Barrington Middle School
BMS Connected Learning Newsletter: March 7, 2022
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.
Important Dates:
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Stay Connected with BMS: | ||||||||||
This Week’s Schedule: Week of March 7, 2022
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BMS Spotlight on Learning! This week, we would like to shine our BMS Spotlight on Mr. Bremer, the long-term substitute Spanish teacher. My understanding is that he is a parent who saw a need and stepped in after learning that the prior teacher was leaving for another school. Not only has he stepped in, but seems to have a gift for connecting with students and teaching Spanish. Many thanks to him! (Nominated by a BMS Parent) This week, we would like to shine our BMS Spotlight on Mrs. Gladding. Mrs.Gladding is always willing to help with anything. Math-related or not she deserves this spotlight. (Nominated by a BMS Student) This week, we would like to shine our BMS Spotlight on Mrs. Diana Ouellette. Mrs. Ouellette is an absolutely impeccable teacher. She explains the topic in a clear manner and makes sure that we are focused and understand the material. At the beginning of the year if someone asked me to just write an essay then I simply couldn't without major instruction, but Mrs. Ouellette has ingrained essay-writing so much that I can write an essay without much instruction. I know that other people feel this way too. I am also now able to elaborate on quotes properly. Overall, Mrs. Ouellette is a grand teacher and deserves to be on the BMS Spotlight due to her outstanding teaching methods (Nominated by Lime Cluster Student, James Samet) 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. | ||||||||||
~New Items~ The following items are new to this week’s newsletter! | ||||||||||
BMS Proficiency Assessment Data: Linked below you will find directions on how to find your child’s proficiency assessment scores in Aspen. To date, students would have completed their beginning of the year proficiency assessments and middle of the year proficiency assessments.
It is important to note that proficiency assessments measure year end skills and standards. As students progress through the school year, their scores on the assessments should increase.
At the mid-year point, we would expect students to be around 50% on their respective proficiencies for their ELA/SS Humanities Proficiency Assessment, Science Proficiency Assessment, and Math Proficiency Assessment. With regards to Algebra, we would expect students to be around 70% proficient. | ||||||||||
BHS Program of Studies Orientation: The 8th to 9th Grade Family Orientation has been rescheduled to Tuesday, March 15, 2022. Please see email from Mr. Hurley. | ||||||||||
Help Support Ukrainians (Message from BMS Community Service Group): As you are aware, there is a crisis occurring in the country of Ukraine. Due to Russia’s invasions, threats, and recent violence, the people of Ukraine have been enduring the horrible conditions of war and the loss that comes along with it. The people of Ukraine need our help! You can help them by going through your house and looking for any of the following items: Clothing, Underwear, Socks, Shoes, Towels, Blankets, Sleeping bags, Diapers, Wet wipes, Personal hygiene items, First aid items, Non-perishable foods, Paper plates, Plastic, Silverware, Toilet paper, and Paper towels. The BMS Community Service group will be happy to accept your donations! Some of our members will be stationed at the BMS basketball courts waiting for parents in the pickup line to donate any of those items. Parents will be able to donate on Thursday, March 10 from 3:15-4:00 PM. However, students will be able to bring items to their homeroom during the week. All donations will be delivered to Cardi's who will be packing up donations from throughout the state to ship to families in need. Any donations, no matter how small, will mean a lot to the people struggling in Ukraine. | ||||||||||
7th/8th Grade Special Virtual Town Hall Meeting: This Thursday, March 10, 2022, we will be having a special virtual town hall meeting for our 7th and 8th-grade students during FAST. Rebecca Bowman White will present "Excuse Yourself" virtually to 7th and 8th graders. This presentation educates students on how to safely avoid getting into a car with an impaired driver and age-appropriate strategies to refuse offers for alcohol/drugs.
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Virtual Student Town Hall Meetings: On Monday, March 21, 2022, we will be holding virtual town hall meetings. Agenda items included will be RICAS Student Information, BMS Eagle Challenge, and RULER BluePrint.
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Trimester 2 to Trimester 3 Important Dates: Below you will find some important dates regarding the end of the trimester:
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Professional Development Asynchronous Learning Days: As you are aware, we have scheduled professional development coming up in March and a little later on in May. For planning purposes:
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BMS Best Buddies Walk: Saturday, April 2nd at Providence College; Team name BMS Buddies For more information, click here! Come support inclusion and the Best Buddies program! | ||||||||||
A note from the Student Assistance Counselor: My name is Jordan Rodrigues and I am the Student Assistance Counselor at Barrington Middle School. I am a counselor in the school, here to provide support to students with any kind of social or emotional issues or stressors. I also have specialized training in substance use prevention. This March, I will be launching a week-long campaign called “BMS Stomps Out Smoking” taking place March 21st-March 25th. Events throughout the week will highlight the dangers of smoking both combustible cigarettes as well as e-cigarettes (such as JUULs), bring awareness to the manipulative tactics cigarette/e-cigarette companies use to target teens, and to give students the opportunity to share why they choose to like a smoke-free lifestyle. Please see the complete schedule of the week here: Aside from these efforts, I continue to meet with students who may need support. If you feel your child would benefit from meeting with me, please contact me at rodriguesj@barringtonschools.org. | ||||||||||
“What we wish we Knew” Link: Last week during the High School’s PTO meeting, they invited 8th grade families to join them to talk about "What We Wish We Knew" for prospective students. A recording of the meeting, which was held via Zoom, can be found here (Passcode: v+uNB2&%) if you missed it. | ||||||||||
Poster Contest Teen Dating Violence Awareness & Prevention: The Lindsay Ann Burke Memorial Fund is pleased to announce its 2022 Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Poster Contest for Rhode Island middle school students. February was National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month and this contest is promoted to be in line with that month’s cause.. Prizes are: First Place: $500.00, Second Place: $250.00, and Third Place: $100. The due date for entries is April 1, 2022. Teachers will be notified of winners in April. Please click here for more information and for the registration sheet. | ||||||||||
“Excuse Yourself” virtual presentation: This Thursday, March 10, 2022, we will be having a special virtual town hall meeting for our 7th and 8th-grade students during FAST. Rebecca Bowman White will present "Excuse Yourself" virtually to 7th and 8th graders. This presentation educates students on how to safely avoid getting into a car with an impaired driver and age-appropriate strategies to refuse offers for alcohol/drugs. If you have any questions about the presentation, please email our Student Assistance Counselor, Jordan Rodrigues, at rodriguesj@barringtonschools.org. | ||||||||||
~Spring Assessment~ Information | ||||||||||
RICAS and NGSA Assessment Information: Please see RICAS/NGSA information and testing schedule below.
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