February 2023 Newsletter

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Email: bms@sbps.net
Website: www.sbps.net/bms
Location: 27 East 23rd Av enue
Phone: (308)635-6270
Twitter: @BMSCATS

Dear Bluffs Middle School families,

Welcome to February and the middle of the third quarter. Staff is working extremely hard to provide rigorous instruction, extended learning and enrichment opportunities in the classroom, and after-school tutoring for students. Please continue encouraging your students to take advantage of the resources and extra time available. If you have questions about your student's academic progress, don't hesitate to get in touch with teachers or grade level counselors.

I continue to be amazed and proud of our highly talented students achievements in and out of the classroom. Students will be involved in many extracurricular activities this month. For example, our boys' basketball teams will finish their season, Student Council activities have been planned for the student body, and the Middle-Level music contest will take place at Scottsbluff High School. Coaches, sponsors, and teachers will provide more information about each activity.

Please join me for our CAT (Collective Advisory Team) meeting at 4:00 pm on February 22, 2023. We will review our Target Implementation Plan and provide information and updates about the Journey to Inclusion pilot program.

Our eighth grade students will receive registration and coursework requirements for Scottsbluff High School on February 9th and 10th. I want to thank the Scottsbluff High School counselors for their time and assistance with this transition process. Parent meetings with each eighth grade student and high school counselor will be scheduled in March or early April. More information and specific dates and times will follow.

I would like to congratulate Mr. Blanco for being awarded the 2022-23 Middle School Activities Director of the Year. Mr. Blanco will be recognized and presented with his award in March during the state basketball tournament in Lincoln, NE. Photos and more information about the award will be shared when they become available. Thank you, Mr. Blanco, for providing our student-athletes, coaches, and parents with your leadership and dedication to our programs.

Thank you for your continued support and involvement at Bluffs Middle School.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Mason

If you would like a younger picture (baby, toddler, early elementary, etc.) of your student in the 8th grade end-of-the-year presentation, please email a digital copy to Erin Shaddick at eshaddick@sbps.net. Or your student can bring a hard copy to the library and Mrs. Shaddick or Mrs. Collins will scan it. Contact Erin Shaddick at 635-6286 or eshaddick@sbps.net with any questions. Thank You!

January 22-29 was School Board Appreciation Week. The staff at Bluffs Middle School would like to extend our sincere appreciation and gratitude to our board members. Our Board of Education members work tirelessly for the betterment of our district, stakeholders, staff, students, and community. We are so fortunate to have such dedicated and committed board members.

Monday, February 20 is a professional development days for BMS staff. Students will not be in attendance on this day.

We are very excited for our students to demonstrate language proficiency on the upcoming ELPA 21 assessment. Students are assessed in four domains; speaking, listening, reading, and writing. We are very proud of our students' hard work and dedication in and out of the classroom. We would like to extend a very special thank you to our classroom teacher Mr. Gomez and para educator Mrs. Galindo for the continual academic support students have received each day. Additionally, we would to thank Mrs. Shaddick for coordinating services and administering assessments for our students. Bluffs Middle School staff continues to For more information please visit https://www.education.ne.gov/natlorigin/elpa21-assessment/

Testing dates are as follows;

February 6-7: Speaking

February 8-9: Writing

February 10&13: Reading

February 14-15: Listening

The February positive character trait is: Politeness: Having or showing good manners or respect for other people.

Spring conferences will be on Wednesday, March 15 from 4:00-8:00 pm and Thursday, March 16 from 8:00 am-8:00 pm. Conferences will be held in person at Bluffs Middle School. We will utilize the online scheduler, PTC Wizard to scheudle conference. In order to access PTC Wizard, a current email address in Infinite Campus is required. Please contact the main office at 635-6270 if you have any questions or need to update your email address.More information and directions from Mrs. Shaddick will follow soon.

WNCC’s Phi Theta Kappa chapter Lambda Pi was excited to partner with Bluffs Middle School to share our Honors in Action academic research. The research topic was “The Art and Science of Play” and we focused on Theme 7: Play It Forward. Our members wanted to learn more about how individuals with physical impairments can engage and be successful in the gaming world. We found that people with disabilities do not have the same opportunities as able-bodied gamers to play. Our research showed that while advancements were being made for people with physical impairments, those people still do not have the same opportunities for inclusion and accessibility. We determined that we needed to raise awareness about the technology available for people with physical impairments. Play sparks creation, research, and advancement for assistive technology to improve quality of life and inclusivity in gaming. We applied for and received a $1,000 Honors in Action grant funded by the Mellon Foundation. We used our grant to purchase assistive technology to demonstrate how people with physical impairments can use it for gaming, medical treatments, and rehabilitation. We reached out to Principal Mason and she invited us to the Honors Gala at BMS. We were able to share our research by allowing them to try our assistive technology games. We loved being able to impact so many students.

Thank you, Amy Winters, Math Instructor/Mathematics & Science Division Chair and students for providing Bluffs Middle School students and staff with your action research project. We were honored to have you participate in our Honors Gala.

February

February 6-10: National Counselor Week

February 9 and 10: 8th graders receive information about SHS and 9th-grade registration

February 13: Board of Education Meeting 6:00 PM

February 20: No School ESU 13 In-Service Day

February 25:18th Annual Western NE Middle-Level Music Contest at SHS

March

March 9: PBS Celebration at BMS

March 9: Choir Concert 6:00 pm at BMS

March 10:: No School, End of Third Quarter

March 12: Daylight Saving Time starts

March 13: Tornado drill

March 14: Social Media Safety assembly at SHS (more info will follow)

March 14: Orchestra concert 7:00pm at BMS

March 15 Parent Teacher Conferences 4:00-8:00 pm (more information will follow)

March 16: Parent Teacher Conferences 8:00 am-8:00 pm (more information will follow)

March 17: No school for students or staff

March 23: BMS Jazz Band Concert 7:00 pm at WNCC

More details will follow in the March Newsletter.

Congratulations Mrs. Kaufman, on your Excellence in Education Award. Thank you, Scottsbluff Schools Foundation, for honoring and recognizing Mrs. Kaufman.

• 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

• This time of year, we tend to see an increase in lice. SBPS follows recommendations from CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics. Please be proactive and Remember, once a week “sneak a peek” and check your child’s head!

• When to Stay Home

• Fever guidelines:

• Stay home with a fever 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

During the week of February 6-10, please help us celebrate our three outstanding school counselors, Dave Castle, Letizia Kosman, and Shana Dick, and our Licensed Mental Health Practitioners, Samantha Faron, Sara Klein, and Irma Torres. We are so grateful for your fantastic work for all students and staff.