Hello BBMS families!!! Hispanic Heritage Month is a wonderful opportunity to honor and celebrate the diverse cultures, histories and contributions of Hispanic communities. From Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, BBMS and MCPS schools are embracing this rich heritage by spotlighting the achievements and traditions of students, educators and staff members who trace their roots to Spanish-speaking countries in North and South America, the Caribbean and around the world.

Tuesday, October 8th: BBMS PTSA Meeting (6:30 - 7:30 pm)

Monday, October 14th: BBMS Open House (8:30 am - 10:50 am)

Friday, October 18th - Professional day for all staff; no school for students

Monday, October 21st: School Picture Day

Thursday, October 24th: Cluster Concert Blake High School

Friday, November 1st: End of 1st Marking Period

Topic: BBMS PTSA Meeting

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Passcode: BBMS

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The BBMS FINE ARTS DEPARTMENT is going to NEW YORK CITY on April 25th through April 27th 2025. Students will compete in an international music competition and engage in art from around the world. The first payment is due by Tuesday, October 15th. Families can make up to 6 payments of $92.33 between Now and March 1st. Payments can be made via School Cash Online (SCO). Or in person from 8:15-8:45 on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Total Cost of $554 per person Includes:

Festival Competition at Riverside Church

Hotel Accommodations

Museo del Barrio

Broadway Show

Time Square

911 Memorial

Central Park

Walking Tour of ChinaTown and Little Italy

Ellen’s Stardust Diner

Dinner Dance and Cruise around the Statue of Liberty

The 8th grade class will go on a field trip towards the end of the school year to celebrate their accomplishments and bid a final farewell to Benjamin Banneker Middle School. We would like to get student input on where the field trip will be. Please complete the google form to select your top choice from the options provided. Information about the date, cost, etc., will be communicated once everything is finalized.

MCPS is enhancing its suicide prevention curriculum using the Signs of Suicide® (SOS®) Prevention Program. Currently, MCPS uses the Red Flags suicide prevention curriculum to discuss this topic in Health courses. The SOS® Program is a youth suicide prevention program that has demonstrated an improvement in students’ knowledge and adaptive attitudes towards suicide risk and depression, as well as a reduction in actual suicide attempts.

BBMS Families, please see the letter below regarding the application of pesticides at Banneker this week due to a bees nest outside.

Benjamin Banneker Middle School After-School Activity Programs will begin on September 24th. See attached schedules and website for specific dates of activities. New clubs may be added so check back from time to time.

Signing the Permission Form acknowledges that you are agreeing to the terms and conditions set by the Montgomery County Public Schools and Benjamin Banneker Middle School regarding every student’s rights and responsibilities to participate in activities after school hours.

Signing the Permission Form also acknowledges that you are permitting your student to attend an activity or activities sponsored by Benjamin Banneker Middle School, Montgomery County Public Schools and their staff members.

Curious about what is in the MCPS Social Studies curriculum? We have one remaining Social Studies Curriculum Night Webinars for Parents/Caregivers!

Hispanic History Social Studies Curriculum Night

October 10, 2024

6:30 PM – 7:30 PM

Flier

Zoom Registration Link

Hello Banneker Family. My name is Dr. Augustina Bryan and I am the Pupil Personnel Worker for Banneker MS. Pupil Personnel Workers (PPWs) are educators trained to determine student needs through a collaborative process, to serve as advocates for students and their families, and to facilitate appropriate services. Please scan or use the link below if you would like assistance for requesting a change of school, homelessness, attendance, student engagement, intervention, residency, help with school policies, and/or social emotional support.

Link to form: https://forms.gle/eMXDtz7bxzG8XEV3A

The Holiday Giving Project has provided Thanksgiving and December holiday assistance to low-income households for over 30 years. Local non-profits, faith-based organizations, and public agencies serve Holiday Giving recipients, as donations are available. If you and your family are in need and would like to be referred for possible assistance for the holiday season, please fill out the Holiday Giving Project Referral and Consent form with the required information. Please return the completed form to BBMS Counseling Office or email to Taryn_E_richards@mcpsmd.org by October 25th. Paper copies will be available in the counseling office as well. Resources are limited: please apply only if you and your family are truly in need. While a referral is not a guarantee of assistance, the Project helps as many families in need as donations allow. Please contact Taryn_E_richards@mcpsmd.org with any questions.

Remind is a messaging platform that has been implemented in all schools this year for communication among MCPS schools, teachers, students and parents. School staff, central office staff, students and parents all have Remind accounts to enable them to send and/or receive messages using a preferred mode of communication, such as text message, email or phone call in their preferred language.

Parents don’t have to sign up for Remind or download an app to receive messages. Messages will be sent to the email and phone number registered with the school, and parents will automatically receive messages when they are sent. If parents wish to respond to a message, they will need to download the app or create an account on the website. See below for information on how to download the app.

YouTube video on how to use Remind

Parent Quick Guides

English, Spanish, French, Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese, Portuguese, Amharic

ATTENTION MCPS! The Montgomery County Board of Elections is in search of civic-minded students grade 6-12.

Since 2004, the Montgomery County Board of Elections has conducted the Future Vote Initiative to encourage students from grades 6 to 12 to participate in elections. To date, +52,000 students have participated in the Future Vote, including over +12,000 who have served as election workers after their sixteenth birthday. The program also provides an experience for young people that will shape their values and character and give them an understanding of what it means to exercise their vote and empower others to do the same. To apply, review the registration instructions provided here: 2024_FV_Registration_Instructions_03292024-2.pdf (montgomerycountymd.gov).

Future Vote deadline is October 16, 2024, with mandatory training held from October 8-17, 2024. Training information, dates and locations provided during registration.

• FV FAQs Montgomery County Board of Elections: Future Vote FAQs (montgomerycountymd.gov)
• Future Vote Recognition by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission Montgomery County MD 2018 Clearinghouse Award Winner | U.S. Election Assistance Commission (eac.gov)

Students 16 years or older are eligible to register to vote and serve as election poll workers. Each minor must demonstrate, to the satisfaction of the Maryland State Board of Elections, that they meet all qualifications for voter registration in the State. Each student will earn a minimum $250 stipend or up to 25 Student Service Learning (SSL) hours per full day of service. Individuals who served at the polling places or early voting in previous elections will receive a $100 bonus per full day served ($50 for half-day shifts). To serve in this paid volunteer position election workers must be U.S. citizens, registered to vote in the State of Maryland, able to speak, read, and write the English language, and cannot hold, or be a candidate for, public or party office. In addition, election workers may not serve as campaign managers for candidates or as treasurer for any campaign finance entity. Training is required and will be provided to election workers. This includes an online quiz and in-person classroom training held now through October. Volunteers will be paid for completing training and working during Early Voting and/or on Election Day. Due to the diversity within the county, voters who speak multiple languages are encouraged to apply. We offer several different positions, full-day, and part-day. To apply, text SERVE to 77788, or EJ Connection - Montgomery County Board of Elections (montgomerycountymd.gov). The Maryland voter registration deadline is Tuesday, October 15, 2024.

• High School Election Worker FAQs High School Poll Workers - Montgomery County MD
• Position Description & Stipend/SSL Amounts Montgomery County Board of Elections - Election Worker Job Descriptions (montgomerycountymd.gov)

We are excited to share that Benjamin Banneker Middle School will become a federally-funded Title I school in the 2024–2025 school year. Title I of the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 (ESSA) requires that schools with the highest poverty in the district receive supplemental Title I funding. Please see the community letter below for more details.

Our school is fortunate to receive supplemental funding through Title I, a federal grant program for schools that serve communities with students who have high economic needs. The federal legislation that establishes Title I regulations is known as the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 (ESSA). ESSA requires Montgomery County Public Schools to inform you that you have the right to request information about the professional licensure qualifications of your child’s teacher, long-term substitute teacher, or paraeducator (formerly titled instructional assistant).

If you wish to request licensure information about your child’s teacher, paraeducator, or long-term substitute teacher, please submit a written request to the principal at your school. Your written inquiry may include information about the following qualifications:

• Degree status and subject area of licensure.

• State of Maryland licensure status, including conditional licensure status.

• Qualifications of paraeducators or long-term substitute teachers who may be working with your student.

Your request will be forwarded to OHRD and you will receive a written response from that office within thirty (30) business days.

Please contact the principal if you have any questions.

Nuestra escuela es afortunada en recibir fondos suplementarios a través de Título I, un programa federal que concede fondos para escuelas que sirven a comunidades con estudiantes que tienen altas necesidades económicas. La legislación federal que establece las normas del Título I es conocida como Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 (ESSA). ESSA requiere que Montgomery County Public Schools le informe que usted tiene derecho a saber acerca de los requisitos de certificación profesional del maestro/a de su hijo/a, maestro/a sustituto a largo plazo o paraeducador (anteriormente titulado a asistente de instrucción).

Si usted desea solicitar información sobre la certificación del maestro/a de su hijo/a, el paraeducador o el substituto a largo plazo, por favor, someta una petición por escrito al director de su escuela. Su solicitud escrita puede incluir información sobre las siguientes cualificaciones:

• Título universitario y materia de la licenciatura.

• Licenciatura del Estado de Maryland, incluyendo licenciatura condicional.

• Cualificaciones de los paraeducadores o substitutos a largo plazo que pueden estar trabajando con su estudiante.

Su solicitud será enviada a Office of Human Resources (Oficina de Recursos Humanos) y usted recibirá una respuesta de ellos dentro de los próximos 30 días laborales.

Por favor, contacte al director si tiene preguntas.

• Focuses on helping parents/caregivers support their child’s mental wellness & resilience
• For parents with children ages 2-18
• Instructional videos + facilitated discussion.
• Group explores if and how content can be adapted to their family & cultural context
• Class Topics by Week:

1. How to Manage Change and Transitions
2. Raising More Motivated and Cooperative Kids
3. Emotion Coaching—Responding to Your Child’s Strong Emotions
4. Understanding and Supporting Children’s Mental Health Needs Part 1
5. Understanding and Supporting Children’s Mental Health Needs Part 2
6. When to Set Limits and When to Let Go
7. Managing Your Anger When It Flares
8. Evaluation. Participants who complete at least 5 program sessions and the evaluation session on week 8 receive a $50 gift card (one per household/family)

• Virtual classes on Tuesdays in English on Zoom from 7 pm - 8:30 pm
• Sessions start on 10/15 and last for 8 weeks
• Special Banneker parents/caregivers link to register: tinyurl.com/PEP-bbms
• Anyone who registers for a Spanish language class can join the open enrollment classes for MCPS parents/caregivers

Email: Carmen_moore@mcpsmd.org with any questions

Hughes UMC Mid County Hub Food Distributions

Date: Tuesday, October 8, 2024

Time: 9:30 am – 12:00 pm

Location: 10700 Georgia Ave. Silver Spring MD 20902
Contact Name: Elizabeth Portillo Phone #: 3019498383
Email: hubcoordinator@hughesumc.org

Description: Food distribution only by walk-ins, enabled parking. Bring ID and your own bags (non-perishable food and vegetables).

English Version:

PBSB Newsletter

Spanish Version:

PBSB Boletin

For the 2024 - 2025 school year Benjamin Banneker Middle School is adopting the Cell Phone "Away All Day" policy. This policy includes additional personal media devices that distract from the teaching and learning process. Students received information in their homeroom classes during the first week of school regarding updated policies and procedures for the school year. Please see linked an article which explains why we are taking this step.

Please see Chromebook information below:

• BBMS will continue to be 1 to 1 device school

• 6th grade students received their chromebooks during the first week of school.

• BBMS Family Chromebook Agreement states that

“Each student is financially responsible for damage caused or loss of any Chromebook and charger checked out to the student. The device is loaned and for instructional purposes only. No cost is associated with a student borrowing, possessing, or using an MCPS Chromebook. A family is only financially responsible when there is avoidable damage to the device. There is a charge for any lost or stolen devices or chargers.” Charges range from $25 to $300”.

This portal will help you find solutions to your questions about MCPS programs. You can use this page to search for guides, videos, or get your questions answered through a virtual agent. Please click on the portal's support guide for additional information. If you need support using the portal, we have provided the support guide.

The attachment below includes the 2024-2025 BBMS Bus Routes. It can also be found on our school website.

As our entire region adjusts to a return to school, MCPS wishes to remind families of the usual impact on traffic and the expectation of typical, but very few, bus route delays on some of our runs. This may be particularly true in areas affected by the Purple Line rail system construction. Due to the size and interconnectedness of our transportation system, we anticipate that the impact may be felt beyond just the immediate schools near the construction. Although delays are the exception, we know that traffic in our area can sometimes be challenging.

Need Help?

To address any concerns or issues with bus delays, we want to introduce the MCPS Transportation Hotline. This service will begin Monday, August 26, starting at 6:00 am to 5:00 pm, and will be available during the first week of school. MCPS transportation staff will be able to support families if questions, concerns or problems with a bus or bus stop need to be addressed. To access this service, call 240-740-7790.

Benjamin Banneker Middle School and the Conflict Resolution Center of Montgomery County are excited to continue our partnership to support the Well-Being of our school community. The purpose of this school-based conflict resolution program is to provide the students and staff of Benjamin Banneker Middle School the opportunity to address and resolve student disputes with an “on-site” conflict resolution professional. The program will empower students to use the on-site Conflict Resolution Office to address and resolve disputes in constructive ways supporting a positive and safe learning environment. Additionally, students will practice restorative discipline principles that focus on: strengthening relationships, collaborative problem-solving, and student accountability. For more information regarding this partnership, please read the attached letter.

MCPS has implemented a new online service to accept payments for school-sponsored field trips along with other school-related activities School Cash Online (SCO). To help reduce the confusion of remembering PINs, our online service provider no longer requires them. MCPS highly encourages everyone to sign up and use this service. By using this service, it makes it convenient for parents to make payments at their own convenience and minimizes loss of funds which often happens when carrying cash. The online system is a great way to keep track of student payments. Families can easily log into the system and see which activities are being offered to students and discuss which ones they would like to participate in.

For approved guardian(s) who do not currently have an SCO account, you will receive an automated email with an invitation to create an account.

For approved guardian(s) who already have a SCO account, but who have not yet linked their student(s) to their account. An automated email from SCO for each unlinked student will be sent to the guardian. The email will have an “Accept” button. If the guardian clicks the button, the system will attach that guardian’s child to their account automatically based on the student Information data.

SchoolCash Online: Subscription Process for Guardians

SchoolCash Online: Registration Instructions