Hello BBMS families, thank you to all the families that attended Caregiver Conferences on Monday night. Please see the newsletter for additional information regarding upcoming school closures, the book fair, picture retakes, the math website and field trips.

Wednesday, November 27th - Friday, November 29th: Schools and Offices Closed

Tuesday, December 3rd: Picture Retakes

Thank you to everyone that supported our Book Fair on Saturday. There is still time to support our BBMS Barnes & Noble Bookfair. Just visit https://www.barnesandnoble.com/h/bookfairs to support us online until Thursday, November 28th by using the code 12810354 at checkout.

It's that time of year! The PE Department is holding its annual “Lifetime Sports and Fitness” field trip on Friday, December 20, 2024! This is a Banneker tradition of over 45 years! Students will choose one of three activities to participate in: Roller Skating, Ice Skating, or Bowling. The cost of the field trip is $25.00 to be paid online! Only a limited number of students can attend each location, so first comes, first serve!

On Tuesday, December 3rd we will be having a makeup picture day for any students who did not get their picture taken in October or any students who have enrolled in BBMS in the past month. Our photographer will be in the building between 9:00 and 11:00 and students will be called up by grade level.

If any families wish to have the class picture retaken, please send your child to school with the pictures and envelope from the October session, we will call students for retakes to the gym at 11:00.

The BBMS FINE ARTS DEPARTMENT is going to NEW YORK CITY on April 25th through April 27th 2025. Students will compete in an international music competition and engage in art from around the world. The first payment must be made prior to December 20th in order to attend the trip. Payments can be made via School Cash Online (SCO). Or in person from 8:15-8:45 on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Total Cost of $555 per person

Any parents interested in attending the trip please contact Dr. Stoll directly. (Anita_K_Stoll@mcpsmd.org)

The Music Department is sponsoring a fundraiser through Snap! Raise. Students who join the fundraiser will have 50% of all money raised discounted from their total cost of the New York City trip!

Students can create an account by signing up at the following link:

http://raise.snap.app/join_code/462638692

Students who participated in last year’s fundraiser can use the account they created in the past and join this year’s fundraiser by entering the join code: 462638692.

Once students have joined the fundraiser, they can share a donation message through email, text, or on social media to reach as many people as possible! We are encouraging students to share the donation message with their friends, family, and members of their communities, sports teams, etc.

This fundraiser is expected to run from November 5, 2024 through December 3, 2024. Please spend some time helping your students create an account and joining the fundraiser. And remember: 50% of the money raised by a student goes directly towards the cost of their trip!

Please reach out to Mr. Gray or Dr. Stoll for questions or for more information!

Showing up for school has a huge impact on a student's academic success. Please see the attached newsletter regarding attendance.

Please see linked the site to purchase BBMS gear if you choose to do so. Items can be customized by brand and logos. If you have any questions, please call the main office.

Montgomery County Public Schools is taking an active role in the prevention of child abuse and neglect through early prevention and intervention education. During the weeks of November 19-December 13th our school counselor(s) and Health Education teachers will be presenting lessons on the topic of child abuse and neglect. The lessons are known as Personal Body Safety Lessons.

Ms. Spivey is excited to announce that she is offering an Iceland Adventure travel program for summer 2026. Visit www.explorica.com/Spivey-8031 to review the itinerary and details about the travel program.

Benjamin Banneker Middle School After-School Activity Programs will begin on September 24th. See attached schedules and website for specific dates of activities. New clubs may be added so check back from time to time.

Signing the Permission Form acknowledges that you are agreeing to the terms and conditions set by the Montgomery County Public Schools and Benjamin Banneker Middle School regarding every student’s rights and responsibilities to participate in activities after school hours.

Signing the Permission Form also acknowledges that you are permitting your student to attend an activity or activities sponsored by Benjamin Banneker Middle School, Montgomery County Public Schools and their staff members.

English Version:

PBSB Newsletter

Spanish Version:

PBSB Boletin

Food distribution

There will be a Food Pantry at Paint Branch HS on Wednesday, November 20, 2024 & Wednesday, December 11, 2024, from 3:00-4:00pm in front of the Career Center (Room 1020). There are only 100 bags to be distributed so it will be on a first come first serve basis. Families must complete an intake form to receive a bag. If you have attended the Food Pantry before then you will just need to provide your first and last name. Families are welcomed to bring their own bags to assist with carrying items. Families should enter through the front main entrance door where a student volunteer will direct them to the Career Center. Any questions, please contact Mrs. Kelly (Latasha_R_Kelly@mcpsmd.org)

Brainfuse

-Live online coaching and resources for resume, interview prep and career planning.

Rosetta Stone

-Rosetta Stone courses offer learning for 30 different languages.

*You will need a library card first to access these online resources. More resources are online than below.

We are excited to share that Benjamin Banneker Middle School will become a federally-funded Title I school in the 2024–2025 school year. Title I of the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 (ESSA) requires that schools with the highest poverty in the district receive supplemental Title I funding. Please see the community letter below for more details.

Hello Banneker Family. My name is Dr. Augustina Bryan and I am the Pupil Personnel Worker for Banneker MS. Pupil Personnel Workers (PPWs) are educators trained to determine student needs through a collaborative process, to serve as advocates for students and their families, and to facilitate appropriate services. Please scan or use the link below if you would like assistance for requesting a change of school, homelessness, attendance, student engagement, intervention, residency, help with school policies, and/or social emotional support.

Link to form: https://forms.gle/eMXDtz7bxzG8XEV3A

Remind is a messaging platform that has been implemented in all schools this year for communication among MCPS schools, teachers, students and parents. School staff, central office staff, students and parents all have Remind accounts to enable them to send and/or receive messages using a preferred mode of communication, such as text message, email or phone call in their preferred language.

Parents don’t have to sign up for Remind or download an app to receive messages. Messages will be sent to the email and phone number registered with the school, and parents will automatically receive messages when they are sent. If parents wish to respond to a message, they will need to download the app or create an account on the website. See below for information on how to download the app.

YouTube video on how to use Remind

Parent Quick Guides

English, Spanish, French, Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese, Portuguese, Amharic

For the 2024 - 2025 school year Benjamin Banneker Middle School is adopting the Cell Phone "Away All Day" policy. This policy includes additional personal media devices that distract from the teaching and learning process. Students received information in their homeroom classes during the first week of school regarding updated policies and procedures for the school year. Please see linked an article which explains why we are taking this step.

Please see Chromebook information below:

• BBMS will continue to be 1 to 1 device school

• 6th grade students received their chromebooks during the first week of school.

• BBMS Family Chromebook Agreement states that

“Each student is financially responsible for damage caused or loss of any Chromebook and charger checked out to the student. The device is loaned and for instructional purposes only. No cost is associated with a student borrowing, possessing, or using an MCPS Chromebook. A family is only financially responsible when there is avoidable damage to the device. There is a charge for any lost or stolen devices or chargers.” Charges range from $25 to $300”.

This portal will help you find solutions to your questions about MCPS programs. You can use this page to search for guides, videos, or get your questions answered through a virtual agent. Please click on the portal's support guide for additional information. If you need support using the portal, we have provided the support guide.

Benjamin Banneker Middle School and the Conflict Resolution Center of Montgomery County are excited to continue our partnership to support the Well-Being of our school community. The purpose of this school-based conflict resolution program is to provide the students and staff of Benjamin Banneker Middle School the opportunity to address and resolve student disputes with an “on-site” conflict resolution professional. The program will empower students to use the on-site Conflict Resolution Office to address and resolve disputes in constructive ways supporting a positive and safe learning environment. Additionally, students will practice restorative discipline principles that focus on: strengthening relationships, collaborative problem-solving, and student accountability. For more information regarding this partnership, please read the attached letter.

The attachment below includes the 2024-2025 BBMS Bus Routes. It can also be found on our school website.

As our entire region adjusts to a return to school, MCPS wishes to remind families of the usual impact on traffic and the expectation of typical, but very few, bus route delays on some of our runs. This may be particularly true in areas affected by the Purple Line rail system construction. Due to the size and interconnectedness of our transportation system, we anticipate that the impact may be felt beyond just the immediate schools near the construction. Although delays are the exception, we know that traffic in our area can sometimes be challenging.

Need Help?

To address any concerns or issues with bus delays, we want to introduce the MCPS Transportation Hotline. This service will begin Monday, August 26, starting at 6:00 am to 5:00 pm, and will be available during the first week of school. MCPS transportation staff will be able to support families if questions, concerns or problems with a bus or bus stop need to be addressed. To access this service, call 240-740-7790.

MCPS has implemented a new online service to accept payments for school-sponsored field trips along with other school-related activities School Cash Online (SCO). To help reduce the confusion of remembering PINs, our online service provider no longer requires them. MCPS highly encourages everyone to sign up and use this service. By using this service, it makes it convenient for parents to make payments at their own convenience and minimizes loss of funds which often happens when carrying cash. The online system is a great way to keep track of student payments. Families can easily log into the system and see which activities are being offered to students and discuss which ones they would like to participate in.

For approved guardian(s) who do not currently have an SCO account, you will receive an automated email with an invitation to create an account.

For approved guardian(s) who already have a SCO account, but who have not yet linked their student(s) to their account. An automated email from SCO for each unlinked student will be sent to the guardian. The email will have an “Accept” button. If the guardian clicks the button, the system will attach that guardian’s child to their account automatically based on the student Information data.

SchoolCash Online: Subscription Process for Guardians

SchoolCash Online: Registration Instructions