BAMS NEWSLETTER
A Message from Principal Keith Lyman
Dear BAMS Families,
We are officially underway with the second semester. Our staff continues to support students as they grow academically, socially, and emotionally.
On Monday, February 2, we gathered as a school community for an assembly led by Team Taurus, focused on our core value of Learning. Several of our Taurus students took the lead and did a great job helping to celebrate our school. At the end of the assembly, each 7th grade advisory paired up with an eighth grade advisory and they had some fun activities together in the gym so they could get to know each other a bit more.
On Wednesday, February 4th, our 8th graders participated in NAEP testing, and we are incredibly proud of their effort. We had approximately 95% participation, which speaks volumes about our students’ commitment and the support they receive from our staff.
Looking ahead, our Leadership Council is excited to host a Ski/Skate Night this Friday evening at Memorial Park. This is a great opportunity for students and families to connect outside of the school day. We hope many of you are able to join us. This event is free for all BAMS students. Students should bring a student ID if possible but we will work with them to ensure they can get in if they have misplaced their ID.
We would also like to share a concern that has come to our attention. As a reminder, soda, coffee, energy drinks, and excessive amounts of candy are not permitted to be consumed during the school day. At BAMS, we strive to model a healthy environment that supports students’ well-being, focus, and readiness to learn.
Recently, we have noticed an increase in students using water bottles to carry beverages that are not allowed at school. For example, we have observed a bottle containing an energy drink and, during a morning assembly, a bottle that appeared to contain spilled coffee. While these instances have been limited, they have prompted us to reflect on our current expectations. We appreciate your partnership and support as we work together to promote healthy habits and a positive learning environment for all students.
Finally, our next quarterly advisory theme is Community. A sense of belonging and connection is essential for young adolescents and plays a critical role in their social-emotional development. Advisory lessons will explore what it means to live in community, how students experience belonging, and how they contribute positively to the groups they are part of. Some questions we have been discussing include:
- What does it mean to live in community?
- What is an example of a community you belong to?
What makes you feel like you are truly part of that community?
Thank you, as always, for your partnership and support. We appreciate the role you play in helping BAMS remain a place where students feel safe, connected, and challenged to learn.
Warm regards,
Keith Lyman, Principal
Free Ski and Skate Night For BAMS
Both the Ski Hill and the Skating Rink will be open to the public that evening, and siblings and family members are welcome to attend. BAMS students only will receive free entry with a valid student ID, so please be sure to bring it with you.
The BAMS Leadership Council proudly hosts this event, and we’re looking forward to a fun winter night together. We’ll have hot chocolate available for students to enjoy during the event.
Whether you’re skiing, skating, or just hanging out with friends, we hope you’ll join us for a great evening at the hill and rink.
If you are interested in volunteering to help make this night run smoothly for the kids, we would love to have any parent or adult volunteers at the Ski Hill or at the Skating Rink.
Please sign up HERE!
Tobacco Prevention and Tacos!
News from Team Leo
Science: Students are wrapping up their unit on human genetics and natural selection. Our final big project will be looking at the evidence explaining the origin of variation in human skin color around the world. Students will look at the correlation between ancient human migration, ultraviolet radiation, melanin, and folates, and how these factors impacted humans around the globe. With a sound understanding of natural selection, students will explore the theories and explanations based on Nina Jablonski’s groundbreaking work in the early 2000s.
Math: We have completed the first half of Unit 4, with a focus on solving multistep equations and what the solutions to the equations mean. Students have practiced with tape and hanger diagrams, extending this understanding to the use of variables and properties of equality.
We are reviewing linear relationships from Unit 3. This week, we are using this knowledge to apply to systems of equations (two linear relationships that occur simultaneously). Students will learn multiple ways to find a solution that works for both linear relationships at the same time.
English: In recent weeks, students read a series of excerpts from Michael Pollan’s The Omnivore’s Dilemma (Young Reader’s Edition) where they learned Pollan’s views on what he calls three “food chains” for food production: Industrial Farming, Industrial Organic Farming, and Local Organic Farming. Students investigated author purpose and point of view, then also watched and read different media (videos, digital texts), evaluating whether the argument made was sufficient and sound. Currently, students are completing research for an argumentative essay. A recent lesson on annotating text and how to take notes in one’s own words proved very fruitful as they head into this endeavor.
Social Studies: We have finished reading Jefferson’s Sons, and students completed a five-paragraph essay based on one of our Big Ideas for this unit. It has been wonderful to see their writing skills grow this semester! In Quarter 3, we will focus on civics and government, including a project about Town Meeting, reading parts of the Constitution, and a project about the Amendments to the Constitution.
News from Team Taurus
Last Thursday, Team Taurus went skating at the Memorial Park Ice Rink. We had a blast and took lots of pictures of students of all skating abilities enjoying themselves on the ice. It was a great opportunity for some students to gain confidence in a new skill, while other students were able to demonstrate the skills that they had learned through their own hard work. Students enjoyed juice, muffins, and hot chocolate while at the rink.
Taurus Science- Students are finishing the unit studying matter. We have discovered the basic parts of matter.... ATOMS!, as well as what makes up atoms, what happens when different atoms combine, to name a few topics. In class, students are creating models of simple molecules and researching information about them. Our next unit of study will be energy.
Taurus Social Studies - Students are learning about what ordinary people have done to work for change in their communities in the lead-up to MLK Day. They will end the unit with a creative writing assignment.
In ELA, we are creeping toward the end of Module 2 in the EL curriculum, studying the history of epidemics and how/if epidemiology-based research models can track the development of social contagions. After February break, we will be transitioning to Module 3 and the Harlem Renaissance.
Equity and Social Justice
Equity & Social Justice: As part of our district-wide equity theme, “Voices of the People,” we focused on People of the Global Majority for January, which is a collective term for people of African, Asian, indigenous, Latin American, or mixed-heritage backgrounds, (roughly 85 percent of the global population). In Advisory, students have been working on a poster project where they learn about a Social Movement of the Global Majority, then share what they have learned with others through a poster. Some examples of movements or organizations that groups have chosen include SUSU CommUNITY Farm, The Root Social Justice Center, the Lavender Rights Project, Climate Justice Alliance, the Civil Rights Movement, Standing Rock & other Native/Indigenous Voices, Women Against Apartheid, and the Chicano Blowouts. The week of February 9-13, Advisories will get a chance to look at each other’s work, Gallery-Walk style.
Our focus for the month of February is Justicia Migrante or Migrant Justice, which refers to the fair treatment, protection of rights, and equitable opportunities for people who migrate, regardless of their legal status, nationality, or reason for migration. It encompasses the idea that migrants should be safeguarded from discrimination, exploitation, and exclusion, and that policies governing migration should be rooted in equity, compassion, and respect for human dignity.
Green Street School and Brooks Memorial Library Present Library Night- Wednesday, February 18th
Please click the link be
February Lunch Menu
Informational Night Regarding Title I
