BMS Connected Learning Newsletter 5.18.2020

Andrew Anderson

May 19, 2020

Barrington Middle School 

BMS Connected Learning Newsletter 5.18.2020 (BMS Distance Learning Special Edition)

The BMS Learning Community is Respectful, Responsible, and Ready to Succeed! 

Mission:

Barrington Middle School’s Mission is to empower all students to excel in character, citizenship, collaboration, creativity, communication, and critical thinking, so that they may positively impact the future.

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)

  • Incoming 6th Grade Parent Video Presentation Released on Sunday, May 17, 2020. 

  • Incoming 6th Grade Parent (last names A - F) Q and A on Wednesday, May 20, 2020 from 6:00 pm - 7:00pm. 

  • Incoming 6th Grade Parent (last names G - N) Q and A on Wednesday, May 20, 2020 from 7:00 pm - 8:00pm.

  • Incoming 6th Grade Parent (last names O - Z) Q and A on Thursday, May 21, 2020 from 6:00 pm - 7:00pm.  

  • Added daytime session:

Incoming 6th Grade Parent (Open session) on Friday, May 22, 2020 from 9:00am-10:00am 

  • Cluster/Experience Preference Forms emailed home on Friday, May 22, 2020. Forms need to be completed by Monday, June 1, 2020 by 4:00 pm. 

  • BMS Premiere Launch of “We are BMS” on Friday, May 22, 2020 released at 7:00 pm (see invitation below) 

  • Meet the Directors of “We are BMS” on Tuesday, May 26, 2020 from 7:00 pm - 7:30 pm

  • BMS Math Progression Presentation Released on Thursday, May 28, 2020. 

  • BMS Math Progression Q and A on Tuesday, June 2, 2020 from 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm. 

  • BMS Incoming 6th Grade Student Orientation TBD

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 Dr. Brian Fernandes.  Dr. Fernandes has been an asset in organizing the Spring Fastbridge screening for BMS.  He has created informational documents for families regarding the assessment to explain the importance of students working independently to ensure we have accurate data.  Dr. Fernandes has also put together a folder for teachers containing the directions for administering the aReading and aMath assessment and helped to organize the distribution of student usernames and passwords.  Thank you Brian for putting this information together! 

BMS New Information

Distance Learning Schedule Week of 5/17/2020

Date

Day 

Specials 

Monday

May 18, 2020

Day 3

Block

7th Grade Specials 

6th/8th Grade Independent Practice

Tuesday

May 19, 2020

Day 4

Block

7th Grade Specials 

6th/8th Grade Independent Practice

Wednesday

May 20, 2020

No School 

PD Day 

No School for Students 

Thursday

May 21, 2020

Day 5

Block

8th Grade Specials 

6th/7th Grade Independent Practice

Friday 

May 22, 2020

Day 6

Block

8th Grade Specials 

6th/7th Grade Independent Practice

Please reach out if you have any questions. 

Motivational Messages to BMS Students: 

Over the past several weeks, our BMS Faculty/Staff have been creating motivational messages for our students! If you have a moment, please see the video that was put together from our faculty/staff to our amazing students! 

You’re Invited to the virtual premiere of the movie “We are BMS”!

Please click on the link for more details.  

BMS Field Trip Update: 

This past Thursday, Mr. Messore and Dr. Dillon presented the guidance created by our BMS SIT/Field Trip Committee worked on last week to the School Committee. This week, we will be communicating to families the process to be refunded for the overnight field trips that were cancelled due to COVID-19. 

Fastbridge: 

This week we will be administering FastBridge Screening Assessments during our Distance Learning. This assessment is completed online with an internet-connected computer or tablet. In addition, your child will need headphones for the computer-based directions. Please see the below link for additional Fastbridge information that was communicated to families last week. 

BMS Virtual Spirit Week:

We will be holding another virtual spirit week next week!  Please see the flier below.  We are asking students to share pictures of their participation, students that share will be entered into a raffle for a gift certificate to Barrington Books.  Please encourage your students to participate!

Incoming 6th Grade Families Orientation and Zoom Links: 

Please see a few links below to our 5th Grade Parent Orientation, as well as our incoming 6th Grade Parent Q&A nights (by alphabetical order). I look forward to partnering with you in the future: 

In addition, please see a link to the parent Q and A sessions below. Due to the capacity of Zoom it would be most helpful if you would attend during your designated time slot, and if multiple people are viewing from the same home, to participate in the Q and A session on one device. Finally, please be sure to view the 5th Grade Parent Orientation Video prior to the Q and A events. 

8th Grade Celebration Update:

Our 8th Grade Celebration Committee has been hard at work creating and designing plans to best celebrate our students as they transition from Barrington Middle School to High School. Over the next few weeks our 8th Grade families will be receiving information via emails regarding these events. Please be on the lookout. In the meantime, we have sent an email to our 8th graders to indicate their shirt size for our 8th grade student gift. Shirt sizes are due by Thursday, May 22, 2020 by 8:00 pm. Please encourage your child to complete the form. Students who do not order a shirt will be ordered an adult large by default. 

Old Information: 

 

8th Grade Celebration: 

Last week, a group of 8th grade teachers and representatives from the PTO met to begin to plan our 8th Grade Celebration. Although we will be unable to have our traditional in person celebrations (Bridge Ceremony, Dinner Dance, etc), the team is working hard on being creative to celebrate our 8th Graders as they transition from our Middle School to the High School. 

BMS Cluster/Experience Preference Forms: 

This year, we will be emailing the BMS Cluster/Experience Preference Forms home on Friday, May 22, 2020. We are requesting forms to be completed by Monday, June 1, 2020 by 4:00 pm. 

High School Jazz Band Auditions:

Any 8th grader who would like to audition for next year’s Barrington High School Jazz band should contact Mrs. Barbara Hughes at the High School. Email:  Hughesb@barringtonschools.org

BMS Teacher Appreciation Video: 

Please see a link below to view  last week’s BMS Teacher Appreciation Video! Last week, we had nearly 130 students submit a picture to show thanks to our BMS Faculty/Staff! A special thanks to Jack Culton for putting the video together! 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZtApHWmtVRRH0qlUhRNgsIT4gor3jczJ/view?usp=sharing

BMS Student Distance Learning Expectations: 

This week, we have asked our teachers to remind our students of our BMS Student Distance Learning Expectations. We have provided more examples/specifics for each area. Please see a link below for our updated expectations.  We are also asking families to help remind their students to check into the BMS Homeroom google classroom daily.  Students should check into the Homeroom google classroom by 8:42 am and complete the attendance form.  Your help in reminding students about this important step each morning is appreciated.   

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1s7NxJr_V6clITFy8vCMjmBf95XqnYhIUFUJ_XOvZwCA/edit?usp=sharing

BMS Math Progression Overview: 

In addition, we will also be releasing our BMS Math Progression overview to our families on Thursday, May 28, 2020. On Tuesday, June 2, 2020 we will have a Q and A session from 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm based on the presentation. It is important to note that the presentation will not be reviewed during the Q and A and parents would have had to watch the presentation before the Q and A session. 

  • BMS Math Progression Presentation Released on Thursday, May 28, 2020. 

  • BMS Math Progression Q and A on Tuesday, June 2, 2020 from 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm. 

Student Schedule Video’s and Student Communication: 

Ms. Silveira and I have been using our BMS Homeroom Google Classroom as means of communicating to our students on a daily basis. We have found this platform to be successful due to all of the students needing to access this page to sign in for the day. 

Included in Monday’s message, we will be including the following videos that Ms. Silveira recorded to help students strengthen their understanding of our distance learning schedule. Great work Ms. Silveira for putting these videos together! 

6th grade

7th grade

8th grade

Student Attendance:

Students are expected to check in to the BMS Homeroom Google Classroom by 8:40 am each day and to attend all of their classes throughout the day.  Attendance will be taken each period. We understand that there may be times when students are participating and completing their work, but cannot attend a session. In this instance, they will receive credit but will need to email the teacher before the end of the day.  If your child is tardy please help to remind them they should check into the BMS Homeroom Google Classroom before they log-in to their scheduled classroom.  

If your child will be absent or tardy, please send an email to bmsattendance@barringtonschools.org to report this.  In the subject line please put your student(s) First and Last Name.  Please report absences or tardies by 8:30am.  The attendance email will be monitored daily by the office staff. Please see the linked document for our complete Daily Attendance protocol. 

BMS Family/Student Distance Learning Questions:

We have provided you with an abundance of information related to Distance Learning.  As questions come up please submit them using the BMS Family/Student Distance Distance Learning Questions form.  Please check the BMS Family/Student Distance Learning Questions and Answers document for updates and answers to your questions.    

IEP, 504 and Parent Meetings:

If you had a previously scheduled IEP, 504 or Parent Meeting we will be rescheduling these with you soon.  Mrs. Bulman will begin reaching out to parents to reschedule IEP and parent meetings starting this week.  Meetings will take place with parents via Zoom.  If you have questions about IEP or parent meetings please reach out to Mrs. Kathy Bulman: bulmank@barringtonschools.org.  Mrs. Nelson will be reaching out to reschedule 504 meetings starting this week.  Meetings will also take place via Zoom.  If you have questions about 504 meetings please reach out to Mrs. Kelly Nelson: nelsonk@barringtonschools.org.