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Frequently Asked Questions by Students and Parents:
How will my child's day be structured? Will he/she start in a homeroom every day? Will they switch classes in groups or individually?
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Your child will be placed in a TEAM class that we plan to stay with the entire first day. The TEAM teachers will cover many aspects of our school and the students will do several activities that are meant to help them become familiar with the school and build a sense of community or family with their TEAM. After day 1, your student will have an 8 period day where they switch individually. On Wednesday, Thursday and Friday each of those periods is reduced by 3 minutes and students will go to their TEAM locations. During TEAM time, students will work on teambuilding and character education in a smaller group setting designed to enable more active learning and richer discussion. TEAM teachers will also more closely monitor grades and progress with those students. The TEAM time is being implemented in the 10/11 school year to address initial anxiety, address the social/emotional well being of students and give them a specific teacher in a smaller class size setting to connect with and look to, much like a homeroom teacher in the elementary setting.
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Will assignments be available on Skyward? How often is that updated? Will I get a new Password?
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Yes assignments will be listed in Skyward. In most cases, assignments are updated within 2 school days of the due date. Exceptions come when dealing with long-term projects as they are more time consuming to grade. Grades in all classes are updated by noon each Friday as we put together the weekly ineligibility list. You will not need a new password this year.
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Is there a weekly or monthly newsletter? How will I receive communication from the school on happenings? (i.e. in case our child doesn't communicate it)
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Our communication comes in several electronic forms. Teachers have individual websites and also submit short narratives that I include in the Principal News section of our website. I am currently working to have this be a page that parents can subscribe to and when updated, they will be electronically notified. We also list all of our events on the BLMS calendar that can be found on the website. |
Is there a diagram for school drop off and pick up?
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Parent drop off will be through the front (East) parking lot and bus drop off will take place at the back (West) parking lot and doors.
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Can middle school students ride the bus to the high school for middle school ballgames? How does that work?
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This is something we are working to accommodate but may not be able to accomplish due to liability issues. We will get information out as soon as a decision is finalized. |
What extracurricular activities will 6th graders be eligible for?
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Mrs. Garver and I will be conducting a Fitness Club beginning in September and several teachers have discussed ideas for several other opportunities for our 6th grade as well as 7/8th grade students. There will be two 6th grade socials sponsored by the Booster Club that will occur. The Booster Club will decide on the dates at an upcoming meeting..
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Can parents eat lunch with their kid?
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We have not had this occur a lot in the past but if you would like to do so, we would not be opposed. If doing so, please remember there are state regulations that restrict us from bringing soft drinks into the cafeteria during lunch.
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Will my 6th grade child have recess/break period?
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Students will not have a recess. We have constructed the schedule such that all 6th grade students will have physical education on an every other day basis to help burn some energy. .
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How much time is there between classes?
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You will have three (3) minutes to move between classes, most of our students have no difficulty in getting to their classes on time.
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How many teachers will we have each day?
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Each student at BLMS has eight (8) teachers each day, this includes your TEAM time teacher.
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How long are the classes?
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Each regular class period is 47 minutes long. Lunch is 20 minutes and TEAM time is 20 minutes long.
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Do we have lockers?
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Each student at BLMS will have a hall locker and a PE locker. It is important that the locker combinations be kept confidential to ensure that the belongings of students aren't removed.
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Will we be able to tour the school?
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We will tour the school during the Sneak Peek night scheduled in August before school starts. BLMS will be open starting the first of August as we enroll for the next school year. At that time you are welcome to tour the building and locate your classes.
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What happens if I am late to class?
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The first week of school usually nothing happens. After this, your teacher will start checking you late without a pass and you will receive tardies, teachers will then assign detentions.
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Are the teachers nice?
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Each teacher has a distinct personality; you will get to know them as the year progresses. We have a very talented teaching staff at BLMS. They are here to help you.
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Are the classes very hard?
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The classes are appropriate for 7th graders. Some are more difficult than others, depending on the topic being covered in the specific subject.
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Do we have a lot of homework?
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Expect some homework each night. The amounts depends on each class and on the unit being studied. We also have two (2) homework deadlines each quarter to help monitor student progress in their school work.
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How many classes are there a day?
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Most middle schoolers have 8 classes, a lunch and TEAM time each day.
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What time does school start and end?
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School doors open at 7:40 and you must be in your first hour class by 7:50. School is over at 2:55 and the building closes at 3:30.
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What happens if I get lost?
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There will be teachers in the hall during the passing periods. Please ask for assistance and in a few days you will have no trouble moving around the school.
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Is a gym suit required?
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No, but you must bring clothes for physical education, which includes a tee-shirt, shorts or sweat-pants and sneakers.
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Do we have to take showers after physical education?
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No, but they are recommended.
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Is there a dress code?
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Yes, please refer to the student handbook for the complete answer. For example, tee-shirts that advertise smoking, drugs and/or alcohol are not permitted, as are hats.
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Do 8th graders pick-on 7th graders?
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This has not been a problem; if someone keeps bothering you let your teacher, counselor and/or principal know.
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Are the rules strict?
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According to our present middle schoolers, the rules are not very different from the elementary school.
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Where do you keep your band instruments?
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There are storage areas in the band room that provide plenty of storage.
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Are the lunches good?
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Lunches are similar to those served in the elementary school. In addition, we have an A LA Carte line where students receive many choices. Students can sit anywhere in the lunchroom they choose, students must ask permission to be dismissed.
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Can you ride a bike to school?
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Yes, you should bring a lock, though, to secure your bike.
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What extracurricular activities are there?
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We have four athletic seasons, offering Football, Volleyball, Boys and Girls Basketball, Wrestling and Boys and Girls Track. We have cheerleading in the fall and winter. We also have other activities such as Science Olympiad, student council, and a fitness club. Only 7th and 8th grade students are able to compete in athletics.
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When can we go to the nurse?
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If it is an emergency go directly to the office. Our school nurse is in the building at all times. You will need to have a pass from your teacher prior to going to the nurse.
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Is my guidance counselor available at all times?
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If you want to see the counselor make an appointment in the office and the counselor will see you as soon as possible.
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What do I do if I am late to school and/or absent?
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If you are late, get an admit slip from the secretary in the main office. If you are absent, have your parents call the school to let us know; your parents can also make requests to have homework sent home with another student. Generally, students have 48 hours to return missed work. The phone number at school is 724-2976. It is the students responsibility to make-up any missing work.
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If there are any questions please don't hesitate to ask. |
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