Bessie Coleman Middle School
January 6, 2017
Miller's Message
Dear BCMS Families,
The third quarter is now underway! We are gearing up for what we know will be a rigorous final half of the year. We welcome this second semester with great enthusiasm for all that awaits us. Between now and year-end, you can expect us to continue our pursuit of excellence, one child at a time. Our talented faculty is committed to pushing students to new heights while closing learning gaps. We know we have your support, but now we must motivate students to invest in themselves with the same depth that we have. During this half of the year, we look forward to continuing to see the tenets of BCMS Pride reflected in every learner. While our talented team continues to work at that effort, we look forward to the many ways to celebrate and recognize the good works of our students; and we invite you to join us.
On the academic side, we plan to further develop our readers with a school wide read anywhere campaign. In math and science, we are going to work harder at building computational fluency, while building in opportunities for students to strengthen number sense and reasoning skills. So, practice is going to be critical! To achieve these goals we need students in tutoring Monday - Thursday, every week.
In sum, we have our work cut out for us. I will continue to call upon you to partner with us to ready our students for the rigor that awaits them; and I know I have your support. Therefore, I thank you in advance and look forward to sharing this second semester with you and your children.
Sincerely,
Jason Miller M.Ed.
Identification Badges: We've had several students forget ID's. If your student does not have an ID, they must purchase a temporary from the attendance office for $1. If they don't have $1, they can turn in their phone to receive a temporary, but must bring a $1 before the end of the day to get their phone back. If your student misplaces their ID or destroys it where the bar code can't be scanned it is $5 for a replacement. To gain entrance to Junior High games without a parent, all students must have their ID and pay the admission fee. Students without an ID will not be allowed entrance.
Attendance/Tardies:
All students are expected to be at school on time. The tardy bell rings at 7:30 AM. Any student not in class by 7:30 AM are considered tardy. If a student misses more than 1/2 of a class they are considered absent. Students have a 4-minute transition between each class. If they are not in their classroom when the tardy bell rings, they are tardy. Students who are habitually late will have home visits made and truancy charges filed. All TARDIES TO SCHOOL ARE UNEXCUSED.
College Week January 9-13 ( Tweet about college week using #bcmscollegeweek )
Monday
Rep Your Favorite College Attire: College Shirt College Hat with jeans
Tuesday
Rep Texas Attire: College shirt from a TEXAS college with uniform pants
Wednesday
Dress for Success Attire: Professional (suit, slacks, dress shirt, tie, dress, etc.)
Thursday
Think HBCU Attire: Shirt from a historically black college uniform pants
Friday
I Love College Attire: College shirt and jeans
Cell Phones and Social Media
As the parent, you are responsible for monitoring your teen's social media accounts. If they are having issues with peers through social media, remove the account. We have too many issues occurring at school because teens are making bad choices on social media accounts. Remember the poor decision they may make now will be a digital footprint that remains forever. If they are not mature enough to handle social media accounts, remove their access!
What we know about teens:
•They are constantly trying to define themselves.
•They crave positive feedback to help them see how their identity fits into their world.
•They use social media for this feedback... but they are looking in a dangerous place.
How is this harmful:
•The danger exists in the possibility of a very public rejection because negative feedback is there for anyone and everyone to see.
•Another danger is that teens ask for feedback without learning first that not everyone will respond in a supportive way.
Dangerous APPS
1. Tinder: An app that is used for hooking-up and dating. Users can rate profiles and find potential hook-ups via GPS location tracking. 450 million profiles are rated every day! The good news is, this app pulls information from user’s Facebook profiles, so it is more authenticated than other apps.
Problem: It is easy for adults and minors to find one another. Also, due to the rating system, it is often used for cyber-bullying, because a group of kids can target another kid and purposefully make his/her rating go down.
2. Snapchat: This app allows a user to send photos and videos to anyone on his/her friend list. The sender can determine how long the receiver can view the image and then the image “destructs” after the allotted time.
Problem: It is the #1 app used for sexting, mostly because people think it is the safer way to sext. However, the “snaps” can easily be recovered and the receiver can take a screen shot and share it with others. Also, a lot of images from Snapchat get posted to revenge porn sites, called “snap porn.”
3. Blendr: A flirting app used to meet new people through GPS location services. You can send messages, photos, videos, rate the hotness of other users, etc.
Problem: There are no authentication requirements, so sexual predators can contact minors, minors can meet up with adults. And again, the sexting.
4.Kik Messenger: An instant messaging app with over 100 million users that allows users to exchange videos, pics and sketches. Users can also send YouTube videos and create memes and digital gifs.
Problem: Kids using the app for sexting and sending nude selfies through the app is common. The term “sext buddy” is being replaced with “Kik buddy.” Kids use Reddit and other forum sites to place classified ads for sex by giving out their Kik usernames. Also, Kik does not offer any parental controls and there is no way of authenticating users, thus making it easy for sexual predators to use the app to interact with minors.
5. Whisper: Whisper is an anonymous confession app. It allows users to superimpose text over a picture in order to share their thoughts and feelings anonymously. However, you post anonymously, but it displays the area you are posting from. You can also search for users posting within a mile from you.
Problem: Due to the anonymity, kids are posting pics of other kids with derogatory text superimposed on the image. Also, users do not have to register to use Whisper and can use the app to communicate with other users nearby through GPS. A quick look at the app and you can see that online relationships are forming through the use of this app, but you never know the person behind the computer or phone. Sexual predators also use the app to locate kids and establish a relationship. One man in Seattle, Wash., was charged with raping a 12-year-old girl he met on this app in 2013.
6. Ask.fm: Ask.fm is one of the most popular social networking sites that is almost exclusively used by kids. It is a Q&A site that allows users to ask other users questions while remaining anonymous.
Problem: Kids will often ask repeated derogatory questions that target one person. Due to the anonymity of the badgering, it creates a virtually consequence-free form of cyber-bullying. Ask.fm has been associated with nine documented cases of suicide in the U.S. and the U.K.
7. Yik Yak: An app that allows users to post text-only “Yaks” of up to 200 characters. The messages can be viewed by the 500 Yakkers who are closest to the person who wrote the Yak, as determined by GPS tracking.
Problem: Users are exposed to and are contributing sexually explicit content, derogatory language and personal attacks. Although the posts are anonymous, kids start revealing personal information as they get more comfortable with other users.
8. Poof: This app allows users to make other apps “disappear” on their phone. Kids can hide any app they don’t want you to see by opening the app and selecting other apps.
Problem: It’s obvious, right? Luckily, you can no longer purchase this app. But, if it was downloaded before it became unavailable, your child may still have it. Keep in mind that these types of apps are created and then terminated quickly, but similar ones are continuously being created. Others to look for: Hidden Apps, App Lock and Hide It Pro.
9. Omegle: This app is primarily used for video chatting. When you use Omegle, you do not identify yourself through the service. Instead, chat participants are only identified as “You” and “Stranger.” However, you can connect Omegle to your Facebook account to find chat partners with similar interests. When choosing this feature, an Omegle Facebook App will receive your Facebook “likes” and try to match you with a stranger with similar likes.
Problem: Sexual predators use this app to find kids to collect personal information from in order to track them down more easily in person.
10. Down: This app, which used to be called Bang With Friends, is connected to Facebook. Users can categorize their Facebook friends in one of two ways: They can indicate whether or not a friend is someone they’d like to hang with or someone they are “down” to hook-up with.
Problem: Although identifying someone you are willing to hook-up with doesn’t mean you will actually hook-up with them, it creates a hook-up norm within a peer group. Depending on your sexual values, this might be something you don’t want for your child. Also, because of the classification system, a lot of kids will feel left out or unwanted, which can lead to anxiety, etc.
Important Dates for the 2nd semester ( Other Dates will be added or deleted)
March 3-Praire View A&M and Texas Southern University College Visit ( 8th Grade)
--Studnet Funded trip
March 4- Explore UT Event ( Austin, Texas) ( 6th and 7th Grade)
--Students must qualify
April 28- 8th Grade Prom ( 9th Grade Center)
May 11 – Athletic Banquet
May 15- 6th and 7th Grade Awards Ceremony
May 16- Fine Arts Night ( IBOC)
May 17- 8th Grade Awards Ceremony
May 18- 6/7 grade Field Day
May 19- 8th grade Field Day
May 22- Walk Across/ 8th Grade Completion Ceremony ( PAC) 7pm
May 23- 8th Grade Lock in (Altitude)
May 24- Six Flags 8th Grade
May 25 – 8th grade Breakfast/Lunch Picnic ( On the grounds)
BCMS Basketball Schedule 2016-2017
BCMS Lady Longhorn Basketball Schedule
BCMS Longhorn Basketball Schedule
Athletic Events Expections
- Under no circumstance should we become disrespectful toward players, coaches, or other fans.
-Fans are not allowed on the court before, during, or after any game.
- You are responsible for your small children. The school is not a play area and your kids are expected to be with you.
-Please do not walk on the black bleachers ( use the aisle and the stairs)
The bleachers were replaced last year and we want them to remain in good condition for many years to come.
Any fan that blatantly does not follow the aforementioned expectations, will be asked to leave and will be banned from attending future events in CHISD. If issues arise please seek out the security guard or game administrator.
Walking home or riding the bus
Dismissal on any campus can be a challenging experience. When students are walking or riding the bus, they are still expected to abide by rules and regulation. We have too many students trying to figure out transportation at the end of the day. Please communicate your transportation procedures for your child prior to them coming to school.
Bus Transportation
We are asking all parents to support us by reiterating to your student appropriate behavior expectations. Students who are disruptive on the bus, will have their bus privileges removed. Misbehavior on the bus and disrespect of the bus driver will not be tolerated.
Walkers
Walker are expected to immediately leave campus, on foot, at the end of the day. While walking home, students are expected to follow the local law and guidelines. As we know, students can become mischievous when an adult is not present. Please speak to your student about what your parental expectations are when they are off campus and walking home. We have been in communication with the Animal Shelter, next door. Students should not be dropped off/picked up on their property. They will start reporting habitual offenders and their license plate numbers to the local authorities.
Breakthrough Coach
Dear Parents:
Bessie Coleman MS is committed to educating and empowering every student to excel academically and socially. In order for this to come to fruition, we are committed to having district administrators in classroom 2-3 FULL days per week to improve teaching and learning.
As a result of being in class so often, we may not always be immediately available to you; however your communication important to us. If you have questions about a particular class , please contact the teacher directly, as we have found that is the most effective way to clarify issues. If you need to talk to an administrator, please contact the appropriate secretary, as she handles the administrator's calendar: Assistant Principal Secretary- Latoya.Jones@chisd.net : Campus Principal Secretary- norma.espinoza@chisd.net . They will need to know the nature of your call to find the appropriate time for us to talk or will direct your call to the correct department/administrator.
Thank you for your ongoing support of Bessie Coleman Middle School. You are a valued partner in your child's education. The implementation of these practices will enhance our ability to strengthen student learning in our district.
Calling All Dads , Moms, Brothers, Sisters, Uncles, Aunts, etc....
7:00 AM to 7:30 AM Student Arrival
10:15 AM to 12:10 PM Student Lunch Periods
2:50 PM to 3:30 PM Student Dismissal
We are only asking for 30 Minutes a week!!!
Dances
Below are the dates of school dances. Please note that dances are a privilege. Dances are only for BCMS students. We will never allow students to pay at the door for dances. Typically students will be allowed to pay the week leading up to the dance....Dances will be scheduled from 7pm to 10pm and will cost $3 to enter. Concession will be available. This schedule may be altered at the campus principals discretion. Students will not be allowed to attend dances for excessive absences, tardies, or disruptive behavior.
February 10 ( PTA Dance)
April 7
Campus Culture/Relationship Initiatives
--Rolling Wednesday- Administrative staff ride the bus with students to build a positive relationship.
Administrative Staff Contact Informtaion
7th Grade Assistant Principal- Tashara Tuck tashara.tuck@chisd.net
8th Grade Assistant Principal- Cassundra Gipson cassundra.gipson@chisd.net
Campus Principal- Jason Miller jason.miller@chisd.net
We are here to assist you in any way that we can, however, you must address your concerns in the following order: Teacher, Assistant Principal, Campus Principal.
Important Dates
Site Based Meeting ( All Parents are invited)
February 9 at 3:15 PM
We will be reviewing budgets, Planning Events, and reviewing the CIP
Monthly Coffee With The Principal, Assistant Principals, or Counselors ( 7:30 AM)
January 19, 2017
February 24, 2017
March 10, 2017
April 21, 2017
Parent Drop-In Day
(IT SHOULD BE A SURPRISE THAT YOU ARE POPPING IN ON THEM)
February 24
March 10
All Pro Dads Breakfast ( 2nd Breakfast of the Year)
January 2017
Child Nutrition and Lunch
Parents ARE NOT allowed to bring outside food to anyone other than their own child.
Students ARE NOT allowed to bring large bags of chips, candy, or soda to school. If you are purchasing large bags of chips, please place a personal amount in a small zip lock bag.
Allowed Sizes:
Chips: 1 ounce to 1.5 ounce
Drinks: 12 ounces to 32 ounces
Not Allowed:
Drinks: liter or 2 liters
Chips: Large Bags ( anything greater than 1.5 ounces)
Candy: None
The aforementioned items will be confiscated and thrown away.
Attendance/ Tardies
Procedures
A parent/guardian should contact the Attendance Office for each absence. If you wish to email, you may send to deniece.clark@chisd.net or use the Family Access Absence Notification Request, which allows parents/guardians to send a note by email through Family Access.
Students submitting a note from a doctor or dentist for a partial day will be considered Excused. Students submitting a note from court will be considered Excused.
Tardies:
All students are expected to be at school on time. The tardy bell rings at 7:30 AM. Any student not in class by 7:30 AM are considered tardy. If a student misses more than 1/2 of a class they are considered absent. Students have a 4 minute transition between each class. If they are not in their classroom when the tardy bell rings, they are tardy. Students who are habitually late will have home visits made and truancy charges filed. All TARDIES TO SCHOOL ARE UNEXCUSED.
According to the Texas Education Code §25.092, students are required to attend 90% of the days a class is offered. Excused and unexcused absences count toward this requirement. Please be aware of absences accrued throughout each semester.
Drop off and Pick Up Procedures
The main lanes will be divided by cones. Once you get on the main drive, and traffic has stopped please have your student exit the car quickly. If they exit the car in the far lane they must exit to the left and walk to the cross walk or staff member to cross. Under no circumstance should a vehicle be unattended in the morning or obstructing a lane. If you choose to walk your student in the building, please park in the designated parking lot and bring your ID to receive a visitor's badge to enter the secured area of the building.
Pick-Up
The two outside lanes are available for pick-up in the afternoon. Do not leave your vehicle unattended. Students are instructed to look for their cars and load with caution the middle lane is not a pick up area. We do not release or call for students from the main office after 2:45 PM.
2016-2017 Dress Code and Grooming Policy
The approved dress code for 2016-2017 is in the link below. All students are expected to be in compliance on the 1st day of school.
STUDENT DRESS & GROOMING POLICY
Dress and grooming policies are enforced each day of the school year. All students are expected to dress in compliance with the standardized dress criteria. This will allow students to perform effectively in the learning environment without distractions to themselves or others. The principal has total discretion in determining compliance with the standardized dress criteria. Violations of the dress or grooming code warrant disciplinary action. If the principal or designee determines that the dress or grooming of a student is inappropriate, he/she will advise the student of why the dress or grooming fails to conform to guidelines and allow the student to give an explanation. The parent or guardian of the child whose dress or grooming is inappropriate shall be notified that their child has been assigned one day of In-School Suspension or until the parent brings compliant clothing for their child to wear. A third violation of dress code will result in the parent notification that their child is assigned to Out of-School Suspension for one day. Repeated offenses will be handled as Category III and/or IV offenses. Unless modified by the principal, students, including student spectators, at school activities such as sporting events, musicals, field trips, off-campus school events and commencement exercises shall meet the grooming standards. The Standardized Dress criteria may be modified for students who are officially representing the school in extracurricular activities and are wearing an official uniform or other appropriate dress for that school activity.
THE FOLLOWING IS NOT PERMITTED FOR ANY STUDENT:
1. Unnatural or distracting hair color or style of hair
- No purple, green, blue, fuchsia, pink, etc....Only natural color hair or extensions are allowed: black, brown, and/or blond
2. Jewelry or other items worn in pierced body parts other than ears
3. Jewelry that is considered to be disruptive or offensive
4. Wearing of hats, caps, hair rollers, sunglasses, or any headgear inside the building
5. Bandanas, arm or sweatbands
6. Pocket chains or other chains determined as inappropriate by the principal
7. Hair that is not kept well groomed at all times
8. Any facial hair which is not short and neatly trimmed
9. Flip-flops, house shoes, or slippers
10. Dresses, skirts, or skorts that do not extend to the knee all the way around while fastened appropriately around the waist and hands placed at the side.
11. Slits in dresses, skirts, or skorts that extend above the fingertip while fastened appropriately around the waist
12. Shorts that do not extend to the fingertip while fastened appropriately around the waist and hands placed at the side
13. Sagging or over sized biking shorts, cutoffs, boxer shorts, or soccer-type shorts
14. Pants that do not reveal the shoes
15. Clothing that reveals undergarments
16. Rips or tears in clothing.
17. The presence of any apparel, jewelry, accessory, or manner of grooming which by virtue of its color, arrangement, trademark, symbol, or any other attribute which implies membership or affiliation with a gang, secret society, fraternity, or sorority.
Parent Involvement
Site Based Decision Making-Site-based decision making is a process for decentralizing decisions to improve the educational outcomes at every school campus through a collaborative effort by which principals, teachers, campus staff, district staff, parents, and community representatives assess educational outcomes of all students, determine goals and strategies, and ensure that strategies are implemented and adjusted to improve student achievement.
8th Grade Planning Committee- The 8th grade planning committee coordinates the
8th grade End of the Year activities ( Prom, Six Flags, Social Event, 8th Grade Breakfast, etc) with the PTA and Administrative staff. Without assistance from parents these events WILL NOT happen.
All Pro Dad (APD)-A group of men passionately committed to bringing intentional focus to Fathers/Male Figures at Bessie Coleman MS. APD's offer assistance at various events around campus and CHISD. With the support of the APD's Bessie Coleman students will continue to grow in a positive manner at school and in the community.
Bessie Coleman PTA- A parent-teacher association (PTA) is a formal organization composed of parents, teachers and staff that is intended to facilitate parental participation in a school. For more information contact: bessiecolemanpta@gmail.com
Bus
Bus Schedule 2016-2017
CHISD and Bessie Coleman Mission and Vision
CHISD Motto
Lead; Learn; Engage; Excel
CHISD Vision
The Cedar Hill Independent School District will become a premier school district providing innovative opportunities and academic challenges preparing all students for the global marketplace.
Bessie Coleman Middle School Mission
(What we will do; Why we exist; Our purpose)
The staff and students of Bessie Coleman Middle School believe that anything is possible through collaboration, rigor, relevance and relationships. We are committed to becoming a national premier middle school by providing an excellent, effort-based education for all students.
Bessie Coleman Middle School VISION
(What we will see as we carry out the mission; what we want to become)
Bessie Coleman Middle School will be a premier school
preparing our students to become global competitors.
Bessie Coleman Middle School
Email: jason.miller@chisd.net
Website: http://www.chisd.net/Domain/8
Location: 1208 E Pleasant Run Rd, Cedar Hill, TX, United States
Phone: 972-293-4595
Twitter: @ColemanMS_CHISD
Tutoring Schedule-2016-2017
Tuesday- Math
Wednesday- Science
Thursday -Social Studies
Tutoring will be from 3:00 PM to 4:30 PM each day. Bus Transportation will be provided if your student already is eligible to ride the bus.
You will be notified in advance if tutoring is canceled for any reason!!!
Who to Contact at BCMS
Cafeteria/ Lunch : Cassandra Pierson Cassandra.Pierson@chisd.net
Records: Patricia Jordan patricia.jordan@chisd.net
Counselor A-L: Patrice Gray patrice.gray@chisd.net
Counselor M-Z: Cicely Ham cicely.ham@chisd.net
We are here to assist you in any way that we can, however, you must address your concerns in the following order: Teacher, Assistant Principal, Campus Principal.
Assistant Principal Secretary: Latoya Jones latoya.jones@chisd.net
6th Grade Assistant Principal: Shayla Pratt shayla.pratt@chisd.net
7th Grade Assistant Principal: Cassundra Gipson cassundra.gipson@chisd.net
8th Grade Assistant Principal: Tashara Tuck tashara.tuck@chisd.net
Principal's Secretary: Norma Espinoza Norma.Espionza@chisd.net
Campus Principal: Jason Miller Jason.miller@chisd.net