Bronco Bulletin

The weekly widely read Bronco Bulletin is your source for all the goings-on at Brownell Middle School. It is distributed digitally every Friday throughout the school year. We're most fortunate to have a spectacular team of educators, supportive and loving families, as well as, the best adolescent learners around. Thank you for taking the time to read this newsletter. We appreciate your feedback, thoughts, and of course, letting us know if there's a mistake.

Students and staff wore jerseys today to prepare for Grosse Pointe's annual "Game."

Tonight is the B1G Game -- GP North vs. GP South -- 7pm at North High School

Friday, October 30th is a half day of school -- the school day begins at its regularly scheduled time 8:15am and concludes at 11:28am. Students will attend all 6 class periods in an expeditated manner.

This day also marks a long standing tradition of being known as "Clash Day." The Student LyFE Club at Brownell sponsors events throughout the school year such as todays Jersey Day, and later in the year Crazy Sock Day, Hat Day, Star Wars Day, Red-White-Blue Day, and many, many more.

The "Clash Day" Theme is intended for students and staff to dress in a creative, yet "clashy" manner. For example students can wear clothing that is opposite i.e. plaids and polka dots or alternate sports gear i.e. Ohio State & UofM. Students may wear hats on all dress up events such as this. The intent of this event is to be "clashy" -- it is not to wear costumes -- save the costume for evening festivities.

Dear Parents and Guardians,

It's hard to believe we are almost at the end of the quarter! Before we know it, it'll be the holidays and the start of the second semester. It has been a busy and productive time for us. Here are some highlights of what we have been up to and what is ahead.

At the beginning of September, we hosted a new student lunch with WEB students. The students new to the building connected with other new students and asked questions. It ended up being a very successful event, and the students seemed to enjoy it.

In the middle of September, we gave a presentation to the 5th graders to introduce our role and share the various services we provide. We have since started individual meetings with the 5th graders, and we have been enjoying getting to know them. The 5th graders have done a wonderful job adjusting to middle school so far.

We have also been working with 6th and 7th graders on Naviance, which is a college and career readiness program that helps students discover their strengths and interests. The program assists students with academic, career, and college planning and is completed online. Specific lessons related to the Naviance program will be featured each year throughout middle school and high school. The 8th-grade students will be done sometime in November.

The Brownell Zen Den is also officially open! The Zen Den is a special space where students can come down if they need a break or a quiet area to decompress. It is located in the main office. We look forward to providing this space to students again this year. If you have any additional questions, please reach out to your student's respective counselor.

Finally, we will be running a TRAILS group (Transforming Research into Action to Improve the Lives of Students) next month. This group is a skills-based group designed to teach students effective coping skills and strategies that can help reduce stress, as well as anxious and depressive symptoms, such as social isolation, worried thoughts, poor sleep, decreased energy, and avoidance behaviors.

TRAILS runs during the school day on Tuesdays for one class period. We stagger the time each week so that your student does not miss the same class each week. We are looking specifically at 6th grade students. If you are interested in having your student participate, please contact your student’s counselor. We have also put the website below for more information.

TRAILStoWellness.org

We will continue to provide information through this article, but if you have any questions, please reach out to us. We would love to hear from you!

Mrs. Oderfer and Dr. Macey

Monday, October 26th - Assembly Bell Schedule

• 9am Start - 8:50am Entry Bell
• 12:59pm - ALL STUDENTS REPORT to A-Team Classroom
• 3:13pm Dismissal

Tuesday, October 27th to Thursday, October 29th

• 8:15am Start - 8:05am Entry Bell
• Tues-Friday Bell schedule
• 3:13pm Dismissal

FRIDAY OCTOBER 30th is a HALF-DAY

• 8:15am Start - 8:05am Entry
• 11:28am Dismissal

Hello Brownell parents!

The other day I enjoyed my yearly tour through the Haunted Garage, and I was terrified. There in the Christmas room was the Christmas Countdown - 73 days!! We hope that our Fall fundraiser can help to check a few things off of your list before the Holiday crazies begin. We have once again partnered with Charleston Wrap and GOAT Clothing to bring you a wide range quality wrapping paper, accessories, gifts and never released clothing.

All funds collected will go towards our current Courts & Chromebooks campaign (see below). Thank you for supporting our students and staff with your purchases. Cheers to crisp sweater weather and fall foliage!

Your PTO President,

Julie Van Marcke

Building Active Bodies & Bright Minds

The Brownell Middle School PTO is excited to launch our new fundraising focus: Courts and Chromebooks!

This dual-purpose initiative is dedicated to enriching both the active outdoor lives and academic experiences of our students. Through this campaign, we aim to fund dedicated outdoor courts for volleyball and pickleball, providing Broncos with dynamic new spaces to stay active, build teamwork, and connect during recess and physical activities.

Additionally, we are focusing our fundraising on acquiring new Chrome carts to expand digital learning. These mobile carts will ensure that as many students as possible have seamless, daily access to Chromebooks directly in their classrooms. By supporting "Courts and Chromebooks," you are directly investing in facilities and technology that empower every student at Brownell to learn, move, and thrive.

Please see the attached flyer for our first fundraiser. Our goal for these two fundraisers is $5,000. This will be a great step towards Courts and Chromebooks!

23 GP North/South Tailgate @ North

30 Clash Day for Students and Staff

30 ½ day for Students, dismissal at 11:28 am

3 No School for Students - Election Day, Professional Development

4 Volleyball vs Kennedy, 4PM

4 Brownell Fall Instrumental Concert 7pm, MPR

6 PTO Chili Cookoff during lunches

6 End of 1st Quarter

10 PTO Meeting @ Library, 6:00 pm

11 Veterans’ Day Observed: Wear Red/White/Blue

17 6th Grade to War Memorial - details to come

17 Grade Available online

24 Thanksgiving Vacation begins at the end of the day

30 School resumes after Thanksgiving break

Up-to-date goings on of clubs, activities, and/or sports are provided during the school year on the daily announcements and on the website. Typically most after school clubs begin around the end of September and/or October. As information gets announced it will be posted here on the weekly widely the Bronco Bulletin.

On Monday, October 26th students will be taking a survey in their A-Team Groups during the scheduled assembly time. One of the portions of the survey will consist of asking students their interest in clubs that will help us determine what to run and/or hold at Brownell for the 2026-27 school year.

Students will be provided this information at the All-school Assembly on Monday (10/19).

What a way to finish the season!

Congratulations to everyone on a great race yesterday. Thank you to all the parents that helped get the team ready to run and helped clean up the course after.

Coaching and hosting a race is very challenging so if I did not get to talk to your runner before or after than ran I apologize.

Girls team: 18 season or personal best runs. 2nd place team finish but by just a few seconds

Boys team: 23 season or personal best runs. 5th place finish but a solid finish for our young team.

Race results: https://www.athletic.net/CrossCountry/meet/281487/info

Coach B

COMMUNICATION:

Emails will come out weekly with updates.

Real time updates will be over Team Reach

Download TeamReach app

Group code: XCBronco26

This will be the best way to get real time information. Especially if we need to cancel practice due to weather. Please join and if your child has a phone feel free to add them too. All events are in the calendar on the app that you can subscribe to for your personal calendar.

The Girls Volleyball Teams are entering the last week of the season. They host cross-town rival Parcells this week. Good Luck Lady Bronco's.

Thank you to Coaches Alicia Carlisle, Dawn Levick, and Lauren Smith for your commitment and time working with our student athletes.

Brownell has many activities, clubs, and sports. As the school year progresses we'll post and announce the dates when they begin. Students should check the daily school announcements on the school website for meeting updates on all clubs, activities, and sports. Participation in a club is a one time fee of $52 and an interscholastic sports is a one time fee of $125. Please use the participation "button" below to get started.

Please take some time to review the GPPSS Student Code of Conduct and the GPPSS Student Dress Code. Students who are in violation of our student code of conduct will be referred to administration. Our main goal with student discipline is restorative and what can be done to repair the harm. In addition, we use lunch detentions, after-school detentions, school service hours, in-school separations, and out-of-school separations depending on the individual's actions. We encourage students to always let an adult know of any violations so that they can be addressed immediately.

Guidelines for safe attendance at GPPSS athletic events:

• Students no outside food or drinks/ Adults no outside food or drinks that are contained in a metal or plastic container (including tumblers, Yeti’s, coolers etc.)

• Alcoholic beverages are not permitted on campus.

• No athletic balls, frisbees, etc. If found in the stadium they will be confiscated.

• No student bags or backpacks. Adult bags may be subject to a search.

• No bikes or non-assistive wheeled vehicles.

• No re-entry.

• All students may be asked to provide valid school ID from GPPSS schools and should carry it with them to the stadium. Students without ID when requested will only be permitted with Administration approval after identification is confirmed. Administration reserves the right to require ID from all students from competing schools to enter the stadium.

• Non-high school students will NOT be permitted entry without an adult who will be present for the duration of the event. The adult must confirm students are guests of theirs (limit 4) and are responsible for their conduct. Administration may refuse entry if students appear to not have adequate supervision.

• Fans who engage in inappropriate behavior may be asked to leave.

Please note the arrivals times to school each day and ensure our students are here on time with time to prepare for their day. Tardies/absences are tracked and followed up by administration.

• 4-5 tardies = notice home
• 8 tardies = after school detention/create plan to arrive on time
• 12 tardies = parent meeting

Excessive absences will be communicated by administration once 10 absences occur.

Parents will receive a Robo-call near the conclusion of the school day (starting on Monday, September 15th), if their student was tardy to one or more classes that day. If you have any questions with regards to the tardy (what hour), please access the Parent Portal. Attendance data can be viewed anytime in the Parent Portal.

One of our highest numbers of tardies are Monday morning. Please help us decrease these numbers and classroom interruptions.

The attendance office needs to receive a phone call whenever your child misses a class. Otherwise, the absence remains unexcused. When teachers, counselors, administrators, and the attendance secretary review these unexcused absences, we are concerned about the student(s) and we will follow-up -- we truly appreciate you communicating with us.

PLEASE call the attendance line at 313-432-3901 ANY day or time. Please make it a ”Favorite” or a “Contact” on your phone.

• Make the call once,

• go into your phone recent and hit the “i” (info) icon,

• Create a new contact,

• type in BMS Attendance

If your child needs support from his/her counselor, please reach out by emailing Mrs. Corinne Oderfer (last names A-K) or Ms. Beth Nixon (last names L-Z). If your student is experiencing technology issues, please report it to both the attendance line and have your child email their teacher immediately, if able to do so.

Absences are recorded as excused, unexcused, and "exempt" excused. Please know that we want to work with you to properly record absences. If you want an "exempt" excused absence recorded it is the responsibility of the parent/guardian to obtain the proper documentation and to submit it with one week of the student(s) return to school (per GPPSS BOE Policy pg. 130).

It is a privilege to participate in school field trips. Students are expected to conduct themselves in such a manner that exhibits the responsible behavior and respect that occurs during the school day at Brownell. A student will NOT be eligible for any field trip(s) for the current or following quarter when he/she accumulates an ISS (In School Suspension), OSS (Out of School Suspension), or more than 4 hours of detention/snap suspension assigned for any reason.

If a student accumulates an ISS (In School Suspension), OSS (Out of School Suspension), or more than 4 hours of detention/snap suspension assigned for any reason, yet still wants to participate in an educational field trip experience he/she must:

Complete a community service project that is approved by the principal and write a one-page summary explaining his/her participation at the completion of the project AND Obtain administrative recommendation for attendance and participation in field trip, activity, or competition AND Upon discretion of the administration be accompanied on the trip by his/her parent or other designated adult/legal guardian who is responsible for ALL costs related to their own trip.

*Please note: End-of-the-year field trips such as the 8th-grade trip to Cedar Point in June each year is NOT an educational trip.

Help us to keep all students safe during Drop-off and Pick-up time. Please do not use the rear or front parking lot, driveway, or church lot/s for drop-off and pick-up as the signs indicate.

Also we’d ask you to reinforce with your child(ren) to cross at the traffic light on Chalfonte Avenue and use the designated crosswalk on Williams Road. Take a few minutes to review the brief video on our vehicle Drop-off and Pick-up procedures. These parameters help provide for a safe process for our students before and after school.

On Monday, September 14th a letter was sent home to families regarding a GPPSS safety initiative at all buildings. The initiative is to implement a Walk Your Wheels School Zone.

In short, the initiative asks that when students reach school property and adjacent sidewalks, bicycles, scooters, e-bikes, and e-scooters should be walked—not ridden. This gives students the ability to use these devices for transportation while reducing the risk of collisions in areas where students, families, buses, and vehicles are moving during arrival and dismissal.

In B-Hall near the cafeteria entrance/exit Brownell has a "Lost & Found" Table.

Please feel free to go through the items if your child(ren) is missing anything. At the conclusion of each card marking all the items will be donated to charity.

Please be reminded to fully charge your school Chromebook or laptop each evening so you're prepared for school. Setting up a routine each night and charging your device would be very helpful.

If your child brings in a new device throughout the year, please access these helpful tips when setting up and using parental access codes.

Students may bring backpacks to and from school. However, backpacks are to be stored in the student's locker throughout the school day. During the school day students may utilize a protective technology device carrier, pencil case, drawstring bag (18"X15" or smaller), and/or other mini tote bag.

All students are to have access to a technology learning device. The GPPSS Bring-You-Own-Device Policy supports the districts strategic plan for student learning and growth. During the 2026/27 School Year the 5th-grade is piloting Chromebooks on a Cart. Therefore, 5th-grade students need not purchase a Chromebook as it will be provided in school.

Students use their technology learning device to access Schoology -- the GPPSS's Learning Management System. If you need help or assistance with a BYOD device download the handout below.

For families who have indicated a financial hardship, the district will provide a device to the student. If you would like your student to receive a device for the school year due to financial need, please fill out the linked form.

Additionally, just a reminder that our school policy is that cell phones and other electronic devices (not Chromebooks and/or technology learning device) are OFF AND OUT OF SIGHT. If students need to be reached during the school day, please continue to contact our main office.

Please be reminded that we go outside for recess whenever possible. We use the Weatherbug Grosse Pointe Country Club of Detroit Location for our temperature reading. We will be outside for recess if wind chill temperatures are Zero Degrees and above. We advocate that students dress accordingly and be prepared -- a little drizzle doesn’t stop us.

Brownell hosts free breakfast for students in the cafeteria. Any student seeking this opportunity will need to enter the building using the rear door/s near the cafeteria (or entrance "P" on the building map). The breakfast is from 8:30-8:45am on Mondays and 7:45-8:00am Tuesday through Friday. It is supervised by a Brownell Staff member. Students who attend will need to stay in the cafeteria until the breakfast time concludes.

Free lunch is conducted every day through the food service company. It is obtained in the lunch-line along with any al-a-carte items for purchase. Please look over the Michigan Meals Letter from the GPPSS linked HERE.

We ask that a parent/guardian call the 24 hour attendance line at (313) 432-3901 and leave a message as early as possible regarding an early dismissal. The office will email the classroom teacher, write the student’s name and dismissal time on the notice (dry erase) board, the student will proceed to their locker and then wait in the office for the parent to arrive. We ask parents to park in the Chalfonte visitor lot only and use the door buzzer by the main office when picking up their child early. We refrain from calling classrooms unless it’s an emergency in an effort to not disrupt learning.

When a parent is dropping off an item for their child, please park in the Chalfonte visitor lot and drop off the item labeled with their child’s name and grade in the purple bin near the office door, then ring the door buzzer and let the office staff know. Then, the item will be retrieved by the office staff and your child’s name will be written on the notice board. Students will then come to the main office to obtain their item(s). All lunches are brought to the cafeteria 20 minutes before lunch begins. Once again, we refrain from calling classrooms unless it’s an emergency in an effort to not disrupt the learning process.

Thank you in advance for your continued effort to respect the sanctity of the learning environment in each and every classroom.

A quality and joyful lunchroom experience is a priority at Brownell Middle School. All students have access to a free lunch every day. For students and/or families that prefer to bring their lunch(es) please know that two microwaves are available for use in the cafeteria. Students may also purchase À la carte items from the school via their Taher school account.

For the safety, cleanliness, and wellness of everyone we ask that:

• NO GLASS PRODUCTS are brought to school
• Students are seated when they eat
• Appropriate and polite behavior is the norm
• Students clean up after themselves and dispose of their refuse accordingly
• Lunch choices are healthy and caffeine free

Many families have had a "tradition" of sorts using the Dr. Seuss book titled "Oh, the Places You'll Go" as a school memory book at the elementary level. At Brownell Middle School you may purchase a school yearbook via Parent Portal. Students are provided the opportunity to sign one another's yearbook the second from last day of the school year.

Please know I'm not, as the school principal, "outlawing" the Dr. Seuss Memory Book Tradition -- I'm simply asking that if you want to continue this tradition we ask that you facilitate it in this way. The Dr. Seuss Book will need to be carried class-to-class by your child(ren) on the day(s) designated to sign yearbooks. The Brownell Staff are not responsible for handing school memory books (or similar items) from person-to-person and checking off who has completed the task.

Thank you in advance for working with us by honoring this request.

If you'd like to purchase a yearbook (and haven't already done so back in August during registration) here's your opportunity to do so. On Wednesday, June 10th (half day of school) students will receive their yearbook and have the day to exchange and sign each others books.

Yearbooks are created by the Yearbook Club through Jostens. The cost of a yearbook is $50.00. To purchase a yearbook go to the Jostens website.

If you should have any questions regarding yearbooks please contact Mrs. Camille Price, the Brownell Yearbook Club Staff Advisor, by email at pricec@gpschools.org.

Eligibility for the NJHS (National Junior Honors Society) in the GPPSS (Grosse Pointe Public School System) is as follows:

• Must be a student in good standing in the 7th or 8th grade to be a member of the Grosse Pointe Public Schools Middle School NJHS

• 3.5 GPA or higher and 1’s or 2’s in Conduct/Work Habits for two consecutive card marking periods (not cumulative GPA)

• For Example:

• 6th/7th-grade year GPA & Conduct/Work Habits for 3rd & 4th quarters to be eligible for the public Fall Induction Ceremony

• 7th/8th-grade year GPA & Conduct/Work Habits for 1st & 2nd quarters to be eligible for the Spring Induction Ceremony

• One public Fall Induction Ceremony for parents, families, and the community to be held in October or November of each year

• One private Winter Induction (no ceremony) to be held in February or March (after the conclusion of the second card marking) for eligible 8th-grade students

Please know that we want to make sure every student has everything they need for learning and to eat for lunch -- BUT Safety is our first priority. Please avoid deliveries from a third party of any kind.

Here's OUR why -- If your child(ren) forgets their lunch we can provide a meal here from the cafeteria. We’d ask for your continued support in avoiding having lunch(es) brought to school by outside delivery organizations i.e. Jimmy Johns, Panera, UberEats, etc. This request is to protect students and staff alike, as it’s a precautionary measure to maintain everyone's safety at school by keeping strangers from our doorstep/s.

Thank you in advance for helping us to provide the safest possible environment here at Brownell.