A Message from Principal Keith Lyman

Dear BAMS Families,

As we reach the final issue of our newsletter before December Recess, I would like to take a moment to wish all of our students, staff, and families a very happy holiday season and a healthy, joyful New Year.

December has been a wonderful month at BAMS. Our Fall Concert was a tremendous success, showcasing the talent and hard work of our band and chorus students. Pictures and video clips are included in this edition of the Newsletter.

On December 19, many of our families generously provided breakfast items for our staff, a thoughtful gesture that was greatly appreciated. It was heartening to also receive thankful cards to our staff to go along with the amazing amount of donations. The event was sponsored by our BAMS Leadership Council, but it was a community effort

Today, we will come together as a school community to enjoy a special variety show with the theme “Celebrating Community.” We are excited to feature MPR (Must Play Rock), our very own staff band, along with many other talented staff members who will be taking the stage to entertain us. We will end the show with a heartfelt send-off to our Assistant Principal, Mr. Daughton, who is retiring. Mr. Daughton’s last day with us will be tomorrow, December 23rd. We are grateful for his years of dedicated service to BAMS and wish him well in his well-deserved retirement from many years in education.

Please note that Monday, December 23, is an early release day, with dismissal at 12:30 PM. Students will be offered meals during snack time that morning.

One of our favorite traditions at BAMS—our annual door decorating contest—once again brought creativity, joy, and holiday spirit into our halls. As this year’s honorary judge, Mr. Daughton shared the following results:

*“Ms. Repchick and her students are the winners! The northern lights are simply stunning!
It was a difficult decision, and I do want to particularly recognize the glorious effort of Ms. Markol and Ms. Cooke and their students. However, it was a ‘door decorating’ contest, and while all the other elements of the contest were evident in their display, it was on walls. That said, it is a beautiful display and my hats off to them!
Of course, all the doors of participating classes lifted our spirits with their displays, and I appreciate all your efforts. Thank you, and Happy Holidays!!”*

Thank you to all who participated and helped make our school such a joyful place during this season.

School will resume on Monday, January 5. Until then, we wish you a restful and happy break filled with time, laughter, and celebration with loved ones.

Warmest holiday wishes,

Keith Lyman, Principal

Thanks from Keira Carmichael, BAMS Choral Director and General Music Educator

A Note from Keira Carmichael, BAMS Choral Director and General Music Educator, regarding the BAMS Fall Concert held on December 10th. Her message illustrates the dedication that our staff bring daily to support our students, in and out of the classroom.

A massive THANK YOU to all who came and supported our students in the performing arts last night! Whether you held a recording device with a steady hand, braved snow, passed out programs, patiently shepherded students carrying heavy band equipment, helped move, stack, and store equipment, came to the rescue to accompany on the piano, hyped them up and gave them courage, listened to them share about their nerves/wins, helped them choose an outfit, joined in the singing, or diligently reminded students of rehearsals by reading the daily announcements - it *truly* takes a village.

I'm grateful to be working in this district and for your support in helping our kids discover and explore what makes them shine - from the inside out. The recordings and links are below for your enjoyment.

Select Chorus: "Duermeté, Mi Corazon"

Combined 7th and 8th Chorus: "Lo Yisa Goy", "A Distant Shore", and "If I Were a Fish"

Equity and Social Justice

Equity & Social Justice: As part of our district-wide equity theme, “Voices of the People,” we focused on Disability Justice for December, which calls for a shift in how society views & includes people with disabilities. Disability Justice is about recognizing the rights, dignity, and potential of ALL people. This movement prioritizes those most affected by injustice to lead the way in creating change (“Nothing about us without us”). In Advisory, students learned about the term “ableism,” which is when someone is excluded (left out or doesn’t have access to something/somewhere), or treated unfairly/differently because of a disability.

Our focus for the month of January is The Global Majority. “People of the Global Majority” is a collective term for people of African, Asian, indigenous, Latin American, or mixed-heritage backgrounds, who constitute approximately 85 percent of the global population.

Art Classes Recognized for Participation in a Town-Wide Miniature House Project

Mr.Blackwell's art classes participated in a town-wide miniature house project and received some lovely recognition in the Keene Sentinel. Mr. Blackwell is proud of the 8th grade class that worked hard to make this project happen.

Check it out!

https://www.keenesentinel.com/news/local/13-brattleboro-vt-schools-create-houses-for-2025-festival-of-miniatures/article_2b2feb9a-5d4a-41a9-9039-4fabbaf4007e.html

News from Team Taurus

Taurus Social Studies students completed an independent research project about the history of the domestication of plants and animals and how it connects to our world today.

In Math, students finished the unit on proportional relationships and percentages. Now is a great time to reinforce this learning by involving your students in using the new skills in figuring out the tax, discounts, interest, etc.!

English Language Arts classes finished the Lost Children of Sudan module. Students are now learning about epidemics by reading the book Patient Zero by Marilee Peters.

Taurus Science students continue our study of matter. We are currently learning about atoms.

BEAMS

Beams session 2B has come to an end. The session was packed full with fun clubs and activities. A highlight is a Saturday session on December 13th that was spent Breadmaking and Crafting. BEAMS Session 3 begins Monday, January 12th. Sign-up information will be shared with students after the break in January. Questions may be directed to the BEAMS Director, Mr. Yialiades, nyialiades@wsesdvt.org.

BAMS Newsletter

Safety, Community, Learning

Issue 5 · 22 Dec 2025

In this issue