BAMS NEWSLETTER
A MESSAGE FROM PRINCIPAL LYMAN
Dear BAMS Families,
As we head into the final weeks of the school year, BAMS is buzzing with activity and excitement. From field trips and spring events to Move Up Day celebrations and end-of-year activities, there is a great deal happening across our school community. Please note that there will be no school on Monday, May 25th, in observance of Memorial Day. We appreciate all of the hard work and energy our students, staff, and families continue to bring as we finish the year strong together.
Our May 13th BAMS Spring Concert was phenomenal, and our students did an amazing job showcasing their talent and hard work. We are incredibly proud of all of our musicians and grateful to our music staff for their dedication in preparing students for such a wonderful performance.
Throughout the month, students have been participating in many engaging learning experiences and field trips. On May 5th, students in Chinese Culture traveled to Chinatown in Boston, Massachusetts with Ms. Gao. BEAMS Session 5 and our spring athletics season are also in full swing, keeping students active, connected, and involved after school.
We also extend our sincere appreciation to all of our teachers and staff as we celebrated Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week during the week of May 4th. The care, dedication, and commitment shown to our students each day do not go unnoticed. We are grateful for the hard work, support, and positive impact our faculty and staff make in the lives of students and families throughout the school year.
As we head into the final weeks of school, students have many exciting events to look forward to:
- May 26 – Team Draco 8th Grade Social Studies Museum Night
- May 27 – Team Leo 8th Grade Social Studies Museum Night
- May 28 – Team Draco field trip to Adventure Park in Storrs, Connecticut
- May 28 – Accelerated ELA trip to Keene State College
- June 3 & 4 – Team Taurus trips to the Vermont Museum of Natural History and the Ropes Course
- June 5 – Student Leadership’s “Dancing Through the Decades” Dance from 6:00–7:30 PM
June 15 – Team Canis field trip to Boston, Massachusetts
Please also note our final days of school:
- Wednesday, June 10th, will be the last full school day for 8th grade students, with dismissal at the regular time of 3:30 PM. 8th grade students will return in the evening for the Move Up celebration.
Wednesday, June 17th, will be the last day of school for 7th grade students, with an early release dismissal at 12:30 PM. We will celebrate the day with a school-wide Field Day before dismissal.
Thank you for your continued support throughout the school year. These final weeks are always filled with energy, celebration, and reflection, and we look forward to making many more memories together before summer begins.
Sincerely,
Mr.Lyman, Principal
ATTENTION INCOMING 7TH GRADE FAMILIES- WE NEED YOUR HELP!
If your student will be entering 7th grade at BAMS this fall and plans to ride the bus, please take a moment to complete the quick transportation questionnaire linked below. Even if your child currently rides the bus in 6th grade, this registration must still be completed for their transition to BAMS.
It is very important that we receive updated bus ridership information so your student can be added to transportation lists and avoid any delays or complications at the start of the school year.
We truly appreciate your time and cooperation in completing this information as soon as possible. Your prompt response helps us plan routes and ensure a smooth, safe, and efficient transportation process for all students. For questions, please contact Jennifer Miner at jminer@wsesdvt.org.
Complete the questionnaire here 2026-2027 Bus Registration
BAMS STUDENTS RECOGNIZED IN STATEWIDE HILDENE ESSAY COMPETITION
BAMS Winners pictured: Elsa Anders, top Row, on the left
Luca Mnookin, bottom row, on the right
Brattleboro Area Middle School proudly congratulates eighth-grade students Luca Mnookin and Elsa Anders from Ms. Earp’s social studies class for earning recognition in this year’s statewide Hildene Essay Competition
In honor of the upcoming 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, Hildene invited Vermont eighth graders to reflect on the document’s enduring significance and connect its principles to current events and their communities. Essays were limited to 500 words, and 147 submissions were received from students across the state.
Winners were selected from four Vermont regions, with first-, second-, and third-place awards presented in each region, along with several honorable mentions statewide. Award recipients received monetary prizes ranging from $300 to $500.
This year, BAMS had two students place in our region, an outstanding accomplishment and a reflection of the thoughtful, courageous, and meaningful work our students are capable of producing.
Luca Mnookin’s essay focused on access to medical care for transgender youth, while Elsa Anders explored issues surrounding ICE and immigration. Both essays thoughtfully connected modern issues to the ideals and principles found within the Declaration of Independence.
Luca and Elsa will be honored at a luncheon this weekend and each will receive a monetary award for their achievements.
We are incredibly proud of both students for their outstanding writing, critical thinking, and willingness to engage with important topics impacting our communities and nation. Congratulations to Luca and Elsa on this well-deserved recognition!
MS. PEGGY MAXFIELD RECEIVES PRESTIGIOUS VERMONT TEACHING EXCELLENCE AWARD
Brattleboro Area Middle School is proud to celebrate Peggy Maxfield for being named the recipient of the Angelo J. Dorta Teaching Excellence Award by the Vermont-NEA. This prestigious statewide honor recognizes outstanding educators who demonstrate excellence in teaching, leadership, advocacy, and dedication to students and their school communities.
Peggy was recognized for her more than three decades of service to education and the Brattleboro community as a longtime math teacher at BAMS and former president of the Windham Southeast Education Association. The award highlights her leadership, collaborative approach, and commitment to supporting both students and colleagues.
In the classroom, Peggy is known for making math accessible and engaging for all students while fostering a supportive learning environment where every student can succeed. Her dedication to education has also extended to leadership roles at the state level, where she has been recognized for her thoughtful decision-making, advocacy, and commitment to educators and students alike.
In addition to this statewide honor, Peggy was also named the 2025 Madalyn Moore Outstanding Employee of the Year for the Windham Southeast Supervisory Union (WSESU), further recognizing the tremendous impact she has made within our school district and community.
Peggy will now advance to the national NEA Awards for Teaching Excellence competition. We are incredibly proud of Peggy and grateful for the lasting impact she continues to make at BAMS and throughout our community.
SCOTT DAVENPORT RECOGNIZED
The Vermont Section of the American Society for Quality (VTASQ) has recognized Scott Davenport (Canis Major Social Studies) for his achievement in winning a Teaching America250 Award.
The VTASQ program recognizes K-12 teachers for excellence in the classroom each quarter. Our membership supports the pursuit of quality and excellence in their respective companies and believes teachers like Scott were enablers of their professional success.
We are very proud to have a teacher of Scott's caliber in our school system!
8th GRADE MOVE UP DAY INFORMATION
Brattleboro Area Middle School looks forward to celebrating our eighth-grade students during Move Up Day on Wednesday, June 10, at 6:00 PM on Natowich Field. In the event of inclement weather, the ceremony will be held in the BUHS gymnasium. Tickets are not required, and all family and friends are welcome to attend. Additional information for eighth-grade families can be found in the letter previously sent home. The letter is linked here.
The BAMS Move Up Day 2026 ceremony will also be livestreamed by Brattleboro Community Television. Families may watch online at brattleboro.tv or on YouTube at @BrattleboroCommunityTV. The event will also air locally on Comcast Channel 1079.
MORE BAMS STUDENT RECOGNITION
Several of Mr. Davenport's students entered the local Elks Essay on Americanism. Sylvester Mayer won the top award, followed by Evangeline Sullivan in second and Kyle Francis placing third! They all moved on to the state level and Kyle Francis won first in the state and Sylvester Mayer placed second!
L-R: Evangeline, Kyle, and Sylvester
L-R: Evangeline, Kyle, and Sylvester
NEWS FROM TEAM DRACO
In Math, Draco recently completed a unit on the Pythagorean Theorem and irrational numbers. Now we are in what might be our final unit of the year, Functions and Volume. Lately we’ve been reviewing information about proportions and linear relationships in graphs, tables, and equations. We’ve also learned that in order to be a function, there can only be one output for every input.
Draco is gearing up for the end of the year and some celebratory events, as well as, a peek into their next chapter as high schoolers. This spring 8th grade will get to tour BUHS and meet with some of the advisors, counselors, and will hear from a panel of current 9th graders. On May 28th Draco will visit The Adventure Park in CT for an end of the year field trip and team dinner.
In science students have been researching and creating posters for a gallery walk to “Meet the Greenhouse Gasses”. They have been learning about the Earth’s natural Greenhouse Effect, and how added Greenhouse Gases can raise the temperature of a system. Next, we’ll explore how the burning of fossil fuels contributes to global warming and the impacts of a changing climate on Earth’s weather systems and human populations.
DRACO social studies is prepping for their museum night (5/26/26) with projects based on the late industrial revolution era and the activism that took place alongside the massive economic growth of the time. Protests and conservation efforts, public education and mental health institution reforms, women’s suffrage, and abolitionism. It was a dynamic time.
NEWS FROM TEAM TAURUS
English- In our final EL module, students are exploring how plastic pollution affects both human and non-human life. After building background knowledge about the history of plastic production and waste, students began examining the issue through a more systemic lens, considering the roles of industry, policy, and infrastructure while making connections to environmental justice and the climate crisis.
Math- We are solving for unknown angles, using reasoning and equations to solve problems. We will be exploring surface area and volume of prisms and slicing solids.
Science- We have been studying Earth-Moon-Sun interactions, and how different phenomena occur on Earth as a result. Students will continue in our Astronomy unit learning how planetary size and distances compare.
In Social Studies we just finished a mini Unit about European Colonization in Asia, Africa, and the Americas. We will end the year with an investigation of the uses of natural resources in our world today.
BEAMS SUMMER CAMPS- REGISTRATION OPEN
BEAMS Summer Camps - Registration NOW OPEN: BEAMS is happy to be able to offer five weeks of themed summer programming to incoming seventh and eighth graders at BAMS!
All programs are offered at no cost to families. The Ropes Course mini sessions are full with a waiting list.
Questions? Please reach out to Nick Yialiades: 802-451-3588 / nyialiades@wsesdvt.org
2026 BAMS YEARBOOKS ARE ON SALE
Don’t miss out on this year’s memories! The 2026 BAMS Yearbooks are now on sale for $17.00 each. Checks should be made payable to BAMS.
If you have any questions, please contact Mr. Davenport at sdavenport@wsesdvt.org.