Baylor Brainwaves Baylor College of Medicine Academy at Ryan Middle School Volume 3, Issue 3 11/17/2015 Principal’s Message Dear BCMA Families, purposeful learning. Missing October was a busy month! any of that time puts students The BCMA staff has been hard at work planning for improved student achievement in all subjects. Ask your child about strategies they are learning in class toward our school goal of improved problem solving skills. Of course, integral to achieving these goals is the valuable partnership between home and school. Remember to assist your child with their growth mindset goal of “never giving up”. Instead of saying or thinking, “I can’t do this”, continue to encourage the mindset of “try, try again”. Mistakes are an opportunity to try again -­‐‑ we learn from our mistakes. Another important factor in increasing student achievement is “time on task” (time spent learning). Research shows that increasing time on task results in “substantially improved student achievement”. Every day at BCMA, our staff endeavors to make sure every minute of instructional time is focused on Upcoming Events
• • • behind and can create frustration when trying to get November caught up on work that is 18 Early Dismissal (1pm) 18 Parent Involvement Day missed. It is extremely (1:30-­‐‑4:30pm) important that students attend 19 Picture Day (11/19, 20) – wear uniform! 21 BCMA Magnet Open House (prospective students) &Teacher Appreciation Luncheon 25 Thanksgiving Holidays school, arriving on time between 8:15-­‐‑ 8:30a.m. every day. Unless students are too ill to participate in regular school activities, they should be at school. Please try, (11/25 -­‐‑ 11/27) No school whenever possible, to schedule appointments outside of December instructional time. If your child 4 Dads and Do-­‐‑nuts (7:30am) 5 Saturday Tutorials is going to be absent or late 7 Science Fair Projects due 10 PTO General Mtg (8:35am) arriving, please be certain to call the school and leave a message. 12 Saturday Tutorials 12 Ecobot Challenge As part of ensuring that all of our students are safe we are 17 Teacher Appreciation Lunch 18 Magnet Choice Applications due 21 Winter Break (through 1/4/16) required to speak with the parents/guardians of students who are absent or receive a message regarding all student absences and tardies from the parent/guardian. Thank you for Please continue to check the BCMA assisting us in maintaining the website, BCMA Parents Shutterfly Safe Schools protocol and the site, and ask your student about excellent learning experiences announcements for additional dates which take place at our school. and potential changes. Thank you to all who were able to attend the October PTO From Our PTO General assembly. These Dear BCMA community, meetings provide an opportunity for you to stay informed and also to participate in school life at BCMA. Crimestoppers came to advise parents and students about Cybersafety. Our student council also did a great job with their presentation on Bullying. We welcome and encourage you to join us at our next meeting on Thursday, December 10 at 8:35 am. Please join us! As always, please feel free to contact us at the school with questions, concerns or good news to share. Your input is always valued! Thank you to all who attended the November General Assembly meeting. I know that all present were impressed to hear from our 8th grade student council about the programming they have produced regarding drug awareness and bullying. These outstanding BCMA kids are doing great work within our school as well impacting the children of Blackshear Elementary nearby. We were also honored that evening to host Michelle Sacks of Crime Stoppers who spoke on the subject of Internet Safety. Her presentation At this Thanksgiving season I made a significant impact on all would also like to take a moment in adults and children in the to express how grateful I am to audience. Our middle schoolers be associated with the families present suggested she come and faculty at BCMA. I am again to speak at an assembly for thankful for students who the student body; her talk was cheerfully work hard to learn, that powerful. parents who encourage, and As a PTO we have been busy and teachers who are dedicated and truly care about each child. I am thankful for a PTO who do all they can to make BCMA a great place to be. I am truly grateful for the opportunities I have experienced here over the past three years. There is no other place I would rather be. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving! Educationally Yours, Jyoti Malhan have accomplished the following since the October meeting: • Hosted first Faculty lunch of the year on 10/30 • Launched the new PTO website www.bcmapto.org • Put treasury procedures in place • Installed a PTO suggestion box in the front office • Doubled PTO membership to 66 families • Advertised the Faculty wish list (PTO website, under “volunteer” tab). Looking ahead, we have much on the calendar: • 11/21 -­‐‑ BCMA Magnet Open House from 9:30-­‐‑12:30 o We are in need of volunteers to staff a hospitality room for the event. Sign up via PTO website link. o We will host a Faculty appreciation lunch at 12:30 and welcome your financial support • 12/4 -­‐‑ The BCMA Dad’s Club will host “Donuts with Dads” from 7:30-­‐‑8:15am. All BCMA fathers and father figures are welcome and encouraged to attend with their student. The faculty is also invited. This is a chance to meet other families as well as mix and mingle with the teachers. • 12/10 -­‐‑ BCMA PTO will host a morning meeting with special guests; Principal Agnes Perry DeBakey HS), Principal Michael McDonough (Bellaire HS), and Rick Cruz (Asst. Superintendent of College Readiness). The principals will talk about their specific schools and Rick and his team will conclude with how are families can plan ahead now for success in college admissions -­‐‑ financially and academically. This is a very special occasion for our school to host the leaders of the two of the most sought-­‐‑after high schools in the district. ALL BCMA families are encouraged to attend. • 12/12 -­‐‑ BMCA will host the largest Ecobot conference on record. We are expecting up to 1000 student robotic enthusiasts. We are in need of volunteers to help this event run smoothly. • 12/17 Faculty Appreciation lunch. We continue to need help and donations for all of these luncheons; sign-­‐‑up genius can be accessed via PTO website, or this link: http://bit.ly/1K9iK3r Please consider contributing; our staff love these so much! In addition, we would like to shower our faculty and staff with holiday appreciation. Stay tuned for news in December regarding opportunities to donate gift cards for distribution to our amazing BCMA staff. Check in to www.bcmapto.org for the sign up genius links to volunteer or donate for each of the events above. Thank you in advance for all of your support. We are all in this together! Ellecia Knolle 2015/16 PTO President PTO Membership: As many of you know the PTO has been working hard at planning future fun-­‐‑filled events for our students, appreciation luncheons for our teachers and staff and trying to bring us together as a community. In shirts or their elbows and keep them home when they are ill. order to continue to improve we need your support. Please join 6th grade parents if your child has already turned 11 or 12 most physicians will give them their Tdap booster and their meningitis vaccines. If your child has recently had this done or can get it during the Christmas break please do so and send a copy of the dates to Nurse Hainsworth. This will avoid an exclusion letter at the beginning of their 7th grade year. your school PTO and help us put all the ideas we have down on paper into reality. Remember, we all want what is best for our kids and we are all in this together. Please fill out the membership form in this packet and attach your donation. Drop it off in the PTO box in the front office. Once your paperwork has been received you will receive a 7th grade girls, through a presentation by the Sister’s questions please Network (girls only) during PE, contact daniella.guzman@gmail.c have been learning about Breast om. We know we can count on Cancer, risk factors and you! Thank you for your support. preventative tests. Some have signed up to be Teens for Pink Ambassadors (with parent From our Student Council permission of course). Thru this organization they will promote Thanksgiving Food Drive: Breast Cancer Awareness within The 7th grade student council is their own families, receive hosting a thanksgiving food community service hours, gift drive from November 11th-­‐‑20th. cards and T-­‐‑shirts. Our plan is to We are very excited to denote the have a group to do the Stop The food to families within our Silence breast cancer walk this student body and the families of Spring at Discovery Green. Project Row Houses. Happening at BCMA From Nurse Hainsworth: Magnet Applications: Houston’s weather changes have Remember, magnet applications been pretty crazy lately! The are Due December 18. children are starting to have the Information about HISD School usual sniffles, coughs and sore Choice can be found on their throats. Please promote proper website at: hand washing at home, remind http://www.houstonisd.org/Page
your children of how to cover /133703. Schools continue to be coughs and sneezes with their open for tours Thursdays 1-­‐‑2pm (until 12/3) and all magnet confirmation email. Any programs are represented at four HISD magnet open houses (check calendars for details). help. Important Note: Bacteria Please email Michele Lomas can only be grown on at organizationalowl@att.net campus. Parents are very to reserve your student(s) space welcome to join on those days to Comments, Corrections, Input? help (VIPs approved). If you are If you would have ideas or input for the next newsletter, please contact Cara Davis (caradavis11@gmail.com) in need of petri plates for growing bacteria, we have plenty on campus. If you child is doing projects on vertebrates, Science Research Project Update: human subjects or hazardous Students have been working chemicals, they must get steadily on their independent approval forms from their science research projects for the teacher. science fair. These independent research projects provide rare BCMA Organization 101 Class: opportunities for the students to integrate several skills into one project (reading, writing, observing, recording, critical thinking and speaking, to name a few). By now, students should not only have their project topic, but also have their hypothesis, variables (independent and dependent, if relevant) and controls identified (what they keep constant) as well as their procedures well written. Hopefully they are collecting data now as well if they have not yet started. BCM Ph.D. Graduate students are coming on Thursdays after school and Saturdays to mentor students on science research projects for science fairs. Teachers are staying after Do you feel your student needs some help with organization? Is their backpack bulging at the seams? Is there a problem finding Homework, or even turning it in? Don’t worry; there is a solution for your student. BCMA Organization Class 101 Meeting after school. In this afterschool class we will achieve success by making organization automatic, learn how to use our agenda more effectively. Most importantly, set up a system where completed homework can be found and turned in. Your student will be able to predict the future and know exactly what must be done every day. Parents are encouraged to attend to help implement the new Make Sense school Monday (7th Organizing system. grade), Tuesday (8th grade) Registration is now open; first class of the 4-­‐‑part series begins Thursday, Dec 3. and Thursday (6th grade) to provide additional for this series. Harvest Lab/Garden Club Update: Donations from our Kid Share event by the Garden Club at NuWater'ʹs Coop allowed us to purchase buckets and soil. Eighth grade students who did research on corn in Fundamentals of Biotechnology and Bioengineering wanted to see their corn continue to grow in those buckets. Fingers crossed the corn makes it through the winter. Garden classes cleared some beds and planted radish, lettuce and more. All plants are growing nicely. We hope to have another Kid Share event December 4th at NeWater'ʹs Coop. Tutorials: Remember to take advantage of afterschool and Saturday tutorials. This is a great way to get extra help or enrich your learning. Schedules are posted on the BCMA website. Also make sure to check out the afterschool club schedules. Check website for updates and remind your students to listen to daily announcements for reminders and potential changes to tutorial or club schedules. A very big thanks to our teachers for volunteering their time to lead these activities! Buy your Yearbook: speaker in LD and was awarded a points were 16.5 /20. Top ten place You can purchase the BCMA semi-­‐‑finalist medal. Olivia winner trophies went to: RTG 710-­‐‑
Ontivaros was also awarded a semi-­‐‑
995: Jayden Bryant (4.0) & Carlos finalist medal in LD. Madison Lopez Rodriguez (4.0). RTG 360-­‐‑499: Williams won second place overall Orlando Lopez (4.0). Matthew in LD, and Diya Chatterjee won Kulkarni (3.0), and Vincent Turner second place speaker award in PF. (3.0). RTG U360: Yafet Tewolde, (4.5), Besides Debate, Danitza Martinez Gael Barrios (4.0), Other team yearbook at www.jostens.com<http://www.jo
stens.com/>. Price is $30 until Dec 25th. After Dec 25 the price goes up to $40. was 1st Place in Ready Writing, 8th Grade Fees: Sahil Patel was 3rd in Spelling and Parents, we are currently accepting payments for 8th Grade Fee. We have two options available and they are as follows: Option 1 – 8th Grade Memories Package -­‐‑ $48 – We are strongly encouraging the entire amount be paid by December 16, 2016. Sydney Scott was Outstanding place as team champion in Spelling. As always, many thanks to the Great job Bulldogs! J
parents who brought support to the Chess Club: BCMA BULLDOGS CHESS TEAM TOOK FIRST PLACE AWAY FROM HOST SCHOOL ALDINE • 8th Grade Panoramic Picture NOVMBER 7. The team Roster for Reception Option 2 – All-­‐‑In Package -­‐‑ $108 – We are strongly encouraging at least $55 be paid by December 8, 2016. • All of the above • Six Flags Field Trip (Fee covers park admission, parking, meal ticket, Motorcoach transportation, travel snack bags) Questions? Please contact Mrs. Jackson mgarret5@houstonisd.org Aldine Middle in Aldine ISD boasted 33 players, and thus was heavily favored to win with many well-­‐‑ seasoned 8th graders. Baylor Academy’s Roster INCLUDED 15 BULLDOGS, who subsequently proved their mettle on the boards. The team consisted of three first-­‐‑
time tournament players from Ms. Dagher’s chess elective class: EACH on your first tournament and individual wins! Yafet Tewolde ‘WOWED EVERYONE’ by capturing FIRST Place with a 4.5 in his section (RTG Congratulations BCMA: deal’ for 2nd with 4.0 in the same weekend. Camille Ofulue won best birthday cake! M-­‐‑M-­‐‑M-­‐‑M-­‐‑M-­‐‑M-­‐‑-­‐‑M! Our next team event will be Briargrove School on November 17, the Saturday before Thanksgiving break. Following that, we will play in the annual TH. Rogers tournament December 12, which is very popular and fills up fast! Please register before Thanksgiving to assure your spot! Correction to results posted from State Grade Championship-­‐‑ Anthony Ramirez, (6th grade) had a 1.0 –and first tournament win. This participant’s name was omitted by mistake. Gael Barrios. Congratulations TO U360), and Gael Barrios ‘sealed the showing at Paul Revere MS this past team in the form of pizza, hugs, and Rogelio Mosqueda, Isaiah Elias, and UIL: BCMA debate had a wonderful Shahaab Mehra, Alexander Perez, Isaiah Elias, and Clay Heard. MIDDLE SCHOOL, SATURDAY, • 8th Grade Post-­‐‑Graduation Baker, Charles Bowyer, Neil Powers, Finalist in Spelling, helping BCMA • 8th Grade T-­‐‑Shirt • 8th Grade Week Activities members participating were Arial section. “Great work, Guys!” All across the boards, many great games were won. The team’s total Box Tops for Education Don’t forget to clip boxtops to earn money for our school. There are forms for collection in the office and online. There is a collection box in the cafeteria. Contact Lakeisha (questionnare24@gmail.com) for more information. Please note this corrected email as it was incorrect in