Unified Arts
Hands on learning that's fun!
Robotics: Students have been working hard as they play a classic arcade game with their robots. Each student has had to program their robot to travel precise distances in an attempt to score as many points as possible in our roboticing skeeball game. We will be using these skills to jump into our next challenge, the robot race track.
Makerspace: For the last few weeks, students have been using a wide array of materials to build a marble roller coaster. While working in teams, students had to design, build and adapt their creation to ensure the most exciting ride possible for the marble riders.
6th Engineering: After working through the introductory challenge of making paper platforms, students are not beginning to create boats to support weight while floating. They have been spending time planning, researching, and designing possible boat designs they think will work best. In the coming weeks, students will work in teams to use some recycled materials to create their design and test its effectiveness.
7th Engineering: Completing their paper tower challenge, students are now in the midst of creating protective structures. Their goal is to protect a clementine from increasing weight using limited supplies. Students have just begun to work in their groups and start building their structure in hopes of supporting the most weight.
In World History for the 6th graders, we have been exploring Ancient Mesopotamia. During this unit we will be looking at the origins of the first laws, the structure of their society, their myths, and the multiple different kingdoms and societies that encompassed the Fertile Crescent, like the Babylonians, Akkadians, and Sumerians. As we explore these concepts, we will continue to work on note taking, map reading skills, vocab, and historical writing skills.
In 7th grade current events we are focusing on “current events around the world” project. Students will choose a country and will present a slideshow on 3 specific current events focused on political, environmental, and entertainment news. The major skills we will be developing are presentation skills & research skills.
In Financial Literacy for 7th graders, we have shifted gears to move our career and budget project closer to the beginning of the semester. We are about half way through the project, students have found their careers and are now creating their budgets. The major skills we will be focusing on before the end of the semester are note taking, critical thinking, and financial planning. Following this, we will shift gears to a new unit focused on supply and demand and looking at different aspects of economics.
BMS Art Teachers Celebrate Young Artists at Portland Museum of Art
Congratulations to 5th Grader Addi Archer and 7th Grader Rylan Vachon-McCrossin for being selected for the Portland Museum of Art Youth Art Month exhibition! Addi was recognized for her papier mâché sculpture titled Sushi, and Rylan was honored for his oil pastel drawing of a tiger's eye. Both students attended the award ceremony with their families on March 14th in Portland. Art teachers Rachel Carswell and Samara Yandell were thrilled to participate in this annual art advocacy event with two of their hardest working art students. This exhibition brings together art teachers and students from around the state. The Youth Art Month exhibition will be on display at the Portland Museum of Art through April 5th. View the online gallery here!
Sushi by Addie Archer
Tiger's Eye by Rylan Vachon - McCrossin
7th Grader Rylan at PMA
We are in full swing with our semester in Physical Education. I have to hand it to our students — the weather has not played nice. Our students acted very responsibly by remembering their sneakers for class. The kiddos are much safer with the proper footwear. In terms of activities, we have played Secret Agent, handball, basketball, and — believe it or not — 3‑ball kickball. Yes, we have three pitchers and kickers at one time. What fun, and what chaos all at once. Now we are getting into some larger-group team games like castleball, powerball, and poison ball. I'm sure there will be some alliances in these activities. Finally, our 4‑board has gone to a new level. Our students are recognizing their peers as 4s in class. After an activity, students can elect a peer to be on the 4‑board to raise their grade in class based on a valid explanation to the class. All is well in PE as the semester rolls on.
7th/6th Grade PE: We have finished up a unit playing handball basketball and two ball kickball. Both games require team work and strategy. We are now heading into Omnikin Land. Omnikin is both innovative and unique. We use various size balls filled up with air and have super fun activities that go with them. We even have an omnikan ball 4 feet in diameter! The activities are based around teamwork and strategy, a perfect transition from our last unit.
5th Grade Wellness: We had special guests come in from Biddeford youth baseball and softball to do a clinic. Our students were very excited about this opportunity and played a fun game called “Catch 5”. We are also circling back to using our omnikin balls to play a game called “Power Up”. A game focused around working together to accomplish a common goal. In health class, students finished up our digital citizenship unit on how to send a proper email to a teacher, navigate their grades on IC, and to clean up their inbox. We are currently switching gears and starting to teach them some anatomy. The heart and circulatory system specifically. They will be exposed to the lifesaving techniques of CPR.
7th Grade Health: Students have been working hard on researching systems of the human body and how to keep them healthy. Now diving deeper into the circulatory system. As we finish up the physical health unit, we will be transitioning to our mental health unit; coping strategies, stress management, and increasing confidence.
Kay Pierson, Edie Katzianer
Band
Left to Right: Landon Nolette, Maddox Keddy, Adolfo Peralta Rivera, Ethan Archambault, Benjamin Ludington, Weston Conner, Ava Donahue, Hannah Weaver
Chorus
Back Row Left to Right:Fiona Staples, Charlotte Bohn, Jonah Cote, Sutton Montoya, Olivia Metayer, Safa Al, Cora Guimond
Front Row Left to Right: Marah Lafortune Gwen Guillerault, Aurora Wilson
The 7th grade Spanish Class is starting to read a short book called "El Viaje de Su Vida." We are practicing our reading aloud abilities and learning new vocabulary!
The 6th grade is continuing with our Manie Musical March Madness Bracket. We are listening to a new French language song each class, learning about the artist and their hometown, as well as new vocabulary and phrases in French.
The 5th Grade World Languages Class is continuing on with our Maps of Africa. We have learned over 40 countries and capitals so far, as well as how to say Hello in Arabic, Lingala, and Swahili.
After spending the first part of the semester getting to know each other and working on team work skills, we have finally jumped into our two major projects for the semester!
Our first project is raising 200 Atlantic Salmon from egg to fry stage! Atlantic Salmon are endangered species and have a higher rate of survival when starting their lives in captivity and then being released into the river. We are working with “Fish Friends” to help stock the Androscoggin River! Students will continue to learn about their life cycle, migration, adaptations and challenges they face throughout the semester!
Our second project is tapping Maple trees on our campus! We are working with the 7th grade STEM class to tap and collect data on sap production of our trees. Students geared up with snowshoes and boots to trek out on the trails and check their trees over the past couple of weeks. As we collect more sap we will send it to a local sugar shack to boil it into some delicious maple syrup!
