Barrington Middle School

“We are BMS”

BMS Connected Learning Newsletter: Week of 11.5.2023

The BMS Learning Community is Respectful, Responsible, and Ready to Excel! 

Mission

Barrington Middle School’s Mission is to empower all students to excel in character, citizenship, collaboration, creativity, communication, and critical thinking, so that they may positively impact the future.

Welcome, 

Ласкаво просимо, ברוך הבא

bienvenido, benvenuto, 欢迎, Bem-vindo, स्वागत, வரவேற்பு, 

Hoş geldin, welkom, Witamy, 

добро пожаловать, maligayang pagdating, 

خوش آمدید, Bi xêr hatî, স্বাগত, καλως ΗΡΘΑΤΕ, ಸ್ವಾಗತ

Üdvözöljük, Willkom,いらっしゃいませ

歡迎, fáilte, 환영합니다

स्वागत छ

Ⲛⲟϥⲣⲓ  , مرحباً

To BMS! 

This year, we would like to celebrate and recognize the various languages spoken at Barrington Middle School. If you would like to include the language spoken in your home, please complete the following link. 

Let’s Celebrate the Languages Spoken at BMS

Important Dates:

  • No School (Teachers’ Professional Dev Day) - Tuesday, November 7, 2023

  • Parent & Student Meeting for Wrestling - Thursday, November 9, 2023 at 6:00 pm

  • No School (Veteran’s Day)- Monday, November 13, 2023

  • 8th Grade DC Field Trip Family Meeting - Tuesday, November 14, 2023 at 6:00 pm in the BMS Auditorium

  • Parent & Student Meeting for BMS Girls’ Basketball - Wednesday, November 15, 2023 at 6:00 pm

  • School Picture Retake Day - Thursday, November 16, 2023 starting at 8:45 am

  • No school (Thanksgiving Break)- Wednesday, November 22, 2023 - Friday, November 24, 2023)

Stay Connected with BMS:

Day/Date

Monday

11.6.2023

Tuesday

11.7.2023

Wednesday

11.8.2023

Thursday

11.9.2023

Friday

11.10.2023

Odd/Even

Block/Non

Odd

Non-Block

 

Even

Non-Block

Odd

Non-Block

Even

Non-Block

Activities or Events

Advisory

No School 

Teacher Responsibility Day

Student Council Presidential Town Hall Debates

Parent and Student BMS Wrestling Info Meeting at 6:00 pm - Student Union

~ BMS Current and Relevant News ~

8th Grade DC Field Trip Family Meeting:

Tuesday, November 14, 2023, at 6:00 pm there will be an Information Meeting regarding the annual 8th grade field trip to Washington, D.C.  The meeting is for parents and students and will be held in the Middle School Auditorium.

BMS School Pictures:

School picture packages were handed out last week.  If you have any questions at all about your order, please don’t hesitate to contact Coffee Pond at the email or phone numbers listed below.  Picture retake day will be on Thursday, November 16, 2023.

A note from Coffee Pond…

It’s always our goal to deliver the best possible images, but occasionally some customer service issues crop up. 

 

Please encourage parents with questions (about order forms, late orders, missing orders & refunds etc.)  to contact our Customer Care staff directly. They’re ready to handle all questions. The simplest and fastest resolution is for parents to communicate directly with our Customer Care team.

Customer Care

Lifeguards@coffeepond.com

508-907-6633 ext. 0

800-632-2323 ext. 0

 

Mailing Address:

 

Coffee Pond Photography

3 Speen Street, Suite 200

Framingham, MA 01701

 

One special note - some parents order a digital sharing file (and no prints)…in those instances, their photograph has been emailed to the address provided by the parents.  Again, if those parents have any questions, let them know that our Customer Care department would be happy to assist them.

~ BMS Activity Corner ~

BMS Girls’ Basketball:

There will be an important meeting for any girl and their parent(s) wishing to try out for this year's Girls' Basketball Team on Wednesday, November 15, 2023 at 6:00 pm in the BMS Student Union.  Questions? Please contact Coach Topazio at ctopazio2003@aol.com.

BMS Wrestling:

On Thursday, November 9, 2023 at 6:00 pm in the BMS Student Union there will be an important meeting for parents and students interested in participating in the wrestling team at BMS.

Arts Alive! BMS:

Registration for the BMS/ Arts Alive! 2024 Play "Mean Girls, JR" will be opening on Thursday, November 16th at 6pm. Rehearsals will be held on either Mondays or Wednesdays after school until 5:15 pm at BMS or Sundays from 2-4pm in Warren. There are limited spaces in the program, so please be sure to register as soon as registration opens. Registration is available at www.artsalivebarrington.org. This show is going to fetch!

~ BMS Spotlight on Learning ~

This week, we would like to shine our BMS Spotlight on Mrs. Lema and the Positivi-tea Crew! As autumn allergies set in, laryngitis followed. I was fortunate to have Mrs. Lema and her positive tea cart crew greet me with smiles, tea with honey, and well wishes each morning. I'm not sure if it was the tea or the kind and cheery tea cart crew who were the caliber of Starbucks Baristas, but I was feeling better in no time. (Nominated by Mrs. Scott)

This week, we would like to shine our BMS Spotlight on Red Cluster Student Gracie Gaines. Congratulations to Gracie Gaines for winning Red Cluster's 2 Sentence Scary Story Contest with her entry: “I woke with a start, staring at the dark heap of clothes resting by the foot of my bed. Lightning flashed, illuminating my room, and suddenly I saw that the heap wasn't clothes, but instead, it was a male figure, sitting at the end of my bed, watching me and toying with the severed head of my doll." Way to go!!! Thank you to everyone who participated and to everyone who voted! (Nominated by Mrs. Bannon) 

This week, we would like to shine our BMS Spotlight on Razz Cluster Student Finley Holtzman. If you want to see what being a good citizen looks like.... watch Finley! Not only does he always follow school/classroom expectations but he goes above and beyond to help his peers and teachers. He always expresses his concerns for the well being of his peers when he notices they may be having a tough day. Everyday for our snack walk, Finley holds the door open for both Razz and Yellow clusters to enter the building. I was especially blown away when I saw him (on his birthday!) stop to pick up trash outside that didn't belong to him and make sure it went in the trash. Finley should be spotlighted because he does the right thing when no one is looking and this is a quality we want all of our BMS students to have! (Nominated by Mrs. Boyle)

This week, we would like to shine our BM Spotlight on Mrs. Canario. Mrs. Canario is very inspiring and kind and she listens to me when I talk :) (Nominated by BMS Student Olivia Kinnanne)

This week, we would like to shine our BMS Spotlight on Mrs. Nozaki. BMS is so lucky to have Mrs. Nozaki. Not only does she give 110% every day to our students with her energy and enthusiasm beginning at morning drop off, she runs a very successful after school field hockey program. Coach Nozaki is extremely dedicated and inclusive. With the help of parent coaches she runs practices and games for multiple teams over the course of the 8 week fall season. She teaches good sportsmanship and makes sure all kids can participate and feel part of the team. The teams are competitive and she puts in the effort to help individual players get better over the season. In addition Coach Nozaki plans all the extras that make the experience fun and is a great communicator and organizer. Thank you Coach Nozaki!

Do you know of a BMS Faculty/Staff/Student member that is shining bright? If you do, please complete the form below and we can include the nomination in an upcoming newsletter. 

BMS Spotlight Nomination 

~ Monthly DEIB  Corner~

DEIB November 2023

November 1: All Saints’ Day (Roman Catholic)

All Saints’ Day on November 1 is holy in the Western Christian tradition, celebrated by the Roman Catholic Church, the Methodist Church, the Lutheran Church, and more. It is designed to show honor and reverence to saints both canonized and unknown, and in some faiths also to give thanks to those who have guided others to Christ, like a friend or relative. Around the world, there are many traditions woven into All Saints’ Day, from the laying of flowers on graves on November 1 to the Mexican Day of the Dead — which honors children who have passed on, on the holiday’s first day — not to mention Halloween in the U.S. and Canada, a celebration that originally was in large part linked to All Saints’ Day

November 2: Dia de Muertos

Day of the Dead, or Día de los Muertos, is a traditional Mexican holiday celebrated November 2. On this day, it is believed that the souls of the dead return to visit their living family members. Many people celebrate this day by visiting the graves of deceased loved ones and setting up altars with their favorite foods, drink, and photos.

November 1: National Stress Awareness Day

National Stress Awareness Day, on every first Wednesday in November; 24 hours of reinforcing the fact that you’re not doing yourself a favor by stressing about situations you can’t control. In fact, according to science, chronic stress leads to impaired cognitive and physiological functions. Would you want to age before your time? Absolutely not! On this day, let’s learn together to hone our ability to choose one thought over another and let the stress ebb away.

November 9: World Freedom Day

World Freedom Day is a federal holiday observed on November 9. On this day in 1989, the momentous event in history took place when the Berlin Wall was abolished. The wall separated families and communities for almost three decades.

November 9: World Adoption Day

The day was created for the purpose of celebrating family, raising awareness for adoption, and raising funds to support families in the adoption journey.

Today, hundreds of ambassadors from all over the world come together on November 9th to celebrate #WorldAdoptionDay by organizing events and parties, bringing together people from all walks of life to share their story and celebrating families brought together through adoption.

November 11: Veterans Day

Veterans Day, observed annually on November 11, is a tribute to military veterans who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces. Veterans Day, originally celebrated as Armistice Day, was first issued on November 11, 1919, by President Woodrow Wilson a year after the end of World War I. Not to be confused with Memorial Day, which honors those who died while in service, Veterans Day honors all military veterans, including those still with us.

November 12: Diwali

Diwali or Deepawali, known as the “festival of lights,” is usually celebrated in October or November, and is on November 12 this year. Lasting over five days, the holiday is celebrated by millions of Hindus, Jains, and Sikhs worldwide. The name of this festival is derived from ‘avali,’ which means ‘row,’ and ‘deepa,’ meaning “clay lamps.” When merged, these words mean “a row of lights.” For this reason, lights are symbolic of this festival and Indians go overboard with sparklers and fireworks to fuel the inner light that spiritually protects them from the darkness.

November 13: World Kindness Day

World Kindness Day is an international holiday that was formed in 1998, to promote kindness throughout the world and is observed annually on November 13 as part of the World Kindness Movement in many countries. On a day devoted to the positive potential of both large and small acts of kindness, try to promote and diffuse this crucial quality that brings people of every kind together. 

November 16: International Day for Tolerance

International Day of Tolerance on November 16 is a great opportunity for you to think back and recall the last time you had a different perspective than one of your friends? When’s the last time you’ve had to learn something about someone else’s culture? We’re betting it wasn’t that long ago. Look and learn the date that celebrates open-mindedness and listening.

November 20: Universal Childrens’ Day

Investing in our future means investing in our children — which is why the United Nations has designated every November 20 as Universal Children’s Day. It’s a time to promote togetherness around the world, awareness of the problems children face in every corner of the globe, and improve the welfare for all children.

November 23: Thanksgiving

America’s Thanksgiving holiday, born in the 1500s, mythologized in 1621, and observed even during the bleakest hours of the Civil War, now stands as one of the nation’s most anticipated and beloved days — celebrated each year on the fourth Thursday in November.

~ BMS Older but Current News ~

Yearbook Ordering Form: 

Linked below you will find the 2023 - 2024 Yearbook Ordering Form. 

2023 - 2024 Yearbook Ordering Form 

(Note: Order date by 5/15/2024. We are unable to accept any orders after 5/15/2024) 

Calling 8th Graders!  Baby pictures for yearbook:

It’s a tradition at BMS to include baby/toddler pictures in the BMS yearbook during their 8th grade year.

Please complete the following form and upload your child's baby photo directly through this form.To avoid confusion, please ensure only one photo is uploaded per student.

PLEASE NOTE: You need to be signed into your or your child's gmail account. If not, you will not be able to upload the photo.

DEADLINE: FRIDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2023  

Please contact Mr. Kearns (kearnsb@barringtonschools.org) in room 2221 if you have any questions. Thanks!

~ BMS Standing Items ~

BMS Procedures

  • Dropoff/Pick Up Process - If you choose to drop-off and pick-up your student from BMS, please see this map for directionsBus Eligibility Guidelines

  • Early Dismissal:  Handwritten notes brought to the office before homeroom or emails to bmsattendance@barringtonschools.org are needed every time you need to dismiss your student prior to the end of school.  Middle School level students are not allowed to bike home early, even with permission by note.  ID and a physical presence is required to dismiss your student early. Please note that the last early dismissal of the day is at 2:45 pmPlease click here for full details about dismissing your student early from school.

  • Daily Announcements:  Click this link daily to find out important information about upcoming clubs, sports, enrichment activities and more!

BMS Pride: 

This year, each week we would like to invite all of our students to join BMS Faculty/Staff in showing BMS pride and school spirit by the following: 

  • Motivational Message Monday- We encourage you to wear your favorite motivational message proudly! 

  • Wednesday College and Career Day- Faculty/staff and students are encouraged to wear their favorite university colors/names and/or support different careers, trades, and occupations. 

  • Thursday Cluster Color Day: Faculty/staff and Students are encouraged to proudly wear their cluster colors. 

  • Friday School Color Day (Formally known as Blue and Gold Day)- Faculty/staff and students are encouraged to wear blue and gold on Fridays to show our school pride. 

~ Community News ~

Events for teens at Barrington Public Library:

  • Coding with Neal: Tuesdays, November 7th & 28th 6:30 - 7:30pm

    • Join Neal as he teaches two one hour sessions where students will learn the basics of coding with Python.  No prior experience with coding is necessary, Happy coding! Space is limited, please register on Teen Page. Coding with Neal

  • Make Pie Garland:  Tuesday, November 14, 2023 at 6:30 pm

  • Open Mic Night for grades 6 - 12:  Meets every second Thursday of the month at 6:30 pm in the Barrington Library Auditorium

  • “Where have all the birds gone?”:  The Book Talk, Part 1 (with snacks!):  Monday, November 20, 2023 at 6:30 pm.