Greetings!
I can’t believe we are at the end of Term 1 and heading into Term 2. It’s amazing how fast the year goes. We had crazy weather at the beginning of the week, then it was nice, and now it is looking like some more crazy weather is about to hit us. I hope you can take time this weekend to spend time with your family. Enjoy the outdoors (weather permitting), rake some leaves or just take a drive to look at all the changing colors. We really do live in a beautiful state.
Congratulations to our BMS Debate!!! This year Ms. Wilcox has been teaching the Debate class and in our first event of the year, our BMS Debate Team took first place in Novice Oratory and Novice Extemporaneous. Congrats to all our Debaters and to Ms. Wilcox for being the advisor.
Novice Oratory Event
1st Place Charlie Ehlert
6th Reggie Heaton
7th Adalynne Bybee
11th Lily Hoecherl
Novice Extemporaneous Event
1st Place David Brems
3rd Place Ethan Laine
5th Mary Ann Jensen
Remote Learning Fridays – In acknowledgement of the continued pressures faced by teachers and school staff as a result of the pandemic, the Canyons Board of Education has approved a plan to bring back six “Remote-Learning Fridays.” The first Remote-Learning Friday will fall on November 5th, giving families time to adjust their schedules. The Administration is preparing a proposed schedule for five additional Fridays to be set aside for independent study throughout the school year. Remote Fridays are days of learning. Students are expected to use the time for independent study and will be provided assignments on Canvas. The purpose of Remote-Learning Fridays is to provide time for teachers and school support staff to prepare lessons, analyze student data, meet as content teams or grade level teams, follow up with student/parent concerns, and have dedicated time for parent/student communication. Stay tuned for more information as the full schedule of remote-learning dates is finalized. More information can also be found at canyonsdistrict.org.
Utah College Application Month (formerly College Awareness/Application Week) was quite a success. Teachers shared their college experiences and had open discussions with students throughout the week. We encourage all GREAT Bruins to prepare for college or technical training now by thinking about long term goals and how hobbies and interests can be part of their career. Thank you Ms. Heindel for your hard work making this another successful week.
Reality Town – 8th Graders attended Reality Town for 2 hours this morning. It is always fun to see the students in their “career” clothes and to hear the conversations about how expensive bills are and how the big salary doesn’t streach as far are one thinks it should. Thank you to our volunteers, our 8th grade teachers, and Ms. Grant for putting this even together.
Wild Weather Days – As the weather changes, we will experience more Inside Days. Inside Days are when the “FEELS LIKE” temperature is below 22 degrees Fahrenheit or there is significant winds or wet weather. This is the same practice that is in our elementary schools. On those inside days, you will see signage at the front doors. Doors/Classrooms are to be open at 7:30 AM. Students are always welcome to go outside during lunch. We post the air quality each day for students, and on rainy or wet days we discourage students from going outside. They do not always listen.
PTSA – Thanks to our PTSA for all the activities they organize for our students and staff members.
- Don’t be afraid to join the PTSA Ghouls and Gals https://butlermiddle.memberhub.com/store
- Make sure to purchase your Memory Books before the price increase! Purchase them now through the BMS Main Office for $25.
Emergency Substitutes – If you have the ability and the time, we need emergency substitutes. You can sign up with the district to be a substitute and specify you only want BMS or a specific set of schools. You can also contact Ms. LaDena Saxey to sign up to be an emergency sub or to find out more. You will need to complete a background check. Call the main office at (801) 826-6800 between 8:00 a.m.and 2:00 p.m. or email ladena.saxey@canyonsdistict.org
Halloween – During the school year we have various dress up days for various reasons. Please note that dress code is always an expectation; shoes are required; and masks are not allowed. As for Halloween, we have had students (and staff) dress up in the past. On Friday, October 29th, students can wear Halloween Costumes. When working with your student to select a costume, please remember the dress code will still be in effect. Here are some guidelines:
- No full face masks or full face paint. We need to be able to visually identify students even in costumes.
- Costumes that are provocative, revealing, sexual in nature or employ questionable props are not permitted.
- Costumes that depict violence, alcohol, or drugs are not permitted. Fake (or real) weapons are not permitted.
- Costumes that can be offensive or perpetuate a stereotype of someone’s culture, gender, heritage or religion are not permitted.
- Costumes should not hinder your ability to participate in classes, including PE or hinder your ability to move through the hallways in a safe manner.
And as always the costumes or dressings up is optional. Students wearing questionable costumes will be asked to modify their costumes to make them appropriate for school. If you have any questions regarding the appropriateness of your costume idea, we encourage you to speak with a teacher, counselor or administrator. Thank you for taking the time to help your student understand these guidelines.
Parent Resources – This is just a resource that you as a parent might find interesting. Sometimes I share my thoughts about it; sometimes I just share. It takes a village to raise our children and to keep them safe. I hope some of what I am able to send is helpful. Sometimes there are repeats, but I do try to provide at least one resource each week. So, the first is an article from the New York Times Magazine related to teens and anxiety. Why Are More American Teenagers Than Ever Suffering From Severe Anxiety? – The New York Times.pdf. The second is a website, Common Sense Media, www.commonsensemedia.org. This has some great information for parents on books, tv, games, movies, etc. Raising children is difficult and the middle school years are fraught with hormones and emotions. Hopefully this will help you navigate some of the rough things.
Build-A-Bruin – The following classes earned a Build-A-Bruin Bear this week:
- Mr. Chen
- Mrs. Duzett
- Coach Griffiths A Day
- Ms. Hemingway
- Ms. Long
- Mr. Otto
- Ms. Warner
Upcoming Events
- October 22 End of 1st Term
- October 29 Halloween Dress Up
- November 3 Book Blitz; GREAT Room
- November 5 Remote Learning Friday
- November 12 First Chapter Friday
- November 18 Golden Bruin – Mickey Mouse’s Birthday
- November 23 2nd Quarter Mid Term (Progress Reports)
- November 24-27 Thanksgiving Recess
Current After School Activities
- Chess League Mondays
- Bruins Den Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday
- Math Help Tuesdays and Thursdays
- Math Counts Wednesdays
- Robotics League Thursdays
If you are feeling that more than normal anxiety or stress is happening with you or your child, please let us know. If you are noticing excessive amounts of homework, please contact us. You can contact a teacher, the counselors, or the administration. Let us know if you have any questions or concerns. We are here to help.
And remember,
It’s always a GREAT day. . . To be a BRUIN!!!
Ms. Paula Logan
Ongoing Items – These items have been addressed before, but you may need the information again.
- Bruins Den – October 26, 27, and 28. The Bruins’ Den is available on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday afternoons from 3:00- 4:00 PM in the Media Center. This is a time for students to complete homework and/or get help from teachers. Each afternoon, two teachers are available in the Media Center to assist with student homework. Students can work on their own or get assistance from a teacher. Computers are available for homework.
- The BMS Veterans’ Wall – Each year Butler Middle School puts up a Veterans’ Wall. This is a tradition to honor the people who have served in the various branches of the military. It can be anyone who is special to you and your family—a close friend, family, a neighbor, etc. We will be posting the name of each Veteran, a picture, the branch of service, years of service, name of the conflict or war during which the Veteran served, and the name of the person submitting and the relationship (friend, uncle, GG grandfather, mom, neighbor, etc). Names are submitted to Mrs. Van Haaften in the media center. Students can talk with their social studies teachers about this as well. We will collect names through November. We will be putting these names up on our Veterans’ Wall throughout the latter part of October and it will stay up through Veterans’ Day, November 11th. We also use the information to put together a slideshow and have an assembly to recognize our BMS Veterans. For this assembly our band, orchestra and choir are learning (and will be performing) some patriotic songs. It is a GREAT opportunity to recognize some of the people who have sacrificed for our county and for our rights and freedoms. If you have someone in your life who has served, we encourage you to submit that information. Thank you!
