March 2026 Update from Mr. Crete

We are excited to share our progress toward our building-wide goals for the 2025-2026 school year. Our staff and students have been working diligently on both academic and behavioral initiatives to ensure a positive and productive learning environment for everyone at Baldwin Street Middle School.

Building Wide Academic Goal: Reading & Comprehension

Our primary academic focus this year is to improve student reading and comprehension of nonfiction text. We are specifically targeting grade-level complexity and utilizing scaffolding techniques to support all learners.

Progress Highlights:

• Targeted Standards: We are closely monitoring progress through the STAR assessment, specifically focusing on standards RI 7.10 and RI 8.10.

• Instructional Strategies: Teachers are implementing a "6 Strategies Bookmark" system (attached below) which includes techniques for before reading (activating prior knowledge), during reading (monitoring comprehension), and after reading (summarizing core ideas) .

• Winter ELA Data: Recent STAR Reading data shows growth in several key areas between Fall and Winter benchmarks:

  • Text: Key Ideas and Details (7th Grade): Proficiency estimates rose from 30.7% in the Fall to 47.2% in the Winter .

  • Literature: Key Ideas and Details (8th Grade): Mastery levels increased from 35.7% to 39.7% .

Mathematics Excellence

While our primary goal is literacy-based, we are also seeing significant gains in our mathematics performance across the building.

Key Math Wins:

• Functions Proficiency: The overall proficiency estimate for "Functions" saw a major jump from 1% in the Fall to 54% in the Winter.

• Algebra and Equations (8th Grade): Mastery levels grew from 24% to 64% over the same period.

• Ratios and Proportional Relationships: Overall building proficiency in this strand is currently at 75%.

Building Wide Behavior Goal: Positive Recognition

Our behavioral goal is to improve school climate by increasing age-appropriate, specific praise and ensuring all staff are actively involved in our PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) system.

Our Targets & Progress:

• SOAR Cards: Staff are acknowledging students daily with SOAR cards to celebrate positive behavior.

• Recognition Goal: Our objective is for 50% or more of our student body to be formally recognized through this system. 

• Staff Engagement: We are utilizing a tracking system to ensure consistent participation across all departments and grade levels.

We are incredibly proud of the growth our students have shown so far this year. Thank you for your continued partnership in supporting their academic and social-emotional success!

Click here for 2025-2026 BMS Student-Parent Handbook

How to prepare your students for testing:

Attendance is crucial on these testing days.  Testing materials are designed to be given at a specific time, and missing even a part of the test can negatively impact your child's score. Please avoid scheduling any appointments that would conflict with testing times, if possible.

Here are some tips to help your child feel prepared and confident during testing:

• Charge chromebooks the night before testing.

• Establish a Regular Sleep Schedule: Adequate sleep is crucial for focus and concentration. Encourage a consistent bedtime routine throughout the next couple weeks.

• Promote a Healthy Breakfast: Fuel their brainpower with a nutritious breakfast on testing days.

• Create a Positive Testing Environment: Reduce anxiety by talking about the test in a calm and reassuring way. We will also have the whole building in testing mode to create a quiet and calm atmosphere at school.

• Review Testing Strategies: Many resources are available online to help them practice test-taking skills. We will also be providing opportunities throughout the week in school for test preparation.

• Focus on Effort, Not Outcome: Emphasize the importance of doing their best and staying calm.

Please mark June 5, 2026 during the school day on your calendars to help us celebrate our 8th grade students!

We will be communicating out more details in future newsletters. If you have any questions about this event, please contact Ryan Crete at rcrete@hpseagles.net.

Tentative Schedule: 

8:25 am- 10:00 am- Breakfast with parent volunteers (more information on this later) & students sign yearbooks 

10:00am- 10:30am- Mock elections & Dave Powers Award in the gym (Parents are invited to attend)

10:30am- Walk out/Clap out - Parents are invited to wait outside to clap students out

Please take a few moments to review the information regarding the books in our library and the policies and procedures around restricting titles for your children.

Late / Lost Books

Students won't be able to check out another book until they return or replace an overdue book.

Student Council and Renaissance are excited to announce the BMS Spring Dance: Friday, March 13 from 3pm-4:30pm.  See details below.

As the Winter 2 season winds down, it is now time to look ahead to what is coming up this spring!  The Spring season begins on March 16th and concludes around the last week of May. The sports offered in the Spring at BMS are:

Girl's Tennis

Boy's Volleyball (with Club Fee) 

Co-ed Track and Field 

Girl's Soccer 

Here is the link to sign up: Baldwin Sign Up

Please fill out the Google Doc (link above) and make sure all email addresses are accurate. This is the email address we will pass on to coaches for the initial parent communication. 

If you are interested in signing your student up for a Spring Sport, please make sure the following is completed.

1. Completed Sports Physical Form  (Must be dated after April 15, 2025 per MHSAA)

2. $75 Pay-to-play fee (This can be check, cash, or completed online here) (Type in "Pay 2 Play - Baldwin Middle School")

3. Signed Athletic Code Athletic Code Contract (This should pop up if you choose to pay online) or there are hard copies in the office.

Physicals can be scanned and emailed to Juli Smies - jsmies@hpseagles.net.

Forms must be printed, signed and brought into the office (or completed online) prior to or on the first day of Spring sports tryouts or practices (3/16/26). When all forms are signed and payment is turned in, athletes will receive an entry ticket that must be brought to their coach on the first day of tryouts/practice. Tickets will be handed out beginning on March 11th in the main office. 

If your student played a Fall or Winter sport that was not Football or Sideline Cheer, they do not need to pay the Pay2Play Fee again. *Please note that MS Football, Sideline Cheer, and Boys Volleyball are club sports and are a separate $50 fee, not the $75 Pay2Play Fee.*

Come out and support our Eagle athletes! All Middle School Spring Sports Schedules can be found at: https://hudsonvilleathletics.com/

Jon VanSlyke - BMS Athletic Director: jvansly@hpseagles.net 

Juli Smies - Athletic Secretary:  jsmies@hpseagles.net

Parents of Baldwin Street Middle School students! We need your partnership in many different ways during the school year. Opportunities include regular Copy Parent, volunteer during school day as needed, Activities, Library, and Others. 

***All parent volunteers are required to have a background check on file. This includes Parent Chaperones that attend field trips throughout the school year. Please fill out our online "Volunteer Background Check Form" on the BMS website.

Please contact Jayme Santana or call the office at (616) 669-7750 if you are interested in helping out.

Registration is officially open for the Spring SOARee. This event raises support for our classroom grant initiative while gathering our wonderful community for food, fun, and a great silent auction. Individual tickets are $50. More information and the ticket registration link are available at Spring SOARée : Events & Fundraisers : Get Involved : Hudsonville Education Foundation.

https://hudsedfound.org/get-involved/events-fundraisers/spring-soaree.html

The Annual Education Report (AER) is designed to meet state and federal requirements for reporting to parents and communities.  The report provides detailed data on state administered student assessment results, accountability results, teacher qualification information, and the state results for the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP).

Parents and the community can access AER information for the district and individual schools by clicking on the Annual Education Report tab on our website.  If you have any questions regarding the AER information, please contact Ryan Crete at rcrete@hpseagles.net.

Hudsonville Public Schools does not discriminate on the basis of sex and prohibits sex discrimination in any education program or activity that it operates, as required by Title IX, including in admission and employment.  https://www.hudsonvillepublicschools.org/about/civil-rights-compliance