Bookcliff Middle School

Dear Bookcliff Middle School Community,

My name is Brian Dickes, and I am truly honored to serve as the new principal at Bookcliff Middle School, after having served as an assistant principal for the past five years. Before coming to Bookcliff, I was a classroom teacher for 18 years, where my students experienced success through positive messaging and reinforcement, a firm but friendly demeanor, consistent expectations, and constant encouragement. It is my goal to expand my classroom successes to the entire school, so that the deserving students at Bookcliff can enjoy school and grow academically.

Outside of school, I enjoy spending time with my wife of nearly 28 years, who is a 5th grade teacher in District 51. Together, we enjoy hiking, biking, traveling, and connecting with our two adult children, both of whom attend school out of state. My other interests include reading, golfing, and cheering for my hometown Chicago sports teams.

Here at Bookcliff, we just finished our first three school days, and we’ve had a great start to our school year. One of our consistent messages to students this year is the importance of trying, and that if they try, they may not succeed right away, but eventually their efforts will pay off. We’ve got an amazing, dedicated staff who are ready to work hard, encourage your children to try their best, and partner with you to help your child. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

Brian Dickes, BMS Principal

brian.dickes@d51schools.org

970-254-6220 x32104

Student picture day is Thursday, August 15th.

Please take a look at the map below, which shows the ideal drop off/pick up zone for each grade level. The colored circles indicate the grade level entrances/exits, and the nearby colored sidewalk areas indicate the safest drop zone for each grade level. Families are encouraged to use whichever loop is most convenient for them. Students dropping off musical instruments in the morning may prefer the 6th grade loop.

This year's bell schedule.

The D51 Board of Education adopted a new policy in May regarding electronic devices. The section that relates most to our middle school students states the following:

Students shall not use personal electronic devices as follows: Students in grades PreK - 8 are prohibited from using personal electronic devices on school premises during the designated school day. The school day Includes but is not limited to instructional time, lunch periods, recess, school-sponsored programs, events or activities, or any other time during the designated school day. All personal electronic devices shall be kept In designated areas and turned off.

It is the student's responsibility to ensure that personal electronic devices are turned off and placed in designated areas during times when use is not authorized. Personal electronic devices (1) that produce any audible sound, a ring tone, or vibrating alert, whether through a speaker, earbuds/earphones, buzzer, or other means, or (2) that are displayed or in plain view at such times shall be deemed to be used in violation of this policy.

During our first three days of school, it was fantastic seeing the kids at lunch and at lunch recess talking and laughing together. In recent years, many students chose to sit in isolation staring at their phones. The school district's vision of "More Social, Less Media" was very evident at Bookcliff Middle School this week, as kids were interacting, socializing, making connections, and having fun!

Every school day, all students start with an Advisory class. During Advisory, students participate in:

• Academic Progress Review & Goal Setting
• Community Building Activities
• Activities aiming to increase student sense of belonging
• Social skills lessons to help students successfully navigate middle school

Advisory class is also when students listen to important announcements and receive information about upcoming events. Please help your child get to school on time every day so they don't miss this important class.

At Bookcliff, we encourage our students to strive to show HEART every day. HEART stands for Honesty, Excellence, Attitude, Respect, and Trust. This school year, our staff will honor students who make good choices by giving HEART tickets. It is our hope that your student will bring home many HEART tickets this year, showing how they demonstrated HEART at school that day.

• August 15: Student Pictures
• August 20-22: NWEA Testing
• September 2: Labor Day, No School
• September 3: Parent Teacher Conferences, 7:30am-7:30pm