Principal's Message
Dear Ballenger Creek Middle Families,
I hope that you and your loved ones are well. Since we’re in the month of Thanksgiving, it’s a pretty appropriate time to reflect a bit on gratitude. I feel compelled to acknowledge that none of us feel grateful all of the time, and there are times when it can be downright difficult to feel grateful. However, if we are purposeful in trying to practice gratitude, we are more likely to feel grateful about different aspects of our lives.
Among the most powerful and perspective-changing acts I have done so far in my life have been thanking people. Not just anyone, but those individuals who have helped shape me or put me on a better path. In my childhood and young adulthood, these people were certain coaches, teachers, close neighbors, and relatives who took the time to invest in me. In each case, I tracked the person down, wrote, then sent a letter or email to the person specifically thanking them for helping me and explaining what they did and what it meant to me. In every instance, I received benefits that I hadn’t expected: a sense of well-being, gratitude, and in some situations, closure.
One of those instances involved one of my teachers from high school. I wrote to him several years after I had started teaching and was able to also have a phone conversation with him, at the end of which, he said, “You made my day.” Unfortunately, he passed away suddenly a year or two after we reconnected. I sent a condolence note to his family, and to my surprise, about a month after his passing, I received a note from his sister:
Dear Jay:
Thank you for the lovely message you sent about my brother. I have shared it with our aunts and cousins. I found your paper in my brother's desk. Obviously, your contact with him was important to him as he didn't save much correspondence and had a tendency, which I share, to use the back side of paper for notes.
Your description of John as a teacher is a gift to those of us who did not know him in this capacity--and also shows your writing skills. He would have been proud of you.
Most sincerely,
Kathleen
I urge you to consider communicating your thanks to someone who has helped you--write that letter, email, or make that phone call. Involve your children in the process when appropriate. Teach them the value of practicing gratitude--you won’t regret it.
Please have a good month--and if you need assistance with any element of your child’s middle school experience, please reach out--we’re here to partner with you to benefit your children!
Take care,
Jay Schill
Principal, BCMS
6th Grade Updates
7th Grade Updates
It’s already November and the start of term two when it seems like only yesterday we were starting school in August. The 7th grade team would like to thank you for all that you have done to help your student through the first quarter of the year. As a reminder, please continue to check Schoology and have your student do the same. Please continue to remind your student of BCMS policies on phones and air pods, hats/hoods, and appropriate Chromebook use as well so that we can create the best possible learning environment for everyone. If your student feels they need help or additional time for work, remind them to ask their teachers to pull them during homebase time on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Thank you!
8th Grade Updates
It’s hard to believe we are already a quarter through the year! Thank you for all your help in supporting your student to be successful in Term 1. The eighth-grade team would like to remind you to check Schoology on a regular basis and remind your student to speak with their teachers if they need support with any assignments. Teachers can pull students during homebase times on Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays for help completing work.
Also, please remind your student to charge their Chromebook every night so it is ready for a full day of classes. Also, please continue to encourage your student to follow all BCMS policies as well the policies on phones, hats/hoods and rules for Chromebook usage during the school day.
Math Department
6th Grade: Module 2: Fractions, Decimals, and Percents
7th Grade: Module 2: Solve Percent Problems
8th Grade: Moving into Module 3: Solving Equations with Variables on Both Sides
Algebra: Moving into Module 3: Relations and Functions
Students should be completing weekly ALEKS topic goals in Math. Students should be checking their Math Schoology pages to see their specific weekly goal. Students can monitor their own progress by checking their topic reports in ALEKS. A step-by-step “how to” for checking their reports can be found here. For questions about ALEKS topic goals, please reach out to your student’s 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 student’s grade level math teacher
ELA Department
6th Grade: In ELA 6 we are finishing up our informational text cycle and heading into exploring folktales. We will be comparing and contrasting folktale short stories and how characters’ responses develop themes in these stories.
7th Grade: In 7th grade, we are about to begin curriculum cycle three. In cycle three, students will be exploring fictional texts and how characters' beliefs and values impact what they do. Students will explore the themes of several fictional texts, including an ancient Greek myth.
8th Grade: Students in 8th grade are currently working on the third instructional cycle. The unit essential question is “What can we learn from different generations?” Students are analyzing how the perspectives of individuals and characters drive how they respond to the world around them. Recently, 8th grade students completed a project where they compared their own experiences with those of someone from a different generation. As we look forward to Term 2, students are reminded that they should be working on their iReady Reading Lessons each week. Their goal is to pass 2 lessons each week. These lessons help to address skill gaps in vocabulary and comprehension. If you have questions about your 8th grader’s progress, please reach out to Mrs. Ashley Nuckols at ashley.nuckols@fcps.org or Mrs. Lyndsey Weller at lyndsey.weller@fcps.org.
Science Department
6th Grade: Students are working to plan an investigation to determine the relationships between energy transferred, the type of matter, mass and temperature.
7th Grade: Students are working to construct an argument supported by evidence for how increases in human population & per capita consumption of natural resources impact Earth's systems.
8th Grade: Students are working to construct an explanation based on evidence that describes how genetic variations of traits in a population increase some individuals’ probability of surviving and reproducing in a specific environment.
History Department
6th Grade: The students will be beginning their unit on Ancient Egypt. Students are investigating how geography was impacting civilization. Students are practicing how to use text evidence to support a thesis.
7th Grade: 7th grade is continuing Unit 2 which is focused on the Arabian Peninsula. Students will be learning about the expansion of its various empires as well as the “golden age,” which saw advancements in science, art and technology. Starting in November, students will start Unit 3, which focuses on Western Africa and its major medieval civilizations
8th Grade: 8th grade is beginning Unit 2 which focuses on the US government. The two summative assessments will be a graded discussion and Unit 2 test. Unit 3, which will start near the end of November, will focus on the first 5 presidents.
Special Education Department
The special education department thanks the families for attending conferences last month. Together we will make a difference. Please reach out to your student's case manager for any support that is needed.
The special education department contacts:
Elissa Grimm - 7th Grade Case Manager and Department Chair
Emily Pemrick - 6th Grade Case Manager
Rebecca Schimel - 6th Grade Case Manager
Athena Fream - 8th Grade Case Manager
Tyler Britt - 8th Grade Case Manager
Julie Kaufhold - School Psychologist
Noriko Cook - SEIA
Michele Shafer - SEIA
Shelley Sultana - SEIA
Nancy Suray - Program Assistant
Fine and Practical Arts
Getting to know our FPA staff:
Windy Schmidt has served at BCMS since 2015. Now in her 16th year of teaching, Mrs. Schmidt has taught high school and middle school in FCPS. Currently, Mrs. Schmidt teaches Theatre Arts, Band and Orchestra. When she is not at school, Mrs. Schmidt likes to read, paint, bake and create new recipes for her two children. Mrs. Schmidt graduated from Frostburg State University with an B.S. in Music Education, Nova Southern University with a Master’s in Curriculum and Instructional Technology, and McDaniel College with a certification in Administration Educational Leadership.
Paola Ocasio-Gonzalez, our former long-term substitute for Roxana Avalos, was recently hired full-time as our second World Language teacher. Ms. Ocasio-Gonzalez was recently hired full-time as our second World Language teacher. Ms. Ocasio-Gonzalez recently graduated from Hood College with a bachelor’s degree in Spanish & Iberian Cultures and will be completing her secondary education certification this spring. This is her third year teaching. As a lifelong learner, Ms. Ocasio-Gonzalez is eager to continue learning to teach both in and out of the classroom. In addition, some of her favorite things include the following: any and everything pink, koalas, chocolate, building Legos, and playing video games.
Don’t Forget:
Veterans’ Day Concert
November 8, 2023
6:00pm in the BCMS Cafetorium
Doors open at 5:45pm
Free to the Public
Please come out to support our students during their ensembles as well as honor all of those who have or are currently serving in the military.
English Language Learners
English learning support is provided by our two multilingual learner instructors, Ms. Webb and Ms. Birmanns.
You may contact them via their emails at:
We support our multilingual learners in specialized classes and in their regular content classes. Reach out if you have any questions or concerns.
The central FCPS International Office has multiple resources for our families. Check out: https://www.fcps.org/academics/mep
PTSA Reflections Contest
It's time for the 2023 Reflections contest! Does your student enjoy art, music and dance or have an interest in writing, photography or producing a short film? Then join us and have fun unleashing your inner artist! This year's theme is “I AM HOPEFUL BECAUSE...” and calls for your own unique interpretation through the arts.
Submissions are due Monday, December 11, 2023. The entry form and official rules can be found in the links below. Artwork AND entry forms can be submitted to the BCMS front office by the end of the day on December 11th. Please read the Official Rules for file formats and requirements for each category.
There will be prizes for the top 3 entries!
We look forward to celebrating your artistry and achievement in the arts! If you have any questions, please email Desiree Mortenson at dsm3us@yahoo.com.
https://frederickpta.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/General-Guidelines.pdf
BCMS Fundraisers
MOD PIZZA FUNDRAISER
We are excited to announce that BCMS Day at MOD Pizza (Westview) is happening on November 15th.
Ballenger Creek Middle School will receive 20% of fundraiser sales during this fundraiser. Participate on November 15, 2023, by ordering online using the code MODGIVES20 or by visiting this MOD location and showing this fundraiser flyer or mentioning the fundraiser at checkout.
- Fundraiser date: Nov 15, 2023
- Time period: All day
- Restaurant location: 5265 Buckeystown Pike, Frederick, MD 21704
Here is the link to the Facebook event: https://fb.me/e/1v9JiIXmj
“B - E.Z.” ANNUAL FUNDRAISER
The BCMS PTSA’s annual Fall Fundraiser is still underway. The PTSA needs your help to meet this year's goal of $2,500. This money includes $1500 for student field trips, $800 for year-end picnics for all 3 grades, $600 for various clubs at BCMS, and funds to provide lunch during Teacher Appreciation Week to the hard-working BCMS staff.
It’s E.Z. to donate! Just CLICK HERE. 100% of your donation goes straight to the PTSA budget and don’t forget that your donation is tax deductible. Thank you to our generous and amazing BCMS community! We can do this!
PARENT/GUARDIAN RESOURCES
BCMS Clothing Drive
- Please join us at Ballenger Creek Middle School on November 13th from 5:00pm to 7:00pm in our school cafeteria for our annual community clothing drive. There will be an array of clothing ranging in sizes from toddler to adult 5x. All clothing is free to anyone in our community.
- The clothing drive will include purses, shoes, dresses, suits, t-shirts, books, coats, etc. You never know what treasure you might find at our annual BCMS Clothing Drive.
- Please share this information with others who live in our community. The little ones can even shop for the adults in their lives. Stop by and take a look. You may bring your own bag for shopping or we will have extras available for you to use. All clothing drive items are FREE!
Community Food Banks
- Frederick Food Bank at Trinity (6040 New Design Rd.) will operate for food distribution from 2:00pm to 4:00pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays for residents seeking assistance.
- The food bank at 14 E. All Saints will continue to operate from 2:00pm to 4:00pm on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays and 6:00pm to 8:00pm on Mondays and Wednesdays.