Barrington Middle School BMS Connected Learning Newsletter 4.1.2019 The BMS Learning Community is Respectful, Responsible, and Ready to Succeed! Upcoming Events: (Note: Please review the dates as dates are subjected to change due to a number of factors from one newsletter to the next).
Note from Dr. Anderson: Over the past few weeks or so I have heard that families were inquiring about our school’s approach with how teachers handle popular topics in our community (national, regional, local) that our students may or may not be discussing in school. What is most important to us is that students are able to have a voice and feel that their voice is heard without stifling or shutting them down. Our approach has been and will always be for teachers to take a neutral and supportive stance, create a safe space for students to share their thoughts and feelings, for teachers, who are professionals, not to impose their personal biases and opinions, provide further support to those students who may need it, and to ultimately get classroom discussion back on track. Finally, it is important for me to note that our teachers do their absolute best to navigate waters, all the while keeping their focus on developing the whole child. BMS Spotlight on Learning: This week we would like to shine our BMS Spotlight on Eli Terrell. This past Friday, Eli competed in our State’s Geography Bee. Eli won first place! This is Eli’s third year representing Barrington Middle School in this event. Way to go Eli! This week we would also like to shine our BMS Spotlight on our Mathcounts team coached by Mrs. Orrall and supported by Mrs. Oswald and Mr. Marley. BMS finished 3rd in the state just behind Gordon and Wheeler. In particular, Marie Choi-Schattle came in 3rd place in the State and Kamran Pahlavi came in 4th. Marie and Kamran will be going on to represent RI in the National competition in Orlando! Great job coaches and students! This week would also like to shine our BMS Spotlight on our Science Olympiad team coached by Mrs. Whitney and her son, Callan Whitney. The BMS Science Olympiad Team came in second, and missed a bid for the national competition by just nine points, which was heartbreaking. They medaled in fourteen of the 23 events! Below is the breakdown: GOLD Disease Detectives (Izzy Mysak and Priya Gottlieb) Experimental Design (Shaswat Singh, Aidan Hurlock and Cassin Edgar-Smith) Fossils (Izzy Mysak and Aidan Hurlock) Roller Coaster (Katarina Whitney and Caitlyn McConville) SILVER Anatomy and Physiology (Vikram Bansal and Simon Paricio) Herpetology (Izzy Mysak and Priya Gottlieb) Water Quality (Ellie Dunn and Priya Gottlieb) BRONZE Boomilever (Caitlyn McConville and Simon Paricio) Circuit Lab (Remi Charpentier and Troy Tian) Crime Busters (Shaswat Singh and Ellie Dunn) Game On (Remi Charpentier and Troy Tian) Mystery Architecture (Ellie Dunn and Caitlyn McConville) Potions and Poisons (Ellie Dunn and Harrison Wang) Thermodynamics (Simon Paricio and Harrison Wang) This week we would also like to shine our BMS Spotlight on Mrs. Martin and Mrs. Skadberg for organizing last week’s faculty school spirit week. Thank you for organizing the events and games. Our faculty had a blast participating. From an “anonymous” faculty member, this week would also like to shine our BMS Spotlight on Mrs. Poirier. “Jaime Poirier is awesome! Jaime is incredibly efficient in getting things done to help students - changing schedules, helping them with social-emotional needs, contacting parents, and the list goes on. Her positive attitude and ability to solve problems has been an asset to our school. Her presence in the hallways, at lunch, and in the classrooms really help students make a connection with her. We are so lucky to have her here at BMS!” -appreciative faculty member! Finally, we would like to shine our BMS Spotlight on Mr. McFarland, Mrs. Ouellette, Mrs. Henderson, Mr. Davis, Mr. Kearns, and Mrs. Carroll for opening their doors for our first ever BMS Parent Deeper Learning Walk. Parents who participated were super impressed with the level of student engagement and the connections students were making to the real world. Great job teachers! BMS New Information: BMS Family Deeper Learning Walk: This past Thursday, we hosted the first ever BMS Family Deeper Learning Walk. We had nearly 16 families participate in the walk which began first with an overview of Deeper Learning at BMS, classroom visits, and a debrief/discussion of what resonated with parents who walked. Families were so impressed with the level of student engagement, connections being made to the real world, and how technology was being used to enhance the educational experience. The students who they spoke with were eloquent in their explanations and passionate about their learning. It certainly was a moment of pride for what our teachers and students do on a daily basis. New Enrichment Class Starting: Volleyball Enrichment Thursdays, 4/25-6/13 2:35-3:35 Registration is open on www.myschoolbucks.com BMS Remind: Remind is a communication platform that helps schools and districts reach and engage with their communities. Because it is a texting system, important last minute notices such as late buses, early releases, etc can get out quickly. If you are interested in participating, please click on this link: https://www.remind.com/join/bmsfam BMS Old Information: BMS Community Service Club Clothing Drive: The Community Service Club will be collecting clean clothes for all ages until Friday, March 29. Donations will be given to a middle school in Providence. Collection boxes are in the BMS office. Vaping: Over the past few weeks, a few parents have reached out regarding information their children reported to them at home about middle school students vaping. It was important for Mrs. Bulk and I to provide parents with information regarding vaping. Please review the linked presentation, and I encourage you to review it with your child to open up discussion/conversation. Vaping 101 What Parents Need to Know Slide Presentation Vaping 101 What Parents Need to Know VLOG BMS Standing Items: BMS Building Update: The new building construction is well underway. To help with communication, each week I have been releasing the BMS Building Project Blog. You can access the blog by visiting the BMS Building Project Homepage or the direct link to the BMS Building Project Blog. In addition, each Tuesday morning we will have a student volunteer give updates to our student body during morning announcements. BMS School Improvement Plan Working Draft: I encourage you to periodically review the below link of our BMS Working School Improvement Plan. (note: Student Success Goals have been finalized and presented to our School Committee). BMS SMART Template 2018 - 2019 (Working Draft) Community Information:
BPS Volunteer Breakfast: Join us as we celebrate our BPS volunteers on Wednesday, April 10, 2019 from 9:00 - 11:00 am in the Barrington Town Council Chambers (upstairs of Town Hall). Breakfast, music, door prizes and more. Click here to RSVP. HMS Tough Tiger - Save the Date!: The HMS Tough Tiger event is coming up on May 5 from 12:30 to 2:30 pm. Register online now! www.hampdenmeadowspto.org/tough-tiger.html Registration for Pop Warner: Registration is open for Cheer and Football. Link here for more information. Upcoming Barrington Library Programs for students in grades 6-12: Barrington Middle School Parent Newsletter
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