Week of March 28, 2016
Greetings Berkshire Families:
As your student may already know, next week the National Junior Honor Society is hosting a Spirit Week to encourage people to bring money to their C3 to donate to our charity fundraiser! The days are as follows- Monday- Mismatch Day Tuesday- Superhero Day Wednesday- Neon Day Thursday- T.V. Show Character Day Friday- Tacky Tourist Day Please encourage your student to dress up to show their Berkshire pride and have fun! Upcoming Events: Friday (3/25)
Berkshire Proud Dads Club 5K Race The 8th annual Berkshire 5K is scheduled for May 7, 2016. Location: Berkshire Middle School Course: -5K loop. Through scenic Beverly Hills. -Fast course! -Professional timing by Everal Race Management -Awards for the top 3 places in each age group! Awards: Overall, Masters M & F, Age groups: 10 & under, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15-19, 20-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60 & up Event details and schedule: - Packet pick-up and registration opens at 7AM - Race begins at 8 AM -T-shirt and refreshments provided Registration: http://www.active.com/beverly-hills-mi/running/distance-running-races/berkshire-5k-8th-annual-2016?int= Early registration $15 before April 8th, $20 before May 1st, $25 race day National Junior Honor Society Induction Information It's National Junior Honor Society time again! Qualified 7th graders who have had a grade point average of 3.7 or above for ALL quarter report card grades in 6th grade and 7th grade through the 1st semester have been invited to join NJHS for the upcoming school year. These candidates were called to the office and received applications which must completed and returned to the office by Friday, April 1st at noon. The applications ask for a personal essay showing that the students have achieved all of the pillars of NJHS which are: SCHOLARSHIP, LEADERSHIP, SERVICE, CHARACTER ,and CITIZENSHIP. These candidates may not have had referrals to the office for serious behavior issues during the 7th grade year. There will be a meeting during C3 on Monday for identified candidates who would like more information. If you have questions, please contact Mrs. Sharon Rivera at [email protected] or [email protected]. The candidates that are selected will receive a welcome letter informing them of their selection along with an RSVP form for the Induction Ceremony. The Induction Ceremony will take place on April 20 at 6:30PM at Berkshire. Analytics What: Analytics – Putting Mathematics to Work in the 21st Century When: Tuesday, March 29, 2016 from 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Where: Seaholm High School’s Little Theater Algebraic modeling, probabilistic reasoning, and data analysis are critical to the efficient and effective operation and risk management of any enterprise or organization. From an educational perspective it is exciting to know that these concepts can be integrated even into a high school mathematics curriculum. Mathematical skills are no longer limited to traditional STEM fields but are equally relevant to managing a McDonald’s or the entire Royal Caribbean fleet, scheduling patients at a clinic, or advising a couple on genetic testing. In this talk Dr. Chelst will provide a framework for understanding how and why advanced analytic skills can be a corporate competitive advantage. He will conclude the talk by describing how Birmingham high schools are beginning to integrate this approach into the high school mathematics curriculum. Who: Dr. Kenneth Chelst is professor of operations research and Director of Engineering Management in the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering at Wayne State University. He completed the Ph.D. degree in operations research from M.I.T. with his dissertation on the application of mathematical models to police patrols. Dr. Chelst oversees a master’s degree program for Ford Motor Company engineers on a career path to technical leadership. This talk is intended for anybody (parents, students, community members) who is curious about how mathematics and quantitative reasoning are used as analytic and decision making tools in our current economy and society. Reject: A Documentary Film on Social Isolation and Bullying This documentary film screening takes a solution-oriented look at the roots of bullying and violent behavior. The film aims to raise consciousness about the consequences of rejections in peer bullying, parental neglect, race discrimination and other forms of social rejections. Recommended for age 14 and older. Film will be followed by a panel discussion. Wednesday, March 30th, 6:30 pm at Groves High School, 20500 W 13 Mile Road, Beverly Hills, MI. Admission is free. MAKER GIRL MANIA Maker Girl Mania" is a day where girls from Kindergarten through 7th grade come together and become artists, coders, inventors, makers and builders. The organizers are estimating around 500 girls participating in this event! There will be three sessions taking place that day. Each session will last for 2.5 hours. Please don't delay on registering. This event will fill up fast. The details are as follows: What: Maker Girl Mania Date: Saturday, April 16, 2016 Where: Clarkston High School Cafeteria Session Times: 8:00 - 10:30, 11:00 - 1:30, 2:00 - 4:30 Registration online @ http://bit.ly/makergirl16 Table Talk: Food for Thought March (Citizenship) Dear Families, This month our character trait is CITIZENSHIP. We’ve been talking about the various definitions of citizenship and what responsibilities and privileges come with that opportunity. Please take a few moments to talk with your children about what being a citizen means to them. Feel free to use the points below as conversation starters. As always, we welcome your feedback.
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M-STEP Update
Immediately following spring break, our students will be participating in the Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress (M-STEP) assessment. This year, testing will take place in corresponding content area classes during usual class hours. For example, your student will be taking the math assessment during his/her math class. It is very important for students to be in attendance for this assessment. In preparing for the testing dates, please make sure your child arrives to school on time, gets plenty of rest, and eats a nutritious breakfast. Testing calendar (this is the same for all students in Michigan): 8th grade: April 11 to April 29 (Social Studies, ELA and Math) 6th grade: April 25 to May 13 (ELA and Math) 7th grade: May 9 to May 27 (Science, ELA and Math) We encourage you to view the preview test and sample items that are available online at https://wbte.drcedirect.com/MI/portals/mi/ott1. The page can only be opened using the Google Chrome browser. We are confident that our students will do well and our goal is to provide a positive testing experience. BPS Garage Sale @ Berkshire (4/16 & 4/17) (see attachment at the bottom of this email for more details…) Friends of Different Learners Appreciation Awards (5/12) The Friends of Different Learners Appreciation Awards event will take place on May 12, 2016. The purpose of the Appreciation Awards is to honor individuals affiliated with Birmingham Public Schools (BPS) who go the extra mile to maximize the potential of BPS students with different abilities. All Friends members, current in dues (only $10 per year), are eligible to select up to two individuals who exemplify outstanding service on behalf of a different learner. Selections must be made online by March 31, 2016. http://www.friendsofdifferentlearners.org/appreciation-awards.php Breakfast at Berkshire Did you know that Berkshire Middle School has a yummy hot breakfast menu everyday?? Your student could get breakfast pizza, fresh fruit & a milk for only $1.50! Other breakfast items include Cinnamon French Toast & Turkey Sausage or Sweet Ricotta & Strawberries Flatbread. There is assorted fresh fruit everyday to go with breakfast. If you have any questions regarding the breakfast program please email Pattie at [email protected] https://www.facebook.com/BirminghamPublicSchoolsFoodService Chartwells Job Opportunity If you have a positive attitude and a love for learning, you may be interested in joining our Chartwells BPS team. Want to influence a generation? How about working in a place where you know you make a difference. We provide meals and food service each day at the 13 BPS school Cafes. Eat. Learn. Live exemplifies Chartwells’ promise and philosophy that nourishing students is not only our business; it’s our commitment to the communities in which we serve. Please contact Pattie at (248)228-7172 to set up an interview. Berkshire Robotics Club Robotic Parental Unit Recruitment Don't know anything about robots except the difference between R2-D2 and C-3PO? Think it would be cool if your kids got a chance to build a robot? And use it to battle against other robots for the right to the Terminator Cup and the chance to eventually rule humanity? (OK, I made that part up.) How about competing with and against other schools in the FIRST FTC robotics competition? Then we need your help. We are trying to re-boot robotics at Berkshire and we need you to help get the team going. You don't have to be a robotics expert to help. We need people with any experience in: java scripting, Android based phones/tablets, tools, wiring, electronics, sensors, mechanical devices, automation, CAD, RC cars/planes, game strategy, planning, team building, organizing, fund raising, chauffeuring, working with 'tweens, budgeting, to name a few. What we want to do is re-form the team and have "spring training" the rest of the year. Then in the fall we will dive into a real competition. For our spring training, we want to have teaching sessions for our interested students in the fields listed above, and to take some field trips to build excitement and interest. We need the support of parents and family members to get robotics going again at Berkshire! If we get enough parents to volunteer, by signing up at this sign-up-genius, then we can kick off the team. Please sign up today. www.SignUpGenius.com/go/30E0845A4A87-berkshire Need some more details? Watch a video about FIRST FTC here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIdPk3I-22k&feature=youtu.be Read more about FTC here: http://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/ftc World Wildlife Fund Animal Adoption Mr. Fisher’s 6th grade C3 class has adopted an Arctic Fox through the World Wildlife Fund. The Berkshire Community Ed.helped to fund this project. Usually found in coastal areas, the arctic fox lives within arctic and tundra regions throughout Europe, Asia, North America and Greenland. Although they prefer small mammals, arctic foxes are opportunistic feeders and will eat anything they can find, including berries. When food is scarce during the harsh winters, these resourceful foxes will trail polar bears to scavenge on any uneaten prey. Fur trapping, habitat loss and predators such as the red fox threaten this species' survival. Athletics Update for Spring Sports You can begin registering your student for spring sports for Berkshire. Please see details below regarding individual sports. 7th and 8th Grade Girls’ Soccer: Tryouts will begin on Tuesday March 29th through Thursday March 31st. Girls should attend all three days of tryouts. Girls should bring their cleats and shin guards as well as tennis shoes (or indoor soccer shoes). Once the team is selected, practice will commence on Monday, April 11th. Please register for Girls’ Soccer at www.bpsregister.com. There will also be a voluntary scrimmage Monday, March 28th from 3:30-5:00 pm. Come and enjoy playing soccer with your friends before tryouts officially start. See the attached flyer for more information about our Soccer program at Berkshire. 6th, 7th, and 8th Grade Coed Track and Field: Practice will begin on Monday, March 28th. Please bring appropriate clothes (shorts, sweatpants and shirts, and tennis shoes). All students who wish to participate will be on the team. Please register for Track and Field at www.bpsregister.com. After the first practice on Monday, March 28th, there will be an informational parent meeting from 6:00-7:00 pm in the Berkshire media center. Come meet our coaching staff and find out more about our Track program at this meeting. 6th, 7th and 8th Grade Boys’ Tennis: There was an informational parent meeting with Coach John Kanyo on Monday, March 21st. Important information about the tennis season was shared at the meeting. To register for Boys’ Tennis, you can pick up a packet in the Berkshire Main Office. Registration for Tennis is NOT on bpsregister.com. The first practice/Tryout will be on Monday, March 28 through Wednesday March 31st. Students should attend all 3 tryout days. Important: All students must have a (1) physical on file dated after April 15, 2015, have a completed (2)Athletic Emergency Form on file, and (3) be registered for the sport in order to participate. Once all 3 have been completed/turned in, Ms. Gienapp will provide your son/daughter with a green participation slip. Your student will give this to their coach on the first day of tryouts/practice. They must have this in order to participate. **The physical form and the Athletic Emergency form can be found online on the Berkshire Athletic Page. http://tinyurl.com/hljznud 2016 Yearbook on Sale! Yearbooks are on sale until March 31, 2016! Order your yearbook online for only $35.00 Yearbooks will be available on the last day of school for $45.00. Supplies are limited so please make sure to order your yearbook while the are still available online at the lower cost. To order go to: · Pictavo.com · Scroll down to “Connect to Pictavo Community” · Click “Shop your School” Type in: · Michigan · Beverly Hills · Berkshire Middle School As always, thanks for taking the time to read our Berkshire Weekly Update. Please feel free to contact me if you have important information that you would like to see included in our next Update. Have a great week! Jason Clinkscale Principal Berkshire Middle School |