BIDDEFORD MIDDLE SCHOOL NEWSLETTER

I am excited to share what a great first couple of weeks we have had at Biddeford Middle School! I am constantly amazed at the perseverance our entire learning community has shown in the face of what has been a very challenging time. Your children are present, are engaged, and are already learning as we head into (as normal as can be) the year ahead.

With that in mind, It is imperative we all do our part to ensure the health and safety of our school community. We are one big team! Please remember to adhere to these quick guidelines each day:

• Do the self-screening at home (signs and symptoms linked here), keep your child home when sick, and report any symptoms or positive COVID results to the School Nurse, and;

• Send your child off to school with a mask (or two!) as we require universal masking - indoors and on busses/vans - for all, regardless of vaccination status.

You are likely to have already heard from your child's Tiger Time teacher through phone or email. These first weeks at school are heavily focused on building relationships and helping your child to feel comfortable and confident as a successful student in our building. As we do this together, please do not hesitate to reach out to our staff with questions or concerns. We are in this together!

Sincerely,

Mr. Scott Descoteaux

Principal - Biddeford Middle School

The first Wednesday of each month is considered to be "early release" according to the Biddeford School District Calendar. The only exceptions are September (September 15th), January (January 12th), and June (No early release).

Please see the link below (BMS MASTER SCHEDULE) for a detailed breakdown to this day.

Doors Open/Arrival: 8:20AM

Late Bell/Tardy: 8:30AM

Dismissal: 2:45PM - 2:50PM

Early Release: 12:50PM

September 15: Early Release - 12:50 dismissal

September 24: BMS Sports Pictures

October 6: Early Release - 12:50 dismissal

October 8: No School - Professional Development

October 11: No School - Indigenous Peoples Day

October 14: BMS Picture Re-Take Day

Many parents have asked, "Isn't lunch free this year? And if so, why is my child asking to put money on their account?"

Yes, the district is offering both breakfast and lunch to all our students for no cost again this year. However, many students are interested in purchasing additional items that are not included in the free meal provided. These additional items are considered to be part of our "A La Carte" menu (hamburgers, pizza, snacks, potato chips, ice cream, juices, and deserts). Students would need money on their accounts to purchase these types of items.

For more information about our Lunch Program, please click on the link below.

It is a very good idea for students to bring in their own water bottle to drink from each day.

We do have refillable water stations that students can access to get additional water throughout the day.

The Biddeford School Department is pleased to host another COVID vaccine clinic through a partnership with York County Emergency Management Agency. The clinic will be held on Tuesday, September 21st from 3:00-6:00 PM and open to the community (anyone over the age of 12) at Biddeford High School’s Tiger Gym. All three vaccines will be available: J&J (one-shot only), Pfizer or Moderna (1st Shot; 2nd shot will need to be scheduled at a different location). Click the link below to sign up.

Student team placements and schedules may be found on Infinite Campus.

Accessing Infinite Campus:

It is through Infinite Campus where you are able to find all of the details regarding your child’s team, teachers, and specific schedule. It is very important for parents to stay connected to the school. If you have not yet set up your Infinite Campus Parent Portal or need to make any edits to your information, please do so by clicking on the link below. Step-by-step instructions are available by clicking here.

Tiger Time is a time at Biddeford Middle School where students work directly with an adult in the building. Every student is assigned to a Tiger Time Cohort where they will report directly upon arriving at school. Leading these cohorts are the teachers who will be working very closely with your child. The intent is for these teachers to check on the social-emotional development of your child while maintaining regular contact with you, the family. Throughout the school year, please feel free to ask these teachers questions that you might have regarding all aspects of the school. You will be hearing from them shortly.

Every student in the Biddeford and Dayton School Departments will be assigned a school-owned device for the 2021-2022 school year with the expectation that students and/or parents will be responsible for returning them in similar condition (Device Protection Plan and cost details here). To begin the year, students in Grades 5-12 will be issued a device that may go home with them each day (as determined by their teachers/building). Students should bring their device to school each day-charged. Devices will be assigned during the first week of school.

Dear BMS Parents and Guardians,

In an effort to help our school community better understand the benefits and process around pooled testing, our district nurses have put together Nursing News (linked here) which includes all the relevant information to make an informed decision. Individuals who participate in pooled testing are exempt from quarantine in the classroom, bus, sports, or other school-related activities should they be identified as a close contact.

Consents are required to be enrolled in pooled testing (One Form Per Child). Once consents and supplies are received, specific pools will be established by our nursing staff based on numbers per classroom/advisory and Pooled Testing will begin on October 4th.

1. Click Here to Complete the Online Consent Form

2. Enter this Access Code specific to Biddeford Middle School: QFR9CW

3. Finally, enter your child’s information, and you’re done!

PLEASE NOTE: Pooled Testing consent is SEPARATE from the BinaxNOW Consent parents completed when registering. Parents may also contact the school directly if they require a printed form to be sent home. Thank you for safeguarding our school community.

Sincerely,

Gloria Fickett, RN

School Nurse

Biddeford Middle School is using a new software program for student-athletes to sign up for participation. Family ID is the software program to access if your child is interested in participating in middle school sports. Biddeford High School has been using this program for a few years, so you might be familiar with the program if you have older children. This will be the first time that we use this program at Biddeford Middle School.

Parents will need to create an account within this website, which allows them to upload medical forms, fill out general medical information and select the sport that the student is interested in participating in.

https://www.familyid.com/biddeford-high-school/bms-fall-sports-2021

We are thrilled that all youth now have access to free breakfast and lunch (menus linked here). On the other hand, we are extremely concerned about the impact on school funding--$2.5 MILLION in Biddeford last year--that is directly linked to the Meal Benefit Application.

We are asking ALL families to please complete the Meal Benefit Application, regardless of eligibility, as the data provided is used to determine our school funding, including Title 1 funds for special education programs; before/after and summer school programs; discounts on laptop insurance and internet; and teacher's student loan forgiveness. See Maine DOE’s brochure for more information.

All those who complete the form will be automatically entered to win one of five $100 Hannaford gift cards and those who meet certain eligibility requirements could receive additional Pandemic EBT benefits.

Scott Descoteaux, Principal

Email: sdescoteaux@biddefordschools.me
Website: https://biddefordme.sites.thrillshare.com/o/bms
Location: 25 Tiger Drive, Biddeford, ME, USA
Phone: (207) 284-6400
Facebook: facebook.com/ourschool