Ballenger Creek Middle School

This year, Ballenger Creek Middle School is focused on helping every student achieve their best, with goals around academic success, attendance, behavior, and wellness. We're working to improve proficiency in both English and Math, reduce chronic absenteeism, and ensure that students are supported in making positive choices. Strategies include high-dosage tutoring, early intervention for attendance, social-emotional learning, and wellness activities.

Families play a huge role in student success! Please encourage your child to attend school every day, and check in regularly on their progress. Together, we can create a strong foundation for your child’s future success.

Thank you for your continued partnership!

Dear Parent or Guardian,

The purpose of this letter is to notify you that the State identified your child’s school, in the 2022-2023 school year, as an Additional Targeted Support and Improvement (ATSI) school. This letter provides important information regarding your child's school and describes the Maryland State Department of Education’s (MSDE) process for measuring the academic performance of public schools in Maryland. In December 2015, the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) was signed into law. Highlights of ESSA include holding all students to high academic standards and identifying low performing schools along with appropriate supports for school improvement. Under ESSA, there are three main school designations: Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI), Targeted Support and Improvement (TSI) and Additional Targeted Support and Improvement (ATSI). The State uses results from its accountability indicators from Maryland ESSA Report Card, to identify CSI, TSI, and ATSI schools.

ATSI Schools

ATSI schools are identified every three years. Below is key information regarding ATSI identification:

• A school is identified as an ATSI school when one or more student groups perform as low as the lowest performing 5% of Title I schools in Maryland

• Student groups considered for identification include racial and ethnic groups, students who are economically disadvantaged, students with disabilities, and Multilingual Learners (ML).

• Any school can be identified as an ATSI school regardless of Title I status.

Schools identified as ATSI schools in the 2022-2023 school year will be eligible to exit in the 2026-2027 school year based on 2025-2026 performance data. ATSI schools will exit their status if 2025-2026 accountability data reflects that their ATSI-identified student group is no longer performing as low as the lowest performing 5% of Title I schools in Maryland, and no additional student groups have fallen below that lowest 5% cut point.

ATSI schools receive targeted support. Through collaboration, partnerships, and technical assistance, they develop and implement an improvement plan, which is annually monitored and approved by the LEA. LEAs also receive an annual grant to fund the implementation of evidence-based improvement strategies and supports in their ATSI schools.

For more information about the resources, specific strategies, and tailored school goals, please review the School Improvement Plan on your school’s website. Additionally, your school’s rating report is available at https://reportcard.msde.maryland.gov/.

The first step of the process is to follow these detailed directions (instrucciones detalladas en español) on how to create an account in Unified Talent and then how to complete the two required trainings. After you complete your trainings, you will receive an email with the next steps in the process. Please be aware that the process can take 48-72 hours and MUST BE COMPLETED PRIOR to you volunteering for FCPS.

If you are a current FCPS Employee who is interested in volunteering, you must complete the Volunteer training listed under your Recommended Courses on your Unified Talent Home Page.

All students who want to have their spring picture taken on March 17th will need to submit their payment online or bring in their payment on Spring Picture Day. Students who do not have their payments submitted or with them will not be able to have their picture taken. There is not a make-up day for Spring Picture Day.

Spring Picture Day order information:

Link to order spring pictures: https://vando.imagequix.com/J9FRB96

Online Code: ballcrk25

The panoramic picture day for 8th grade will Monday, May 19th. More information will be provided in the upcoming Community Newsletters and via email.

Yearbooks on are on sale now for the 2024-2025 school year.

The last day to order this year's yearbook is April 10, 2025.

Yearbooks must be pre-ordered as there will not be any additional yearbooks for sale at the end of the school year. All yearbooks will be delivered to students who have pre-ordered them prior to the last day of the school year.

Cost of Yearbook:

• Hardcover - $34.00
• Softcover - $29.00

Link to Purchase Yearbook: https://shop.yearbookmarket.com/ballengercreekmiddle

Twice weekly students take part in SEL lessons that focus on the social and emotional well being of middle schoolers as well as connecting with one another. The most recent topics covered in the SEL lessons are:

• Positive Decision Making
• Kindness
• MD Climate Survey for Students
• Healthy Friendship Relationships

Please take a moment and talk with your child about what they learned in the most recent SEL lessons.

Car Rider Drop Off and Pick Up

Please be sure to use the car rider line to drop off and pick up your child each day. Our goal is to ensure the safety of everyone coming to and from school daily. Dropping off students on Ballenger Creek Pike is not only dangerous, but is not permitted. We kindly ask that all car riders are dropped off and picked up properly each and every day.

Students' Walking Home

To ensure the safety of all our walkers, please remind your child to walk on the designated sidewalks and not cut through the car rider line to get the path in the back of the building. It is imperative that our students follow the directions of our staff members daily to ensure that they all get home safely. Also, please remind your child to use designated crosswalks to cross all roadways.

Cell Phones/Personal Electronic Devices

Students are not permitted to use cell phones or any other type of personal electronic device in FCPS middle schools while school is in session. At BCMS, our rule of thumb is "Off and Away from 7:30am-3:00pm." This is important for all of our students as they should be focused on their learning and socializing with their peers and teachers. Please support BCMS by reiterating this message to your child at home.

Outside Food

Outside food is not permitted in our cafeteria. If a student does not have a lunch because they forgot it at home, school staff will support your child in getting a lunch from the cafeteria. However, in the event that you do have to drop off a lunch for your child, please know that your child may not eat food from a restaurant in the cafeteria. The student will be asked to eat the food elsewhere before reporting to the cafeteria. It is best practice to drop off a lunch that is in a packed lunch box for your child so that he or she may remain in the cafeteria during their lunch.

Attendance

Students are to be in their 1st period class each day by 8:00am. If they arrive after 8:00am, students will be marked tardy. When they accumulate 3 tardies, they will be issued a lunch detention and if the chronic tardiness continues, students will be issued after school detention(s). If your child is going to be tardy or absent for any reason, please send an email to BCMS.Attendance@fcps.org. Please be sure to indicate your child's first and last name as well as the reason for the tardy or absence. Thank you for your continued support.

6th Grade:

Students in on grade math will begin Module 6 which involves equations and inequalities. Within module 6, the students will begin learning how to isolate and solve for variables. Students will look at 1-step and 2-step equations. Students will also use number lines to visualize solutions for inequalities.

In honors' classes, students will be finishing Module 6 (Equations and Inequalities) and starting Module 7 (relationships between two variables). In module 7, students extend their knowledge on solving equations to the relationship between independent and dependent variables in linear equations. Students will show and explain this relationship with equations, graphs, tables, and words.

7th Grade:

Students will begin Module 7 (Write and Solve Inequalities) and move into Module 8 (Geometric Figures). Module 7 involves solving and graphing the solutions to inequalities, as well as writing inequalities to represent word problems. In Module 8, students will explore different angle relationships, triangles, and scale drawings.

7ACC:

Students will finish Module 9 (Probability) and move into Module 10 (Sampling and Statistics). In Module 9, students will find likelihood, relative frequency, and theoretical probabilities of simple and compound events. Module 10 deals with samples, populations, and making predictions about data.

8th Grade:

Students will be finishing up Module 7 (Triangles and Pythagorean Theorem) and working through Module 8 (Transformations) In Module 8, students will be learning how to translate, rotate, reflect, and dilate geometric figures.

Algebra:

Students will be finishing Module 10 and working through Module 11 (Quadratic Functions). In Module 11, students will be learning the key features of quadratic graphs, how to solve quadratic equations via multiple methods, and how to solve a system of linear and quadratic equations.

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. A step-by-step “how to” for checking their reports can be found here. For questions about ALEKS topic goals, please reach out to your student’s grade level math teacher, our school Math Specialist, Ms. Boyer (laura.boyer@fcps.org), or our school Math Department Chair, Ms. Dickson (ashley.dickson@fcps.org).

6th Grade:

We are in the beginning phases of preparing students for Outdoor School! Dates range from April 4th - April 11th and depend on what teacher and what period your student has science class. The two-day trip is completely free. Students will arrive at BCMS in the morning as they normally do and they will be back to school in time to be dismissed as per usual. Permission slips were sent home the week of March 3rd with students. For more information, please visit https://sites.google.com/fcps.org/outdoorschool/home

7th Grade:

Students are working to analyze and interpret data on the properties of substances before and after the substances interact to determine if a chemical reaction has occurred.

8th Grade:

Students are working to plan an investigation to provide evidence that the change in an object’s motion depends on the sum of the forces on the object and the mass of the object.

Hello Parents!

There are some things happening in March…

1. Misa Testing (Science) for 8th grade starts March 1st. Good luck to all the 8th graders!! You got this!

2. Multicultural Night is April 24th from 6:00pm - 7:30pm. Students present a trifold display board with information about their cultural background and heritage, including landmarks, food, music, art, clothing, and celebrations. Ms. Webb’s classes are starting to work on their presentations and hope the students will be there to present their work.

3. If you received an email about after school tutoring on Tuesday and Wednesday, please remind your student to attend tutoring. Ms. Webb is there to support your student in math and ELA.

4. Speaking of culture...St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated on Monday, March 17th!!

If at any time during the school year, you have questions or concerns about your ML student please don’t hesitate to email one of us.

ML Teacher Contact Information:

Sarah Birmanns - 8th grade and A - H 6th grade

• sarah.birmanns@fcps.org

Claudine Webb - 7th grade and I - Z 6th grade

• claudine.webb@fcps.org

MARCH IS NATIONAL READING MONTH!

So, why read?

• Reading reduces stress

• Reading improves memory and concentration

• Reading increases empathy

• Reading improves your vocabulary

• Reading makes you a stronger writer

• Reading helps you sleep better

• Reading helps you build background knowledge

• Reading sparks your imagination

Our ELA teachers are planning to introduce a novel study this spring. We’re excited to see how our students rise to the challenge. However, we highly recommend that students read outside of class, too.

Visit our media center to check out the amazing selection. Consider visiting the public library to find a book or participate in an event. (https://frederick.librarycalendar.com/events/month)

Happy reading!

Contact Information:

Katherine Shaffer, Literacy Specialist

Email: Katherine.Shaffer@fcps.org

Phone: 227-203-2150 Ext. 41608

It’s time to check in with where we are on ALEKS topics. At this point in the year we should be 60% of the way through our ALEKS topics for our curriculum. Teachers assign 5 ALEKS topics a week to be completed. But if the student is not retaining the topics when taking their Knowledge Checks then you will see a drop in topic mastery. This is important because I will have students come to me and say they do their 5 topics why should they care to do more. The answer is that if we can get the students to be close to the 60%-70% mastery before MCAP they will have a higher chance of being proficient. If we can get them to 80%-100% before the end of the year we can set them up for success in the next curriculum they see for next year. This reduces their stress when learning the next material because they will have the prerequisites needed to be successful.

Parents/guardians can check to see how many topics your child has completed by having them log into ALEKS and click on their Pie Progress. There will be a circle with a number in the center. Here are the number of topics each curriculum should have completed at this point in the year:

Contact Information:

Laura Boyer, Math Specialist

Email: Laura.Boyer@fcps.org

Phone: 227-203-2150 Ext. 41574

CPL Resources and Events:

• GALE - Test and Career Prep: Free Advanced Placement (AP) test prep through Peterson’s Test & Career Prep

• C. Burr Artz Activity Calendar for March

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Local Summer Enrichment Programs:

• GEMS Summer STEM Enrichment Program
  Gains in the Education of Mathematics and Science (GEMS) is a free, U.S. Army-sponsored, summer STEM enrichment program for middle and high school students that takes place within Fort Detrick’s research laboratories and engineering centers. Students will receive a $125 stipend at the end of the program. The student application is open until April 14, however, it is recommended to begin the application process early. For more information, visit the GEMS website.
  
  

Christine Brown | Middle School Advanced Academics Teacher Specialist

Serving Ballenger Creek MS & Brunswick MS

BCMS Spirit Wear

BCMS SPIRIT WEAR IS STILL AVAILABLE!

Spirit Wear can be purchased online all year. Spirit wear makes great gifts for birthdays and holidays so we encourage you to keep us in mind. Now is the perfect time to plan ahead for the next school year and purchase spirit wear in advance.

New designs have been added showing our Bulldog mascot! Orders can be placed online at http://www.ballengercreekspiritwear.com.

PTSA MEMBERSHIP

PLEASE CONSIDER JOINING THE PTSA!

Families, faculty and students: this is a great time to join the BCMS PTSA. Yes, that’s right! Students are permitted to join the PTSA. The cost of a membership for parents is $10 but is only $5 for students.

The PTSA’s Board of Directors typically meets on the 2nd Tuesday of every month virtually. The link will be sent out via email ahead of the meeting date. All PTSA members are welcome to attend these monthly meetings. Joining these meetings is a wonderful way to get involved with your child’s school. We want to hear from you!

The goal is 130 members this year. There are nearly 800 students and over 90 staff members at BCMS this year. We can do it! You may join the BCMS PTSA by going to https://bcms.memberhub.com/store.

The BCMS PTSA would like to congratulate Adelyn Heisey and William Knoepfle for their entries in the National PTA Reflections program! They each won a $25 gift card from the BCMS PTA and their entries both placed in the county competition and will now be moving on to be judged in the state competition! The theme this year was Accepting Imperfection and Adelyn was awarded Outstanding Interpretation for her photograph titled Up, Over, and Around while William received the Award of Merit for his photograph titled Rocky Starts can lead to Perfect Endings. Best of luck to these amazing artists!

Term 2 report cards were sent out this past week and we are already jumping right into Term 3. This month, we are going to focus on getting ready for the 25-26 school year. 8th grade registration forms for THS are due February 5th. Students can find the registration form on Schoology in the THS High School Registration course. Starting the week of February 10th, Mr. Ledyard will be going out to our feeder schools to meet with the 5th grade students to talk about middle school registration. BCMS is hosting 6th grade Parent Information Night on February 18th from 6:00pm - 7:30pm. Incoming 6th grade students will be able to access their registration forms on Schoology after the Parent Information Night. Ms. Reese and Mr. Webber will be going into classes on February 13th to talk with our current 6th and 7th graders about registration. This is going to be a busy month, so please reach out to your students' grade level counselor if you have any questions about registration. Below is a link to the FCPS Course Guides for the upcoming school year. This is a great resource to use to learn more about each of the courses offered at middle school and high school.

School Counselor Contact Information:

• Grade 6 - Johnny Webber (johnny.webber@fcps.org)
• Grade 7 - Rebecca Reese (rebecca.reese@fcps.org)
• Grade 8 - Dave Ledyard (david.ledyard@fcps.org)

It is important to take care of yourself to be able to show up in a positive manner. This month take a moment and think about nourishing your body by reviewing information on positive eating habits. The visual below will provide you with useful tools to eating healthy.

Technology Reminders:

Device Care & Usage - All students have been issued an FCPS Chromebook and are responsible for proper care and use of their devices. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Keeping the device in the school issued case at all times.

• Refraining from sharing the device and/or charger with others.

• Refraining from adding stickers or drawing on the device.

• Only using websites and programs as instructed by staff.

• Charging their devices each night so it is ready for use the next day.

As a reminder, when students are assigned a Chromebook, charger, and case, the use of a school issued device, during the school day or at home, is a privilege that comes with responsibilities. If repair for a damaged device incurs a charge, a financial obligation will be issued as follows:

• 1st Incident: $30
• 2nd Incident: $60
• 3rd Incident: $120
• 4th Incident: Full replacement cost: $317
• Lost Charger: $30
• Case: $25

FCPS reserves the right to charge full replacement/repair cost if the device is intentionally damaged. Any damage that occurs to a device while not in the case will be considered intentional.

Mr. Steedley

isaiah.steedley@fcps.org

User Support Specialist

Update from Ms. Rogers, Community Liaison

I am the person who you will reach out to if you are in need of any resources for your child or your family. I also work collaboratively between home and school to bridge the communication and make things easier for everyone. Some supports that I can assist you with are getting food if your pantry is low, helping to locate a therapist, transportation, school lunch support, etc. I am here to support our school community and am only a phone call or email away.

Ms. Kathleen Rogers

kathleen.rogers@fcps.org

240-236-5773

Frederick Food Bank Information

The Frederick Food Bank at Trinity (6040 New Design Road) will operate for food distribution from 2:00pm to 4:00pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays for residents seeking assistance.

The Food Bank at 14 E. All Saints will continue to operate from 2:00pm to 4:00pm on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. It is also open from 6:00pm to 8:00pm on Mondays and Wednesdays.

Additional Food Pantry Information:

Crestwood Middle School will have a food drop that will take place the 4th Tuesday of every month, which is also open to families from our school community.

Want to Be a FCPS Volunteer?

Please follow all directions to create an account in order to complete the FCPS volunteer training, which is linked at the top of our Community Newsletter.

Lunch Monitor Volunteers NEEDED

BCMS is looking for volunteers to help support lunch monitoring in all of our grade level lunch shifts. Lunch occurs between 11:00am to 1:25pm Monday through Fridays. If you are interested in volunteering by monitoring lunch shifts, it would be greatly appreciated. It is also most helpful to have someone who will volunteer on a specific day/time each week so that our students get to know the volunteer. If this volunteer position is of interest to you, please call me at 227-203-2168 ext. 4158. BCMS could really use your support!

Free and Reduced Lunch Information

On Saturday February 8th, BCMS students competed in the Regional Mathcounts competition. Over 150 students from Frederick and Carrol county participated. Three students from the BCMS group, Kevin Chen, Tanner Moody, and Ryan Chen scored in the top 30 and have earned the chance to represent BCMS at the State level Mathcounts competition in March. There, they will face off against students from all over Maryland. We wish them the best of luck!

BCMS would like to congratulate Adelyn Heisey and William Knoepfle for their entries in the National PTA Reflections program! They each won a $25 gift card from the BCMS PTA and their entries both placed in the county competition and will now be moving on to be judged in the state competition!

Congratulations to all of our choral and instrumental students who participated in their music adjudication this month. We are BCMS proud of all of you and your accomplishments!

I am pleased to announce that you can now register for Titans Youth Soccer Camp.

Camp will be held at Tuscarora High School from 8:30a-12:30p on 6/23-6/26. We will hold Friday, 6/27, open as a rain date. This is a 4-day camp.

Camp is for boys entering Kindergarten - 9th grade for the 2025-26 school year (currently in Pre K-8th).

Follow this link to find information about camp:

https://soccer.titansportscamps.com/index.cfm

Follow this link to register:

https://register.ryzer.com/camp.cfm?sport=7&id=292488

Follow this link for last year's camp video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=nKQ6lX7SgTQ

We've shattered camp records over the last 3 summers, finishing last summer with 162 campers. Soccer has grown so much in our community and camp has become so popular that we will be forced to move away from the coed model and have a separate girls camp, likely the week after the boys camp (more info to come).

Thanks and hope to see you there!

Todd Knepper

Tuscarora High School

Drawing & Painting Teacher

Boys Soccer Head Coach (Twitter: @giveallgainall)

The 5-Star Service Award is for community use in recognizing FCPS employees who show excellence in one of the 5 FCPS goals. Community members are welcome to nominate any worthy FCPS employees. You can nominate here.

• March 17th - Spring Picture Day
• March 27th - End of Term 3 (Two Hour Early Dismissal)
• March 28th - Teacher Work Day (Schools Closed for Students)
• April 9th - Term 3 Report Cards Issued
• April 14th - April 21st - Spring Break (Schools Closed)