The Virgin Islands Department of Education informs parents and guardians of students enrolled at the Bertha C. Boschulte Middle School (BCB) that due to the declared State of Emergency in response to an ongoing fire at the Bovoni Landfill, the school will remain closed.
The Department of Education prioritizes the health and safety of students, faculty and staff, and as a result, the following arrangements have been made:
Device and Instructional Packet Distribution:
- Date and Time: Thursday, Sept. 21, from 9 a.m. to noon.
- Due to the poor air quality caused by existing smoke and odors from the landfill fire, the VIDE strongly encourages parents to collect devices and instructional packets during the specified time period, as the well-being of employees is a priority.
Alternative Pickup Date:
- Friday, Sept. 22, from 9 a.m. to noon will serve as a secondary pickup date for those parents unable to collect devices and packets on Thursday.
- Please note that these two days are the only designated pickup dates. If you cannot pick up on either day, please contact the school at parents.boschulte@vide.vi and the BCB staff will assist in finding the best possible solution.
Device Pickup Requirements:
- Only parents, guardians or individuals listed in PowerSchool will be allowed to collect devices on behalf of students.
- Completion of the District Technology Form is mandatory before receiving a device.
- Devices should not be retrieved if they are not needed.
- Students still in possession of devices should log on to Microsoft Teams.
- Instructional packets are to be collected from the student’s Homeroom Teacher.
- These packets will include pre-prepared assignments and previously covered class content.
- Assignments will be dated back to Monday, Sept. 18, 2023, encompassing the entire week until Friday, Sept. 22, with due dates scheduled for the following week. This will allow the students an opportunity to complete assignments for this entire week.
Communication and Virtual Learning:
- Teachers will communicate with students through Microsoft Teams and email once devices have been distributed.
- Students will work on missing assignments and review concepts taught in each class during this time.
As a result of the Bovoni Landfill fire not being sustainably contained at this time, a modified asynchronous schedule will be provided for students to commence Monday, Sept. 25.
While working virtually, faculty and staff will be responsible for fulfilling their normal responsibilities, which include:
- Updating grades in the grade books after providing feedback to students.
- Contacting students and parents via communication platforms to provide a praise report or to report intervention and corrective measures as needed.
- Meeting with Team Supervisor.
- Team and Content Area Planning.
- Logging entries into PowerSchool.
The V.I. Department of Education is grateful for the continued efforts of the Virgin Islands Fire Emergency Management Services and all other agencies and partners providing external assistance to extinguish the fire.
This is a large-scale effort that initially began on Thursday, Sept. 14, coinciding with the initial closure of BCB. As we navigate these challenging circumstances, we kindly request the support of parents as students continue their education virtually. Your cooperation and understanding are greatly valued.
