April Newsletter
BCMS Community Newsletter
Message from Mr. Schill
Dear Ballenger Creek Middle Families,
I hope that you and all of your loved ones are well.
As all of you reading this probably know, just a day or two after our last newsletter was sent to you, we experienced an emergency evacuation here at Ballenger Creek Middle due to an irritant being released in a restroom by a student (on Friday, March 4th). This dangerous act negatively impacted all of our almost 800 students and families, as well as the nearly 100 employees who serve here at BCMS, many members of the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office and Frederick County Fire and Rescue, our central office staff, and the entire Ballenger Creek community--all from one, senseless act.
We continue to work diligently here at BCMS to ensure that such an incident doesn’t occur again. In addition, we always appreciate our partnership with you and we are grateful to all of you who already have had (or will have) conversations with your children about letting a trusted adult know right away if they see something or hear about something that could be dangerous or disruptive here at school. Just like the real world, we are safer when we are working together.
Speaking of safety and support, this week, April 4th - 8th, is National Assistant Principals Week. I am grateful to everyone who serves in this role, especially our three assistant principals here at Ballenger Creek Middle. Ms. Messmore, Mr. Everett, and Mr. McVay all do a great deal here at school to ensure students are safe, that they are supported, and that they receive a quality education. Just in the last week, here are some of the activities that I have observed our assistant principals doing:
Mentoring students
Supervising hallways and the cafeteria
Meeting/communicating with parents and students about behavior and grades
Completing classroom observations and meeting with teachers about instruction
Chairing IEP meetings for students who receive special education services
Serving food in the cafeteria to our students (because food services is short-staffed, this allows us to have two lunch lines open and for students to get food more quickly)
Directing traffic and ensuring student safety at arrival and dismissal
Covering classes until substitutes arrive in a classroom
Assisting students who are feeling ill or who have an injury
This is only a sampling of what assistant principals do. If you are so inspired, I would invite you to send a quick note to your student’s grade level AP to thank them for their efforts:
6th grade: Susan.Messmore@fcps.org
7th grade: Robert.Everett@fcps.org
8th grade: Matthew.Mcvay@fcps.org
May we all have a positive last term this year! As always, please let us know if there is anything we can do to help your child be more successful.
Take care, everyone--and please stay well.
Sincerely,
Jay Schill
Principal, BCMS
From the Grade Level Teams
As we head into Term 4 we have a few reminders from the 6th, 7th and 8th Graders:
Students need to bring fully charged Chromebook/laptop and charger to school everyday.
Cell phones & earbuds are to be powered off and put away from 7:30 am - 3:00 pm.
Students can request to be signed up for ELT. They just need to ask their teacher(s).
Frequently check grades & assignments in Schoology.
Encourage your child to message their teacher(s) through Schoology or speak to them in class if they have any questions about grades and/or assignments.
Please encourage students to bring a refillable water bottle to class so it can cut down on the number of trips out of the classroom.
Bathroom/ Water Fountain Pass
Term four students were all issued a new paper pass form during home base. When a student needs to leave class to use the restroom or to get water they will need to present their pass to the teacher/ staff member in their class. Students need to keep this pass in a safe place and bring it with them everyday to all classes.
Spring Play
Do not forget to save the date and a presale ticket!
How The West was Grimm!
May 6, 2022 @ 730 P.M.
May 7th at 2:30 P.M. and 7:30 P.M.
Go to School Cash https://FrederickCounty.schoolcashonline.com/Fee/Details/27577/82/False/True to donate! All donations goes towards building the set and program.
Tickets will be sold at the door only.
Year Book Sales
Yearbook Sale!!
Yearbook order forms will be heading home shortly! With starting prices of $20 for a soft cover and $25 for a hard cover, these books will be filled with great memories. A Find out First will be sent when the paper flyers come home.
Special Note: There will not be a chance to buy yearbooks after the delivery date. So please place the orders before the deadline. BCMS will not be given any extra copies this year. All sales end on April 9th!!! Go to ybpay.com and enter the school code: 4846922
Enrichment Opportunities
Summer 2022 Camps, Programs, and Experiences
Frederick Community College Youth Programs:
We are gearing up for a fun-filled summer at FCC! Our weeklong morning and afternoon program offerings include adventures in science, technology, culinary and creative arts, music, fitness, and so much more. Be sure to explore our new Summer Music Camps too. Learn more & register online:
https://frederick.augusoft.net//info/landing/youth-programsJHU Center for Talented Youth Summer 2022 Programming: https://cty.jhu.edu/programs/summer
Frederick YMCA Summer Camps:
https://frederickymca.org/campsFox Haven Learning Center, programs for children:
https://foxhavenfarm.org/field-trips/Frederick County Parks and Recreation - Guide to Summer 2022:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wyRdNqNd0UoYCcMuP2IzuwKHDfqHwPW6/view?usp=sharing
If you have any questions about enrichment programming or need help with registering for any of the summer programming above, please contact:
Christine.Brown@fcps.org
Advanced Academics Specialist
Ballenger Creek Middle School
240-236-5760
Community Liaison and News
BALLENGER CREEK MIDDLE SCHOOL Community Clothing Giveaway and Raffle
WHEN: April 11, 2022 5:30-7:30pm
WHERE: 5525 Ballenger Creek Pike 21703
Come join us for a fun filled night of shopping (FOR FREE)! And get your name placed in our raffle for receiving a ham and a $25 gift card.
Drawing will be after the event and a call will be placed to you the next day if you are the lucky winner. We hope to see you and your family and friends.
We will have: clothing (coats dresses etc.) shoes, hats, scarves, toys, Books, games, jewelry.
We have everything from baby items to adult 4/5 XL. Come on down and see what we might have for you.
Any questions please contact
Kathleen Rogers
Community Liaison BCMS
Phone : 240-236-5700 ext. 5773
Bingo
BINGO join us for some fun and laughter. APRIL 6, 2022
6:30-8pm doors open at 6pm Free to play, prizes for each game
Slices of Pizza and snacks to purchase.
OPEN TO STUDENTS, STAFF AND FAMILIES
Music Department
Congratulations to the Music Department on their recent performances at County Adjudications. The Band and Orchestra earn a rating of Good thus bringing home above an 80% average for each ensemble. The choir earned a rating of Superior thus bringing home above a 90% average. The students have come so far this year as we keep working on playing live music for the first time in such a long long time
Our last performances will be hosted here at BCMS. We hope to see you there.
May 18th at 6 pm Instrumental Spring Concert
May 25th at 6 pm Spring Choral Concert
PTSA News
Hello BCMS Community!
Will YOU step up? The PTSA needs a TREASURER in order to stay active for 2022-2023. Training will be provided! Parent or Teacher can volunteer.
Volunteering on the PTSA is a great way to be involved with your child and their education!
The Ballenger Creek Middle School PTSA is seeking volunteers to fill the following vacancies on the PTSA’s Board of Directors for the 2022-2023 school year.
Executive Board
· Vice President – Act as aide to President
· Treasurer – Have custody of all PTSA funds, manage accurate accounts, maintain state and federal filings
· Secretary – Record and disseminate meeting minutes
Committee Chairs
· Membership – Generate and manages PTSA memberships
· Fundraising – Oversees and manages fundraising events
· Social Media – Oversees the posting of announcements on the PTSA’s social media platforms
· Reflections – Oversees the annual PTA Reflections contest
Officers will be elected this May and their terms will take effect July 1st. Parents and staff alike are welcome to serve on the Board. The only stipulation is that you must be a PTSA member during the 2022-2023 school year to serve on the Board of Directors.
Please contact the BCMS PTSA at ballengercreekms.ptsa@gmail.com for more information.
For more information visit the PTSA’s WEBSITE
Follow us on FACEBOOK
Thank You!
Media Center and Technology
Wondering What is Happening in the Media Center?
March book displays honored Women’s History month and continued to feature mystery books around the theme of luck.
2 new 3D printers were added to the Media Center and some new prints with movable parts were tested.
We began collecting picture frames for the “Mover, Shakers, & Difference Makers” wall and put up our first bubbles for inspirational quotes.
Scar, the Library Dragon has continued his job of representing reptiles, sparking conversations, and overseeing daily library activities.
In April we will be highlighting National Poetry Month, National School Library Month, Autism Awareness Month, and Arab Heritage Month.
Year end book collection will begin in May. Final book checkouts will be May 20th and all books will be due back to the library by May 27th.
Find out More By Following Us on Social Media:
Schoology: See Mrs. Lungociu for the code.
Instagram: BCMSMediaFCPS
Twitter: @BCMSMediaFCPS
Facebook: Coming Soon
Overdue Books: Attention students and families, we have a large number of overdue books out at this time. Please locate and return overdue books as soon as possible. If you have any questions please email Mrs. Lungociu at jennifer.lungociu@fcps.org.
Book Checkout:
Students in each grade level have the opportunity to come to the Media Center to check out books on their assigned days during ELA.
Monday - 8th Grade
Wednesday - 6th Grade
Friday - 7th Grade
Books are checked out for 3 weeks at a time and can be returned to the blue bins in the ELA classrooms.
Technology Reminders:
Students are responsible for their assigned devices and chargers.
Students are required to keep their devices in their case at all times.
Damage to an FCPS device or charger will incur fees for repair.
Lost devices, cases, and chargers will result in a fee.
Any fees for repairs will be issued and paid through School Cash Online.
Technology Tips:
Do not slam lids closed as this will break the screen!
Do not store items in your Chromebook or case.
Close your Chromebook while charging to ensure a full charger.
Science Department
6th Grade: Students finish the last standard in the Extreme Planet Unit. During this time students will analyze and interpret data on natural hazards. Specifically we will look at hurricanes and tornadoes and identify what technology is used to mitigate the effects.
7th Grade: The beginning of April will focus on the rock cycle before moving on to plate tectonics.
8th Grade: Students will begin Term 4 with Newton’s Laws. Students will design investigations to determine how motion is affected by force and mass.
ELA Department
6th Grade: In 6th grade ELA, students will be comparing and contrasting how authors develop the theme of two texts through the character interactions, point of view/perspective, and author’s word choice. We will also delve deeper into character flaws and weaknesses through discussion and writing analysis of the fictional stories we read. We will begin the term by reading and analyzing two Greek myths; “Theseus and the Minotaur” paired with “Chiron, The Wisest Centaur” and finish our fictional unit with two short stories; “Wolf” by Albert Payson Terhune and “That Spot” by Jack London.
7th Grade: In 7th grade ELA, students are currently studying science fiction texts and asking the question “What makes people follow the crowd?” We have seen this question play out in the story “All Summer in a Day” by Ray Bradbury and the teleplay “The Monsters are Due on Maple Street.” Students have also learned about the concept of herd behavior as an explanation of why people tend to follow the crowd and have studied the events of the Cold War, which had a major influence on science fiction. Next, students will be writing about how the fictional stories reflect the real-life events and concepts in the nonfiction texts that we studied. After that, as we enter April (poetry month), students will have the opportunity to read and create poetry and examine poems to see how authors create the themes of their texts.
8th Grade: Students in Ms. Jackson’s ELA classes are watching "The Diary of Anne Frank" the play to analyze dialogue, characters' perspective and Anne Frank's point of view on being a young teen living in the Secret Annex. After watching the movie students are going to answer the cycle 6 question, “How do people overcome adversity?” based on Anne Frank’s experience.
Students in Mrs. Weller’s ELA classes just finished their mini-novel unit, reading “Refugee” by Alan Gratz. They were able to compare and contrast the characters’ experiences and work to analyze the unit question of “How do people overcome adversity?”. As we move into the start of Term 4, students will work to analyze how perspectives influence interactions and reactions between characters in various literary texts. We will also wrap up our 2nd Annual BCMS Poetry March Madness Tournament. Stay tuned to see who is crowned the champion in this year’s competition!
Math Department
Students have weekly ALEKS topic goals in Math. Students should be checking their Math schoology pages to see what their specific weekly goal is. Students can monitor their own progress by checking their topic reports in ALEKS, a step-by-step how to for this can be found here. Students can make up missed topics by completing extra in the next week. ALEKS topic goals have the same mid-term/end of term due date as other class assignments. For questions about ALEKS topic goals - please reach out to your grade level Math teacher; our school Math specialist, Ms. Boyer (Laura.Boyer@fcps.org); or our school Math department chair, Ms. Dickson (Ashley.Dickson@fcps.org).
Students should be checking their grade reports on schoology weekly to see updates regarding missing/re-do work. If there are any questions regarding student grades, please reach out to your grade level Math teacher.
Social Studies Department
6th Grade- Sixth graders recently have begun examining the world of Ancient Greece. Students will look at early Greek settlements and how Greek mythology not only entertains us, but also gives us a history lesson. The rise of city-states and the differences between them will be compared. This will include the ultimate rivalry between Athens and Sparta! Great minds of Greek history and philosophy will be explored including Alexander the Great, Aristotle, and Plato. Additionally, the different Greek governments will be examined and compared to modern governments. The Ancient Greece Unit will serve as a huge building block for later exploring Rome and then transitioning to the Seventh-Grade curriculum.
7th Grade- For Term 4, students will be completing their 7th unit of medieval world history which will focus on the Enlightenment as well as lasting impacts of the Renaissance on the world. Afterwards, students will begin the final section of the course, which will look at native American societies in North America along with European colonization of the land, leading to the creation of the 13 colonies of the future United States of America.
8th Grade- As we're heading into Term 4, we will continue learning about the Civil War and Reconstruction. This unit focuses on the military conflict between the Union and Confederacy and the impact it had on the United States. We will also examine society's efforts to resolve deep political, economic, and social divisions and efforts to rebuild society after conflict are met with both acceptance and resistance. The students should also expect to complete one more DBQ (Document Based Question) before the year is up. Hopefully, this DBQ will be their best one yet and we will see tremendous growth in their writing!
Special Education Department
It is the time of year, when many IEP meetings are being held or attended. It is hard to believe we are heading into the fourth term. Here are important dates to add to your calendar
April 7tth report cards issued
April 14th-22 spring break
May 4th Mid Term
May 16th Interims issued
If you have any questions or need help, please reach out to your child’s case manager.
Guidance Department
NEED COUNSELOR SUPPORT? ❤️
Use your grade level counseling page on Schoology and select "Student Support Request Form." Your grade level counselor will speak with you as soon as possible.
Mr. Webber: johnny.webber@fcps.org
Ms. Reese: rebecca.reese@fcps.org
Mr. Ledyard: david.ledyard@fcps.org
Summer Reading Clinic
Hood College Invites You To Summer Reading Clinic
Who: Middle School and High School Students
What: Highly qualified, personalized, individual tutoring for reading, writing, and study skills that will strengthen comprehension and organization.
When: Session 1: July 5-19 (9 tutoring sessions)
or
Session 2: July 21-August 4 (9 tutoring sessions)
Times: 9:30-11:30 am Mondays-Thursdays (no tutoring held on
Fridays)
Where: Meet with your tutor daily via Zoom
Tutoring sessions will be with a certified teacher. Teachers are candidates in the Hood College Masters of Reading Specialization graduate program. They are highly trained to provide appropriate, explicit instruction and feedback.
All tutoring sessions are free of charge.
*If interested, please contact Colleen Roux at Colleen_M_Roux@mcpsmd.org to register by May 15, 2022
Dear Families,
This summer, Hood College will be holding their annual Summer Reading Clinic. This year the reading clinic will be virtual and free to all participating students. This is a great opportunity for your child to receive personalized learning and tutoring with a certified teacher. Teachers are candidates in the Hood College Master of Reading Specialization graduate program. They are highly trained to provide appropriate, explicit instruction and feedback.
This clinic will be held via Zoom and some sessions will be recorded using Hood’s secure Learning Management System. Recordings will be shared with professors for feedback on teaching. The sessions will be two hours long, and there will be no sessions on Fridays. The clinic will be held from July 5-August 4, 9:30-11:30. We would love for your child to join us in this exciting learning opportunity this summer!
In order to enroll your child in the Summer Reading Clinic, we will need your signature along with a signature for permission to record using Zoom.
❏ I give permission for my child to participate in the Summer Reading Clinic program.
❏ I give permission for my child to be recorded via Zoom.
X___________________________________________________________________________________________ Parent/Guardian signature
Hood College • 401 Rosemont Avenue • Frederick, MD 21701-8575
Tel: (301) 663-3131 • www.hood.edu
Community Resources
FCPS Meals to Go
Please use this link with up-to-date information : https://www.fcpsnutrition.com/
Frederick Community Action Agency, George L. Shields Foodbank
Phone: 301-600-1506
14 E. All Saints St. Frederick, MD 21701
Food Bank: Mon thru Friday 2:00 - 4:00 pm Call for Appointment
Soup Kitchen: daily 5:30 - 6:30 pm.
Carry-out only. Can deliver food to family if a family member has Covid-19.
Frederick Rescue Mission
Phone: 301-695-6633
419 South St. Frederick, MD 21701
Food Pantry: Bring Photo ID Tue and Wed 1:30 - 3:30 pm and Thu 2:00 - 6:00 pm.
Food Pantry Closed Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays.
Mental Health Association of Frederick County
Phone: 301-663-0011
226 South Jefferson St. Frederick, MD
Crisis walk in Mental health services.
Local Resource Guide-https://sites.google.com/view/covid19frederick/home
Student Homelessness Initiative Program (SHIP)Phone: 240-415-8971
Email: info@shipfrederick.comProvides hygiene, clothing, shoes, youth activities and experiences, and emergency shelter for Homeless Students in Frederick County. Please email info@shipfrederick.com
Frederick Community Action Agency
Phone: 301-600-1506 or 301-600-3955
http://www.cityoffrederickmd.gov/183/Frederick-Community-Action-Agency
Frederick County Department of Social Services
Phone: 301-600-4555
Homeless Prevention Program - if eleigible could help pay rent to prevent eviction
Call 301-909-6362
Religious Coalition for Emergency Human Needs
Phone: 301-631-2670
Phone: 240-446-9649
https://www.thereligiouscoalition.org/Help with eviction assistance not due to Covid-19, Security Deposits, Energy Assistance Program, Emergency Family Shelter
Crisis Services
Dial 211
