Banks Middle School

Dear Families,

We have a lot going on in the coming weeks, here are a few quick updates:

• Fall Conferences are coming up on November 5th and 6th. On November 5th they will be from 4-8 pm, then on November 6th we will have in person conferences from 4:00-6:25. After that, our teachers will call families that we didn't see in person to check in, we will do our best to call as many families as possible from 7-8 pm that night, so if you aren't able to make it to the in person conferences, have your phone nearby in case we are able to call you.
• Thanks to businesses donating alongside parents, our PTO's Boo your student fundraiser has enough funds for all BMS students to get a Boo bag. If you do NOT want your student to receive a Boo bag, just email Ms. Everett (caitline@banks.k12.or.us), otherwise, they will receive one next week.
• October is Bullying Awareness Month, if you want to learn more about how we are raising awareness at BMS, check out Ms. del Villar's counseling corner below!
• If you have a question for a teacher, the best way to contact them is via email, or a phone call or meeting request. Our teachers use after school time to plan unless they are in a meeting, so please do not go to their classroom without an appointment.
• The Dance and Haunted Hallway is tonight, from 6-8 pm! $10 tickets at the door, and $3 entry fee for the Haunted Hallway (this is a fundraiser for our BMS Leadership program).
• Girls wrestling registration is now open, see flyer below.
• October 27-30th is spirit week at BMS! See the theme days below!
• Quarter 1 grades will be finalized on October 31. Please check ParentVUE with your student, talk about their progress, and reach out to teachers with any questions. Remember that with our standards-based assessment and grading practices, grades on standards are not fixed! Students have multiple opportunities to show what they know through retakes, redos, and/or additional assessments that cover the same standards. If your student's grades aren't what they hoped, talk to them about turning in missing work and/or utilizing these opportunities to improve!
• Need math or homework help? Homework club is once a week on Tuesdays in Ms. Reckers' room, see the permission slip below!

Keep reading for additional information on:

• Girls Wresting
• Halloween Dance and Haunted Hallways
• Chess Club
• 6th grade Outdoor School
• Yearbooks and fundraisers
• Spirit week

Thank you all for your ongoing support of BMS!

Best wishes,

Caitlin Everett

Banks Middle School Principal

Oct. 17: Halloween Dance, 6-8 pm, hosted by PTO, with Haunted Hallways by Leadership students!

Oct. 20: BMS PTO Meeting, 5-6 pm in the Library

Oct 27-30: BMS Spirit week

Oct. 31: No School (Grading Day)

Nov. 5 & 6: Evening Conferences

Nov. 7, 10, and 11: No School

Our PTO and Leadership Students are working together this year to build on the success of last year's Haunted Hallway and Halloween dance, which was a huge hit with our students! We are in need of parent volunteers to help supervise, you can sign up here (just make sure you have completed the district volunteer background check).

Dance tickets are $10, paid at the door. Students can also bring a little extra cash if they want to go through Leadership's Haunted Hallway (each time through is $1 and raises money that our student leaders can use to host fun events for our students for the year). This event is for BMS students only.

The PTO is thrilled to offer a special opportunity for you to recognize and celebrate your student(s) this Fall. In honor of the upcoming spooky season, we are launching our "Boo Your Student" campaign. For just $10, you can send a festive, fun-filled package to be placed in your student's locker during the week of October 22nd. Just fill out this form to sign your student up!

Each package will be decorated and include a variety of treats such as snacks, drinks, stickers, fidgets, and other enjoyable items designed especially for middle school-aged students.

If you have multiple students, please fill out one survey per student! We will except sign-ups and payment until October 15th. For Payment using a card please go to https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/boo-your-student or Venmo @Banks_Middle_School_PTO.

Thank you for your continued support of the Middle School PTO, and we hope you enjoy this fun way to bring a little extra joy to your student(s) this Fall!

Save the date! Our 6th graders will be going to Outdoor School April 14-17 this year at Camp Cedar Ridge in Vernonia. This is the same site we went to last year and requested again because of the awesome experience and programming they provided to our students. There is much more information to come, and we will hold a family night in the winter to share details and answer parent questions. For now, if you want to learn more you can check out this FAQ for parents.

Yearbooks are on sale now! They are $25 and you can order here.

Yearbook Photo Share: Families can submit any photo to be in the yearbook. We rely on photos from the community because our staff cant be everywhere. Weekend sports, band/choir concerts, students with pets.... we would love to use your photos! https://photos.jostens.com/TMZT36

The PTO is still looking for volunteers to help with football concessions on September 23rd. You can sign up here: Football Concessions Sign-Up.

BMS Student Leadership is continuing their BottleDrop fundraiser this year as a BottleDrop Give organization and participating using “blue bags”.

Once you fill the bag, you can:

1) Have your student pick up a blue bag with QR code sticker from Ms. King

2) Return it to Mrs. King full of cans/bottles and she will take it to a BottleDrop

3) You can also return it to a BottleDrop location and make sure they scan the BMS Leadership QR code.

If you shop at Fred Meyer you are now able to support our PTO by enrolling in the Community Rewards program with Fred Meyer. Once enrolled, they will contribute $ to the PTO for all eligible purchases.

Signing up is easy. Visit https://www.fredmeyer.com. Once logged into your Fred Meyer account, you can search for Banks Middle School PTO either by name or "VI069" and then click "Enroll". New users will need to create an account, which requires some basic information, a valid email address and a rewards card.