Dear Families,

We've reached middle of Term 1. Most students seem to have gotten into the groove of being back to school. For some students, it can be a struggle to find that groove. Here are some of the things that families can do at home to help a student find success in school.

1. Talk with your child about school. Make sure to ask questions that cannot be answered with a quick "yes" or "no". Ask things like: What did you learn in (pick a class) today? Who did you talk to at lunch? What did you talk about? When is your next quiz/test/project? What are the topics that will be on it? Hopefully, open ended questions will lead to a productive discussion about school life.

2. When it's time to do homework, ask your child to see their assignment notebook. All grade 6 students got one and, thanks to the BMS PAC, every student in grade 7 & 8 was given one. The students should all be using them to keep track of daily and long term assignments. This way, you'll know what it is they should be doing.

3. Have a dedicated space where your child can do their homework. I recommend that it be a common area of your home where you can see what they're doing. For example, places like the kitchen table are great for them to spread out to get work done.

4. Limit phone and social media use during homework time. Students can be easily distracted by the notifications from various sites which leads to interrupted thinking and work flow. Let them keep the device in the room, but you be the one to say when it's okay to take a look at it. Many phones have "Do Not Disturb" settings that you can set up for specific amounts of time during the day.

5. Allow students to take a break if they've been working diligently. Depending on the student's age, the duration of work time that you can expect that they'll be able to do will vary. I recommend 15 minutes of focused work followed by a 5 minute break. If your child has more stamina than that, then you can increase the length of work time. But, building in breaks will actually increase your child's productivity.

If you have any tips that work for you at your home, please share them with me. I can then share them with the BMS community in future newsletters.

Be well!

Ed Connor

Bird Middle School will be having individual Parent - Teacher Conferences on the following days and times:

October 26: 6:00 – 8:00 PM (in person conferences)

October 27: 12:15 – 2:45 PM (virtual conferences)

November 1: 4:00 – 6:00 PM (in person conferences)

Next week, we will send out a separate newsletter to inform everyone of the sign-up procedures for those conferences.

Please remember to send in a note with your student if they need to be dismissed early from BMS. Students can give the note to their HR teacher or drop it off in the Main Office when they arrive. By doing so, students will then be placed on our "Daily Bulletin", and will be excused from class by their teacher at the proper dismissal time. This will reduce the amount of interruptions caused by calling into the classroom to send down students.

We realize that there are many occasions when your child may need to be dismissed. We prefer if you can please try and dismiss between classes, if possible. The optimal dismissal times for that are: 8:50, 9:45, 10:19, 11:14, 12:37, 1:32.

If you have any questions, please contact bmsoffice@walpole.k12.ma.us

The BMS Library is displaying a selection of books for Hispanic Heritage Month. Mrs. O'Malley has also curated a Hispanic Heritage Destiny Collection of resources including websites, articles, museum links, and book titles.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

ADHD Awareness Month

LGBTQ+ History Month

National Book Month

Socktober

Oct. 9 - No School: Indigenous People's Day

Oct.10 - PAC Meeting - 7:00 p.m.

Oct.11 - 8th Grade Ropes Course Field Trip

Oct. 13 - School Picture Day

Oct.20 - Ropes Field Trip Rain Date

Oct. 26 - Parent Teacher Conferences: In Person 6:00 -8:00 p.m.

Oct. 27 - Early Release Day: Parent Teacher Conferences: Virtual 12:15 - 2:45 p.m.

Oct. 31 - School Council 3:00 p.m.

Nov. 1 - Parent Teacher Conferences: In Person 4:00 - 6:00 p.m.

What is homework club?

Homework Club is a quiet work environment proctored by a staff member in the Media from 2:30-3:40 on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It’s a great place for students to come after school, get work done, and maybe even not have any homework to do when they get home!

How do students sign up?

They don’t have to! Students show up immediately after school and sign in on any Tuesday or Thursday sessions they care to attend.

Do students always have to go?

No! Students can just come as needed.

How do students get home?

If they are a bus student, they can take the late bus home. If they get a ride, their ride can come at 3:40 or sooner. If they are a walker, they can walk home at 3:40, or sooner if that is ok with your family.

Who is it for? How much does it cost?

It’s for every BMS student, and it is free thanks to a donation by our PAC.

Last year, Walpole Public Schools began using a new mass communications system for attendance. This system allows for improved messaging between schools and families for automated notifications of school absences as well as for more time-sensitive alerts like unscheduled school closings.

If your child is absent and we have not received a phone call or message from you regarding that absence, then an automated attendance call will activate in order to alert you about the absence.

If you find that the system contacts incorrect phone numbers or email addresses, please contact the school’s main office with updated information.

Please remember that parents, not students, must give medications directly to the nurse.

If your child requires the administration of medication during the school day or the use of specific medical devices, including Epipens, please make arrangements to drop them off directly to Nurse Ludwig. She can be reached at sludwig@walpole.k12.ma.us or by phone at (508) 660-7226.

The Walpole Middle School Cross Country program is designed for athletes to get a preview of High School Cross Country. They will learn about the sport of running and experience competition against other middle school runners. Join coach Antonietta O'Toole on Tuesdays and Thursdays for this seven-week Cross Country Program. This program will focus on strength, flexibility, endurance, technique and speed. Click here to sign up.

Please consider donating to the PAC, any amount is greatly appreciated. The more donated, the less we will have to fundraise!

These funds will go to homework club, field trips for all grades, 8th grade year end celebration, spring musical and staff appreciation, if we raise more we want to do more for students and hopefully do a nice treat and fun assembly for them as well. You can Venmo or send in a check payable to BMS PAC. We greatly appreciate it, BMS PAC.

Please be aware that we open our doors to students at 7:25, and we expect each student to be in their homeroom seat by 7:45. Homeroom is an important time for students to get settled and receive important information about goings on during the school day. Any student who arrives to homeroom after 7:45 will be marked tardy. Once a student has accrued three tardies in a term, they will be required to serve an after school detention. If you have any questions, or would like some guidance on how to help your student arrive to school on time, please contact Mr. O'Leary for help.

This year Mrs. O'Malley is splitting time between Bird Middle School and Johnson Middle School. Below are the days and times students can see Mrs. O'Malley to check out a book, ask for a book recommendation, or receive extra help with research.

Days 1,2,3 - Mrs. O'Malley is at BMS

Days 5,6,7 - Mrs. O'Malley is at JMS

Day 4 - Mrs. O'Malley alternates the two schools.

• Before school Days 1,2,3: Check out a book, read, do homework, study. 7:20 - 7:45 am

• X block Days 1&3: Visit the library to check out a book.

• Working lunch Days 1 & 2: Bring your lunch & read a book, do homework, or study

Remember eBooks & audiobooks are always accessible through SORA on the Chromebook.

Students spend some time outside during lunch for 10 - 12 minutes every day, with the exception of heavy rain, thunderstorms, and extreme temperatures. Please be sure to send your student in with appropriate outdoor clothing so we can all enjoy their time outside after eating lunch.

As a reminder, all student meals (breakfast and lunch) are free of charge this school year. Find out what's being served by checking out the Middle School Menu.

If you have any questions or general concerns, please contact Principal Connor at econnor@walpole.k12.ma.us or Assistant Principal O'Leary at joleary@walpole.k12.ma.us.

Email: bmsoffice@walpole.k12.ma.us
Website: https://www.walpole.k12.ma.us/o/bms
Location: 625 Washington St, Walpole, MA, USA
Phone: (508) 660-7226