BIS Newsletter
November 2023
MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL
Happy November BIS Families,
November has been a busy but exciting month! Our 3rd and 4th graders did an incredible job honoring our Veterans last week at our school-wide assembly. In these past weeks, they have also attended hands-on interactive sessions with the Ferry Beach Ecology School, enjoyed scenes from a High School theater production, and had the privilege of watching our outstanding BIS Drama Performances.
As the temperatures drop, please remember to send your child to school with a coat and layers for the cold weather. We feel it is important to have our students go outside for movement and fresh air as much as possible so it is important that they are comfortable. When we start to accumulate snow on our playground, students are expected to have a coat, snow pants, snow boots, hats, and gloves in order to play in the snow. Students without gear will still be able to go outside, but will need to play on the tar.
With Thanksgiving and the holidays right around the corner, be sure to mark your calendar with the dates below! We look forward to a wonderful holiday season.
Sincerely,
Lindsey Nadeau
Biddeford Intermediate School Principal
DATES TO REMEMBER
Don't forget these events on your calendars!
November
- Nov 17 - Fun Friday (Book Character Day)
- Nov 21 - Early Release (Students dismiss at 12:00pm)
- Nov 22-24 - No School (Holiday Break)
December
- December 1 - Fun Friday (Wear your Team Color)
- December 6 - Early Release (Students dismiss at 12:00pm)
- December 14-15 - BIS Dental Clinic
- December 21 - Pajama Day
- December 21-January 1 - Holiday Break (No School)
BIS Dental Clinic - December 14-15
BIS is partnering with Tooth Protectors Inc. to offer Preventative Dental Care here at school. Services are available for students WITH or WITHOUT dental insurance.
Services are FREE to those with MaineCare, self-pay fees are listed on this flyer, and other dental insurances can be billed.
Sign up by completing this printed form or online form.
WHAT ARE STUDENTS WORKING ON AT BIS?
Art
Art to Remember order forms have been sent home! These items, personalized with your child’s beautiful artwork, make great gifts for loved ones. Ordering online is easy! Orders received by Nov. 17th will arrive before we leave for our winter break.
Art class has been happening outside this fall! Third-grade classes went outside after watching a video about land artist, Andy Goldsworthy. They created their own lovely works of art in Goldsworthy’s style. Fourth grade classes went out to collect and draw fall leaves. They later made gorgeous masterpieces involving fall leaves. Some of these are on the hallway bulletin board now!
Next both 3rd and 4th grade students are learning about the color wheel, an important tool for artists. 3rd graders were introduced to the primary and secondary colors, while 4th graders learned about the tertiary colors.
By the way, if you have a chance please go check out our off-site art gallery in the first floor hallway at City Hall! Presently Mr. Nason’s class has bird drawings on display there.
Music
3rd Grade - We have put the Drumtastik balls aside and we are learning to play various African drums. The song we are learning - Che Che Kule - is a children’s song from Ghana. In a few weeks all third graders will be able to sing the song, play the djembe part, and do the movements!
Social Emotional Learning
We are celebrating the month of November with the theme of Gratitude. We have been taking time each week to slow down and share things we are grateful for in our school, at home, and in our community. We have been practicing mindful movement with partners, learning how to create Communi-trees and Human Hearts! We are also spending our time exploring the definition of the word- Perspective. Each grade’s lessons continue to build students’ perspective-taking ability by examining scenarios where people have different feelings about the same thing. Perspective taking is a critical skill for working in groups, making friends, and successfully resolving interpersonal conflicts.
Physical Education
Library
Message from the Counselor
Small group counseling is continuing at BIS! We’re working on being a good friend, learning about coping skills, practicing mindfulness, and how to deal with our worries and changes in our families. If you would like your student to participate in the next round of groups after winter break, please reach out to our school counselor, Ally Guay at aguay@biddefordschools.me.
Our tigers rocked our kindness challenges throughout September and October while we read Wonder as a school. Special shout-out to Ms. Keimach’s 4th grade class for earning the most “caught being kind” tickets!
Each month, BIS focuses on a theme at our team assemblies and throughout the month. In November, we’re learning about gratitude. At our assembly, we talked about Thanksgiving and how the focus of the day is gratitude, not just turkey and pie! Our students and staff have each been asked to list the things they’re grateful for on a leaf to add to our gratitude tree. Stay tuned for photos in December of the finished product!
FOOD & HEALTH LINKS
DISTRICT LINKS
COMMUNITY INFO
Twin City Theater Academy Presents “Frozen Jr.”
The chill is on at the Performing Arts Center at Biddeford Middle School as Twin City Theater Academy presents "Frozen Jr." A cast of 70 young local actors will stage Disney’s “Frozen Jr.” on Friday, December 1st and Saturday, December 2nd at 6:30 PM. Free and open to the public! Let these young performers warm your heart on a cold winter night!
This fanciful and heartwarming musical is based on the 2013 Disney film, the top-grossing animated film of all time, and the 2018 Broadway adaptation. Audience members will join Anna, Elsa, Olaf, and other characters as they embark on an epic, ice-filled journey of self-discovery, camaraderie, and the real meaning of true love. For more info, click here.
The link remains the same and will be updated as new information is received.
Recycle Better
Ever wonder where your recyclables go? In Maine, they may take a trip through the Lewiston Material Recovery Facility where Casella processes over 30,000 tons of recyclables before sending them out to market. Unfortunately, many non-recyclable items are tossed in recycling bins. These sorting mistakes add up and actually hurt recycling programs so it’s important to understand what’s acceptable in our local recycling program. For a full description of what is allowed in zero-sort bins, click here.
CONTACT BIS
Contact Us
Email: lnadeau@biddefordschools.me
Website: www.biddefordschools.me
Location: 335 Hill Street, Biddeford, ME, USA
Phone: (207) 282-5957
Facebook: www.facebook.com/biddefordintermediate