Today is the end of Quarter 2. Report cards will be posted after school on Tuesday, February 4. For 8th grade students this will be an important data point for High School course recommendations. For all students, the midpoint of the school year is a time to reflect on what has been working and areas to focus on for improvement. As you have conversations with your students, support them with setting attainable goals and identifying actions they can take to improve their performance.

As we progress toward the end of the school year, there will be a number of great opportunities for students to have fun, learn, and share experiences with their peers beyond the classroom. These include Student Council-hosted dances as well as June events like the 8th grade class party, the 7th grade trip to Canobie Lake Park, and the 8th grade trips that include Washington, D.C. and Adventure Week. These events and trips are a privilege, and students must demonstrate appropriate behavior to be allowed to attend. The school administration reserves the right to exclude students from these activities when it is deemed necessary based upon their conduct in the months ahead.

We are beginning to talk to 8th grade students about transition to the High School and what opportunities are ahead for them. Part of that is the course recommendation process in which 8th grade teachers consider students’ current academic progress and readiness for each level of High School course work available. Recommendations are based upon a variety of data, including quarter report card grades, and often include conversations with students. For recommendations that students do not agree with, there is a course placement review process. Students will also attend a course placement assembly with High School administration followed by a course fair to introduce them to all the offerings available on Friday, February 28. Students will be completing a course selection form to indicate which elective and world language courses they would like to take. Both the course selection form and the request for placement review will be due by March 31.

As we enter Quarter 3, students will repeat the unified arts rotation of courses. Students will rotate through each of Art, Engineering, and Health in a 30-school day rotation. The number of class meetings will be dependent on the block for each section and the 7-day cycle.

Rotation Dates (Reporting Period)

January 27 - March 14 = 30 days (Q3 Report Card)

March 17 - May 2 = 30 days (Q4 Report Card)

May 5 - June 17-25  = 32-37 days (Q4 Report Card)

Art

Rotation 1: Wonder, Resilience

Rotation 2: Curiosity, Perseverance

Rotation 3: Imagination, Tenacity

Engineering

Rotation 1: Imagination, Tenacity

Rotation 2: Wonder, Resilience

Rotation 3: Curiosity, Perseverance

Health

Rotation 1: Curiosity, Perseverance

Rotation 2: Imagination, Tenacity

Rotation 3: Wonder, Resilience

As a reminder we have an early release day coming up on Wednesday, 1/29. After the 11:00 early release we have parent-teacher conferences. We will also be conducting i-Ready testing that will take most of the day.

Below is the block schedule which students will begin following at the conclusion of i-Ready testing for your reference.

During the school year, there are a number of vacations (e.g. December, February, April) when school is not in session. The days before and after these vacation weeks are instructional days that are used to make academic progress. Teachers use this time to continue learning content, building skills, completing assignments, and conducting assessments. When students have extended absences around the vacation weeks, they miss valuable instructional time that cannot be replaced. Students must develop a plan for catching up on missed work, communicate with teachers, and put in extra time on their return to recover some of the lost learning from their absence. Parents and guardians should work closely with their students to proactively address missed school days and ensure students are prepared to rejoin their classes.

We have our second round of i-Ready testing for the year coming up on January 15 (ELA) and 29 (Math). Talk to your student about the importance of this interim assessment and how it can demonstrate all of the progress they have made. Being able to assess students' growth and current performance according to the content standards is critical to being able to support and challenge each individual student. We want our students to take pride in doing their best, and the i-Ready test scheduled for next week is a great opportunity to show what they can do!

It is critically important that we all stay off the ice. Here is some important information from the Belmont Fire Department:

In response to recent events of people falling through the ice in neighboring communities and reports of students on the ice at the Clay Pit Pond, the Belmont Fire Department would like to remind members of the community that it is not safe to be on any frozen body of water in Town. The ice is also not safe for pets and jeopardizes the safety of the animal, owners, and first responders. It is nearly impossible to visually determine the thickness of the ice at a given time, regardless of recent cold weather. Do not become a victim yourself. If a person or animal is in trouble, immediately call 911, so that appropriately trained and equipped members from the fire department can respond to help. The only ice that is safe is at a skating rink.

Please remind your students that the MBTA train tracks at the rear of the BMHS campus are dangerous and must be avoided. Fencing around the tracks indicates that pedestrian traffic is not allowed. Students must use sidewalks and typical road traffic routes to reach the BMHS campus, and must not use the train tracks to cut through or try to save time.

The BMS PTO’s Smile Squad is tasked with bringing small moments of joy and fun to our students’ school day and we need your help!

In the fall, we greeted the kids with Halloween cheer and sent them on a scavenger hunt.  Last month, we hosted a hot chocolate bar for the kids before school,  This month, we're hosting  Palentine’s Day on Thursday February 13th! Never heard of it?  “Pal”-entine’s Day honors friendship and we're hoping to remind our students that they are loved, they are important, and their friendships are worth celebrating. 

Friendships enrich our lives and improve our health in so many ways! They help us feel connected and build self confidence, they lower stress and help us through hard times, they give us a sense of belonging and acceptance - what could be more valuable to our 7th and 8th Graders?

If you’re interested in planning with us or want to help during the event, please provide your contact information here and we’ll be in touch with more information. 

Outdoor recess (during the last 15 minutes of lunch block) is very popular with our middle school students. In order to provide sufficient playground equipment, BMS gratefully requests donations of frisbees, footballs, soccer balls, basketballs, gaga balls, jump ropes etc. for use during recess. Donations of both new and used items are greatly appreciated.

Discount at Champions

Champions Sporting Goods on Leonard Street has generously offered to provide a 20% discount to anyone buying recess items for donation to Belmont Middle School. To claim your discount, simply tell the person working at the register that you are purchasing a donation for BMS. We are grateful to Champions for supporting our students!

Ways to Give

1. Donations of new and used items can be dropped off in person at the BMS main office. 

2. Purchase new items from Champions Sporting Goods on Leonard Street and receive a 20% discount.

3. Order from this Amazon Wish List created by the parent-led Belmont Recess Coalition and have your items delivered directly to BMS: Amazon Wishlist

What better way to remember your school year than with a team photo!! All teams had a team photo taken by Hayward Photography on Friday, October 4th (school picture day). The deadline to place an order is Sunday, February 2nd.Don't delay, order your team photo today!

Price: $25

Order Form: Click on the this link for the ORDER FORM

 Hayward Photography: www.haywardphotography.com

MCAS testing is coming up this Spring for 7th and 8th grade students. All students take the ELA and Math assessments, and 8th grade students take the Science, Technology, Engineering (STE) and the Civics assessments. This is the first year for BMS 8th graders to sit the Civics test, and given that the assessment is still under development, we will not be provided individual student scores. 

The following dates are scheduled for MCAS testing:

ELA (7th, 8th) - April 7-8

STE (8th) - May 8-9

Math (7th, 8th) - May 12-13

Civics (8th) - May 29-30

Now that we are more than halfway through the school year, we hope students have adapted to the expectation of getting to school in a timely manner. Promoting timeliness to school requires both parents and educators to work together. We will be holding our second round of accountability in the coming weeks, notifying parents/guardians and students when students have been late 10 or more times since the beginning of the year. For those students who met this threshold during our first round, the clock was reset and will only be held accountable if they have accumulated another 10 times late to school. We will reach out to families directly via email to inform them of the intervention and patterns.

As the weather starts to change to colder temperatures, winds, and precipitation, we are advising families to ensure their students come to school prepared with winter coats and/or rain gear as appropriate. We remain committed to outdoor recess time when appropriate, and will make a judgment call on a day-to-day basis that is reflective of student safety. Students who are not wearing warm clothing and/or those who cannot manage themselves around snow, etc. will not be allowed out to the patio.

The next spirit day is on Friday, February 14th. Cozy Comfy Pajama Day. Wear your sweats, flannel pants, or pajamas to school. Keep it comfy and school appropriate. Check out other spirit days on the Student Council Calendar of Events.

Save the date for the Annual Student vs Staff Basketball Game. The game is scheduled for Thursday, March 6th from 2:30-4:30pm in the BMHS Field House. Our goal this year is to have a longer game so all student athletes get a chance to fully play and give out more prizes to fans during half-time. The event is FREE. Let’s pack the gym on March 6th!

Not going on the DC Trip. Please take a moment to complete the BMS Adventure Trip Google Form. This is for ANY student not attending the DC Trip. Even if you don’t plan on participating in any of the adventure trip options, please let us know by completing the google form. The link contains information on the adventure week activities.

The deadline to sign up for session 3 clubs is Monday, March 17th! Clubs are filling up fast! Click this link for the BMS PTO Clubs Website.

Space is still available for the following clubs (available space in parenthesis): 

Lego Club (9), Growing Beyond Earth (7), Cartoon Creation Club (13), Anime Club (9), Web Page Design (9), Chess & Classic Board Games Club (7), Quiz Bowl Club(7), Rugby Club (9), Jewelry Making Club (15), Model UN Club (6), Reading Club (18), and Bucket Golf Club (10). 

The following clubs are full:
Weight Lifting Club, Novice Ping Pong Club, and Dungeons & Dragons.

The Belmont Middle School 2024-2025 Yearbook is available for sale! The yearbook is a 120 page hardcover record of the 2024-25 school year and meant for students in grades 7-8. It will document student life, activities, student portraits, staff photos, events, grade eight farewell ads, and much more. Order a yearbook for $40. The yearbooks will be given out to students the week of June 16th. Deadline to order is April 1, 2025.

<< Click this link for the Belmont Yearbooks Website

 FOR ALL STUDENTS, FAMILIES, and STAFF

The yearbook staff needs your help! We need photos to make your yearbook a memorable one to look back on. Our student photographers can’t be everywhere. Please consider submitting any and all photos (Athletics, Concerts, Student Life, Spirit Days, Hanging with Friends, Picture Day Replacement Photo, Preferred Name for Yearbook, Clubs, etc.) for consideration to be used in the yearbook. Navigate to the yearbook website and select the Upload Photos menu at the top of the page to see the Upload BMS Photos. All photos submitted must be school appropriate for use in the yearbook.

FOR PARENTS/GUARDIANS OF GRADE 8 STUDENTS

Make the yearbook even more special for your student. A yearbook ad is a loving tribute to your student, personalized with your own sentimental message and a cherished photo, or photo collage. It’s quick, it’s easy, and it’ll last forever. Check out the Belmont Yearbooks Website to learn more about placing a Grade 8 Farewell Ad. Deadline to order an Farewell Ad is February 3, 2025. 

Don't delay, order a yearbook today!

POMS (Parents of Music Students), Belmont’s booster organization for music education, is excited to announce a new fundraiser, the Belmont Community Band, a special opportunity for parents, teachers and others in our community to share a love of music and experience the fun of playing with others. Developed in collaboration with Powers Music School, the Belmont Community Band is designed for adult musicians of all skill levels who play woodwind, brass or percussion.  A portion of each participation fee helps POMS support K-12 music in the Belmont Public Schools with guest artists and conductors, instruments and equipment, scholarships and more.

Whether you are a capable musician, a new player or a former high school musician who wants to experience the joy of band again, the Belmont Community Band is for you! Visit https://belmontpoms.weebly.com/belmont-community-band.html to learn more.

Belmont Public Schools values your input and invites you to participate in our Family Communications Survey. This survey is designed to understand your communication preferences and how often you want to hear from us. Your valuable feedback will help us tailor our communications to meet your needs. The survey takes 5–10 minutes to complete, and your participation is key to shaping our communication efforts. The survey will be open until Friday, February 14th. Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts. Please scan the QR code or click the link to begin.  https://www.belmont.k12.ma.us/forms/bps-family-communications-survey

Hello PTA/PTOs and BWC Partners:

Just wanted to inform you of the following dates and topics for BWC’s Parent Group.

Note that we meet the last Wednesday of the month, at 7:00 PM, over zoom - with one exception: March 26.  All are welcome to attend! I will send a zoom link the week of the meeting.

Wed. Jan. 29 at 7:00  Internet Safety – Guidance for Parents
Wed. Feb. 26 at 7:00 The Culture of Stress in Belmont – Impacts on Youth
Wed. Mar. 26 at 7:00       Exercise’s Impact on Mental Health *
Wed. Apr. 30 at 7:00       Dating/Relationships Among Teens
Wed. May 28 at 7:00       Topic Selected by Parents

*This meeting will be held in person at the Trapelo Road Fire Station, second floor conference room.

BYL is always happy to welcome new players at any grade level!

Please click this link to register: Belmont Youth Lacrosse

New to lacrosse? Any questions? Need help with equipment?

Contact Alyssa Creedon (alyssamurphy@hotmail.com) or Michelle French (mishmurph@hotmail.com)

Welcome | Spring 2025 Registration | Belmont Youth Lacrosse

Welcome to the 2025 Spring Season Registration with Belmont Youth Lacrosse!

belmontyouthlacrosse.sportngin.com

At Belmont Middle School we take issues of bias and racism very seriously. Every student has the right to feel welcome, to learn, and feel free to be who they are. We support every student to feel safe, have a sense of belonging, and to call out acts of bias and racism and utilize consequences and restoration to ensure our community is a supportive one. If you are witness to or have experienced a bias or racist incident, you can report through the following link: https://www.belmont.k12.ma.us/page/bias-incident-reporting 

The Belmont Public Schools Bias Incident Report Form can be accessed from the BPS DEI website. Some important notes: 

• Submitted forms are routed to the Director of DEIW (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Wellness) and the school's principal, who will assess the report and undertake an immediate investigation. 

• While the form may be completed anonymously, we encourage you to provide your contact information. This will enable the district to conduct a more thorough investigation and resolution. Anonymous reports may be essentially impossible to investigate. 

• More information, including definitions of "what a bias-motivated incident is" and what happens after a report is submitted, may be found on the Bias Incident Reporting page. 

We encourage all members of the Belmont Public Schools community - including students, staff, parents/caregivers, volunteers, and town residents - to use this form to report any incidents of racism, bias, discrimination, harassment, or retaliation that you have experienced or witnessed, which involves a member of the Belmont Public Schools or takes place on or near school property. 

Learning For Justice, an educational resource for schools defines a bias incident as conduct, speech, or expression motivated in whole or in part by bias or prejudice. To learn more or read examples of bias incidents, please see "Tips for Identifying Bias Incidents." 

The district's investigation processes, including restorative and disciplinary consequences, will be tailored to each incident. While student privacy concerns will always prevent public disclosure of specific investigation details, we will publish periodic reports to keep the community informed of the number of reports made, noticeable patterns regarding the nature of the bias incidents, and conclusions of investigations when applicable.

ABSENCE:  To excuse a student’s absence, parents/guardians must call the Attendance Line 617-993-2001 or fill out the Attendance Line Form by 8:30 AM on the day of the student’s absence.  The Attendance Line is available 24 hours, please call and leave a message as soon as you know your child will be out of school.  Give your child’s name, grade, date of absence, and a brief reason. It is important to stress that it is the responsibility of the parent to contact the school.   

Each year, the Belmont Public Schools updates its student records. This form allows parents to fill out their child's information and submit it electronically, saving both you and the school time, while ensuring accurate information is being provided. We will be requesting this information every September.

New forms have been posted to PlusPortals under "Forms"

www.plusportals.com/belmontmiddleschool

Please review and submit:

Student Update Form or Contact Update form 

Authorization for Emergency Dismissal

New Families:

Web Authorization form - required submittal

MassHealth Benefits Permission - submit if student is receiving MassHealth

If you have additional questions or concerns, please reach out to the BMS administration team. We’re here to support you.

In partnership,

Russ Kupperstein

Principal

Belmont Middle School