BFMS Newsletter
2/17/2023
Vacation here we come! What a fast paced last couple of weeks we’ve had here at BFMS! Students have been working hard through this Black History Month and have earned themselves this February break. We wish all students and families a happy, healthy, and safe vacation week and we will see everyone back in school on Monday, February 27th!
Henry Bailly
2/20-2/24/2023- February Break
2/27/2023- School resumes
3/7/2023- No school-Town Meeting Day
Lost and found is located in the cafeteria now.
Library
The 8th & 7th grade class are getting familiar with the similarities and differences between copyright, plagiarism, and trademarks. For any future young entrepreneurs, this will help them understand if their work is copyrighted or if they need to trademark it. Plagiarism is a serious educational violation that students should be aware of.
The 6th & 5th graders will continue to work on block coding. This is a great transferable skill, especially in the evolving technological world we live in.
Music
In 5th grade, students are working on identifying instruments by their sound with games like Which did it best? and Instrument Bingo. They will be moving towards reading notes on the staff to end the trimester.
In 6th grade, musicians are learning about music from other cultures around the world. They just finished a "Calling All Dawns" project about that Grammy-winning multicultural album and have moved on to Native American music.
In 7th grade, musicians have been working on identifying parts of a song like verse and chorus with form structures like: ABABCB, our typical pop song form. They are now working on using that for their artists projects that are due the Tuesday after break.
In 8th grade, musicians have been hard at work learning about rock and roll stars like Elvis and Chuck Berry and the sounds of Motown. We will continue this work after break with artists like The Beatles and other 60s and 70s musicians.
5th Grade Team
In 5th grade math, students just finished their geometry unit. This week students are working on reviewing and expanding our knowledge about line plots. When we return from the break, we are looking forward to working on multiplication further.
In 5th grade science, students are learning all about ecosystems around the world. Each student has selected a specific location which they will present through dioramas, videos, speeches and slides.
The fifth graders are finishing up their last two parts of the project that is centered around BLACK HISTORY MONTH. The posters are coming out beautifully and all their hard work is being displayed in the halls of the second floor.
The last part of this project is their FLIP on their person. This will be due February 28th. We will be starting Women’s History Month and the beginning of the Revolutionary War after vacation.
In ELA, we wrapped up a tall-tale unit as well as an activity surrounding the book, Henry’s Freedom Box that was used as a read aloud. Students have been working on figurative language including: similes, metaphors and personification. We have been spending time learning about figurative language and the enhancement they bring to their descriptive writing. This week we have spent time focusing on an author’s purpose and summarizing.
6th Grade Team
Every month, the 6th-grade teachers recognize students who can be counted on to do the right thing in class. Some of these qualities include following directions, completing work with good effort, participating in conversations, and being kind and courteous to others. Below are the students who have earned the Student of the Month reward each month since September:
September: Mason, Levi T., Makenna, Ali
October: Karter, Gemma
November: Kayvan, Loralei
December: Asa W., Beth
January: Calvin, Estella
7th Grade Team
Students have started to solve one-step equations. Also, Erin Oliver, our All-Learner's Network consultant visited and led students through a pattern recognition activity requiring critical thinking and collaboration.
Lastly, recent math students of the week have included: Quincy, Gracie, Zachary, Lleroy, Jackson, Oscar, Carter G., YeHoon, and Quinn.
In 7th grade ELA, last week and into this week, we read W.E.B. Du Bois The Comet, a short story from 1920 believed to be the first modern example of Afrofuturism. In the story, the main character of Jim Harper - a black bank messenger - survives a horrific apocalypse that sweeps over New York City as toxic gases from the tail of a comet drift down. He believes himself to be the only survivor, until he finds a white woman named Julia and together they work to find out what happened and survive.
This story builds on the core ideals of Afrofuturism, which is perseverance, and sublimation - or removal of - racial barriers and oppression. Such authors like Octavia E. Butler (often credited as the true herald of Afrofuturist literature becoming mainstream), Nnedi Okorafor, and N.K. Jemisin have made the genre explode across the world. Many of Butler's work - such as the book Kindred - are on numerous middle, high, and collegiate reading lists, but now are also starting to become targeted by book-banning campaigns.
We will continue to explore Afrofuturism and Black authors and writers in seventh grade, as this genre has only grown and grown since the release of Marvel's Black Panther in 2018, with its sequel Black Panther: Wakanda Forever having released in 2022.
Here is a link to what are considered the 17 best Afrofuturist books, consider adding some to your reading list this year! https://best-sci-fi-books.com/17-best-afrofuturism-books/
BFMS- White Boys Team
-Coach Troy James
BFMS- White Girls Team
Sassy 7!
What a pleasure it was to have my first ever girls team, that was truly MY team, be this sassy group of 7th grade girls. We laughed, we cried, we won, we lost and I think along the way they learned a little something about basketball. I am so proud of how far each of them have come this season - both as individual players and as a team. They all have a work ethic that undoubtedly will carry them far in basketball and in life. The future of BF hoops is bright - I know I’m looking forward to it !!
Coach Corrie
BFMS- Purple Girls Team
This season, this group of 8th grade girls went 13-0 for the regular season and won the Queen of the Court tournament in Keene NH on 2/4/23 with a 5-0 run. Collectively we scored over 650 points and only allowed 251 to be scored. Over the season, our passing improved and we all worked on rebounding, seeing the court, and playing as a team.
Best of luck to the lady ballers in future seasons.
-Coach Patterson
ASP
So far the After-School Program students in the Baking Club have been working on getting their kitchen space ready for work. They have been cleaning pans and utensils, getting their stoves prepped, and taking inventory. They have also been researching and collecting recipes that they plan to make over the next several weeks. The big baking goal is to find recipes they can make, bake, and clean up in under an hour. This has been a fun challenge for the students. Since the Baking Club began, some club members have even baked some of their own creations and brought them in to share and sample with everyone in the club. We are looking forward to seeing (and perhaps tasting) what the students’ final creations are! We are sure that there will be a great amount of baked goods for ASP students to take home and enjoy amongst their families.