LANCER UPDATE - BACK TO SCHOOL EDITION

BLOOMFIELD HILLS MIDDLE SCHOOL (BHMS)

LANCER UPDATE - BACK TO SCHOOL EDITION 2018-19

Greetings to the BHMS Community!

The BHMS administration and staff are busy preparing for what we expect to be an excellent 2018-19 school year. Hopefully, you've had a relaxing summer and your students are ready for the same.

In this Lancer Update - Back to School Edition you will find a wealth of information to help you navigate both the start of the school year, and policies and procedures that will be useful to you throughout the year. The early school year information is included first, followed by general information, policies and procedures in alphabetical order. We believe you will find it quite comprehensive but, if you still have questions after reading through this information, please feel free to call the BHMS main office at 248-341-6000.

INFORMATION FOR THE START OF THE SCHOOL YEAR

BHMS IS A NUT RESTRICTED BUILDING: Food containing peanuts, tree nuts, nut butters, nut oils or any other nut products should not be brought into the building at any time – including nights and weekends. There are students who are highly allergic to these products.

FAMILY NEWSLETTER: One of the most important things for you to know is that the weekly Lancer Update is the source of communication between BHMS and its families. It is an electronic newsletter that is sent weekly on Friday evenings. It will be sent to the same e-mail address at which you are receiving this Back to School special edition, and will contain current announcements and events.

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL: Tuesday, September 4. Classes start at 8:15 a.m. This will be a half-day for 5th graders only, who will be dismissed at 11:35 a.m. It will be a full day for 6th, 7th and 8th graders, who will be dismissed at 3:05 p.m. (Cafeteria will be open for lunch purchases.) Buses will run at both the half day and full day dismissal times.

WHERE STUDENTS REPORT ON THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL

5th grade: Cafeteria

6th grade: Fieldhouse

7th grade: Gym (7A to boys locker room side; 7B to girls locker room side)

8th grade: Report based upon first letter of last name:

Last name Go to Room

A through C 104

D through G 105

H through K 106

L through P 107

Q through So 108

Sp through Z 109

STUDENT SCHEDULES: Schedules will be distributed on the first day of school. Your student should address any schedule concerns with her/his counselor. However, all teacher assignments are final. Mrs. Jaster is the counselor for grades 6 and 8. Mr. Flevaris is the counselor for grades 5 and 7.

REGULAR SCHOOL HOURS: School begins promptly at 8:15 a.m. Students may not enter the building before 7:55 a.m., and should have enough time to get to their locker and be seated in the classroom by 8:15 a.m. (See "Unsupervised Students Before/After School" and "Kidz Zone" program information below). Full days end at 3:05 p.m. and half days end at 11:35 a.m.

SUGGESTED SUPPLIES: Suggested supply lists are posted on the main page of the BHMS website.

CURRICULUM NIGHTS: (Parents/Guardians only; students do not need to attend)

-5th grade: Wednesday, September 5 from 7:00 until 8:30 p.m.

-6/7/8 grades : Thursday, September 6 from 7:00 until 8:30 p.m.

BUS SCHEDULES: Instructions for finding your student's bus schedule are on the BHS Transportation Department website. Please refer questions or concerns about buses directly to the Transportation Department, not to the BHMS school office.

CARPOOL LANES: Following these rules and extending courtesy to other drivers will keep our students safe and the cars moving efficiently.

The inside lane, closest to the sidewalk, is the ONLY lane from which you should drop off or pick up students.
Please pull ahead as far as you can to let your child out of or into the car from that Inside lane.
The outer lane (near the grass) should be used only for leaving the carpool line after you have dropped your child off in the inside lane. Do not use the outside lane to get to the front of the line and/or cut ahead of other cars.
Under no circumstances should you allow your student to exit or enter your car from the outer lane.

DRESS CODE: BHMS provides a dress code for students to assure a standard of respect for self and others. Students whose clothing violates the dress code will be asked to call home for appropriate attire. The dress code remains in effect for all school sponsored events both during and after school hours. BHMS school administration reserves the right to use its discretion when determining the appropriateness of school attire for any of its students.

Dress code for all BHMS students is as follows:

Tops must extend to the shoulder and cover the entire midriff.
Bottoms, as a general rule, must be at least fingertip level or longer when arms and hands are straight down to the side, and must sit high enough on the hips or waist to cover undergarments.
Hats may only be worn on Fridays, or specially designated spirit days. Hoods may not be worn at any time.
Clothing may not advertise inappropriate content including but not limited to alcoholic beverages, tobacco products or any substance prohibited by the BHS Uniform Code of Conduct.

GENERAL INFORMATION, POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

(In Alphabetical order)

ANNOUNCEMENTS (DAILY STUDENT): Shown as a link on the BHMS website.

ATTENDANCE LINE: The school attendance phone number is 248-341-6010. Please do not use the main office phone number for attendance related reasons, or the information may not reach the attendance secretary, Mrs. Foronato. When you call 248-341-6010 you will receive a recorded message, and you will be leaving a recorded message. The line is checked frequently, so you do not need to call back to confirm that your message was received. Likewise, we do not call you to confirm receipt of your message.E-mails are not accepted for any attendance requests or reasons.

Call the attendance line at 248-341-6010 for these reasons:

1. Report an absence (before 9:00 a.m. please)

2. Report a late arrival

3. Request to pick up your child during school hours. Please call early in the day. Calling when you are on your way does not provide sufficient time to retrieve the message and locate and get a message to your child. If someone other than a parent/guardian is picking up your child during school hours, leave their name on the recording and have them bring picture ID into the building with them.

4. Request a bus pass for your child to go home with another student, or to get off at a stop other than his/her own.

5. Leave an emergency message for your child.

BELL SCHEDULE: A Daily Bell Schedule by Grade, which includes lunch periods, in on the BHMS website.

BUILDING SECURITY: For the safety of staff and students, all exterior doors will be locked between 8:15 a.m. and 3:05 p.m. Visitors should access the building through the EAST entrance that faces Quarton, using the building security camera and buzzer system. All visitors must report directly to the main office to sign in and obtain a visitor pass. No exceptions.

CAFETERIA LUNCHES: All school lunch information, including prices, menus, how to make a payment on a student's lunch account, and for Free and Reduced Lunch (which must be re-applied for within the first two weeks of every school year) are on on the District's Nutrition and Food Services website. An insufficient balance on a lunch account is a big stressor for a middle school student. If you plan to have your student purchase lunch, please make sure that the account has a sufficient positive balance.

CALENDARS: See school specific calendars on the BHMS website. Included are A/B days, BHMS events, and a club calendar. The District Calendar provides an overview of district days off, school breaks and holidays.

CLUBS: BHMS is proud to offer a variety of before and after school student clubs. Grade eligibility varies by club. Sign-up will take place during student lunch hours in mid- to late-September. Advance notice will be given to students via daily announcements, and to families in a Friday Lancer Update. A club Pay to Participate fee applies to all grades and clubs.

COUNSELORS: Mrs. Laura Jaster (ljaster@bloomfield.org or 248-341-6003) is the counselor for this year's grades 6 and 8. Mr. Anthony Flevaris (aflevaris@bloomfield.org or 248-341-6004) is the counselor for grades 5 and 7.

DELIVERIES FOR STUDENTS: As students enter their middle school years, a vital part of growth and development is organizational skills and responsibility. Part of that responsibility includes bringing homework assignments, instruments, lunch, fully charged Chromebooks and iPads (issued by the school for grades 6, 7 & 8 with parent/guardian permission),and any other items necessary for their success each school day. However, if you need to drop something off for your student during school hours, please bring it directly to the office to be delivered to your student. Lunches should be clearly marked with the student's name AND grade.

HEALTH CLINIC VOLUNTEERS: The health clinic is staffed entirely by parents, and volunteers are always needed. If you are interested in helping out in the health clinic, contact Mrs. Foronato (cforonato@bloomfield.org or 248-341-6002) in the BHMS office to sign up for a regular monthly spot.

KIDZ ZONE (LATCHKEY): Kidz Zone is a before and after school child care program at BHMS. Preregistration is required. Cost and additional information is available on the District's Latchkey website.

LUNCH HOURS: See the Daily Bell Schedule by Grade on the BHMS website.

MEDICATIONS: School personnel cannot administer any medication without a completed authorization form on file in the BHMS office. Please select the appropriate authorization form for non-prescription or prescription medication.

MUSIC BOOSTERS: BHMS has an extremely strong Music Boosters programs. Please become a member and promote our band, orchestra, choir and performing arts programs.

PTO: The BHMS PTO supports the school's curricular and co-curricular programs in too many ways to list! Please become a member and volunteer with this wonderful organization.

SPORTS: BHMS offers a variety of sports teams in various seasons for students in grades 6, 7 & 8. Coach contacts and start dates, as well as meeting dates for fall sports will be updated on the BHMS Athletics webpage. They will also be communicated to students through daily announcements and to parents via an e-mail from MS Athletic Director, Avis Najor. All students must have an updated Athletic Physical form on file in the BHMS office before try-outs or participation, and a Pay to Participate fee must be submitted for each team member.There are no team sports for 5th graders.

UNSUPERVISED STUDENTS BEFORE/AFTER SCHOOL: Unsupervised students in the building before and after school hours are a safety concern. Students who are dropped off before 7:55 a.m. will be asked to wait outside the building until 7:55. Students who remain in the building after 3:15 p.m., who are not part of a supervised BHMS program, will be escorted to Kidz Zone (see Kidz Zone). Parents will be assessed a fee.