Barrington Middle School 

BMS Connected Learning Newsletter 11.25.2019

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 28, 2019 and Friday, November 29, 2019: Thanksgiving Break, No School

  • Rescheduled -Monday, December 2, 2019:  BMS PTO meeting at 7:00 pm in Room 1202 - Next BMS PTO Meeting Moved to Monday, January 27, 2020 at 7:00 pm

  • 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 Mrs. Kelly Nelson. Last week, Kelly prepared nearly 60 BMS Spotlight Certificates for members of our learning community who have been recognized in our past BMS Spotlight on Learning segments. Thank you Mrs. Nelson for preparing these certificates. 

This week we would like to shine our BMS Spotlight on Mr. Mark Davis, Mrs. Becky Henderson, Mr. Peter McFarland, Mrs. Diana Ouellette, Mrs. Kellie Polando, and Mrs. Meg Snyder for opening their doors for our BMS Family Deep Learning Visit. Our families were incredibly impressed with the level of student engagement, student ownership, and various deep learning activities students were engaged in during the visit. Thank you for opening your doors and being great ambassadors for teaching and learning that happens on a daily basis at BMS! 

This week we would like to shine our BMS Spotlight on Mrs. Dawn August, Mrs. Kelsey Carroll, Mr. Brett Kearns, Mrs. Kristen Meystre, Ms. Cynthia Ryan and Mrs. Karen Watson for meeting with the Secretary of State of Rhode Island, Nellie Gorbea, and engaging in great discussion about Rhode Island History, Civics, and Education. 

This week we would also like to shine our BMS Spotlight on Mrs. Kellie Polando for facilitating the 8th Grade Shark Tank experience. This past week, our 8th graders in Mrs. Polando’s class presented their products to a group of parent volunteers who served as Sharks. The students did an amazing job identifying a problem, creating a solution, designing a logo/slogan, researching a target market and competitors, and eventually “pitching” their idea to industry experts. Great work Mrs. Polando and students. 

Lastly, we would like to shine our BMS Spotlight on Mrs. Anita DiMatteo for organizing the food/beverage list for our faculty Monday Morning Meetups and for those families who donated the food to make this event happen. Food brings everyone together and our faculty/staff are very appreciative of this gesture. 

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

#BMSShines: 

Since the start of school, we have been curating the great teaching and learning that happens on a daily basis using #BMSShines. We have well over 50 tweets capturing how amazing our learning community is. Please see a slideshow that I created from some of these tweets. Keep shining BMS!  

#BMSShines 

Student Portfolios: 

Every student in every class has a student binder/portfolio where they keep their work (classwork, assignments, assessments, reflections). They use these portfolios/binders on a daily basis as part of the continuous improvement process. Over the course of this coming month, teachers will be making these portfolios available to their families. When the portfolio goes home, we ask that you review the portfolio with your child focusing on the following: strengths, proudest accomplishments, assignment where your child demonstrated grit and perseverance, and opportunities for improvement. In addition, throughout the year, if you email your child’s teacher, they will send the portfolio home. The only thing we ask is that the portfolio is returned the next day as they are regularly used. 

BMS Lost and Found:

The BMS Lost and Found is overflowing with sweatshirts, water bottles, and many other items.  We no longer have room to store all of these items and will be donating them to a worthy cause after Thanksgiving.  If your student may have lost something, please have them check the lost and found table in the student union. Click here for pictures of a majority of the items on the table.

BMS Old Information

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

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. 

 

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 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

How to Get a BCI

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. 

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 

www.barringtonmiddlepto.org

 

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.comClick 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.