March Newsletter 2024
Bluffs Middle School
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Email: bms@sbps.net
Website: www.sbps.net/bms
Location: 27 East 23rd Street, Scottsbluff, NE, USA
Phone: 308-635-6270
X: @BMSCATS
Principal's Message
Dear BMS Families,
The upcoming end of this year's third quarter is on March 7, 2024, and is approaching rapidly. We are immensely proud of the achievements our students have made both inside and outside the classroom. Looking ahead to the final quarter of the year, we have a variety of activities planned. Expect captivating performances from the band, choir, and orchestra, and various classroom projects.
Please encourage your student(s) to take advantage of after school tutoring Monday through Thursday; all students can attend our after-school tutoring sessions from 3:10 pm to 4:10 pm. This is a great opportunity for students to improve their content knowledge by retaking assessments, completing missing assignments, or receiving extra instruction. The tutoring schedule is attached.
Third quarter report cards will be available through Infinite Campus and will not be mailed home. If you need assistance accessing your student's report card, the tutorial video is linked below.
Parent Teacher Conferences will be held on on March 13th from 4:00 pm - 8:00 pm and March 14th from 8:00 am - 8:00 pm. There is no school for students on March 14th and 15th. In the Technology TIPS portion of the newsletter, there is information about PTC Wizard and the timeline for signing up for conferences. If you need assistance, you may contact Mrs. Shaddick. Thank you in advance for your attendance. Your involvement and support is greatly appreciated.
If your emergency contact information has changed, please contact the office and we will gladly update your information. You may reach us at 308-635-6270. Thank you for your continued support. We look forward to an amazing fourth quarter with you and our students. Please reach out to us if you have any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Jana Mason
Principal
Eighth Grade Important Information
Baby Pictures
It's time to submit your baby picture for the 8th grade end-of-the-year presentation. If you would like your picture included, please have your families email it to Mrs. Shaddick or bring a hard copy to school to scan. See Mrs. Shaddick if you have any questions. Pictures are due by March 1st.
End of Year Awards Ceremony
The 8th grade awards ceremony will be held on Monday, May 20 at 2:00 pm in the gym at Bluffs Middle School. We look forward to celebrating and spotlighting our students' amazing accomplishments. More information will follow as the date draws nearer.
BMS 8th Grade Dance
The 8th grade dance will be held on Monday, May 20th, from 6:00 - 7:30 pm in the cafeteria at Bluffs Middle School.
Criteria to Attend BMS 8th Grade Dance
● Only current 8th Grade Bluffs Middle School students may attend. Former students, alumni, relatives, and friends
may not attend.
● Students attending must be in good academic standing and not failing more than one class.
● Students attending may not have more than five behavior referrals for the school year.
● Students attending must not have had ISS or OSS during the 4th quarter.
Student Conduct at the BMS 8th Grade Dance
In addition to all rules of student conduct in the Student Handbook, students attending dances shall adhere to the following rules of conduct:
● Student conduct and behavior must be appropriate for the school environment.
● Students must arrive at the dance no later than 15 minutes after the designated start time.
● Students must stay at the dance until the official end time unless they are picked up at the door by his/her parent or guardian.
● Students must follow the dress code.
● Students must attend a full day of school on the day of the dance.
● Students who have inappropriate behavior will be removed from the dance, and parents will be notified to pick their student up early.
BMS Strength and Conditioning Program
Parent Survey from Nebraska Department of Education
As you know, the NDE Assessment has been collecting input from various stakeholders on the statewide assessment system. We have heard from superintendents, thank you!, middle school and elementary principals, advisory groups, and next week we begin our teacher focus groups. We would like to hear from parents as well. I am asking for your help in sharing our message and survey link with them. This is our introduction to the parent survey:
We are committed to providing your child with the best possible educational experiences at the Nebraska Department of Education. As part of our assessment process, students in grades 3-8 take statewide assessments in the content areas of English language arts, mathematics, and science each year. Following the assessments, you receive an individual student report detailing your child’s performance from your child’s school. Your feedback is essential in helping us enhance the information provided in these reports to better support your child’s academic journey. We kindly ask for your insights and suggestions to improve the clarity and usefulness of the reports you receive. Thank you for your time and contributions.
NSCAS State Assessments
All students will take the spring NSCAS statewide assessments starting the first week of April and continuing through the first week of May. Students in sixth, seventh, and eighth grades will be assessed in math and reading. Additionally, eighth graders will also take the science state assessment
While our state assessment is just one factor in evaluating grade-level proficiency, we urge you to motivate your student to give their best effort and dedication during each assessment. Student outcomes are crucial, and prioritizing academic growth is our main focus. Please remind your student to bring their Chromebooks to school with a full charge.
Please watch for grade level information as testing dates draw near. Please visit the Nebraska Department of Education website for more information. https://www.education.ne.gov/assessment/
BMS Activities and Clubs
BMS Wrestling
BMS Wrestling Coaches
BMS Wrestling
2024 UNL Math Day Champs
Thank you, Mr. Aaberg and Mrs. Hays
Math Day 2024
Omaha Marian Girls Contest
Upcoming Events
March 1 8th grade baby pictures are due to Mrs. Shaddick
March 6 PBS Assembly @ 2:30 pm in the gym
March 7 End of 3rd Quarter
March 7 Choir Concert @ 6:00 pm
March 8 Professional Development Day/Work Day
March 10 Daylight Savings Time Begins
March 12 BMS/SHS Orchestra Concert @ 6:00 pm
March 13 Parent Teacher Conferences 4:00 pm - 8:00 pm
March 14 Parent Teacher Conferences 8:00 am - 8:00 pm
March 15 No School
March 29 Spring Break - No School
April 1 Spring Break - No School
Student Awards
Student of the Quarter
Student of the Quarter
Student of the Quarter
Technology Tips
BMS Families will use PTC Wizard to schedule Spring Parent-Teacher Conferences. Families will use their Infinite Campus Parent Portal username and password to log into PTC Wizard. If you are unable to remember your Infinite Campus password, passwords can be changed by clicking the “Forgot Password?” option on the Infinite Campus sign- in page accessed through the link below. Families without an Infinite Campus Parent Portal, will need to contact Erin Shaddick at 635-6286 to schedule conferences beginning Monday, March 4.
Nebraska SMART
Nebraska SMART is a free virtual tutoring program for students in grades K-12. Teacher education candidates from Chadron State, Peru State, and Wayne State Colleges remotely tutor students in Educational Service Units 1, 4, and 13 through an online tutoring platform. This program is made possible by a Nebraska Department of Education grant awarded to the Nebraska State College System to launch a rural tutoring program.
Nebraska SMART’s official launch date to tutor students in grades K-12 is February 5, 2024. Tutoring hours are 3:30-6:30 PM, Monday through Friday.
The Nebraska SMART Video can be viewed for more information.
Parents who wish to gain access to tutoring must register their child(ren) by visiting www.nscs.edu/NebraskaSMART.
Parents must first create an account and register their child(ren). Once parents have created their account and added their child(ren), the student (or parent on their behalf) can schedule a tutoring appointment. Students can also join on-demand tutoring to be connected with the next available Tutor.
The Parent Guide provides steps for parents to register their child(ren), schedule a session, request on-demand tutoring, and more.
Students should provide homework for which they wish to receive help or topics that they would like to cover. When connected to a Tutor, students (or parents on their behalf) can share files with their Tutor. It is recommended that students (or parents on their behalf) have saved their homework to their computer prior to connecting to a Tutor.
The Nebraska SMART tutoring platform can be accessed via a laptop, desktop, or Chromebook. Please note that smartphones and some tablets are not currently supported by this platform. See below for Nebraska SMART’s technology requirements.
LMHP and Counseling Message
When we feel good about ourselves, we have confidence. With confidence, we believe there are things we are good at and capable of achieving. We believe in our ideas and dreams. Confidence is also accepting ourselves for who we are. However, sometimes our confidence can get knocked down. Sometimes, we may just not like ourselves very much. A comment, an assignment we wanted to perform better on, feeling rejected, or comparison to others can take a knock at our confidence. We can all feel that way at times in our life. It’s when we feel that way for a long time that it can become problematic. It’s important to remember – We all deserve to feel good about ourselves and who we are.
Building self-esteem and confidence can take practice. Often, it is practice of little exercises each day that become habits in how we care for and treat ourselves. Included are some techniques for building confidence. Pick a couple to try out and practice this week. Remember to show yourself some self-compassion along the way!
Show kindness to yourself – Offer the same kindness to yourself you would offer a friend or loved one.
Look after yourself – Nourish your body, feed your brain good content, and get good rest.
Focus on the positives – Easier said than done, right? However, sometimes we get stuck seeing the negatives more than the positives.Take the time to reflect on the good things that happen each day, no matter how small.
Spend time with those you love – Whether friends, family or a family pet. The people who shower us with love and kindness help build our confidence.
Be assertive – Assertive communication can sometimes feel uncomfortable. With assertive
communication, we state our needs with respect and confidence. This invites others to understand us and support us in the ways we need.
Do the things you LOVE – This one speaks for itself! Participate in the activities and hobbies that bring you joy!
Try something new – Sometimes building confidence is done by stepping outside our comfort zone.
Also included is an activity that those in the home can do together. Take turns interviewing each other over dinner. This activity opens the door for conversation and allows us to reflect on the positives. https://www.therapistaid.com/therapy-worksheet/self-esteem-sentence-completion
Happy March and take care!
Health Office Information
Heath Office Staff are finishing up student school health screenings. Health screenings are performed per Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services schedule. Nebraska guidelines require all PK-4th grades, 7th grade, and 10th grade students to participate. The purpose of screening is to identify those students needing further evaluation or assistance in the areas screened. Parents/guardians will be notified through Remind or a letter if the student is found to need further evaluation. The cost of such evaluation is the parent/guardian's responsibility.
Just a friendly reminder on SBPS lice policy. You can find this on the schools district’s website: SBPS Lice Policy. Please be proactive and Remember, once a week “sneak a peek” and check your child’s head!
When to Stay Home
Temperature guidelines:
Stay home with a temperature of 100 degrees or high
Stay home until your temperature is below 100 degrees withOUT any fever reducing medication
Vomiting/Diarrhea
Stay home if you have had more than one episode of vomiting or diarrhea in the past 24 hours
Can your child participate in class?
If your child seems too sluggish or too tired to participate in class, then consider staying home to rest and get healthy
If your child symptoms are disrupting their learning or the learning environment, then consider staying home to rest and get healthy
Is your child contagious?
Illness like strep throat or pink eye require treatment before your child can return to school
Spring Sports Meeting
The spring sports meeting will be held at Bluffs Middle School on Monday, March 11, 2024, at 6:00 pm. Please enter through the west activity doors. The meeting will be held in the gym. Please make sure your student is signed up for their spring activity through Arbiter Sports. You can access the link here.https://bms.sbps.net/b_m_s_activities We look forward to watching our students compete in track and field and on the soccer field. Good luck to all of our student athletes this spring.