The Bulldog Blast
BCMS Community Newsletter
Dear Ballenger Creek Middle Families,
I hope you and your loved ones are well and welcome to the 2026-2027 school year! We also hope that the start to the year has been (at least mostly) positive, but we’re also aware that things are not always smooth sailing with students, particularly when they’re in middle school. Our children in the middle grades change more physically, emotionally, and intellectually during their 6th, 7th, and 8th grade years than any other time of their lives other than birth to age three. This means that even if we--the parent/guardian-school team--do everything right, we’ll still experience some bumps in the proverbial middle school road.
I was a middle school educator for almost 20 years when my oldest daughter entered middle school and I was still a little bit nervous for her when she started--just as I was with my son and youngest daughter! They all ended up negotiating middle school as well as possible, thankfully. Every one of our children handles the transitions in middle school a little bit differently--we know that they need different supports at different times.
Please know that we are here to support your children and partner with you! Our administrative team, counseling team, teachers, and support staff have many years of experience working with middle school students and we look forward to collaborating with you to support your students.
Should you need assistance at any point this year, please reach out to our grade level assistant principals and counseling teams or to me--we’re in this together with you, and we’re here to help!
6th grade counselor: Rebecca.Reese@fcps.org
6th grade assistant principal: Nyesha.Lanes@fcps.org
7th grade counselor: David.Ledyard@fcps.org
7th grade assistant principal: Sarah.Gordy@fcps.org
8th grade counselor: Johnny.Webber@fcps.org
8th grade assistant principal: Susan.Messmore@fcps.org
Sincerely,
Jay Schill
Principal, BCMS
Things are moving quickly, so please check in with your student(s) to make sure they are keeping up with their work. Mid-term for Term 1 is September 18th. Once we pass the middle of the term, students will not be able to submit missing assignments. Please reach out to your student(s) classroom teacher if you have any questions about assignments and grades.
Students and parents are encouraged to reach out to their grade level counselor for any questions or concerns. Below you will find each of the counselors contact information along with their assigned grade level.
Johnny Webber 8th Grade Johnny.Webber@fcps.org
David Ledyard 7th Grade David.Ledyard@fcps.org
Rebecca Reese 6th Grade Rebecca.Reese@fcps.org
Andrea Mann School Counselor Andrea.Mann@fcps.org
Please don't hesitate to reach out to us with any questions, celebrations, or concerns. Working together, we can provide the support your child needs to grow, learn, and reach their fullest potential. We are excited for the year ahead and look forward to building strong partnerships with our families as we help every student reach their full potential.
The members of our Special Ed Department are as follows:
6th Grade:
Mrs. Summers Kelsey.Summers@fcps.org
Mrs. Synder Bonnie.Snyder@fcps.org
Ms. Shafer ( SEIA)
7th Grade:
Mrs. Cline, aurie.cline@fcps.org
Ms. Grimm, elissa.grimm@fcps.org
Mrs. Sultana ( SEIA)
8th Grade:
Mrs. Pemrick, emily.pemrick@fcps.org
Mrs. Huston, alison.huston@fcps.org
Mrs. Cook ( SEIA)
Speech and Language Therapist Mrs. Byun, kellee.byun@fcps.org
Program Assistant Mrs. Suray, nancy.suray@fcps.org
School Psychologist Mrs. Vaughn, Lauren.vaughn@fcps.org
Volunteers Needed
Welcome back to BCMS!
As usual I am asking for volunteers to sign up as soon as possible because we can't do what we need to do without your help. I am asking you to go on-line to be a volunteer at BCMS, to be there for our students.
Re-Apply For School Lunch
As you return to the new school year., please remember that you need to RE-APPLY for school lunches. Please do it as soon as possible so that you are not dropped from the system. Thank you.
-Kathleen Rogers Community Liaison
The Science Scene
The science teachers at Ballenger Creek Middle School are excited to begin using OpenSciEd, a new science curriculum through Activate Learning. OpenSciEd is an open-source curriculum designed around the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), which Maryland adopted in 2017.
With OpenSciEd, students will experience science in a more student-centered, hands-on, and discussion-rich way. Units begin with an interesting phenomenon or event that sparks students’ curiosity. Students ask questions, develop and revise models, investigate evidence, discuss their ideas, and work together to figure out how and why things happen, much like scientists do in the real world. Rather than simply receiving information from the teacher, students will take an active role in building their understanding.
For returning students, science class may look and feel different than it has in the past.
Families can support this transition by:
Asking your student to explain their thinking and observations.
Encouraging them to support ideas with evidence and examples.
Asking, “What makes you think that?” or “What evidence do you have?”
Reminding them that changing your thinking when you encounter new evidence is an important part of doing science!
We are excited to partner with our families as we make this transition and help students become curious, confident, and capable science thinkers.
-Rebecca Satterfield - Science Department Chair
Math Moments
Math Department:
6th Grade: Students will be working through Module 1 (Ratios and Rates). In Module 1, students will learn how to understand ratios and work with them in graphs, tables, equations, and real-world scenarios. They will also use the skill to convert customary measurement units using weight, length and capacity.
7th Grade/7ACC: Students will be working through Module 1 (Proportional Relationships) and beginning Module 2 (Solve Percent Problems). In Module 1, students will learn how to solve unit rates and work with proportional relationships in graphs, tables, equations, and real-world scenarios. In Module 2, students will learn how to solve common percent problems, like tax, tips, discounts, and interest.
8th Grade: Students will be working through Module 1 (Exponents and Scientific Notation) and beginning Module 2 (Real Numbers). In Module 1, students will learn exponent laws and how to convert between standard and scientific notation. In Module 2, students will learn about categories of numbers including rational and irrational.
Algebra: Students will be working through Module 1 (Expressions) and Module 2 (Equations in One Variable). In Module 1, students will learn how to write and solve numerical and algebraic expressions. In Module 2, students will learn how to interpret and solve multi-step equations.
Geometry: Students will be finishing Module 1 (Geometric Tools) and beginning Module 2 (Angles & Geometric Figures). In Module 1, students have been learning how to find distances on coordinate planes, number lines, and missing measurements on line segments. Module 2 will be covering angles, 2-D figures,3-D Figures and transformations.
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. For questions about ALEKS topic goals, please reach out to your student’s grade level math teacher, our school Math Specialist, Ms. Moffitt (Maleita.Moffitt@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, or our Math Specialist, Ms. Moffitt (Maleita.Moffitt@fcps.org).
Media Center And Technology
Use this link to view the Media Center and Technology Newsletter from Ms. Lungociu, our Media Specialist and Mr. Steedley, our User Support Specialist.
Districtwide “Off and Away” Cell Phone Expectations for the 2026–27 School Year
Beginning Wednesday, August 19, FCPS will implement updated expectations for student use of personal communication devices. Under the new "off and away, bell to bell" expectation, students at all grade levels must keep cell phones, smart watches, AI glasses, and other personal communication devices out of sight and not in use during the school day, except as outlined in Personal Mobile Devices, Regulation 118-01 for approved medical or accommodation needs. This change aligns with the Maryland Phone-Free Schools Act, which requires all Maryland public schools to adopt personal device policies by the 2027–28 school year. At the direction of the Board of Education, FCPS is implementing these expectations one year early to support a smooth transition. Please discuss and enforce these expectations with students.
This is an important reminder regarding morning drop-off and
afternoon pick-up procedures for car riders.
We have noticed an increase in families using the staff parking lot for morning drop-off. This creates challenges for staff attempting to park and disrupts traffic flow, as students must cross active car and bus lanes. For student safety and efficiency, all students should be dropped off using the designated car rider line that loops around the basketball court.
Additionally, Jackson Chapel United Methodist Church has opened its daycare. They have graciously continued to allow BCMS families to use the gravel lot located to the left of the church for drop-off and pick-up. Please note that the paved parking lot is coned off and reserved exclusively for daycare providers and families. We kindly ask that you respect these boundaries so we may continue to use their space.
School Year 2026-2027
For the 2026/2027 school year,
we wanted to provide a reminder about school meals.
In 2025-26, the price for meals is $1.90 for breakfast and $2.95 for lunch for elementary school students and $2.15 for breakfast and $3.20 for lunch for middle and high school students.
To apply for free and reduced-price meals, Visit the FCPS Food Service
online parent portal at www.linqconnect.com and click on
School Services and then select Free & Reduced Meal Application.
Volunteer Registration And Training Now Available
Frederick County Public Schools (FCPS) is thrilled to partner with family and community members who are interested in joining efforts to support our students and schools with their time and talents by way of volunteering.
Family and community members interested in volunteering should begin the volunteer process by visiting our FCPS Volunteer Webpage. Applicants will be directed to:
Complete a registration form.
Complete a training module on Unified Talent.
Await school approval on application.
Sign-up for volunteer opportunities facilitated by individual schools.
*Complete only ONE registration form per person. Additional school selections may be added after original approval.
Please note: To avoid delays, you must complete the registration form and training using the exact same full name and email address each time. Do not use nicknames, abbreviations, hyphen variations, or alternate spellings or email addresses.
The volunteer registration and training process is completed annually for each school year. Volunteers must complete the process before being signed up for volunteer opportunities. FCPS encourages family and community members interested in volunteering to complete the process early as processing times can vary.
For technical support in Unified Talent, volunteer applicants may contact unifiedtalent@fcps.org. For all other volunteer related questions, volunteer applicants may contact: FCPSVolunteers@fcps.org. FCPS is grateful for the generous support from our family and community volunteers.
Click here for the FCPS Volunteer Webpage.
Be sure to consult the Frederick County Public Schools parent handbook and calendar for important dates and observances.
For a copy of the FCPS 2026-2027 SY Calendar, click here.