On the Love of Team (Synergy)

The following is the speech I gave to our departing 8th Graders at our Moving Up Ceremony on Thursday, June 25th.  I was searching for how best to capture what it is we hope students leave BCMS with and what we hope they discover during their High School experience.

Some may deem it somewhat Utopian.  To this I would offer that one of the missions of a school is to show students what is possible.

Special thanks to all in our community for your support this year including our PTO, whose constant and vigilant support continually contributes to and glues together our sense of community!

The Love of TEAM

Of all of the 24 character strengths that we talk about in the middle school the one that is sometimes the least talked about because it's the most awkward is LOVE.  Most teenagers think of love as solely being something between two people but love means so many different things and comes in so many shapes and sizes.

There is a far different type of love that has likely never been defined for many of you.  This form of love has been around for a long time but it's stumbled upon more than it's intentionally grown and sometimes even when it's pursued it is still elusive. 

This other kind of love is the love that we can feel for an entire group of people and it's just as compelling, just as deep, and equally as profound as the love that you or I have for a family member.

When groups of people come together to perform common tasks we sometimes call them teams.  There are many other names but this is the name we use at BCMS.  Teams are supposed to foster this kind of love but if people don't know how to recognize it, or even that it exists, it's rarely found. 

As a kid I loved individual sports like tennis, and running, and shooting free throws at the park, but none of these filled the space I discovered I wanted filled by playing sports as a part of a team.  I know there were probably a lot of my friends who thought that my drive to be competitive in sports came from a desire for attention or for awards, but I discovered something else at a subconscious level.  In every game I played there were the briefest of moments when our team came together; when we had no thought of personal glory, or of the attention of the fans in the stands.  In these moments I learned to love the group of people that were my team.  In these moments, nobody was selfish, nobody wanted all the attention, and everybody wanted the same thing, which was to be successful no matter what the personal cost. 

There weren't many teams I played on that achieved this level of Love and I've spent 40 years studying why.  I have had selfish teammates and selfish coaches, teammates whose yearning for attention was always a distraction and coaches whose egos destroyed any chance of my teams being able to achieve anything positive.  Jealousy between teammates destroys this kind of love and makes it impossible to achieve. 

But in a few rare moments, with those really good coaches and the right teammates it happened.  These moments were far too brief and far too few, but those moments were one of the best feelings I've had in my life.  And they weren't just on sports teams.  They also happened with my best teachers in some of my classes.

As I began to recognize these moments I began to study them.  Here's what they had in common:

1.       Everyone was unselfish

2.       Everyone was willing to sacrifice personal attention or glory to make the team function better

3.       Everyone was willing to take on the role assigned to them no matter what it was

4.       Everyone worked as hard as they possibly could

5.       Everyone stayed emotionally positive and never in these moments did they say negative things about others, or think negative things about themselves

6.       All of us trusted each other and the adults around us without question

I also began to recognize what these moments did NOT have

1.       They didn't have the parent of any kids telling them to be the center of attention

2.       They didn't have every kid on the team wanting to play the position that got all the attention

3.       They didn't have one peer trying to do all the work

4.       They didn’t have adults who went easy on us.  In every single instance these situations had adult leaders who were really smart, hard-working and who demanded our best.

So, why today, is this important?  What does this have to do with all of you?

Well here's the secret you've been dying to know.  In my 20 years in education I've seen a handful of high school aged students who were the happiest kids in their population.  These individuals were the most popular, the most well-liked, and the most successful students in their schools.  What's amazing about these kids is that they weren't always the best athlete, or the best scholar, or the best musician.   Let me repeat that I just said that they were NOT the best at all of those things.  The one thing they did better than any other kids was to make everyone around them feel better about themselves.  You see these rare individuals figured out that the kind of love I'm talking about can be something that begins with them.

What's even more amazing about what I'm telling you is that you don't believe me. 

You don't believe that being the most popular kid in the school is as simple as loving everyone.  And the reason why you don't believe it is because you don't see it.  Or do you?

Sitting among you right now are individuals who live this way and you simply haven't been paying attention to how they make others feel good.  You like them and you know everyone likes them but you've never studied them to find out why. 

Well, don't you think it's time to start paying attention? 

If you do you'll start to discover that not only am I right but that by being more like them you'll become a little bit more mature.  You'll become a little bit more reliable.  You'll become a little bit more comfortable with yourself, and you're high school experience will become a LOT more positive.  But what you'll be amazed to discover, no matter how confident you already are, is that you'll become more confident than you've ever been. 

You'll be confident in choosing the right friends.  You'll be confident in your extracurricular activities and your academics, and you're confidence will make others feel better because you'll want to pay it forward.  You will discover a leadership you never thought you had and you will realize that you will never be a blind follower of bad role models ever again.

The most positive experience I have ever had was being on a high school team where we were all taught this kind of love by a coach.  He not only taught us how to find it on a basketball court, but he taught us how to carry it into the hallways and classrooms of our school.  If we saw a classmate being bullied we stepped in and stopped it.  If we saw people being mean to others we stopped it and made the victims feel welcomed into our circles of friends.  We realized months later that through us, our coach changed our school and we realized that everyone in our school community, from adults to all of our peers, looked to us as leaders.  And the really cool part about all of that is that it happened my sophomore year and it carried all the way through to my senior year.

This is what all of us want for all of you.  And the best part of the equation is that you can all get their together.  This isn't a contest where only some win.  This is a journey that you can all go on together. 

All of us here, every single adult in this room want for you to learn the kind of love that I am talking about today.  We want you to be a builder of team, to be a builder of community and what you might just discover is that you are a builder of your own confidence.  It's what we adults who work and live in Bethlehem love most about our community.  We love watching how high you all soar once you've learned how to drive your own confidence.

To all of the adults present please join me in expressing the love that we have developed for this group of great people, the Bethlehem High School class of 2019.


Important Dates Upcoming

• Incoming 6th Grade Students will be notified of their team assignments in approximately two weeks (we hope to have these completed by July 10).  Some believe that they are already able to see this in Aspen but what is currently posted for 5th graders in Aspen is NOT ACCURATE.
• Team Supply Lists can be found here:
• http://www.bethlehemschools.org/bcms/parents/
• Starting June 29th
• Our building hours go back to summer hours - 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM.  If parents / students need to visit the building the building will be open but our entrance is changing (read below)
• Our Main Entrance will be closed!!!
• Please enter the building through our Music Wing Door to the Left of the Main Entrance (as you face the building)
• Incoming New Student and 6th Grade Orientation
• Thursday, August 27th @ 9:00, 10:00 and 11:00 AM - No RSVP necessary
• All students 
• will have schedules posted in Aspen a week prior to the Open Houses (by August 21st)

Please do not hesitate to call our Main Office or stop in if you have any questions (439-7460)

...and Have a Great Summer!!!

Middle School Final Exams

Below please find a list of when various grade level and subject specific final exams are being held for students.

I want to remind all parents that we have a progressive philosophy with regard to final exams.  We scale our expectations by grade level to prepare students for the rigor of high school.  Additionally, we are mandated to perform final examinations in each subject area per New York State Mandate. Every teacher has something called a "Student Learning Objective" (or SLO) that contributes to a portion of their (teachers) end of the year evaluation.

As parents you have likely heard much about teachers' APPR (Annual Professional Performance Review) process.  It has dominated our political landscape in recent weeks.  Students' final exams are one piece of this.

Aside from the mandate by NYS, we value these exams for the right reasons.  The exams provide us an opportunity to gauge students' mastery of material and make necessary adjustments to curriculum. These exams are one piece of many that teachers collaborate on with their subject area supervisors to assess and re-evaluate curriculum each year.  Schools like Bethlehem annually have summer curriculum projects that teachers work on and these are driven (in part or entirely) by the data we get back from students' performance.

Our Testing Schedule:

Tuesday, June 16

• Grades 6,7, 8 Art Final Exam (only for students taking Art in the 4th quarter)
• Grades 6,7, 8 Music Final Exam (only for students taking Music in the 4th quarter)
• Grade 7 Science Part I

Wednesday, June 17

• Grade 7 Science Part II
• Regents Exam - Common Core Algebra (accelerated students in grades 7 and 8 taking algebra)

Thursday, June 18

• Grades 6,7, 8 Math Final Exam Part I
• Grade 8 Social Studies Final Exam
• Grade 7 Science Part III

Friday, June 19

• Grade 6,7, 8 Math Final Exam Part II
• Grade 6 Social Studies Exam
• Regents Exam in Geometry (for accelerated 8th grade students taking geometry)

Monday, June 22

• Grade 7 Social Studies Final Exam
• Grade 7 Technology Final Exam
• Grade 6 Science Final Exam
• Grade 8 World Language Proficiency Exam

Tuesday, June 23

• Grade 7 Math Challenge Exam (Opt in exam for students wanting to accelerate in Math)

Wednesday, June 24

• Grade 6 Math Challenge Exam (Opt in exam for students wanting to accelerate in Math)

Reminders - Dismissal Schedule June 22-25

• Monday, June 22 is a full day of school
• Tuesday, June 23 is a full day of school
• 6th Grade has its town park day
• 8th Grade field trip to the Great Escape
• Wednesday, June 24 is a half day
• All students dismiss at 11:10
• Normal Bus transportation is available
• Thursday, June 25 is a half day
• Grade 8 has its Moving Up Ceremony
• All 8th grade students arrive to the MS at their normal time
• All 8th grade students can leave the ceremony from the High School with their parents
• Transportation back to the MS is provided for any students who need it
• Grades 6 and 7 Dismiss at 11:10
• Normal Bus transportation is available 

Any parents who have questions about the schedules above should contact our main office 

(439-7460) or send email to specific teachers.

To email a teacher using the Aspen Portal

1. Log in

2. Click on the "Academics" top tab

3. Select the correct student (if you have multiple students in district)

4. Go to the "Options" menu

5. Select "Send Email"

6. Click on the "X" next to any staff member you do NOT want the email to be sent to

Of Norms and defining what it means to be an Adult

Mr. Warford and I recently met with each our 8^th grade teams to talk about maintaining pride through the end of the year.

Mr. Warford talked about the legacy of great effort, character and extracurricular activity this group has modeled and I followed by speaking to a host of other things.

Among these I talked about adulthood.  I told students that many of them could be confused for adults because of their physical appearance (contrasted against what they looked like when they first came to BCMS as 6^th graders).  But I clarified that our community does not confer ‘adulthood’ in the same way that the law does.  It’s one thing to be of legal age and appearance, but neither of these qualify one as an adult in a responsible adult's eyes as much as ones actions do.

What it means to act like an adult

Adults place needs ahead of wants.  We all know people who are adult in legal status only because they are incapable of placing needs ahead of wants.  It may not be surprising that these individuals place their wants ahead of others’ needs, but what is surprising is that they place their wants ahead of even their own needs!

Our 8^th graders are a phenomenal group but they too feel the allure of ‘right now’ wants that compete with ‘right now’ needs. 

At many times throughout our year our staff speaks to character and one of the many ways we define character is that it winds up being the sum of all of our "right now" behaviors.  Translated, this means that it's not just about 'performing' good deeds when others are paying attention. It is also attending to our needs and those of others ahead of our wants.  

There is a great quote from the move The Great Debaters; "we do what we have to do in order to do what we want to do."  Whenever a child is struggling with being an adult, it's this quote that usually can speak to the choice they face that determines whether they'll achieve adulthood in those 'right now' moments.

The Power of Norms

Norms aren’t exactly rules but they are a set of acceptable ways to behave in a community.  Some communities have really positive norms (like opening doors for people), while every community also has negative norms (spring often sees our 8^th graders become less productive in Homebase).

One of our goals at the Middle School is to teach students how to abide by positive norms and how to remain immune to negative ones.  I shared with them that the environment around our High School at this time of the year is one of great intensity and focus and that the best way for our 8th graders to prepare to feel accepted in this environment is to set the same model now for our younger students.

It's impressive when 13 and 14 year olds prioritize their needs ahead of their wants and it's a norm that we emphasize and reinforce continually and consistently throughout BCMS and particularly in 8th grade!

End of Week Notes:

International Children's Art Auction

• Thank you to all who participated in the Helping Hands Club Annual Children's Art Auction 
• This year the club raised over $3,000 and had phenomenal art from students (some ours) all over the globe
• The proceeds from this event are used to support club activities and to help build schools in third world countries

Farmer's Market is BACK!

• The Bethlehem / Delmar Farmer's Market is back this weekend, Saturday, May 30 from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM.  Another great turnout for what has become a signature event for Bethlehem

Dress Code Reminder

• Our dress code is in place to help students draw attention to themselves for the right reasons and in appropriate ways that do not jeopardize their self-esteem.  Girls and boys who draw attention to themselves because of clothing come to be reliant upon these things for their image. We want all of our students to see themselves as scholars, musicians, athletes, and as compassionate members of a supportive community. As a reminder, 
• shorts (for both boys and girls) should hang at least to students' thumbs when arms are hanging at one's sides.  
• No muscle shirts
• No spaghetti straps
• No midriffs showing
• No questionable language / slogans

The Week that Will be:

Monday, June 1

• 8th Grade Science Written NYS exam

Tuesday, June 2

• Late buses today
• POPS Concert @ BCMS 7:30 PM

Wednesday, June 3

• Late buses today
• BOE 7:00 PM

Thursday, June 4

• late buses today

Friday, June 5

• FASS (Friday After School Support) today
• Star Party
• Astronomy club invites all to attend
• Location - BMCS Back field (by tennis courts)
• Time - 8:45 PM - 10:00 PM

Have a great weekend!

The MOST important thing I'll do this week...VOTE!

I am lucky.  I am privileged to be a middle school principal.  I recognize the awesome responsibility that this position carries and how lucky I am to be able to impact such a wonderful community of learners.  I will get to do many wonderful things this week, but none more important than exercising my right to vote this Tuesday.

This Tuesday, May 19, is our annual school budget vote.  Additionally there are two board of education seats open and our community has the right to exercise their choice in this process too.

When I addressed a group of Bethlehem Middle School parents at a PTO meeting last year they were surprised to hear the statistics of voter turnout in Bethlehem.  As one stated, "I didn't think my vote was a big deal because in a district like ours, I just figured my missing it one time wouldn't matter."

The last time Bethlehem's budget was voted down (more than 9 years ago), it wasn't really voted down.  Yes, a majority of voters in that vote voted no, but it was THE LOWEST voter turnout in the last 15 years.

And so, with that, please exercise your opportunity to participate this coming Tuesday, May 19. Voting can be done at the High School between the hours of 7:00 AM and 9:00 PM.

End of Week Notes:

It takes a Village...

• Our 6th grade trip this past Thursday to the Boston Science Museum was a thrill.  I had opportunity to travel with our students and as much as I am a science geek (I am the former K-12 Science Supervisor for Bethlehem) it was WAY more fun to watch our students engaging with the various exhibits.
• I also was impressed, thrilled and proud at how parents, students, and teachers' efforts came together to make this event a representative one of our proud community. Students arrived at the buses on time, they did not get emotionally tripped up when two of our buses showed up late, and they behaved like scholars throughout their day in the museum.  
• Special thanks to our parent chaperones.  Without you this would have been a difficult trip to logistically manage.
• Special thanks also to Ms. Beiter (Patroon 2), Mr. Wood (Mohawk) and Mr. Reilly (Patroon 1) for all of the work they did behind the scenes to plan and coordinate this experience!

Congratulations to our Bands, Orchestra's and Choirs

• As we closed our end of the year concerts we were all reminded of one reason why Bethlehem is such a strong district.  Our 6th, 7th, and 8th grade concerts were phenomenal.  As much as we are proud of our music teachers for their work to hone our musicians I want to reiterate the message they share with parents at every concert.  Without the valuing that our parents place upon music our program would not be such a source of pride!  Thank you!

Another special thank you!

• This past Friday had all of our district 5th graders visit the middle school for their moving up day. They walked through a quasi-schedule, ate lunch, and met all of our 6th grade teachers and counselors. BUT what was truly inspiring was the number of 6th grade students who volunteered to stick around to conduct tours or play in our band rather than go home early.  More than 150 grade 6 students elected to stay and in so doing they demonstrated to our 5th graders how much we look forward to them joining us next year.

Preparing our 8th Graders

• Mr. Warford, Mr, Zadoorian and I met with our 8P1 team Friday and we will be meeting with our 8M and 8P2 teams this week to talk about expectations and opportunities as they close out this school year.  
• My comment to our 8th graders is that they now look like adults, but that to be treated like an adult is a privilege to be earned at all times.  Students who allow themselves to be distracted into destructive behaviors to others or themselves reveal a maturity that gives away their true age no matter how old they try to appear.  We are reminding our 8th graders that our High School is place of great intensity at this time of the year.  It's filled with students taking this time of the year seriously as they prepare for exams and try to close out their grades with marks that they will be proud to make permanent on their transcripts.  We are reminding all of our 8th graders that the best way they can prepare to be welcomed and accepted into this High School setting is by setting this example throughout the remainder of this year.

The Week that Will be:

Monday, May 18

• NO Late buses today

Tuesday, May 19

• Late buses today
• School budget vote
• School Board of Education Elections

Wednesday, May 20

• Grade 8 Science Performance Exam (Students do not study for this)
• Grade 7 Annual Raptor Presentation
• Late buses today
• BOE meets 7:00 @ BCHS

Thursday, May 21

• late buses today
• Grade 7 to the Bronx Zoo 
• Grade 5 Parent Orientation 7:00 PM

Friday, May 22

• Wear Blue to support our Troops and Veterans!
• FASS (Friday After School Support) today

Reminder: No school on Monday, May 25 - Memorial Day - Don't miss the Parade!!

Have a great weekend!

Student resumes...Yes, Middle School Students should start them!

It's never too early to... 
...words that make MS parents hearts skip a beat!

As a Middle School Parent we are often not ready for our children to move onto High School.  This rite of passage is often more traumatic for parents than it is for students.  As our children get closer and closer to High School and college a reality sets in for many that didn't seem possible when our children entered Middle School as 6th graders.

At BCMS we never want to make students or parents feel rushed, but in keeping with our responsibility to prepare students for all that lies ahead we want to encourage parents to begin a very important process.

Last night (Monday, May 4) our PTO had a great presentation from Gayle Moriarity, BCHS Counseling Coordinator, and Katie Cooney Lesko, Senior Associate Director of Admissions at  Siena College, about the importance of beginning a student resume.

Too often High School Sophomores, Juniors, and even Seniors are NOT prepared to create their resumes for colleges and jobs because they haven't kept track of their various involvements during middle and high school.

Key elements that distinguish students are their academic achievements, their extracurricular involvement (athletics, music, club participation, etc.), and their community orientation and service. Because all of these are such an important part of students' experience at BCMS there is no better time than the present to begin recording students' involvement.  Additionally, it is far harder to recall specifics of these activities (grades, dates, specific actions) far after they have occurred and this is a valuable lesson to teach students.  Maintaining a resume is far easier than trying to build one through recall many years later. 

Please check out the sample template shared at our meeting and please feel empowered to use this as a good start for beginning your child's resume.  (All information on the sample template is fictitious.)

End of Week Notes:

Please Vote!!!

• Our upcoming school budget vote is Tuesday, May 19.
• Too often we hear from parents that they assume our budget will pass and they therefore don't place a high priority on voting.  Nine years ago our budget did not pass and this was during a year when our participation rate was the least we have had in the last 10 years! 
• Please remember to get out to vote on May 19!

Congratulations to our Ensemble Band Groups - They're 'Golden'

• Each of our Middle School Bands, 6th, 7th, and 8th grade achieved Gold Level distinction in the recent NYSMMA evaluations.  Bands are judged not only on the quality of their play, but on their focus, their intensity, and their decorum.  Well Done to our students and to our Band Leader Ms. Burmeister

Congratulations to the members of the BC Chess Club

• In the chess tournament hosted at BCMS on May 2, BCMS came in 2nd place among teams from throughout the region and had many members achieve 3 points out of a possible 4!  Well done
• Read more here: https://sites.google.com/site/bethlehemschoolschessclub/

Organization begins with a Calendar

• In families with busy children (and parents) it's hard to function without a calendar.  
• A great way to teach responsibility related to organizational skill is to make children keep their own calendar.
• Children copy all the family events to their calendar
• Children can fill in around family events with ...
• time for studies
• time for extracurriculars
• time for family!!!
• Children can be held accountable to making parents aware of conflicts and be held accountable to discussing these with parents, coaches, teachers, etc. prior to the date of the conflict
• May is an overwhelming time for many families and there is no better way to minimize the stress that comes with conflict than by empowering children with these skills!

The Week that Will be:

Monday, May 4

• PTO Meet 7:00

Tuesday, May 5

• Late buses today
• BOE Meet the Candidates 6:30 PM BCHS Cafeteria
• Grade 6 Concert 7:30

Wednesday, May 6

• Author Kathleen Duble Visits BCMS during the day
• Late buses today
• BOE meets 7:00 @ BCHS

Thursday, May 7

• late buses today
• Grade 7 Concert 7:30 PM

Friday, May 8

• FASS (Friday After School Support) today

Have a great weekend!

Of Rumors and Great Writers

Rumors are not something to laugh at!

On Friday, April 24, I and Mr. Warford, our Assistant Principal and house leader for our Patroon 2 Teams, met with each of our classes on the 6P2 team to address rumors being spread by students about a teacher that bore no truth.

These rumors were damaging to the teacher in question and in our message to students we spoke to both the negative behavior of starting rumors and what to do when we innocently hear rumors.  Many students had heard the rumors and did not engage in spreading them further and we affirmed their discretion.

A tactic we typically use to help Middle School students understand the volatile nature of this behavior is to help them shift perspective.  Asking students to appreciate how it might feel to have rumors spread about them, while seemingly something they should already be doing, often connects with students to demonstrate how dangerous it can be to make leaps of judgment about others.

We asked students to imagine how it might feel to be the kind of person who always did the right thing and who worked to be the best at what they did for years only to have that damaged by a rumor that wasn't true.  Students clearly resonate with understanding what it means to be discrete when they step into the shoes of the victim and it is encouraging to see so much empathy in our population of students.

A reminder about WRITING at BCMS
Four years ago we recognized that our students weren't transferring the skills taught in our ELA classrooms to our other classes.  As a result our ENTIRE staff began a rubric-based writing initiative that used the same rubric used by NYS for its exams to assess student writing in all of our classes. We continue this program to demonstrate to students how important it is to learn to become a great writer.

Last year, we also adopted the same writing program that our elementary schools are using that comes out of the great work being done at the Columbia (NYC) Teachers College.  The rigor, structure, and feedback that students are being provided on their writing has taken a leap forward and our (ELA) teachers love the program.  In an observation I completed last week I had a teacher steer me aside after the class to show me how coherent the program is and demonstrate the before and after work of students.  Not only was the teacher glowing at the work of students but I was impressed with the depth and creativity of the writing.

One of my favorite quotes supports why writing is so important:

 “Throughout history, reading and writing have been regarded as politically dangerous.  Why else have slaves, prisoners and other minorities and majorities been denied the opportunity to read as well as write?  But writing stays the far more worrisome and incendiary process.  A reading citizen can come to comprehend and criticize societal mores as well as governmental acts and decisions.  But only a citizen who elects to write can cause genuine trouble, can become the radical, the revolutionary.  A reading citizen stays a client, a consumer of a culture; a writing citizen becomes its creator or destroyer.”

from Brian Cambourne's book The Whole Story

End of Week Notes:

BCMS PTO Meeting - Save the Date
Monday, May 4, 7 PM, BCMS Library (Date changed from Tuesday, May 5)

• Building a student resume - What you and your child can start doing now in Middle School.  Presented by Katie Cooney Lesko , Senior Associate Director of Admissions at  Siena Collegea and Gayle Moriarity, Counseling Coordinator from BCHS.
• PTO Business - PTO budget for 15-16, and opportunities for Board Participation.
• Anyone that wants to volunteer for board membership, please self-nominate and you can come to the  Monday May  11 and/or   Jun 8 at 1:30 board meetings to help you make an informed decision.  We are looking for a co-president and hoping for members to shadow all other positions; treasurer, volunteer coordinator, hospitality, special projects, secretary, and technology 
• Dr. Douglas presents - Q & A on the BCSD district budget for 15-16

Thank you to a special group of 8th graders

• This week, unprompted, a group of 8th grade girls (5) ran an anti-bullying assembly that was outstanding.  Everything they said and promoted with peers was researched, vetted w/ our staff and delivered in a manner that was received unanimously well by all grades.  At the end of their assembly I applauded them for modeling what we hope to see from all students.  They exhibited initiative, leadership and extraordinary compassion to pay forward great advice and wisdom to their peers! 

NYS  Testing update

• Math Testing was completed this week
• Math makeups next week
• ONLY 8th graders take the NYS Science Test

BCSD STAFF ART SHOW

• During the month of April please visit the Bethlehem Public Library to see art exhibits by various BCSD Art Dept Staff

Quote of the Week...

·         "For to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others"  Nelson Mandela

The Week that Will be:

Monday, April 27

• Math Make Ups 

Tuesday, April 28

• Math Make ups
• Late buses today

Wednesday, April 29

• NYS Mathematics Make ups
• PAC student meeting today
• Late buses today

Thursday, April 30

• late buses today

Friday, May 1

• FASS (Friday After School Support) today
• Staged Creations Play Production (A 2nd show is Saturday night at 7:00 PM)

Have a great weekend!

Testing, Social Media and weekly updates

Friday, April 17

New York Stating Testing 
As a 9 year old who grew up a few miles from Lake Champlain, my first exposure to ocean swimming was at Jones Beach.  I still have mental images of being knocked over by 10 foot waves, managing briefly to get to my feet, only to get knocked over by another wave that was already bearing down on me.  I'd get up, check myself for sand burns and dizziness, and then wonder what had hit me.

Of course as a 9 year old boy I'd immediately turn around and head back into the deeper surf to do it all over again, but for educators, students, and parents around New York State this week it feels like we've been in this same cycle with our New York State testing.

There is a Chinese proverb that states "may you live in interesting times" and while it's origins claim that it is supposed to be a blessing it is almost always used in current times as a curse.  This week certainly qualifies as interesting in perhaps both ways and our response in Bethlehem, as educators, to all of the political commentary is to abstain and remain focused on providing as best we can for our students.

If, however, parents have any questions about the testing that is going on please do not hesitate to reach out via email (mklugman@bcsd.neric.org) or by phone.



The Power of Social Media - Uses and Disuses

(For all parents, including me!)

I struggle to keep up with kids use of social media.

At more and more points throughout our school year, Mr. Warford, Mr. Zadoorian, I, and our High School administration consult on how students' use of social media becomes challenging for them.

The important point for all parents is that EVERY KID is susceptible.  We need to treat the disuse of social media in emotionally unintelligent ways like a virus; something all kids are capable of catching regardless of their character and the lessons that parents and schools teach.

Really important reminders for parents:

1. Anything posted on social media, including private emails and private texts is no longer owned by a student once they post it electronically.  
2. If you might have to tell someone "I was only joking" about anything that you say or post, don't say or post it. 
3. Students in middle school are discovering that many of their peers behave very differently in groups, and online than they do in 1:1 dynamics.  Whether because of insecurity, the need for attention, or just being insensitive to others, students at the middle level often have turbulent shake ups in their peer circles because of this dynamic.  This is the primary reason why 'authenticity' is a part of our character vocabulary with students.  Our goal with our students is to teach them to be true to their values no matter the situation. In our partnership with parents we want students to represent their families, their community, and themselves in ways that maintain their dignity and the dignity of others.

Lastly, don't take my word for it.  Here is a great article for any student (and parent) hoping to land a scholarship to college.  With the costs of 4 year degrees escalating over $200,000.00 you can bet colleges will be paying lots of attention to students online footprint.  This is a must read: http://bigstory.ap.org/article/bad-behavior-social-media-can-cost-recruits

As always, many thanks for your continued support of our students and ...

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!

End of Week Notes:

Congrats to our 8th Grade Music Ensembles

• Our last concert for our 8th grade students was last night and we are so proud of this group for all of their effort and growth throughout their three years here!

NYS  Testing update

• ELA Testing was completed this week
• Math Testing begins next week
• ONLY 8th graders take the NYS Science Test

BCSD STAFF ART SHOW

• During the month of April please visit the Bethlehem Public Library to see art exhibits by various BCSD Art Dept Staff

EVEN MORE Recycling...It's THIS WEEKEND!!!

• Town of Bethlehem Earth Day Recycle Fest
• Saturday, April 18, 10:00 to 1:00
• Elm Ave Town Park

• Clothing & Textiles
• Document shredding
• Books
• Electronics & scrap metals

Quote of the Week...

·         "Success is walking from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm." --Winston Churchill

Congratulations to all of the academic competitors recognized at this week's Board meeting who were models of courage in competing in events such as Spelling Bee, Odyssey of the Mind, Science Bowl, National History Day, Geography Bee, and History Bowl... OUTSTANDING EFFORTS ALL!!

As Churchill reminds us the only failure is a failure to try one's best!

The Week that Will be:

Monday, April 20

• ELA Make Ups 
• First day of 4th Quarter 
• 6th Graders transition in their exploratories (Art - Music)
• 8th Graders transition in their exploratories (Art - Music)

Tuesday, April 21

• Late buses today
• Board of Ed meeting - Adoption of School Budget that will be put to vote 7:00 PM

Wednesday, April 22

• NYS Mathematics Testing (AM)
• Late buses today
• EARTH DAY!

Thursday, April 23

• NYS Mathematics Testing (AM)
• PAC student meeting 3:00
• late buses today
• SAVE THIS DATE
• "Fed Up" film showing: Thursday, April 23rd. 6:30-8:30pm at the Bethlehem Middle School Auditorium. Film 1.5 hours followed by 1/2 hour panel discussion. 
  Panelists: Mark Warford, Natasha Ruiz, Lester Betor and Allissa Eiser
  Join Bethlehem Healthy Kids Committee for our showing of "FED UP" - from the producer of An Inconvenient Truth, Laurie David, and narrated by Katie Couric. It’s time to get real about food. This film reveals a 30 year campaign by the food industry - aided by the U.S. government - to mislead and confuse the American public. It explains why the conventional truth of “eat right and exercise” is not ringing true for millions of people struggling with diabetes, childhood obesity and other serious conditions. It includes captivating interviews with the country’s leading experts and provides vital information that will change the way you think about food.
  Bethlehem Healthy Kids Committee is a volunteer parent group in the Bethlehem Central School District that works to increase awareness and advocate for science-based policy and practice within our schools and community that promotes children’s health and wellness.

Friday, April 24

• NYS Mathematics Testing (AM)
• FASS (Friday After School Support) today
• Report Cards Published
• BCMS World Rally Talent Show 6:45PM

Have a great weekend!