BWMS Family Update

Tonight we are privileged to celebrate our Military-Connected Families at the High School Football Game and encourage everyone to wear our BW Purple Star shirts or Red, White and Blue in support of our families.

Can you believe today is the mid-point of the 1st quarter? We call these Grade Update Days and we encourage all parents to log into PowerSchool to check the progress of their student's performance. Have a conversation with your student about how things are going and what they are learning. Find out how they take advantage of the multiple opportunities to be successful by reassessment at BWMS. Also, information about signing up for our next conference on Thursday 10/2/25 is posted below. If you are new to grades, Mr. Frame is going to host an informational meeting for parents about how to navigate this new topic on the first conference night 9/23/25 at 5:30 PM in the Middle School Library. Come learn some tricks and tips when working with your student. Overall, we look forward to partnering with you to support your student's growth in 2025!

Sincerely,

Mr. Josh Frame

• The last day to register for the Big Nut Strut and be guaranteed a T-Shirt was Wednesday 9/17/25. This is a great community event on Sunday 10/12/25 and a great way to support our BWMS PTO.
• Mid point of the 1st quarter is Friday 9/19/25. We call these Grade Update Days and we encourage all parents to log into PowerSchool to check the progress of their student's performance. If your student needs help getting into PowerSchool, please reference this document.
• BWMS Spirit Week is coming the week of Monday 9/22/25! Spirit days have been selected by our Student Council as we plan to help cheer the Eagles to victory for their homecoming game on Friday 9/26/25. Find the Spirit Days Above.
• Picture Day is Tuesday 9/23/25. Students will have their pictures taken out of Science Classes. Forms have already been emailed to families and a hardcopy will also be available.
• Our second night of Conferences is Thursday 10/2/25. The first part of the evening is designated for virtual meetings while the second half will be in person.
• BWMS will host a Stomp Out Bullying Week beginning on Monday 10/6/25 organized by our student council and SOAR committee. We look forward to our first SOAR celebration - Stomp Out Bullying Day on Friday 10/10/25.

• Big Walnut Middle School is excited to celebrate Start with Hello Week during the week of October 6. Every year, thousands of schools participate in Start with Hello Week, which is a week dedicated to making social connections and creating a sense of belonging in schools. During this week, your student will have the opportunity to engage in activities that help them meet new people and build community. This week also meets requirements for House Bill 123 and is a state-approved resource. If you have any questions or would like to opt your student out of these activities, please reach out to your student’s grade-level counselor.

• Attention 8th grade families: there will be in informational meeting about our spring Washington DC trip on Thursday 10/9/25 at 5:30 PM in the auditorium. Our trip coordinators, Ms. Ainsworth and Ms. Barr, will share preliminary details about this annual trip.

Other Opening of School Details

• Reminder to parents using our carline: Thank you for continuing to pull all around the school to the athletic entrance to have the most efficient procedure. As a reminder, if you car stops along due to the line of traffic once you enter the loop, your student can exit on the curb side of the car. Also, please do not pass other cars during drop off to ensure the safety of our students.
• Reminder for families who have not yet completed their online registration forms to do so by 09/19. You can search your email for "Big Walnut Local Schools - Returning Student Emergency Forms" to find the correct links.
• Interested in volunteering in Big Walnut Schools this year, please go to the following website and complete the process which requires 3 easy steps - https://www.bwls.net/VolunteerInformation.aspx

• Big Walnut Middle School is excited to celebrate Start with Hello Week during the week of October 6. Every year, thousands of schools participate in Start with Hello Week, which is a week dedicated to making social connections and creating a sense of belonging in schools. During this week, your student will have the opportunity to engage in activities that help them meet new people and build community. This week also meets requirements for House Bill 123 and is a state-approved resource. If you have any questions or would like to opt your student out of these activities, please reach out to your student’s grade-level counselor.
• 8th grade students will have the required suicide awareness and prevention programming from House BIll 123 during one standard class period on Thursday, October 9. Additional information to include the opt out form was emailed to 8th grade families this week. Please check with your student’s school counselor or principal Josh Frame if you have any questions.

BWMS Conference Sign Up can be found Here.

We look forward to speaking with you. Please find the corresponding BWMS teachers by team with the conference times available. You may choose to sign up to meet with the team of teachers or any of the related arts teachers depending on your needs, just make sure to include everyone you desire when you sign up. Please note, if you cannot find a time slot that meets your needs, we will have the second round of conferences available for sign up soon. Please contact the office for support.

*Please note we have designated 3:00 PM-5:00 PM conferences on Thursday 10/2/25 to be virtual and 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM conferences to be held in person. We thank you for partnering with us to Inspire and Guide your student in 2025-26.

Our team is finalizing the details of our Washington D.C. trip in May for our 8th grade students. There will be an informative meeting on October 9th at 5:30 in the BWMS auditorium. We are looking forward to sharing the itinerary, cost, and other details at this meeting. Also, the Big Walnut Middle School website will be updated with information as it becomes available.

Regular school attendance is one of the most important factors in a child’s academic success. When students are present each day, they build strong learning habits, keep up with classroom instruction, and stay connected with their teachers and peers. Consistent attendance helps prevent learning gaps, reduces stress from trying to catch up, and sets the foundation for responsibility and success beyond school.

Schools are required to take action and encourage intervention strategies for attendance for any student that

misses the following with or without a legitimate excuse:

• 38 or more excused/unexcused non-medical hours in a school month

• 65 or more excused/unexcused non-medical hours in a school year

If your child reaches one of the above thresholds, it is considered excessively absent from school. A doctor’s note or excused absence with Professional Documentation will be required for any absence to be counted as excused, unless otherwise approved by a district administrator.

Have you registered for the Big Nut Strut 5k?

This fun, family-friendly event helps raise money for all 8 Big Walnut Schools! This was one of the biggest fundraisers in 2024, and we need your help. The more participants from our school, the more money our school gets!

https://runsignup.com/Race/OH/Sunbury/BigNutStrut

**Sign up by September 17th to be guaranteed a shirt!

**Not a runner?!? Sign up for the Virtual race, and still get the awesome race shirt!

All 7th grade students are required to have an updated Tdap and meningitis vaccine. We would ask that parents provide written proof of immunization or a letter of objection to the school within the first two weeks of school. Please contact our School Nurse at MeganTruax@bwls.net or the office with any questions.

Reminder that all athletes should have their final forms complete and a current OHSAA Evaluation Exam Form uploaded to Final Forms directly or emailed to Mrs. Kreager stephaniekreager@bwls.net. All physicals must be received prior to the first tryout date or first practice of the season.

All information for BWMS athletics can be found at bigwalnutathletics.net and on Schoology.

Coaching Series (2025-26)

- Episode 1 - Mr. Kyle Baker - Boys Golf (Video File, Audio File)

- Episode 2 - Mrs. Jen White - Cross Country (Video File, Audio File)

- Episode 3 - Mr. Adam McCardle - 7th Football (Video File, Audio File)

- Episode 4 - Mr. Jacob Houston - 8th Football (Video File, Audio File)

- Episode 5 - Ms. Kim White - Girls Tennis (Video File, Audio File)

- Episode 6 - Ms. Victoria Keller - Girls Golf (Video File, Audio File)

The SOARing Staff Award and used to recognize a Big Walnut Middle School Staff Member who goes above and beyond to support the mission of BWLS to inspire and guide each student to his or her maximum potential. If you would love to recognize a staff member, please submit their name and reason on the following form... HERE.

Students and families interested in learning more about the future of Healthcare and Life Sciences are invited to attend the next installment of the Delaware Area Career Center's "Future of Work" series, held Thursday, September 25 from 6-7 p.m. at DACC. This free, community event will begin with a look at regional workforce trends and end with a panel discussion featuring local employers representing the Healthcare and Life Sciences industries. It will offer parents a comprehensive look at what's next in these respective career fields, featuring fresh data and insights from local industry leaders. If you're a family with an eye toward the future and are thinking about ‘future ready skills’ for your student, this is a can't-miss event. Register here and See the full agenda here. If you can’t make the in-person event, join us for one of our virtual events. Learn more here.

We are inviting current 4th-6th grade students and their families to a meeting to learn more about our upcoming travel opportunities to Costa Rica and Italy in the summer of 2027. We are excited to tell you more about these trips with EF Tours, our educational travel partner. Please be sure to register for the informational session to learn more.

Date: Wednesday, September 17 at 7:00pm

Big Walnut Intermediate School, Media Center

Led by Amy Eikenberry and Gwen Hodges

RSVP here: https://bit.ly/45RMGVd

September

12 6th Grade Dance, 6:30-8:00

15 Teacher PD Day / Fair Day

19 Grade Update Day

22-26 Spirit Week

23 Picture Day 7:45-2:20

23 Conferences, 3:00-7:00

26 Homecoming

29 Art Contest for Yearbook begins

October

2 Conferences, 3:00-7:00

6-10 STOMP out Bullying Week

10 What I Need (WIN) Day

10 SC spirit - Stomp Out Bullying Day

12 Yearbook Art contest ends

14 BWMS PTO Meeting, 7:00 PM

16 End of 1st quarter

17 No School Conf Comp Day

21 Quarterly Grade-Level Meeting

24 Report Cards Posted 8am

24 SOAR Cart

Month View Calendar Link

iCalendar Link

Email: JoshFrame@bwls.net
Website: bwls.net
Location: 555 S Old 3C Road, Sunbury, OH, United States
Phone: (740)965-3006
Twitter: @Josh_Frame