The Mustang Minute

Greetings Mustang families!

It will be an exciting week ahead at both BES and BMS!

We will be celebrating Red Ribbon Week at both BES and BMS! At the middle school, students will learn more about the dangers of tobacco, alcohol, vaping and other drugs. We are excited to partner with the Walworth County Drug and Alcohol Coalition, who will be providing a virtual presentation for our students on these topics. BMS Students will engage in several activities to further explore these topics, and have the opportunity to participate in a fun contest to create a Red Ribbon rap, song, or poem. Students at BES will focus on making healthy choices in general. Both buildings will partake in daily dress up days and announcements highlighting the healthy choice focus for the day with age appropriate discussion points for learning extensions within classrooms.

Also, don't forget! Alongside our mental health service partners at PSG, we will be offering a Parent Presentation on Understanding the Effects of the Pandemic on our Children to all GCJ2 families this Wednesday evening, 5:30pm - 7:00pm at the BMS cafeteria. We hope to see you there!

Lastly, thank you again for your help in encouraging your students to dress appropriately for the weather.

Have a great rest of your weekend, Mustangs!

Mr. Braden and Mrs. Franz

• 1/24-1/28 - Red Ribbon Week
• 1/26 - PSG Parent Presentation, 5:30pm - 7:00pm
• 1/27 - Boys basketball HOME game VS Williams Bay
• 2/2 - Badger HS Counselors and Athletic Director visit 8th grade in AM
• 2/4 - Picture Day (optional)
• 2/4 - 8th graders Tour Badger HS
• 2/5 - Mustang Muffins, 9:00am - 10:30am @BMS
• 2/5 - Science on Saturday, 10:30am - 12:00pm @BMS
• 2/19 - Science on Saturday, 10:30am - 12:00pm @BMS

Students observed going above and beyond in being kind, being safe, and/or being responsible are issued “BE BROOKWOOD” tickets throughout their school week. Each week we randomly select students from this group and acknowledge them in our morning announcements and in the weekly MUSTANG MINUTE. This week’s drawing winners are:

Kindergarten: Addilyn, Ryan and Olli

1st: Logan, Lucy and Sawyer

2nd: Rylan, Colton, Rafael and Chris

3rd: Zoey, Lana, Brawley and Tyler

Congratulations to all of our BE BROOKWOOD ticket earners and keep up the great work!

We are proud to share the good news that 6th grade BMS student, Callie Coari, was recently given a HUGE honor by being chosen as a JDRF [Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation] Ambassador. JDRF is a nonprofit organization that funds type 1 diabetes research, provides community services to the Type-1 Diabetes population, and advocates for regulation favorable to medical research and approval of new and improved treatments.

Since diagnosed as a Type 1 diabetic, Callie has made it her mission not only to advocate for herself, but for others as well. Recently, she was chosen to join the prestigious JDRF Ambassador Program. Within this program, Callie will be featured in various advertising platforms to help spread awareness for JDRF and Type 1 diabetes.

Callie stated, "JDRF is an organization that is trying to find a cure for people like me. They do fundraisers and programs to raise money to find treatments and to support families that have Type 1 diabetics. Being an ambassador also lets you explain what Type 1 diabetes is and how it affects a person with it. I feel so lucky to be a part of this program. Hopefully my story will help others."

For those of you who don't know Callie personally, she is one of the toughest girls around. By definition, this girl IS "perseverance." On behalf of the entire BMS population, we are SO proud of you, Callie! Congratulations!

Parents: we encourage you all to try these ideas to encourage your child to practice reading skills at home:

Encourage Daily Reading
Research shows that reading every day helps children build reading comprehension, fluency, and vocabulary. Consider these suggestions for supporting your child with daily reading:

• Establish a Routine: Designate a specific time for your child to read a book at his or her level for at least 20 minutes every night. For example, set aside time for reading after dinner or before bedtime.
  

• Create a Comfortable Reading Environment: Use pillows, lamps, and comfortable furniture to set up a cozy reading area in your home. Read your own books there or read together to model good reading habits.
  

• Incorporate Fast Reads: Use magazines, newspapers, recipes, and road signs as reading opportunities. Incorporate quick reading whenever and wherever you and your child happen to be.
  

• Share Workplace Reading: Bring home materials and documents from your job. This will let your child see the relevance of reading in the workplace and the long-term importance of becoming a successful reader.
  

• Read and Ride: For children who find reading frustrating, audio books are a great alternative to help make reading more enjoyable. Listen to audiobooks while traveling by car so your child hears modeled fluent reading.
  

• Read and Chat: Discuss the books that your child is reading. Ask questions such as: What was your favorite part? Who were your favorite and least favorite characters? Can you think of another ending?
  
  

Make Reading Fun: Help your child choose books that are related to his or her interests—whether it’s sports, animals, dinosaurs, or something else. You can also make connections between what your child is reading and your child’s own experience. Read adventure books before you take a camping trip, dinosaur books before you visit a museum, and so on. This will help make reading (and learning) more exciting for your child.

Kindergarten students in Mrs. Renn's class have been working on writing. Students draw a detailed picture and add labels. Then, using patterns, students write sentences to tell more about their illustrations. Writers are learning to start each sentence with a capital letter, use finger spaces between words, and use end marks. It is a challenge to plan how many words will be in a sentence, say the words slowly to listen for many sounds, and decide appropriate letters to make our words. We are authors!

Our 8th-grade leadership students have been busy making no-sew blankets for Kisses From Keegan and Friends. The blankets, along with other snuggly comforts, will be part of the wagons that KFK has been taking to newly diagnosed cancer patients and their families at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin.

Saturday Morning Basketball begins Saturday, January 29th! Saturday Morning Basketball is open to our Mustangs in grades K-5th. Mustangs in kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grade will meet from 10a - 11a, and Mustangs in 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade will meet from 11a - 12p at BMS.

We’ve had a great registration response already! If you haven’t yet signed your child up, use the following link to do so: https://forms.gle/qix1ebEFER4J2EMt5. Please fill out a separate form for each student you are signing up. Be on the lookout for a follow-up email with information on how to order basketball t-shirts!

Girls & boys basketball team members in 8th grade: if you are interested in helping out with Saturday Morning Basketball, please email or talk to Coach Metcalf! This would be a great opportunity for you to give back and share your expertise with growing athletes.

If you have any questions, contact Jessica Metcalf (jessica.metcalf@gcj2.k12.wi.us).

Go Mustangs!

A new semester offers an opportunity for us as a staff to evaluate current systems we have in place and make adjustments for the betterment of our students. That being said, we will be restructuring the Academic Lab for Semester II. Here’s the nitty gritty:

• Academic Lab will be open on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, when school is in session.

• Students will begin their study time with one of their teachers, right after school in that teacher’s classroom.

• At 3:30pm, students will then report to the Academic Lab in the library. A team of Academic Lab teachers will continue to help students in working on the tasks of focus, as assigned by their teacher.

• Academic Lab teachers will also assist students with putting any unfinished assignments needing to be completed into their assignment notebooks, so that families are in the loop of tasks that still need attention at home.

• Academic Lab will end at 4:30pm. Students will not be allowed to leave early unless a parent needs to pick them up sooner.

• The Late Bus will continue to be offered as afternoon transportation home from the Academic Lab, and will depart promptly at 4:30pm. (Note: The Late Bus will also still be available on Tuesdays for students in athletics).

Families: We need your help in giving our students the attention they need and deserve. We hope that you will take full advantage of this resource when your student is in need of additional support.

Guth Games are BACK!!! For those not in the "know", Guth Games are fun exercise activities, sports, and games hosted by Personal Wellness teacher, Mr. Guth, in the gym during the colder months of the school year. This is a GREAT way to get students moving right away in the morning to kickstart their day!

WHEN: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, NOW until March 24th, 7:00 - 7:30am

WHERE: BMS GYM (enter building in FRONT doors)

WHO:

• Tuesdays: 4th & 5th Graders
• Wednesdays: 6th, 7th & 8th Graders
• Thursdays: 4th & 5th Graders

Questions? Contact Mr. Guth at: matt.guth@gcj2.k12.wi.us. Looking forward to seeing our BMS students there!