6th Grade's Peek of the Week

Week of August 6, 2018

Open House Information

It was sooo exciting to see all of our rising 6th graders and their families at open house. We can't wait to see all of our BCMS scholars on August 6th! Your student should have received a manilla packet that contains many forms that need to be completed, signed, and returned as soon as possible! We would like to be 100% turned in by Friday, August 10th. All manilla envelopes with completed forms should be turned in to your student's homeroom teacher.

6th Grade Supplies

Our 6th grade supply list is below. The list shows approximate amounts for the entire school year.

Bell Schedule

The bell schedule is school wide. All scholars will follow this schedule.

Meet the Teachers

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Math- Mrs. Miller and Mrs. Lee

Mrs. Miller:

Mrs. Brandi Miller earned her Bachelor of Science in Middle Grades Education from Georgia College & State University. In addition, she was named “The Most Outstanding Middle Grades Student” in her class. In 2015, she earned her Gifted Endorsement from RESA and currently teaches Advanced Content and General Education students. She is currently beginning her seventh year teaching, where five have been at Bryan County Middle School. Outside of school, Mrs. Miller enjoys spending time with her husband and family at Georgia Southern football and baseball games, going to the movies with friends, and fishing at the pond. Barney Fife, her Siamese cat, keeps her on her toes as he is very energetic.

Please do not hesitate to contact Mrs. Miller for any questions that may arise throughout the year.

Mrs. Lee:

Kristin Lee is a Double Eagle graduate from Georgia Southern. Kristin most recently earned her Masters of Arts in Teaching Middle Grades from Georgia Southern University. Kristin is starting her fifth year teaching sixth grade math at Bryan County Middle School. Kristin is married and has two sons, JT (11) and James (9). Kristin and her family enjoy sports and are avid Georgia Southern Eagle fans! Kristin also has two Boxer dogs, Mater and Hali, who keep her on her toes.

Please do not hesitate to contact Mrs. Lee for any questions that may arise throughout the year.

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English Language Arts- Mrs. Simpson and Ms. Youngblood

Ms. Youngblood:

Ashley Youngblood is one of the newest additions to Bryan County Middle School. This will mark Ms. Youngblood’s third year teaching middle grades English/Language Arts. In 2012, she earned a Bachelor of Science in Middle Grades Education from Georgia College. In the fall of 2016, she completed her Master of Education in Instructional Technology from Georgia Southern University where she represented GSU's College of Education as a Graduate Ambassador. When she is not teaching, she enjoys hanging out with her rescue pup, Chance, traveling and coaching all star cheerleading at a local gym.

Please do not hesitate to contact Ms. Youngblood for any questions that may arise throughout the year.

Mrs. Simpson:

Gretchen Simpson is starting her 18th year as a teacher--16 of them with 6th grade! She has come to Bryan County Middle School by way of Savannah, and Florida, and Indiana, where she had earned (a loooong time ago) a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Indiana University (Go Hoosiers!). Along the way she has picked up a middle grades endorsement and gifted certification. Not only will Mrs. Simpson be present in the minion lair, but you will also find her on the softball field as assistant coach for the the Lady Skins middle school softball team, and in the spring, out on the soccer field with the girls’ high school team where she will serve as head coach. It is not unusual to find Mrs. Simpson recording to produce audio books, playing games on her phone, reading young adult novels, or sporting black and yellow and waving a Terrible Towel. Mrs. Simpson and her husband have two “children:” Basil and Lilly. Their favorite activities include chasing squirrels, eating treats, and good belly rubs!

Please do not hesitate to contact Mrs. Simpson for any questions that may arise throughout the year.

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Science- Mrs. Fortner and Mrs. Simmons

Mrs. Fortner:

Mrs. Hailey Fortner earned her Bachelor of Science in Middle Grades Education from Georgia Southern University. In addition, she was named the 2017 “Marti Schriver Recipient” for being the top student in her graduating class. She is currently beginning her second year teaching Earth Science at Bryan County Middle School. Outside of school, Mrs. Fortner enjoys spending time with her husband and family in Ellabell, GA where she is currently renovating her house and preparing for her first child. Her dog, Miller, enjoys hiking and camping with her in her free time.

Please do not hesitate to contact Mrs. Fortner for any questions that may arise throughout the year.

Mrs. Simmons:

Mrs. Simmons is a graduate of South Georgia College (Associate of Science) and Georgia Southern University (Bachelor's and Masters of Science in Middle Grades Education). Mrs. Simmons has taught for twenty-five years in Bryan County, where all have been at Bryan County Elementary School and Bryan County MIddle School. She was named Bryan County Elementary School Teacher of the Year in 2002 and the Bryan County Schools District's Teacher of the Year in 2002-2003. Mrs. Simmons enjoys reading, cooking and crafting-- especially making various types of wreaths. She loves watching old TV programs during the summers like Matlock, The Andy Griffith Show, and Magnum P.I. Mrs. Simmons enjoys refinishing antique furniture with her husband. Her two children love to play board games on Family Night with their favorite being Monopoly! Two labrador/retriever mix dogs and one bunny rabbit complete her family. Mrs. Simmons loves chocolate so much she believes it should be considered a vegetable because it originates from a plant, right? She also will express her strong dislike of spiders when they make their presence known.

Please do not hesitate to contact Mrs. Simmons for any questions that may arise throughout the year.

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Social Studies- Ms. Swindell and Mr. Collins

Ms. Swindell:

Kerry Swindell is a Georgia Southern University graduate with a Bachelor degree in Child and Family Development and a Bachelor degree in Middle Grades Education (Math and Social Studies). She also has a Masters degree in Mathematics. Outside of school Ms. Swindell loves to travel the world. She enjoys learning about new cultures and how people live. Ms. Swindell is very excited about the new school year.

Please do not hesitate to contact Ms. Swindell for any questions that may arise throughout the year.

Mr. Collins:

Duran Collins is excited to begin his 1st year teaching at BCMS, but this will be his 7th year teaching in all. A graduate of Georgia Southern University in 2012, with a Bachelor’s degree in Middle grades education for Math, Social Studies, and Physical Education. Mr. Collins can be found after school on the football with the Bryan County High football team. He hopes to see you in the stands Friday nights screaming for the Redskins.

When Mr. Collins isn’t teaching or coaching he enjoys spending time with his family, wife and three kids. He enjoys watching sports in general, but primarily baseball and football. GO GATORS! Yes, you heard correctly. Mr. Collins is a HUGE fan of the Florida Gators.

Please do not hesitate to contact Mr. Collins through email anytime, he will usually respond within one hour during school hours, and before 9 pm on weekends. He is hoping the students are as excited as he is to begin this school year.

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Exceptional Services Team- Ms. Beasley and Mrs. Harvey

Ms. Beasley:

Sunny Beasley is a Bryan County Alumni that is excited to begin her 5th year teaching, all of them at BCMS. Ms. Beasley obtained her Bachelor’s in Early Childhood Education from University of Phoenix. Shortly after, she became certified to teach Middle School Math and Science. She obtained her Master’s in Special Education from Northcentral University. After school, Ms. Beasley can be found coaching the Heart and Soul team, which is our girl’s running club. Outside of BCMS, Ms. Beasley’s two human children, Hunter (16) and Abigail (10), and doggie children, Jep (4) and Jaxson (7 months) keep her very busy. When she has time, Ms. Beasley LOVES to swing in her hammock and read books!

Please do not hesitate to contact Ms. Beasley for any questions that may arise throughout the year. She looks forward to working with your sweet babies!!

Mrs. Harvey:

Misty Harvey is a Bryan County Alumni that is excited to begin her 2nd year of teaching at BCMS. Mrs. Harvey obtained her Bachelor’s in Business Management from Georgia Southern University and is currently working on her Master’s in Special Education at University of West Georgia. Outside of BCMS, Mrs. Harvey’s has three children, Carson (15), Roland (13) and Elizabeth (10). They keep her very busy. When she has time, Mrs. Harvey loves to read and scuba dive.

Please do not hesitate to contact Mrs. Harvey for any questions that may arise throughout the year.

What's Happening This Week

Math: Students will begin the week discussing school and classroom expectations. Students will learn what the term ratio is and how it connects past concepts. They will learn to use multiple forms of ratio language and ratio notation, and formalize understanding of equivalent ratios. Students will apply reasoning when solving collections of ratio problems in real world contexts using various tools (e.g., tape diagrams, double number line diagrams, tables, equations and graphs).

English Language Arts: Students will learn procedures and expectations as a BCMSl student. They will also be introduced to the new curriculum, Read 180 and System 44.

Science: Science will begin the week discussing school and classroom expectations. We will then go into team building exercises with the students and their new classmates. At the end of the week, students will be administered a beginning of the year Interim Assessment that will show the teachers the students strong points and misconceptions over Earth Science.

*** Science needs "non-sugary" gummy worms for lab this Wednesday.

Social Studies: Students will begin the year reviewing and learning Geography skills. Some important terms student will see are the following; Latitude, Longitude, Equator, Prime Meridian, Hemisphere, Location, and the Continents of the Earth. Students will also be introduced to the concepts and recurring themes that play a major role in the 6th grade curriculum. Terms include but not limited to, Location, Migration and movement, Environmental interaction, Conflict and change, and several more. The first major unit of the 6th grade Social Studies Curriculum will be Europe.