R.F. Bumpus Middle School FAQ

Revised 08.03.15 R.F. Bumpus Middle School – FAQ  What is the website for Bumpus? bumpusmiddle.al.hcm.schoolinsites.com  How do I follow Bumpus on Twitter? http://twitter.com/RFBumpus  How do I follow Bumpus on Facebook? http://www.facebook.com/BUMPUSMS  What ways of communication do we have at Bumpus? In addition to the website, Facebook and Twitter, we have a weekly bulletin that is sent to parents. When necessary, we use school messenger to send out important information.  Who are the administrators at Bumpus? Dr. Tamala Maddox is the Principal. Ms. Donna Burke and Mr. Quincy Collins both serve as Assistant Principals.  What is the bell schedule? We are currently running a 7 period schedule and it is located on the Bumpus website. The bell schedule is updated each year and there is always a chance that the bell schedule could change.  Will my child take regular math or advanced math? Advanced mathematics is challenging and rigorous. In order for students to move from 6th grade advanced math to Algebra I in the 8th grade, four years of standards must be mastered during three years of school. Limited time to cover a large number of standards means that all learners in an advanced environment must be self-motivated and have exceptional work ethic. A child placed in advanced math must • Demonstrate strong conceptual understanding of math ideas and be able to explain their thinking. • Demonstrate fluency with the four operations and demonstrate automaticity with their addition, subtraction and multiplication facts. • Demonstrate the ability to apply mathematical understanding and fluency to solve real world problems and justify their answers. If a student meets the criteria stated above, she/he is a likely candidate for Advanced Mathematics.  Who is my counselor? 7 th Grade: Ms. Nita Keith: 205-439-2223; 8 th Grade: Mrs. LeAnne Kahn: 205-439-2222. *Our counselors rotate with the students every year. Intervention Counselor: Mrs. Jennifer McCombs: 205-439-1826—Mrs. McCombs’ office is located in our building, but she also works with several other Hoover schools.  What do I need to know about carpool transportation? There are two entrances to the Bumpus campus. Carpool turns in at the 2nd entrance off of Flemming Pkwy. Students are dropped off in a single line and are picked up in a double line. Maps of the carpool procedure are posted on the Bumpus website.  What do I need to know about bus transportation? There are two entrances to the Bumpus campus. The Bus Entrance is the first entrance off of Flemming Pkwy. Students are dropped on the side of the building in the morning. In the afternoon, the buses line up in the front of the school and on the side of the school. A list of the location of the buses is posted throughout the building. Maps of the bus procedure are posted on the Bumpus website.  Who do I contact to get my INOW login? All students will receive letters with INOW information, user name and password after school begins in August. Mrs. Carol Stone is the Registrar at Bumpus M.S. She is your contact person for any INOW questions. Her direct phone number is 205-439-2212.  What about cafeteria and lunches? Ms. Lisa Kimbrough is our cafeteria manager. Students will keep the same lunch account # if they attended BGIS. Student new to HCS will be assigned a lunch account #. Parents can put money in their student’s account through a PayPam account or drop money in the lunch $ boxes located by the cafeteria and also by the main office. http://www.hoovercityschools.net/? DivisionID=9928&DepartmentID=9954&SubDepartmentID=5571&ToggleSideNav=

 What about athletics? Students have the opportunity to participate on many teams that are offered at Bumpus Middle School. Some teams are try-out sports and others are participation sports. We have Football, Basketball, Cheerleading, Outdoor Track, Volleyball, Dance Team, Golf, Softball, Wrestling, Cross Country and Indoor Track. The Hoover City Schools Athletic Handbooks can be accessed through this link: http://images.pcmac.org/SiSFiles/Schools/AL/HooverCity/SimmonsMiddle/Uploads/Forms/Athletic%20Handbook%202012-2013.pdf

 Will I dress out in Physical Education? Students will dress out every day in PE classes. Orange shirts and black shorts are available for purchase or a student can bring an orange shirt and black pair of shorts to wear.  What about other groups like scholars bowl, debate, robotics, etc.? We offer a variety of academic extracurricular activities and opportunities for our students. All of these opportunities are announced at school and will be listed in our school bulletin. Some of these teams have try-outs and others allow all to participate.  What about band, drama and choir? Band and Choir are year-long courses. Theatre (Drama) is a nine-week exploratory course for 7th grade students and a semester course for 8th grade students. In addition, choir, band, and drama have performances in the fall and the spring.  Who do I contact about financial questions? Mrs. Dena Netterville is our bookkeeper at Bumpus M.S. She may be reached at 205-439-2221.  Who do I contact about attendance issues? Mrs. Sherry Dorris is our attendance secretary. Please call her at: 205-439- 2268 for any questions or concerns about attendance issues (For information regarding attendance, please refer to the Student Code of Conduct Handbook.) Excuse notes can be placed in the box outside the main office.  Are there clubs at Bumpus? Students sign up for clubs at the beginning of the year and clubs meet 4-5 times a year during the school day.  What are the school day hours? School hours are 8:15-3:15. The doors of the building will automatically open at 7:30 and lock at 3:45. Students may not exit cars until door unlocks at 7:30 each morning. Students not under the supervision of a teacher are not allowed in the building after 3:45.  Where can I find the code of conduct ? http://hoovercity.schoolinsites.com/?DivisionID=10189&ToggleSideNav  Where can I find the dress code for Bumpus? http://hoovercity.schoolinsites.com/? DivisionID=10189&ToggleSideNav  What is the Engaged Learning Initiative? In an effort to increase access to those 21st century skills, HCS has made it a goal to offer students a 24/7 accessibility to their learning through this “Engaged Learning Initiative” (ELI). The individual use of technology is a way to empower students to maximize their full potential and to prepare them for college and the workplace. https://sites.google.com/a/hcs-students.net/hcseli/  Will my child be issued a Chromebook at Bumpus? We are a one-to-one school, and all students are issued a Chromebook. For more details refer to the ELI website above.  What standardized tests will each student take at Bumpus? The students take the ACT Aspire with subtests in English, Reading, Math and Science in the spring of each year.  What extra help opportunities does Bumpus provide for each student? At this time we have ETA (Extra time and Assistance) every Tuesday and Thursday for 50 minutes. This time can be used to get extra help from teachers, work on homework/projects or make-up assignments. In addition students can get help from teachers or make up work in ETA each morning from 7:30-8:10 and Friday ETA each Friday from 3:20-7:00pm. The Library and computer lab are also open each morning and students can work there independently.  What electives are offered for Bumpus Students ? Students can choose from year-long electives of Band and Choir or have several nine-week options in 7th grade and semester options in 8th grade.  What is 60-30-10? Grading is 90-A, 80 – B, 70-C, 60-D and below 60 is an F. Within a grading period we follow the 60- 30-10 percent categories that are listed below: 60% major, summative – tests, exams, common assessments, projects, essays, research papers, portfolios.

30% - minor, formative – classwork, quizzes, in-class activities, worksheets, maps, daily work, vocabulary exercises, workbook assignments, cooperative learning.

10% - homework, participation

 Who is the nurse at Bumpus? Nurse Melanie Schmith and she can be reached at 439-2230 or [email protected]  What is the BYSTANDER Button? The Bystander Button is a way for students to anonymously report any bullying or inappropriate behavior. Students can simply go to the Bumpus website http://bumpusmiddle.al.hcm.schoolinsites.com/ and click “Principal’s Corner”. Click the Bystander button and report the incident. All reports are anonymous and are only seen by the administrators and counselors.  What else do I need to know? We are RFBMS, not BMS (Berry Middle). We are Buccaneers , and our pirate doesn't have a sword in his mouth.  Other questions? If you have other questions, feel free to call. The main office number is 439-2200.