BAMS NEWS
October 18, 2019
A MESSAGE FROM PRINCIPAL LYMAN
Dear BAMS Families,
This edition of the BAMS Newsletter is our 1st of the year, and we plan to send these newsletters on a regular basis to keep you apprised of what is happening at BAMS.
As a student body, we have created a social contract together because we all agree we should all display the same common behaviors. Be Respectful, Be Responsible, Work Hard, Have Empathy for Others.
As you walk into the BAMS MPR, you will see two flags hanging from the ceiling. The Black Lives Matter Flag (which has also been outside on our flag pole for several years) and the Philadelphia Pride Flag.
The Black Lives Matter Flag was a student-driven initiative by students in our school. The primary reason for raising the flag was for students of color and other students who have been marginalized in our schools and society, to feel welcomed and represented. Recently, the school board also decided all schools in our Supervisory District will raise the Philadelphia Pride Flag. The Philadelphia Pride Flag was created in Philadelphia to be more inclusive of people of color within the LGBTQIA community.
If you Google the meaning of marginalized groups, you will find something similar to this:
"Marginalized groups exist nearly everywhere. They are people who, for whatever reason, are denied involvement in mainstream economic, political, cultural and social activities. Targeting or ignoring one group can ultimately affect the whole society."
It is our job as a school community to keep everyone safe and for everyone to feel they are a welcome and valued part of our school. A few of the ways we hope to accomplish this goal is to display these flags, and to focus on our social contract. We look forward to your support of these goals.
The BAMS Vision
Conferences
Fall conferences are teacher-led. In the spring, students will lead their conferences with their parents/guardians and at least one teacher. This fall, our primary conference times are in the afternoons of November 7 and 8 (early release days). If you have not already signed up for a conference, please go to the BAMS website and click on the links to sign-up. If you need assistance, please contact the school at 451-3500. Thank you!
The First BAMS Dance!
DATE: November 1
TIME: 5:00 to 6:45
Doors open at 5:00. Normally, our dances are from 7-9 PM. However, due to the likelihood of a home varsity football playoff game occurring on that night, we have decided to start the dance early. Students are asked to leave campus after school at the normal time. If there are extenuating circumstances (EG: you live in Dover), we will provide a quiet place for students to work on homework. Please plan to pick-up your child at 6:45 PM. If they choose to attend the game, don't forget there is an admission fee.
WHO : All BAMS students may attend the dance. You must be enrolled
at BAMS to come to our dances.
Cost: $4.00 - a fundraiser for Team Draco
Dances are chaperoned by BAMS Staff and Administration.
Cell Phones at the dance: No cell phone use in the gym during the dance will be allowed.
We hope to see you there!
Halloween!
Costumes- All costumes must meet the dress code standards. Students can dress-up on Halloween as long as the guidelines below are followed:
No masks and/or make-up that hides an individual's identity will be allowed in school or on the bus.
No fake weapons, blood, alcohol, drugs or harassing themes will be allowed, as outlined in the dress code.
Overall, costumes worn to school must not interfere with a student's ability to perform as a student, move freely through the halls, or leave a trail of makeup/costume mess on the desks or computers.
Candy- A small candy bar is fine to bring for lunch or snack; a whole bag, even to share, is not okay and will be held by a teacher or advisor until the end of the day.
BEAMS- Brattleboro Enrichment Activities for Middle Schoolers
BEAMS after school program is entering its last week of session 1 programs. We had a great turn out with over 80 students participating in this session. Please be on the lookout for session 2 program sign up forms which will be going home with students the week of October 28th.
Session 2 will run from November 4 through December 20th from 3:30-5:15pm. Transportation home will be available. We have a lot of exciting programs to offer this upcoming session for the interests of many. Come join us after school for some fun.
Please contact Jill Kelley at jkelley@wsesdvt.org for more information. Information can also be found on our website here.
BAMS JAZZ BAND NEWS
Congratulations to the six BAMS students that successfully auditioned for the Connecticut Valley Music Festival Association’s District Middle School Jazz Band! The festival will take place on Friday, November 22nd and Saturday, November 23rd. There will be a culminating concert performance on the 23rd at 3pm at the Bellows Falls High School Auditorium. Concert tickets may be purchased at the door, and cost the following amounts: $6 for adults, and $4 for K-12 students and guests that are age 65-over.
Once again, many congratulations to the following students for their hard, successful work!
Myles Belove, piano
Dorian Paquette, drum set
Wyatt Cudworth, drum set
Simon Atkinson, tenor saxophone
Eben Wagner, alto saxophone
Genevieve Redmond, alto saxophone
BAMS ATHLETICS
Winter sports, basketball and nordic skiing, will begin December 2nd. Schedules and details will be included in a future Newsletter.
ARTICLE TO SHARE- Janis Nadler
Janis Nadler, our School Clinician, shared this article from the New York Times on Sibling Rivalry. Click here to read the article.
NOTES FROM THE LIBRARY- Ms. Linney
The 18th annual Brattleboro Literary Festival will take place October 17-20. The theme of the 2019 festival is Identity: personal identity, cultural identity and our identity as a country. This event is free and open to the public. The one page schedule is here and the full program can be found here.
The Vermont Department of Libraries is excited to announce that EBSCO’s LearningExpress Library is now available to all Vermonters at no charge through their library. LearningExpress Library provides a comprehensive selection of academic and career-related solutions available in one platform. It includes skill-building in reading, writing, math, and science, college admissions exams, occupational licensing tests, workplace skills improvement, career exploration, and much more. The subscription includes Job & Career Accelerator, a job and career platform where job seekers can explore occupations, find career matches based on interests and skills, search for jobs and internships, search for scholarships, write winning resumes and much more. Also included is computer Skills Center, where one can learn the fundamentals of using a computer, the Internet and popular software applications with these self-paced, easy-to-use online tutorials —in beginner to advanced levels. Look for more information coming soon on the BAMS website.
BAMS WEBSITE AND FACEBOOK PAGE
Communication to our students, parents, and families is important to us at BAMS. In an effort to keep the lines of communication open and available with accurate information, we have our Website and BAMS Facebook page. We invite you to like us on Facebook or check out our website to keep up with all the latest news at BAMS.
Our website and Facebook page are updated daily and have the schedule for events. In addition, athletic games and practice schedules are available on our website and Facebook page. Directions to all of our away athletic events can be found on our website under the Athletics Tab. You can find us on Facebook here or check out our BAMS website here. In addition, we always welcome you to call the BAMS office for any questions you may have, 451-3500.
IMPORTANT DATES
* Please Note: All Dates are subject to change
To view the BAMS calendar, click here.
Monday, October 21- 10:00-11:00 am, Vermont Foodbank Drop @ The BUHS Student Parking Lot
Tuesday, October 22- 5:30-7:00 pm, BAMS Jazz Band Rehearsal, BAMS Band Room
Friday, October 25- BEAMS Session I Ends
Tuesday, October 29- 5:30-7:00 pm, BAMS Jazz Band Rehearsal, BAMS Band Room
Wednesday, October 30- 7:30 am, Team Draco Field Trip- Boston Science Museum
Wednesday, October 30- 6:00-8:00 pm, BAMS Community Connections Parent Meeting, BAMS MPR
Friday, November 1- Quarter I Ends
Friday, November 1- 5:00-6:45 pm, BAMS Dance- Sponsored by Team Draco, BAMS MPR
Monday, November 4- BEAMS Session II Begins
Monday, November 4- 10:00-11:00 am, Vermont Foodbank Drop @ The BUHS Student Parking Lot
Tuesday, November 5- 5:30-7:00 pm, BAMS Jazz Band Rehearsal, BAMS Band Room
Wednesday, November 6- 7:00 pm, BAMS Fall Concert, BUHS Auditorium
Wednesday, November 6- 7:00-8:00 pm, WSESD Board Meeting, Cusick Conference Room
Thursday, November 7- 12:30 pm, Early Release
Friday, November 8- 8:00 am, BAMS Community Connections, Coffee Morning, BAMS Lobby
Friday, November 8- 12:30 pm, Early Release
Monday, November 11- No School, Veteran's Day
Monday, November 18- 10:00-11:00 am, Vermont Foodbank Drop @ The BUHS Student Parking Lot
Wednesday, November 20, 7:00-8:00 pm, WSESD Board Meeting, Green Street School
Thursday, November 21- Team Leo Field Trip to Beneski Museum, Amherst, Mass
Monday, November 25- No School, Teacher In-Service Day
Tuesday, November 26- No School, Teacher In-Service Day
Wednesday, November 27-29- Thanksgiving Recess