Barrington Middle School
BMS Connected Learning Newsletter 11.18.2019
The BMS Learning Community is Respectful, Responsible, and Ready to Succeed!
Upcoming Events:
(Note: Please review the dates as dates are subject to change due to a number of factors from one newsletter to the next).
Thursday, November 21, 2019: BMS Family Deep Learning Walk from 9:00am - 11:00am.
Thursday, November 21, 2019: 8th Grade Family Washington DC Informational Meeting from 6:00pm - 7:00pm in the Student Union.
Friday, November 22, 2019: BMS Shark Tank from 10:00 am - 12:10 pm
Monday, November 25, 2019: School Picture Retake Day starting at 9:00 am
Thursday, November 28, 2019 and Friday, November 29, 2019: Thanksgiving Break, No School
Monday, December 2, 2019: BMS PTO meeting at 7:00 pm in Room 1202
Wednesday, December 4, 2019: Trimester 2 begins
Friday, December 6, 2019: BMS Sports Night from 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Monday, December 9, 2019: No School - Middle/High School Professional Development for teachers (Parent-Teacher Conferences for Elementary)
Thursday, December 12, 2019: BMS Chorus Concert from 7:00pm - 8:00pm in the BMS Auditorium
Please visit our website to see all upcoming calendar events: https://www.barringtonschools.org/o/middle-school
Please see the link for our daily announcements:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1jwaOwOZT5EgdBudGLs0_p0jomJmd6-ee1ifxFR2ySKo/edit?usp=sharing
BMS Spotlight on Learning:
This week we would like to shine our BMS Spotlight on Mr. Matt Allder and Mr. Shawn Henderson. Last week, Matt and Shawn shared their project based learning opportunities to an international audience in Toronto who were at the New Pedagogy for Deep Learning conference. Connecting via the internet, Matt and Shawn shared their “Baseball” project, and folks in attendance were impressed by the strong connections to the Deep Learning principles: communicating, collaborating, creating, critical thinking, character, and citizenship. Well done Matt and Shawn!
BMS New Information
Mrs. Melanie Roy’s Library Blog:
Please take a look at Mrs. Roy’s Library Blog. Mrs. Roy will be regularly updating her blog and making it available to faculty/staff, students, and families. Thank you for sharing Mrs. Roy! www.mrsmelanieroy.com
BMS Morning Student Access:
At BMS, safety is our number one priority. As mentioned in previous communications, students at BMS are more than welcome to visit the STAT Lab or Media Center before school. In order to do so, they first must obtain a pass from the front office. Students can visit the main office at 8:10am (when the doors open) to get a pass to visit the media center. Students without passes will not be allowed to gain access to the cluster/grade level wing. Students meeting with a teacher prior to 8:30 am, would need to secure a pass from the teacher the day before or print out an email from the teacher stating the student can go visit the teacher.
Our pass system is to ensure students are supervised at all times while they are in our building. In years past, students would say they were visiting with teachers and would end up roaming the hallways unsupervised.
Dismissal Procedures:
Last week we improved our BMS Dismissal Procedures. Now we are dismissing at the end of the day by grade level: 8th, 7th, and 6th grade. This change has greatly reduced the congestion and unintentional bumping in the halls at the end of the day creating a safe dismissal process. A few folks have inquired about the order for dismissal. It is important to note that 6th grade is coming from their allied art classes at the end of the day. If we dismissed them first, by the time they reached their lockers, the 8th/7th graders would be coming down the stairs recreating the same congestion we are trying to avoid. Over the next week we will continue to re-evaluate our dismissal process.
A message from SRO Officer Wyrostek:
Please remind students if anyone approaches them:
* Do not talk to strangers, even if they know your name.
* Run directly to school or home if you are approached by a stranger.
* Immediately notify a school official or parent.
Richer Picture:
This trimester the BMS Technology Department (Digital Literacy, Entrepreneurship, Fab Lab, STEAM Studio, and TV Studio/Production) has begun to pilot a digital portfolio reporting system, Richer Picture. In the coming weeks, you will be receiving communication from the School Counseling department with your access information. At the end of the trimester, your students work will be available in Richer Picture. During Open House, I shared the department’s plans to connect the digital portfolio to our district initiatives. The attached letter provides additional insight about the benefits of this new initiative.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1AmyB1NSv_dqoCzRQZ6eDfZQNxXrUg778/view?usp=sharing
Chromebooks:
Students use their chromebooks as a learning tool throughout the day. Please help to remind your students to charge their chromebooks each night and to bring them to school each day so they are ready to learn.
School Picture Retakes:
Coffee Pond will be at Barrington Middle School on Monday, November 25 starting at 9:00 am. If you are unhappy with your child’s original school picture package, please send the full package in with your student on the 25th and Coffee Pond will retake their picture. If your student was absent during the first picture day (Monday, October 7), you may still order pictures at www.coffeepond.com. Questions? Please call Coffee Pond at 800.632.2323 ext 0.
Request for donations of breakfast items:
BMS Parents,
Please help support the staff of BMS by providing an item for the BMS Faculty/Staff Monthly Morning Meetup. These monthly meetups are an opportunity for the staff to connect and enjoy each other’s company before school starts.
Donated items should be delivered at 8:00am. Your BMS student is welcome to help you deliver and then remain at BMS until the school day begins at 8:40am.
Please click on the link to sign up
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/bmsmonthlymeetup
BMS Old Information
BMS Partners in Learning:
Join us and be a Barrington Public Schools Partner in Learning!
If you have a career or hobby that you would consider sharing, please let us know by clicking on the link below. https://forms.gle/2FPRfamJP7t7Ecu19
BMS “Shark Tank”:
Join us and be a "Shark" at BMS's Shark Tank on November 22nd, 10:10am-12:10pm
The BMS Entrepreneurship students have worked hard to develop product & business concepts and are looking to share their business plans with parents and the greater Barrington community.
You will be asked to listen to the business presentations, ask questions, and provide feedback to the student teams. Feedback guidance will be provided.
Please click on the link to volunteer. https://www.signupgenius.com/g…
BMS Yearbook:
Ordering your 2019-2020 BMS Yearbook is open! Order online now here. Code: 1540720
Fitness Professionals:
Are you a health and wellness role model in our East Bay community? Our PE/Health initiative for the 2019-2020 school year is looking for volunteers to share their passion for fitness during “Fitness Fridays” at BMS! For more information, click here for details.
BMS Seeking Crossing Guards:
If you are interested in serving as a paid BMS Crossing Guard during the morning and/or afternoon, please contact Doug Fiore at 245-5000 or fiored@barringtonschools.org. Position entails approx. 10 hours per week at $15.45/hr. We are hopeful that the additional crossing guards will aid in the safety of our students coming and leaving campus. Thank you for considering.
BMS Office Information:
The BMS Office is open daily from 8:00 am until 3:45 pm. As always, students need a note from home given to the office before homeroom on days when they will be dismissed early. We are very impressed by the number of students, especially 6th graders, that have followed our procedure and come to the office on their own to meet their parents for dismissal! Well done!
New Volunteer Orientation and BCI Information:
Please see the links below for information about volunteering in the Barrington School District. We love our volunteers! For more information, please see the volunteer website at https://www.barringtonschools.org/o/barrington-schools/page/volunteer-office
Club/Advisor Opportunities:
BMS is seeking to fill our Robotics Coach and Science Olympiad coaching position. Please see the schoolspring link below for more information. In addition, please feel free to pass this link to your friends and colleagues.
Robotics: www.schoolspring.com Job ID: 3121096
Science Olympiad: www.schoolspring.com Job ID: 3112939
Standing Items
Bus and Transportation:
This year, bus routes were included on your child’s aspen account. If you have any questions about your child’s designated bus our route, please access the following website: e new handbook and bus stop change request form can be found on our new website transportation page: https://www.barringtonschools.org/o/barrington-schools/page/transportation--429
Bus schedules are also available online at Barrington Bus Schedules
News from PTO
PTO BMS Directory:
Please sign up for the PTO BMS Directory- instructions and link below:-
https://tools.ptoffice.com/reg/RI_BMS53C
BMS PTO Membership:
Please consider joining the BMS PTO visit
BMS Community News
Join the Barrington Scouts
Open to all youth 11-17 years old. Meetings every Tuesday from 7:00 to 8:30 pm at the Barrington Congregational Church (461 County Rd). For more information visit www.Troop6barrington.org or contact Jim Silveria at Troop6Leader@gmail.com. Click here for an informational flyer.
Information Night at the High School ““Teen Risky Behavior, from Vaping to Edibles
and Dabs: What You Can Do to Protect Your Child”
Presented by: Elizabeth Driscoll Jorgensen, CADC Director, Insight Counseling, Ridgefield, CT Tuesday, December 10th – 7: 00 - 8:30 PM Barrington High School
Volunteers Needed
Do you enjoy volunteering and working with students who are learning English? Do you speak a language other than English? Would you like to mentor an EL family? Please click here for more information!
December Events at the Barrington Public Library
There are lots of fun events for teens going on in December at the library! Click here for a link to a number of flyers outlining these events.