John Bullen Middle School: Parent Newsletter th Avenue Kenosha WI Office Fax

Transcription

1 John Bullen Middle School: Parent Newsletter th Avenue Kenosha WI Office Fax Together, We Are At Our Best! 1 st Quarter August 2012 The mission of John Bullen Middle School, a collaborative learning community which values diversity, is to empower each student to realize his or her unique potential as a contributing member of society, through a safe environment that develops belonging and academic success. This is our promise. NEW HOURS OF THE SCHOOL DAY! 8:40 a.m.-3:58 p.m. Monday-Friday (Half Day dismissal 12:00) Outdoor supervision begins at 8:25 a.m. Please do not drop your child off before then! Bullen s Main Office is open from 7:45-4:15 each day. Join Us for our Bullenpalooza Open House Thursday, August 30 th from 5:00-6:30 pm. So what is Bobcat Pride? Fun, Food, Scavenger Hunt, and lots of excitement! Check out the Top Ten Tips for Teens and Parents inside!

2 Welcome to Bullen Middle School! We are glad to welcome all of our Bullen community both new and returning back for another year of learning! Bullen is also glad to welcome a number of new staff members this Fall. While Kenosha Unified has worked hard to minimize staff shifts between buildings, the layoff and recall process of the past two years has resulted in significant staff changes for all of us. While we will greatly miss those who have left Bullen or KUSD, we are excited to welcome almost two dozen highly talented new to Bullen teachers to the family again this year. Change is never easy and bringing new people together means learning a new and common language and way of teaching. In any organization, individuals will always be stronger when they act collectively--rowing the boat in the same direction. Last Spring, Bullen staff understood this and voted to move ahead with a school-wide management framework known as PBIS. Positive Behavioral Intervention Systems (PBIS) is a nationally recognized, research-based process for creating more effective schools. PBIS is not a program or curriculum to buy. Rather, it is a team-based approach for systemic problem solving, planning, and evaluation. It s a way to create a positive and productive learning environment where teachers can teach and students can learn. Because PBIS is a process, it allows Bullen to take what it does well and tie it into a framework that promotes common language and common practice with consistent positive and negative reinforcements. Our PBIS matrix (in this newsletter) relates all of our expectations to the values of Responsibility, Respect, and Safety, essentially teaching the why behind the rules. PBIS advocates that all educators must actively teach, model, and practice what respectful, responsible, and safe behaviors look like, sound like, and act like. To keep students on the rules in a positive manner, we will do the following when teaching both academics and behavior: Constantly teach and refer to our school-wide expectations. Provide students with more praise than correction. Model respectful language and positive voice tone. Actively engage everyone during instruction. Use pre-correcting, prompting, and re-directing as we teach. Look for the positive first and provide positive, immediate, explicit, and frequent feedback. Use a consistent and defined system for both positive and negative consequences. While full PBIS implementation is a 3-5 year process, our PBIS Leadership Team (there s eleven of us on the team teachers, administrators, and even one of our secretaries!) has been fantastic in their commitment to ensure that every adult and student at Bullen learns the way of PBIS and Bobcat Pride! As the year progresses, you will hear much more about our Bobcat Pride. However, if you d like to learn more now, feel free to contact me (or anyone of us here at Bullen) or go to Additionally, if you d like to be involved with Bobcat Pride, please let us know. We re very excited about this change and we d be glad to have your help! At Bullen, we believe that every child is OUR child and our slogan of, Together We Are at our Best, is both a vision and a verb. Together, We Are at our Best, is something that we must each strive for and actively create each day together. Thank you for supporting your child and working together with us to ensure that every child matters and to maximize their brilliance! ---Kim M. Fischer, Principal Bobcat Pride! Respectful, Responsible, Safe

3 Top 10 Things Teens do to Succeed in Middle School! 10 Things Families do to Help their Teen be a Better Learner! 10. Be Positive! Use your manners (say hello, please, thank you, excuse me). 9. Be Respectful. Listen to your family and your teachers. Follow directions. Accept adult authority and ask why at the appropriate time...everything has a time and place. Raise your hand so everyone has a chance to be heard. 8. Be Responsible and ready for school each day. School is a teen s work. Come dressed for work. Bring your material. Be on time. Learning IS hard work maturity means you do the work anyway. 7. Be Safe. Many school rules are about helping everyone be safe. We all do things differently in a crowded place than we do where there s a lot of space. Wear your ID. Walk on the right. Stay in your assigned area. Report any problems to an adult. Everyone deserves to be safe. 6. Stay out of the drama. Having friends and discovering what you like is part of growing. But remember, your family sends you to school each day What s a BCAT? because they expect you to learn. Don t let drama get in the way. Own your choices if they are wrong, find a way to make them right and do better tomorrow. What s a BCAT? 5. All people learn by doing by practicing. Listening, watching, reading help you understand but doing brings you mastery. Everyone learns at different rates for many different reasons, but all learning needs practice. As you learn more, you ll find you start to learn a little easier too. 4. No missing work. The #1 cause of poor grades is not doing your work. A s and B s feel good and every student can earn them. 2/3rds of all grades at Bullen are A s and B s. No reason that can t be you! 3. Work Hard. Some things come easy and some things are hard. If it is hard work harder. You ve done hard things before you can do it again. Remember how proud you felt when you did it before? 2. Get Smart. Intelligence is not fixed it grows. People are smart in many different ways but everyone is smart in some ways. Flex your brain and it will get smarter. In addition to reading, writing, and arithmetic, middle school offers your child the opportunity to learn about personal responsibility, social interaction, interests and aptitudes, respect for authority, and time management. Your role is to help them learn how to balance all of these areas, without losing sight of the learning they are here to do! 10. Read every day. Read every day. Read every day. (subliminal message: Read every day.) 9. Check in with them daily by asking about their school life. What do they think of their teachers? What subjects are they enthused about? What assignments are hardest? Easiest? What s one thing they learned today? 8. Release the reins bit by bit. Resist the urge to fix-it for them. Love them but let them own their mistakes. It s how we all learn! 7. Check that they re Dressed for Learning before they leave. If there s any doubt-have them bring along a change of clothes, just in case. 6. Get to know their teachers and form a working relationship with them. works best if you have a question. Sometimes a child s perception isn t the same as their teachers. Thank them for their work and commitment. 5. Check Zangle Parent Connection with them and encourage them to use their Assignment Notebook to learn how to manage their time well before high school. Focus on the ways they learn well and build on areas of strength. 4. Encourage them to get involved in at least one extracurricular activity each year. 3. Remember balance and flexibility kids who have a well-balanced life (school, friends, interests outside of school, service to others, and time for fun) are the most likely to do well in school too! 2. Don t accept missing work. It s the #1 cause of poor grades and doesn t reinforce responsibility, you want them to grow. If they re struggling, talk to their teacher about opportunities for extra help. 1. Encourage them when the work is hard. The message is, We believe that you are capable of doing excellent work if you put in the time and effort. Therefore, we expect you to earn A s and B s (and/or C s) this year. We love you and know you can do it. 1. Go to College. Whether your college is a 4 year, 2 year, or special training, that is what we expect all Bullen kids will do after high school. College is options and you want lots of options ahead of you! Plan on it now. The most powerful predictor of a child s academic success is their family s support and belief in education. You make a tremendous difference in how much your child learns each day, each quarter, and each year. You send them here to learn every day. Thank you for believing in them and expecting them to succeed. They can do it don t ever settle for less than their best!

4 What s a BCAT? BCATS (Bullen s Community Action Team) is Bullen s parent organization. BCATS is an independent parent organization (not affiliated with a PTO/PTA), that is vital to our success as a school. BCAT members are parents who care about their child s education and want to help make a difference at Bullen. Our BCATS parents provide support for many initiatives and fun events! All of our parents are encouraged to join BCATS and get involved in whatever way they can. Some parents are able to attend each of our monthly meetings (usually the 2nd Tuesday of the month), while others drop in occasionally, and still others volunteer two hours to chaperone a school event. Everyone is welcome and the more who take part, the more good we can do! BCATS Officers for : BCAT Co-President: Kelly Laux & Nancy Vanderleest BCAT Treasurer: Kathy Grasty BCAT Secretary: Cassie Petty Join us for the 1 st BCATS meeting of the year on Tuesday, September 6:30 pm in the Bullen Library! The Kenosha Unified School District No. 1 is an Equal Opportunity Educator/Employer with established policies prohibiting discrimination on the basis of age, race, creed, religion, color, sex, national origin, disability or handicap, sexual orientation, or political affiliation in any educational program, activity, or employment in the District. The Superintendent of Schools/designee ( ) addresses questions regarding student discrimination, and the Executive Director of Human Resources ( ) answers questions concerning staff discrimination. El Distrito Escolar Unificado de Kenosha No. 1 es educador/patrón de la oportunidad igual con las políticas establecidas que prohíben la discriminación en base de edad, raza, credo, religión, color, sexo, origen nacional, inhabilidad o desventaja, orientación sexual, o afiliación política en cualquier programa educativo, actividad, o empleo en el distrito. El Superintendente de las escuelas ( ) se dirige a las preguntas referentes a la discriminación del estudiante, y la Directora Ejecutiva de los Recursos Humanos ( ) contesta a preguntas referentes a la discriminación del personal. Student Dress Code Thank you for all of your support as we continue to support the KUSD Student Dress Code. Dress Code policy remains the same for this upcoming year. While this is just a summary, the items listed below are the key areas that can be stumbling blocks for our middle school students. Please take time to review these with your child before school begins. If ever you are in doubt about an article of clothing, students may always ask and bring alternate apparel with them, just in case. No Sagging, no Bagging, underwear covered at all times. Clothing must be neat, clean, and with no holes or tears. Tops must have sleeves and cover the chest at all times. Tops must be long enough to be tucked in, no skin showing at midriff. Short, skirts, and dresses must be fingertip length or longer. Leggings may not be worn as pants. Skirts worn over them must be fingertip length or longer. No baseball caps, hoods, hats, dorags, sweatbands, hairnets. Only hats worn for warmth will be allowed when outside the school building. All students are required to wear school issued school activities. Students who do not have their ID will be issued a new ID and lanyard for a fee. If a student does not have the cash available to purchase a new ID, their student fee account will be billed the cost, with account updates mailed home. The complete KUSD Dress Code policy is enclosed and we thank you for your continued support! Check out our online daily announcements, updated each morning! orget to check out the KUSD website: calendars, important dates, school supply lists, lunch Favorites list!

5 Tips for Parents: Tips for Teens: Traffic Safety Don t park in the circle drive. The circle drive is for drop-off and pick-up. Park in staff parking lot if you need to come into the building. Single LEFT LANE drop off and pick up. Right side is for exiting traffic only please. Please continue to pull forward in the circle as far as you can. Please watch for students No Parking on 39th Avenue. If there is space, please consider parking on side streets to pick up your student. Slow Down! Speed limit when kids are present: 15 mph. Most of all...thank you for your patience! We really appreciate it! Only cross 39th Avenue at the main crosswalk in front of Bullen or at Washington Road in front of Bradford High. Watch for Cars...they are going faster than you think! When you cross, look left, right, and left again! Be there when your family comes to pick you up. Limited supervision after school means that students must leave school property within 10 minutes of dismissal bell. Athletic Participation All students trying out for any sport MUST have an updated physical ON FILE in the Bullen main office. Physicals are valid for TWO years. Many students have been to the doctor AND actually have had a physical done, however, many DO NOT have the necessary paper work filled out by the physician AND on file on our main office. Physical cards are green and may be picked up in the main office at Bullen. Please consider scheduling your child's physical for them THIS SUMMER as they do become difficult to schedule if you wait until the last minute. ABSOLUTELY NO STUDENT MAY PARTICIPATE IN ATHLETICS WITHOUT AN UPDATED PHYSICAL ON FILE IN BULLEN'S MAIN OFFICE PRIOR TO THE SEASON BEGINNING!!!! Any questions, please call or Mr. Domine, Bullen's Athletic Director, at or ddomine@kusd.edu. Any student that is involved in any sport must pay the $50.00 Athletic Fee before they will be able to participate. Students in Middle School will only be charged for 2 sports, no matter how many sports they are involved with. I have a question who do I call at Bullen? Bullen- each day. The number is (262) Fax is (262) If your child will be absent from school for any reason, please call the Main office by 8:30 a.m. to excuse their absence. If you call early, you are welcome to leave a message on the answering machine. Please call with questions and our office staff will be happy to help! How is my child doing in school? The best person to contact is one of the teachers from your stude have 2 elective classes they attend each day. Your child will also have various elective teachers throughout the year. Because teachers spend most of the day in the classroom with their students, usually, the best way to reach our teachers is via . oon as possible. Go to Bullen has a number of support staff members: office staff, counselors, school social workers, educational assistants, school psychologists, Dean of Students, Dean of Interventions, Assistant Principal, and Principal who will be happy to help. Other Contacts to Know: Theresa Martin (Attendance secretary), Ginny Roberta Akalin, 8 th Grade Counselor rakalin@kusd.edu Bea Murphy, 7 th Grade Counselor bmurphy@ kusd.edu Rich Bonnar, 6 th Grade Counselor, rbonnar@kusd.edu Janet Zurcher, Dean of Interventions, jzurcher@kusd.edu, Dean of Students, jhare@kusd.edu Norris Jones, Assistant Principal, nljones@kusd.edu Kim Fischer, Principal, kfischer@kusd.edu Call us Anytime! 60. En Española Check out our calendar & online daily announcements, updated each

6 Respect the Bobcat! We are Responsible, Respectful, & Safe!

7 Online Parent Newsletter To conserve both paper and costs, Bullen s 1 st Quarter Newsletter is the only one that will be printed and sent home this year. Please check the Bullen webpage for future editions of our quarterly Parent Newsletter. Midterm Progress Report Notice to all Parents In recognition of the strong technology that our District offers and in an effort to conserve funds, Bullen Middle School does not mail Midterm Progress Reports to all Bullen students. In an age of technology, Zangle Parent Connection offers this same information online in a timelier manner than Midterm Progress Reports allow. Beginning in and in accordance with KUSD policy, Midterm Progress Reports are mailed home only for students identified as academically struggling. If you haven t picked up your Zangle Parent Connection password yet, please stop by our Main Office with a photo ID. For families without internet access, we offer online access at school at any time during the regular school day. Bullen Calendar on our WebPage! Please check out the school calendar at for upcoming events at Bullen. Enroll in the Target Take Charge of Education Program for Bullen! John Bullen Middle School is registered under school ID # The Take Charge of Education Program is intended to benefit K-12 schools. Designate an eligible K-12 school, use your Target RED card when you shop at Target and Target donates 1% (minus sales tax and returns) back to the school of your choice. We hope you will consider designating Bullen every little bit can help! Thank you!

8 Bullen Middle School Traffic Plan PLEASE DRIVE SLOWLY AND WATCH OUT FOR OUR CHILDREN!

9 Got Technology? Using technology to improve instruction has been a strong focus at Bullen for the past five years and what a difference it has made! Technology has allowed teachers to incorporate exceptionally strong instructional practices that our students have found engaging and highly interactive. We are very proud of our efforts to improve instructional technology in the classroom and can now boast that 99% of our classrooms! One of our goals is to incorporate the most engaging instructional technology around to ensure engagement and learning for all of our students! Next time you see a Bullen teacher, be sure to thank them for all the learning around! NEW HOURS OF THE SCHOOL DAY! 8:40 a.m.-3:58 p.m. Monday-Friday (Half Day Dismissal 12:00) Outdoor supervision begins at 8:25 a.m. Please do not drop your child off before then! Bullen s Main Office is open from 7:45-4:15 each day. The number is (262) Fax is (262) If your child will be absent, please call the Main office by 8:30 a.m. If you call early, you are welcome to leave a message on the answering machine. Please call with questions and our office staff will be happy to help! Si usted desea copia de este boletin en espanol, favor comunicarse con Gilbert Rosales al telefono (262) Zangle Parent Connection Mom, Can I go to the Movies tonight? Several years ago, KUSD launched a new student information management system called Zangle. Zangle is the program all KUSD schools now use to manage student attendance, grades, report cards, registration, scheduling, etc What does this mean to me? All secondary school teachers in KUSD use Zangle to record student grades. Zangle is a webbased program that has a parent and student component called Parent (or Student) Connection. Parents are able to access Zangle Parent Connection on line to view their child s grades, attendance, behavior, immunizations, and more! You mean no more digging through backpacks for lost progress reports? Nope. You can check your student s progress anytime you want, day or night, whenever it s convenient for you! What do I need to access Parent Connection? Internet access, a browser (such as Internet Explorer), and your parent login and password. That s it. Why can t I see my child s grade for a project that he turned in yesterday? Grading and entering assignments takes time. In conjunction with KUSD policy, teachers are committed to entering grades as soon as possible within 10 days of the due date. However, they will indicate any missing assignments within 3 days so you can help your child learn to manage their school work. What if I don t have Internet at home? No problem. Stop into the Bullen Main Office (or your local library) and you may use the computers there. Fast, Quick, Simple! Parent Passwords are available with a Picture ID at any time throughout the year!