BMS Newsletter
"Quality Learning and Positive Personal Development for All"
Up-"Dates"
Wednesday, December 7 - Canned Food Drive Begins
Thursday, December 8, 7:00pm - PTO Meeting
Tuesday, December 13, 6:30pm - 6th, 7th, 8th Grade Band Concert at BHS Auditorium
Thursday, December 15, 7:00pm - Family Fun Night Sponsored by BMS PTO
Wednesday, December 14th, 6:30pm - Chorus & Band Concert at BHS Auditorium
Monday, December 19 - Thursday, December 22 - Winter Spirit Week
Wednesday, December 21 - Canned Food Drive Ends
Friday, December 23 - Monday, January 2 - Schools Closed: Winter Break
Tuesday, January 10 - End of Term 2 & First Semester
Friday, January 27 - Winter Wonderland Dance/Social
Administrative Announcements
TutorMe
TutorMe is an online tutoring platform that connects students to live tutors, 24 hours a day in over 300 subjects, right from their home.
Their network of over 10,000 verified tutors has helped more than half a million students improve their grades, understand difficult concepts, or just get help with simple questions. Students can even have their papers reviewed using TutorMe’s Writing Lab, which provides detailed feedback on their essays or reports in less than 12 hours.
FCPS Dress Code Policy
BMS Student and Family Handbook
Last Call for International Baccalaureate Applications
The International Baccalaureate application process will be closed soon! We hope that this rigorous academic program will appeal to your students. 8th grade students are encouraged to apply for the International Baccalaureate program at Urbana High School. If you think your student would enjoy and benefit from a comprehensive academic program with an emphasis on research, writing, and application of knowledge to the real world, please encourage them to complete an application.
The application packet can be found on the UHS website starting on October 3rd. All application materials, including transcripts and teacher recommendations must be received by 2:30pm on Dec 2nd, 2022. Please feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns.
INFORMATION IS NEEDED FROM YOUR SCHOOL REGISTRAR
Student Information Card Email Reminder
We are sending a request via email to families who have not completed the electronic version of the Student Information Card for review or update. Please check for an email coming from “Powerschool” and be sure to also update the health information portion of the form. If you complete online you may disregard the Yellow health card sent a few weeks ago.
If your student has received a YELLOW card, please complete and have them return the card to school.
Please feel free to contact me at any time with any questions.
Daniele Richmond
Brunswick Middle School
Registrar
240-236-5362/240-236-5401 Fax
COVID Reminders
Positive Test Guidance:
Staff or student/child must stay home for 5 days from the start of symptoms or from the date of the positive test if no symptoms
After day 5, may return if symptoms have improved and no fever for at least 24 hours without medication
Upon return, must wear a mask for 5 additional days (except while eating, drinking, sleeping or outside)
If unable to wear a mask, may return if they have a negative test at day 5 or later; otherwise, they should remain at home for days 6 -10
PTO
Join the PTO for a night of family fun on December 15, 2022 at 7 to 8:30pm @ BMS! Families will bring a family favorite holiday treat desserts, candy, baked goods, etc) for everyone to sample. Everyone that attends will be able to vote on their favorite treat and the one with the most votes will win a prize!!! If you would love to participate in the taste off the link to sign-up will be linked below. We hope to see you soon. :)
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/508054daaab28a64-holiday1
Visit our Website for the form to become a member!
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/BrunswickMiddlePTO
WEBSITE: Website: http://brunswickms.my-pto.org/
Student Government News
The BMS Student Government and The Diversity Alliance Groups are going to create a pleasant space in the girls' bathroom located in the LA Dept hallway (old 8th grade hall) where feminine products are easily accessible to students. We are using funds from SGA to start, but if you have any products that you would like to donate, that would be wonderful!
Items Needed: pads, tampons, liners, cleansing wipes, hand sanitizer
Wellness Tip
Use these tips to take a break from the barrage of constant communication and manage your stress in a healthy way.
Get some sleep - Getting enough sleep helps you grow and develop normally, pay attention throughout the day and maintain overall health. For teens, this means about 8-10 hours each night.
Focus on your strengths - Take some time to think about what you’re good at and ways to do more of those things. By focusing on and building your strengths, you can keep your stressors in perspective.
Do things that make you happy - Find activities or hobbies that make you happy and incorporate them into your daily life. This might be a physical sport, an artistic outlet or spending time with family and friends.
Engage in physical activity - Exercise takes our mind off stress and releases chemicals in our brain that make us feel better. This can be anything from a stroll in the park to a bike ride or basketball game with friends.
Talk to someone - It can be hard to manage stress alone. Talk to a parent, teacher or other trusted adult about your problems and they may be able to help you find new ways to manage your stress.
Yearbooks are On Sale Now!
Railroader Nation,
It is that time of year again to order yearbooks and online ordering is now open!
If you are interested in one of our fantastic yearbooks, you must order it online. Please use this link: https://www.yearbookordercenter.com/ (or call 1-866-287-3096) and the BMS code is 29301 . Like last year, we are offering two options: soft cover books are $28 and hardcover books are $33 until January 31st when the presale ends. Starting February 1st soft cover books are $33 and hardcover books are $38. The presale and regular price include a digital name imprint for every yearbook. Your child’s given name is the default for the imprint, and you will have the option to change it during the ordering process. All orders must be placed by April 3rd to guarantee a copy of the yearbook. Please do not wait to order as we will only have a small number of books to sell when they arrive. Any extra yearbooks that we receive will be sold on a first come, first served basis. We anticipate the arrival of our yearbooks and distribution to be before students leave school in June.
8th Grade ONLY and NEW this year - There will still be a section in the yearbook for 8th grade baby pictures and an optional message to your 8th grader. It’s new and improved: Parents, you can now buy and customize your child’s own baby picture section of the yearbook. You pick the size of the page you want for photo(s)/message. Parent ad pricing: Quarter page - $15, Eighth page - $10, Sixteenth page - $5. Participation in this special opportunity is voluntary and will make the yearbook extra memorable for your child.
**Purchasing an ad will appear for everyone, but as a reminder this feature is only for families of 8th grade students. If parents of non-8th graders purchase an ad, a full refund will be given, and you will receive a notification from us. Thank you for your attention to this and understanding :-)
Please note:
Your child’s given name will be listed in the yearbook. If you have a preferred name for your child, we ask that you make that request on the BMS Yearbook Hub (Name Change Request).
Again, we are extremely excited to get the opportunity to produce another wonderful yearbook and look forward to seeing lots of photos from you to include in this year's edition.
Thank you,
Ms. Clark & Ms. Innocenti
(Yearbook Advisors)
School Store
The school store has returned! This year we are offering school store opportunities by grade each week. School Store takes place on Thursdays during ELT and students are asked to sign up to attend. Items in the school store can be purchased with Rail Passes that are earned by students for being attentive, helpful, or participating in or out of class. Items being offered in the school store range from pens and pencils to sketchbooks, croc jibbizs, snacks, and stickers. School store inventory will change periodically and suggestions are welcome!
School Store Schedule:
7th Grade: 12/1
8th Grade: 12/8
6th Grade: 12/15
Turkey Bowl
Our first Turkey Bowl at the BHS stadium was very successful! The teachers won all of the staff vs. student games and get to claim the BMS Spirit Stick and Turkey Bowl Plaque! We’d like to give a big thank you to the BHS football team for helping with the games and the BHS Pom Squad for their fantastic performance. We’d also like to send a special thank you to parent volunteers Christine Tully, Tina Kettner and Eric Prichard for their help with our minute to win it games!
School Culture
What are Executive Function and Self-Regulation skills?
Executive function and self-regulation skills are the mental processes that enable us to plan, focus attention, remember instructions, and juggle multiple tasks successfully.
Self-Control: The ability to stop and think before acting
Self-Monitor: The ability to view and evaluate oneself
Emotional Control: The ability to manage feelings to achieve goals and complete tasks
Flexibility: The ability to adapt to changing conditions by revising plans or changing strategies
Task Initiation: The ability to start and finish tasks without procrastination
Organization: The ability to develop and use systems to keep track of materials and information
Working Memory: The ability to use information held in memory to complete a task
Planning and Time Management: The ability to create steps to reach a goal.
If your child is struggling with executive function and self-regulation skills:
Take a step-by-step approach to work.
Rely on visual aids to get organized
Use tools like time organizers, electronic reminders, or alarms.
Make schedules and review them several times a day.
Ask for written and oral instructions whenever possible.
Plan for transition times and shifts in activity.
Attendance
Service Learning
If your child has volunteered their time outside of the school day to a non-profit organization, they should complete the Record of Volunteer Hours (form) in order to have these hours officially recorded and work towards earning an award at the end of their 8th grade year (for 25 hours of service while in middle school). More information can be found here. You are welcome to turn in the forms to the counseling office now through the end of this school year. If you have any questions, please contact Ms. Mahn, Ms. Richmond, or Ms. Malone.
Message from the Registered Nurse
In order for a student to receive medication during the school day you are required to follow the FCPS Medication Administration Regulation. (Reg. 400-23)
The following checklist ensures regulation compliance:
The appropriate Medication Authorization form must be completed by the student's health care provider for the 2022 - 2023 school year.
Parent/guardian and the health care provider must sign & date this form.
Prescription medication(s) must be in a pharmacy labeled container with the student's name, prescriber's name, name of medication, dosage, route, directions for administration, conditions for storage, prescription date and expiration date. Maryland law allows prescription medication to be used only for 1 year beyond date of issue or until the expiration date indicated on the medication-whichever comes first.
Over-the-counter medication(s) must be provided to the school in the original sealed container.
Prescription information on the label must match the Health Care Provider Authorization information on the Medication Authorization Form.
An adult must transport all medications to and from school. Medications must be given directly to Health Room staff.
Please note Epinephrine, Diastat, Glucagon and inhalers have an expiration date printed on the device in addition to the pharmacy label. Therefore the container expiration date must be equal to or exceed the expiration date on the pharmacy label. Please make sure the expiration date on the individual medication container exceeds the expiration date on the label before leaving the pharmacy.
All forms can be obtained from Health Room staff or by going to http://www.fcps.org/student-services/forms. For further questions, you may contact the Health Room staff.
BMS Counseling Department
Community Service Hours
All required community service hours are built into the FCPS Essential Curriculum, but if a student has completed additional service hours that extended beyond class requirements, those hours may be documented on the FCPS Volunteer Hours and Community Service Form . The form details the types of activities that qualify for recognized service hours. Completed forms may be returned to the School Counseling office or emailed directly to the School Counselor:
Mrs. Mahn
6th Grade & & 7th Grade Last Names Beginning with A-K
Ms. Malone
8th Grade & 7th Grade Last Names Beginning with L-Z
Technical Support
Media - Ms. McFadden
The BMS Media Center has added several hundred new books to our shelves. Students can browse books and place items on hold by logging in to LS2.
Is your reader participating in the Beanstack reading challenges? Beanstack is a great tool for goal setting and tracking. Students can log in using Clever or by visiting the media center website. There will be a January reading challenge beginning the first of the year.
The Chess Club, The Reading Railroaders, and the Writing Railroaders clubs are actively meeting and sharpening our skills. Would your child like to join one of these clubs? Ask them to send Ms. McFadden a Schoology message!
Advanced Academic Specialist - Ms. Mossburg
What does it mean if your child is gifted and how can you support them? Check out the resources at https://www.mcgate.org/home. If you click on the parent tab, there are many resources, including the following articles linked below.
Parent Hot Sheet - Asynchronous Development
Please reach out to Amy Mossburg, Advanced Academics Specialist, at amy.mossburg@fcps.org if you have any questions.
Math Specialist - Ms. French
November 30th marks the Midterm of Term Two! Please continue to monitor your student’s progress and assignments on Schoology and reach out to us with any questions you have. Remember to always keep the math conversations going at home. Ask your student what they are learning in their math class or have them teach you a concept they are working on. Discuss recent summative assessments with them and if and how they plan to take advantage of reteaching, revisions, and reassessment opportunities if needed.
Enjoy this family math problem together at home and look for the answer in next month’s Newsletter. The answer to last month’s problem was: 97 would be the largest possible GCF (using the numbers 97 and 485 or 97 and 582).
Literacy Specialist - Ms. Zimmerman
As we move into the holiday season and Term 2, please continue to check on the progress your student is making in Language Arts and let us know if you have any questions! Consider the ideas presented in this article to foster a love for reading outside of the classroom. Please reach out and let me know how I can help at katie.zimmerman@fcps.org.
Middle School Young Author’s Contest Information:
Attention students in 6th through 8th grades! Write a poem or short story to enter in the Young Author’s Contest at the school level. Winning entries move on to the county level!
Contest Parameters:
Entries must be original work.
All entries must use a 12 point font in Times New Roman.
A short story entry must range between 600-1,600 words.
A poem entry will consist of a single poem, any style, and it must range between 25-300 words.
Entries must not include graphics.
Each entry must include a completed cover sheet signed by the student author’s parent.
There will be winners for poems and short stories at each grade level.
Entries are electronically due to Mrs. Zimmerman by December 9! If you have any questions, please email me at katie.zimmerman@fcps.org
Language Arts
Ms. Baughman
7th Grade LA
We are continuing to review central ideas, text structure, author’s purpose, and mood/tone. We are currently reading informational texts about a Kenyan boy who is saving lions, and a text about a girl who attempted to sail around the world. Students are writing essays to discuss the main ideas of these texts. We will soon be reviewing how to create a thesis statement, which will lead to writing arguments. We are starting to review the parts of speech, and we are working on word study for vocabulary development. We have been going to the media center just about every other week, so students should always have a book to read for pleasure. Please reach out with any questions or concerns.
Ms. Givens
7th Grade LA
The students have been reading informational text in relation to an excerpt from the novel, “A Long Walk to Water”. We are making connections and comparisons to the first novel of Term 1 as well- “Refugee”. To culminate this topic, students will be analyzing the tone from the beginning, middle, and end of the film, “The Good Lie”. There are many inferences that are made, which we will discuss in literature circles after Thanksgiving break. Next, we will move on to argument, where content will be chosen by the student in order to write essays arguing the side of a debatable topic.
8th Grade LA
Students have been hard at work studying and discussing the rhetorical devices, Ethos, Pathos, and Logos used in argumentative writing. Through essay analysis, annotations, and class discussions, students will use all the elements of argument to prepare for a class debate.
During the month of December, students will build their background knowledge on Abraham Lincoln and Walt Whitman in order to analyze the poem, “O Captain My Captain!”. Copying the author’s style, students will use figurative language to write their own “Captain” poem.
Ms. Mills
6th Grade LA
6th graders are getting ready to start a mini-unit on figurative language in preparation for the Term 2 project. After that, students will be reading argumentative text and analyzing them for the parts of an argument, types of evidence, and persuasive techniques. The Term 2 Reading Log and Book Project requirements will be assigned very soon.
7th Grade LA
7th graders are getting ready to start a mini-unit on literary devices in preparation for the Term 2 project. After that, students will be reading argumentative text to evaluate the argument and claims, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient. Students will determine the author’s point of view and how the author distinguishes his or her position from that of others. The Term 2 Reading Log and Book Project requirements will be assigned very soon.
Ms. Remsburg
8th Grade LA
We will begin our poetry unit in December. We will be analyzing and comparing poems for theme, connotations, figurative language, style and tone. We will be reading Annabel Lee, The Highwayman, and doing a mini author study of Langston Hughes.
Ms. Rogowsky
Reading Intervention
Sixth graders have been reading about child advocates and their impact on global matters.
Seventh and eighth graders have been reading the classic short story “The Lottery” and determining how the literary elements help advance the plot.
Ms. Spence
6th Grade LA
Mrs. Spence’s 6th grade language arts classes are currently working on reading a variety of non-fiction texts and analyzing text structures. After Thanksgiving break we will begin reading A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. Students will read to identify characters’ point of view, theme, and author’s message, and compare and contrast these items in the text and in other media. Also, students will focus on citing text evidence to support their responses. We will begin responding correctly to writing prompts, using words from the question in their answers. Please utilize Schoology at home to monitor grades and check for missing work.
Math
Ms. Botker
6th grade Math
Math Workshop students are completing the decimal unit and will soon move on to multiplying and dividing fractions.
7th grade Math
Math Workshop students are currently working with functions. They are completing function tables, creating ordered pairs, graphing the pairs, and writing the corresponding equation.
8th grade Math
Math Workshop students are wrapping up work with ratios and will soon be writing and graphing linear equations.
Ms. Cummings
6th grade Math
Students recently wrapped up Unit 2 and are beginning Unit 3. In this Unit we will be focusing on the following skills: positive & negative integers and their opposites, ordering and absolute value of rational numbers on a number line, plotting points in all four quadrants of the coordinate plane, and finding the distance between two points on a number line or coordinate plane.
If you'd like your student to have extra practice or review, I recommend using the following pages in their GoMath! Textbook for each concept:
Identifying Integers and their Opposites: pages 7 - 11
Comparing and Ordering Integers: pages 13 - 17
Absolute Value: pages 19 - 22
Graphing on the Coordinate Plane: pages 331 - 335
Graphing in all Four Quadrants: pages 401 - 405
7th grade honors Math
Students are currently in the midst of Unit 3: Ratios and Proportional Relationships, with a focus on percents in mathematical and real world contexts. If you'd like your student to have extra practice or review, I recommend accessing the Unit 3 Practice and Videos document, which is also linked on our Schoology page and includes the GoMath! pages that align with our current unit.
7th grade Accelerated Math
Students have recently begun Unit 3: Expressions and Equations/Number Sense which focuses on operations with integer exponents and operations with scientific notation. If you'd like your student to have extra practice or review, I recommend accessing the Unit 3 Practice and Videos document, which is also linked on our Schoology page and includes the GoMath! pages that align with our current unit.
Ms. Hargett
6th Grade Math
Currently in 6th grade math, we are learning how to divide fractions by multiplying by the reciprocal of the divisor.(Ask your child the mnemonic to help them remember the steps). Next up, the students will apply this skill to mixed numbers and improper fractions. The next unit will include positive and negative numbers as well as absolute value.
Please check your child’s grades regularly and encourage them to get their work turned in. Students will be given a print out of their grades prior to Thanksgiving Break with work to be completed/redone as homework, highlighted for them. They may use TutorMe to help them better understand the concepts.
Mr. Livingston
8th Grade Honors Math
8th grade honors math is nearly completed Unit 3. We are focusing on linear input-output relations, relating the unit rate of proportional relations to the slope and rate of change for the function. The second week of December we will begin our next unit which focuses on solving linear equations and systems.
Algebra
Algebra 1 students are wrapping up Unit 2. December will focus exclusively on linear functions. We will do a deep dive into each property of a linear function and write linear equations to approximate data using lines of best fit.
Mr. Miller
7th grade Math
Students continue to work on Unit 3: Ratio and Proportional Relationships with percents. We have been exploring how to calculate mark-downs (sales, promotions, discounts) and mark-ups (taxes, fees, tips). We have also discussed the importance of rounding pricing to the nearest cent (purchasing gas at 3.489) as it relates to ‘real’ money. Discussions have been lively at times when talking about real-world applications. Students have learned how to find proportional values using cross-multiplication to solve for the unknown (n).
Ms. Schmidt
8th Grade Math
Students are completing Unit 3. The students have worked on is it a function or not a function.? Is it proportional or not proportional? Given a graph can you create the story line or given a storyline can you create the graph? Students will complete Unit 3 next week.
Stock Market Game
Stock Market: Students are practicing Financial Literacy. They are working hard to earn money through selling stocks, bonds, and mutual funds. They research companies to discover which stocks to buy.
The fall session ends on Friday, December 16.
Science
Ms. Clark
6th Grade Science
We have started the “Extreme Planet” module! Students have started learning about Air Masses and Weather Fronts. We will continue to learn about weather (weather factors) and collect data on daily weather patterns.
Ms. Rayner
6th Grade Science
We are finishing up our unit on water and thermal energy and will begin our new unit on weather where students will explore natural hazards, climate, and daily weather patterns.
7th Grade Science
Students have been exploring the flow of energy through electricity and magnets and will be creating their own scientific model of potential energy in a real world phenomena. We will be finishing the flow of energy unit with how energy flows through ecosystems.
Mr. Quimby
In 7th grade science Mr. Quimby's students are continuing to learn about the "The Flow of Energy". We just finished up with "Electric and Magnetic Forces". We now will be learning the process of "Photosynthesis and Cellular Respiration". This includes the cycling of matter and the function of plant and animal cells.
Ms. Thrasher
7th Grade Science
Students have been studying how mass and speed affect KE of an object. This will lead to students developing a model to describe that when the arrangement of objects interacting at a distance changes, different amounts of potential energy are stored in the system.
8th Grade Science
Students will develop and use a model to describe why structural changes to genes (mutations) located on chromosomes may affect proteins and may result in harmful, beneficial, or neutral effects to the structure and function of the organism.
MS. SHIRK
8th Grade Science
Students are learning about inheritance and how organisms get certain traits from their parents. They have examined some of their own traits and have learned about how these traits are inherited. Next, they will beg at genetic technologies and how scientists use their knowledge of genetics to examine populations, mutations, and diseases.
Social Studies
Ms. Innocenti
6th Grade Social Studies
Students are currently working through the Egyptian unit. We finished the Civilization of Egypt and moving on to the civilizations of Kush and Canaan. They will be exploring the complex relationships Kush and Canaan had with their neighbors the Egyptians. After break we will begin our third unit, Ancient India.
Ms. Gomez
Students are currently working through the Egyptian unit. We finished the Civilization of Egypt and moved on to the civilizations of Kush and Canaan. They will be exploring the complex relationships Kush and Canaan had with their neighbors the Egyptians. After break we will begin our third unit, Ancient India.
Mr. McCloskey
8th Grade Social Studies
In American Studies 1, students have investigated the major battles of the Revolutionary war, the Declaration of Independence, and the Articles of Confederation. We are now working on understanding how the Constitution is set up to separate power between the branches of government and also understanding the impact of the Bill of Rights. We will continue to work on our critical thinking skills through writing essays, projects and multiple activities.
Ms. Ross
Students wrapped up our unit on Islam the week of Halloween and completed their second benchmark writing task. Which ushered us into our Unit 3 of West African Empires. So far we have discussed the Geography of West Africa, the main items of trade: salt and gold. Students have a word wall posted within their course page on Schoology with vocabulary that will appear all throughout our unit for them to look back at at any point. We have been working on filling up a large map of Africa that is drawn on one of our bulletin boards, with the knowledge we are learning throughout the unit, to compare to the master copy Ms. Ross has drawn. They will be working in groups on a travel assignment on the three empires (Ghana, Mali and Songhai), where students have the option to create a travel poster or utilize Google Sites to create a website to tell us on a gallery walk what made these empires important and why we would want to go there. Really excited to see their creativity for this. This will take them into the spread of Islam through Africa and the trade routes. All throughout this unit students are practicing what makes a good historical thesis statement. Up next: Medieval Asia!
Ms. Rousseau
7th Grade Social Studies
Students completed the Medieval Africa Unit by studying the musical instruments of the era and by studying Griots and their art of remembering to retell the history of their people. They watched a recent 60 minutes episode of a female griot playing her Kora - one of the stringed instruments we learned about. Students are beginning the study of Medieval Asia by exploring the geography of China, Japan, and Korea.
8th Grade Social Studies
Students ended their Confederation to Constitution Unit with a Breakout EDU in the Media Center guided by Ms. McFadden. Both classes competed with the winners earning a Pizza Lunch with Ms. Rousseau. Alex Hartman, Victoria Christman, Isabella Smith, Kamren McConnell Munday, and Daphne Grimes were the only students able to “break out” and win the games. Students are now examining the precedents set by President George Washington.
Ms. Shirk
8th Grade Social Studies
Physical Education (PE)
Ms. Bures
We are halfway through health! When we come back from Thanksgiving break we will finish up our nutrition and fitness unit. On November 30th we will host a parent preview night. This will allow parents to get a look at what we cover during the family life unit. There will be an email close to that date with more information about it.
Ms. Caudell
Mr. Yanez
Mr. Hartman
Special Education Department
Teachers working with special education students are teaching them how to advocate for themselves. This may include but is not inclusive of:
Being aware of their accommodations and supplementary aids
Asking teachers to provide them if they are not offered
Asking for a quieter location to work if they are distracted
Sharing strategies with case managers or teachers that the student has found to be helpful to aid in their progress
Ultimately we want students to be active in the learning process and many times teaching them how to do this can be an effective tool.
Electives and Exploratories
Theatre Arts - Ms. Twist
Theatre Arts students participated in a Theatre unit on Costume design. Students were introduced to the concepts of costume design, watched interviews of professional costume designers and were given the opportunity to apply their learning to create their own costume for a Fairytale character. Starting with each student’s prior knowledge and experience of costume design and sewing, students made costumes and it was wonderful to see them grow and figure out how to overcome their challenges. Next they took their storytelling to the next level by writing an adapted fairytale for that character, finally they rehearsed their Brand New Fairytales and performed them in class. Theatre Arts Students explored the essential question, How do theatre artists transform and edit their initial ideas? A special thank you to those of you that assisted students in completing their costumes! 8th Grade Theatre Arts students participated in a Theatre unit on Costume design. Students were introduced to the concepts of costume design, watched interviews of professional costume designers and were given the opportunity to apply their learning to create their own costume for a Fairytale character. Starting with each student’s prior knowledge and experience of costume design and sewing, students made costumes and explored how to overcome universal design challenges of managing time and resources. Next they took their storytelling to the next level by writing an adapted fairytale for that character, finally they rehearsed their Brand New Fairytales and performed them in class. Theatre Arts Students explored the essential question, How do theatre artists transform and edit their initial ideas? How can I stay true to my initial idea and adapt to my limited means?
World Language Exploratory - Ms. Twist
World Language Exploratory - Ms. Remsburg
Bonjour! We will be wrapping up our French unit in the next couple weeks before diving into Latin.
Latin is an old language that was used in Ancient Rome. Short Latin texts are found from about the 5th century BC, and longer ones from about the 3rd century BC. Even though no one speaks Latin as a first language any more, many people study it in school. It is still useful, because it shows how society worked in past times. It can also help understand how languages work. Knowing Latin makes it easier to learn the Romance languages.Today Latin is still used in taxonomy to give technical names to species and groups of species of living things. Some terms used in medicine to name parts of the body (such as bones) and diseases are also written in Latin.Life Skills - Ms. Crider
7th Grade
Mrs. Crider’s 7th Grade Life Skills class has been working on measuring food ingredients and plate presentation. We are planning to do a French fry lab coming up. We previously worked on kitchen safety and equipment.
Life Skills - Ms. Harne
7th Grade
Students have been learning and reviewing concepts related to kitchen equipment, food safety, measuring ingredients, cooking methods, and plating. We just had our first lab where we made French Fries. Our next lab will be Holiday related.
Life Skills - Mr. Yanez
Mr. Yanez’s 8th Grade Life Skills class has been working on kitchen safety/equipment, measuring food ingredients, plate presentation, preventing foodborne illness and food hazards. In the coming weeks we are planning to have several baking labs such as Sugar Cookies, Chocolates Chip cookies and pretzels among others.
Life Skills- Ms. Gomez
Food Science - Ms. Harne
Food Science
Students have been working hard on their restaurant projects and we will be having a cooking lab coming up soon. After their restaurant projects, we will be diving into learning about nutrition and food systems.
Food Science - Mr. Powell
Spanish 1 and 2 - Ms. Maya
Spanish 1
Initially, for Spanish we delved into numbers up to 59 by asking for time and telling time; furthermore, the students advanced to 100 by asking about the weather. Blending units with clothing options for weather and looking at times with class schedules.
Spanish 2
Spanish II has been trying to reach the 500 mark on numbers by doing the same with time and weather, but looking at weather in different continents and how the different hemispheres experience weather differently from each other. They have been learning to write out numbers in Spanish and using basic math to reach the upper numbers by saying them and re-writing them out, learning the format and expressions with stem sentences and using them in Spanish conversations in class .
Technology Expo, Comp Science and Pre Engineering - Mr. Hohl
Technical Exploration
Students are learning to use a scroll saw to create a wind powered vehicle
Computer Science Investigation
Students are designing websites to express and share their interests and ideas as a means of personal expression. They’re using HTML, CSS, and learning about the impacts of computing including licensing and copyrights.
Pre-Engineering
Students are beginning the Construction and Building unit and will be making technical drawings, towers, and bridges.
Tech Expo, Lab 21- Mr. Powell
Tech Expo
Students have been learning how to build 3D models in a program called tinkercad. Once they have learned how to use the program, they will be using the design process to create a trinket that can be either an ornament, key chain, locker magnet, or a variety of other small items that we will 3D print. Next, we will be designing propeller cars.
Lab 21
Students have been exploring the role that social media has played in today’s society. We have explored the digital footprint, health, and safety of social media. After doing some research, students created a public service announcement about social media. Next, we will be exploring their future selves where they will pretend they are at their 10 year high school reunion and telling their classmates what they have been doing. Although this is pretend, they are working on setting goals for themselves.
Music - Mr. Player
6th Grade
Students are currently preparing for their winter band concert, which will be at the Brunswick High School Auditorium, on Tuesday, December 13th, 2022, at 6:30PM. Students are to wear black below the waist, and white above the waist, in dress clothes (nice black slacks/pants, black shoes, black socks; white dress shirt or white polo shirt).
Woodwinds and brass should be ready to tune at 5:30pm at the BHS high school band room. There will be signs and students to help direct the students where to go. Percussionists should be there by 5:45pm to set up their percussion instruments for the concert.
The snow date for the winter band concert is Wednesday, December 21st, 2022, at the BHS auditorium as well.
7th Grade
Students are currently preparing for their winter band concert, which will be at the Brunswick High School Auditorium, on Tuesday, December 13th, 2022, at 6:30PM. Students are to wear black below the waist, and white above the waist, in dress clothes (nice black slacks/pants, black shoes, black socks; white dress shirt or white polo shirt).
Woodwinds and brass should be ready to tune at 5:30pm at the BHS high school band room. There will be signs and students to help direct the students where to go. Percussionists should be there by 5:45pm to set up their percussion instruments for the concert.
The snow date for the winter band concert is Wednesday, December 21st, 2022, at the BHS auditorium as well.
8th Grade
Students are currently preparing for their winter band concert, which will be at the Brunswick High School Auditorium, on Tuesday, December 13th, 2022, at 6:30PM. Students are to wear black below the waist, and white above the waist, in dress clothes (nice black slacks/pants, black shoes, black socks; white dress shirt or white polo shirt).
Woodwinds and brass should be ready to tune at 5:30pm at the BHS high school band room. There will be signs and students to help direct the students where to go. Percussionists should be there by 5:45pm to set up their percussion instruments for the concert.
The snow date for the winter band concert is Wednesday, December 21st, 2022, at the BHS auditorium as well.
Chorus
Students are currently preparing for their winter chorus concert, which will be at the Brunswick High School Auditorium, on Wednesday, December 14th, 2022, at 6:30PM. Students are to wear black below the waist, and white above the waist, in dress clothes (nice black slacks/pants, black shoes, black socks; white dress shirt or white polo shirt).
Chorus students should be ready to warm-up on the stage at 6:00pm at the BHS high school auditorium. They will have a closed rehearsal on the stage from 6:00pm to 6:20pm. The auditorium will open for general admission at 6:20pm.
The snow date for the winter chorus concert is Wednesday, December 21st, 2022, at the BHS auditorium as well.
Orchestra
Students are currently preparing for their winter orchestra concert, which will be at the Brunswick High School Auditorium, on Wednesday, December 14th, 2022, at 6:30PM. Students are to wear black below the waist, and white above the waist, in dress clothes (nice black slacks/pants, black shoes, black socks; white dress shirt or white polo shirt).
Orchestra students should be ready to tune on the stage at 5:30pm at the BHS high school auditorium. There will be a closed rehearsal with the chorus on the stage from 6:00pm to 6:20pm. The auditorium will open for general admission at 6:20pm.
The snow date for the winter orchestra concert is Wednesday, December 21st, 2022, at the BHS auditorium as well.
Invention and Innovation, Visual Arts and Creative Arts - Ms. Pennington
Invention and Innovation
Students are finishing the building of an Icosahedron. They built the structure using popsicle sticks and are now painting them. Triangles are the strongest building shape. They are learning about the design process by making a model of the icosahedron.
Visual Arts
Students are working on art from India. They drew their own hand and are adding henna designs to the hand. They are using white paint on brown paper to do a reverse effect on the hand that is on brown henna colored paper. They are also working on Kaleidoscopes that contain designs from India.
Creative Arts
Creative art students are working on dot paintings that include an animal from Australia. The dots are painted in patterns and fill the space with color. They are using tempera paint to add color to their compositions.
Visual Arts - Mrs. Crider
7th Grade
Mrs. Crider’s 7th Grade Visual Art classes have been working on Mini Figure Self-Portraits. The students have been very creative in personalizing their mini figures and the environment they have put them in. Students had their choice of medium - either paint, marker or colored pencil to embellish their mini figures. For this lesson we focused on shape, color, variety, pattern, and texture.
8th Grade
Ms. Crider’s 8th Grade Visual Art classes are working on our Term 2 Painting Benchmark assignment. The students are painting their Neurographic Line Paintings which integrate science and the brain. The paintings are based on Neurons and have a lot of dynamic movement in them and they are very colorful.
Ongoing Announcements
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Reliable Resources
Frederick County Health Department
Maryland Department of Health
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Governor's COVID-19 Pandemic: Orders and Guidance
Brunswick Middle School
Website: https://education.fcps.org/bms/
Location: Brunswick Middle School, Cummings Drive, Brunswick, MD, USA
Phone: 240-236-5400
Stay Up-to-Date
Here are ways to ensure you're getting the latest news and updates from GVES:
- Find Out First E-mails - We use the email address you provided when your student enrolled to send out information. If that email address changes, please notify the school at the email below to update your information.
- PTA Website - This provides information about upcoming PTA events and activities, membership and volunteer opportunities,, and more. Bookmark it today! http://brunswickms.my-pto.org/