Banks Trail Middle School
Teamwork, Responsibility, Ambition, Integrity, Leadership
September 2017
The Force Of Learning Is Strong At BTMS
A Message from our Administrators
Welcome to our Star Wars school year. Episode 8- The Last Jedi hits theaters on Dec. 15 and the Pratt and Pyrc families are excited about what will happen next in the Star Wars Universe. For some of you, knowing that Star Wars is our theme for this year, just made the year amazing, for others, you are still wondering what is Star Wars. If you are part of the latter group, that is okay as we have a few teachers (and an administrator) who are also in that boat and we will bring everyone along together. Mr. Pyrc and I have been planning this theme since last year and we hope you will humor us as we incorporate Star Wars into our Timberwolf way of life.
So, why Star Wars and how can we tie this into Middle School? I know there are several of us that are among the faithful who have fallen in love with the actions, the lore, the mythology of George Lucas’ creation. There are probably some who are not wired for SciFy and shoot funny looks at people like Mr. Pyrc and me when their R2D2 ring tone chirps in a quiet room.
Our plan is to run through a Star Wars 101 introduction of the basics. We will go over some of the vocabulary and themes of the series as it pertains to our Middle School Universe. Throughout the year, we will walk through each of the movies in the saga- in their chronological order, not the release dates. We ask that you bear with us as we draw parallels between the films and the best middle school in the universe!
Episode 1- The Phantom Menace- 1999
The first chapter in this series introduces us to the Star Wars universe. Long ago, in a galaxy far, far away. We get to meet some of the major characters and themes that will guide the story. We meet the Jedi- the protectors of peace and goodness in the galaxy. We are introduced to a young Anakin Skywalker. A truly gifted individual with abilities that he does not yet understand. We are introduced to the Light and the Dark sides of the force and the struggles between good and evil.
May the Force Be With You!,
Mr. Pratt, Mr. Pyrc and Mr. Beels
Leaders Of The Pack/Terrific Timberwolves
Each month students are chosen to be “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 Timberwolves” are then selected among those chosen as Leaders 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 September we would like to congratulate the following Leaders of the Pack:
- Team 6-2: Jamal S.
Team 6-3: Isabella G.
Team 7-2: Lilly L.
Team 7-3: Alyia S.
8th Grade: Ella J.
8th Grade: Tauren P.
Related Arts: Gabrielle P.
Related Arts: Liam N.
The September Terrific Timberwolves Students of the Month are:
6th Grade - Eleanor B.
7th Grade - Katherine M.
8th Grade - Malcolm S.
Related Arts - Robinson B.
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)
Ms. Amy Rossett - Literacy Specialist
Ms. Rossett has gone above and beyond since returning for the school year. She has been actively running around-writing new grants for this school year, fulfilling last year's grant with fluidity and requests from teachers across all grade levels, she has assessed students, she is shining her own classroom joy with a small group of students every day, and organizing our upcoming Family Literacy Night..doing this all with a smile on her face! Her excitement brushes off on all staff members at the school (most times she even is more excited for others than they are themselves!).
Congratulations to Ms. Rossett for being our September Jedi of the Month
Ms. Kati Merriman
From the beginning of the year until now Ms. Merriman has continuously been a positive presence for our school and especially in our sixth grade family. She goes above and beyond to ensure that her students are engaged in learning activities that can help them build their mathematical knowledge. She came to Banks Trail with a plethora of knowledge from other schools. She is excellent at using her knowledge to enrich our curriculum, but also being open to listening and adapting to things we have done in the past. The most wonderful thing we have noticed about her is that she puts her relationship with her colleagues and her students first!
Congrats Ms. Merriman!
September 2017 RAP Sessions (York County No Wrong Door)
Fort Mill District Office September 20, at 6:00 p.m. (click here for other dates RAP Sessions Flyer 2017.pdf )
Parents and community members are invited to participate in York County’s fall 2017 RAP (Raising Awareness of Parents) sessions. These sessions provide a stimulating environment for you to learn about and support your child on a variety of issues they face as teenagers. The focus of September’s session will focus on the Insiders, which is a group of incarcerated youth who will share their stories about the effects of poor choices and the impact on others. Those in attendance will engage in meaningful dialogue on the topic.
The topics are prevalent among our youth and they draw attention to critical social issues they face. Refreshments will be provided. Feel free to attend any of the four sessions. We look forward to seeing you all there! Further questions can be directed to Dr. Antwon Sutton at suttona@fortmillschools.org.
Family Literacy and Curriculum Night Oct. 10
Mark your calendars for our BTMS Family Literacy and Curriculum Night on Tuesday, Oct. 10, from 4:30-6:30 p.m. Our teachers will have interactive displays, presentations, games, and more to highlight the amazing things happening in our classrooms and showcase how we integrate literacy across the curriculum at BTMS. Our theme is “Saddle Up and Read!” The Scholastic Book Fair will be open for book purchases. We will also have a Western-themed photo booth, a children’s room with story time and arts and crafts, snack stations throughout the building, and even a raffle for prizes. This special evening is an opportunity for you to enjoy seeing all the great things our students are learning in all content areas as well as experience a fun-filled family evening. So, “Saddle Up!” and come prepared to have a great time at Family Literacy and Curriculum Night!
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
9/18 Volleyball @ Gold Hill
9/20 7th Football v Indian Land
8th Football @ Indian Land
Volleyball @ Springfield
9/25 Volleyball v PKMS
9/27 7th Football v Gold Hill
8th Football v Gold Hill
Volleyball @ Indian Land
9/28 Student Liaison Meeting @ District Office
10/02 Volleyball @ FMMS
10/04 Volleyball v Gold Hill
7th Football @ Springfield
8th Football @ Springfield
10/09 - 10/13 Book Fair
Volleyball v Springfield
10/10 Family Literacy & Curriculum Night
10/11 PSAT
Volleyball 8th Grade Quarter Finals & Semis
Football – Games 1 & 2
10/12 Volleyball 7th 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
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