Beaver Dam Middle School
Family Newsletter
Hello Families,
Now that October arrives, we hit a crucial time in the school year. As we get into a regular routine, it can be easy for any of us to relax or take our eyes off the prize. The prize being high levels of learning for every student. I pledge to you that we will not let that happen. We will work every day to provide high-quality instruction, meet student learning needs, and get better at what we do. We appreciate any support we can receive from our family partners. This can include reaffirming behavioral expectations at home, regularly reading and talking about reading at home, and monitoring student grades through Skyward. In addition, it can include connecting with teachers at our conferences on October 7th. Information on how to sign-up for conference times is contained in this newsletter.
Thank you for all that you do as families. Thank you for your support of BDMS.
In Service,
Rob Meyer
BDMS Principal; BDUSD Director of Teaching & Learning
Contents Quick Links:
After School Academic Support (ASAS) runs in our library after school (3:00-4:00 PM) on most Mondays and Thursdays. Students can come to have a quiet place to study or receive extra support from staff who participate in this opportunity. We generally have two to three staff members available. Students wishing to attend must report directly to the library after school and remain there until 4:00. Please know that students/families must arrange for transportation as students will be escorted to our main entrance (Door S1) at 4:00 and dismissed. We do not have bussing available. All of our expectations for students during the school day are also enforced at ASAS. This is a great way for students to complete studies and homework before going home.
October dates: 3rd, 7th, 10th, 14th, 17th, 21st, 28th, 31st
(No ASAS on Oct 24th as we do not have school the following day)
Attendance matters! You will hear this from our school consistently over the year. We want all of our students to learn and grow, achieving high levels of learning. Being here for the learning experiences is a significant factor in achieving this. Yes, there are illnesses or other circumstances when students can't be at school. So, we ask that we all maximize every other opportunity we have to attend school.
If absences accumulate, guardians will receive letters reminding you of the student's attendance status and next steps. School attendance is a legal requirement, prompting steps that are outlined in the letters. Thank you for supporting learning!
We have our first of four Parent-Teacher Conferences on October 7th from 4:00-7:30 PM. This is such a valuable time to make school to home connections. Thank you in advance for your participation. Here is some essential information for you:
Conferences are by appointment. Families will be able to sign up for time slots with teachers through Skyward. Here is the Signup Guide if you are not already familiar with how to do this. Families will have access to sign-up starting at 2:00 PM on Sept. 30th.
Conferences are set for 10 minutes. In addition, they are set for in-person. If you prefer a phone/virtual option, you can indicate this when selecting your appointments in Skyward.
All families attending in person will be getting some materials to support reading at home. You can pick those up and engage with some of our staff as you enter our main doors (Door S1 on 4th Street).
English Language Arts (ELA) and Math teachers will have printed results of students fall assessments (i-Ready Diagnostic Math & Reading) to distribute. If you do not attend in-person conferences with those specific teachers, the results will be sent home with students the following day. Additional copies can be requested after this time by contacting our main office. Please note that these assessment results are just one snapshot in time of your student's current levels of academic achievement. We use this assessment as well as other evidence to inform our work with your student and inform our work as a school.
Please see the Parents Make a Difference Monthly Bulletin (Spanish) from The Parent Institute. This is a newsletter style document we share monthly. It includes short articles that support a family-school connection.
Please see this flyer for information and registration details for a workshop titled "Strengthening Family Bonds Through Traditions." This takes place on November 14th from 6:00-7:00 PM at Jefferson Elementary School. This is provided by UW Extension and BDUSD.
We know that pick up and drop off can be challenging at the beginning and end of the day on 4th Street. Thank you for your patience. For student safety, please ensure that students are dropped off in the right lane. We have had some close calls with students being dropped off in the left driving lane. In addition, please make sure to not park and pick up in the left lane at the end of the day. We know this may mean having to drive back around the block. This, as with drop off, is a safety concern as well as traffic flow issue. Thank you for keeping our students safe.
Red Ribbon Week is a national campaign held every October to promote living a healthy, drug-free lifestyle. In recognition of Red Ribbon Week, the Middle School will be participating in theme days to promote healthy choices the week of October 21, as well as have the opportunity to sign a pledge to be drug-free.
Monday October 21, 2024 - “Red Ribbon Week Kick Off”- Wear Red
Tuesday October 22 - “I Dream of a Drug Free School”- Wear PJ’s
Wednesday October 23 - “Team Up Against Drugs” - Wear sports attire
In addition, 7th and 8th grade Advisory classes have started a series of lessons from the program Project Alert. Project Alert is an evidenced based classroom program that teaches middle school students how to resist drugs and alcohol by providing students the knowledge, skills, and confidence to resist peer pressure and misleading messaging in order to avoid substance use. Having the confidence to say “no” to the pressures to use drugs is the easiest way to prevent drug use and prevent all of the negative consequences related to it. 6th grade receives alcohol and drug prevention education in their Health classes throughout the year.
The Beaver Dam Unified School District is partnering with Dodge County Public Health Department to offer nasal flu vaccines to students in the district. If you would like your student to participate, please see the forms linked below and return the consent form to the school office by October 22nd, 2024. If you need a printed copy, please stop by our main office. The clinic will take place during the school day on October 29th, 2024. If you would like more information, please contact our school office.
The BDMS 2024-2025 Student & Family Handbook is a useful resource, and it’s very important to read it with your student(s). If you registered your student(s) for the new school year, one of the steps was confirming you and your children have read it and understand it. It is revised every year, and there may be changes in policy and/or behavioral expectations.
When looking on Skyward to check on class grades, you may notice that there are missing assignments listed at the top of the Skyward gradebook tab. Where do I find my student's missing work?
CANVAS/CLEVER SITES:
Some student assignments are posted/available in our school online platform CANVAS or linked in online textbooks in CLEVER.
PAPER COPIES including Worksheets or Workbooks:
There are assignments that are only available in paper form located in the classroom. Students can get extra copies of paper assignments during the day from their classes. These may include workbooks for math and science.
If you are interested in learning more about Virtual Nursing Appointments for students at BDMS (via TytoCare), please see this informational document. In order for students to access this service, guardians must complete consent forms. The QR code and link for this is on the flyer.
Yearbook sales are open! Click on this Beaver Dam Yearbooks link to place your order. If you received a flyer with a date of September 13th, please note that is NOT the deadline. Sales will be open for a few months, and we’ll communicate deadlines as we get closer.
September 30: No School (Staff Training)
October 2: Picture Retake Day
October 7: Parent Teacher Conferences
October 21: Red Ribbon Week
October 24: No School (Staff Training)
October 25: No School
November 4: No School (Staff Training)
November 14: Parenting Workshop
November 27: Digital Distance Learning Day - No In-Person Attendance
November 28-29: No School (Thanksgiving Break)
EVERY DAY COUNTS
ATTENDANCE MATTERS
Please make sure to work with your student(s) to be on time and attend school each day.
For more information, please visit our school website.