BMS Parent Newsletter

School safety is always an important part of the BMS educational setting. Blanco MS and Blanco ISD have partnered with Stay Alert to provide an avenue for students, parents, teachers, and community members to report issues related to school safety. If you are aware of an incident, situation, activity, etc. that needs to be reported to school officials, please utilize one of the Stay Alert program avenues to report it. Those reporting can choose to remain anonymous.

You can report:

online at www.stayalert.info

by email to report@stayalert.info

by text to 206-406-6485

by phone to 206-406-6485

BMS will release students at 1:00 on Friday, December 16. Parents can pick students up at that time. Buses will run shortly after that, when they arrive from the Elementary - which also releases at 1:00 PM. Classes will resume on WEDNESDAY, January 4, 2023 at 8 AM. The BMS Offices will be closed during that time as well but will open a day earlier, on Tuesday, January 3, 2023 at 8 AM. BMS wishes you and your family a very Merry Christmas and a Blessed Holiday Season.

The BMS Bands presented a fall concert on Tuesday, December 13. The 6th grade band got things off to a terrific start with their collection of holiday music. The 7th and 8th grade band followed that with a collection of several different songs including one they had only rehearsed 8 times. The result was amazing. Congratulations to the band for an awesome culmination of their hard work over the Fall Semester. Mr. Pranger is the BMS Band Director.

The Blanco MS One Act Play was recognized by the Blanco ISD Board of Trustees on Monday night. The OAP cast and crew competed in the District One Act Play Contest in Ingram Saturday, December 3. Blanco MS won FIRST PLACE for their performance of The Girl in the White Pinafore written by Jiggs Burgess. This was the second year in a row that the BMS OAP won the District Contest. Ms. Moncus is the Blanco OAP Director. Due to conflicts with basketball and other activities, some members were unable to attend the Board meeting. The entire Cast and Crew are below but some are not pictured due to the conflicts:

Stella Byrom - Honorable Mention All Star Cast

Emmalee Mendez

Sadie Walker - All Star Cast

Avery Flack

Summer Horton

CJ Kuzins

Cadence Delarosa - All Star Cast

Carlos Zarate - Honorable Mention All Star Cast

Elizabeth Snodgrass

Oliver Hayes

Hallelujah Hussing

Ethan Gonzales - All Star Cast

Kenley Ward

Salomah Macauley

Ella Tabor

Leyla Jaimes

Sofia Jimenez

Addilynn Stevenson

Chloe Herring

Ilina Lopez

The 7th Grade Science students are also studying plants and doing experiments on tropisms. Those are the reasons that plant roots grow down and the stems and leaves grow upward as well as why plants lean toward the sun, etc. Pictured below are some students with the experiments designed to test these tropisms. One is allowing light in at the bottom of a container to see if the plant stem and leaves will turn and grow toward the opening. The other is a plant that has been growing normally and now has been turned upside down and suspended from the ceiling. You can see it is already turning to grow back "up" instead of "down". Ms. Meier is the BMS 7th Grade Science teacher.

In order to practice for their future careers, Ms. Meier's College and Career Readiness students wrote help wanted ads for Santa. He will probably have several applicants for these positions!

This is a reminder that parent pick up after school is in the back of the MS campus. Parents should be entering the last BMS entrance and picking up students on the back side of the playground area. We have had students walking out to get in vehicles by the road recently. Once inside, the car now has to turn around in a pretty tight space and sometimes it takes multiple attempts to do so. With all of the vehicles lined up, buses entering and exiting, and the normal traffic on Rocky Road, this can create an unsafe situation. Please help us keep students safe and pick your child up in the back of the school where there is less traffic and less chance for an accident to happen. Thank you for your help.

The BMS Girls Basketball teams travelled to Florence on Monday, December 12. Both B teams won their games. The 7th and 8th Grade A team played hard but lost their games.

Season Records:

7A = 2-3

7B = 2-1

8A = 1-4

8B = 1-2

Combined B team = 1-0

The next game will be Thursday, January 5 at home against Brady.

The BMS Boys Basketball teams hosted Florence on Monday, December 12. The 7th Grade A, 7th Grade B, and 8th Grade B teams all won their games. The 8th Grade A teams lost their game by 5. The next game will be Thursday, January 5 at Brady.

Season Records:

7A - 2-2

7B - 2-2

8A - 0-4

8B - 4-0

BMS teachers, staff, and students provide shout outs to those who have gone above and beyond, provided help to another person, been a good citizen, accomplished a task/goal, won an athletic contest, participated in an activity or competition, or just need recognition for doing something nice, etc. These are our SHOUT OUTS for the week:

7th Grade Girls Basketball B Team for their win over Florence.

8th Grade Girls Basketball B Team for their win over Florence.

7th Grade Boys Basketball A Team for their win over Florence.

7th Grade Boys Basketball B Team for their win over Florence.

8th Grade Boys Basketball B Team for their win over Florence.

OAP for being recognized by the school board.

Ms. Hood and Zane for providing more treats for teachers and staff.

The BMS Band for an outstanding concert.

Blanco MS PTO for providing a lasagna lunch for staff members.

Blanco MS Student Council for providing pulled pork sandwiches for staff members.

Mr. Rosenbaum and the Blanco Board of Trustees for approving a retention payment to staff members -- and a special shout out to Board Member Joe Hernandez for distributing those to the staff.

Joe and Veronica Hernandez for hosting the BMS Christmas Party in their home.

If you have questions related to middle school, please contact the appropriate person at BMS:

Brad Kinney: Principal - brad.kinney@blancoisd.org

Sallie Lyons: Counselor - sallie.lyons@blancoisd.org

Cheryl Tesch: Registrar - cheryl.tesch@blancoisd.org

Paula Batey: Administrative Assistant - paula.batey@blancoisd.org

BMS Phone: 830-833-5570