BEATRICE MIDDLE SCHOOL NEWSLETTER
NOVEMBER, 2021
PRINCIPAL POINTS BY......ANDREW HAAKE
Well folks, the first quarter is officially under our belts! Our students and staff have done a tremendous job in the first quarter of starting the school year off with a lot of energy and not only maintaining that energy, but increasing it! Our House System implementation has been a great addition for our student body and I'm excited to get to the semester mark to look at our data to see how much it has contributed to school improvement!
As I write these monthly articles, I try to keep it purposeful and intentional toward things that directly impact you as BMS stakeholders. One question I get from 7th grade parents as they begin participating in athletics is, "why don't we play as many area Middle Schools in sports anymore"?
I cannot answer all the intricacies of that question, but I can share some of the benefits of the transition. Last year Beatrice Middle School joined forces with Platteview, Plattsmouth, Nebraska City, Ralston, and Wahoo to form the Trailblazer Conference. The Trailblazer Conference schools are all fairly similar to size as opposed to many of the local schools we competed against. Because we are all in a conference, our schools have the natural ability to create a conference tournament to engage our students.
Outside of the athletic fields, the Trailblazer Conference schools are beginning to create other middle school opportunities. This year you will see a Trailblazer Conference Music Contest, Art Contest, Quiz Bowl Tournament, Student Council Exchange, School Counselor Meeting, and quarterly Principal meetings. None of these opportunities were present before. By partnering as a conference Beatrice Middle School's students and staff are able to engage with other schools to talk about the great things going on at BMS and to bring back great things going on in other conference schools.
Hopefully that helps answer the presented question. Good luck to our Boys Basketball programs and our HAL students as they prepare for Trailblazer Conference competitions this quarter!
NOTES FROM THE NURSE......JENNIFER ZIMMERMAN
READY FOR BREAKFAST
Your mom is right. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day! Studies show that students who eat breakfast do much better in school than students who skip breakfast. Benefits to eating breakfast:
* Better concentration * More energy * Better muscle coordination * Higher scores on tests
Remember to choose a breakfast that is well balanced. A balanced, nutritious breakfast contains protein and protein stays in your body all morning. Examples: Eggs, milk, yogurt, cheese, peanut butter.
INFLUENZA
The CDC advises everyone 6 months of age and older to get a flu shot during the months of October and November.
We had over 100 students and staff immunized against influenza at the BMS flu shot clinic on October 22. Special thanks to BCHHC Immunization Clinic staff and nurses for administering the influenza injections. If your child did not receive a flu vaccine at the Beatrice Community Hospital flu vaccination clinic here at BMS in October, talk to your Dr. to receive one.
ASTHMA
Any student diagnosed with Asthma or Anaphylaxis due to allergy, needs to have an updated Asthma/Allergy action plan on file in the nurse’s office every year.
SAVING THE LIVES OF NEBRASKA CHILDREN
All schools in Nebraska - public, parochial and private - are to be prepared to respond to life-threatening asthma and anaphylaxis emergencies. The protocol directs school staff to identify signs and symptoms of a breathing emergency and respond by calling 911, administering an EpiPen, and following with nebulized albuterol.
The school’s stock of EpiPen and albuterol DO NOT replace a child’s own prescribed medications for asthma or allergy management at school.
Parents are expected to ensure their children continue to have school-day access to emergency medications; auto-injectable epinephrine, metered-dose inhalers (MDIs), albuterol for nebulizing (to include neb cup & tubing), AND to have an asthma/allergy action plan on file with the school.
REMEMBER: If your child has asthma, it is extremely important to keep a rescue inhaler at school.
COUNSELOR'S QUIPS!............ANGIE VOGEL, COUNSELOR, JILL RICE, COUNSELOR
SHIFT SCHOOL RESPONSIBILITIES ONTO YOUR CHILD
Middle schoolers don't morph into responsible young adults overnight, but they may not turn into them at all if their parents always do everything for them.
Students in the middle grades are generally capable of taking responsibly for:
- Making lunches. Give your child a lesson on how to load up her lunch bag. Lay down some basic rules about what's OK - or not OK - to pack, and insist that she prepare her lunch the night before--even if she's learning remotely.
- Waking up on time. Show your child how to set an alarm clock. In the morning, let the alarm wake her up. (Act as her "backup alarm" until she gets the hang of it.) If she's quick to hit "snooze" and doze off again, have her place the clock across the room from her bed so she'll have to get up to turn it off.
- Keeping track of assignments. Ask about your child's homework but don't question her constantly about her progress. Be clear that turning work in on time is her responsibility.
MEDIA CENTER NEWS......KAREN DITTBRENNER
Continued from last month...
TEN BENEFITS OF READING...
6. Reading develops a child’s imagination. When we read, our brains translate the descriptions we read of people, places and things into pictures. When we’re engaged in a story, we’re also imagining how the characters are feeling. We use our own experiences to imagine how we would feel in the same situation.
7. Reading helps kids develop empathy. This is something I’ve only recently realized but it makes sense. When you’re reading you're identifying with the character in the story so you’re feeling what he’s feeling.
8. Children who read do better at school. They don’t just do better in subjects like reading, English and history, they do better in all subjects and they do better all the way through school.
9. Reading is a great form of entertainment! A book doesn’t take up much space so you can take it anywhere, you’ll never be lonely or bored if you have a book in your bag. You can read while waiting in line, waiting for a friend who’s running late, or during a flight delay at an airport.
10. Reading relaxes the body and calms the mind. These days we seem to have forgotten how to relax and especially how to be silent. The constant movement, flashing lights and noise which bombard our senses when watching TV, looking at a computer, or playing an electronic game are actually quite stressful for our brains. When we read, we read in silence and the black print on a white page is much less stressful for our eyes and brain.
** STUDENT'S OF CHARACTER **
** CONGRATULATIONS TO BMS' HOUSE LEADERS FOR THE 2021-2022 SCHOOL YEAR! **
SCHOOL CLOSING INFORMATION
BMS' FIRST QUARTER HONOR ROLL
Congrats to those students who made
1st Quarter Honor Roll
at Beatrice Middle School!
RED RIBBON WEEK AT BMS!
Our theme this year was "Rockin a Drug Free Life." The dress up days included: Be Like "The Rock" and wear your workout gear; Rock Star Day; Shine Bright Like a Diamond and wear bright colors day; and wear red day in honor of Red Ribbon Week.
It was a fun week and we always have hope that our kids choose a drug free, healthy lifestyle for LIFE.
SCHOOL BUS SAFETY.....By Officer Price
I’d like to bring school bus safety to your attention. This is what Nebraska State Statute 60-6175 reads:
"Upon meeting or overtaking, from the front or rear, any school bus on which the yellow warning signal lights are flashing, the driver of a motor vehicle shall reduce the speed of such vehicle to not more than twenty-five miles per hour, shall bring such vehicle to a complete stop when the school bus is stopped, the stop signal arm is extended, and the flashing red signal lights are turned on, and shall remain stopped until the flashing red signal lights are turned off, the stop signal arm is retracted, and the school bus resumes motion. Any person violating this subsection shall be guilty of a Class IV misdemeanor, shall be fined five hundred dollars."
It has been noticed that some individuals are not following this law. The Beatrice Police Department has been seeking out these violators and the violators will be subject to a $500 fine. The Beatrice Police Department is committed to the safety of the students in our community! If you have specific questions please contact me at Beatrice Middle School or the Beatrice Police Department. Have a safe and enjoyable school year.
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BEATRICE MIDDLE SCHOOL
215 North 5th Street, Beatrice NE 68310
(402) 223-1545
BMS Messenger Editor: Laurie Bloomquist