Banks Middle School
Principal's Message - September 27, 2024
Dear Students and Families,
It's been a very busy few weeks and lots of exciting things are happening at BMS! We have quite a few updates in this newsletter, so I'll keep my update short. The one thing I do want to highlight for all of our 6th grade families is Outdoor School. We are excited that Outdoor School is coming back to the middle level, and this year's 6th graders will be the first to go from BMS in quite some time! I am excited to announce that our 6th graders will be going to Cedar Ridge camp in Vernonia on April 22-25th. We are glad to have a nearby site, in the case that some students may not be able to spend the night, we will be able to transport them daily to experience their day program. We highly encourage all students to attend the full program, but understand if that might not be a good fit for a particular student. If you have any questions about how Outdoor School works, you can refer to the Northwest Regional Outdoor Science School site, as they are the provider for our program. We will also be hosting an outdoor school parent information night in February (date TBD) so parents have a chance to ask questions and hear more about the program before April, so stay tuned!
Keep reading for information on the following topics:
- Upcoming Events
- PTO Volunteering opportunities
- Fall Dance and Spirit Week
- Oregon Mental Health Call to Action
- Counseling Updates
- Yearbook Sales
- Leadership Bottle Drop fundraiser
- Homecoming Parade next Friday
- Special Education Parent Night
Best wishes,
Caitlin Everett
BMS Principal
Best wishes,
Caitlin Everett
Principal, Banks Middle School
Upcoming Events
October 4- BHS homecoming football game
October 8 - PTO meeting from 4:30-5:30 in the BMS Library - all are welcome!
October 11- No school Statewide Inservice Day
October 25- Fall Dance at BMS @ 6-8 pm
October 25- Concert Band Assembly @ BHS (Choir and Beginning Band will not participate in this one)
October 29- K-12 Special Education Parent Night at BES @ 5:30
Every Tuesday and Thursday after school from 3:15-4:00 - Homework Club
PTO Volunteer Opportunity - Football Concessions
The PTO is looking for volunteers to sell concessions at the upcoming Middle School football games on 10/2 and 10/9, you can sign up at this link. These two events are some of our biggest fundraisers of the year and will go to support things like field trips, school supplies, and staff appreciation efforts by our PTO! They can't do it without volunteers, so any help is much appreciated!
Oregon Mental Health Call to Action
September is Suicide Prevention Month. Fall and winter can be a challenging time for Oregon’s youth for many reasons. At BMS, we want to support all out students and their overall wellbeing. Please reach out to us if your child could use mental health support, and see the attached picture for Oregon Mental Health Resources.
Fall Dance and Spirit Week
Fall Dance Friday October 25: Fall Dance will be from 6-8pm in the BMS Gym. This dance is only for students enrolled at BMS (no outside guests are allowed). Students will be asked to check in their phones at the entrance and pick them up upon leaving. Phones are secure with an adult for the whole dance. Students are expected to stay the full 2 hours unless their parent or guardian comes to pick them up; students may not leave early without parental permission. We are looking forward to this fun event!
Fall Spirit Week: Leadership students are planning a Fall Spirit week from October 28-31. Stay tuned for themed days. On Thursday, Oct 31 students can wear their costumes as long as they meet the following guidelines:
No masks, face paint, or anything that completely disguises their identity.
No weapons, props or anything that requires items to be carried around.
No blood or gore
No inflatable costumes
No mid-drift shirts or undergarments exposed
No inappropriate language or symbols on costumes
Please keep costumes culturally respectful.
We want students to have a fun day but also acknowledge that we have learning to do as well. :) If you have any questions about costumes, please ask!
Bottle Drop Fundraiser for Leadership
Leadership is kicking off our first fundraiser of the year! We are now a BottleDrop Give organization and participating using “blue bags”.
Once you fill the bag, you can:
1) Have your student pick up a blue bag with QR code sticker from Ms. King
2) Return it to Mrs. King full of cans/bottles and she will take it to a BottleDrop
3) You can also return it to a BottleDrop location and make sure they scan the BMS Leadership QR code.
Yearbook Sales
Yearbooks are now on sale!
We want to feature many amazing students and staff, so we are increasing the size of the book!
The cost is $25 and money can be turned in to Mrs. Turner in the office or online at Jostens. Books are on sale until February 28, 2025
Homecoming Parade Next Friday 10/4
This coming Friday, October 4th, 2024, is the Banks High School Homecoming Parade.
The homecoming parade travels on NW Trellis Way to NW Main Street, and into the High School/Middle School parking lot. Parents are invited to join in and watch along mainstreet, and we will also bring the middle schoolers out to watch!
Also, traffic patterns will be affected, please be advised that the City of Banks will be blocking access to NW Trellis Way at 2:00 pm to clear the street to allow the parade to safely move on NW Trellis Way, and also for the safety of the Elementary School Students that are watching the parade. If you are parked on NW Trellis Way at that time, you will be asked to move.
For the BMS/BHS parking lot, please be advised that there may be more students out and to drive with extra caution.
The pickup line for BES will begin at the corner of NW Arbor Park Loop and NW Trellis Way. Please do not block driveways, streets, or intersections in the subdivision.
Once the parade has ended, NW Trellis Way will be reopened, and the pickup line can move onto NW Trellis Way, and wait for the students to be released from school.
Counseling Corner
As we wrap up week five and start week six, the students are getting settled into the routine of classes. It has been a pleasure meeting with a number of our students and I look forward to continue connecting and supporting students. If you find your student needs a little extra help with organization or a plan to help keep them on track, please let me know and I will meet with them to create a plan.
Over the last few years, the elementary has teamed up with a few parents to put together backpacks filled with food. Each week they send them home with families in need help with providing food for their families. If you are interested in donating food, please reach out to Katie Roy (katier@banks.k12.or.us) at the elementary. If you find your family is in need of this support, please let me know and I will help get your family on this program.
Cory del Villar
503.324.5683
Homework Club
Homework club is an after school activity where students can work on school work in a supervised setting. Homework club is from 3:15-4:00 on Tuesday and Thursday in the library beginning 9/3/24. Permission slips are required, students can get a permission slip in the office. Please note, a student needs to have work to do during homework club. It is not a place to "hang out" or pass time after school. Also note that attendance is not taken, please be aware of your child's homework club attendance plans ahead of time and ensure they have a way home, as transportation is not provided.
Too Sick for School?
If you would like a refresher on the criteria the Oregon Health Department uses to determine whether a student should stay home from school due to illness, here is a helpful chart detailing the symptoms and criteria for exclusion. Thank you for your attention to this so we can help prevent the spread of communicable illnesses.
BMS PTO Needs your Support!
If you shop at Fred Meyer you are now able to support our PTO by enrolling in the Community Rewards program with Fred Meyer. Once enrolled, they will contribute $ to the PTO for all eligible purchases.
Signing up is easy. Visit https://www.fredmeyer.com. Once logged into your Fred Meyer account, you can search for Banks Middle School PTO either by name or "VI069" and then click "Enroll". New users will need to create an account, which requires some basic information, a valid email address and a rewards card.