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Ballenger Creek Middle School

December Newsletter

Ballenger CreekMiddle School December Newsletter

Message from Mr. Schill

Dear Ballenger Creek Middle Families,


I hope you had a good Thanksgiving break and that you and your loved ones are well. As I look back to last year at this time, in many ways--at least collectively--we are in a better place. Your students have transitioned well into our most normal school year of the last three. Our overall school attendance has improved, students are more engaged in classes, and the number of behavior incidents is lower than last year at this time. We can always do better, but we’re collectively headed in the right direction.


That being said, we are also aware that this year has been the most challenging of the last three years for some of our students and families. Please know that our thoughts are with you and that we’re here to help however we can. While the holidays can bring joy, they can also bring challenges and stress to all of us. With that in mind, here are some highlighted tips (from three articles linked below) to help us--parents and students--negotiate this time of year in the best way possible:


Do our best to cope with financial stress


  • Establish a budget and allocate a certain amount for each person for gifts.

  • Set realistic expectations for our family related to budget and gifts. Try the four-gift rule for each person: something you want, something you need, something to wear, and something to read.

  • Focus on experiences instead of material gifts. Take an outdoor hike or adventure, explore a new town or area of the county, watch a movie at home together with popcorn, cook together, or play a family game.


Strengthen social connections


  • Reach out to positive people in our lives. These relationships can help us directly and indirectly through all sorts of challenges.

  • Volunteer for a local charity--doing something kind for someone else increases serotonin and dopamine in our brains and makes us feel a greater sense of satisfaction and well-being.


Don’t overschedule ourselves


  • Trying to please everyone is a no-win situation.

  • Allow time and space for relaxation and exercise.

  • Prioritize the most important events and get rid of those that aren’t fun or seem to add stress, if at all possible.


Please reach out if we can do anything for you…and please stay healthy and have a great holiday season!


Sincerely,


Jay Schill

Principal, BCMS


Resources: Tips for Parents on Managing Holiday Stress; Seven Family Time & Learning Tips for the Holidays; Five Holiday Survival Tips Parents Need
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Parents of 8th grade students:

Soon after winter break, Tuscarora High School counselors will visit our 8th grade classes to discuss 9th grade registration and high school planning.

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Save the Date:

9th Grade Registration: Jan 18th. Time: TBD.

More information to come

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NEED COUNSELOR SUPPORT? ❤️

6th Grade: Mr. Ledyard: david.ledyard@fcps.org

7th Grade: Mr. Webber: johnny.webber@fcps.org

8th Grade: Ms. Reese: rebecca.reese@fcps.org

Urbana High School's IB program

8th graders who are applying for Urbana High School's IB program - please do not forget to let me know that you are applying so that we can send your transcript over to finalize your application. Thank you!


The deadline to apply is coming up - Monday, December 5th by 2:30PM. Check out the attached link for more information
Media Center & Technology Updates
Newsletter Highlights
The "Ballenger Creek Middle School: Pass" System
3D Printing Cookie Cutters with Mrs. Holland's Classes
Book Donation from The Frederick County Literacy Chapter
New Books!
Book Checkout Overview
Helpful Links

Community Budget Forum for Fiscal Year (FY) 2024

The public is invited to a Community Budget Forum for Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 from 6-7 p.m. Wednesday, November 30. The meeting will be in-person at the FCPS Board Room, 191 S. East St., Frederick. At this point in the budget process, Superintendent Dr. Cheryl L. Dyson is gathering feedback to prepare her recommended FY24 budget, which FCPS will share with the public Monday, January 9, 2023. FCPS is looking forward to community feedback November 30, which will help shape the superintendent's proposed budget.


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Want to Volunteer @ BCMS?

Parents and Guardians-we need you at BCMS!

We know that working together, we can offer tremendous support to your children. We are seeking volunteers to assist with the following tasks:

· Morning greeters

· Lunch monitors

· Copy helpers

In order to volunteer, you must complete district training (see link below) and training at the school specific to the task you've volunteered for. If you're interested, please contact Kathleen Rogers, BCMS community liaison, for more information: Kathleen.Rogers@fcps.org, 240-236-5773

Volunteer Registration and Training: https://fcps-volunteers.ezcommunicator.net/edu/fcps-volunteers/login_form.aspx?app=0

SERVICE PROJECT: SLEEP IN HEAVENLY PEACE

Looking for a way to give back to the community and obtain service hours? Consider participating in Sleep in Heavenly Peace. This non-profit organization builds beds for those less fortunate.

No specific skills required! Building the beds is an assembly line process. A waiver must be signed by the parent for their child(ren) to participate. Children as young as 8 years old may attend, with a parent present.

Location: 2553 Buckeystown Pike, Adamstown, MD 21710 Date: Saturday, December 10, 2022 Time: 9 am -1 pm.

If interested in attending, please email: Kathleen.rogers@fcps.org no later than November 30, 2022.

If a child needs a bed, we want to make sure they get one. No kid sleeps on the floor in our town!®" To learn more about this non-profit, go to www.SHPBEDS.org


Hello English Learner families,

As a reminder, please be checking your students’ grades on Schoology. You have the ability to access all grades online through a Schoology Parent Account. If you want more information about this, please contact Mrs. Beaucage. I can find your parent access code and provide you with videos to help get you started.


Talking Points is also a great way to communicate with teachers. It is a text message platform that automatically translates your message to English for the teacher and their response back to your home language. If you want help with this resource, contact Mrs. Beaucage.


Mrs. Beaucage

English Learner Teacher

mariah.beaucage@fcps.org

240-236-5722 (Please leave a message.)

ELA Department

6th Grade:

In class students are continuing to work on the Cycle 4 essential question, “How does a person overcome adversity?” Students recently read "Michaela DePrince: The War Orphan Who Became a Ballerina" by William Kramer. They are reading this story to understand the adverse situation Michaela DePrince faced and how she was able to overcome it.

7th Grade:

7th grade ELA will be starting our Civil Rights unit. We will be looking at influential individuals such as Jackie Robinson, Diane Nash, and John Lewis. We will be reading articles and speeches that highlight the values of the movement and what each of these people did to contribute to this significant time in history. Students will discuss and write about the Civil Rights unit and reflect on the impact it's still having on us today.

8th Grade:

Students in 8th Grade ELA are beginning Cycle 4. The Cycle 4 Unit Essential Question is “How do people create change?” Students will analyze historical texts and speeches from Frederick Douglass, Abraham Lincoln, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and focus on the connection between and impact of individuals, events and ideas.

BCMS PTSA member

Families, faculty and students: this is a great time to become a BCMS PTSA member. Yes, that’s right! Students are permitted to join the PTSA. The cost of a membership for parents is $10 but is only $5 for students. The PTSA’s Board of Directors typically meets on the 2nd Thursday of every month via Zoom at 6:30 PM. All PTSA members are welcome to attend these monthly meetings. Joining these meetings is a wonderful way to get involved with your child’s school. You may join the BCMS PTSA by going to https://bcms.memberhub.com/store

From the Grade Level Teams

The grade team teams hope that all BCMS families had a restful and enriching Thanksgiving break! As the midpoint of the school year approaches, we would like to share a few reminders:

  • Please make sure students are charging their Chromebook EVERY night.
  • As it gets colder, please remind your student to dress for the weather!
  • Please have students check Schoology and their grades daily.
  • If a student needs help with an assignment, please contact the appropriate teacher so they can sign them up for ELT.
  • More Tutoring Opportunities, If your student needs additional help at home, we also have the Tutor Me service which can connect your student with a live teacher at home. For more information, please refer to this Tutor Me Support Guide.
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School Picture Retakes:

Did you miss School picture day in November? Did you buy a package and did not like the turn out of the photos? Picture retake day is Tuesday, December 13, 2022. Please bring in the old photos if you are doing a retake. Any online orders will need to be processed online for a retake.

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Turkey Trot

Congratulations to the students of each grade level who won the Turkey Trot this year! Students walked, jogged, or ran the .75 miles course in honor of charities and community service. Students with the top times of each grade level went home with Turkey for the holidays.

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Winter Concerts


December 14, 2022- Instrumental Winter Concert 6 pm at BCMS


December 19, 2022 Winter Chorus Concert 6 pm at BCMS

Math Department

6th, 7th, and 8th grade math teachers will start making recommendations for next school year’s courses this month and next month. Teachers will be looking at students’ grades, i-Ready test scores, and class participation when making recommendations.

Students should be completing 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.

Enrichment Opportunities

The United States Army Medical Research and Development Command (USAMRDC) has partnered with Frederick County Public Libraries to bring you the STEM Mini Series. Each week there will be a new exciting science project to complete. A kit that comes with everything needed to complete the STEM activity at home will be available at the libraries listed below while supplies last. Be sure to check library hours when planning your kit pick-up.

  • C. Burr Artz Library

  • Thurmont Regional Library

  • Urbana Regional Library

  • Brunswick Branch Library

  • Walkersville Branch Library

  • Middletown Branch Library

  • Myersville Community Library

  • Edward F. Fry Memorial Library at Point of Rocks

  • Emmitsburg Library


Click HERE for a flier on the Mini Series. Just stop by any of the participating Frederick County libraries between November 28 and December 4 to pick up a free kit to complete the Egg Drop Design activity. The kits include a demonstration video and instruction sheet to follow. There are a limited number of kits at each library. There will be a new kit available every Monday between November 28 and December 23.


To learn more about library operating times please visit https://www.fcpl.org/branches-hours

To learn more about other STEM student opportunities hosted by USAMRDC please visit https://stem.health.mil/

Science Department

6th Grade: Next week students will begin investigating how variables such as mass and material affect heat transfer.


7th Grade: Students are currently learning about chemical and physical properties during the Chemistry Unit.


8th Grade: Students are still in the midst of learning about the differences in variation with sexual and asexual reproduction with a focus on meiosis and mitosis.


BCMS Spirit Wear

Did you know that BCMS Spirit Wear can be purchased all year? It’s true! Spirit wear makes great gifts for birthdays and holidays so we encourage you to keep us in mind. Promos run throughout the year and all orders over $50 receive free shipping. Spirit Wear can be purchased online at http://www.ballengercreekspiritwear.com

Referral Crisis Intervention

For Information & Referral Crisis Intervention 24/7 call 211.

1-866-411-6803. Help with linking callers to needed resources.

Are you struggling with the loss of a loved one? Do you have a child who is struggling also? It is not easy talking to a child about death and dying. If you need help please reach out to Frederick Health Hospice Bereavement Team, they are here to support you in any way possible. They offer 1 to 1 grief counseling, support groups, grief camps for children and adolescents. Call 241-566-3030 or visit FrederickHealthHospice.org.

History Department

Students in 6th Grade history are finishing their unit on Ancient Egypt and have begun the unit on ancient India. Students will learn about the geography, human settlement, culture and major achievements. Students will continue to analyze primary source documents and artifacts as well as continue to develop critical thinking skills.


Students in 7th Grade history are beginning Unit 4 on Medieval Asia. Over the next few weeks, students will learn about the medieval Chinese, Mongolian, and Japanese civilizations. Geography, government, culture, and major achievements and conflicts will be examined.


Students in 8th Grade History are finishing up Unit 3 which discusses the Early Presidents like George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and James Monroe. On Friday, December 9 the students will be taking a Unit Test on these presidents. There is a study guide and a review game that are posted on Schoology so the students can start studying. Following the Unit Test, we will begin diving into Unit 4 which covers Westward Expansion.

Meet some Teachers

Samuel Buppert: Graduated from Limestone University and NDMU. Grew up on a farm in Carroll County. I am married to my wife (Lisa) and have two dogs (Reed & Kona). I played college lacrosse at Limestone college for 4 years. I love going on hikes and camping outdoors.


Hello! My name is Ms. Highfill and I am starting my 6th year here at BCMS. I'm originally from Missouri and received my Bachelors and Masters degree from Missouri State University. I love teaching and can't imagine doing anything else. In my spare time I enjoy spending time with family, friends, and taking naps! I am looking forward to a great year!


Dominic Frampton is a 1st year PE & Health Teacher. He graduated from West Virginia University in 2019. As a former BCMS alumni (2008-2010) and THS Alumni (2011-2015) Mr. Frampton was a football and baseball player. Currently, he is a football coach and baseball coach at Tuscarora High School (6th Season). He loves playing and watching sports, video games, and TV shows!


My name is Ms. Dickson and I am an 8th grade Math and Algebra teacher at BCMS. I am a graduate of The Ohio State University and this will be my fourth year with BCMS! I have wanted to be a teacher since I was 5 years old and have always had a love for numbers. I enjoy working with middle school students because they have a lot of creativity and still have a desire to learn. I love watching all kinds of sports and being an amateur crafter. I enjoy interacting with your students everyday and I look forward to making it a great year!

To the Staff and Families of BCMS


Hello everyone! I know this has been a difficult year for everyone. We have all been hit by inflation and trying to get life back to our new normal and COVID seems to be hanging on. Things are difficult to say the least. As I stated before, I am here to try and help. So, with that being said, I will again be placing a “Giving Tree” in the front hallway to try and help families in need. Just like last year, those seeking some help will be kept anonymous.

Just like last year, you will reach out to your grade level Guidance Counselor and with an email that they will convert to a bulldog ticket and place it on the tree. If you have multiple children (different grades, not twins) then you reach out to me, Ms. Rogers. I am attaching a form for your usage to forward through an email or hand delivered by your student to myself or the Guidance Counselors.

Grade 6 Mr. Ledyard David.Ledyard@fcps.org

Grade 7 Mr. Webber Johnny.Webber@fcps.org

Grade 8 Ms. Reese Rebecca.Reese@fcps.org

Multiple student Ms. Rogers Kathleen.Rogers@fcps.org

Giving tree will be up for families beginning Tuesday, November 22, The tree will receive tags up to and including, Friday, December 9th. Families will need to pick up their items on Friday, December 16th to Wednesday, December 21st, 2:00pm.

I am hoping this will help reduce some stressors and let you enjoy your families.

Sincerely, Ms. Rogers

BCMS Community Liaison

240-236-5700 ext. 5773

Kathleen.rogers@fcps.org