Dear Parents/Guardians of 7thGrade Students,
We hope this letter finds you enjoying your summer vacation.Over the course of the past several weeks, Mr. Costa and our custodial staff, Mrs. Skadberg, Mrs. Martin, Mrs. Parente and I have been working hard preparing for an exciting, challenging, and rewarding academic school year! In just a few short weeks our school will be alive with the energy and excitement of our students and eagerness and passion from all the members of our faculty/staff. I would like to take this opportunity today to update you on a few school related topics.
New Faculty Members:
Over the summer, we have been busy conducting interviews to ensure a complete staff for the start of the school year. I am pleased to announce the recent appointment of Ms. Sarah Schimansky (Orange Cluster Math), Mr. Christopher Keller (Purple Cluster Social Studies), and Mr. Stuart Moran (Physical/Health Education). I would also like to welcome Mrs. Kelly Polando (Technology Education) back to the Barrington Middle School Learning Community. Please be assured that as you read this letter today, we are well on our way to filling the remaining positions.
Schedule:
Over the past several weeks, we have been hard at work with the school's master schedule. This year we will be shifting from quintas to quarters. Like last year, studentswill still have the opportunity to experience 4 out of the 5 allied arts experiences throughout the academic school year. This shift, however, will allow for teachers and students to have more time (9 - 10 weeks vs. 6 - 7 weeks) exploring and maximizing learning opportunities within each allied arts' discipline. Another shift that was made to the schedule was the placement of our F.A.S.T. (Flexible Academic Support Time) period from 6th/7th period to 5th period for all grades. This shift will be less disruptive to our 7th grade core classes and will also allow for the potential of further intervention and enrichment opportunities for our students.
Home School Communication:
We cannot stress enough the importance of home school communication. If you have not done so already, I ask that you register for BMS News on the Barrington Middle School homepage ( See the “School Links” section & “Subscribe to BMS News”). Throughout the year we will be regularly sending important electronic announcements/updates about our middle school learning community. I also encourage you to routinely visit our homepage for important dates and messages. (Please note, if you prefer hardcopies of announcements, arrangements can be made through notifying the front office at 247-3160).
Rhode Island Classification:
A few weeks back, the Rhode Island Department of Education released the 2012 – 2013 classification ratings. This past year, Barrington Middle School was classified as a “typical school.” Over the past several weeks we have been reviewing and analyzing the data and beginning the construction of action plans to move Barrington Middle School back in the direction of becoming a “commended school.” We are very optimistic that Barrington Middle School will receive the classification that we all know that it deserves through our continued hard work. Throughout the school year we will be regularly communicating/collaborating with all members of the learning community regarding our action plan.
First Day of School:
As you may already know, our school year will begin on Monday, August 26th. On this day, students should report to their designated cluster areas to receive their homeroom assignments as follows:
Orange - Gymnasium
Aqua – Room 15
Blue – Presentation Room (towards the back of the Science hallway)
Staff will be available in the main foyer on the first day to provide directions to each area. Bus schedules will be published in the Barrington Times in the next few weeks.
Classes begin daily at 7:45 am and conclude at 2:05 pm. Generally speaking, children should plan to arrive no later than 7:40 am in order to have enough time to go to their locker, unpack materials, and plan for their day. Students need to be in their homeroom seats at the commencement of daily announcements at 7:50 am or will be considered tardy.
Cluster Placement:
The administration and scheduling teams have worked diligently this summer preparing for the upcoming school year and the organization of each cluster. Prior to giving you your cluster assignment, I need to share with you some important information about the process used to assign students to each cluster. In order to make certain that each cluster is balanced with respect to the student/teacher ratio, the number of girls and boys, band/chorus students, and range of ability levels, every student’s individual record has been reviewed using a rather intricate formula based on standardized and performance test scores, teacher input, grade averages, special education documents, behavior descriptors, learning styles and parent input.
Whenever possible your requests for cluster placement have been honored. Your child has been assigned to the
Aquaclusterfor the 2013-2014 schoolyear.
In closing, Mrs. Parente and I are excited to collaborate and partner with you on what we hope to be an exciting school year where your child will receive a world class education and will be empowered to excel to new heights!
Sincerely,
Andrew Anderson Ed.D.