BHMS LANCER UPDATE - Friday, December 1, 2017

SCHOOL NEWS

NEXT WEEK'S SCHEDULE

Monday, December 4 - A day
Tuesday, December 5 - B day
Wednesday, December 6 - A day
Thursday, December 7 - B day
Friday, December 8 - A day

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WINTER BREAK: Monday, December 25 through Friday, January 5. Classes resume on Monday, January 8, with a B day schedule.

The CLUB CALENDAR is now on the main page of the BHMS website. Please bookmark the link as a reference for your student's club meeting dates, start times and end times.

For more dates, check out the A/B DAY SCHEDULE AND EVENTS CALENDAR and the BHMS DAILY BELL SCHEDULE (includes lunch periods) on the BHMS Website.

5TH GRADE FAMILY NIGHT ON DECEMBER 8 - RSVP NOW

The PTO has a fun get-together planned for BHMS 5th graders, their siblings and their parents/guardians on Friday, December 8, from 6:30 until 8:30 p.m. There'll be a movie and popcorn in the cafeteria for the kids, and other activities for parents. The cost of admission is just a non-perishable food item, to be donated to Gleaners Community Food Bank. Your family can have a night out while helping other families in need. Please note that this is not a "drop off" student event. Parents/guardians are asked to stay for the fun. For all the other details of this event, please open this flyer. Please click here to RSVP! In case you are curious about the film, please click here. If you still have questions or want to find out how to help with the event, e-mail Renu Zaretsky at renu.zaretsky@gmail.com.

LANCER LEADERS / UPSTANDER PROGRAM TO FOCUS ON 6TH GRADERS

For the 2017-2018 school year, all BHMS 6th grade students will participate in the Lancer Leaders/Upstander Program. The program was designed to engage middle school students in a meaningful, relevant conversation about negative social behaviors that can lead to bullying within their school. This is accomplished through interactive workshops that provide education, promote team building and encourage advocacy. A total of eight workshops will be conducted over the remainder of the school year. These lessons facilitate the development of leadership abilities, critical thinking skills and provide training in methods of effectively intervening in troubling situations.

The primary goal of Upstander is to bring the issue of bullying to the forefront of the students' social consciousness through empowerment and self-reflection. This task is completed by providing the students with appropriate strategies and knowledge that enables them to be proactive in a variety of situations. The knowledge gained from each lesson helps to reduce the incidence of "bystander syndrome", a key element that allows situations to escalate into more dangerous conflicts. The dates and lessons/topics are as follows:

If you have questions regarding your child's participation in this program, please contact Mr. Flevaris, BHMS 6^th and 8^th Grade Counselor. He can be reached by e-mailing aflevaris@bloomfield.org, or by phone at 248-341-6004. For additional information on the Upstander program, please visit www.defeatthelabel.com.

PTO ONLINE SPIRIT WEAR STORE RE-OPENED THROUGH DECEMBER 12

'Tis the Season to snuggle up in a warm Lancer stadium blanket while wearing your favorite Lancer pajama bottoms. Show your BHMS Lancer Pride while supporting the BHMS PTO. This limited edition Holiday Spirit Wear is available online now through December 12. The perfect holiday gift is only a click away. Here's all you need to do to place your order:

1) Click Here (but read Step 2 first)
2) Enter the BHMS ID: bhms_holiday_17
3) Click on "Show me the shirts"
4) Order away!

Payments are processed through PayPal. You may use a current PayPal account, or pay as a guest and use your credit card. Please refer questions about spirit wear orders to PTO President Deb Zupancic.

HAS YOUR 6th, 7th or 8th GRADER TURNED IN ROLLER BLADE FEES? DEADLINE IS DECEMBER 18

Students in grades 6, 7 and 8 are asked to bring in $10 (exact cash only, or check payable to BHMS) for Physical Education class roller blade equipment rentals. For liability purposes, only rental equipment will be used. Payments should be given to Mr. DiVito or Mrs. Wenson during gym periods before Friday, December 18. The fee includes delivery and pick up of the equipment as well as use of the skates for five days of skating during P.E. class. Students will also be required to wear wrist guards and a helmet, which will also be provided. However, students have the option of bringing their own helmets and wrist guards. The helmets and skates will be sanitized daily. Knee pads will also be provided for those who choose to wear them. Please refer questions to Mr. DiVito. Thank you for your support in this great activity.

FOR FAMILIES OF 6TH GRADE CHOIR STUDENTS

POPS CONCERT ON DECEMBER 11: The 6^th grade Choir class is excited to present its first concert of the school year. The POPS concert, with a theme of Motown Magic – Hitsville USA, will be presented on Monday, December 11, at 7 p.m. Students have been working on group songs that represent the music of Motown. There will also be solo and small group acts performing Motown songs both past and present. The concert will take place in the BHMS Cafeterium, which will be transformed into the Motown Magic Café. Guests are invited to enjoy the concert, which will last approximately 40 minutes, followed by treats and refreshments. Students participating in the concert should wear their green music Polo, black clothing from the waist down, and dark shoes and socks.

MOTOWN MUSEUM FIELD TRIP: As a follow-up to their Motown Magic - Hitsville, USA POPS Concert, students in the 6th grade Choir class will be taking a field trip to the Motown Museum, followed by lunch at a nearby restaurant. Students will be bringing home permission slips shortly. Please watch for the permission slip and sign and return it to Mrs. Pierre. Parents/guardians interested in chaperoning the field trip should contact Mrs. Pierre right away.

PTO NEWS and EVENTS

5TH GRADE FAMILY MEET AND GREET NIGHT: See article above.

INAUGURAL BHMS PTO PARENTS NIGHT OUT IN PLANNING STAGES: Open this letter to see how you can help.

PTO MEMBERSHIP DIRECTORY NOW ONLINE: The 2017-2018 BHMS PTO online School Directory is now available to PTO members. Returning directory users, click here for the online directory. Continue to use the same email address and login as you used last year. Click on "Forgot Password?" if needed. If you're new to the directory this year, you received an email with a temporary password to access the online directory. If you haven't received that email, please email Sue Brodsky at suebrodsky@comcast.net. If for some reason, you are not in the directory and would like to be, please click here and enter the code LancerDirectory. You can still support the PTO by joining, which will give you access to the online directory. Please click on this link to join. The system will let you add your own information. Get the mobile app too! Look for myschoolanywhere in the app store.

FORENSICS TEAM COMPETITION RESULTS

A HUGE congratulations to the BHMS Forensics Team, which made an impressive showing at the Michigan Interscholastic Forensics Association (MIFA) Fall Mid-Level Tournament in Okemos on November 18. Kudos, also, to the dedicated Forensics coaching staff who works diligently with the team members for months prior to the tournament. Out of 63 total team members, 59 received awards. Many took first place in their respective categories. Please take a moment to look through this list of Tournament Competitors and Results to see the team's outstanding performance in the competition.

ROBOTICS NEWS

BHMS is proud to have students on nine different Robotics teams this year. There are four First Lego League (FLL) teams and five First Tech Challenge (FTC) Teams. The teams, along with many teams from other Bloomfield Hills District schools, compete in various competitions throughout Michigan. Some advance to national competitions in other states. Guiding the teams are amazing parents/guardians who volunteer hours of their time for meetings and competitions. Under "District News", the district posts competition results for all teams in the district on a regular basis. Please take some time to read through the impressive competition results and awards won by the following teams, which are made up of BHMS students:

FIRST Lego League (Grades 4 through 8): BHMS Robo Ticks, Motor City Maniacs, Tech Tigers, Factory Falcons

FIRST Tech Challenge (Grades 7 through 12; determined by student's age): The Golden Gears, The Mechanical Monkeys, The Purple Protons, No Limits, The Space Unicorns.

We wish all of the BHMS student teams luck in this competition season. Robotics rocks!

TIME TO ORDER YEARBOOKS

Students wishing to purchase a BHMS yearbook must order online directly with Josten's. Yearbooks are 56 pages of full color, and covers can be customized. If a student does not order online now, there is no guarantee that a yearbook will be available when they come out in June. Yearbooks are $35.00. Place your online order directly through Josten's by clicking HERE.

ME TO WE CLUB BRACELET SALE/FUNDRAISER CONTINUES ONLINE

The BHMS Me to We Club in-school bracelet sale is over, but you can still support the club's fundraiser by ordering Rafiki, Minga, or Imani bracelets directly online. Shipping is free, payment can be made via PayPal or credit card, and orders will be sent directly to your home. The online fundraiser runs now through December 22, but be sure to allow shipping time if you are ordering a gift.

Bracelets come in many colors and styles, with prices ranging from $10-$15. When you order using the instructions and the "We Code" listed below, proceeds from your purchase will benefit the Me to We Club's fundraiser, which helps support education for young women in Africa and provides vital income for the Maasai women of Kenya, who hand-make each bracelet.

Ordering online is simple, Please consider purchasing a gift that gives back by following the instructions below.

1) Click on or cut and paste this link in your brower: https://shop.metowe.com/us/we-are-rafikis

2) Enter the requested information, and indicate that you are purchasing on behalf of a school.

3) Use the BHMS School "We Code' of AABE6D. (If you misplace this code, you can search by school name).

Would you like to learn more about the BHMS Me to We Club? Look us up on Facebook (Bhms Metowe Club), Instagram or Twitter @bhmsmetowe. Feel free to share this information with family and friends.

EXTENDED LEAVE / VACATION FORM REQUIRED FOR EXTENDED DAYS OFF

If your child will be missing three or more days of school, please have them pick up an Extended Leave Form from the BHMS office. The form should be completed at least two weeks in advance of the leave. This form is to be signed by the parent, and then your student will take the form to all teachers - block teachers and "A" and "B" day elective teachers. Once all teachers have signed off on the form, it should be returned to Mrs. Foronato in the office.

MUSIC BOOSTERS NEWS

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR MUSIC BOOSTERS BAKE SALES: BHMS Music Boosters is in need of bakers and sellers for after school bake sales. Sellers volunteer on Wednesdays from 2:45-3:15 p.m., in the Gateway area. Bakers are asked to bring in two dozen individual pieces, which must be entirely free of nuts or nut products/by products. If purchasing baked goods, please check that they are also from a nut-free facility. Baked goods can be dropped off in the office any time during your scheduled bake sale day. Click here to volunteer to bake or sell on assigned dates. If you have questions, or if you can't make the day on which you volunteered, please contact Patty Shaw.

PLEASE DO NOT BRING ITEMS CONTAINING NUTS OR NUT PRODUCTS INTO ANY AREA OF THE BUILDING

Please remember that BHMS IS AN ENTIRELY NUT-RESTRICTED BUILDING, 24-HOURS A DAY, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK. There are students in the building who are highly allergic to peanuts and all kinds of tree nuts, and their well-being is of concern.

Students should not bring lunch or snacks containing nuts or nut products. Additionally, while your donations and gifts are very much appreciated, we ask that you make sure anything given to the office, to teachers or classrooms, for bake sales, end-of-sports or club parties or any other occasion are free of all nuts and nut products. Thank you so much for your consideration.

END OF BHMS LANCER UPDATE

SEE DISTRICT NEWS BELOW

Bloomfield Hills Schools Students Make A Difference

Over 150 volunteers arrived at Cass Community Social Services, Detroit, for Make a Difference Day, an annual event organized by the PTOC. "Working as a team is better than working alone, and it was fun!" Amanda Vieira, 8th grader, exclaims.

Students packed donations, collected trash outside, and created recycled door mats. Ainsley Smith, elementary student, volunteered to make hamburgers with high school students. "If we were homeless it would be nice to have people helping, like we're helping today," Smith says.

BHS Robotics Results - November 18th

Congratulations to the following teams for their accomplishments during the weekend of November 18th:

Conant: Bloomfield Builders - Won Judges Award
Way: The Super Bionical 9 - Won Core Values Award, Advanced to State Competition
EHMS: The Patriotic Pandas - Won Strategy & Innovation Award; EHMS Aqua Attack - Won Strategy & Innovation Award; Robo Rangers - First Place Innovate Award, Inspire Award - 3rd Place, Design Award- 3rd Place
BHMS: Motor City Maniacs - 2nd place robot overall, Advanced to State Competition; Factory Falcons - Performance Award
WHMS: FIRST Tech Challenge - The Omega Warriors - First Place - Think Award, Advanced to State Championship

Opportunities for Students Entering High School in 2018-19

Do you ever wonder what opportunities and pathways are available for students entering high school? Click here to view the High School Opportunities Packet.

VIEW ALL SCHOOL NEWS