October 4, 2013

In this edition:

* News from the Principal * House and Department News

* BMS Notices and Announcements * Community News

Today was the last day for our 8th graders to take the NECAP! Our 7th graders will be taking the NECAP October 7, 8 and 9, and our sixth graders will take the assessment October 10, 15 and 16.

There will be a PTSA sponsored on Friday, October 25th; if you would

like to help chaperone or donate food items please contact PTSA President, Melissa Belanger (443-4066 or langerb@myfairpoint.net).

Students of the Month

Reid House Popham House

Most Outstanding: Samantha Ramsey Most Outstanding: Sarah Weidner

Most Improved: Taylor Freeman Most Improved: Thomas Haggett Most Academic: Chloe Bradford Most Academic: Lainey Laband

Green House Red House

Most Outstanding: Jon Adams Most Outstanding: Elsa Bertlesman Most Improved: Matthew Chambers Most Improved: Haile Smith Most Academic: Mia Garza Most Academic: Lucas Groat

Purple House Black House

Most Outstanding: Jillian Beauchamp Most Outstanding: Emeilia Marsh Most Improved: Aspen Easter Most Improved: Nick Pooler

Most Academic: Denver Nguyen Most Academic: Logan Howard The next PTSA meeting is Tuesday, October 15 at 5:30 pm in the BMS Home Ec room.

Please remember, the MLTI Parent Night meeting is Monday, October 7th. The meeting, for students 13 years or older, will take place in the BMS cafeteria from 6:00 to 6:45

pm. For students who are 12, the meeting is from 7:15 to 8:15 pm in the cafeteria.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Bud Solebello, Principal of Bath Middle School

207-443-8270, Extension 414 lsolebello@rsu1.org

HOUSE & DEPARTMENT NEWS

6th Grade Popham House

It is hard to imagine, but the first month of school has already gone by. September is now behind us and although October is now dressing the land in brilliant colors, she’s also bringing cooler days and even colder nights, most

likely to prepare us for what’s ahead.

The kids of Popham House have worked hard this first month of school absorbing everything that’s required for finding success at the middle school. We’re so thankful for the assistance you give helping them meet the challenge each day - checking in with your

student about assignments, assisting with keeping the backpack and expando-file organized, communicating with us with questions about school routines, and sending your

child to us each day prepared for the rigorous learning ahead. Your involvement and time spent at home is essential for success here at school - keep up the great work.

Next week the kids will be taking NECAPs - the New England Common Assessment Program. This is a standardized test we ask our students to take which is used as a measure of both their own growth, and the overall growth we make as a school. The very

best way for your child to prepare for these tests is to get plenty of sleep so to be well rested, eat a nourishing breakfast each day to have the energy required for the testing, and

to encourage your child to try their very best with each of the test’s challenges. We will be testing October 10th, the 15th, and the 16th. The Columbus Day long weekend will separate the start and end of this important testing. Please help your student to be

prepared for each day’s testing. We continue to explore a variety of learning each day. Now that

everyone has brought in their samples of soil, our study of soil has moved to conducting experiments with the samples to

determine the soil’s make-up. Mrs. Wells continues to challenge the kids in Humanities class with lessons of geography. Presently, the focus has been on location; the exact location of a

place using longitude and latitude, as well as a location’s relative position - or where the location is in relation to some

other fixed point, be it an ocean, mountain, or coordinates of latitude and longitude. In Math class the group has almost finished the year’s first unit - which has involved a focus on graphs, graphing techniques, circle, horizontal and vertical

bar, and broken line graphs, as well as manipulating the Percent of Circle Template (Mr. Morin’s favorite new tool).

Progress reports were sent home on the afternoon of Friday the 4th of October. Please use this mid-quarter report to celebrate your child’s successes as well as a guide for discussing

improvement in areas of need. If you have questions about your child’s progress, please be in touch with one of us here at school.

We are off to a wonderful start with a wonderful group of students. Thank you again for your assistance with this important work we accomplish together.

6th Grade Reid House

Happy October!!!! What beautiful fall weather we have had. It was a perfect day at the Cumberland County Fair with our students. They spent the day gathering information about Maine's agriculture including animals, plants, and tools used.

Not only did they have to answer questions about these items, but also had to sketch a few of them and then explain how these were connected to an Earth system. This week, students are creating posters that represent the fair that will become part of their science

notebook. They are preparing for our expert from KELP to start presentations on October 8th and will soon begin their own in-depth study of an Earth System to create a game to

share with nursing home residents. Look for outlines of due dates and assignments on our homework website and in student planners. Students should have returned a jar of local soil they gathered from gardens or areas where plants are growing to use in a future study

as well. Students are winding down their investigation of the Five Themes of Geography by creating

a brochure of pictures to show their knowledge of each theme. Humanities class time was devoted to finding pictures in magazines that represented each theme. Pictures will be

glued into the brochure and have a caption added to explain it's representation of the theme. Today students completed an open book assessment over the topic of Geography. Next week, we will start our investigation of Ancient Egypt. We will spend the rest of this

calendar year looking at the ancient Egyptian culture.

Just a reminder: students should be reading 30 minutes a day and having an adult sign their reading logs. Students have AR reading goals set by their homeroom teachers that they should be working towards and will only reach if they are reading daily.

Please check your child's planner daily to see what assignments they have or if they are missing any assignments. We make notes on the right hand margin of missing

assignments as well as any behavior concerns. This is a tool we use to communicate with you and keep you abreast of things happening. You can also check our homework pages if

your child forgets to write their assignments down.

Progress reports went home today with students. Please review it and

sign the bottom portion to be returned to your child's homeroom teacher. Remember this is only the half way mark of the quarter and

students still have several weeks to improve their grades. Please don't hesitate to contact us with any questions or concerns you have.

NECAP testing will begin for sixth grade on Thursday October 10th and continue Tuesday October 15th as well as Wednesday October 16th. Please help your child to do the best they can on these important tests by making sure they get plenty of sleep

and a good breakfast. There is a long weekend break in between testing days due to a Professional Teacher day Friday and a holiday Monday.

Thank you for all your support. Have a great weekend!

7th Grade Green House

In Science classes students recently created "Eco-Jars" as an introduction into systems

and ecosystems. The Jars are currently "living" in the back of the classroom, and students have been, and will continue,

making observations and predictions about the what will happen in the jars and

why. Additionally, students are continuing to investigate the ways species interact and survive in their ecosystems. This

investigation will lead into the effects that invasive species have on ecosystems.

In Math classes we are welcoming Cullen Brownson from Bowdoin College as an intern for the first half of the year. He will be helping out in the classroom on Tuesdays and

Thursdays. Students have been working in class to prepare for next weeks NECAP testing. After testing we will be finishing up our unit on Variables and patterns.

Humanities classes continue to study US geography. We now know the location of all 50 states and the five regions. Students are becoming familiar with the use of their ipads to

find political and physical maps to use in class. Once familiar with our own country, we will turn our attention to the Middle East.

"Humanities Literacy" is focusing on Themes of Geography and Literary Elements while reading the book, Hoot, by Carl Hiaasen. We have discussed conflict, point of view, and irony. Quiz your child to see if they can give you examples of each.

A letter on purple paper was sent home last week from the seventh grade reminding

parents of the ipad meeting on October 7, 2013. If you did not receive one, please ask your child to see it as it contains important information regarding cost for ipad repairs, insurance, etc.

Ms. James, our student

teacher from Bowdoin College, continues to spend Tuesdays and Thursdays with us. At the

end of this semester she is off to the Peace Corps!

A reminder that students will be participating in a

"walkathon" fundraiser to help raise money for ferry beach on October the 10th, and all

donations would be greatly appreciated.

7th Grade Red House

As the kick-off for our fall expedition, red house students learned about the soft shell clam

and the clamming industry by actually going clamming at Reid State Park on September 25th. What a beautiful day! A huge thank you to our experts that shared their knowledge about clams and the water quality measurements that are critical to keeping track of when

clam flats are safe for harvesting. Thank you to our experts!

Jon L. Hentz

Georgetown Shellfish Conservation Warden Becky Kolak

Biologist and Education Educator for Kennebec Estuary Land Trust (KELT)

Ruth Indrick Geologist and Water Quality Researcher at KELT.

Reid State Park staff

Once we returned to school, students reflected on the kick-off experience as it related to the

Expeditionary Learning Design Principles. Each student chose one of the ten principles and wrote to see how it connected to our work. Here are just three to give a peek into our day.

Red House

Reid State Park Clamming Kick-off

By: Nelly S. At Reid State Park, when we went harvesting for clams almost everyone showed

collaboration and competition. Some people showed collaboration by helping others, while some showed it by giving examples of how to clam. Collaboration was also showed by giving your clams to someone else, or finding clams for someone who doesn't have any or not

many. At the beach, there were experts there helping us. One of which being Ruth Indrick, who taught us how to dissect clams, and showed how

to find out the quality of the water. During the trip there was also competition. Some people were trying to harvest more clams than others, and some were trying

to get as many as they could. Collaboration was showed throughout the day. Even when we walked back to the bus, people helped others by carrying

things for them. Overall collaboration and competition was showed throughout our Reid State Park clamming

kick-off.

Clamming

By: Keegan C.

A bus took us to Reid State Park. We met the shellfish warden. We met the ladies from

Kennebec Land-trust Estuary. Becky dissected a clam. We saw the clam sack and the gills. We saw the food. The digestive system kind of looks like spaghetti. We saw the neck. We dug for clams. I got the biggest one.

Clamming

By: Allison L.

The design principle I chose was the natural world and here are some of the reasons why I chose the natural world. First, it is easier to learn outside of a classroom and go to a place that you can get clams. Second, we got to do the clamming and find out how hard it is to

harvest clams. We found out the clams have to be a certain size so you can bring them home and eat them which is two inches long. We also learned how big you need to dig the hole to get the clams and if they are good to eat or not. Lastly, we learned what tools you

need to get a clam and what the insides of a clam were for and why they needed them. In conclusion, here are some reasons why I chose the natural world for my design principle

because everyone in the red house got to go to Reid State Park to go clamming!

8th Grade Black House

The first case study for the Real World-Black House expedition is in full swing in the Black House. Students have started completing a research journal, finding many different facts about their chosen field using the Occupational Outlook Handbook, the Finance Authority

of Maine career resources, and Career Info Net. In addition to finding basic information about their chosen field, students are learning more about the educational, training, and certification requirements, salary and benefits, the work environment, and the job outlook

for 2020.

One aspect of this research is connecting students with experts in the field they are studying. The Black House teachers are looking for volunteers who may be willing to serve as an expert for one or more students who are researching the career they are in. We are

hoping that all students will have the opportunity to connect with at least one adult. When possible, students might be interested in visiting their expert on location or shadowing them for part of a work day.

If you, or someone you know, works in one of the following fields, AND is willing to serve as

an expert contact with a student, please contact your child's Home Base teacher: Interior designer, meteorologist, welder, game warden, author, lawyer, state

trooper, commercial jet pilot, web designer, detective, actor, archaeologist, robot designer, astrophysicist, choreographer, computer technician, nurse, automotive

technician, computer programmer, marine biologist, teacher, veterinarian, cardiologist, athletic trainer, mechanical engineer, ecologist, baker, substance-abuse counselor, architect, stock broker, photographer, musician, chemistry

teacher, diesel mechanic, preschool teacher, police officer, artist, physical therapist, heavy equipment technician, psychologist, military leader, electrical engineering, psychiatrist..

8th Grade Purple House

Introducing Community Meeting Central We now have two Purple House student authors for our Community Meeting blog! Each week the blog will be updated with the focus and take-a-ways from each day's morning

meeting (M/T/TH/F). If you haven't heard about morning meeting yet check out the blog http://communitymeetcentral.blogspot.com/

What are the benefits for towns to be established on a river? What are the differences in energy production for towns on a river compared to towns that are not? In humanities,

Purple House students have begun their investigation of Maine and its history of industry and energy. We will explore how Maine powered its industries in the past, how we power our industries today, and predict what the future of energy production will look like.

Students have researched a Maine town and wrote a small article about their findings. Next we will investigate how water plays a major role in satisfying the energy needs of the state. Hydroelectric and tidal power will be explored.

Students busy planning out their designs.

Testing the final product. "I hope we meet the challenge!"

In math, the Purple House students continue to focus on linear equations. They are discovering the structure of the linear equation, as we continue to solve problems involving

linear relationships. As they problem solve they continue to make the connections between the tables, graphs and equation of the linear relationship. The Algebra students are just

finishing a review of real numbers and their properties. After NECAP's, they will begin to explore solving multi-step equations.

"Would you rather be cold or hot?" Purple House scientists recently completed a design

challenge based on this simple question. Students were to either minimize or maximize thermal energy through designing a device. Students worked in two person design teams to create, build, and test either a solar hot water heater or evaporative cooler. The constraints

of this particular design challenge were time and materials. Much of the materials for student's designs came from our very own junkyard and generous donations from Bath Middle School staff and families (Thank You!). The requirements for those who designed a

solar hot water heater was to raise the temperature of the water to at least 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit). For those who designed an evaporative cooler they were

to lower the temperature of a small room by 5 degrees Celsius. Many met these challenges while others showed great perseverance and problem-solving through failed

designs and testing mishaps.

Purple House students will again be working with Powerhouse this fall in math and science

classes as part of our expedition, Finding Energy All Around Us. For those who did not participate in our piloting this program last year which links students to their own home electricity use (via smart meters) through a partnership between Gulf of Maine Research

Institute and Central Maine Power, please visit powerhouse.gmri.org for more details. Permission Forms and information on how to sign-up for Energy Manager through Central Maine Power were sent home last week and should be returned promptly. Additional copies

of forms can be found on the Purple House website under announcements. We hope ALL students can participate in investigating their own home electricity use starting after the

Columbus Day holiday. If you have questions or need help trouble shooting the sign-up process please contact Mr. McGuire (rmcguire@rsu1.org) or Ms. Galasso (jgalasso@rsu1.org) at your earliest convenience.

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

Monday, 10/7 - Parent Meetings for iPads

Tuesday, 10/8 - Girl Scouts Meeting - Cafeteria - 6:00 Friday, 10/11 - Professional Day - No School for Students

Monday, 10/14 - Holiday - No School Tuesday, 10/15 - BMS PTSA Meeting - Home Ec Room - 5:30

Thursday, 10/17 - Picture RETAKE Day

Friday, 10/25 - PTSA Halloween Dance - 7:00-9:00

11/4-11/6 - 7th Graders go to Ferry Beach Ecology School

BMS LIBRARY NEWS

The new school year is off to a good start. This year Exploratory classes have 7 rotations with the addition of Health so classes are small. There are 15 students in the current

Information Literacy class. The smaller class makes it easier to work with students on computers and to provide individual attention. We are beginning a unit on learning the ins-and-outs of Google Docs. Students now know how to upload documents from other

programs, create folders, and create slides. Our next unit will be on evaluating web sites.

New iMacs are coming soon to the Library! Within the next couple of weeks, the new machines should be installed. The students are looking forward to using new machines. Me too!

The Scholastic Book Fair is scheduled for Nov. 11 through Nov. 19. It will be open during Parent/Teacher conferences so make sure to stop by

the Library. Books make great presents.

Volunteers are needed to man the book fair. If you have any free time and are willing to help out, please contact me at during school hours or send me an email. My contact information is at the end of this news

article.

I’m also looking for donations of digital cameras to use with students for an after-school claymation project. If you have an old one that you would like to donate, it would be much appreciated. I would rather not borrow cameras, especially expensive ones. The students

will have greasy hands from the clay and accidents happen! If anyone has a pumpkin or two that I could have, I would like to create a display and

conduct a seed guessing contest. (A small pumpkin for that - I have to count all those seeds!). I did this a couple of years ago and it was a big hit with students. Maybe, because

there are prizes... Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns.

Odyssey of the Mind

Students who are interested in being on an Odyssey of the Mind team this year should

sign up on the sheet posted outside room 107 or speak with Mrs. Mansfield when

she's in the building. Parents who would like to learn about coaching a team can

contact Judi Mansfield at jmansfield@rsu1.org.

We must turn away interested students every year due to a lack of coaches.

HEALTH CLASS UPDATE

On October 17 and 18, SASSMM will be visiting our Health classes for a two day presentation focusing on sexual harassment in seventh grade and sexual assault in eighth

grade. SASSMM (Sexual Assault Support Services of Midcoast Maine ) is a non-profit agency that has been in the Midcoast community for 31 years. In addition to direct services for survivors of sexual violence, SASSMM provides free awareness and risk reduction

programs for schoolchildren in Eastern Cumberland, Sagadahoc, Lincoln, Knox and Waldo Counties.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding the presentations, please contact Maria Newcomb at mnewcomb@rsu1.org.

STUDENT COUNCIL NEWS

Friday, October 4th, 7-9pm. Cost is $5. All school rules apply.

Next meeting:

Tuesday, October 8th from 2:05-3pm in the Home EC room

Dear Families,

The 7th grade is excited to plan our trip to Ferry Beach Ecology School on November 4-6, 2013. We'll be staying for three full days of ecology lessons in many different kinds of

environments. This outdoor learning means that students will be moving all day long and even have a lesson outside after dinner. All must be prepared November weather. One year,

we had rain for two days and still walked in a salt marsh to learn about that ecosystem. The official packing list will help guide your planning on making your child warm and dry.

Fee to offset program and food costs

$50 per student. This fee includes housing and meals. No other costs will be required. In fact, there is nothing to purchase while at Ferry Beach. The whole amount does not have to

be paid all at once.

The deadline for the fee is Friday, October 18th. Please make checks payable to Bath Middle School.

No child will be excluded due to financial constraints, and any families with concerns should discuss scholarships privately with Mrs. Wright or Mr. Wilson.

Learn more: Ferry Beach Ecology School website: http://www.fbes.org/ Talk to students that attended previous years

Talk to teachers The educational opportunity is really exciting!

Sincerely,

Monica Wright Red House science teacher

Eli Wilson

Green House science teacher

Extra…. Extra…..

COMMUNITY NEWS

DEA National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day Saturday, October 26, 2013

10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Local collections sites are in Bath, Brunswick, Harpswell, Topsham and Richmond. Call Access Health at 373-6958 for more information on local collection sites.

The National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day aims to provide a safe, conenient, and responsible means of prescription drug disposal, while also educating the general public about the potential for abuse of these medications. In the five previous Take-Back events, the DEA in conjunction with state, local, and tribal law enforcement partners have safely collected more than 2 million pounds (1,018 tons) of prescription medications, removing them from circulation and potentially preventing prescription drug use for recreational purposes

Illegal drug use does not just happen with criminal intentions. According to the results of the 2011 Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey, 15 percent of high school students said they had taken a prescription drug not prescribed to them.

Teens sometimes think that using prescription drugs ordered by a doctor is a “safer” way to get high. Parents are urged to talk to their teens about the dangers of abusing prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) drugs. These are powerful drugs that, when abused, are dangerous.

Easy Safeguarding Tips: 1. Follow the prescription and don't share medications. 2. Keep track of medications in the home. 3. Lock your prescription medications securely. 4. Dispose of leftover drugs you don't need at community medication collections or at the permanent drug disposal boxes at local law enforcement agencies. Visit www.midcoastcasa.org for more info.

Bath Parks & Recreation Department UPCOMING EVENTS

WINDOW PAINTING CONTEST Join us on October 12th from 9-11:30am to paint the various windows of Bath’s downtown

merchants. Paints and windows provided…just bring paint brushes and something to cover the ground from spills or drips. First place prizes will be awarded in each category. Window

spaces will be judged on Originality, Artistry, Color, Scheme, and Observance of Rules. This year’s theme is Halloween. Registration is FREE and will fill up quickly so sign up now at the Bath Parks & Recreation Department. FMI: Contact us @ 443-8360.

SCARECROW MAKING

Join us on October 12th from 10 to 1:00 pm at the Custom House Lawn to decorate a scarecrow to take home for your front lawn! We provide Hay, Twine, Markers & Muslin,

you provide the outfit. This program is Free. FMI: Contact the Bath Parks & Recreation Department @ 443-8360.

BASKETBALL REGISTRATION NOW OPEN

Basketball season is quickly approaching, so stop by the Bath Parks & Recreation Department or the Bath Area YMCA and register for the 2013-14 Bath Youth Area Youth Basketball League.

Partnering together, the Parks & Recreation Department and the Bath Area YMCA give children the opportunity to improve their basketball skills, learn the importance of teamwork and

sportsmanship, make new friends, and most importantly, HAVE FUN! Students grades K-8 are eligible to play. Season begins as early as

November 5th – so sign up today! FMI: Please contact the Bath Parks & Recreation Department @ 443-8360 or the Bath Area YMCA @ 443-4112.

WANT TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE BMS WEEKLY AS AN EMAIL? WANT TO

UNSUBSCRIBE?

The BMS Newsletter is published on the second and last Fridays of each month. Please send an email to

dmacphee@rsu1.org and ask her to add or remove you.

Please be sure, if you use filtering, to allow mail from rsu1.org. Some service providers may block mass emails

in general unless you specifically allow them. Some businesses block email as well.