Weekly Bulletin and Leadership Message
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Weekly Bulletin and Leadership Message Furnace Brook Middle School January 13, 2017 1 Great Concerts from sixth and seventh grade students We are very proud of our sixth and seventh grade students for their outstanding performances at this past week’s Winter Concerts. Thank you to Mr. Kaminski, Mr. Brenner, Mrs. Ridarelli and Ms. Daigle for their great work in preparing the students. We are excited for our eighth grade concert next Wednesday. Pictured above is our seventh grade chorus. Progress Reports and Conference Sign-ups? This afternoon, Friday, January 13, progress reports will be available on the ASPEN student information system for core classes at FBMS. The portal for conference sign-ups will be opened at 5:00PM this evening. Our conferences are by appointment and will take place on 1/19 from 12:30PM - 2:30PM and 1/29 from 6:00PM - 8:00PM. Parents and Guardians can access the conference sign-ups by going to the FBMS homepage at http://www.mpsd.org/site/Default.aspx?PageID=9 , clicking on the Parent Teacher Conferences link and following these steps: 1 Accessing the Parent Teacher Conference Sign-ups: ● From the FBMS webpage, click on the PTCFAST link. Please do not go directly to the website as you need to access it from our webpage. ● A list of all teachers (by cluster or department) will be displayed. ● Click on the names of your child’s teachers with whom you wish to conference. ● Select a time and enter the required information (child’s and parent’s name and email) ● PTCFAST (the conference scheduling program we use) will send you an email confirmation. The email will give you all information needed if you require a change in appointment and will include a reminder of appointments. As always, appointments do book quickly and are on a first come, first serve basis. If you are unable to access an appointment with a teacher, please contact that teacher to discuss your child’s school performance at a later date/time. If you do not have access to a computer, please contact your child’s teacher to request a conference appointment. Semester class grades will be available on January 27. Author Casey Sherman to Perform to Benefit 8th Grade DC Field Trip! New York Times Bestselling Author Casey Sherman brings his acclaimed one man show TALES OF SUSPENSE to Marshfield with all proceeds going to help fund Furnace Brook Middle School's annual 8th Grade Field Trip to Washington, D.C. The show will take place in the Marshfield High School Auditorium on Wednesday evening, March 8 beginning at 7:00PM. Tickets will be on sale for $15 at the door and will also be made available before the show. Details will follow soon regarding the process for purchasing tickets before the show. Casey Sherman has been called one of the “greatest storytellers in America today.” In TALES OF SUSPENSE, a thrilling one man show, Sherman will share the dramatic, terrifying, heart wrenching and inspirational stories captured in his acclaimed books including the blockbuster The Finest Hours, about the greatest small boat rescue in American history and now an epic film from Walt Disney Studios starring Chris Pine, Casey Affleck and Eric Bana which was filmed n Marshfield. Sherman will also take you into the heart of darkness with his history making re-investigation of the notorious Boston Strangler case chronicled in his true crime classic SEARCH FOR THE STRANGLER and will shine the spotlight on the extraordinary heroes and survivors of the Boston Marathon Bombings 2 detailed in his national bestseller BOSTON STRONG, which inspired the new film PATRIOTS DAY starring Mark Wahlberg, Kevin Bacon & John Goodman. “Casey Sherman was so mesmerizing that you could not hear a sound from the audience for ninety minutes with Tales of Suspense. Casey’s dogged pursuit of the truth, prowess as a writer, powerful delivery skills, and magnetic stage presence all blend together to make one captivating performance. Kudos to Casey! - Sara Murphy, on behalf of the Historic Sweetser Lecture Series Advisory Committee Casey Sherman has appeared on more than 100 television programs including CNN, FOX News, The Today Show, C-SPAN, Unsolved Mysteries, The History Channel, ABC World News Tonight, The CBS Evening News, Discovery, The Travel Channel and even The View. Casey Sherman is a commanding speaker and gifted storyteller and has performed his one man show Tales of Suspense at venues around the country including the historic Wilbur Theatre. Sherman's youngest daughter Mia is an 8th Grader at FBMS and his eldest daughter Bella is a sophomore at Marshfield High School. Remembering Martin Luther King Jr. This week, we recognized the life and contributions of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with several activities this week. At FBMS, some classroom activities included: listening to, reading and analyzing Martin Luther King Jr.’s "I Have a Dream" speech; observing artists' portraits based on the speech; identifying literary elements from this speech that make Martin Luther King Jr.’s message effective and meaningful; comparing Dr. King's speech to speeches of today; watching the movie Ruby Bridges to learn about characterization; reading The Watsons go to Birmingham (which is about a family living during the civil rights movement); writing poems about the civil rights movement; and writing persuasive essays and speeches. Amongst Dr. King’s important sayings is “The Time is Always Right to Do What is Right.” a good … message for all of us as we build peace and take care of one another. Looking to do something positive to start the New Year?? Would you like to help promote intercultural education and peace in the world, while enriching the life of your family? Delf, a 17 year old German high school student, came to the US in September with AFS Intercultural Programs to experience life with an American family and attend a local high school. He has been in a temporary placement and we're now looking for a family that will invite him into their home until the end of June. Delf is friendly, easygoing and honest. He's a strong academic student with interests in sports, music & film editing. Like all AFS participants, he and the host family will be supported throughout the year by local volunteers. If you would like to learn more, or know someone who might, please contact Deb Gallagher, Greater Duxbury Hosting Coordinator, [email protected], 781-834-0708. 3 AFS Intercultural Programs USA | AFS-USA Absence Notifications? When a student has 5 unexcused absences, parents receive a letter from the administration outlining possible consequences of continued absences. In accordance with Massachusetts G.L. c. 76 we are required to notify the parent or guardian of a student who has missed five (5) or more school days unexcused in a school year. In the event that a student exceeds ten (10) unexcused absences, a parent/guardian is required to meet with an administrator to discuss his or her child’s attendance issues. Excused Absences are: death in the immediate family, illness or medical appointment verified by professional note, religious holidays, court appearances, school sponsored and/or approved activities that fall within the guidelines of the time on learning regulations of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Documentation of an excused absence must be received no later than five school days following the student's return to school. The decision on the validity of an absence relative to the ten (10) day rule will be made by an Administrator. Unexcused Absences are: illness, unless verified by professional note, family trips, medical appointments not verified by a professional note, bereavement of non-family member, tardiness and/or dismissals that result in the loss of more than half of the school day, truancy and class cuts and out-of-school Suspensions. The Book Fair is coming! Feb. 6th - 10thh The theme will be Boston Proud with a focus on Boston sports, history, and events which make us so proud to live here. Instead of hosting the Teacher Wishlist this year - we are supporting a local nonprofit organization which supports disenfranchised teens who have dropped out of school, been homeless, or gone through Boston's foster care system. More Than Words was created by a teacher to reach out to these kids and offer them a second chance by having them run two book stores in South Boston and. Waltham, and an online book store. She has had amazing success with students getting their GEDs and continuing to college or trade school. See the video at: http://vimeo.com/31489876 The Online Volunteer Sign Up is: https://volunteer.scholastic.com/#/signup/jHUOtO71 FBMS YEARBOOKS ON SALEE Yearbooks are now on sale. Cost is $25. You may order them online by going to the following website: coffeepond.com ( https://www.coffeepond.com/order_yb1.aspx ) please include your child's name and homeroom. If you have any questions please contact Mrs. Damphousse at [email protected] Parent teacher conference sign-ups will be launched at 5:00pm on January 13, 2017. Parents and guardians are reminded that there will be a link on the FBMS webpage that will connect directly to the sign-up page. Parent conferences are January 19th from 2:30-2:30PM and January 26 from 6:00 to 8:00PM. Term 2 progress reports will be published to Aspen on January 13th at 3PM. Semester 1 report cards will be published on January 27th at 3PM. 4 Have a wonderful weekend, Principal Patrick Sullivan, Assistant Principal Maureen Kemmett, Assistant Principal John Mills HOMEWORK HELPERSR Homework Helpers will run every Wednesday immediately after school in the library for one hour.