Bulldog Bulletin

The Bulldog Bulletin features school events, updates on student life, and general information about JFDS.

Be sure to check the JFDS website regularly for news, the events calendar, and more. Download the Bangor App as well to help stay connected!

• Friday, January 24th - End of the Second Quarter
• Tuesday, January 28th - BHS Grade 8 Parent Night (6PM)
• Friday, January 31st - JFDS Cheering Invitational at BHS
• Saturday, February 1st - JMG Bake Sale
• Saturday, February 15th through Sunday, February 23rd - February Vacation

Bangor High School will host our 8th grade students and their parents on Tuesday, January 28 from 6:00-8:00pm. Students and their parents will have the opportunity to tour the building and visit the areas of highest interest. BHS staff and students will be available in each department to speak with students and parents and answer questions.

Please click the link for more information: https://5il.co/34ea9

• On the Friday before winter break, the whole school incorporated into our classes mini-lessons related to poverty. Our ELA class read aloud and discussed the nonfiction book Sanctuary: Kip Tiernan and Rosie's Place, the Nation's First Shelter for Women written by Christine McDonnell and illustrated by Victoria Tentler-Krylov.

• As part of a whole-school service project coordinated by a student teacher, JFDS students collaborated to make no-sew fleece blankets to share with area people who are unhoused.

• Eighth grade science students have been working on an atomic theory timeline. This project involved learning about the progression of the atomic theory.
• Students had to create models for each scientist and then explain the scientist's theory in their own words.
• Next they will be learning more about the subatomic particles and patterns in the periodic table.

• Students recently read The Outsiders, by S.E Hinton. We learned that the author wrote this book when she was just a high school student in the 1960s.
• Eighth graders also did research about the 1960s and learned about the cultural influences during this period, including fashion, pop culture, food, cars, jobs and historical events.

• Students are connecting representations of functions by way of the Desmos Graphing Calculator. They are able to identify functions by their tables, equations, and graphs.
• Through these different representations of functions, they explore properties like slope and initial value. The properties show up differently in each representation, yet they are exploring how they are connected.
• Students have studied linear and nonlinear real-world situations with Demos.

• Mr. Kenniston has been engaging his geometry students in hands-on learning by integrating Tinkercad into the classroom to apply geometry concepts to real-world applications.
• Through these projects, students have developed their spatial reasoning and design skills by creating detailed models of a house, car, and airplane. These creations go beyond the screen, as students use the Glowforge to laser cut intricate parts and the 3D printer to bring their designs to life.
• This approach allows students to see the practical side of geometry while fostering creativity and problem-solving skills.

• Mr. Santerre's eighth grade social studies classes have spent several weeks being immersed in the Cold War. They have been learning about how the Cold War impacted the United States and the world, beginning by gaining an understanding of the differences between the two 1900s superpowers and leading into different key events and topics.
• These topics have included the Korean War and the Vietnam War, the U.S. strategy of containment, and how the Cold War impacted life for people in the United States, including students in schools.
• Students have also been learning about how changes in media, such as an increase in the number of households that owned televisions, played a role in shaping public opinion.

• The Maine Teacher of the Year process starts with nominations for the County Teacher of the Year.
• If you are interested in nominating a teacher, you can start the process here.
• Nominations are due by the end of January.

Click here to see the recently released video from the MDOE, featuring a range of JFDS faces!

• For over 20 years, JFDS has hosted an annual middle school Cheering event.
• This year, JFDS A Cheering Invitational will be held at Bangor High School on Friday, January 31st. Fourteen different middle school teams will participate, and the Bangor High School cheering teams will share their routines.
• Here is key information for the event:
• Doors open to fans at 3:30PM.
• Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for students.
• T-Shirts will be for sale for $15.
• Concessions will be sold by the JFDS Yearbook staff.
• Only cash is accepted.

• Chronic absenteeism occurs when a student misses 10% of the days that they are enrolled in school. In Bangor, for a student attending the entire school year, chronic absenteeism would be 17 days or an average of approximately two days per month. Chronic absenteeism is based on total absences - both excused and unexcused. We look forward to meeting our school goal of 95% attendance by June 2025!

• Please click the link below for more information about chronic absenteeism.

  https://5il.co/32v66

Please click the link below to view the Bangor School Department's semi-annual magazine. The magazine highlights students, staff and the great learning experiences taking place in Bangor schools.

https://online.pubhtml5.com/jrqns/gyzn/

• ConnectSafely helps to educate people about online safety, privacy, security, & digital wellness.
• Click here to find out more information.

Would you like access to the parent portal of PowerSchool? Click on this link to sign up:

https://forms.gle/apRn3BWD2FJEjXWXA

Confirmation of your account will come from techsis@bangorschools.net

Do you have school related questions or need help from someone at the school? Feel free to reach out to the main office at (207) 941-6220.