Ben Reifel Middle School
https://www.facebook.com/brmsbison/
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/brmsbisonEmail: SFSDBRMSOffice@k12.sd.us
Website: https://www.sf.k12.sd.us/ben-reifel/home
Location: 6700 East 41st Street, Sioux Falls, SD, USA
Phone: 605-371-4155
From the Principal's Desk
Greetings Ben Reifel Families,
Welcome to November! Thanksgiving is one of my favorite times of the year. This holiday is a time to be with family, share a meal, and reflect on what matters most. When reflecting on what matters most at Ben Reifel, it is our staff and students. We instill in our students and staff our core values: empathy, integrity, unity, and excellence. Our mission is to foster the growth of our academic, social, and emotional skills to positively impact our lives and the community. That mission has come to life by our staff and students empowering others to bring their best selves, serve others, cultivate positive relationships, and understand differences.
The staff has heard me state that my at-home family is my greatest treasure. I’m very thankful I have a family at Ben Reifel, too. Mr. Hieronimus and I always express to our staff and students that we are one big family, and they will always be a Bison. Our gratitude lies with the families that are part of Ben Reifel. Thank you for sharing your students with us each day. Thank you for supporting your student(s) and the staff at Ben Reifel to ensure success now and in the future. It truly does take a village/family. We are truly blessed!
We have many exciting things happening in November at Ben Reifel, so please refer to our BRMS calendar located on the district website for a listing of all our events. Please remember there will be no school on November 11, in observance of Veteran’s Day. There will also be no school on November 23, 24, and 25 in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday. We wish you a blessed Thanksgiving!
Sincerely,
Mrs. VanDrongelen- Assistant Principal
Ben Reifel Middle School PTO
The BRMS PTO is always looking for new members! Get involved at school and help us fulfill our mission to strengthen, complement, and encourage the educational and social culture of BRMS and to unify and enhance the school experience with other opportunities for families, staff, and students to learn, socialize, connect and flourish. There are no membership costs to becoming part of the PTO, either!
The best way to learn about PTO activities and get involved is to follow our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/BenReifelMiddleSchoolPTO
Greetings from Student Council!
We have hit the ground running and are busy making plans for the upcoming school year. Our first event had our representatives going to visit our neighbors at Fire Station 12. We bought bagels for them in appreciation for all they do and toured the station. We are so lucky to have them as neighbors and appreciate who they protect the community daily.
Mark your calendars for November 17th. The Student Council is hosting a movie night from 4:00-6:00 in the cafeteria. Tickets will be sold in advance during PRO-Time for $2 and at the door for $3. The ticket covers the price of admission and popcorn during the movie. We will announce the movie we select soon.
During the week of November 8th, we will be working alongside Special Olympics to promote National Kindness Week, which is officially on November 13th. Postcards of Kindness will be composed during PRO-Time and shared with students throughout the week. We are excited to be a part of this awesome event.
With Bison Pride,
Mrs. Cleveland and Mrs. Todd
Student Council advisors
Hello from Bison Dance & Cheer!
I am so excited to kick off Cheer (formally Cheer and Dance) here at Ben Reifel this fall/winter! As a reminder, Cheer is open to all Ben Reifel students (yes, even sixth grade)! This year we will have tryouts, but that shouldn’t discourage you to give us a try - even if you’ve never cheered before! We are looking for girls with spirit, willingness to learn something new, and to be LOUD and PROUD!
Tryouts will be November 1-3 after school until 5:15pm in the following locations:
November 1-2 - Auxiliary/mini gym
November 3 - Auditorium
Results will be posted November 4th by 4PM. Students can register with this link CLICK HERE
Schedules will be given out at our first practice, Tuesday, November 8th. Practices will be held twice a week on Tuesdays and Wednesday after school from 4:00PM to 5:15PM. Please make sure you are picking up your athlete on time. At practice, athletes only need to come in clothes they can comfortably work out in and tennis shoes along with a water bottle and pompoms (if they already have a pair).
What does my athlete need for equipment? Because we are not school sponsored, equipment is not provided; however, there is not a lot to purchase outside of pompoms, a t-shirt, and a bow. I will send home a short list with the schedules on November 8th with more information. This year we have traditional uniforms; however, a limited number of them. I am hoping to be able to purchase more in the future!
If you have further questions: joy.yount@k12.sd.us & alyssa.rofshus@k12.sd.us
Welcome to Ben Reifel Choir Department
BRMS Musical - Annie Jr.
Ben Reifel choirs will present the musical Annie Jr. January 26-28, 2023. Students must be in chorus both 1st and 2nd semester to be eligible to be part of the musical. Auditions will be held before and after school the week of November 14-17. Audition materials will be available in the choir room. Audition sign-up sheets will be posted on the choir room door the week of November 7. Participation in the musical is optional. Please make sure your singer is available during the performance dates before auditioning for the musical.
Concert dates for 2022-2023 - all choirs
Winter Concert – December 6, 2022; 6th grade – 6:00pm; 7th grade – 7:00pm; 8th grade – 8:00pm
Spring Concert – May 15, 2023; 6th grade – 6:00pm; 7th grade – 7:00pm; 8th grade – 8:00pm
Concert attendance is mandatory. Absences due to non-school activities of any kind will not be excused. Choir is a graded class, and performances are our main form of assessment. In addition, it is vital to the success of our program that students honor the commitment made to the BRMS choirs.
We ask that the students wear nice clothes and we do not specify colors. If they have black and white for other events or concerts that's fine, but we do not specify. Ideally, student performers would wear nice pants (not jeans) with a nice shirt. We know that for some families, purchasing new outfits for concerts could cause hardship, especially around the holidays, so we leave it fairly open-ended. If there are questions or more specific clarification is needed, please e-mail Jennifer.Spencer@k12.sd.us or Pamela.Green@k12.sd.us.
More specific information about what time to report will be sent via e-mail as the event date gets closer.
All Choirs Skyforce singing opportunity
All Ben Reifel Middle School choir members are invited for a fun, family-friendly night at the Skyforce game on Tuesday, January 31. We will sing the Star Spangled Banner and then stay to watch the Skyforce take on the Texas Legends from Los Angeles. Game time is 6:30 p.m. Students who choose to sing the Star Spangled Banner will get free admission to the game. Friends and family will have the opportunity to purchase discounted tickets. Specifics about how to order tickets, report time, attire, and a sign-up for students interested in singing will be included in the December newsletter.
As always, if there are any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Mrs. Spencer at Jennifer.Spencer@k12.sd.us or Ms. Green at Pamela.Green@k12.sd.us.
As always, if there are any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Mrs. Spencer at Jennifer.Spencer@k12.sd.us or Ms. Green at Pamela.Green@k12.sd.us.
Band at BRMS!
WHS Indoor Marching Band Show!
Indoor show matinee for all 7th & 8th grade band students: Thursday, November 3rd, 1:30pm in WHS Auditorium (students will be bussed)
8th Graders to Perform With High School Bands
All 8th Grade Band members will have the opportunity to perform with the Symphonic Band at WHS!
Future Washington Warrior Band Members:
Concert – Tuesday, Nov. 15
5:30p.m. – Arrive at WHS for pizza
6:00p.m. – Rehearsal
7:00p.m. – Concert
*Students should wear black to the concert
Thank you for getting your child to this performance! We look forward to a great concert!
Middle School All-State Band Auditions
Some of our BRMS Band Members have been busy preparing for the South Dakota Middle School All-State Band auditions. These auditions involve practicing and performing selected scales and etudes specific to their instrument. The auditions are recorded at BRMS (in most cases) in November and early December. They are then submitted to be judged. Results are posted in January. Those who are selected prepare special music for an All-State concert in Huron on the first Saturday in March. We highly encourage your child to give it a try!
Middle School All-State Jazz Band Auditions
Similar to All State Band, audition materials for All State Jazz Band are now available. Those selected will be part of an event that takes place February 3-4 at the Mitchell Performing Arts Center. The audition deadline is Friday, January 6, 2022.
Private Lessons
At BRMS, we have a number of students who study privately (take private band lessons) with someone who specializes in their instrument. Private lessons can really spark their enthusiasm and boost their playing ability. If you would like more information on private lessons or would like us to help connect you with a private teacher, please contact one of the band directors and we can help you with that.
January Wind Ensemble & Jazz Band Pops Concert
Monday, Jan. 30 **New Date**
7:00pm
BRMS Auditorium
This will be the first performance for both the Jazz Band and Wind Ensemble. Bows of the Bison will also be a part of this concert.
See email from band directors for t-shirt order form. It is the same shirt as last year.
Ali Dunbar
BRMS Head Band Director
Brooke Bigge
BRMS Assistant Band Director
Ben Reifel Orchestra
Greetings BRMS Orchestra Students and Families,
Our 6th - 12th Grade Orchestra Festival at the Arena on Tuesday, November 8th is right around the corner! We are making great progress on our music in class. Here are some pointers to be ready:
1. Have personal instruments clearly labeled with your name, school, and grade.
-We will also have a YELLOW wristband attached to everything we bring - including you!
2. Write down the information about your personal instrument in a safe place including the make, model, serial number, and any other identifying information about it or the case.
-There will be hundreds of instruments that look just like yours.
3. Listen to our concert music daily before you practice.
-Listening to our music will save you practice time!
4. Perform for your family a test concert to get prepared for the concert night.
-Performing for a loving audience is a great way to get the jitters out!
5. Get plenty of rest, especially the day before the concert.
-The #1 training secret of any athlete, especially athletes like musicians who work tiny muscles on our musical instruments, is sufficient sleep. It is a super power!
The audition window for Middle School All State Orchestra (MSASO) opened on October 15, 2022 and continues until November 15, 2022. Audition materials are available in the orchestra room and online at sdmea.net/events/middle-school-all-state-orchestra/. Mr. T. can help you practice for the audition, record the audition, and get your audition submitted to the South Dakota Music Educators’ Association. This is an optional activity with very challenging music.
Lastly, our special string ensemble Bows of the Bison Orchestra (BBO) has begun rehearsals. We meet every Monday and Friday from 7:40 - 8:40 AM. Come be part of this unique ensemble! This group is open to all students seeking even more challenges, a wide variety of music from classical to pop, and more performance opportunities throughout the year including an Orchestra Competition Festival and an Elementary Tour of our local schools that feed into BRMS.
Musically,
Andrew Travers
Ben Reifel Middle School Orchestra Director
605-299-5223 (Text Only)
