BAM Bear Blast-3/1/24

Click the icon image below to view "The CLIMB" to review upcoming activities and assessments in your student's classes.

• Monday, March 4 : A-Day
• Campfire Program
• Club Ranger Program
• Tuesday, March 5 : Student Holiday
• Wednesday, March 6 : B-Day
• Campfire Program
• Club Ranger Program
• Chorus 6,7,8 Pre-Assessment Concert 7:00pm @ Indy Auditorium
• Thursday, March 7 : A-Day
• Friday, March 8 : B-Day

Two weeks left for student and family access to change elective courses through ParentVue/StudentVue--access closes on March 15!

As of February 8, teacher course recommendations for math, English, science, social sciences & global students, and world language (for students currently enrolled in a WL course) are now viewable in ParentVue and StudentVue by utilizing the "Course Request" tab. If students or families have questions regarding their child's course recommendations, please contact the current teacher of that course and/or the school counselor. If you would like a change to the course recommendation, families may utilize the "Rising 7th/8th/9th Course Request Change Form" linked here and also on Brambleton's main website under the "BAM NEWS" section.

Our school counselors have met with all current 6th and 7th grade students to review the course selection process, mandatory courses, course options and support choosing electives. Students and families may change elective choices on their own through March 15 by utilizing Parent Vue and StudentVue on the "Course Request Tab" by clicking the "Click here to change course requests" blue button.

From March 15-April 19, families and students may request course changes by utilizing the "Rising 7th/8th/9th Course Request Change Form" linked here and also on Brambleton's main website under the "BAM NEWS" section. All course selection changes must be submitted by the April 19 deadline.

Reach out to your school counseling team member with any questions:

6th Grade: Ms. Husadzinovic and Ms. Hamilton

7th Grade: Mr. Elder and Ms. Husadzinovic

8th Grade: Ms. Dunn and Ms. Hicks

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Thank you to all families that joined us on February 1st for the Rising 7th & 8th Grade Course Information Night! We hope you found the night's format welcoming, efficient and informative. The presentation slides are linked below and are posted on our BAM main website and the school counseling website for continued access. Families may contact their child's school counselor with any questions on the 2024-25 course process.

Dear BAM families and community members,

Thank you to everyone who has signed up to participate in the We are BAMily Multicultural Event on Friday, April 12! We have had many people sign up to audition and participate in the performance portion of the event--thank you! Due to the incredible response we have closed the interest Google form.

We are still looking for families who are interested in sharing a cultural dish with our BAMily! If you are interested, please contact Jocelyn Jones at jocelyn.jones@lcps.org.

Our Spring 2024 Club Ranger Program began this past Wednesday! . The first Wednesday club was on February 28 and the first Monday club begins on March 4. Click the flyer below to reach the Club Ranger website for more information on dates, sponsors, transportation and much more.

For the second semester, we have been able to coordinate our after school clubs and activities to all dismiss at 4:45 pm so that we can again utilize the car line to support student safety reaching their family car. When picking up for an after school activity that ends at 4:45, please begin to utilize the car line beginning with the week of February 5. This applies to any activity that dismisses at 4:45 on Mondays and Wednesdays.

The car line does not apply for our later events and activities (i.e. concerts, rehearsals) that are dismissing later than 4:45 or on Tuesdays, Thursdays or Fridays. For those events, families can still park in the lot for pick up.

We are proud to recognize our Quarter 2 “All A” Honor Roll and “A/B” Honor Roll Students! Congratulations on your hard work and dedication to academic excellence! Please, click on the links below to view a presentation slide deck with student honorees and the certificate linked below. Keep CLIMBing, students!

6th Grade All A

6th Grade AB

7th Grade All A

7th Grade AB

8th Grade All A

8th Grade AB

We are pleased to announce our CLIMB Award winners for Quarter 2! CLIMB Awards winners were nominated by their teachers and grade level administrative teams for demonstrating characteristics essential to being a Brambleton Bear. These qualities are encompassed into five categories: Create, Lead, Inspire, Motivate and Believe. CLIMB Awards winners were recognized at a ceremony on January 26th. Congratulations, and continue to CLIMB!

6th Grade

7th Grade

8th Grade

Through a partnership with Varsity Tutors, LCPS kindergarten through 12th-grade students have access to free tutoring and enrichment opportunities. The free Varsity Tutors program offers homework help, writing support and live enrichment sessions available 24 hours per day/7 days per week in a wide variety of subjects, including math, science, writing and more. Parents/guardians can contact Varsity Tutors to learn more about all the available services. All classes are English only. LCPS is making these resources available in accordance with the Virginia Department of Education’s All In VA, which seeks to provide maximum support to each and every student.

Families, students, community members and staff can nominate a deserving BAM teacher and/or staff member for an LCPS SHINE recognition and we encourage you to nominate anyone that you feel goes above and beyond to make our school great for students. Thanks in advance for your support!

Click THIS LINK to read more about SHINE.

Click THIS LINK for the SHINE nomination form.

Ms. Evelyn Ceballos - School Nutrition Manager

Nominated by a Staff Member:

"Ms. Ceballos is a perfect example of serving with heart in our "BAMily". She grows the capacity of our school nutrition team in a caring and supportive way to best serve our students. She consistently demonstrates positivity and a "can-do" attitude in all her interactions with administration, staff and students. Ms. Ceballos and her team work to create school meals that are representative of our students' family and cultural backgrounds--not to mention, DELICIOUS! She always leads with love and goes the extra mile to ensure that our large school feels small and welcoming for each and every student. Ms. Ceballos has even donated funds for students on financial lunch assistance so that they could have ice cream and other treats not part of the free lunch program. She is truly SHINE-worthy!"

Ms. Deb Hunt - Special Education Subject Area Lead Teacher

Nominated by a Staff Member:

"Deb Hunt consistently goes above and beyond for the special education team at Brambleton. She spends countless hours setting up and maintaining a landing page that includes every resource and tool that teachers may need. In addition, she stays well past contract hours to assist teachers with writing IEPs, communicating with parents, or helping new teachers to understand everything special education! Her knowledge runs so very deep and she is a huge advocate for our students with disabilities. She looks at all of the data and helps the team interpret it and implement support to make a difference in the lives of our students. Deb works tirelessly to find the best goals, supports and resources for each and every student. Her dedication is remarkable and she is ALWAYS willing to help, counsel, assist, plan, and keep everything in compliance! We need more people like Deborah Hunt to support our students and teachers!"

Ms. Dana Watkins - 6th Grade Special Education Math Teacher

Nominated by a Staff Member:

"Ms. Watkins always tells her students the two most important things are "you are safe, and you are loved." Dana always goes the extra mile for her students, frequently working outside of school hours to ensure their needs are met. Her positive demeanor is infectious and inspires others to approach all situations positively like her. We are so lucky to have Ms. Dana Watkins work with our students at Brambleton and are appreciative of all she does."

Ms. Ashley Driscoll - 8th Grade Orchestra Teacher

Nominated by a Parent/Community Member:

"Ms Driscoll started teaching current 8th grade students, in addition to her students at Independence. She was able to know the kids quickly and my child enjoys going to orchestra. She has made learning interesting."

Ms. Ann McCafferty - 6th Grade Social Sciences & Global Studies Teacher

Nominated by a Staff Member:

"Ann McCafferty is a wonderful teammate and educator. She always puts her students first. She creates and freely shares top quality lesson ideas with our CLT. She exudes positivity and faces challenges with strength and grace. It has been a privilege working with her."

Mr. Keenan Elder - 7th Grade School Counselor

Nominated by a Parent/Community Member:

My daughter was having a rough time transitioning from grade school to middle school. Keenan Elder (Middle School Counselor) was there to listen to my concerns about her locker and some of her classes. She was eating alone at lunch on one of her A or B days and she was having so much anxiety about even going to school. Keenan took her aside without letting her know that I had contacted him just to touch base with her to see how her school year was going and he let her know that he was there if she had any questions. He was able to work out her locker situation and was able to get her feeling much better about going to school. This is huge when you have a child that repeats every day how she doesn't want to go to school and makes every excuse to stay home. He helped her again this school year with a situation and has been a life saver. She is getting good grades in school and is a much happier person. He is amazing at his job!!

Mr. Sean Griffin - 6th & 8th Grade Social Sciences & Global Studies Teacher

Nominated by a Parent/Community Member:

Finds great ways to teach a difficult subject like history to kids. Very encouraging and motivating!

LCPS partnered with two services – ParentGuidance.org and Care Solace – to provide parents/guardians and staff with resources to support their families and themselves. ParentGuidance.org provides parents/guardians with access to online seminars and parent coaching. Care Solace helps students, staff, and families find mental health and substance use treatment matched to their needs. These resources are available at no cost to LCPS parents and staff. LCPS provides these resources and services to promote the well-being of students, their families and staff and to foster a collaborative and supportive environment with no barriers to access. Learn more.

Click the file link below for this week's PTSA BAMgram!

Website: https://www.lcps.org/BAM
Location: 23070 Learning Circle, Ashburn, VA, USA
Phone: 703-957-4450
Twitter: @BAM_MS_Official