The Boeckman Buzz
March 27th-March 31st
A Note from Principal Sage
This past week was full of fun. We had band ensembles and spirit days! My favorite had to be teachers dressing like students and students dressing like teachers. We continue to share and celebrate the great things coming out of BMS on our social media pages. If you would like to follow, please use one of the following links to find us.
The week before Spring Break is always an exciting one with lots of energy. We are excited to engage with your students this week in quality learning experiences. Please note that Spring Break is April 3-10. Note that we do not have school on Monday, April 10.
Upon returning from Spring Break, we will begin the testing season. First up, our 8th graders will be participating in the 8th grade MCA tests on April 13 & April 14. In the following weeks, there will be school wide modified schedules that we will follow when administering the MCA tests. Please see information below.
Please see below for an important message from our Parent Ambassadors.
There will be no parent newsletter over Spring Break. Thank you again for choosing Boeckman. We are proud of our learners and all the incredible things they accomplish!
-Joe Sage, Principal
A message from our Parent Ambassadors
Hello BMS families!
The Boeckman Parent Ambassador group has started gathering ideas about how to thank BMS teachers during teacher appreciation week. If you have any ideas, or would like to help with some activities that week please reach out to boeckmanparents@gmail.com. If you would like to donate please send cash or check to the main office at BMS in an envelope C/O Boeckman Parent Ambassadors or you can Venmo @ BoeckmanParentAmbassadors. Thank you for your support!
-Parent Ambassadors
IMPORTANT DATES
April 3-April 10................................NO SCHOOL
April 13............................................Band Festival @ FHS - 8th Grade
April 18............................................End of Quinmester 4
April 20............................................Jazz Band Concert @ FHS
May 15 & 16....................................Choir Concerts @ FHS
May 23............................................Band Concerts @ FHS
May 29............................................NO SCHOOL
June 8.............................................Last Day of School - Early Release
MCA Tests Approaching
Farmington Area Public Schools students in grades 3-8 take state standardized tests each spring called the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments (MCA) or the alternate Minnesota Test of Academic Skills (MTAS). The MCA (or MTAS) assessment is designed to test students against the state academic standards in reading, math and science.
To read more about the MCA/MTAS test, please visit the district website, linked here. There is a link to the Opt Out information for both the MCA tests on the left side of the webpage, or for convenience, there is a direct link here to the opt out form. Please turn in the Opt Out form to the main office. You need to do this each year.
Specific Dates:
- Science MCA (8th grade only – in science classes): April 13 & April 14
- Math MCA – April 19 & April 20 - we will follow MCA Alternate Schedule
- Reading MCA – April 26 & April 27 - we will follow MCA Alternate Schedule
BMS Outriders Bike Club
The first meeting for spring will be:
Thursday, March 30 @ 7:30am @ Door #5
All are welcome!
Getting to Know Our BMS Staff - Highlighting Natascha Gillen
What is your favorite thing to do on the weekend? I love to work in my garden on the weekend. This time of year I am planting my seedlings.
What is your favorite thing about BMS? I enjoy watching the kids grow and change from 6th to 8th grade.
First thing you notice about a person? Their vibe
Something you still want to learn? I have been working on learning Spanish for a few years. I would like to be fluent.
What is your favorite breakfast food? I’m allergic to eggs so I don’t eat a lot of traditional breakfast foods. I love ramen for breakfast!
What is your favorite family tradition? My favorite tradition is cooking dinner on our firepit in the backyard in late summer, or fall with food from the garden.
Ocean waves or Rain sounds? I love a good rain storm!
Early Bird or Night Owl? Early bird!
Would you rather be stuck in an elevator or stuck on a ski lift? Ski lift, I always prefer outside to inside.
What is the last book you read? Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
Summer Instrumental Music Offerings
Registration for summer instrumental music offerings including pops band, jazz band, ukulele, and semi-private lessons is now open. These offerings are available to learners entering grades 6-9 for the 2023-2024. Please check the flyer for more details.
Contact Rachel Gorden Mercer at rgordenmercer@farmington.k12.mn.us or Joe Lasko at jlasko@farmington.k12.mn.us with questions.
Register here:
https://farmington.ce.eleyo.com/course/4291/2022-23-ce-catalog/middle-school-pops-and-jazz-bandsMarch - 7 Mindsets Theme: Passion First
Focus on Strengths – We all have things that we do well. When we do what we’re good at, we perform better and get better results, which benefits both us and those around us. It is critical to play to our strengths and spend our time doing what we’re best at in order to create the most value. It is also important to know that our strengths are much more than what we do well, as they also include the situations in which we thrive and the people with whom we’re at our best. Understanding all of these strengths will multiply our successes.
Explore Your Interests – We all have things we enjoy doing. When we like doing something, we do more of it, even in our free time. When we do things that energize and engage us, our focus is greater, we perform better and improve faster. Doing these things more often, with a greater degree of focus, allows us to become great at them. And when we’re great at anything, the world notices, and value to others increases, and more wonderful things flow naturally into our lives.
Take a Stand – It is very important to play to our strengths and interests whenever possible. It is equally important that what we choose to do is important to us. It must matter deeply, because there will inevitably be challenges, and this will allow us to persevere. We all have to do things we aren’t necessarily good at or enjoy, which is why we must understand our core values. We will always be strongest when we act from our values; this is when we wield our greatest power to overcome obstacles and challenges.
Be Authentic – Great dreams must start within. To do something extraordinary, a dream must leverage our strengths and interests, it must align with who we are (our core values), and it must matter greatly to us. When all this is in place, we perform at our best and are our most determined selves. The fulfillment of all great dreams involves a combination of performance and persistence.
Subbing for Farmington Area Schools
Farmington School District has some great opportunities for you! Have you ever thought about subbing as a teacher? Here is your chance to get more information about it. It is a great way to have the same schedule as your children and be involved in the schools. The links below will bring you to a website that will give you more information on how to get a license.
Also, please check out the other opportunities in the Farmington School District.
https://www.farmington.k12.mn.us/news/what_s_new/we_re_hiring_
Infinite Campus Mobile App
BMS Website and the Boeckman Buzz
Boeckman Middle School Hours
Office Hours: 7:30am - 4:00pm
PBIS at Boeckman Middle School
Useful Phone Numbers
School: 651-460-1400
Nurse: 651-460-1406
Food Service: 651-463-5025
Bus Company: 651-463-8689
School Fax: 651-460-1510
School Athletics: 651-252-2514
School Closing Line: 651-985-1100
Community Education: 651-460-3200
About us
The mission of Boeckman Middle School, a learner-centered community committed to personalization that nurtures curiosity, to ensure each learner exercises ownership for continuous personal growth to have a positive impact on themselves and their communities through:
Honoring uniqueness and valuing diverse experiences
Safe and empathetic environments that foster authentic relationships
Nurturing joy and well-being
Mistakes and reflection as essential components of learning
Partnering with our communities
Objectives
Each learner continuously grows in their learning.
Each learner engages in reflection to guide their future decisions and actions.
Each learner explores a variety of ideas and experiences supporting personal growth.
Action Steps:
We will share and utilize research-based, culturally responsive practices to personalize learning. -
We will create safe and empathetic communities that optimize learning and prioritize well-being. -
We will develop and design reporting methods that promote ownership for learners and families while supporting a growth mindset.
We will create learner-centered systems that honor uniqueness and nurture curiosity.
Email: Jsage@farmington.k12.mn.us
Website: https://bms.farmington.k12.mn.us/
Location: 800 Denmark Avenue, Farmington, MN, USA
Phone: 651-460-1400
Facebook: facebook.com/boeckmantigers
Twitter: @BoeckmanTigers