September 2026 Update from Mr. Crete

Greetings, Baldwin Street Middle School Families and Community! 

I hope you all enjoyed the holiday weekend and are settling in to the new school year! The 2026-2027 school year is off to a fantastic start! We have established clear expectations throughout the building with our students and classes are rolling along.   Please make sure that you are helping them with organization and task completion by keeping up with their PowerSchool grades, Week at a Glance, and Google Classroom.

We are looking forward to our upcoming all 7th Grade Field Trip to Tunnel Park on October 1, 2026 for a day of team building and fun. If your child has any food allergies, please ensure that they have a sack lunch to bring with them on this date. This is an opt-out field trip, so if you do not want your child to attend, please email or call our office. If your child is suspended from school, they may not be eligible to attend the field trip. We will be communicating early next week the details for this trip in a separate message to 7th grade families. 

At Baldwin, we believe it is through a partnership with our families that we create a comfortable, positive, and engaging place for students to learn and grow. Together, we will build on the great things already happening at BMS!  There is a procedure that is very effective in resolving difficulties that arise. Please go to the source of the problem (or irritation) first. If you have a question about a teacher’s decision or judgment, please contact the teacher first. Many times misunderstandings occur because of a lack of communication. If after discussing the matter at the source of the problem, you are still concerned or were not answered to your satisfaction, I would welcome your contact. It is my desire to see this procedure in effect on all levels. For example, a teacher will address a problem with the student prior to contacting the parents. A parent should contact the teacher prior to taking the concern to the principal. The principal would be contacted prior to the superintendent, etc. This has served as a very effective problem-solver, and I would greatly encourage you in this and thank you for your cooperation!

We commit ourselves to providing the support and encouragement needed to do the best possible job of helping our students mature academically, socially and emotionally. If you know of a way we can better serve you, we welcome your suggestions. Our door is usually open and we welcome your visit. We may not always agree, but we will listen. Please remember that final decisions rest with administration so there will be times that we must stick with an original decision. However, there are many occasions in which we did not consider every aspect of a decision and we are willing to learn from you. 

Please keep an eye out for your child's MSTEP and PSAT scores to be sent home at the end of this month. We will email everyone when they are sent home with students.

There is a lot of information in this newsletter, so please reach out if you have any questions.

We appreciate your desire to do your best for our students, and thank you for being committed to excellence!

Best regards,

Ryan Crete, Principal - Baldwin Street Middle School

Grading Policy and SOAR Skills Grades

Please take some time to review the grading policies for Baldwin Street Middle School. This year, we will also be reinstating the SOAR Skills grades for each class period. Teachers will have these scores posted at the top of their gradebook and will update gradebooks weekly. Please look over this matrix and reach out to your child's teachers if you have questions about their SOAR skills grades. Please see the document below to learn more.

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 here.

Please visit the following link for our normal daily schedules: 2026-2027 BMS Daily Schedule

At the Middle School, we are committed to helping students grow not only academically, but also socially and emotionally. This year, we are focusing on teaching and reinforcing positive behavior through a combination of PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports), the Responsible Thinking Process, and Restorative Practices. Together, these approaches help us create a safe and respectful learning environment for all.

SOAR Expectations

Our schoolwide expectations are built around the acronym SOAR:

• being Safe

• Owning it

• Acting responsibly

• being Respectful
  
  

Teachers and staff are committed to teaching, modeling, and reminding students of SOAR behaviors so they clearly understand what is expected in every area of the school.

Recognizing Positive Choices

We believe in celebrating when students make good choices! This year, staff will hand out SOAR Tickets to students they notice meeting or exceeding expectations. Students can collect these tickets and spend them at our SOAR Store. In addition, teachers will select students who demonstrate exemplary SOAR behavior to receive a Golden Ticket. Golden Ticket recipients will earn a special prize and recognition for being a role model to others.

Responding to Challenges

While our focus is on positive behavior, we also know that students are still learning and growing — and sometimes missteps happen. When they do, our response is designed to encourage reflection, problem-solving, independence and teach discipline, rather than just punishment.

Students may be asked to reflect on four simple but powerful questions:

1. What are you doing? / What’s happening?

2. What are you supposed to be doing / Which part of SOAR applies here or aren’t you showing?

3. What usually happens when someone doesn’t follow SOAR?

4. Is that the outcome you want / How could you adjust to show you are ready to SOAR?

These questions guide students to pause, think, and take responsibility for their actions.

The Alternative Learning Center (ALC)

If a student continues to struggle even after reminders and reflection, they may be asked to spend time in our Alternative Learning Center (ALC). The ALC provides a supportive environment where students can:

• Work with staff to complete a Golden Rod Reflection Form, helping them understand how their choices impact themselves and others.

• Create a plan for how to meet SOAR expectations moving forward.

• Repair any harm their choices may have caused.

• Stay caught up with classwork, so they don’t fall behind academically.

Our goal is for students to leave the ALC ready to rejoin their classroom, take ownership of their behavior, and continue learning with success.

Working Together

Student learning and growth — both academic and behavioral — is our top priority. With your partnership at home, we can support our students in learning how to SOAR at school and beyond, building skills that will serve them for a lifetime.

Fall season sports have begun! Cross country, Football, Boys Soccer, Boys Tennis and Girls Volleyball competitions are under way. Come out and support our Eagle athletes! All Middle School Fall 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.

Students will be collecting SOAR tickets to use at our SOAR store this upcoming year. We are hoping to collect donations for small prizes for the store. Prizes can include: Takis, Skittles, M and M's, snack sized chips, little knick knacks, etc. If you would be willing to donate, please bring them to the office and put them attention to the PBIS team. 

Thanks for considering donating!

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