2020-2021 BBMS Weekly News...

Tue, 08/18/2020 - 8:38am

April 2021

April 7, 2021

Dear BBMS Families,

We hope you and your family enjoyed some quality time together over spring break this year. There continue to be challenges for families and friends to get together with one another despite seeing a rise in vaccinations. Even though news has been really positive, we know there is more to go before we can continue with many of the activities that correspond with warmer weather. Students may not have the same teams or activities outside of school that they are used to and the longer they go without those routines, the harder it can be on everyone. Please keep a close eye on how well students are doing in school right now. The fourth quarter is one that we traditionally see some students fall off due to a variety of reasons, but we want you to know we are here to minimize any slide. Keep an eye on grades and attendance. Email teachers if you see a concern. Take advantage of tutoring if that is needed. The biggest thing we want to see is that students are trying and asking for help when they have questions. As adults, we need to reassure students that they don't have to be perfect. Making mistakes is ok. Learning from mistakes, asking questions, and getting help is a skill that we can all use and this is especially true for middle school students. Motivation to learn is key. Now is the time to sit down and look at setting a few goals for the 4th Marking Period. We know our students are very capable and that with some extra support and guidance, that they will be ready for whatever challenges await.

As we get ready to close out the 3rd Marking Period (on April 14) we are excited to bring back our Hybrid 7th and 8th grade students. As a reminder, students in "A" House will report on Monday, April 12. Students in the "B" House will report back on Thursday, April 15. We hope you can join us tomorrow at 5pm when we will help answer any questions that students and families have about returning to the building. The code for that virtual meeting is "BBMS-78".

We look forward to seeing you there!

Dr. Andrew Cockley, Principal

IMPORTANT DATES:

April 8 @ 5:00pm. Code: BBMS-78. Orientation Meeting for students and Families in 7th and 8th grade who are planning to return to the building on April 12 (A House) or April 15 (B House).
April 14 - 3rd Marking Period Closes.
April 22 - Report Cards Visible to Families

FEW REMINDERS AND UPDATES:

ABSENCE DUE TO TECHNOLOGY

If your child misses class due to technical difficulties, you should let their teachers know as soon as possible so that they will not be marked absent.

ABSENCE FOR ALL OTHER REASONS (except technology reasons as listed above)

If your child is absent from school, please email your child’s attendance note to bbmsabsence@hcpss.org

GOOGLE MEET SAFETY MEASURES

Please take a few moments to review the following information regarding appropriate behavior and engagement during Google Meet Sessions:

Adhere to HCPSS Policy 8080 Responsible Use Technology and Social Media and other relevant HCPSS policies.
Students will only be permitted into a Google Meet session with a HCPSS email account. All students can be identified through their HCPSS email account.
Inappropriate/offensive/threatening comments, misrepresentation of identity, and/or disruptive participants (invited or uninvited) during Google Meet sessions will not be tolerated.
Sharing login information violates the confidentiality rights of other students and places them at risk of having to witness disruptive behaviors from students who are not members of the class or school community.
Students who are disruptive and/or “trespass” Google Meet sessions will be immediately reported to administration and will receive appropriate consequences in accordance with the HCPSS Code of Conduct. Consequences may result in temporary or permanent loss of technology access, which will also result in a student's inability to participate in Google Meet sessions; arrangement for receiving instruction and assignments will be established by administration communicated and arranged with parents.

Additional information can be found in the Safety Measures During the Google Meet Session on 20-21 HCPSS Virtual Teaching and Learning Page

VIRTUAL INSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY SUPPORTS

While this school year’s opening is different than any that have come before, our staff has the same level of commitment and excitement to meet, teach and support all students. HCPSS teachers have been busy preparing online learning materials for their classes and are dedicated to creating a caring and supportive online classroom.

We recognize there may be times the applications HCPSS is using for virtual learning may not work as anticipated. This may be due to the nationwide increase in demand on these services or an issue with your local internet provider. We know this may be stressful for both you and your child, and ask for your patience as we work through any challenges that may arise. HCPSS teachers will be understanding and flexible if interruptions to technology services cause delays in assignment submissions and missed virtual learning sessions.

Please find below suggestions on how to proceed if your student experiences an issue.

What should we do when technology is not working?

Occasionally, students may have issues with Canvas, Google Meet or other learning platforms used by HCPSS. If your child is having difficulty:

Logging in to Google Meet - Directions on joining a Google Meet can be found online. If your child is still unable to join, have them send their teacher a message via Canvas or you can send the teacher an email to make them aware. Your child can work on other assignments in Canvas and/or you can have them focus on another learning platform used by their teachers, such as Actively Learn, until the issue is resolved.
Logging in to Canvas - Have your child attend any scheduled virtual learning sessions and/or have them focus on another learning platform used by their teachers, such as Actively Learn. Make sure to let your child’s teacher know about the issue via email.

Principal's Message 3-12-21.pdf