Patriot Press
Special Edition - May 31, 2020
How to Read this Newsletter in Your Preferred Language/Cómo leer este boletín en su idioma preferido
Dear Readers: If you need this newsletter translated into Spanish or another preferred language, please click on the click on the web link provided at the top of this newsletter or anywhere on the newsletter itself and a new tab will automatically open in your browser and you will be able to access the Translation Feature at the top, right-hand side of the newsletter.
The Final Details
Greetings,
The official last day of school is Tuesday, June 2, 2020!
To provide our teachers an opportunity to close out the school year, all students should have submitted their assignments last Friday, May 29, 2020. We will be working to enter grades that are due Monday, June 1, 2020.
Report cards will be processed after the last day of school. We will make the report cards available through the Home Access Center (HAC).
Please read the information below for details about Grade Placement Committee (GPC) meetings, Chromebook return, the 8th Grade Car Parade, Summer Learning, and next year's Instructional Calendar.
Thank you for your support and enjoy your summer vacation. Please be safe and we'll see you in the fall semester.
Remember, "We are BMS... Brave. Motivated. Successful., We are #UNSTOPPABLE!, AND We LOVE YOU!"
Dr. H.P. Hyder, III
Your PROUD Patriot Principal
Grade Placement Committee (GPC) Meetings
This week, we will be reaching out to some of you to schedule and conduct Grade Placement Committee (GPC) meetings.
Our promotion policy requires students to receive a final average of 70 or greater in ELAR, Math, Science, and Social Studies. In addition, students are required to attend at least 90% of the school year.
We are required to conduct GPCs when students fail core courses for the school year, or miss more than 10% of the school year.
During the GPC, we will:
- Discuss the concern
- Get input from you, your student, your student's teachers, and an administrator
- Outline a plan to assist the student with being promoted to the next grade level
We look forward to your participation as your voice is important in the process.
Chromebook Return
As we have transitioned to online learning, many scholars have checked out laptop devices.
Students that will continue learning with Bammel Middle School (through the summer or next school year) may keep their device at this time.
If your child is leaving Bammel Middle School, and does not need to complete a summer learning session, their device can be returned.
We will be on campus Tuesday, June 2nd to collect devices.
Chromebook Return - Using Front Parking Lot
6th Grade: 2:00-300
7th Grade: 3:00-4:00
8th Grade: 4:00-4:30
Be sure to return the device and its charger. If there is damage or any malfunction, please note that on a sheet paper. You will simply be given a bag to put all items inside of.
Optional End-of-Year Testing
As you are aware, our scholars did not take the STAAR tests. I am sure your scholar is excited about not having to take those tests. Unfortunately, we do not know how much your scholar learned this year or where he/she may need additional support.
Thankfully, the State is allowing you (parents) to request an optional EOY test that your scholar can take at home. You may be wondering... What's the Purpose?
- The results from this activity will show how well your scholar has mastered grade-level knowledge and skills this year.
- These tests results are solely to help you support your scholar and will not be used for accountability purposes for your scholar or school.
- You can use the results as you talk with your child's school about how to best support your scholar moving forward.
These assessments are available May 11 through June 12, 2020. I STRONGLY encourage you to take advantage of this great resource!
To sign your child up, visit the sites and follow the steps below.
Parent Toolkit Link
http://avocet.pearson.com/TX-02/Home
Parent Registration Form
Summer Learning At Home
In light of ongoing health and safety concerns related to the pandemic, Spring ISD has redesigned summer school for this year. This online experience will be available to ALL students and tailored to meet specific instructional needs.
Specifically, the district will be hosting two Summer Learning At-Home sessions to run Monday through Thursday. The first session is scheduled for June 10-30 and the second is slated to run July 7-28.
For students requiring grade-level support in order to be ready for the next school year, the sessions will include targeted tutorials in reading/literacy as well as STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics). For students looking for additional learning opportunities, we will be offering different enrichment camps depending on their grade level, including AP boot camp, GT camp, STEAM Camp and Literacy Camp.
Watch for more information about these offerings with specific guidance on what programs might best meet the needs of your student. If you’re thinking of participating in ANY of these programs, please do not turn in your district-issued Chromebook. You are invited to keep it until the end of our summer school sessions.
If you have any specific questions about your student, please call your principal.
Summer Curbside Meals
2020-2021 Instructional Calendar
Parents and guardians, please be advised that our Board of Trustees approved our new instructional calendar on Thursday. This revised calendar is designed to give us the flexibility to deal with potential COVID-19 disruptions or closures.
The approved calendar most closely matches the recommended intersessional option proposed by TEA, with students starting in August and having longer breaks around Thanksgiving, in the winter, and in the spring. The last day of instruction will be June 25 for all grades except seniors, who would finish on May 28.
Specifically, the first day of the new school year will remain Aug. 17, with intersessional breaks scheduled for Oct. 5-9, Nov. 16-20, Jan. 4-8 and March 8-12. All of those breaks are set to occur around regularly scheduled vacation times, except for the week in October. The built-in breaks give the district more options to cover required instructional time. For instance, if a COVID-19 closure period was needed in the fall or early winter, one of the planned intersessional breaks later in the year could be used to recoup instructional time.
During those COVID-19 breaks, seniors will continue remote learning at home, which will give them the required instructional time to graduate by the end of May – the same as with a traditional calendar. To see the complete calendar, please visit: www.springisd.org/calendar
2020-2021 Remote Learning Option
Please know that we continue to plan for every possible contingency this fall and will be sharing information as decisions are made. We will soon send out a survey to collect your concerns and feedback related to instruction as we consider different models for students and staff.
We are pledging to offer an entirely remote instructional option for families who prefer to keep their children at home during the upcoming year. We believe this virtual choice fits with our district’s overall mission to expand opportunity and choice at all levels, and we look forward to rolling out this option in August. More details will be shared as they become available.
Thank You
Here are a few:
- Open House/Title I Night
- Passport to Learning Night
- Parent Empowerment Day
- Student Success Initiative (SSI) Night
- Chromebook Distribution
- Parent Universities
- Athletic and extracurricular events.
We look forward to your support this summer and next year as we continue our work to take BMS to the next level. No matter how hard the staff tries, we cannot reach our goals without YOU. Please continue to partner with us and help us help your scholar!
Enjoy your summer break and PLEASE be safe! Remember, COVID-19 is still here, so continue to practice social distancing, wash your hands, and wear a mask!
Monthly Quote
“Be strong now because things will get better. It may be stormy now, but it can't rain forever.”
– Anonymous
Bammel Middle School
We are #UNSTOPPABLE!
Email: hhyderii@springisd.org
Website: https://www.springisd.org/bammelms2
Location: 16711 Ella Boulevard, Houston, TX, USA
Phone: 281.891.7900
Twitter: @BMSPatriots