Middle School

Family Portal

Welcome From the Principal

Dear Bridges Middle School Families,

Welcome to a new school year! I am honored to begin my fourth year as Principal of this incredible school community and to celebrate my 24th year as an educator. As a father of three— and a father figure to many more over the years— I consider it my life’s mission to make a lasting, positive difference in the lives of our youth.

This past summer, I had the privilege of serving children in the Dominican Republic and at a youth camp back home in the states. These experiences reminded me of the power of connection, compassion, and service. I carry that energy and purpose into every role I serve— as an educator, a baseball coach, and a church youth leader. And for my own self-care, I find peace in the outdoors and joy in participating in or cheering on sports— especially anything Clemson Tigers!

As we kick off this school year, I want to highlight the Five Critical Commitments that guide our work and culture at Bridges Preparatory School:

1. Student Efficacy – We believe in empowering every student to recognize their voice, take ownership of their learning, and reach their full potential.

2. Highly Effective Teachers – Our dedicated educators are committed to excellence in teaching, continuous growth, and fostering strong relationships with students.

3. Self-Care – We know that in order to take care of others, we must take care of ourselves. As a school, we encourage healthy habits and emotional wellness for students and staff alike.

4. Family-like Schools – We are building a culture where every student feels known, seen, and supported— just like family and where our students’ families serve as supportive, collaborative members of our school community.

5. Shared Leadership – Collaboration is key. We welcome the voices of students, staff, and families in shaping the path forward for our school.

Our staff is entering this year with renewed energy, excitement, and an unshakable belief in our students. I am thrilled to partner with each of you— our families— as we build a school year full of growth, connection, and success.

Let’s make this our best year yet.

With gratitude,

Jeremiah Young

Bridges Preparatory Middle School Principal

Important Dates

Thursday, November 6th:
- Picture make-up day (K-11)
- Buccaneer Theatre Co Performance: Drowning Girls (11/6-11/8)
  - Purchase a ticket online here.
Friday, November 7th:
- 8th grade will be selling Chick-fil-A biscuits in the morning for $5.
- Boosterthon fun and color runs-Let’s finish this week strong by reaching our $60,000 goal! The run will take place at 1:10 on our soccer field.

Middle School Updates

6th Grade

8th Grade

Encore

Consumer Science

6th Grade-This week students spent some time continuing to focus on aspects of success and what success in life looks like. They also did several assignments that dealt with career exploration. They did an activity where they researched several jobs/careers and did a career scavenger hunt exercise. We ended the week by showing them an example of all the different jobs/careers that are involved with bringing any good or service to the market. On Friday, they completed an activity that showcased how a specific product arrives on store shelves and all the different careers/people responsible for this.
7th Grade-This week students started turning their attention to concepts that are found in the book 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens. They did an activity where they created a personal mission statement. We talked about the importance of this and how it changes over time but some core values should remain. The final thing we focused on was to introduce them to the seven habits through an activity where each person focused on a specific habit through a hands-on activity.
8th grade-This week students continued to lay the foundation of what success looks like. The next unit we will begin will deal a lot with money and careers. I am trying to lay the foundation for them that success is not solely judged on exterior factors but has to be found from within. Next week we will begin looking more at various careers they are interested in, as well as the skills necessary to be successful in those fields. We will also focus on the ins and outs of finding a job in our current economy.

Physical Education

This week students were assessed using the Fitnessgram. We did a cardiovascular, upper body strength, lower body strength, and core strength assessment. The students are able to see the norms for their age and gender and try to reach the highest levels they can. In the middle of the quarter, the students will perform these assessments again to track their progress. At the end of the quarter, the students will perform these assessments one last time to see their overall growth. The goal of these tests is to see the students' growth throughout the quarter.

PLTW

This week in PLTW we will be continuing the unit Puzzle Cube Design Challenge. Students will create sketches of their own puzzle cube pieces. Students will also be utilizing a CAD application to create a 3D model of their Puzzle Cube. To complete this unit, students will use materials provided to them to construct their own puzzle cube. Students will be responsible for following the given design criteria and constraints.

Spanish

Sixth grade will be learning about colors in Spanish. Students will practice identifying and describing colors through games, songs, and creative activities.
Seventh grade will begin the unit on “La familia” (The Family), learning vocabulary to describe family members and how they are related. They will also start creating their own family trees in Spanish.
Eighth grade will focus on the parts of the house, learning how to describe different rooms and objects found at home. Activities will include labeling and describing a house layout in Spanish.
Spanish 1 students will continue learning about adjectives used to describe appearance and personality. They will practice forming sentences and conversations to describe themselves and others in Spanish.

Visual Arts

Sixth Grade: Students are beginning their mosaic projects, learning how to plan designs and piece together small shapes to create a larger image. They’re exploring patience, precision, and color choices while working with different materials.
7th Grade: Students are finishing up their mandala designs. These beautiful, symmetrical artworks showcase creativity, balance, and detailed pattern work. I’m excited for you to see their finished pieces soon!
8th Grade: Students are starting their shattered value drawings, where they’ll learn how to use value shading to create depth and contrast within a fractured, abstract design. It’s a challenging but rewarding project that helps strengthen drawing and shading skills.

Bucs Best

The following expectations were developed for the Middle School's social contract:

Respect for all people and all places, at all times
Be prepared; be productive
Be helpful
Demonstrate responsibility
Show integrity

Attendance

Drop-Off Schedule:

7:00 AM: Middle school students may be dropped off. However, a drop-off closer to 7:30 AM is preferred to ease early morning traffic congestion.
8:00 AM: Middle and High School day begins

Pick-Up Schedule:

3:00 PM: Middle and High School day ends and parents can begin picking up Middle and High School students
3:30 PM: All 6-12 students must be picked up unless enrolled in the After School program

Student Devices

Please have conversations with your children regarding appropriate care and use of their school computers. Please encourage students to handle their computers responsibly and with care. Computers are to be used for school purposes only. Parents, please help ensure this is the case by supervising at-home use. Thank you for your help and support. We appreciate it.

Middle School Pick-Up

Please display car rider tags.
- Middle School students will not be released until their car rider tag number has been entered by a faculty member.

Dismissal starts at 3:00 pm.
If picking up a Middle School student with an Elementary sibling, please delay entering campus until 2:55 pm.
If you are only picking up a Middle School student, please delay entering campus until after 2:55 pm.

Please utilize the full pick-up lines, filling the gaps between vehicles.

Families picking up only a Middle or High School student may utilize the front or back pickup lines at 3:15 pm or whenever the front pick-up line has cleared.

Page updated

Report abuse