BAM Bear Blast-12/15/23

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

• Monday, December 18: B-Day
• Tuesday, December 19: A-Day
• Wednesday, December 20: B-Day
• Thursday, December 21-Monday, January 1: Winter Break
• Tuesday, January 2: A-Day

This will be our last Bear Blast until Friday, January 5th. This newsletter edition includes "The CLIMB" Academic Newsletter for the upcoming short week and our first week back after break.

How is 2023 almost over!? The changing of the calendar year seems to engage us in reflection and gratitude. As such, I am so grateful for the supportive family community of Brambleton Middle School. Thank you, families, for valuing education for your children and partnering with our teachers and staff. We greatly appreciate all you do and recently, the tasty treats provided through our PTSA for this upcoming Monday! I am also grateful for our dedicated staff that work diligently to provide a rigorous, engaging, caring and fun learning experience for our students. I encourage families to recognize a deserving staff member through the LCPS SHINE recognition in the story below.

I wish each of you a wonderful winter break and joyful start to 2024. It is my hope that you are able to relax and unwind with family and friends.

I look forward to seeing our Bear Scholars back on January 2, 2024!

Chad O'Brien, Principal

Ms. Evelyn Ceballos was nominated by the BAM administration for an LCPS Spotlighting Heroes in Education (SHINE) Recognition for November and she was chosen to be recognized by Dr. Spence and the Loudoun Education Association this week! Ms. Ceballos is our cafeteria manager and is such a bright light in our BAMily for students and staff. Here is an excerpt from her nomination: "Ms. Ceballos and her team work to create school meals that are representative of our student's 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."

Congratulations, Ms. Ceballos!

Families, students, community members and staff can nominate a deserving BAM teacher and staff member for a SHINE recognition and we encourage you to recognize 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.

Makeup/Retake Day images are now viewable online.

Please visit: vosphoto.com/uc and use your student ID when prompted for the online code.

For questions regarding school pictures please email: underclass@vosphoto.com

Thank you!

Victor O'Neill Studio!

The AMC 8 (American Mathematics Competition) is a 25-question, 40-minute, multiple choice examination in middle school mathematics designed to promote the development of problem-solving skills. The AMC 8 provides an opportunity for middle school students to develop positive attitudes towards analytical thinking and mathematics that can assist in future careers. Students apply classroom skills to unique problem-solving challenges in a low-stress and friendly environment.

This year's competition will be held on Thursday, January 18, 2024 after school in the BAM Cafeteria. Your child may ride the activity bus home or can be picked up at the conclusion of the test (approximately 4:45pm).

There is a $5 participation fee for this competition, payable through SchoolCash Online. Families can log into their SchoolCash Online account to choose AMC 8 in order to pay.

If your student would like to participate in this year's competition, please do the following:

• complete this registration no later than Friday, December 15 at 3pm. Registrations will NOT be accepted after Dec. 15 at 3pm!
• pay the $5 registration fee through your SchoolCash Online account no later than Friday, December 15 at 3pm. Payment will NOT be accepted after Dec. 15 at 3pm.

The Step Up Loudoun Youth Competition presents middle and high school students with an opportunity to identify an issue in their communities and implement a solution as they contribute to the world around them. Students will create a 5-minute team video due February 21, 2024, and then the top 20 teams will present live to judges on March 11, 2024. The Finals and Awards Ceremony will be on March 21, 2024, where the top 10 teams will be invited to present for cash prizes.

Registration for the Step Up Loudoun Youth Competition is now open. You will find information about SULYC and the link for the application at: www.loudounyouth.org under Programs: Step Up Loudoun Youth Competition.

Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) Department of Teaching & Learning visited eighth-graders at Brambleton Middle School on November 1 and 2 to share information about the various special programs and academies available to rising 9th-grade students. The presentation included information about the Academies of Loudoun, the Health and Medical Sciences Academy (HAMSci) which will be new in 2024-2025, the LCPS Pre-International Baccalaureate (Pre-IB), Navy Junior Reserve Officer Training Corp (JROTC), and Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology.

Students interested in HAMSci, LCPS Pre-IB, and Navy JROTC can show interest in these programs starting on December 1, 2023 in Student Opportunities located in LCPSGo.

For additional information about the various LCPS Special Programs and Academies, visit https://www.lcps.org/specprog.

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