Bronco Bulletin

The Bronco Bulletin is your source for all the goings-on at Brownell Middle School. It is distributed digitally every Friday throughout the school year. We're most fortunate to have a spectacular team of educators, supportive and loving families, as well as, the best adolescent learners around. Thank you for taking the time to read this newsletter. We appreciate your feedback, thoughts, and of course, letting us know if there's a mistake.

Nervousness is Normal -- all of us (staff, students, parents, and guardians) will experience some jitters on the first day of school -- together we will all get through these butterflies. Here's a few facts to help us get acclimated.

• First bell to enter the building is at 8:05am
• Entry into the building is through the Breezeway (Chalfonte Road) Doors
• 5/6th-grade students enter on the left or North entry doors
• 7/8th-grade students enter on the right or South entry doors
• WEB Leaders (8th-grade mentors) are available to assist students in the hallways
• Locker Entry takes practice -- all students will be provided time to do this
• All students will receive a copy of their schedule in first hour (please note that some student advisory classes may have changed)
• Healthy Snacks can be brought to school and eaten during 2nd Hour every day throughout the school year
• Lunch is available every day for all students (FREE) or you may bring lunch and/or purchase À la carte items
• Students eat and have recess as grade level cohorts -- seating at lunch is open and/or students choose where to sit but are expected to cleanup after themselves
• Work with me to encourage your child(ren) to sit and actually eat during the designated lunch time -- often students socialize more than they eat and find themselves rushed or report home to you that they didn't have enough time to eat
• An intricate orientation program is in place throughout the month of September to assist all students >> including all school assemblies; tours of the school; cafeteria and recess Q&A; and much, much more
• All 5th-grade students report to your Advisory Classroom on the second floor at the start of the school day >> staff and 8th-grade WEB Leader Mentors will be there to assist

The final steps of construction on Chalfonte Road is being conducted but it is OPEN for business as of Thursday, August 29th.

Help us to keep all students safe during Drop-off and Pick-up time. Please do not use the rear or front parking lot, driveway, or church lot/s for drop-off and pick-up as the signs indicate. Also we’d ask you to reinforce with your child(ren) to cross at the traffic light on Chalfonte Avenue and use the designated crosswalk on Williams Road. Take a few minutes to review the brief video on our vehicle Drop-off and Pick-up procedures. These parameters help provide for a safe process for our students before and after school.

It's an honor to bring to your attention that the 2024 "I voted" Sticker Competition winner for the State of Michigan is 7th-grader Jane H.

At the conclusion of last school year social studies teacher Mrs. Johston brought to the attention of her classes a contest being offered by the State of Michigan. Essentially, students in Michigan would have the opportunity to design one of the "I Voted" Sticker Contest used on election day. The stickers were then voted on by the public. And you know the rest of the story...

Congratulations, Jane. You've made the November election more special than ever.

Thank you to the 8th-grade WEB (Where Everyone Belongs) Students and their faculty leaders, Mrs. Drew and Mrs. Fekin.

During registration these individuals helped the incoming 5th-grade students and families find their way around the building. WEB students conducted guided tours, helped with locker combinations, and were available to answer questions.

During the first week of school these students will wear their WEB gear and be available once again to assist all students in whatever way possible.

BTSN (Back-to-School Night) at Brownell will be held on Wednesday, September 4th. Please click on this LINK to access the schedule for the evening.

Please note that there will be a Informational 5th-grade Camp Meeting at 5:30pm in the MPR (Multi-Purpose Room) followed by the Kick-off Assembly for ALL parents at 6:15pm.

In the MPR from 6-6:15pm parents will be able to obtain a copy of their child(ren)'s schedule and a MAP of the school. Beginning at 6:45pm parents will follow their child(ren)'s schedule. Staff will provide an overview of the class during each of the 10-minute sessions.

Parking is at a premium -- so please use streets behind the school if needed OR better yet car pool with another person (or couple/s) and maybe make it a date night in GP?

We're excited once again to announce that the 5th-grade students will be attending Camp in October. The GPPSS is continuing its partnership with Bair Lake Bible Camp (BLBC) to provide our students with a camp experience.

Camp helps to support a team atmosphere among students and staff and helps students to build skills that extend beyond the classroom. At BLBC students participate in a variety of activities including ziplining, rock climbing, cabin lip-sync contest, square dancing, disc-golf, and a variety of team building challenges. GPPSS has been partnering with BLBC for many years and has a contract once again with the camp for this year. The dates for Brownell's Fall 5th-grade Camp experience is October 1-3.

During the first week of school, prior to BTSN (Back-to-School Night) on Wednesday, September 4th at 5:30pm in the MPR (Multi-Purpose Room), I'll conduct an informational meeting for parents. Copies of the 5th-Grade Camp Packet will be passed out that includes permission slips, medication forms, liability waivers, and parent chaperone information. If you'd like to volunteer as a chaperone please complete the form below. Chaperones are randomly selected and notice will be provided the week of September 16th.

To secure your student’s attendance at camp a $50 deposit is required in August. Payment(s) can be made during the digital registration process from the GPPSS. The total cost of camp is $250 and the full amount is due by Friday, September 13th. If you are interested in camp but will need financial assistance, please email your student’s principal.

We welcome your involvement and we'll be available for questions at Back-to-School Night. The first PTO Meeting is Monday, September 16th in the Library at 6pm.

3 First Student Day, full day, 8:15 am-3:13 pm

4 5th-grade Camp Parent Informational Meeting in MPR, 5:30pm

4 Back-to-School Night, 6:00 pm @MPR: brief meeting, student schedules, and map

6 Lockdown drill and fire drill, Advisory

16 PTO Meeting 6PM, Library

20 PTO Movie Night, 7:30pm

20 North Homecoming

25 Grade 8 Washington, D.C. Informational Meeting @MPR, 7:30 pm

27 Distribute School Photos during 6th hour

Up-to-date goings on of clubs, activities, and/or sports are provided during the school announcements. Typically most after school clubs begin around the end of September. As information gets announced it will be posted in the Bronco Bulletin.

Volleyball tryouts for 7/8th-grade girls will be September 4-6th after school in the gymnasium(s) until 5pm. All athletes must have an up-to-date MHSAA physical form on file and a completed GPPSS Athletic Gold Card turned in to participate. Please see Mr. Borland or the front office staff to obtain the form(s).

Optional Cross Country practice will start August 20th at Ghesquire Field. Optional practices will be August 20th-22nd and 26th-29th. All athletes must have an up-to-date physical form on file and a completed GPPSS Athletic Gold Card turned in to participate. Please see Mr. Borland or the front office staff to obtain the form(s).

Brownell has many activities, clubs, and sports. As the school year progresses we'll post and announce the dates when they begin. Typically most will not get started until late September unless it's a sport that has planned contest dates to prepare for against other schools. Students should check the daily school announcements on the school website for meeting updates on all clubs, activities, and sports. Participation in a club is a one time fee of $52 and an interscholastic sports is a one time fee of $125. Please us the participation "button" below to get started.

Please take some time to review the GPPSS Student Code of Conduct and the GPPSS Student Dress Code. Students who are in violation of our student code of conduct will be referred to administration. Our main goal with student discipline is restorative and what can be done to repair the harm. In addition, we use lunch detentions, after-school detentions, school service hours, in-school separations, and out-of-school separations depending on the individual's actions. We encourage students to always let an adult know of any violations so that they can be addressed immediately.

Please note the arrivals times to school each day and ensure our students are here on time with time to prepare for their day. Tardies/absences are tracked and followed up by administration.

• 4-5 tardies = notice home
• 8 tardies = after school detention/create plan to arrive on time
• 12 tardies = parent meeting

Excessive absences will be communicated by administration once 10 absences occur.

Beginning Monday, September 23rd, parents will receive a Robo-call near the conclusion of the school day, if their student was tardy to one or more classes that day. If you have any questions with regards to the tardy (what hour), please access the Parent Portal. Attendance data can be viewed anytime in the Parent Portal.

One of our highest numbers of tardies are Monday morning. Please help us decrease these numbers and classroom interruptions.

The attendance office needs to receive a phone call whenever your child misses a class. Otherwise, the absence remains unexcused. When teachers, counselors, administrators, and the attendance secretary review these unexcused absences, we are concerned about the student(s) and we will follow-up -- we truly appreciate you communicating with us.

PLEASE call the attendance line at 313-432-3901 ANY day or time. Please make it a ”Favorite” or a “Contact” on your phone.

• Make the call once,

• go into your phone recent and hit the “i” (info) icon,

• Create a new contact,

• type in BMS Attendance

If your child needs support from his/her counselor, please reach out by emailing Mrs. Corinne Oderfer (last names A-K) or Ms. Beth Nixon (last names L-Z). If your student is experiencing technology issues, please report it to both the attendance line and have your child email their teacher immediately, if able to do so.

Absences are recorded as excused, unexcused, and "exempt" excused. Please know that we want to work with you to properly record absences. If you want an "exempt" excused absence recorded it is the responsibility of the parent/guardian to obtain the proper documentation and to submit it with one week of the student(s) return to school (per GPPSS BOE Policy pg. 130).

It is a privilege to participate in school field trips. Students are expected to conduct themselves in such a manner that exhibits the responsible behavior and respect that occurs during the school day at Brownell. A student will NOT be eligible for any field trip(s) for the current or following quarter when he/she accumulates an ISS (In School Suspension), OSS (Out of School Suspension), or more than 4 hours of detention assigned for any reason.

**Please note-these infractions, during 3rd quarter will not permit 8th graders to attend Cedar Point or any other "fun" field trips for all grade levels.

If a student accumulates an ISS (In School Suspension), OSS (Out of School Suspension), or more than 4 hours of detention assigned for any reason, yet still wants to participate in an educational field trip experience he/she must:

Complete a community service project that is approved by the principal and write a one-page summary explaining his/her participation at the completion of the project AND Obtain administrative recommendation for attendance and participation in field trip, activity, or competition AND Upon discretion of the administration be accompanied on the trip by his/her parent or other designated adult/legal guardian who is responsible for ALL costs related to their own trip.

Please be reminded to fully charge your school Chromebook or laptop each evening so you're prepared for school. Setting up a routine each night and charging your device would be very helpful.

If your child brings in a new device throughout the year, please access these helpful tips when setting up and using parental access codes.

Students may bring backpacks to and from school. However, backpacks are to be stored in the student's locker throughout the school day. During the school day students may utilize a protective technology device carrier, pencil case, drawstring bag, and/or other mini tote bag.

All students are to have access to a technology learning device. The GPPSS Bring-You-Own-Device Policy supports the districts strategic plan for student learning and growth. Students use their technology learning device to access Schoology -- the GPPSS's Learning Management System.

For families who have indicated a financial hardship, the district will provide a device to the student. If you would like your student to receive a device for the 2023-24 school year due to financial need, please fill out the linked form.

Additionally, just a reminder that our school policy is that cell phones and other electronic devices (not Chromebooks and/or technology learning device) are OFF AND OUT OF SIGHT. If students need to be reached during the school day, please continue to contact our main office.

Please be reminded that we go outside for recess whenever possible. We use the Weatherbug Grosse Pointe North Location for our temperature reading. We will be outside for recess if wind chill temperatures are Zero Degrees and above. We advocate that students dress accordingly and be prepared -- a little drizzle doesn’t stop us.

Brownell hosts free breakfast for students in the cafeteria. Any student seeking this opportunity will need to enter the building using the rear door/s near the cafeteria (or entrance "P" on the building map). The breakfast is from 8:30-8:45am on Mondays and 7:45-8:00am Tuesday through Friday. It is supervised by a Brownell Staff member. Students who attend will need to stay in the cafeteria until the breakfast time concludes.

We ask that a parent/guardian call the 24 hour attendance line at (313) 432-3901 and leave a message as early as possible regarding an early dismissal. The office will email the classroom teacher, write the student’s name and dismissal time on the notice (dry erase) board, the student will proceed to their locker and then wait in the office for the parent to arrive. We ask parents to park in the Chalfonte visitor lot only and use the door buzzer by the main office when picking up their child early. We refrain from calling classrooms unless it’s an emergency in an effort to not disrupt learning.

When a parent is dropping off an item for their child, please park in the Chalfonte visitor lot and drop off the item labeled with their child’s name and grade in the purple bin near the office door, then ring the door buzzer and let the office staff know. Then, the item will be retrieved by the office staff and your child’s name will be written on the notice board. Students will then come to the main office to obtain their item(s). All lunches are brought to the cafeteria 20 minutes before lunch begins. Once again, we refrain from calling classrooms unless it’s an emergency in an effort to not disrupt the learning process.

Thank you in advance for your continued effort to respect the sanctity of the learning environment in each and every classroom.

A quality and joyful lunchroom experience is a priority at Brownell Middle School. All students have access to a free lunch every day. For students and/or families that prefer to bring their lunch(es) please know that two microwaves are available for use in the cafeteria. Students may also purchase À la carte items from the school via their Taher school account.

For the safety, cleanliness, and wellness of everyone we ask that:

• NO GLASS PRODUCTS be brought to school
• Students are seated when they eat
• Appropriate and polite behavior is the norm
• Students clean up after themselves and dispose of their refuse accordingly
• Lunch choices are healthy and caffeine free

Please know that we make sure every student here has lunch -- no exceptions. If your child(ren) forgets their lunch we can provide a meal here from the cafeteria. We’d ask for your continued support in avoiding having lunch(es) brought to school by outside delivery organizations i.e. Jimmy Johns, Panera, UberEats, etc. This request is to protect students and staff alike, as it’s a precautionary measure to maintain everyone's safety at school by keeping strangers from our doorstep/s. Thank you in advance for helping us to provide the safest possible environment here at Brownell.