TBMS Weekly Newsletter - Issue 24-25.31

Posted Date: 4/16/25 (8:53 PM)

Weekly Newsletter | April 16, 2025

Dear Bromfield Middle School Families,

Just one more wake-up until break! I have three quick but important pieces of information to share beyond the updates below.

Change to the TBMS MCAS Schedule

I recently learned of a conflict in our original MCAS schedule: Session 1 of the math exam was scheduled for the same day of the Special Olympics, where some of our TBMS students are competing for the first time this year! As a result, we are moving the math MCAS following dates:

Session 1: Friday, May 9
Session 2: Tuesday, May 13

This change not only eliminates the conflict for our participating athletes, but also creates the opportunities for other TBMS students to participate as volunteers, builds in more time for student learning prior to the test, and spreads out the impact of classes missed due to testing. I appreciate everyone’s flexibility.

Schedule Choices

While students have relatively few choices in their schedule at the middle school level, there are options regarding performing arts classes and, for the rising 7th graders, world languages. I am asking all current grade 6 and grade 7 students to make their tentative selections for these courses during homeroom on Thursday, April 17. Please know that these selections are not binding; students will have a couple of weeks after vacation to reconsider and potentially change their choices. I am asking for these initial selections now so that I can proceed with planning the 2025-26 schedule during break.

Administrative Professionals Day is April 23!

Please join me in celebrating our amazing admins Ms. Bruning, Ms. Holmes, and Ms Schmidt. They are at once the faces of the school, greeting and helping all who come to the main and counseling offices, and the people who work tirelessly behind the seasons to make TBS run smoothly. Since April 23 falls during vacation, we will be honoring their work on Thursday, April 17.

Please let me know if you have any questions.
Mr. Daniel Hudder
Bromfield Middle School Principal

WEEKLY UPDATES

SIXTH GRADE

In French Exploratory we begin our classes by talking about the weather, the date and the time and by identifying how we are doing and feeling. We have finished our second episode of our beloved Muzzy, and students were able to write and illustrate short sentences about the cartoon. In terms of grammar, students are learning about gendered nouns, adjective agreement, and the different articles that precede nouns.

Le Poisson d'Avril was a memorable day for D period students. First, the students fell for the oldest prank in the book ("clear your desks, class, we have a pop quiz") and then we learned a bit about the origins of April Fools before making our own paper fish to stick on people's backs. It was fun.

Looking ahead, we will be learning more about the benefits of the French language, watching more Muzzy, learning more about grammar, and enjoying some French music.

We have had an exciting time in our Spanish class diving into Quarter 4! Our students wrapped up Quarter 3 by showcasing their creativity and language skills through "charlas," which are engaging mini-skit presentations conducted entirely in basic Spanish. These conversations incorporated the vocabulary and phrases we've explored, with many students impressively performing from memory! Additionally, we took a cultural journey to learn about "La Carrera de San Silvestre," a thrilling marathon-style race held in several Hispanic countries. This inspired a thought-provoking discussion, drawing a great cultural comparison to our very own Boston Marathon coming up next week! ¡Hasta pronto!

SEVENTH GRADE

By the time you read this update seventh grade students will have completed their science test on Evolution. This test tied together threads from the topic, including phylogenetic trees, timelines, graphs, and evolution terms. Next up we will study ecology as our final topic of the year. One project for the topic will be to construct a model ecosystem using two-liter bottles. Be on the lookout for more details and updates as our ecology studies progress.

As an acknowledgement and celebration of Earth Day which happens next week on April 22, this week in Flex the sixth and seventh grade started watching the movie “The Biggest Little Farm.” This documentary follows a family’s effort to restore a California citrus farm using regenerative agricultural practices. The movie serves as a perfect segue into the topic of ecology, and it is a truly heartwarming and uplifting presentation of how it is possible to grow food using sustainable methods.

EIGHTH GRADE

In science, students are finishing the electricity part of Unit #6 and taking a test on just electricity. Students gathered data that forced us to conclude, like Ben Franklin, that there are two kinds of electricity, positive and negative. I introduced the proton and electron model, then we used scotch tape, fur, rubber, and glass to get our foundation, then used Pie plates, styrofoam, and a Van de Graff generator to put the model to the test. The model worked to explain everything we saw. After break, we will be learning about waves. One of the cool things we will do is encoding and decoding binary messages using slinkies. It should be fun.

In Flex, we are finishing our belonging activity we named Door Decor. Each flex group brainstormed thematic ideas, voted on the ideas, and are now decorating the doors based on the themes. They have shown great creativity!

UNIFIED ARTS

Middle school health classes are wrapping up their safety and substances unit as we approach April vacation. In this unit, students have learned about the harmful consequences of substances such as vaping and alcohol, practiced using refusal skills, and even educated their peers through presentations and research projects. Students gained valuable insight and skills to make positive choices around their safety now and throughout a lifetime.

When we return from April vacation, beginning April 30, we will begin our sexuality education unit. A letter with detailed information regarding this unit was sent home to families. Please reach out to Angela Steed (asteed@psharvard.org) with any questions or concerns in the meantime.

PTO NEWS AND EVENTS

Get ready to groove!
The PTO Annual Spring Soiree is back with a Disco Theme!
Craft Food Halls - Boxborough

The Disco Soiree is happening on May 2nd, 2025
A night of dancing, live music, raffles, and endless fun!

Ticket Sales are now Open!

$115 - Regular Priced Tickets are on Sale from March 25th - April 18th

Buy Now!

COMMUNITY NEWS AND EVENTS

Save the Date: Town Meeting May 3rd and Town Election May 6th

Parents, please mark your calendars for Town Meeting on May 3rd and Town Election on May 6th!

As always, Town Meeting is a time to come together and vote on a comprehensive set of items for Harvard. This year, a big item on the warrant is a proposed budget override. Watch the March School Committee Budget Hearing or view these slides to learn more about how the override impacts the schools. And see the town website for the full warrant and additional information.

Time is Running Out to Order Your Middle School Yearbook!