February 2024

BFA Fairfax Middle School

Family Newsletter

From the Principal:

Hello Middle School Families,

We held our first grade-level Community Meetings in January. They were a huge success and we are looking forward to our second Community Meetings next week. During our first Community Meetings students brainstormed what is going well in the middle school as well as areas we need to improve. From that brainstorm we generated a list of community agreements that we will bring to them next week. We will also be playing a fun game of “knee relay” so be sure to ask your students about it!

Two weeks ago the faculty engaged in what is now an annual tradition we call “Letters to Students". Every student received a hand-written card from a teacher sharing what the teacher appreciates about them. It’s an activity we really enjoy doing as a faculty and we hope students liked the cards!

Michelle Messier, our Team Endeavor (Grade 8) science teacher, received the FWSU Educator Excellence award for February for her outstanding work as an educator. Educators are nominated by students and families. Congratulations Michelle!

We are in our final few weeks of Trimester 2. Trimester 2 ends on March 8th and Trimester 3 starts on March 11th. We will be mailing report cards home the week of March 18th. We will hold spring conferences at the end of March and beginning of April. More information to come after break.

Have a wonderful February break!

Warmly,

Heather Baron, Middle School Principal

From the Dean of Students:

The end of the second trimester is here. As we head into our final trimester, it becomes increasingly crucial for students to maintain a focus on academics. This period represents the final push to finishing the year on a strong note. Staying focused during this time ensures that students can consolidate their learning, reinforce key concepts, and solidify their understanding of the material. Moreover, working hard and staying focused contributes to academic success and fosters a sense of accomplishment and confidence, setting a positive precedent for future endeavors.

For many of our students, this final trimester represents a midway point. Next year, they will return to their current team and continue building off all of this year's hard work. For many other students, it represents a final approach to a time of transition. Maybe they will be transitioning to a new team next year. Or maybe they will be moving on to high school.

Regardless, the last trimester allows students to make a final push to finish the school year off on a strong note. By remaining dedicated to their studies and striving for excellence, students demonstrate their commitment to personal growth and academic excellence. Beyond academic achievements, the discipline and perseverance cultivated in the final trimester are invaluable assets in navigating whatever comes next, laying the groundwork for lifelong success. We hope students will enjoy the upcoming break, get some well-deserved rest and relaxation, and then come back ready to take on this final portion of the year with renewed focus and determination.

Dana Gore, Dean of Students

STAFF SPOTLIGHT: Jenn Foster

Jenn Foster has been teaching at BFA Middle School for three years, most recently as a special educator. She started her education and career in social work and mental health counseling with a focus on working in the school setting with students in crisis. She spent time at home with her kids when they were young before returning to schools as a guest teacher and long-term substitute teacher at BFA elementary school and then moving to the middle school as a science and social studies teacher on the 5/6 team. She now is a well-respected and beloved special educator.

Here are her answers to some of our favorite questions:

What’s the best thing about BFA Middle School?

The sense of community that we have in the middle school is our biggest asset. It’s a community of people that care for each other and want the best for each other - students and adults. We try really hard to make sure everyone feels like they belong.

What’s the best and worst things about being a middle school educator?

Best: The relationships you develop with students

Worst: Letting them go (to high school)! When you build these relationships it’s hard to see them go.

Would you rather… (this is a game we love to play during morning advisory)

First day of school or last day of school? I love the first day of school. It’s exciting. I have a hard time with the last day of school.

Lunch duty or recess duty? lunch

If you could get on a plane today and go anywhere for two weeks, where would you go?

Greece - the beaches and the history!

If you weren’t an educator, what would you be?

A nurse

What’s something you enjoy doing outside of school?

Going to concerts and the theater

Fun Fact about you…

I was born in Hawaii. My biological father was stationed at Pearl Harbor.

Classroom Corner

TEAM VOYAGER (Grade 5):

During the month of January, 5th graders focused on GOAL SETTING. Students selected an area in which they felt they wanted to improve and listed a few actions steps they could take to help them progress toward their goal. At our assembly on February 2, we recognized students for their hard work on their goals and in each subject area. Our students have been collecting tickets for meeting expectations, strong participation in class and showing kindness and compassion to others. They filled their ticket box and we celebrated with a tie dying party where each student made their own t-shirt. In preparation for our field trip to the Flynn to see Cirque Mechanics, students in Mrs. Brislin’s supported study rotations are using recycled materials to create free standing windmills that turn in a breeze. Students are having fun measuring to see how far away from the wind source their project can be while still having the turbines move. Students also applied fractions concepts by participating in a "Baking with Fractions" project during math blocks and made edible cookie dough! In Literacy, students had their first book meetings in the Mystery Reading Unit where they shared some creative illustrations and constructed scenes made of Model Magic.

TEAM ODYSSEY (Grade 6):

This month in advisory Odyssey students have been focusing on conflict resolution, self-control, and preventing bullying. In science, students are exploring the solar system by learning about distances in space, how the Earth moves, the reason for seasons, and the moon and stars. In math, students have been working on the operations with fractions. The assessment was on Friday, February 9. We are now moving into proportional reasoning concepts. In literacy class, students have dived head first into their small group graphic novel reading! They are enjoying working with peers to read a novel, fill their designated group roles and have peer-led discussions about the book.

Lastly, it has been wonderful to see how eager our 6th graders have been to take on the reading challenge that is being hosted by the library! The competition is very close with Mr. Bailey’s class having read 29 books, Mrs. Couture’s class having read 25, and Ms. Becker’s class at 32 books!

TEAM HORIZON (Grade 7):

In January, we held our first community meeting where the entire 7th grade community got together in the middle school gym to celebrate the things going well, talk about things we’d like to improve and engage in some team building activities. As part of this community meeting, the team Horizon teachers recognized some students for their outstanding dedication to their education and our community (see image). We look forward to our upcoming February community meeting where more students will be recognized for their outstanding efforts.

Horizon students have finalized their research for the “Controversies in Genetics” project and are working on a TedTalk style informational video to synthesize their research. They’re working hard on showcasing their understanding of the topics and practicing their speaking and video editing skills. The topics include: Cloning, GMO Foods, Genetic Screening, Brain Reading AI, Genetic Identity & Security, Gene Therapy, Stem Cell Research and Gene Doping in sports. Up next, in phase 3 of this project, students will engage in a symposium where they’ll have conversations with peers defending either a for or against stance on their topic using valid and reliable evidence.

We’re excited to be attending Keep Marching: The Road to the March on Washington at the Flynn Theater on March 11th - permission slips were sent home with students on February 6th.

TEAM ENDEAVOR (Grade 8):

Team Endeavour has shared details about our trip to Boston, which will take place on Thursday April 18. Grants from Champlain Valley Education Development Center (CVEDC), and funding from the BFA Enrichment Committee have helped to reduce the cost per student for this trip. We are looking forward to a visit to the Museum of Science, the Freedom Trail, and other explorations of the city.

For the month of February, the focus in US History class is the American Presidency in the Early National Period. After analyzing George Washington’s Presidency and his Farewell Address, students are assessing how the next four Presidents measured up to George Washington’s standard and handled the new challenges to the United States.

Students used their knowledge of microscopes to explore the differences between plant and animal cells. Students determined the cells differ in their size, shape, arrangement and the various smaller structures that make them up. Finally, students will use these differences to determine if an unknown cell is from a plant or an animal.

In math class we are exploring the relationship between the area of a square and its side lengths. Students are playing with mathematics by creating squares out of triangles on grid paper. We will be building on this understanding as we explore the Pythagorean Theorem and why it works.

In ELA, students finished the collection of short stories Look Both Ways by Jason Reynolds. They have now begun the writing process by writing five paragraph argumentative essays.

When we return from break we will have a guest speaker coming to do a presentation on Vaping. Amy Brewer, Health Educator, will be joining us from Northwestern Medical Center on Friday, March 15th to discuss the health considerations associated with Vaping. She has been working with other local middle schools for several years to help students understand vape products, addiction and withdrawal along with the impact that these products can have on stress, anxiety and depression. Amy is also joining us for the “Family Night Out” on March 21st to share some information with families.

Counseling Connections

Topic of the month: Online and technology safety!

Let’s face it, the internet and technology is a great resource! Our students use it every day to work on their science project, submit virtual assignments, and communicate directly with their teachers and caregivers. What an amazing resource…and sometimes scary! Our students are smart, they usually know how to physically navigate technology and the internet (have you ever asked your student to help you log back into Netflix or set up the new TV you just purchased?) But do they know how to navigate the social nuances of it all?

Tips for keeping your middle schooler safe online:

1. Talk about It

Having open communication about this topic is really important! Regardless of how old your student is, it’s never too early (or too late) to start talking to them about internet safety.

Communicate with your student about the online threats you’re concerned about, and involve them in creating a plan for how to help them avoid getting caught up in these things. By starting and maintaining an ongoing conversation about internet safety will help prepare you and your student for when and if something strange or scary happens.

2. Set Up Ground Rules

It is important to clearly outline your expectations for online behavior, and identify internet safety rules that will help protect you and your student. This type of plan should include things like sharing your student’s email accounts and usernames and passwords. Also make sure to identify social networking sites and apps that are safe to use and others that are off limits. Your plan should also include some of the following:

Don’t share personal information online, including your full name, address, phone number, and Social Security number.
Don’t use public wifi networks.
Don’t let anyone else (including friends) use your phone, laptop, or tablet.
Don’t accept friend requests and invites from strangers.
Don’t open emails from unknown senders.
Don’t click on links or download anything without checking with an adult first.
Don’t share photos online or through texts or IMs.

3. Put Protections in Place

Use a parental control filter to help limit your student’s exposure to content that is inappropriate. Parental controls can give you valuable information about your student’s online activities and alert you to potential red flags.

Use parental control apps to protect your students! Parental control apps help you monitor content across several platforms, manage the amount of screen time, filter inappropriate websites and set location alerts.

Make sure the privacy settings are up and running on all devices, apps, and programs that your teen uses.

4. Keep Things Out in the Open

It is important to store computers, laptops, tablets, and phones in a central place in your home where you can monitor activity and enforce other boundaries.

Set limits for screen time, including time spent on their phone, online gaming, or any other internet-based activity your students are into. Teach them to stay away from strangers on the internet. This includes if they get an email from an unknown source, a suspicious link, or a friend request they don’t recognize. We like to tell students that if you’ve never met in real life, that person is not a “friend”. If your student is not sure about something, encourage them to check with you first so that together you can decide whether or not something is safe.

5. Connect Online

It is important to know about all of your student’s social network profiles, and have them add you as a friend. This is more than a safety precaution—it can be fun to stay connected to your student and build trust. But most importantly, the reason to “friend” or “add” your student is to be able to recognize any potential dangers and nip it in the bud immediately.

6. Look for Signs of Trouble

I know we all try very hard to protect our students from dangers (in the real world and online) but despite our very best efforts,sometimes the bad stuff still gets through. No matter how safe you think your student’s internet behavior is, it’s still important to keep an eye out for things that may not be as safe as you think. Here are some things to keep an eye out for:

Secretive behavior like hiding screens when you enter the room or trying to go online outside of supervision
Creating new email accounts, social network profiles, etc.
Self-harm
Becoming sullen or withdrawn
Losing interest in friends or activities
Displaying strong emotional responses after going online

Save the Date:

March 21st, 2024 at 5:00pm

BFA Fairfax is hosting Family Night Out on March 21st at 5:00pm. This event is for families K-12 and will include dinner, resources, workshop and activities. We would love your input on what would be useful to you and your family. Please give your input via this survey.

8th Grade Families:

Linnea Jahn and Katherine McElroy Welch (High School Counselors) have enjoyed meeting your 8th graders as they prepare for high school. If you haven’t seen a maroon folder with details about 9th grade courses please let us know or access this electronic version. We are asking that each student meet with their high school counselor prior to Feb break to answer any questions and review course selection. Students can book that meeting during the school day or families are welcome to join and book at a time that works for their schedule.

You can book using these links:

Student Last Name A-L: Linnea Jahn- https://calendly.com/linneajahn

OR
Student Last Name M-Z: Katherine McElroy Welch- https://calendly.com/kmcelroy-3

For anyone interested in School Choice the application is on the BFA Fairfax website due prior to February break.

Katherine McElroy, Director of School Counseling kmcelroy@fwsu.org

Linnea Jahn, High School Counselor ljahn@fwsu.org

Athletics and Activities

We continue to be incredibly proud of all our middle school athletic participants! As our middle school teams wind down their winter seasons, please be sure to hand in uniforms (washed please) to coaches on the designated dates of return. These dates will be listed in the weekly schedule grid.

Middle School spring sports (grades 7-8 softball, baseball, track and field) will begin the week of April 8. Communication will be shared broadly when spring online registration goes live.

Geri Witalec-Krupa, Director of Activities

Student Leadership Committee (SLC) News:

The student leadership committee is hosting spirit week from February 19th-23rd! The flier with information for each day is below, fliers will also be going home with students in the coming days.

A reminder that the student leadership committee will also be hosting a 5th and 6th grade dance on February 16th. If you would like to contribute a baked good for the bake sale, please contact Jenn Foster at jfoster@fwsu.org. All proceeds will benefit the Franklin County Humane Society. This dance is chaperoned by school middle school staff. Parents should drop students off and return at 8:30 for pick-up.

Finally, the members of the SLC met with Mrs. Baron last week to discuss the classwide information that was gathered at our grade-wide community meetings. Students were asked to brainstorm what they loved about our middle school as well as changes they would like to see. The SLC discussed the common themes then added additional content and ideas they felt our student body shared. We are thankful for the opportunity to meet with Mrs. Baron and the value she places on student voices being heard!

Save the date for more SLC sponsored events!

Middle School Coffee House, April 5th.

7th and 8th grade dance, May 17th.

Nurse's Office

This past week I was able to talk with our 8th graders about a product called Mojo(energy pouches). I talked about what we know about Mojo, as well as some health concerns I have as the School Nurse. These energy pouches, while listed as a natural form of caffeine, are not ideal for our students and could be potentially harmful.

My hope is that by providing you with the information I shared with our 8th grade students it will allow you to have open discussions at home about Energy Pouches.

What we know about Mojo (Energy Pouches)

According to the Mojo website it is a natural form of caffeine that is sugar free and has approximately 50 mg of caffeine.
These pouches are placed in the buccal mucosa( inner lip) to allow for a fast absorption of caffeine, by bypassing the digestive enzymes that would typically help break down the caffeine.
Caffeine is a known diuretic and can lead to dehydration in some.
The Mojo pouches do not have nicotine( the addictive chemical often found in tobacco products)
The Energy pouches are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration
Daily Caffeine consumption can lead to addiction

Concerns with Mojo/Energy Pouches

They have made these items resemble other pouches that DO HAVE nicotine in them
Side effects of mouth pouches include
- Irritation of gums( sore/ulcers).
  - Bleeding gums
  - Tooth Decay
- Bad Breath(bodies constant need for breaking down of food enzymes)
- Nausea
- Headache
- Dizziness
- Fast beating heart rates
  - Studies have shown that heart arrhythmia can be associated with caffeine intake.
- Disruption in sleep habits
- Increase in anxiety, restlessness and irritability
- inability to sleep
- Habit forming routine
- Increase risk of oral cancer in individuals who use pouches
It is not clear as to what the pouch fabric is made out of
- Typically the material of the pouch is made to scratch the gum for the product to enter the bloodstream quicker.
- Research is being done about caffeine consumption in children with some knowledge that it can affect brain development.

Please don't hesitate to reach out if you have any additional questions.

Thank you,

Courtney LaCasses, BFA Middle School, clacasse@fwsu.org

From the Land of Music, Art, Physical Education, and World Language

ART: 5th and 6th grade artists have been learning about how to create depth in their artwork, making things look closer or farther away. They completed their landscape collages, making sure to include a foreground, middle ground, and background. I love how unique they all turned out! 7th and 8th grade artists have also been working on collages. They used symbolism, colors, and lines to represent an important memory. I enjoyed learning more about each student through this project. Ask to see your artist’s Digital Portfolio and artist statement about their work. They worked so hard!

Now that students have been in the art studio for a while and learned various media, we will start having more open studio time so that students can have more freedom and choice in the art room. We will talk about how artists come up with ideas for their artwork, and then experiment and plan before beginning to work.

Our positive vibe word-art outside of the art room.

Spanish: In Spanish class, we have started our animal unit. We have been focusing more on producing language in addition to understanding, so students are able to verbally share which animal they like the most in the target language. They have also had the opportunity to ask others about the types of animals they want or have in Spanish using the high frequency verbs of “tener” (to have) and “querer” (to want). Students also briefly learned about some of the most dangerous ways to get to school in Bolivia, as well as some of their cultural beliefs and landscapes. If you have any questions or concerns please reach out via email at flenahan@fwsu.org

MANDARIN: On Feb 7th, in the evening fifth and sixth grade Mandarin students and their families celebrated Chinese Lunar New Year. We had food, paper cutting, calligraphy, and tea. Thank you to everyone who could join us. Thanks to the enrichment fund for providing money for the food.

TECHNOLOGY: In the makerspace, students have been working on their passion projects in grades 7 and 8. Everything from board games and video games, to clothing, air hockey tables, and fishing lures are being designed and created by the students based on their interests. They are using 3D printers, laser cutters, arduino boards, Cricut machines, This is a long term project which is supplemented with opportunities to build and program Lego Mindstorm robots. I am looking forward to seeing what the students come up with.

BAND: A big shout out to our middle school band students–over 30 of them–who will be participating in either the Concert Band or the Wind Ensemble for this year’s VMEA District I Honor Ensembles! It’s tremendous to bring such a strong showing of Fairfax students to this event, which will feature young musicians from around our region. Information forms and permission slips for the Spring Trills & Thrills Festival field trip will be coming home beginning today; while they’re not due back until April 15, the sooner we have them in, the better.

CHORUS: We are hard at work preparing for our May concert (May 21st) and the Trills and Thrills festival (grades 6-8, May 31st). I began distributing permission slips for Trills and Thrills Friday, 2/9 and will get the rest out to students on Monday, 2/12. Please email with any questions. cmaynard@fwsu.org

Additionally, we have over 30 chorus students signed up for the VMEA District I Honor Chorus! Stay tuned for an email with details in the next day or so.

GENERAL MUSIC: General Music students wrapped up their Ukulele units and are about to begin Bucket drumming next week! We’ve been practicing our rhythm reading skills and are excited to get going on playing!

News from the Library

Middle School Reading Challenge 2024

What is it?

The Library is challenging all middle school students to read as many books as they can before March 15th.

Homeroom teachers will have reading logs for the students to write down “just right” books as they read them. When a student has read a book, they should come to the Library and tell us so we can add it to their homeroom total. Books read over vacation will also count.

The grade level homeroom in each grade (5-8) that reads the most books will win a pizza party.

The students that read the most books will win a prize.

When is it?

February 1- March 15, 2024. The pizza party will be the week of March 18th.

How will each class know how they are doing?

There will be class graphs in the MS hallway that show how many books each class has read and who is leading the challenge.

Joy Mercer

School Librarian

jmercer@fwsu.org

Upcoming Events and Dates

IMPORTANT DATES:

Grade 5-6 Dance: February 16th

Winter Break: February 26 - March 6

End of Trimester 2: March 8

Start of Trimester 3: March 11

Early Release: Wednesday, March 20th (students dismissed 12:50pm)

SAVE THE DATE:

Grade 7-8 Dance: May 17th (more info to come)

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