Beckwith Bulletin
October 13, 2023
OPEN HOUSE AT OUR HIGH SCHOOL
FORMS IN ASPEN FAMILY PORTAL
Dear Parents and Guardians:
It has come to our attention that many of you have not yet completed PERMISSIONS in X2 Aspen concerning your child including:
Media photo/video release
Yearbook photo release
Media Name release
Military recruiters
College recruiters
Allow Internet Use
Agree to Technology/Acceptable Use Policy
Agree to Technology Take Home Policy
Agree to Student Handbook
Permission Signature
Permission Signoff Date
We would appreciate your completing the PERMISSIONS information in the X2 Aspen Family Portal today.
To access the PERMISSIONS section, log in to the X2 Aspen Family Portal with your parent log in credentials, then click on the PERMISSIONS tab, and then click on the drop arrow for each permission. Click Save when done.
See the picture below for what the PERMISSIONS tab looks like.
Here are some step-by-step directions to help you get started. If you have any questions, please submit a Technology Helpdesk Ticket. Thank you for your cooperation.
PAPER FORMS
The following paper forms were disseminated by teachers to students on the first day: Free/Reduced Lunch Application, the Nurse Medication Administration Sheet (Backside Cumulative Student Information created from Aspen), and Back to School Lunch Information. If you haven't already filled out and returned this paperwork, please do so.
The Nurse Medication Administration Sheet / Cumulative Student Information needs to be filled out and returned to the student's homeroom teacher, the Back to School Lunch Information is for your information, and the Free/Reduced Lunch Application should be returned if eligible.
Concerning the latter, even though meals are available to all students at no cost, we continue to ask all families to complete free and reduced eligibility paperwork which can be found below. School funding and competitive grants at the state and national level are dependent on accurately capturing our student population, and the completion of this confidential paperwork is important for our school and our district. If you need additional assistance, please contact the main office at 508-252-5080.
MCAS SCORE REPORTS
2023 MCAS RESULTS
Overall, the 2023 Beckwith Middle School (BMS) MCAS Results were mixed. The percentage compared to the state when looking at "Meeting or Exceeding Expectations" was better on 4 of the 10 tests administered, and the percentage of students "Meeting or Exceeding Expectations" was greater than the previous year on 6 of the 10 tests administered.
Student Growth Percentiles (SGPs) provide a measure of the degree to which a student's achievement has changed from the prior year(s) to the current year, in comparison to other students in the same grade who performed similarly in the past. Typical student growth percentiles are between 40 and 60 percent. All of BMS's average student growth percentiles were in the typical range.
School Achievement Percentiles (1-99) compare each group’s average scaled score to the average scaled scores of the same group from all public schools across the state. All of BMS' School Achievement Percentiles were between 40 and 60 percent except for Grade 6 and 8 Mathematics and Grade 8 Science which were above 60 percent.
Overall, the % of proficient students in ELA (grades 5-8 at BMS) increased by 6% from the previous year, while math increased by 3% from the previous year. Science decreased by 1% from the previous year.
CLICK HERE for the 2023 MCAS Results
There will be a more in-depth presentation of the MCAS at the November 14th School Committee Meeting at 6:30 p.m. in the DRRHS Library. Included in that presentation will be an explanation as to what we will be doing with this data in order to enhance student achievement.
PTSA SKI & BOARD CLUB
PLEASE NOTE THAT THE WE NEED FIVE MORE STUDENTS TO RUN THE PROGRAM AND THE DEADLINE TO SIGN UP IS NEXT MONDAY, OCTOBER 16th.
When? Program runs for 6 weeks, beginning Friday, January 5, 2024
Where? -A coach bus picks students up from BMS at 2:30 p.m. and transport them to Wachusett Mountain
-Bus arrives back at BMS at approximately 10:00 pm.
How much? -Cost is approximately $379 total
$200 for busing, driver tip, end of season party, and carabiner light for coat
$179 for a Wachusett lift ticket
Rentals ($109 Ski/Snowboard & $27 Helmet) and lessons ($93) can be purchased at an additional cost
Who? - Any 6th-8th Beckwith student can participate (grade 5 students will be accepted if a parent chaperones)
Beginner skiers/snowboarders are welcome and encouraged to join however, they are required to take lessons
* 45 participants need to have signed up and paid for bus ($200) by Monday, October 16th or the program will not run**
Once we have 45 participants signed up and paid for the bus we will release Wachusett sign up information.
CLICK HERE for the PTSA Ski & Board Club 2024 Contract
STUDENT TASK FORCE (aka Kindness Task Force)
"We want to help the school and make it a better place. To make the school the best place it can be! We want this school to be a place where kids want to be in when they get to go to middle school. We have been noticing kids being bullied. Kids shouldn’t feel like they are being bullied for who they are, so we want to help kids be more kind to other classmates. This school is AMAZING already, but we think we can make it better!"
All students in all grades are welcome. Meetings are Mondays from 2:45-4 in room 112. No sign up required. Please encourage your children to get involved!
MYSCHOOL BUCKS INFORMATION
Account payments can be made through MySchoolBucks.com using a debit/credit card or electronic check. We will also be accepting cash and check payments (CHECK ONLY at Beckwith Middle) at all cafeteria registers. Please make checks payable to “Dighton Rehoboth Regional School District” and include your student’s full name in the memo line.
School meals are once again free (see above); however, all students must use the point of sale system to obtain a free lunch. Please encourage your child to remember their lunch pin number because it helps to move along the lunch lines. If a student forgets their pin, then the cafeteria workers need to look it up and this stalls the lunch line.
Students will need to pay for snacks not included with the free meal and this is the reason why a parent would want to put money on their child's account.
COLOR DAY CALENDARS FOR RELATED ARTS
CLICK HERE for the October 2023 Color Day Calendar
CLICK HERE for the November 2023 Color Day Calendar
CLICK HERE for the December 2023 Color Day Calendar
MASSASOIT LEAGUE SOCCER
CLICK HERE for the soccer schedule.
ABSENCE PROCEDURE AND ABSENCE NOTIFICATION SYSTEM FOR FAMILIES AND EMAIL ADDRESS
School attendance and punctuality are closely correlated with success at school. Time in class cannot be replicated by simply giving the absent student the work that was missed. Frequent absences can leave gaps in a student’s education that can affect them for years to come. For more information on Attendances and Absences, please review the Student Handbook.
Please call into the 24/7 Absence Line by the start of the school day (8:15 a.m.) to report your student's absence. Leave a message that states the name of your child and why they will be absent. To reach the absence line call 508-252-5080 and press 1. Alternatively, you may also email the Main Office at bmsattendance@drregional.org by 8:15 a.m. This email address can be used to report your student's absence as well as to report a tardy or dismissal.
Families of students who are marked as having an unexcused absence and who do not call the Absence Line or email the aforementioned email address by 8:15 a.m. will receive a phone call, text message, and email notification from the District to inform them of the student absence. The message will prompt families to call the Main Office to confirm the absence as soon as possible. The timing of the notification will be 9:15 a.m.
All absences are considered unexcused with the exception of the following: student medical appointment/illness/quarantine (with a doctor’s note), bereavement, family emergencies, observance of major religious holidays, weather so inclement as to endanger the health of the child, court appearance, out of school suspension, disability-related absences, and unique circumstances approved at the Principal’s discretion. In instances of chronic or irregular absence reportedly due to illness, the school administration may request a physician's statement certifying such absences to be justifiable.
Please arrange for doctor's notes to be sent to the Main Office via Fax Number at 508-252-5082 or via email at svincelette@drregional.org
IN THE NEWS - FROM THE REPORTER TODAY
Beckwith Middle School News - October 5, 2023
Beckwith News - September 7, 2023
IMPORTANT DATES
*October 16 - Picture Day
*October 21 - PTSA Trunk or Treat at DRRHS (see below)
*October 23-27 - Spirit Week
*October 27 - Pink Spirit Day (Wear pink to commemorate October Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Donate to the Linda Sousa - A Better Dream Foundation)
*October 30 - PTSA USA Skates Halloween Roller Skating Party (6:00-8:30 p.m.)
*October 31 - Halloween Spirit Day
Click the #WeAreDR photo above to access the school district's Facebook page
Follow BMS on Facebook!
Follow BMS on Twitter!
Dorothy L. Beckwith Middle School
The mission of the Dighton-Rehoboth middle schools, in collaboration with parents and the community, is to develop the whole child and to provide students with the knowledge, skills, global education, technology, and social responsibility to become contributing citizens and life-long learners in our ever-changing world.
Dighton Rehoboth Regional School District does not discriminate based on race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, marital status, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other legally protected group.
CLICK HERE for the Student Handbook
Email: bmsattendance@drregional.org
Website: bms.drregional.org
Location: 330r Winthrop Street, Rehoboth, MA, USA
Phone: 508-252-5080