Banks Trail Middle School
Teamwork, Responsibility, Ambition, Integrity, Leadership
October 2017
The Force Of Learning Is Strong At BTMS
A Message from the Principal
Hello Timberwolf Families,
It is hard to believe we are now in the month of October. The end of the first nine weeks is approaching! The first nine weeks ends of October 19th. Report cards will be sent home around the 25th of October. Please keep your eyes out for you son’s or daughter’s report card. Grades are an important factor in determining whether or not a child will graduate in 4 years. Current research shows that 1 course failure in middle school lowers the chances of a student graduating in 4 four years by 50%. Parent Portal is a great resource to use to stay on top of your son’s or daughter's grades. If you have questions about Parent Portal, please contact Ms. Hudson at hudsont@fortmillschools.org . We will do our best to assist you. Together we can make a difference in the lives of the children that attend Banks Trail.
We have settled into a comfortable, yet rigorous classroom momentum. Mr. Pyrc, Mr. Beels and I are visiting classrooms and working with teachers regarding instructional practice. It is truly amazing to see the great teaching and student involvement in the classroom. We are seeing cooperative groupings, critical thinking, student reflection, student work and presentations as we continue to help students progress to being college and career ready. Our frequent classroom visits allow us to see the relationships that are developed between teachers and students. This also helps us as administrators get to know our Timberwolves.
Our fall sports teams will be wrapping up their seasons shortly. All athletic teams will begin the playoffs this week. These young men and women have learned a lot this season and I am proud of the hard work and dedication they have shown. Finally, our cheer leading squad has done an excellent job and will lead our school in our first pep rally on Wednesday.
This month's newsletter is a little long, but it is packed with lots of information about the great things that are happening on a regular basis here at the Trail.
Have a great month, take care and enjoy the colors of fall!
Sincerely,
Michael Pratt
Padawans Of The Pack/Terrific Padawans
Each month students are chosen to be “Padawan's of the Pack” (formerly known as Leaders of the Pack) for reasons such as displaying outstanding leadership, citizenship, school service, good behavior, and performance in their classrooms and throughout the school. “Terrific Padawans” (formerly known as Terrific Timberwolves) are then selected among those chosen as Padawans of the Pack because they exemplify the characteristics found in the T.R.A.I.L. - Teamwork, Responsibility, Ambition, Integrity, Leadership
For the month of October we would like to congratulate the following Padawans of the Pack:
- Team 6-1: Justin C.
Team 6-3: Jackson O.
Team 7-1: Evan S.
Team 7-3: Jackson R.
8th Grade: Jazya D.
8th Grade: Joseph W.
Related Arts: Braden N.
Related Arts: Ashlyn W.
The October Terrific Padawans are:
6th Grade - Matthew P.
7th Grade - Dylan B.
8th Grade - Giada E.
Related Arts - Brantley H.
Teamwork, Responsibility, Ambition, Integrity, Leadership: "The Trail" As Leaders of the Pack and Terrific Timberwolves, these students live "The Trail" everyday!
Jedi Of The Month (Formerly known as Teacher of the Month)
Mr. Tyson Gardin - PE Teacher/Coach
Coach Garden loves the young padawans that he is training in the classroom and on the field. His passion for his padawans shows in the engaging projects he incorporates into his lessons and the lessons he tries to teach to his team. Coach Garden not only teaches but coaches the 7th grade football team. He sacrifices family time to try and teach the young men on the football team not only the game of football but life lessons as well. Coach Garden is a great team member and I am glad he is a part of the rebellion against the Empire. Coach Garden puts in countless hours preparing his lessons and making sure that the padawans are engaged and gaining the knowledge they need to progress through their training.
Congratulations to Mr. Garden, Jedi Master of Month
Ms. Leslie Nivens-8th Grade
Jedi Nivens has displayed a Strong Force day in and day out both in and outside of the classroom. She instills the Strong Force of challenging her little Padawan’s to learn and grow every day with each lesson. Jedi Nivens truly embraces that mathematical mistakes are okay and we learn and grow from our mistakes. Jedi Nivens continues to uphold high expectations from her students, while she is there to support every step of the way!
Keep up the Strong Force Jedi Nivens.
8th Grade Job Shadow Day
8th Grade Job Shadow Day is Friday, October 27! Students have received their paperwork and should be setting up their job shadows. The Job Shadow Information Sheet and Permission Form can be found online at https://goo.gl/forms/K55eMfq41gT1Zd1o1. These are due by October 13. Please contact the Career Development Facilitator, Kati McFadden, at mcfaddenk@fortmillschools.org if you have any questions or need help with Job Shadow Day.
Chick-fil-A Cow Calendars For Sale
Our 7th & 8th grade students will be taking orders for Chick-Fil-A calendars until October 13th. Calendars are $10 and features a FREE promotional card that contains 12 offers (one per month) for a free menu item. You may purchase these calendars online at www.studentquickpay.com, just like you pay for school fees or field trips. Proceeds from the calendar sales help support many of our field trips at BTMS.
Students Are Learning Important Life Skills in Family and Consumer Science
The 6th grade Family and Consumer Sciences classes learned how to do laundry and completed a project at home helping their care takers. The students really enjoyed being independent and helping out with laundry at home. The parents definitely welcomed the help, too!
The 8th graders in Ms. Bauer’s Family and Consumer Sciences class cooked this week. They enjoyed preparing and eating yummy pancakes after learning about the importance of Breakfast.
"I really don't want a yearbook"..... SAID NO ONE EVER!!
Yearbooks are on sale for $35 and can be ordered online at https://www.studentquickpay.com/fort-mill/. Don't wait, the price will go up in January and we do NOT order extra copies!!
Holiday Market at BTMS
Holiday Market
We are planning the 4th Annual BTMS Holiday Market. We hope to have more vendors, so feel free to pass along this information.
We have scheduled the 4th Annual BTMS Holiday Market on Friday, December 15th (9:00am – 4:00pm). The $25 fee can be paid on December 15th. However, if you would like to pay before December 15th, you may mail a check to BTMS (1640 Banks Road, Fort Mill, SC 29715); or you may pay by credit card in person (see the bookkeeper Elaine Sykes). We cannot accept payments online or over the phone (sorry).
This event is designed for the students to have an opportunity to shop for their families. All parents are informed, invited, and encouraged to attend the Holiday Market.
If you would like to participate again this year, please complete the form by following the link below.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1mugADZZQjycj_rLlgoeoUXXIBJzwMM5QW0nRuorWqcI/edit?uiv=1
BTMS Athletic Booster Club Needs Your Help
School Communication
In an effort to keep all of our Timberwolf families informed, we will use a variety of communication channels. First and foremost, our BTMS website, http://btms.fortmillschools.org/ is an excellent source of information, and Mrs. Cost does a great job keeping it updated. We also have a Twitter account at BTMS: @btmstimberwolf where we try to post announcements and recognize Timberwolves using this instant technology. Each week parents can expect to receive an electronic copy of a weekly update from your child’s teachers. This will help you know what is going on with their classes. Our 2017-18 Student handbook has been added to the BTMS web site. Please pay special attention to the Cell Phone/Electronic Device, Absence/Tardy, and Dress Code policies.
IMPORTANT REMINDERS FOR PARENTS:
PARENTS: PLEASE LABEL YOUR STUDENT'S BELONGINGS
Please make sure your student's name is on anything he/she brings to school. This helps tremendously when we are trying to get lost items back to their owner.
TARDY/STUDENTS RETURNING FROM AN APPOINTMENT
Please remember that a parent or adult must come into the office with your student to sign them in when they are Tardy or Returning from an Appointment.
EARLY DISMISSALS
Students leaving school early must be picked up no later than 2:50 PM. There will be no dismissals from 2:50 PM until 3:20 PM.
Upcoming Events
10/11 PSAT
Volleyball 8th Grade Quarter Finals & Semis
Football – Games 1 & 2
10/12 Volleyball 7th Grade Quarter Finals & Semis
10/16 Volleyball Finals
10/18 Football – Games 3 & 4
10/25 Football Finals
Quarter 1 Report Cards are Distributed
10/26 Student Liaison Meeting @ District Office
10/27 8th Grade Job Shadow Day
10/30 Weather Make-Up Day
11/03 Picture Make-Up Day
Identakid here for ID badges for students
11/16 ST-ARTS Auditions
11/22 - 11/24 Thanksgiving Break
Together, Building A Tradition of Excellence
Banks Trail Middle School
Email: costs@fortmillschools.org
Website: http://btms.fortmillschools.org/
Location: 1640 Banks Road, Fort Mill, SC, United States
Phone: 803-578-2990
Twitter: @BTMStimberwolf