January Newsletter 2025

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Email: bms@sbps.net
Website: www.sbps.net/bms
Location: 27 East 23rd Street, Scottsbluff, NE, USA
Phone: 308-635-6270
X: @BMSCATS

Dear BMS Families,

Welcome back, and Happy New Year! We hope you had a restful holiday break and enjoyed time with family and friends. We look forward to welcoming students back on Tuesday, January 7, 2025. Below are a few reminders to help you kick off the second semester successfully, along with details about upcoming events.

Report Cards/Infinite Campus

First-semester report cards will be mailed home during the week of January 13, 2025. Remember, you can check your student's grades and attendance through the parent portal in Infinite Campus. For any inquiries regarding grades, please reach out to your student's teachers or counselor. If you require help setting up an account, feel free to call our main office at 308-635-6270, and we will be happy to assist you.

Emergency Contact Information

Please make sure we have the most current emergency contact information for your student on file. If there are any updates to your physical address, phone number, or email address, please let us know.

After School Tutoring

Tutoring will resume on Monday, January 13, 2025. Grade-level tutoring will be available from 3:05 to 4:05 PM, Monday through Thursday. Additionally, all teachers are accessible after school until 3:30 PM for students needing to finish missing assignments or assessments. Please encourage your students to make the most of this valuable extended learning opportunity.

Winter Sports

The winter sports season has begun, and we are excited to watch our students as they excel and compete on the wrestling mat and basketball court. The winter season features girls' wrestling and boys basketball for 7th and 8th graders. Wishing all our student-athletes the best of luck as they begin their season! Please remind your students that they must be in good academic standing to participate in competitions. After-school tutoring and support during WIN are available to assist students in completing assignments or retaking assessments.

WIN (What I Need)

We are committed to enhancing our WIN period for all students at the end of each day. In our second year of implementation, we have observed a significant decline in failing grades and an increase in assignment completion rates. Each day, students are provided with thirty-two minutes to finish assignments, retake assessments, receive extra instruction, or engage in enrichment activities.This additional time during the school day should lessen the amount of work students need to complete at home. We are very proud of our students and teachers and their commitment to increasing student achievement and providing extended learning opportunities during the day. Keep up the great work!

Our staff is committed to your student's success, and we look forward to celebrating their accomplishments both inside and outside the classroom this semester. We greatly appreciate your continued partnership, which plays a crucial role in supporting your student's educational journey. We're excited to begin our second semester with you and your student. As always, feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns. We are more than happy to help you.

Thank you,

Jana Mason

Principal

We are very excited about the upcoming NJHS Induction ceremony that will take place on January 9, 2025, at 6:00 pm at Bluffs Middle School. The National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) is a prestigious organization that recognizes students who have demonstrated outstanding scholarship, leadership, service, character, and citizenship. It is a testament to the hard work, dedication, and commitment of our students, and we are proud of their accomplishments. The induction ceremony is a significant milestone for our students who have demonstrated exceptional academic achievements. Ms. Dillman, NJHS sponsor will be sending out more information. We invite you to join us in celebrating the success of these students.

Congratulations, Mr. Koch! We appreciate the countless hours, energy, and support you invest in our students at Bluffs Middle School. Congratulations on your induction into the Hall of Fame for the 2024-25 year. No one is more deserving of this recognition than you.

The Nebraska Music Education Association’s Music Educators Hall of Fame represents the highest honor that can be awarded to NMEA members. This accolade acknowledges exceptional service to the youth of Nebraska, outstanding musicianship, and exemplary teaching achievements.

Thank you for making our holiday fundraiser so successful. We greatly appreciate everyone's support. Bluffs Middle School raised approximately $6200.00 for student celebrations and recognition throughout the year. Winners won cash prizes that were donated by the local Butter Braid distributor. Additionally, students selling 5 or more Butter Braids were entered into the raffle to win a $25.00 gift card to Target donated by Mrs. Escamilla. Top sellers are listed below.

5th Place- Raechel Shimek

4th Place Makenzie Zwetzig

3rd Place Santiago Noriega

2nd Place Gavin Fowlkes

1st Place Grant Celli

Congratulations to the BMS MATHCOUNTS students for their exceptional performance at the Omaha Central Math Contest in December! We take immense pride in your dedication and hard work that has contributed to this achievement. We would also like to extend our sincere thanks to Scottsbluff High School teachers Mr. Aaberg and Mrs. Hays, as well as our parents, for their unwavering commitment to providing exceptional learning opportunities for our students. Keep up the fantastic work, BMS MATHCOUNTS students! We eagerly anticipate more of your future successes!

2024 Omaha Central Middle School Math Contest Results

Sweepstakes

1st Brownell-Talbot MS (Omaha)

2nd Bluffs MS (Scottsbluff)

3rd Millard North MS (Millard)

Team Round

2nd Bluffs MS (James White, 7; William Croft, 7; Declan Long, 6)

Math Bowl

1st St. Vincent dePaul MS (Omaha)

2nd Bluffs MS (William Croft, 7; James White, 7; Allison Aaberg, 7)

Alternates: Declan Long, 6; Zayne Wylie, 7; Timothy Winterbottom, 6

3rd Brownell-Talbot MS (Omaha)

4th Millard North MS (Millard)

Math Bowl Scores

BMS 5, Mary Our Queen MS 1

BMS 4, St. Wenceslaus MS 1

BMS 3, Buffett MS 1

Semifinals: BMS 4, Millard North MS 3

Finals: BMS 1, St. Vincent dePaul MS 4

School Board Recognition Week serves as an opportunity to honor the dedication and hard work of the SBPS Board of Education. These individuals selflessly contribute countless hours to guarantee that students in our district receive the highest quality education. Their efforts may often go unrecognized, but their influence resonates throughout every facet of our educational system. The SBPS Strategic Plan provides a road map for our board members in order to offer the best opportunities for students, staff, and families. Over the course of the last two years, the Board has made decisions that have had a considerable financial impact that proved advantageous for taxpayers. When combined with last year, the Scottsbluff Public Schools levy has been reduced by nearly 38 cents, and the amount of money that is asked for from the taxpayers is over $3.8 million dollars less than what was asked for in the 2023-24 school year.

The accolades and accomplishments our district has received throughout the years are directly related to our Board of Education and their steadfast dedication to all stakeholders in Scottsbluff Public Schools. We are truly proud to work alongside such committed individuals. Thank you for your endless support!

Board President, Scott Reisig

Board Vice President, Beth Merrigan

Board Member, Mark Lang

Board Member, Paul Snyder

Board Member, Tory Schwartz

Board Member, Robert Polk

January 6 Professional Development/Work Day

January 7 Second Semester begins

January 9 NJHS Induction Ceremony @ 6:00 pm

January 26 - February 1 School Board Appreciation Week

January 31 Professional Development Day - No School

Now is a great time to review BMS Chromebook expectations with your student. Helping your student follow Chromebook expectations can ensure safe and appropriate use.

BMS Student Chromebook Expectations

• Chromebooks are used for educational use only

• Chromebooks go everywhere with students at school

• Bring school issued Chromebook to school every day

• Charge Chromebook every night

• Chromebooks should never be taken out of protective cases

• Follow staff instructions for all technology use

• Keep Chromebook away from food and liquids

• Keep Chromebook clean and decoration-free

• DO NOT share school-issued login information

Welcome back, students and families! We hope Winter Break provided many fulfilling moments of rest, relaxation, and joy!

This new year, we want you all to take some time to focus on YOU now that the frenzy of the holiday season is behind us. A common tradition of a new year is establishing a New Year’s resolution. These resolutions often focus on self-improvement. However, sometimes the pressure of establishing a resolution and following it can be more stressful than empowering.

Rather than focusing on a “resolution,” we encourage you to set a goal for yourself, whether individually or as a family. In setting this goal, we want you to consider an area of improvement in your life you wish to work towards and identify small, attainable steps towards that goal.

Before even setting your goal, ask yourself what day-to-day changes can be made to build momentum over time towards greater improvement and success? Taking things one day at a time encourages we are intentional in thinking about the “here and now,” rather than “future tripping.” When we focus on the peak of the mountain, we lose sight of the next right step just beneath our nose. Another important part of successful goal-setting is evaluating and adjusting as you progress, ensuring your goal is tailored perfectly to your needs and personal growth. If you find your goal is creating stress, consider what adjustments can be made rather than throwing it out, altogether.

An example of goal setting for some of our students may be “I want better grades.” This is a great goal, but very broad. This is the peak of the mountain. Let’s focus in on that next right step as we climb. Examples of smaller goals in obtaining the larger goal may be: studying more often, asking questions, organizing notes and reviewing, seeking help from teachers, attending tutoring opportunities, and breaking down large assignments into smaller, more manageable tasks.

So, what’s your goal? We wish you all a year abundant in growth, achievement, and happiness! We can’t wait to watch you all flex your growth as the 2024-2025 school year continues!

“Incredible change happens in your life when you decide to take control of what you have power over instead of craving control over what you don’t.” - Steve Maraboli

Teen Word of the Month:

Flex: To show off or boast about something

The first semester Honors Gala was truly exceptional. A sincere thank to all the students who completed an honors project and to Mrs. Salomon for creating this exceptional learning opportunity for our students.

Just a friendly reminder about SBPS recommendations for keeping students home:

Temperature: A student with a temperature 100 degrees or higher will be sent home from school. It is recommended that the student return to school once fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication.

Vomiting and/or Diarrhea: If a student is vomiting and/or has diarrhea, it is highly recommended that the student remain home for 24 hours. Students are sent home if this occurs at school.

Lice: If you find lice or NITS on your student, please contact the school to let them know. Your student may attend school, SBPS health office staff will perform follow up head checks and provide you with education needed to treat your child. SBPS policy regarding head lice is on the district website under health services or click on the following link: https://cdn5-ss20.sharpschool.com/UserFiles/Servers/Server_392748/File/Departments%20and%20Services/Services/Health%20Services/Head%20Lice/SBPSHeadLiceAdministrativeProcedure.pdf

Remember, once a week check your child’s head.

Download the So Happy app to access breakfast and lunch menus.

Congratulations to all our students who achieved 90% attendance during the second quarter! Every day counts, and we truly value your dedication to academic success. A total of 182 eighth graders, 194 seventh graders, and 194 sixth graders qualified for prizes.

Remarkably, 77% of students at BMS reached the 90% attendance target for this quarter! This accomplishment reflects the hard work of both our students and parents. Our work continues to align with the SBPS Strategic Plan, specially Strategic Priority #5 - Scottsbluff Public Schools Commits to Providing Opportunities that Maximize Student Engagement and Achievement by reducing the rate of chronic absenteeism at each school. Thank you for your continued support and partnership.

We would like to extend our sincere appreciation to our sponsors for contributing to the success of our attendance challenge. Thank you to the following sponsors: SBPS Family Success Center, Douglas/Kelly/Ostdiek/Snyder/Ossian/Vogl, p.c., Target, Sweet Rush Ice Cream, LLC, Brad Helgerson CPA, JD's Ace Body Shop, and Water Boy Sprinklers, LLC. Congratulations to the nine students who won BEATS headphones! We urge all students to maintain their dedication to attending school every day.