play such a vital role in our schools ongoing success.

Special Community Meeting.

Stiern will be hosting a community meeting November 9^th from 6-7PM in the Library. We will be sharing with you next year’s instructional course offerings and answering any questions you may have about your student’s core classes. We also hope to receive some input from our parents on the core subjects being offered to your students. Refreshments will be provided.

As the winter holiday fast approaches, I want to wish you and your family a safe and happy holiday season. I am looking forward to seeing you here for our Winter Concert December 21st at 7:00PM in our Multi-purpose room. Our Band, directed by Mr. Milota will also be performing in the Downtown Christmas Parade December 1^st. Thank you for your continued involvement with your child and your support of Walter Stiern Middle School.

Respectfully, Julie Short

Meeting the Needs of All Students

Many teachers here at Stiern are participating in a professional development series based on the book Setting Limits in the Classroom by Robert J. Mackenzie and Lisa Stanzione. This book offers many strategies and information for classroom management.

A topic of interest that was brought up at the last School Site Council meeting was how Stiern teachers address the needs of students that have symptoms or are diagnosed with ADHD. This is a topic that is covered in Chapter seventeen in the SLITC book: “Supporting Students with ADD/ADHD.”

The authors state there are three methods of treating a child with ADHD: external, internal, and outside support. External controls are the main focus: these are the structural and behavioral modifications put in place. In other words, these are the strategies that parents and teachers employ to meet the needs of these children.

ADHD students require structure, clear signals, and consistency. The authors suggest several classroom accommodations teachers should employ to meet the needs of this student population:

• Students should sit away from distractions

• Warnings prior to transitions

• Rules and schedule clearly displayed

• Concrete visual cues

• Classroom jobs

• Quiet area

In addition, there are several ways to modify instruction to reach these students:

• Clear and concise instructions

• Oral and written instructions

• Encourage students to ask for help

• Check-in procedure

• Break assignments into manageable pieces

• Avoid timed tasks

• Help with organizational strategies

One of the most effective strategies to help students that have ADHD, is to make sure there is as much consistency as possible between school and home environments. It’s important for parents to understand the various strategies being employed in many of the classrooms at Stiern.

If you are interested in reading more on the topic, or into the varied strategies in this book, you can order it from a local or online book seller (ISBN: 9780307591722). If you have further questions regarding the material, you may contact Kenya McCormack or Amber Blanton (the Professional Development presenters) at 661-631-5480 or through email at mccormackk@bcsd.com or blantona@bcsd.com

From the Desk of Irma Gomez,

Community Relations Liaison

Parenting information:

free parenting workshops are being held @ BCSD Education Center, 1300 Baker St. :

Texting and other electronic toys / March 10. 2012

Electronic Cyber bullying / April 21, 2012

Contact Parent Involvement Program at 631-4763 to register. Free child care provided.

Free English Classes for parents:

P.M classes Start October 11, 2011 thru May 10, 2012

Tuesday and Thursday

Mt. Vernon School 5:00 – 7:30 p.m.

Sierra School 5:00 – 7:30 p.m.

Evergreen School 5:00 – 7:30 p.m.

McKinley School 5:00 -7:30 p.m.

Thursday

Jefferson School 5:00- 7:30 p.m.

Saturday

Pauly School 8:30 – 11:30 a.m.

For more information please call 631-3139 and ask for Ana Sanchez from CBET

LATE START DAYS

THERE WILL BE A TWO HOUR (2 HOUR) DELAY FOR START OF SCHOOL ON THE FOLLOWING DAYS:

NOVEMBER 17

DECEMBER 15

JANUARY 26

FEBRUARY 23

MARCH 22

MAY 17

BUSES WILL RUN TWO HOURS (2 HOURS) LATER FROM THEIR REGULAR MORNING SCHEDULE. BREAKFAST WILL NOT BE SERVED ON THESE LATE START DAYS. SCHOOL DISMISSAL TIMES WILL REMAIN THE SAME

MINIMUM DAY

Wednesday, November 23 is a Minimum Day. Dismissal at 12:55 p.m.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

ACCESS TEXTBOOKS ON-LINE!

If you have access to a computer, you or your student can log in under the generic username (below) and password (below) to access and print any items from their Holt materials (textbooks and workbooks) for English, Math, History and Science. If your student loses their practice book they can print the pages, of if absent, parents can call Stiern and ask for the page numbers and log on to Holt On-line to access them:

Website is: http://my.hrw.com

6th grade username: 6shark

7th grade username: 7shark

8th grade username: 8shark

All passwords are shark

HARVEST FESTIVAL

This year Stiern’s carnival is on Wednesday, November 16th and lasts from 12:30-1:45 PM. To provide a good time for the students we run several booths and we am in need of parents/guardians to help run the booths. If you are interested please call Mr. Manriquez at 631-5480 or email him at manriquezd@bcsd.com. The booths we need help in are nachos, Frito Boats, balloon animals, hair paint, golf, football throw, ring toss, sponge toss, baseball throw, wheel of fortune, face paint etc.

Donations are always appreciated – a can of cheese sauce, chili beans, 2 liter bottles of soda, chips, wrapped candy/chips, anything wrapped that we can give away as prizes. If you know of any companies that are willing to donate items, that would also be appreciated.

SCHOOL SITE COUNCIL MINUTES ARE POSTED ON OUR WEBSITE IN BOTH ENGLISH AND SPANISH. CHECK THEM OUT AT http://schools.bcsd.com/stiern/index.htm

TITLE 1 EXPENDITURES

In order to improve the academic achievement of our students, the school used Title I funds to provide eligible students with supplementary services to reinforce the core curriculum and assist students in attaining proficiency on state academic standards and assessments. To-date, the following expenditures have been made from Title 1 funds:

Classroom supplies (colored pencils, dry erase markers, glue sticks, view binders, index cards, compass pencils, rulers, printer ink, file folders, etc.) $7,225.69

Technology (replacement laptop, TV Tuners, SmartBoard, Projector, Microphone

System, Audio components, Graphics Board Batteries) 10,625.61

Supplemental classroom books: 165.65

Safari Program Software Renewal: 3,170.21

Jr. Scholastic Magazine Order for 6th Gr. History Classes: 299.88

Sept. & Oct. Duplication of Newsletter: 180.60

Paper products and refreshments for Sch. Site Council meetings and

Parent/teacher conference: 244.56

Postage for Sept. & Oct. Newsletters 590.92

The monthly newsletter is one form of communicating the school’s activities.

If you have any questions in regards to any purchase please feel free to contact Ana Rivera, Academic Program Leader, at 661-631-5480.

DOWNTOWN CHRISTMAS PARADE!

Please come watch our very own Walter Stiern Marching Band participate in the Downtown Christmas parade December 1 at 6:00p.m. See you there! Justin Milota, director.

FREE Children’s Immunization Clinic

San Joaquin Community Hospital will be offering FREE Childhood Immunizations for children against vaccine preventable diseases at the following sites for the month of November 2011:

from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm

Canyon Hills Church at The Summit – Thursday, November 10th

7100 Auburn St. (parking lot), Bakersfield

from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm

Sports Authority – Monday, November 14th

4821 Ming Avenue (parking lot), Bakersfield

from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm

Greenfield Family Resource Center – Tuesday, November 15th

5400 Monitor Street (parking lot), Bakersfield

from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm

San Joaquin Community Hospital – Wednesday, November 16th

2801 Chester Ave. (parking lot), Bakersfield

from 1:00 pm to 6:00 pm

Vallarta Super Market – Monday, November 21st

2705 So. H Street (Parking Lot), Bakersfield

from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm

N O R Sears Park - Monday, November 28th

444 Norris Rd (parking lot), Bakersfield

from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm

Vallarta Super Market – Wednesday, November 30th , 5951 Niles St (parking lot), Bakersfield

From 9:00 am to 1:00 pm

District Attendance Policies

We are required to record any/all minutes your student does not attend school. Please be aware this will affect your student’s perfect attendance. It is now even more important that you schedule appointments (doctor, dentist, etc.) for after school. Thank you for your help and cooperation regarding your student’s attendance.

24 hour Attendance Line 631-3240.

You have 5 days to clear your child’s absence.

Please remember to call and clear your student’s absence. Absences not cleared will be marked as unexcused

INDEPENDENT STUDY PACKETS

2011-2012 YEARBOOKS!

To order a yearbook(s) for your student(s), please complete and return the enclosed Yearbook Order Form. We will accept “Early Bird” yearbook orders that include free name imprinting through Feb. 3, 2012. The cost is $35.00, and the yearbooks are in full color! No checks accepted, cash or money order only. Payments must be made to the Student Store.

COLD AND FLU SEASON

Cold and flu season has arrived. We know that children learn best when they are healthy and in school. Some of the things that you can do to help keep your child healthy and in school ready to learn are:

Teach them to cover their cough by coughing into the bend of their elbow.
Encourage them to wash their hands before and after going to the bathroom, before and after eating, after coughing and blowing their nose, and whenever they are dirty.
Make sure they get at least 8 hours of sleep.
Encourage them to eat at least five fruits and vegetables each day.
Limit all screen time (TV, computer and computer games) to 2 hours or less per day.
Have them be physically active for at least one hour a day.
Limit the number of sweetened beverages they drink and encourage drinking water and milk.

If your child has a fever over 100 and a cough or sore throat, be sure to keep them home until the fever is gone for 24 hours. If they are not better in 2 to 3 days, call your doctor for advice.

Working together, we can make sure your child is healthy, in school on time, and ready to learn.

SCHOOL CALENDAR

Nov. 14 – Curran @ Stiern

Nov. 16 – Harvest Festival

12:30-1:45 p.m.

Nov.17- Late Start Day. 2 Hr. Delay

Nov. 21 – Student Council Meeting

2pm-3pm

Nov. 23 – MINIMUM DAY – 12:55 Dismissal

Nov. 24-25 – Thanksgiving Vacation

Dec. 1 - Booster Club Meeting – 2 p.m.

Dec. 1 - Downtown Xmas Parade

Dec. 8, - Sch. Site Council Meeting

2 p.m., Stiern Library

October 2011

Message from the Principal

All students will discover that school can be challenging from time to time whether it be academically or socially. The Middle School years is a time of growth, adjustment, and sometimes rebellion. Preteens and teenagers are very capable of hiding their problems and not allowing their parents or teachers to know what is troubling them until the problem gets out of hand. Please look for the following warning signs so that you can help your student continue to be successful at school and at home:

Watch for a change in grades. If you notice lower grades in subjects your student normally does well in, this may be a sign for concern.
Watch for a change in behavior such as a decrease in willingness to talk about friends of school.
Diminishing confidence in his/her ability to do things he/she normally did without doubts.
A change in habits and/ or attitude where he/she spends more time isolated, alone, in front of the television, away from others, or shows a negative attitude.
An increase in school communication such as phone calls and notes from the school counselors or teachers.

All of these are warning signs that there may be a problem. Make sure you follow the ABC’s of Student Success.

A- Ask for Help: Talk to your students teachers or school counselor.

B- Be Involved: Get involved in school activities. Studies show that students do better when their parent/guardian is connected with school.

Attend Parent/Teacher Conferences and Parent Classes offered at the school

Join the Booster Club

Help out in our school’s library or in the classrooms.

Attend concerts and sporting events.

C- Communicate: Make the time to talk to your student each day. They value your input and need you to be interested in what they are doing at school. They may resist at first but don’t give up. Every one of our students is an amazing individual and we value them.

PARENT/TEACHER CONFERENCES

This Year Parent/ Teacher Conferences will be held the week of October 31^st thru November 4th. Each day is a minimum Day for students. During Conference Week students will be dismissed at 12:55PM. All after-school activities are cancelled for the week. Parent Conferences will be held from 1:05PM-2:45PM and Spanish translation will be provided upon request.

Parent Conferences will be held in the Multi-purpose room.

If you have not received a phone call from the school and a scheduled conference time, you may attend any day of the week between the hours of 1:05PM and 2:45PM. Because of time constraints, you may not be able to conference with all of your student’s teachers. Each teacher will have a conference sign-up sheet for you to put your name and contact information on should you wish to schedule a conference at a later date and time. We are looking forward to meeting with you and discussing how we can partner together to help your student have a more successful learning experience here at Walter Stiern.

Thank you.

From the Desk of Irma Gomez,

Community Relations Liaison

Parenting information:

Upcoming free parent workshop – “Making every dollar count” in SPANISH

Offered by University of California/ Food stamp nutrition education program

Offered At Stiern Middle School

Oct. 12 2011 @ 9:00 – 10:00 am / Setting Goals

Oct. 19, 2011 @ 9:00 – 10:00 am / Making Choices

Oct. 26, 2011 @ 9:00 – 10:00 am / Stretch your dollars

Nov. 2, 2011 @ 9:00 – 9:30 am / Saving money of food

Nov. 2, 2011 @ 9:30 – 10:00 am / Food advertising

Any questions please call Irma Gomez @ 631-5480

Additional free parenting workshops being held @ BCSD Education Center, 1300 Baker St. :

Beginning Computer skills/ Oct. 6 – Nov. 10, 2011 from 6 – 8:30 pm.

Effective Parenting of Teens – a class for parents and teens/ Oct. 6-Nov. 10 6-8:30 p.m.

Educational internet websites / Oct. 22, 2011

Texting and other electronic toys / March 10. 2012

Electronic Cyber bullying / April 21, 2012

Contact Parent Involvement Program at 631-4763 to register. Free child care provided.

Free English Classes for parents:

P.M classes Start October 11, 2011 thru May 10, 2012

Tuesday and Thursday

Mt. Vernon School 5:00 – 7:30 p.m.

Sierra School 5:00 – 7:30 p.m.

Evergreen School 5:00 – 7:30 p.m.

McKinley School 5:00 -7:30 p.m.

Thursday

Jefferson School 5:00- 7:30 p.m.

Saturday

Pauly School 8:30 – 11:30 a.m.

For more information please call 631-3139 and ask for Ana Sanchez from CBET

MINIMUM DAYS

Minimum Days have been scheduled October 31, 2011 through November 4, 2011 for Parent Conference Week. All days are Minimum Days with NO after-school activities. 12:55 pm dismissal.

LATE START DAYS

THERE WILL BE A TWO HOUR (2 HOUR) DELAY FOR START OF SCHOOL ON THE FOLLOWING DAYS:

OCTOBER 20

NOVEMBER 17

DECEMBER 15

JANUARY 26

FEBRUARY 23

MARCH 22

MAY 17

BUSES WILL RUN TWO HOURS (2 HOURS) LATER FROM THEIR REGULAR MORNING SCHEDULE. BREAKFAST WILL NOT BE SERVED ON THESE LATE START DAYS. SCHOOL DISMISSAL TIMES WILL REMAIN THE SAME

Sunday, November 6 Daylight Savings Ends.

Set clocks back one hour!

KNOW YOUR SCHOOL SITE COUNCIL BOARD

Parents elected to our SSC Board are Silvia Ortega, Cynde Simpson, Amada Ough, Maria Magana, Sonya Guzman and Alli Colvin. Teachers/Staff elected are Kenya McCormack, Andrea Rojas, Mike Long, Courtney Castro and David Manriquez. Principal Julie Short is also a Board member. CONGRATULATIONS to parents and staff. SSC meetings are held the second Thursday of the month at 2:00 p.m. in the Stiern Library. Guests are always welcome.

SCHOOL SITE COUNCIL MINUTES ARE POSTED ON OUR WEBSITE IN BOTH ENGLISH AND SPANISH. CHECK THEM OUT AT http://schools.bcsd.com/stiern/index.htm

SHARK SHOUT OUTS!!

CONGRATULATIONS to the following students elected to Student Council: Kathy Walton, President; Alex Renee Pizano, Vice President; Alondra Jimenez, Secretary; Ally Carbajal, Treasurer; Samantha Rivera, Director of Activities; and Jose Gomez, Fire Marshall

Spirit Club:

Join Shark Spirit!! What is Shark Spirit or spirit club? Spirit club is a chance for students to have a voice on campus. Students in spirit club will participate and help with rallies, school dances, community outreach and promoting school pride. If you are interested fill out the form for after school clubs and turn into your advisory teacher. If you have any questions you can talk to Mrs. Blanton, Mrs. Hollman, and Mrs. Taylor.

District Attendance Policies

24 hour Attendance Line 631-3240.

You have 5 days to clear your child’s absence.

Please remember to call and clear your student’s absence. Absences not cleared will be marked as unexcused

INDEPENDENT STUDY PACKETS

2011-2012 YEARBOOKS!

Yearbooks will go on sale beginning Sept. 12th. To order a yearbook(s) for your student(s), please complete and return the enclosed Yearbook Order Form. We will accept “Early Bird” yearbook orders that include free name imprinting through Feb. 3, 2012. The cost is $35.00, and the yearbooks are in full color! No checks accepted, cash or money order only. Payments must be made to the Student Store.

SCHOOL CALENDAR

Oct. 12 – Parent Workshop-“Setting Goals”

9-10 a.m. @ Stiern

Stiern @ Compton

(football/volleyball)

Oct. 13 – Jr. High/Middle Sch. Choir Festival

BCSD Ed. Center, 1300 Baker St.

Oct. 13 – Sch. Site Council Meeting 2:00 p.m.

Oct. 19 – Parent Workshop-“Making Choices”

9-10 a.m. @ Stiern

Oct. 20 – Late Start Day-9:45 a.m.

Stiern @ Washington

Oct. 26 – Parent Workshop-“Stretch Your Dollars”

9-10 a.m. @ Stiern

Oct. 27 – Stiern @ Sierra

Oct. 31 – Nov. 4: Parent/Teacher Conference Week. Minimum Day 12:55 p.m. Dismissal

Nov. 2 - Parent Workshop-“Saving Money for Food” 9-10 a.m. @ Stiern

Nov. 4 - Progress Report go home

Nov. 6 – Daylight Savings Ends. Set clocks back

One hour!

Nov. 9 - Chipman @ Stiern

Nov. 10 – Booster Club Meeting

2-3:00 p.m.

Nov. 11 – Veteran’s Day – NO SCHOOL

2012 YEARBOOK ORDER FORM

NAME: __________________________ ADVISORY_______________

2011-2012

Stiern Yearbook

$35.00

When you purchase your 2012 Yearbook before February 3, 2012, your name will be printed on the cover

SIGNATURE_____________________

DATE______________

September 2011

A MESSAGE FROM PRINCIPAL

JULIE SHORT

Dear Parents:

Welcome to another year of learning at Walter Stiern Middle School! This year we have added community relations/partnerships a focal point in our school goal for improving instruction and student achievement. I wish to thank you in advance for your continued efforts to work with us and help educate your child both academically and socially.

Please take the time to review our District’s Parent/Student guide with your child. There are many importance pieces of information that will assist you in helping your child have a successful school year. I want to draw your attention to the section on Student/Parent/and School Responsibilities. We must all work together equally, in order for our students to have success and grow this school year. It can not be stressed enough how vital your positive support is in the academic and social development of your student(s).

Our school-wide rules are: LEARN

L Listen and follow directions.

E Everyone is to be in class and on time.

A All hands, feet and objects are to be kept to oneself.

R Respect yourself and others.

N No electronic devices, gum, food, seeds or candy of any kind.

All teachers have reviewed this with the students throughout the first week of school. We expect all students to follow these basic rules and allow the other students in class to learn. Disruptive behavior that interferes with other students’ learning efforts will not be tolerated. All rules fall under the following three areas: Safety, Responsibility, and Respectfulness. If you cannot state with certainty that a behavior is safe, responsible or respectful, it is not allowed. The same goes for being prepared to learn, participating in class, and socializing with friends.

Stiern offers many extracurricular activities throughout the school year for your student(s) to participate in. We have competitive sports teams for boys and girls as well as numerous clubs available after school each week. More information about these clubs and services will be given during our Back-To-School night here on Thursday September 15^th beginning at 5:30PM in the Stiern Gymnasium. Our goal is to create an environment your child will be excited about being a part of each and every day. I look forward to seeing you at our Back-To-School Night here at Stiern on September 15^th from 5:30-7:00PM.

SAVE THE DATE:

STIERN “BACK TO SCHOOL” NIGHT IS THURSDAY, SEPT. 15, BEGINNING AT 5:30 P.M.

A MESSAGE FROM DAVID MANRIQUEZ

STIERN CAMPUS SUPERVISOR

Welcome back students. I hope everyone’s summer break was great and everyone has been able to find their buses and bus stops. If you have not been able to find your bus and/or bus stops, please see us in the office or out at the bus stop located behind the cafeteria.

A reminder: we will be enforcing the district bus rules while riding the bus to and from school. Riding the bus is a privilege, so please conduct yourself in a safe manner when riding. If you misbehave on the bus and get a referral, you could be suspended from riding the bus. Remember safety is very important when you are on the bus. Have a great year and enjoy yourself while at Stiern Middle School. Parents, please remind your student about proper bus behavior

From the Desk of Irma Gomez,

Community Relations Liaison

Parents:

Welcome to another school year at Stiern!

Things to watch for in the near future:

Parent survey will be going out to see what types of information and workshops parents are interested in. Please make sure you fill out survey and return to school office / Irma Gomez
Upcoming workshop from University of California Agriculture & Natural Resource’s:

This workshop called ( MAKING EVERY DOLLAR COUNT) will be offered for 4 weeks, starting October 12 thru November 2^nd from 9 – 10 a.m. This class will be offered in Spanish!!!

Please call Mrs. Gomez if you are interested in attending this workshop.

Also Stiern will be offering the Parent Institute for Quality Education/ (PIQE) classes again this year. More information will follow as we get closer to the date.

If you have any questions, please call Irma Gomez at 631-5480.

SAVE THE DATE:

FALL PHOTOS TO BE TAKEN

TUESDAY, SEPT. 20

8:00 A.M. - NOON

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22

THERE WILL BE A TWO HOUR (2 HOUR) DELAY FOR

START OF SCHOOL.

BUSES WILL BE ON A TWO HOUR (2 HOUR) DELAY SCHEDULE

SCHOOL BEGINS AT 9:45 a.m.

STIERN BOOSTER CLUB

Please join the Stiern Booster Club today!

Get involved in your student’s school. Become a member of the Stiern Booster Club and get to know the school, staff, other parents and the students. Your student might not want you to get involved but they do enjoy what we offer to them. We desperately need new parents to get involved. The Stiern Booster Club supports programs at the school. In past years we spent approximately $16,500 on new trees, sports uniforms, field trips, prizes for the rally, red ribbon week, games for the ELC room, DJ for the dances and the 8^th grade party. Our long term project is to pour concrete for the new table and bench area as well as plant more trees. This project will cost approximately $10,000. In order for us to try to support the different programs, we need the support of the parents. Please consider becoming a member of the Booster Club.

If you have a Preferred Card for Target credit or debit card, please consider designating Walter Stiern Middle School as your school of choice. Every time you use your card, Target will donate to the school one percent of every dollar you spend. We are also part of the S.H.A.R.E.S. program at Food Maxx. Every time you shop there you just show your card and they will give credit to our school. Pick up one of the cards in the school office or at back to school night.

We will continue to collect Box Tops for Education from General Mills products. Please ask your family and friends to save them for you. The box tops can be turned in to the office or to the student store.

Our meetings are planned for the first Thursday of the month at 1:45pm. One way we earn money is to work in the student store. We need parents to help in the student store on Tuesday, Wednesday and/or Thursday from 11:00am to 1:30pm. Also, there will be a fundraiser beginning this month. Please support this fundraiser and have your student participate in it. We also need parents to help with the fundraiser. Please fill in your name and phone number below if you would like to get involved.

Parent’s Name____________________________

Phone Number: ___________________________

Student’s Name: __________________________

_____I can help in the student store.

____Tuesday _____Wednesday ______Thursday (11:00am-1:30pm)

_____I can help with the fundraiser.

_____I am interested in attending the Booster Club meetings.

Please return this information to the office. Membership envelopes are available in the office. Membership dues are $5.00.

24 hour Attendance Line 631-3240.

You have 5 days to clear your child’s absence.

Please remember to call and clear your student’s absence. Absences not cleared will be marked as unexcused.

District Attendance Policies

INDEPENDENT STUDY PACKETS

SCHOOL SITE COUNCIL MINUTES ARE POSTED ON OUR WEBSITE IN BOTH ENGLISH AND SPANISH. CHECK THEM OUT AT http://schools.bcsd.com/stiern/index.htm

SCHOOL SITE COUNCIL TRAININGS for NEWLEY ELECTED SSC PARENT MEMBERS are Thursday, Sept. 29, from 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. at BCSD District Offices, corner of Baker and Niles. Child care provided for children ages 2-5 yrs.; translation services provided upon request. Please RSVP to Kathy Holloway at 631-4668

PRIOR APPROVAL EXCUSED ABSENCE REQUEST FORMS

Prior Approval Excused Absence Request forms are now available in the Stiern office. These forms are to be used to give advanced notice of a student’s absence for the following reasons only: Appearance in Court, Funeral Attendance (for other than immediate family), Religious Holiday or Ceremony, Religious Retreat, Participation in Moral or Religious Instruction, and Attendance at Employment Conference. This form is not used for personal illness or funeral services of immediate family member.

2011-2012 YEARBOOKS!

Yearbooks will go on sale beginning Sept. 12th. To order a yearbook(s) for your student(s), please complete and return the enclosed Yearbook Order Form. We will accept “Early Bird” yearbook orders that include free name imprinting throughFeb. 3, 2012. The cost is $35.00, and the yearbooks are in full color! No checks accepted, cash or money order only. Payments must be made to the Student Store.

SCHOOL CALENDAR

Sept. 15 - Open House – BACK TO SCHOOL

NIGHT, 5:30PM-7:30PM in

Gymnasium

Sept. 20 – Fall Photos – 8:00AM

Sept. 22 – TWO HOUR delay for start of

School. (9:45AM Start Time)

Sept. 22 – School Site Council Meeting, 2 PM

Stiern Library

2012 YEARBOOK ORDER FORM

NAME: __________________________ ADVISORY_______________

2011-2012

Stiern Yearbook

$35.00

When you purchase your 2012 Yearbook before February 3, 2012, your name will be printed on the cover

SIGNATURE_____________________

DATE______________