Ballenger Creek Middle School

Dear Ballenger Creek Middle Families,

I hope that you and your loved ones are well. I came across an article recently from Fortune magazine entitled Bosses are firing Gen Z grads just months after hiring them--here’s what they say needs to change. As a parent of three Gen Z children (those born between 1997 - 2009) and as a longtime educator, it caught my attention. The article cites a recent study that indicates six out of ten employers have fired Gen Z workers within the last few months and 75% of those surveyed reported that all of their recent graduate hires were deficient in some way. The article drills down further, citing what the employers said were some of the specific shortcomings:

• Having a lack of motivation or initiative

• Exhibiting unprofessional behavior

• Being disorganized

• Demonstrating poor communication skills

• Being late for work or meetings

• Not wearing office-appropriate clothing

• Using inappropriate language for the workplace

• Showing the inability to handle the workload

What do employers want? They’re looking for employees who have a positive attitude and show initiative. They also want workers who are dependable, who understand the culture of the workplace, who are reflective and receive feedback well, and who want to improve.

It may seem a long way off before your Gen Alpha children (those born between 2010 - 2025) enter the adult workforce, but it’s never too early to begin to prepare them to be successful when they do. If you’re not sure how to help your children, here are some strategies that I have found to be effective during my 30 years as a classroom teacher and administrator:

• Allow your children to struggle (within reason) with tasks at home and at school. This improves their perseverance.

• Let your children experience (at least some small) failures. They need to encounter disappointment and learn how to reflect and improve the next time they try. This builds their resilience.

• Hold your children accountable at home and help us hold them accountable at school--for behavior, for being late, for the way they speak, and for the way they dress. Doing so provides them with feedback about whether they’re on the path to becoming a successful employee or not.

• Work with your children, and/or ask us for help, if they are disorganized. The sooner they find a system or method that works for them, the better employee they’ll be.

• Arrange for regular tech-free time so that your children can practice face-to-face communication with family and with other people of different ages and backgrounds. This will help them develop the “soft skills” that are a large reason why most of us are gainfully employed.

We care deeply about your children and like you, want the very best for them. Please know that all of us at school look forward to partnering with you to help prepare your students to become superstars in the workplace!

Sincerely,

Jay Schill

Principal, BCMS

This year, Ballenger Creek Middle School is focused on helping every student achieve their best, with goals around academic success, attendance, behavior, and wellness. We're working to improve proficiency in both English and Math, reduce chronic absenteeism, and ensure that students are supported in making positive choices. Strategies include high-dosage tutoring, early intervention for attendance, social-emotional learning, and wellness activities.

Families play a huge role in student success! Please encourage your child to attend school every day, and check in regularly on their progress. Together, we can create a strong foundation for your child’s future success.

Thank you for your continued partnership!

The first step of the process is to follow these detailed directions (instrucciones detalladas en español) on how to create an account in Unified Talent and then how to complete the two required trainings. After you complete your trainings, you will receive an email with the next steps in the process. Please be aware that the process can take 48-72 hours and MUST BE COMPLETED PRIOR to you volunteering for FCPS.

If you are a current FCPS Employee who is interested in volunteering, you must complete the Volunteer training listed under your Recommended Courses on your Unified Talent Home Page.

BCMS 8th Grade parents,

It's that time of year when we ask if you would like your 8th grade student's baby picture to be included in this year's yearbook. This is a tradition here at BCMS and a great way to look at how much they have grown! If you would like to have your 8th grader's baby picture featured in this year's yearbook, please fill out this google form with the name that you would like written by their picture and upload a good quality photo. If you have any questions, please email Kelsey Summers at kelsey.summers@fcps.org.

The LAST DAY to submit your 8th grade student's baby picture is Friday, February 14th.

No exceptions can be made to the submission date as the yearbook must be submitted in a timely manner for printing.

Link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeAElUf79yAKPm9vcKpESXol33HZ4mtpJIgxhmHt4IVIqBuhw/viewform?usp=sharing

Yearbooks on are on sale now for the 2024-2025 school year.

The last day to order this year's yearbook is April 10, 2025.

Yearbooks must be pre-ordered as there will not be any additional yearbooks for sale at the end of the school year. All yearbooks will be delivered to students who have pre-ordered them prior to the last day of the school year.

Cost of Yearbook:

• Hardcover - $34.00
• Softcover - $29.00

Link to Purchase Yearbook: https://shop.yearbookmarket.com/ballengercreekmiddle

Twice weekly students take part in SEL lessons that focus on the social and emotional well being of middle schoolers as well as connecting with one another. The most recent topics covered in the SEL lessons are:

• L.E.A.D.
• Shaping character and exploring the impact of positive values on academic and personal growth
• Voting for Student Member of the Board (SMOB)
• Semester 1 Reflection
• Effective Decision-Making Strategies

Please take a moment and talk with your child about what they learned in the most recent SEL lessons.

Car Rider Drop Off and Pick Up

Please be sure to use the car rider line to drop off and pick up your child each day. Our goal is to ensure the safety of everyone coming to and from school daily. Dropping off students on Ballenger Creek Pike is not only dangerous, but is not permitted. We kindly ask that all car riders are dropped off and picked up properly each and every day.

Students' Walking Home

To ensure the safety of all our walkers, please remind your child to walk on the designated sidewalks and not cut through the car rider line to get the path in the back of the building. It is imperative that our students follow the directions of our staff members daily to ensure that they all get home safely. Also, please remind your child to use designated crosswalks to cross all roadways.

Outside Food

Outside food is not permitted in our cafeteria. If a student does not have a lunch because they forgot it at home, school staff will support your child in getting a lunch from the cafeteria. However, in the event that you do have to drop off a lunch for your child, please know that your child may not eat food from a restaurant in the cafeteria. The student will be asked to eat the food elsewhere before reporting to the cafeteria. It is best practice to drop off a lunch that is in a packed lunch box for your child so that he or she may remain in the cafeteria during their lunch.

Attendance

Students are to be in their 1st period class each day by 8:00am. If they arrive after 8:00am, students will be marked tardy. When they accumulate 3 tardies, they will be issued a lunch detention and if the chronic tardiness continues, students will be issued after school detention(s). If your child is going to be tardy or absent for any reason, please send an email to BCMS.Attendance@fcps.org. Please be sure to indicate your child's first and last name as well as the reason for the tardy or absence. Thank you for your continued support.

6th Grade:

Students will soon wrap up Unit 3 and begin Unit 4. Unit 4 is titled Through an Animal’s Eyes. In this unit, students will explore what we might learn by viewing the world from the perspective of a variety of animals. Through this experience, we will consider what we might learn about our own lives. The texts we will read center on the Essential Question “What can you learn from seeing the world through an animal’s eyes?” This open-ended question is intended to spark thoughtful discussion. You may wish to explore this question with your student at home as well. Unit 4 includes the following texts.

• from Pax: This novel excerpt describes a mysterious journey from the point of view of a pet fox and considers the difficult choices we sometimes have to make. Students will learn how to analyze point of view and word choice in stories.

• “Zoo”: In this popular science fiction story, children and adults have the unique experience of viewing creatures from Professor Hugo’s Interplanetary Zoo. Students will learn how to infer a story’s theme and how to analyze point of view.

• “ Wild Animals Aren’t Pets”: This USA TODAY editorial argues that people should not be allowed to own exotic animals as pets. Students will learn how to analyze and evaluate arguments.

• “Let People Own Exotic Animals”: The author of this essay argues that people should be allowed to keep exotic animals in private collections, including lions, tigers, bears, elephants, and other large animals. Students will continue to learn how to analyze and evaluate arguments.

7th Grade:

Students will soon wrap up Unit 3 and begin Unit 4. Unit 4 is titled Inspired by Nature. In this unit, students will explore nature’s inspirational and destructive sides while considering our impact on the natural world. The texts we will read center on the Essential Question “What does it mean to be in harmony with nature?” This open-ended question is intended to spark thoughtful discussion. You may wish to explore this question with your student at home as well. Unit 4 includes the following texts:

• “Allied with Green”: This short story tells of the main character’s devotion to a greener world. Students will learn how to analyze a story’s theme and how to analyze a story’s style and figurative language.

• “Never Retreat” from Eyes Wide Open: Award-winning author Paul Fleischman argues that the changes we make now about our spending and consumption will affect our environment in the future. Students will learn how to analyze an argument and an author’s point of view and purpose.

• “Mississippi Solo”: In this memoir, the author recounts when nature’s strength challenged his solo canoe trip down the Mississippi River. Students will learn how to analyze a memoir and how to analyze figurative language.

• “Ode to Enchanted Light” / ‘Oda a la luz encantada’: In this poem, Nobel Prize winner Pablo Neruda compares the light in a forest to glass overflowing with water. Students will learn how to analyze an ode.

• “Sleeping in the Forest”: This poem describes what it is like to sleep in the woods and lose oneself to nature. Students will learn how to analyze lyric poetry.

8th Grade:

Students will soon wrap up Unit 3 and begin Unit 4. Unit 4 is titled The Fight for Freedom. In this unit, we will explore texts that deal with both real people and fictional characters in the Civil War and the fight for freedom. The texts we will read center on the Essential Question “What will people risk to be free?” This open-ended question is intended to spark thoughtful discussion. You may wish to explore this question with your student at home as well. Unit 4 includes the following texts.

• from Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave: This excerpt from the autobiography of Frederick Douglass explains how Douglass learned to read as an enslaved child and describes the effects reading had on him. Students will learn how to analyze an autobiography and its structure.

• “The Drummer Boy of Shiloh”: In this work of historical fiction by Ray Bradbury, a drummer boy has a private talk with a general about the realities of war on the evening before a Civil War battle. Students will learn how to analyze setting in historical fiction and how to analyze literary devices.

• “O Captain! My Captain!”: This poem by Walt Whitman expresses the grief and sorrow the speaker feels about the death of President Abraham Lincoln, whom the speaker compares to a ship captain. Students will analyze figurative language and learn about elegies.

• “Not My Bones”: In this poem by former Poet Laureate of Connecticut Marilyn Nelson, the speaker emphasizes the idea that the true essence of a person can never be enslaved. Students will analyze the use of figurative language in a poem.

• from Fortune’s Bones: This piece of history writing follows the story of an enslaved man named Fortune. The author describes the events of his life as well as what happened to his skeleton after he died. Students will learn how to analyze chronological text structure.

6th Grade:

Students will be completing Module 5 (Numerical and Algebraic Expressions) and then completing Module 6 (Equations and Inequalities) by the end of the month. Module 6 includes solving one step addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division equations and inequalities with rational numbers.

7th Grade:

Students will be working through Module 6 (Write and Solve Equations) and starting Module 7 (Write and Solve Inequalities). Module 6 includes writing and solving one- and two- step equations, eventually also using the distributive property. In Module 7, students will begin with writing and solving one-step inequalities, first using addition and subtraction, and eventually adding multiplication and division.

7ACC:

Students will begin Module 8 (Linear Equations and Slope) and move into Module 9 (Probability). In Module 8, students will explore the relationship between proportional relationships and slope, similar triangles, direct variation, and graphing linear equations. In Module 9, students will begin by finding likelihoods and relative frequency of simple events.

8th Grade:

Students will be working through Module 6 (Systems of Linear Equations) and beginning Module 7 (Triangles and Pythagorean Theorem). In Module 7, students will be learning about Angle Relationships, Triangle Angle Theorems, and the Pythagorean Theorem (

a2+b2=c2).

Algebra:

Students will be working through Module 7 (Systems of Linear Equations and Inequalities) and beginning Module 10 (Polynomials). In Module 10, students will be learning how to identify polynomials, polynomial operations, and how to factor polynomials.

Students should be completing weekly ALEKS topic goals in Math. Students should be checking their Math Schoology pages to see their specific weekly goal. Students can monitor their own progress by checking their topic reports in ALEKS. A step-by-step “how to” for checking their reports can be found here. For questions about ALEKS topic goals, please reach out to your student’s grade level math teacher, our school Math Specialist, Ms. Boyer (laura.boyer@fcps.org), or our school Math Department Chair, Ms. Dickson (ashley.dickson@fcps.org).

Students should be checking their grade reports on Schoology weekly to see updates regarding missing/re-do work. If there are any questions regarding student grades, please reach out to your student’s grade level math teacher.

6th Grade:

Social Studies students are diving into their Unit on Ancient China. This month we will be analyzing the rule of different leaders from the dynasties of Ancient China, exploring the Silk Road, and examining inventions and artifacts from this period in world history.

7th Grade:

Social Studies is finishing their Unit on Mesoamerica and leading up to an essay on Spanish colonization. We will soon begin our Medieval Europe Unit reviewing the fall of Rome and the rise of early kingdoms and feudal society.

8th Grade:

American History working on westward expansion and the growth of America. Including our benchmark essay on Manifest Destiny. As we begin leading up to the causes of the Civil War we will also be focusing on preparing students for the MISA test.

6th Grade:

Students are working to develop and use a model to describe how unequal heating and rotation of the Earth cause patterns of atmospheric and oceanic circulation that determine regional climates.

7th Grade:

Students are working to analyze and interpret data on the properties of substances before and after the substances interact to determine if a chemical reaction has occurred

8th Grade:

Students are working to plan an investigation to provide evidence that the change in an object’s motion depends on the sum of the forces on the object and the mass of the object.

Semester 2 is off to a great start! Most of our elective classes have been busy establishing classroom routines/expectations and diving into the first units of study.

Please keep an eye on Schoology so you can monitor your student’s progress in each of their classes. Mid-term is Friday, February 21, 2025.

Save the date for the upcoming Tech Fair:

The key to every child’s success is parent-school relationships. Continue to reach out to your child’s case manager with questions that may arise throughout the school year.

Our special education department staff:

• Case Managers (6th grade): Emily Pemrick and Tyler Britt

• Case Managers (7th grade): Jansen Hedlund and Danielle Holt

• Case Managers (8th grade): Elissa Grimm and Kelsey Summers

• Program Assistant: Nancy Suray

• Special Education Instructional Assistants: Noriko Cook, Shelly Sultana, and Michele Shafer

• School Psychologist: Julie Kaufhold
• Speech and Language Pathologist: Kellee Byun

MEP Teachers are welcoming February and celebrating the ending of the WIDA Access Test. We hope all our Multilingual Learners did their best and have made progress towards reaching the composite score of 4.5 or better.

Ms. Rogers is hosting a Multicultural Night in April. Students and families can create a display that shares their culture or heritage with the school. You can include your national dress, historical events, food and recipes, and anything else you’d like. If any of our ML students are interested in creating a display please reach out to Ms. Webb, she will gladly help your student create their display.

If at any time during the school year, you have questions or concerns about your ML student please don’t hesitate to email one of us.

ML Teacher Contact Information:

Sarah Birmanns - 8th grade and A - H 6th grade

• sarah.birmanns@fcps.org

Claudine Webb - 7th grade and I - Z 6th grade

• claudine.webb@fcps.org

Throughout February, there are several events that celebrate literacy. We encourage our students and their families to engage with reading and writing:

• February 1–8, 2025: Children’s Authors and Illustrators Week

• Ask your child what books they remember most from when they were little kids

• February 5, 2025: World Read Aloud Day

• Consider having your middle school child read to a younger family member or neighbor

• Check out an audiobook!

• February 7, 2025: National Send a Card to a Friend Day

• Practice writing (and handwriting!) skills by sending a card to someone special to let them know how important they are to you

• February 14, 2025: International Book Giving Day

• Consider donating a book to a classroom or organization

• Gift books to your loved ones

• All Month: National Library Lover’s Month

• If it has been a while since you visited the library or media center, make a point to stop by!

• FCPL offers FCPS students Student Success Card. Check out https://www.fcpl.org/StudentSuccess for more.

• Throughout the month, our students will also engage in several lessons in recognition of Black/African American History Month.

Contact Information:

Katherine Shaffer, Literacy Specialist

Email: Katherine.Shaffer@fcps.org

Phone: 227-203-2150 Ext. 41608

This month math teachers will be meeting to discuss recommendations for next year classes. We look at various data when making those decisions. One of the data points we look at is the Winter iReady assessment. Math was only required to take it once this year and the results will be in by early February. There is nothing that students need to study prior to taking these assessments. It gives us an idea of where the students are performing in the areas of Number & Operations, Algebraic Thinking, Geometry and Measurement & Data.

Ms. Boyer will be reaching out to all 7th grade students who are in the Pathways program to discuss course options for 8th grade.

If you have questions about recommendations please reach out to Ms. Boyer at Laura.Boyer@fcps.org or 227-203-2150 Ext. 41574.

Contact Information:

Laura Boyer, Math Specialist

Email: Laura.Boyer@fcps.org

Phone: 227-203-2150 Ext. 41574

• FCPS Science Fair - Registration OPEN
  The 2025 FCPS County Science Fair will be held on Saturday, March 22 at Tuscarora High School with judging taking place from 9:00am-12:00pm. For more information see the FCPS Science Fair website or your child’s science teacher.

• Academy for the Fine Arts
  If you are currently in grade 7, 8, or high school and are interested in learning more about programming at the Academy for the Fine Arts (AFA), consider signing up for a shadow day on February 19. If you have time, hear from students on why they chose the AFF.

• FCPS Earth and Space Science Lab (ESSL)
  For a full listing of events at the ESSL, click here.

• Frederick County Public Library (FCPL)
  For an events calendar of programs for elementary and teens at the Brunswick Library, click here.

Christine Brown | Middle School Advanced Academics Teacher Specialist

Serving Ballenger Creek MS & Brunswick MS

BCMS Spirit Wear

BCMS SPIRIT WEAR IS STILL AVAILABLE!

Spirit Wear can be purchased online all year. Spirit wear makes great gifts for birthdays and holidays so we encourage you to keep us in mind. Now is the perfect time to plan ahead for the next school year and purchase spirit wear in advance.

New designs have been added showing our Bulldog mascot! Orders can be placed online at http://www.ballengercreekspiritwear.com.

PTSA MEMBERSHIP

PLEASE CONSIDER JOINING THE PTSA!

Families, faculty and students: this is a great time to join the BCMS PTSA. Yes, that’s right! Students are permitted to join the PTSA. The cost of a membership for parents is $10 but is only $5 for students.

The PTSA’s Board of Directors typically meets on the 2nd Tuesday of every month virtually. The link will be sent out via email ahead of the meeting date. All PTSA members are welcome to attend these monthly meetings. Joining these meetings is a wonderful way to get involved with your child’s school. We want to hear from you!

The goal is 130 members this year. There are nearly 800 students and over 90 staff members at BCMS this year. We can do it! You may join the BCMS PTSA by going to https://bcms.memberhub.com/store.

Please save the date for the PTSA's next fundraiser. This fundraiser will take place on February 21st at Urban Air. February 21st is a 2 Hour Early Dismissal day due to Term 3 mid-term. All proceeds will support the BCMS PTSA.

Term 2 report cards were sent out this past week and we are already jumping right into Term 3. This month, we are going to focus on getting ready for the 25-26 school year. 8th grade registration forms for THS are due February 5th. Students can find the registration form on Schoology in the THS High School Registration course. Starting the week of February 10th, Mr. Ledyard will be going out to our feeder schools to meet with the 5th grade students to talk about middle school registration. BCMS is hosting 6th grade Parent Information Night on February 18th from 6:00pm - 7:30pm. Incoming 6th grade students will be able to access their registration forms on Schoology after the Parent Information Night. Ms. Reese and Mr. Webber will be going into classes on February 13th to talk with our current 6th and 7th graders about registration. This is going to be a busy month, so please reach out to your students' grade level counselor if you have any questions about registration. Below is a link to the FCPS Course Guides for the upcoming school year. This is a great resource to use to learn more about each of the courses offered at middle school and high school.

School Counselor Contact Information:

• Grade 6 - Johnny Webber (johnny.webber@fcps.org)
• Grade 7 - Rebecca Reese (rebecca.reese@fcps.org)
• Grade 8 - Dave Ledyard (david.ledyard@fcps.org)

It is important to take care of yourself to be able to show up in a positive manner. This month take a moment and think about nourishing your body by reviewing information on positive eating habits. The visual below will provide you with useful tools to eating healthy.

Please checkout the Media Center & Technology Updates Newsletter: https://secure.smore.com/n/usj57

This Month’s Highlights:

• What’s Happening in the Media Center

• New Books!

• Overdue Books

• Book Checkout Overview

• "BCMS Media Center Pass" System

• Technology Reminders: Device Care & Usage

• Helpful Links

As a reminder, when students are assigned a Chromebook, charger, and case, the use of a school issued device, during the school day or at home, is a privilege that comes with responsibilities. If repair for a damaged device incurs a charge, a financial obligation will be issued as follows:

1st Incident: $30

2nd Incident: $60

3rd Incident: $120

4th Incident: Full replacement cost: $317

Lost Charger: $30

Case: $25

FCPS reserves the right to charge full replacement/repair cost if the device is intentionally damaged. Any damage that occurs to a device while not in the case will be considered intentional.

Mr. Steedley

isaiah.steedley@fcps.org

User Support Specialist

Update from Ms. Rogers, Community Liaison

I am the person who you will reach out to if you are in need of any resources for your child or your family. I also work collaboratively between home and school to bridge the communication and make things easier for everyone. Some supports that I can assist you with are getting food if your pantry is low, helping to locate a therapist, transportation, school lunch support, etc. I am here to support our school community and am only a phone call or email away.

Ms. Kathleen Rogers

kathleen.rogers@fcps.org

240-236-5773

Frederick Food Bank Information

The Frederick Food Bank at Trinity (6040 New Design Road) will operate for food distribution from 2:00pm to 4:00pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays for residents seeking assistance.

The Food Bank at 14 E. All Saints will continue to operate from 2:00pm to 4:00pm on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. It is also open from 6:00pm to 8:00pm on Mondays and Wednesdays.

Additional Food Pantry Information:

Crestwood Middle School will have a food drop that will take place the 4th Tuesday of every month, which is also open to families from our school community.

Want to Be a FCPS Volunteer?

Please follow all directions to create an account in order to complete the FCPS volunteer training, which is linked at the top of our Community Newsletter.

Lunch Monitor Volunteers NEEDED

BCMS is looking for volunteers to help support lunch monitoring in all of our grade level lunch shifts. Lunch occurs between 11:00am to 1:25pm Monday through Fridays. If you are interested in volunteering by monitoring lunch shifts, it would be greatly appreciated. It is also most helpful to have someone who will volunteer on a specific day/time each week so that our students get to know the volunteer. If this volunteer position is of interest to you, please call me at 227-203-2168 ext. 4158. BCMS could really use your support!

Free and Reduced Lunch Information

Did you know families can apply for free or reduced price meal benefits all year long? We encourage families who feel they qualify, or if they are not sure they will qualify, to fill out an online free and reduced meal benefit application.

Free and reduced lunch applications are available year round.

Families can access the application by clicking on the Confidential LINQ Connect Application Link.

For any questions, email FNS at food.service@fcps.org or call 240-586-8152.

Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA)

FCA will be meeting at 7:00am on Tuesdays in the theater arts room. Students will enter through the cafeteria doorway. FCA will begin with 15 minutes for breakfast together, then we will share a 15 minute devotion time, and conclude the morning with 15 minutes of game time. If your child is interested in FCA, please contact me for a registration form at 227-203-2168. Students who still wish to participate in FCA may still do so. Please see Ms. Rogers to get a permission slip.

Friendship Club

Friendship Club started in October. The club meets in the BCMS cafeteria from 3:15pm to 4:30pm the 4th Thursday of every month. However, because December is a shortened month due to the winter break, the Friendship Club will be meeting on December 19th. This group has been created to support our students with socializing and getting to know other students in the school. The goal is to reduce screentime with our students and have them take the time to socialize with one another in order to build friendships. If you think your child might be interested in joining the Friendship Club, please reach out to me at 227-203-2168 ext. 14585.

Autumn Lake - Monthly Chaperones NEEDED

Beginning January 2025, a group of students will be going to Autumn Lake to spend time with the residents. The visits will occur the 4th Saturday of every month. January 25th will be our first visit. If you are listed as a volunteer and would like to join me in order to chaperone our students, please reach out to me. If you are not a volunteer for FCPS then you need to go on site in order to register to be a volunteer (information shared at the top of this newsletter). I would like to possibly have 2 other adults chaperoning with me during our visits to Autumn Lake.

Multicultural Night - April 24th

Multicultural Night will be held on April 24, 2025. I could use your help in making it a success again this year. If you or someone you know would like to participate in Multicultural Night by bringing in a display of their heritage to share with our community, please reach out to me via phone at (227) 203-2168 or via email at katheen.rogers@fcps.org.

BASECAMP (What is Basecamp?)

As part of our ongoing commitment to support the mental health and well-being of our students, Frederick County Public Schools (FCPS) is excited to announce the launch of Basecamp. Developed in partnership with Greenspace Health and funded by the Maryland Consortium on Coordinated Community Supports, Basecamp is a comprehensive mental wellness hub designed to provide students with immediate access to a wide range of mental health resources and services.

Basecamp is an online wellness platform that makes it easy for students to find the help and support they need, ensuring they have immediate access to resources and services to support their mental health. By utilizing Basecamp, students can better understand their emotions, develop healthy coping mechanisms, and access supportive mental health services and resources.

With Basecamp, students will have access to:

• Educational Content: Access to articles and videos on various mental health topics relevant to students.
• Self-Guided Resources: Tools and activities that students can use independently to maintain or improve their mental health.
• Bi-Weekly Surveys: Short surveys to help students check in on their mental health, understand their feelings over time, and identify factors impacting their well-being.
• Resource Recommendations: Personalized suggestions based on each student’s current challenges.
• Direct Access to Services: Information and connections to mental health resources available within Frederick County.

Basecamp is easily accessible to all middle and high school students at basecampfcps.com.

Frederick County Public Schools’ (FCPS) students and staff celebrated the life and legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on Tuesday, January 14, 2025.

The theme for the 35th annual celebration was “Everybody can be great, because everybody can serve.” During the celebration, a student from each FCPS school was recognized as their school’s King Award recipient. Students were selected by their school based on their demonstration of positive leadership qualities characteristic of Dr. King: Responsibility, Caring, Fairness, Trustworthiness, Citizenship, and Respect.

This year, the recipient for Ballenger Creek Middle School was 8th grader, Oladayo Olatuji. Congratulations to Oladayo!

I am pleased to announce that you can now register for Titans Youth Soccer Camp.

Camp will be held at Tuscarora High School from 8:30a-12:30p on 6/23-6/26. We will hold Friday, 6/27, open as a rain date. This is a 4-day camp.

Camp is for boys entering Kindergarten - 9th grade for the 2025-26 school year (currently in Pre K-8th).

Follow this link to find information about camp:

https://soccer.titansportscamps.com/index.cfm

Follow this link to register:

https://register.ryzer.com/camp.cfm?sport=7&id=292488

Follow this link for last year's camp video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=nKQ6lX7SgTQ

We've shattered camp records over the last 3 summers, finishing last summer with 162 campers. Soccer has grown so much in our community and camp has become so popular that we will be forced to move away from the coed model and have a separate girls camp, likely the week after the boys camp (more info to come).

Thanks and hope to see you there!

Todd Knepper

Tuscarora High School

Drawing & Painting Teacher

Boys Soccer Head Coach (Twitter: @giveallgainall)

The 5-Star Service Award is for community use in recognizing FCPS employees who show excellence in one of the 5 FCPS goals. Community members are welcome to nominate any worthy FCPS employees. You can nominate here.

Please review the flyers below regarding the Special Education Family Resource Center's Open House. This event will take place on Friday, February 21st.

We hope to see you there!

• February 17th - President's Days (Schools and Offices Closed)
• February 21st - Mid-Term for Term 3 (Two Hour Early Dismissal)
• March 27th - End of Term 3 (Two Hour Early Dismissal)
• March 28th - Teacher Work Day (Schools Closed for Students)
• April 9th - Term 3 Report Cards Issued
• April 14th - April 21st - Spring Break (Schools Closed)