The Boeckman Buzz

BMS Families,

We had an exceptional week at BMS. On Thursday, we practiced our Run-Hide-Fight protocol. Our school engaged in a common presentation and provided an opportunity to ask questions, seek clarification, and become more familiar with the school campus. We were proud of our learners as we went through this training.

In the coming weeks, you will see that we are going to be highlighting new staff! We will post these in the newsletters and on social media!

Please note that Tuesday, September 24th, is our official picture retake day.

On Monday, September 23rd, our BMS fundraiser will be kicking off in Tiger Connections. Each student will receive a yellow sheet with details on the fundraiser. The Step It Up! fundraiser is entirely online and donation-based. Students send electronic communication to family and friends who may want to support BMS. We do not ask our learners to sell any products. The BMS fundraiser helps support learner experiences such as WIN opportunities, supplemental field trips, Tiger Connections activities, and other learner incentives.

An email will be sent to all families on Monday morning with more information!

We value and appreciate the partnership with our families. If you have questions, please do not hesitate to reach out. We are here to help!

- Joe Sage, Principal

Congratulations to our BMS Tiger Stripe winners of the week! These students have shown outstanding leadership by demonstrating compassion, integrity, and responsibility. We are so proud of the positive impact they have on our school community! Keep up the great work!

#WeAre192 #BMSPride

This week was extra special as we recognized our entire Media Center team! We are incredibly fortunate to have an amazing trio: Media Specialist, Bobby Griffiths, Media Center Paraprofessional, Elaine Habiger, and Tech Assistant, Evan Shiwpaul.

Together, they have created an exceptional learning environment in the Media Center, providing our learners with the resources they need to succeed. Their hard work, dedication, and teamwork make a real difference every day, and we couldn’t be prouder to have them on staff!

Thank you, Bobby, Elaine, and Evan, for everything you do! #WeAre192 #BMSPride

Core Values – Our community has been engaging in learning about the BMS core values of Integrity, Compassion and Responsibility over the first few weeks of school. These conversations have been foundational to the start of our year. Below is an example of how our teachers’ engaged students in discussion about what it will look like, sound like and feel like to show our core values. As a family, you can support our core values by having a similar conversation about how to show responsibility, integrity and compassion within your own family.

Reporting– Another important item we have been discussing with students at the beginning of the year is that they should report anything that goes against our core values. Students are encouraged to immediately inform any staff member. They can also report utilizing their iPad, as each iPad has a BMS Reporting icon that students use to report events to the office. There is also a link on our BMS website, under the family tab, called “Student Reporting Form”. Students will need to be logged into their isd192 account to submit a form. It does not require their name and their email is not recorded when they report. These reports alert the office and will be followed up on during the following school day.

Monday, September 23...................................Step It Up Fundraiser Kickoff

Tuesday, September 24..................................Picture Retakes (During the school day)

If you want to check progress of your student’s learning, the best way to that this year is through the Grade Book Updates tab in Infinite Campus. All classes in both middle schools this year are reporting learning through competencies. These competencies will be updated five times throughout the year and will be based on evidence a learner has submitted – these can be found in the Grades tab in Campus and are currently set to NY or Not Yet. The Grade Book Updates tab will show the most recent assignments for all classes and will have a score or learning level connected to it. It may also have a flag if it is missing or a comment. Please see the graphic below for additional information.

As a district we have realigned $4+ million dollars to balance our budget. The board also made a decision to use assigned fund balance dollars to balance the $2.7 million deficit for the 2024-25 school year. However, the district still faces a budget deficit in 2025-26 of $4-5 million. In addition, the current operating levy that was passed in 2015 will expire after the 2025-26 school year. Expiration of this levy would result in a loss of approximately $5 million per year.

To address our financial challenges, the board voted unanimously to schedule an operating levy referendum election for November 5, 2024. The proposal on the ballot will ask voters to revoke the district’s existing operating levy of $696.15 per pupil and replace it with a new levy of $1,556.15 per pupil. The new levy will provide approximately $11 million ($5 million from the previous levy and $6 million from the new levy) per year for 10 years.

For more information on the 2024 Referendum follow this link.

The NWEA MAP tests are adaptive computer delivered assessments that are administered to more than 11 million students across the country, which provides a large National Norm sample for comparison. Farmington Schools chooses to administer tests in reading and math to students in grades 2 through 8. The adaptive nature of the tests means that the test adjusts to the student's responses. As a student answers correctly, the test gets more challenging. As they get items wrong, the test presents easier items. The purpose of the assessment is to identify the student's academic level in the specific content area, regardless of age, grade level or prior achievement.

To read more about the NWEA test, please visit the school website, linked here. There is a link to the Opt Out information for the NWEA tests on the left side of the webpage. Here is a direct link to the form. Please complete the form and return it to the front office.

Specific Dates:

• Week of Sept. 16 - NWEA Math in regular math classes
• Week of Sept. 30 - NWEA Reading in regular LA classes

*If a learner misses a test, they will make it up upon return.

Looking for something fun for your child(ren) to do? Babysitter Training, Art Academy, Combined Band, Flute Ensemble, and Co-Ed Intramural Basketball are all starting soon! Also check out our non-school day camps – Horse, Volleyball, Outdoor Survival, Comic Strip Design, and Basketball! Register your youth today through Community Education at: https://bit.ly/3YDI57k or call 651-460-3200.

In need of fee assistance to participate? Youth on free and reduced lunch or who have extenuating circumstances are eligible to apply for fee assistance. Apply here: https://bit.ly/CE192FeeAssistance.

Only a click away, the Free Meals for Kids mobile app will help families and kids find free meals at schools and other sites across Minnesota.

How it works:

1. Download the Free Meals for Kids app to your cell phone.
2. Use the app to find the nearest site providing meals by GPS.
3. Click on the nearby site and use the Site Updates tab for more details.
4. Share the app with friends, neighbors and on social media.

Free Meals for Kids can be downloaded at Apple or Google Play app stores. There are free meal sites across the state at schools and community locations. The app provides location, directions to the site and hours and days of operation. More sites are added daily. For more information: www.hungerimpactpartners.org.

Download the free app via the app store on your smartphone, simply search "Free Meals for Kids”
App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/summer-eats-minnesota/id1230666424

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.app.p3703BA&hl=en_US

We are excited to partner with Every Meal to offer a free weekend meal program to all our learners. Every Meal is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a mission to fight child hunger through community and school partnerships. They strive to make a difference in children’s lives by focusing on food gaps like weekends, school breaks, and summer when they cannot receive food in school.

• Free for all families
• No qualifications required
• Students enrolled in the program will receive a 4-5 pound bag of nutritious, nonperishable food each week
• Every Meal does not collect information from families; privacy is protected
• Families may choose to participate in the program anytime throughout the school year
• Families may choose from a variety of different weekend food bag options

Here at BMS we have our food bags place on a table outside our main office doors. Please contact Tenille Jennings at tjennings@farmington.k12.mn.us or 651-460-1478 to participate or for more information.

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Farmington Area Public Schools has partnered with TEACHERS ON CALL for the hiring of our substitute teachers and paraprofessionals.

If you would like to sign up to sub as a teacher or paraprofessional for the Farmington Schools you will have to apply through TOC. Please email or call TOC directly to sign up as we will no longer be filling these positions through Farmington Schools. TOC also offers many benefits including, weekly paychecks, ability to easily sub at multiple districts and many insurance benefit options.

To Apply: teachersoncall.com

For more information contact Teachers On Call (TOC): 800-713-4439

Email: Jsage@farmington.k12.mn.us
Website: https://bms.farmington.k12.mn.us/
Location: 800 Denmark Avenue, Farmington, MN, USA
Phone: 651-460-1400
Facebook: facebook.com/boeckmantigers
Twitter: @BoeckmanTigers