Weekly Newsletter | December 2, 2024
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Dear Bromfield Middle School Families,
I hope you had a relaxing and enjoyable holiday weekend. As a father of four - ages, 8, 6, 4, and 2 - I cannot say that my weekend was relaxing by any stretch. But it was great to have some extended family time.
We are now in a busy three-week sprint for December break. There is a lot of content below, but I will highlight just a few items here.
First, please note in the Community News and Events below that the deadline for submitting your application to serve on the TBMS School Council is TODAY. The ballot will be sent tomorrow via ParentSquare. Please be sure to vote!
As you may have heard, the district shut down Spotify for the middle school last week. This decision came out of a meeting of the Technology Advisory Committee over concerns that students require an account to access the site, and an account requires the holder to be age 13 and have parent permission. The district is in the process of researching this matter and evaluating our policy regarding Spotify and other such sites.
Finally, I want to highlight a wonderful resource we have for students here at Bromfield: Peer Tutoring. As the site reads, the Bromfield Peer Tutoring Program aims to provide a beneficial academic experience for all students. Through this program, students who request extracurricular academic help are matched with a volunteer student tutor who will help them to meet their individual goals and excel in the classroom. The program is run by the Bromfield School's chapter of the National Honor Society. The tutors are NHS members and volunteers; their profiles are in the slideshow on the site. If your child needs academic support, please consider reaching out to a peer tutor.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Mr. Daniel Hudder
Bromfield Middle School Principal |
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WEEKLY UPDATES
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SIXTH GRADE
Last week, students wrapped up their first Independent Reading Project of the year. Intended to encourage a love of reading, students selected a fiction or nonfiction book that appeals to them and, in keeping with the Unit 1 theme of Inclusivity, includes a character who is different from themselves. Then, they created character maps that portrayed the thoughts, words, motivations, actions, and consequences of a character in their chosen book.
This week we are taking a few days to complete a series of lessons on creative writing and plot structure, as students hone their storytelling, peer feedback, and writing cycle skills. Students completed first drafts of their own short stories, have had opportunities to workshop those stories with peers, and now, will work towards a final draft that includes elements of a strong plot: introduction, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution.
Over the next few weeks, we will finish reading Holes by Louis Sachar. Students have been learning how to read closely for storytelling techniques, we call them 'signposts’ that encourage asking questions such as “why does this keep coming up again and again” or “how might these words of wisdom affect this character?” Answers to these questions often point to the themes, conflicts and foreshadowing in a story. Signposts provide students with “something to talk about,” and they foster good class discussions, as well as better understanding of a story. Our novel study will close with viewing the movie version of Holes, and then, comparing and contrasting the book with the film.
In FLEX, students participated in the activity, "What I Wish My Teachers Knew!". It addresses several key components of SEL:
Self-awareness: Students reflect on their learning preferences, likes, dislikes, joys, and fears, promoting a deeper understanding of their own emotions and thoughts. Self-expression: By writing their responses, students practice articulating their feelings and experiences. Social awareness: Sharing these insights helps teachers better understand their students, fostering empathy and improved relationships. Responsible decision-making: Students choose what they feel comfortable sharing, exercising judgment, and respecting their own boundaries.
Students were shown the following prompts:
I learn best when... I am… My greatest joy is... My biggest fear is... I am scared when... Anything else you feel comfortable sharing
We believe the prompts used in this activity are particularly effective because they cover a range of topics, from academic preferences to personal emotions. This comprehensive approach allows for a holistic view of the students' experiences and needs.
The teachers' emphasis on writing only what students feel comfortable sharing is crucial. It respects students' emotional boundaries and helps create a safe space for self-expression, which is especially important during the vulnerable middle school years.
Student responses were enlightening, forthright, and informative. We hope that these types of SEL activities continue to foster avenues for open dialogue that leads to improved classroom dynamics, more personalized teaching approaches, and stronger student-teacher relationships.
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SEVENTH GRADE
In science, students recently completed a comprehensive test of all topics from the first quarter. Since then, we have moved onto a new topic: metabolism. With this change in topic comes not only new content, but an increase in the challenge level of the concepts students will be learning which include: an introduction to chemical reactions, work on questioning skills, learning about levels of life's organization, smaller than a cell, and investigating questions about how matter is transformed from food, water, and air to become a living organism. So far we have started one part of this investigation by transplanting the house plant cuttings donated by seventh grade families back in September (see pictures below). We will be keeping photo and measurement records of the growth of these plants from now until the end of the school year, by which time students should be able to answer this question: “Where does the matter come from to build new roots, stems and leaves when a plant grows”?
In flex, our focus has been on the topic of gratitude. Students have played the hands-on game to acknowledge things for which they are grateful, and they have also engaged in a one on one conversation with peers to answer that same question. Most recently, students started a mini-project to build a timeline of memorable events in their life, linking each event with a song. Songs suggested by students will be used to build a collective playlist of music which teachers can play at times during homeroom or flex.
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EIGHTH GRADE
This week in English language arts, students learned how to create an essay. We are maintaining a theme-driven introduction in a paragraph approach. We are applying literary thinking to quotes chosen from The Boys Who Challenged Hitler, as exemplifications of confident imagination. Students noticed imagery at the bravado-filled heist in Hoose’s sixth chapter, and they found examples of a respectful tone in Pedersen’s ninth chapter, set in the grasslands of Nibe, Denmark. Each text, in fact, has these literary elements -- elements of imagery and tone, of diction, of mood, of repetition, and syntax -- and as we will soon learn, a great essay becomes the prologue to a great narrative. On Tuesday, November 26, all students will go to the Harvard Public Library to continue to find and engage with high-interest choice texts.
In Flex students participated in an eighth grade tradition when they launched the annual Project 351 Loaves and Fishes food drive by assembling and decorating donation boxes on Monday. In the process, students learned about how donations of time, energy, and/or food and personal care items are infinitely appreciated. The student-generated donation boxes will be open at Bromfield, Hildreth, and the Harvard Public Library from December 2 - December 13. Thank you for your support and for your donations on behalf of our friends and neighbors this holiday season. Additionally, students had academic support study time on Tuesday and Friday, and on Wednesday, they dropped everything and read their choice texts.
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UNIFIED ARTS
In the months of October and November TBMS PE classes have been focused on building cardiovascular endurance through flag and tag games. We’ve spent time learning fundamental skills and playing in games of Ultimate Frisbee, Tag Rugby, and Tag Football. These games have been a great way for students to raise their heart rates and exercise in a fun, competitive way. During these units we’ve talked at length about the relationship between being physically active for extended periods of time and the effect that has on heart and lung efficiency.
As we return from Thanksgiving break we will be based mostly in the gym for the start of the cold weather season. December will bring basketball skill work and games, followed by Volleyball into winter break.
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PTO NEWS AND EVENTS
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There's Still (a little) time: Join the PTO to get your Directory!
Please consider joining the Harvard Schools PTO for the first time, or renewing your membership. We need your support! The PTO is for both HES and Bromfield. We fund grants (think field trips and educational experiences and equipment), run Teacher and Staff appreciation, and work with the schools and community on programs and events for families. A perk of membership is you get a directory of students and staff in our schools -- worth its weight in gold when you're trying to find contact info for someone in our school community.
Did you know that as a parent or caregiver, you need to opt-in to include your information in the directory every year? Whether you choose to join the PTO or not, please take a moment today to make sure you'll be included. Just go to the link and follow the simple steps.
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COMMUNITY NEWS AND EVENTS
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Bromfield Cares is helping Warming Hearts by Warming Feet, by collecting new socks that will be donated to the homeless in Boston.
The drive is running from now until Dec 15th and there will be a collection box in the main office.
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Dear Community Members,
It is time to end hunger in our community. Today through December 13, Bromfield Middle School's Project 351 Club is partnering with Loaves & Fishes, our local food pantry serving our friends and neighbors. We are proud to start our annual food drive today, and we are writing to ask for your help.
The urgency to donate is real. Many friends and neighbors rely on Loaves and Fishes for food and personal care items each day and each season. If you are struggling with hunger or food insecurity, you are not alone. Our friends and partners at Loaves & Fishes are here to help you and your family.
We can make a significant difference this holiday season with your help. Last year, we raised 1,795.5 pounds of food. Our goal this year is to raise 2,000 pounds of food. Underlining these numbers is our P351 Club purpose: we want warmth, nutrition, and self-care available to all community members in our immediate area, and we also are proud to be part of a statewide, youth-driven effort to eradicate food insecurity in Massachusetts.
The food drive is happening now, and our community is the food drive. To donate non-perishable food and personal care items, please look for boxes placed around Bromfield, Hildreth, and Harvard Public Library. All donations are welcome.
Please help us assist our friends and neighbors by donating to the Loaves & Fishes Food Pantry this holiday season. Please also spread the word. Thank you for your consideration and support. If you have questions about the food drive, please contact Ms. Cristin Hodgens at chodgens@psharvard.org.
Sincerely,
Project 351 Club, Bromfield School
Bromfield School Class of 2029
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It's Giving Tree time when the Bromfield Community comes together to help local children have a happy holiday.
There are a few ways you can help:
- Pick a child's wish, purchase the gift and return it wrapped to Bromfield by December 12th.
Please attach a tag with the gift # on it. (Ex 2b.)
** Key: Ex F / 4yrs Female 4 years old; Ex M / 3 months Male 3 months old
Gift sign up link
- You can pass the information on to your family and friends. Gifts can be sent to the school and we will wrap them. (Please include the gift code.)
- We do accept monetary donations that we will use to purchase gifts.
Please contact Trish Nilan at pnilan@psharvard.org with any questions. Thank you for your continued support!
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Bromfield School Council Parent Openings *Statements Due TODAY*
The PTO is overseeing an election to fill 1 open parent representative positions on the Bromfield Middle School Council beginning in the fall of the 2024-25 school year. The opening is for the 1 year term (and eligible for re-election in the spring). The school council, which functions at the mandate of the state Department of Education, is a representative, school-building-based committee, composed of teachers, parents, and community members and is co-chaired by the school principal and a parent representative. The council meets monthly and its purpose is to assist the principal in carrying out specific responsibilities.
Eligible candidates will have a student at The Bromfield Middle School during the 2024-2025 school year. (Please be advised that if your student leaves TBS during your term then a new representative will be elected for the remainder of the term.)
In order to be considered as a candidate please send a personal statement about yourself and your interest in the position to info@harvardpto by Monday, December 2nd with the subject "TBMS School Council". Statements should be no more than 225 words and will be used as ballot statements in the election which will be held (if needed) in December.
Please consider giving back to the school community by running for these important positions. Contact us at info@harvardpto with any questions.
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Free Virtual Workshop: Understanding the IEP
Date: December 3, 2024
Time: 7:00-9:00 pm
Registration Link: https://fcsn.org/event/harvard-understanding-the-iep/
Description: This presentation will help families gain a deeper understanding of the IEP document. We will talk about why it is important, how it is developed and the different sections of the document. Further discussion will focus on what types of services are included and measurable goals. You will also learn about what to do when you receive a proposed IEP and parent’s procedural due process rights for resolving disputes.
Please Note: Zoom will confirm your registration by email which will include your meeting link to join. All handouts will be sent to attendees from our workshop coordinator, Kristin LaRose, within 24 hours of the presentation.
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THE BROMFIELD MIDDLE SCHOOL
Daniel Hudder, Principal
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| 14 Massachusetts Avenue, Harvard MA, 01451 | (978) 456 - 4145 |
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