BMSFC Newsletter
December 2015
Message from Dr. Jean Selby, Principal
Happy Holidays to all of you and your families! We are working on wrapping up 1st semester here at BMS/FC and are working hard to push for a strong finish. As we consider the first grading period coming to a close, I hope you and your student will reflect on progress, academic growth, and overall effort this semester. This is a good time to set goals for second semester and discuss how to make even greater gains in success as we move forward. Desire, effort, and attitude are three significant impacts on success for students. All students could benefit with positive encouragement while continuing to focus on these factors.
We are very proud of our students for their efforts this semester. They have taken part in a couple of endeavors to help our community. The first was a food drive for the Harvester’s’ organization. We were able to collect over 1600 food items and donate these to help our community in need. We are also in the middle of “Warm-Up” Belton. This donation initiative is to collect gloves, scarves, hats, jackets, etc. Our students have gone above and beyond in being generous and understanding the needs of our community as we have collected several items. What an awesome group of students! An important life lesson is recognizing the need of others and the empathy towards those individuals in need. Our students are well on their way to becoming citizens that care!
Due to varying weather conditions at this time of the year, please be reminded to stay abreast of the weather and school cancellations. If there is ever a need to cancel school, you can be informed of this in a variety of ways. Please see the district website for the listing of all stations/networks which will display and/or announce closings as they happen.
I also want to remind you of the importance in continuing to encourage and insure that your child attends school each day. The importance of attendance and being on time is critical to their success. When your student is not in school, they are not learning required curriculum. Some suggested tips for helping your student understand this issue:
1. Do not allow your student to miss school except for illness, emergency or religious holidays.
2. If you know of any reason (such as a safety issue) that makes any student fearful of going to school, report them to school administration.
3. Do not condone skipping school for any student. Tell your child that you will report truancy if you see it. You will not let their friends “off the hook”.
4. Praise good attendance! Grades are not the only important factor to consider when evaluating success, especially when attendance is parallel to success!
Enjoy the upcoming winter break and we look forward to our continued partnership with families in the New Year. Please take this time with your family and friends to become relaxed and then to get rejuvenated for a second semester start. We hope for a continued successful and productive school year with our amazing students!
Upcoming Dates and Events
Dec. 16 – 8th Grade Choir Performance at Crown Center
Dec. 18 – Yo Expo – English/Language Arts
Dec. 23 – Jan. 4 – No School – Holiday Break
*Please see the website for all updated sports activities, dates and times.
Counselors Corner
Holidays Are Stressful for Middle Schoolers, Too
Holidays Are Stressful for Middle Schoolers, Too
By: Judith Baenen (Association for Middle Level Education)
According to the National Association of Health Education Centers, the chief stressor for students ages 9-13 is school. No middle grades educator is surprised by this, given the factors involved in a student's school day—grades, homework, friends, bad hair, etc.
As the holidays approach, these stressors are compounded. For kids from abusive and alcoholic families, the holidays are filled with anxiety, if not danger. For the vast majority of middle schoolers, there will be long stretches of time with nothing to do.
For many, interactions with family members are not particularly pleasant, and 10- to 15-year-olds often don't know how to change this dynamic (to be honest, they often add to it!).
Sometimes schools deepen the stress by ramping up the schoolwork as a way of keeping kids focused and busy. Even preparation for holiday programs and projects changes the routine enough to bring on new stress.
Teachers and parents can help kids in the middle grades deal with this stress.
Acknowledge that it exists.
Letting kids know that you know that this can be a hard time for them helps them ease up a little bit. Teachers, especially advisers, should talk openly about the stresses of the holidays for everyone. This might allow kids to be less hard on themselves for any negative feelings that exist.
Teach stress-reduction techniques.
Breathing techniques, body relaxation, mental imaging, and writing work to reduce stress. If you haven't already taught these techniques to your students, this is a good time to do it. This might also be a good time for the PE teacher to introduce yoga or tai chi as part of the daily routine.
Don't let your stress get in the way.
Students who are under stress are going to act out. Kids are going to talk back more, engage in more fights, and be meaner to each other than at other times. You are the adult; work to keep your classroom on an even keel. Raising your voice and losing your patience with students only adds to the tension.
Get students to think beyond themselves.
Most middle schools encourage students to participate in service projects at this time of year. Instead of asking everyone to bring in a can of food, spend quality time talking about the needs of others and the issues behind those needs. Focusing on others is a huge stress-reliever.
Preparing for the holidays can be fun if we understand that for middle schoolers, it's not always as fun as it was when they were "little." Teachers should also remember that they need to find their own stress relief over the next several weeks.
Nurse
Offseason Strength & Conditioning
Attendance Office
7th Grade Social Studies
8th Grade Social Studies
9th Grade Social Studies
7th Grade Math
We are entering the multiplication/division with negative numbers module during this final 17 days. Our post test on this unit is penciled in for December 11th. That following week we will also be taking the Engage NY Post Module Test while reviewing for our final on either December 21/22 to end the first semester.
STEM
Our final project in STEM will be to build a catapult out of Popsicle sticks, rubber bands, and a plastic spoon to hit a target using marshmallows as the projectile. This project will be accompanied by our STEM processes paper for Research/Design/Build/Test/Improve and we will be working with a partner.
Our 7th and 8th grade Algebra I students just started a new unit on inequalities. We can use inequalities in real life when trying to budget and also to represent limits in certain situations, such as required height for certain amusement rides. Inequalities can also be used in situations where a range of solutions is possible. Students will take a Semester Final at the end of this unit.
8th Grade Math
Our 7th and 8th grade Algebra I students just started a new unit on inequalities. We can use inequalities in real life when trying to budget and also to represent limits in certain situations, such as required height for certain amusement rides. Inequalities can also be used in situations where a range of solutions is possible. Students will take a Semester Final at the end of this unit.
9th Grade Math
7th Grade Science
8th Grade Science
9th Grade Science
Biology students have been learning about cells. They are investigating different types of cells, its parts, and its functions with the use of microscopes. In order to appreciate their investigation, they have also learned the history and theory of cells. Students will then move onto cell transport to gain a deeper understanding of cells.
In Principles of Biomedical Science, students are currently learning the biochemistry of food and macromolecule structures. They are learning about the importance of nutrients and the foods they consume by reading food labels and its components. Students will tie this into Anna's food diary and evaluate if she was on a healthy diet on her last days.
7th Grade Language Arts
8th Grade Language Arts
9th Grade Language Arts
Acting Class
Acting
Family and Consumer Sciences
As we are wrapping up the semester, the students have worked hard to understand why it's so important to consider healthy choices. Students are going to be planning meals to end this semester. Parents - challenge your FACS students to start making meals at your house hold!
Character Council
Over 400 items were collected for the Warm Up initiative.
The Canned Food drive, "Creation Donation," raised over 1600 canned food items for our BMS/FC Food Bank and Harvesters. Students competed within their Advisory Class by making a creation with the food items based on the Pirate Principal of the Month, "Integrity."
The character traits were alive and well at BMS/FC
8th Grade Technology
BMSFC
Email: bmsoffice@bsd124.org
Website: http://www.beltonschools.org/Page/1
Location: 107 Pirate Parkway
Phone: 816-348-1040