February 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,

As we move into the month of February and the second semester of our school year, we continue to be amazed and proud of our students and their many successes in and out of the classroom. Their achievements in both academic and extracurricular activities demonstrate their commitment to excellence. The boys' basketball and girls' wrestling seasons are drawing to a close, and it's amazing to see how much growth our athletes have made throughout the season. Their hard work has paid off, and we are so proud of their ongoing efforts to excel. Athletic competitions will continue through mid February. Please watch for more information from their respective coaches.

There are several activities planned during the month of February that will showcase student leadership and talent. The Student Council has activities planned, WEB Leaders will be mentoring and supporting our sixth grade students, and students will be participating in the Middle-Level music on March 1st. Please watch for more information from sponsors or teachers.

Please join me for our CAT (Collective Advisory Team) meeting at 4:00 pm on February 12, 2025. We will discuss upcoming events, incentives and celebrations for our students as they prepare for state testing, and our strategic plan. Your involvement and partnership is greatly appreciated and valued.

We continue to offer academic support and enrichment throughout the day and after school. Students have time to complete assignments during Homeroom and complete or retake assessments during WIN (What I Need). Students may also attend after school tutoring Monday - Thursday from 3:05-4:05 pm. Please encourage your student to take advantage of these extended learning opportunities to support their academic success.

Please reach out to counselors, teachers, or administration with any questions or concerns, and we will gladly assist you.

Sincerely,

Jana Mason

Principal

Congratulations to our students who were inducted into the National Junior Honor Society on January 9,2025. I would like to thank Ms. Dillman for sponsoring this prestigious organization for our students.

We are thrilled to announce the expansion of our Esports club this year to include seventh and eighth graders, as we continue to assess and explore the activities available at Bluffs Middle School for our students. All our efforts throughout the district and within the school are in line with the 2023-2028 Strategic Plan.Specifically Strategic Priority #5, SBPS Commits to Providing Opportunities that Maximize Student Engagement and Achievement and defining objective 5.1 b to evaluate and grow activity offerings: ensure a broad range of activities are offered at all levels. Mr. Madkins will be our sponsor again this year. Please join us for a parent meeting Monday, February 3rd at 6:00 pm in the cafeteria. Watch for more information in the upcoming days.

February 3 Esports Parent Meeting @ 6:00 pm at BMS

February 3 - 7 School Counselor Appreciation Week

February 14 No School for Students and Staff

February 17 Professional Development Day - No School for Students

February 18 No school for K-5 & 6-8 Students

March 1 Middle-level Music Contest @ BMS

March 6 Vocal Music Concert 6:00 pm @ BMS

March 10 Spring Sports Meeting @ 6:00 pm at BMS

March 13 End of 3rd Quarter

March 14 PD/Work Day - No School for Students

March 19 Parent - Teacher Conferences 4:00-8:00 pm

March 20 Parent - Teacher Conferences 8:00 am - 8:00 pm

March 21 No School for Students and Staff

Spring Parent-Teacher Conferences are set for Wednesday, March 19th, from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM, and Thursday, March 20th, from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM. Parents and guardians will soon receive more information regarding the online scheduling tool, PTC Wizard, for registering for conferences. Please watch for further updates from Mrs. Shaddick at the end of this month or the beginning of March.

Freshman Registration and Information

February 3 & 4 - Scottsbluff High School counselor, Mrs. Rotherham and Assistant Principal Mrs. Urwiller will be at BMS to provide 9th grade course information.

February 4 - Informational meeting for parents/guardians of 8th grade students currently enrolled at BMS will be held in the Scottsbluff High School Auditorium from 5:30 pm-7:00 pm.

February 19, 20 and 21 - Scottsbluff High School Counselors will be at BMS to have individual parent/student meetings to register 8th grade students for freshman courses. Please watch for more information with your student's date and time.

Tammy Harrison, Media Specialist at Scottsbluff High School has added information to the high school's webpage. The link is below for your reference.

Baby Pictures

If you would like your student’s baby picture or any image from their younger years featured in the 8th grade end-of-year presentation, please send a digital copy to Erin Shaddick at eshaddick@sbps.net. Alternatively, your student may bring a physical photo to the BMS Library to have it scanned. Please submit a picture by Friday, February 28. Contact Erin Shaddick at 635-6286 or eshaddick@sbps.net with any questions.

End of Year Awards Ceremony

The 8th grade awards ceremony will be held on Wednesday, May 21 at 2:00 pm in the gym at Bluffs Middle School. We look forward to celebrating and showcasing our students amazing accomplishments.

It's that time of the year again when we take a moment to appreciate the hard work and dedication of our school counselors! From February 3-7, we celebrate School Counselor Appreciation Week and recognize the vital role that our counselors play in supporting our students' academic, social, and emotional growth.

Our school counselors dedicate themselves to offering both individual and group counseling, academic advice, and time for every student. They stand by our students during life's highs and lows, providing guidance and unwavering support as they help students navigate adolescence and prepare them for future challenges.

Thank you, Shana Dick, Dave Castle, Letizia Kosman, Social Worker Ashley De Los Santos, and Licensed Mental Health Providers Irma Torres and Carrie Snyder. Scottsbluff Public Schools is committed to our students' mental health and well-being, and we are so thankful for counselors, social workers, and LMHPs. *Not pictured above Dave Castle.

English Language Proficiency Assessment

We are very excited for our students to demonstrate language proficiency on the upcoming ELPA 21 assessment. Students are assessed in four domains; speaking, listening, reading, and writing. It is extremely important for students to put forth their very best effort while testing and challenge themselves to show growth from the previous year's assessment. Proficiency levels are determined at the national level and are extremely rigorous. Our students have been focused and diligently preparing for the upcoming assessment and we encourage them to put forth their best effort while testing. Students will set goals for each domain and be rewarded for individual growth. More information from Mr. Gomez and Mrs. Lofink will follow soon.

We would like to extend a very special thank you to our classroom teachers Mr. Gomez.Mrs. Lofink and para educator Mrs. Galindo for the continual academic support students receive every day at Bluffs Middle School.

The ELP Standards provide a framework for English learners to acquire the content knowledge and English proficiency needed for school success. These standards correspond to states’ college- and career-ready standards, and reflect a shift in focus from language possession to language use within the content areas. For more information please visit https://www.education.ne.gov/natlorigin/elpa21-assessment/

Tentative testing dates are as follows;

February 10-11: Speaking

February 12-13: Writing

February 19-20: Reading

February 21: Listening

Accessing Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides Offline
Chromebooks offer the flexibility for students to work on their assignments even when they are not connected to the internet. This feature ensures that learning can continue uninterrupted. By setting up offline access, students can edit and create documents in Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides, with any changes automatically syncing once they're back online. For guidance on how to enable and use these offline capabilities, please refer to the links below.

Enabling Offline Mode Video

Using Google Drive Files Offline

Hello, February!

This month is known for all the LOVE. Our message is short and sweet – Spread the Love! We’ve included Kindness Bingo. We challenge you to go for the gold and see how many acts of kindness you and your family can accomplish together this month. Get creative, and incorporate your own acts of kindness. We hope the response is “Bet!” Say Less.

Have Fun!

#bekind

“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” – Aesop

Heath Office Staff are finishing up student school health screenings. Health screenings are performed per Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services schedule. Nebraska guidelines require all PK-4th grades, 7th grade, 10th grade students, or any student that moved into the district from out of state to participate. The purpose of screening is to identify those students needing further evaluation or assistance in the areas screened. Parents/guardians will be notified through Remind or a letter if the student is found to need further evaluation. The cost of such evaluation is the parent/guardian's responsibility.

When to Stay Home

• Temperature guidelines:

• Stay home with a temperature of 100 degrees or high

• Stay home until your temperature is below 100 degrees WITHOUT any fever reducing medication

• Vomiting/Diarrhea

• Stay home if you have had more than one episode of vomiting or diarrhea in the past 24 hours

• Can your child participate in class?

• If your child seems too sluggish or too tired to participate in class, then consider staying home to rest and get healthy

• If your child's symptoms are disrupting their learning or the learning environment, then consider staying home to rest and get healthy

• Is your child contagious?

• Illness like strep throat or pink eye require treatment before your child can return to school