Bulldog Blast
Ballenger Creek Middle School Community Newsletter
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We are off to a great start this school year at BCMS. We just recently passed the halfway point for Term 1 and the end of the term is coming quickly.
Progress reports for any students who received a D or F at midterm will be sent home next week. This year parent conferences are schedule to take place the week of October 13th. Please be on the lookout for information on how to sign up to meet with your student's classroom teachers. The end of Term 1 is October 27th. Please work with your student to make sure they are keeping up with the work and submitting all their assignments.
Finally, the Academy of Fine Arts and the Career and Technology Center are visiting our school on October 30th. They will be speaking with our 8th grade students to share information about the different programs. Both programs will also be present during the 6th and 7th grade lunch shifts to answer questions about meet with the students.
As always, 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.
Rebecca Reese 8th Grade Rebecca.Reese@fcps.org
Johnny Webber 7th Grade Johnny.Webber@fcps.orgps.org
David Ledyard 6th Grade David.Ledyard@fcps.org
If you haven’t done so already, please set up your parent Schoology account so you can follow along with your child’s progress in school. You can find more information about how to create your parent account on the FCPS website.: https://www.fcps.org/families_students/schoology
The special education department encourages parents and guardians to sign up for conferences with their child's teachers. The case managers will be part of conferences in the general education setting. Parent-teacher involvement is the key to a child's success. Together we can help your child reach their fullest potential.
-Elissa Grimm, Special Education Chairperson
Mathematics Department:
6th Grade: Students will be finishing Module 1 - Ratios and rates which builds conceptual understanding of equivalent ratios and how to create equivalent ratios to answer real world problems. Students will also be starting Module 2 - Decimals, fractions, and percents which relates these three representations and how to convert between them.
7th Grade/7ACC: Students will be finishing up Module 2 (Solve Percent Problems), which includes solving common percent problems, like tax, tips, discounts, and interest, as well as commission, interest, and percent error. They will be starting Module 3 (Operations with Integers), which includes building skills with adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing integers with a focus on negative integers.
8th Grade: Students will be working through Module 2 (Real Numbers) and beginning Module 3 (Solve Equations with Variables on Each Side). In Module 3, students will review solving two-step equations then progress to solving multi-step equations and equations with variables on each side. Students will also learn to determine the number of solutions (one, none, infinite) that an equation has.
Algebra: Students will be finishing up Module 2 (Equations in One Variable) and moving into Module 3 (Relations and Functions) and Module 4 (Linear and Nonlinear Functions). In Module 3, students will learn how to determine the difference between relations and functions, and how to solve for x- and y-intercepts. In Module 4, students will learn how to determine the difference between linear and nonlinear functions, as well as reviewing rate of change.
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 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.
Advanced Academics
Middle School Young Author’s Contest Information:
Attention students in 6th through 8th grades! Write a poem or short story to enter in the Young Author’s Contest at the school level. Winning entries move on to the county level!
Contest Parameters:
Entries must be original work.
All entries must use a 12 point font in Times New Roman.
A short story entry must range between 600-1,600 words.
A poem entry will consist of a single poem, any style, and it must range between 25-200 words.
Entries must not include graphics.
Each entry must include a completed cover sheet signed by the student author’s parent.
There will be winners for poems and short stories at each grade level.
Entries are due December 3! If you have any questions, talk with ELA teachers.
The Academy for the Fine Arts Open House - October 23 from 6:30-8:00 p.m.
The Academy for the Fine Arts will be hosting an open house in October for interested students. All attendees must register prior to attending our Open House on Thursday October 23rd at Governor Thomas Johnson High School. The format will be as follows:
6:30-7:15 p.m. Open house time (see facilities, meet staff and students)
7:15-8:00 p.m. Presentation in the Auditorium (program description, application process, Q and A session)
You may arrive anytime between 6:30 and 7:15 p.m. and then proceed to the auditorium at 7:15 p.m. for the presentation. Park in the auditorium lot between Motter and Market streets and enter through the Auditorium entrance (there is a large banner for AFA by the doors there). Click here to register.
Christine Brown | Middle School Advanced Academics Teacher Specialist
Serving Ballenger Creek MS & Brunswick MS
Office Location: Ballenger Creek MS
The Science Scene:
6th grade students will be attending Outdoor School for two days between November 6 - November 13. The two scheduled days depend on which teacher and period your student has science class. The 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 usual.
For more information, please visit https://sites.google.com/fcps.org/outdoorschool/home
History Has It
Ms. Webb, ME Program Teacher, is hosting this year's National History Day Club On Tuesdays from 3:00 - 4:00pm Starting on Tuesday October 14th. Permission slips are located outside of room 140. If you love history come and join us!
Media Center And Technology
Jenn Lungociu - Media Specialist: Please use the following link for updates and information regarding the Media Center and Technology: https://secure.smore.com/n/7pd81
Eighth Grade Team
The 8th grade Team would like to thank the students and parents of the current 8th grade students. This school year brings change and yet familiarity. Our 8th grade student have been LEADing (Leadership, Empathy, Achievement, and Determination) the BCMS way over the past month and we cannot wait to see this continue over the remainder of the school year.
A huge thank you for the parental and adult support at home. Thank you for holding your students to great moral standards. Thank you for helping us guide them to be citizens for success, and thank you most of all for welcoming our new Assistant Principal, Ms. Lanes Sherman, into our Bulldog community. She is truly part of the PACK.
Fall iReady Diagnostics Are Complete
Over the past month, students have taken i-Ready Diagnostics in both reading and math. Families are encouraged to access their child's results using these directions: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qHfN_URtBqPo7K2-6qBpOT5E4rB1_5pMlf_hz5n39Wg/edit?usp=sharing.
We encourage you to visit the i-Ready Family Center website by visiting https://i-readycentral.com/familycenter/. Please contact your child's teacher or Katherine Shaffer, Literacy Specialist, with any questions.
Katherine Shaffer
Literacy Specialist
Ballenger Creek Middle School
Email: Katherine.Shaffer@fcps.org
Phone: 227-203-2150 ext. 41537
Fellowship Of Christian Athletes
The FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) started meeting on Tuesday September 9, 2025th at 7am in the Theater Arts room. Students enter through the Theater Arts doorway. We have morning snack time together for 15 minutes, then share a 15-minute devotion time, and finish the morning with 15 minutes game time.
Please join us.
If you are interested in joining FCA, please contact me for a registration form at 227-203-2168. Or stop by my office, room 161, which is just off the cafeteria.
OPEN GYM FOR BOYS WHO ATTEND BALLENGER CREEK MS, VIRTUAL SCHOOL, HOME SCHOOL, ATTEND A PRIVATE SCHOOL AND WHO LIVE IN THE BCMS SCHOOL DISTRICT!
TUESDAY OCTOBER 7, 2025 AT BALLENGER CREEK MIDDLE SCHOOL GYM
7th Grade and Under 5:00 TO 7:00
8th Grade 7:00 to 8:30
WEDNESDAY OCT 8, 2025 AT WAVERLY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
201 WAVERLY DRIVE
7th Grade and Under 5:30 to 7:00
8th Grade 7:00 to 8:30
Must have a signed permission slip waiver form in order to participate.
Forms will be at the Registration Desk.
Please email Bulldognation2025@gmail.com if you have any questions.
Parents, Guardians, Siblings, Friends, WILL NOT be allowed in the gym during Open Gym and Tryouts. Gym Space is very small.
NO EXCEPTIONS
Sign Up For Your Conferences Today!
Parent-Teacher conferences are October 13th through 15th and we look forward to meeting with you!
To sign up for conferences, please go to our
Parent Teacher Conference website:
https://www.ptcfast.com/schools/BallengerCreekMiddleSchool2025.
The conference sign ups are available now through Friday, October 10th. Signups will not be available after October 10th.
On the website you will be able to select the teachers with whom you would like a conference. When you enter your email and contact information, the system will email you a link to access the conference times available.
Please note that the email from PTCFast which invites you to choose conference times comes very quickly (within a minute or two) but often goes into a spam folder. Please check spam and move the email to your inbox to activate all links and click through to choose times that work for your family.
Once you have selected times, you will receive a confirmation email. That email link will allow you to change/update your conferences later if needed.
If you have questions, please contact the school.
BCMS Music Department invites you to the 11th Annual Veterans Day Concert
A Tribute to Our Community Veterans and Freedom
Ballenger Creek Middle School Cafetorium
November 6, 2025, 6pm
This is a FREE CONCERT!!!
Windy Schmidt
BCMS Music
Hearing and Vision Screening will take place on October 22 & 23, 2025 for all 8th grade and any students who entered the Maryland public school system over the past year. Maryland State Law mandates this screening. Parents/guardians who have an objection to this screening based on their church or religion practices must submit a request for their child to be exempt from screening. All written requests must be submitted to the health room by October 10, 2025. Please make sure, if your child wears glasses or contacts that they have them on the screening days. If you have any questions, please contact the health room at 227-203-2159.
School Year 2025-2026
As we begin the school year, we wanted to provide a reminder about school meals.
In 2025-26, the price for meals is $1.75 for breakfast and $2.80 for lunch for elementary school students and $2.00 for breakfast and $3.05 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.
Last year, we welcomed over 12,700 volunteers into our school system contributing over 76,550 volunteer hours.
THANK YOU!
This year, FCPS collected the feedback from our volunteers and staff to modify the volunteer process, while prioritizing the safety and security of our students, staff and community. As a result, we have streamlined the process of registration and training to be completed by all volunteers across the county. All volunteers will be equipped with the necessary information they need to partner with our schools.
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 2025-2026 SY Calendar, click here.