School Info

This Week's Announcements:

MONDAY

Today is Monday, March 9th. It is a B Day

Garage Band groups meeting this week are: Tuesday: Merk Derkle Dunk and the X Girlfriends
Thursday: Mac-n-Cheese and the Ranch Resistance & Pearl Jelly
(Fruit Loopers & the Broken Strings are off)

The GSA will be meeting in room 412 on Tuesday, March 10th. All are welcome!

Battle of the Books will meet tomorrow in Room 402.

Today’s lunch entrée:
Chicken & waffles, sweet corn, apple, orange and milk

TUESDAY

Today is Tuesday, March 10th. It is a C Day

Garage Band groups meeting this week are: Today: Merk Derkle Dunk and the X Girlfriends
Thursday: Mac-n-Cheese and the Ranch Resistance & Pearl Jelly
(Fruit Loopers & the Broken Strings are off)

The GSA will be meeting today in room 412. All are welcome!

🍀 The Great Leprechaun Hunt is On! 🍀
Attention 6th Graders! Think you’ve got the luck of the Irish? Or maybe just some really sharp eyes? It’s time to put them to the test! We’ve had reports of some tiny, green-clad mischief-makers hiding around the school, and Peer Leaders need your help to track them down. Join us after school in the cafeteria TODAY. Prizes will be awarded to our top trackers!

Green Team club members - we are meeting this Thursday at 2:30 pm in room 307. Contact Ms. Casella with any questions. The Green Fun Fact of the Day is - plastic straws go in the trash.

You hear about a tournament? *The* tournament. It's held once a generation.
(...Or at least once a school year.) The best players in the school are invited.
(But so is everyone else.) If interested, please attend our Chess Club meeting today, after school in Room 306, *or* send a message to Mr. Khan and/or Mrs. Monroe.
More updates are being posted to our Schoology group.
May the odds be ever in your favor!

Please check the Lost and Found for any of your missing items. Items that are left on Thursday afternoon, will be donated.

The Girls' Modified Lacrosse Interest Meeting will be at 3pm this Thursday in Room 204. Students can report to after school sports supervision in the cafeteria prior to the meeting. Bus passes will be provided.

This week’s Scotties Spotlight goes to:

We would like to recognize, and thank, Aria Barber and Nicholas Sheridan for representing our school at the Regional Student Summit titled Elevating Student Voices. This summit hosted students from 25 different school districts and was an opportunity for students to learn and share their perspectives with school leaders and their greater communities; it focused on empowering student voice, enhancing school communities, and fostering belonging to promote a positive school culture.

Be sure to see their photo displayed on our Scottie's Spotlight board in the lobby.

Today’s Clubs & Activities are as follows:
6th Grade Winter Intramurals, Battle of the Books, Book Club, Chess Club, Garage Band, GSA, Jazz Club, Peer Leaders, Students Helping Students, VBC

Today’s lunch entrée:
Meatball hero, Cinnamon & honey roasted beans, orange, apple and milk

WEDNESDAY

Today is Wednesday, March 11th. It is a D Day

Garage Band groups meeting this week are:
Thursday: Mac-n-Cheese and the Ranch Resistance & Pearl Jelly
(Fruit Loopers & the Broken Strings are off)

Are you prepared? BSMS Chess Club is arranging a tournament.
Students across all grades are welcome to participate.
If you wish to sign up, please contact Mr. Khan and/or Mrs. Monroe.
Matches will be taking place after school, so please make sure you are able to stay on Tuesdays and/or Thursdays. Looking forward to seeing you going the distance!

Students: Please check the Lost and Found for any of your missing items. Items that are left on Thursday afternoon, will be donated.

There will not be a Student Council meeting this Thursday. We will see you next Tuesday in room 415.

Coach Dayton’s PE classes are to report to the gym not the pool today.

And now a word from our guest reader:

Here is our next quote to help you think about self-control and it is by Walt Disney. He said, "I can never stand still. I must explore and experiment!" Meaning, Walt Disney was a dreamer, but he was also a master of self-control. He had to have the discipline to focus on one drawing, one frame, and one story at a time for years before Disneyland ever opened. Self-control isn't about being 'boring'—it’s the fuel that turns a wild imagination into a reality.

Today’s lunch entrée:
Strawberry orange or very berry smoothie, spicy tomato salad, orange, banana and milk

THURSDAY

Today is Thursday, March 12^th. It is an A Day

Today’s Garage Band is: Mac-n-Cheese and the Ranch Resistance & Pearl Jelly

The Green Fun Fact of the Day is - plastic straws go in the trash.

It's been great seeing such strong interest in our upcoming Chess tournament.
Sign-ups will be closing soon, so if you wish to participate, but have not already done so, please contact Mrs. Monroe and/or Mr. Khan! Our next meeting will be one week from today, on Thursday, March 19!

Please check the Lost & Found for your missing items. Items left today, will be donated.

Student Council is cancelled today. We will see you next Tuesday in room 415.

Congratulations to Finn Bodkin, Adam Loomis, Chase Marotta, Collyns Delarm, Hailey Delgado, and McKenzie Kirvin for receiving the PE Leadership Award for the Capital Zone. This award, given to eighth graders throughout the Capital Region, was originated by a PE teacher from Farnsworth Middle School in Guilderland; Ms. Sandy Morley. Ms. Morley’s award recognizes students showing great leadership in school as well as in sports outside of PE classes. This year’s winners have shown great character and integrity and their actions and have inspired others to do their best. Their excellence in Physical Education and participation in sports have made each of the recipients a great citizen of our community. They are responsible, respectful of others and make good decisions for themselves. Each value learning, are physically active, have a positive influence on peers and give their best in all of their classes. Congratulations to all!

Today’s Clubs & Activities are as follows:
6^th Grade Winter Intramurals, Garage Band, Green Team, MS Yearbook, NJHS, Sea Perch

Today’s lunch entrée:
General Tso’s Chicken, yellow rice, spinach salad, apple, orange and milk

FRIDAY

Clubs & Activities Descriptions

Ballston Buddies

This club creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Students with and without disabilities are matched in a mutually enriching one-to-one friendship. Activities include monthly meetings in the Gateway classroom that foster positive interaction and collaboration between members, and monthly meetings with peer buddies (students without intellectual and developmental disabilities) to enable them to feel comfortable in their roles within the club.

Book Club

Chess Club

Creative Writing Club

Environmental Club

FCCLA

The purpose of FCCLA is to promote personal growth and leadership development through Family and Consumer Sciences education. Focusing on the multiple roles of family member, wage earner and community leader, members develop skills for life through character development; creative and critical thinking; interpersonal communications; practical knowledge; and career preparation. We reach out to our community for service projects and within our group to share skills.

Garage Band

GOC

Green Team

The Green Team's mission is to implement creative ways of convincing others to take action to make our school better for the environment. Students brainstorm ideas and implement projects that interest them as well as improve the impact our school and community have on the environment. We meet two to three times per month, usually on Wednesday from 2:30-3:30 pm. Students can earn service hours by participating in our club.

GSA

Intramurals

Jazz Band

Junior SurvYvor (Gaming Club)

This club aims to foster self-esteem and strengthen positive relationships between teens, their peers, and adults in the school community. Through engaging activities, members address challenges they face in school and collaborate on solutions. The club also emphasizes teamwork, communication, and sportsmanship. Once a month, participants come together in a fun and inclusive gaming environment to build connections and enjoy interactive, game-based experiences.

Launching Pad

National Junior Honor Society

Odyssey of the Mind

Peer Leader

The Peer Leader Program is designed to help sixth graders and new students transition into Middle School. Peer Leaders help students learn how to navigate the building, open their lockers, organize their materials, take the late bus and so much more! Peer Leaders are more than just role models to their 6th graders, they become great friends! Peer Leaders meet monthly after school with their advisors and attend at a minimum one evening or after-school event with their 6th graders.

Robotics Club

Running Club

Sea Perch

An innovative underwater robotics program that allows students to utilize their imaginations to construct a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV). This club teaches students basic engineering and science concepts with a marine engineering theme. The Sea Perch program provides students the opportunity to learn about robotics, engineering, science and mathematics (STEM) while building an underwater ROV, with assistance from professional engineers in the work force. Throughout the project, students will explore technical applications and utilize problem-solving skills. At the close of the program, students will have the opportunity to participate in a competition with other schools, which may lead to further competitive opportunities.

Service Club

Ski Club

Student Council

Students Helping Students

VBC (Video Broadcasting Club)

VBC is for students interested in creating student-led feature news stories, film, photography, acting and video editing. This club teaches students how to film and edit video while we produce our morning video announcements for the Middle School. Students will cover school activities and events, sports, world news, local news, business reviews, feature stories and more.

Yearbook

Forms/Publications

News

School Closings/Delays

Student Recognition

Updates from the Principal

Ballston Spa Middle School Parent Updates

Upcoming Dates

1/19/25 Martin Luther King Jr. Day (No school)
1/23/25 2nd quarter marking period closes
1/30/25 2nd quarter report cards posted

Parent Updates

Outdoor recess- We are anticipating being able to again offer a brief recess period for students at the end of their lunch block depending on the weather. Please remind your students to dress warm if they would like to go outside during recess. Students will not be allowed to play in the snow and should not bring in snow pants, etc. Students choosing to go out should be able to be comfortable outside in the clothes they wear into school. Students may remain in the cafeteria during this time if they choose.

2nd quarter Interim Grades- The 2nd quarter interim grades are posted. Parents are encouraged to log in to review. If you have any questions, please contact your child’s teacher or counselor. Helpful directions for navigating Parent Portal/SchoolTool can be found here Parent Portal Q & A and School Tool Highlights Link.

After School Activities & Athletic Events - Please help us remind students that they are only allowed to stay after school for a school sponsored activity (extra help, school clubs, sports, etc). They must report directly to that location, and they must remain there until they are dismissed by the supervisor or coach. Students attending athletic events as spectators are not allowed to remain in the building unsupervised after school until the event begins. These students must leave the building at dismissal and return at the start of the athletic event.

Annual Scottie’s Locker/ District Wellness Expo- We will be hosting Scottie's Locker as part of the District Health & Wellness Expo again on March 7th. If you are interested in donating your gently used sports equipment, please click on the link for more information. Accepting Donations

Annual Digital Resources Survey- Please take a minute to complete our annual collection for updates to students' digital resources using this survey. The New York State Education Department requires us to gather this information annually. Please help us submit accurate information by completing this survey.

Scotties Character Counts Series - Our Scotties Character Counts Series focus is on teamwork. Our students took part in a special lesson on 12/11 focusing on this character trait.

Here is a glimpse of our work that you as families are also welcome to access: https://posproject.org/p2-for-families/6-8/teamwork/

Student pick-up- Please ensure that students are only picked up in the designated loading zones, between the two crosswalks. We also need you to pull up as much as you can so that we can load more than one car at a time. There have been several “close calls” due to parents stopping to pick up high school students while exiting the middle school parking lot. Adhering to our pickup and drop off procedures is critical to ensuring a safe and orderly dismissal from school.

The High School is updating their pickup and drop off procedures. If you are picking up a high school student, as well, please see the following information regarding high school student pick-up.

PTA- If you haven’t joined yet, please join our amazing Middle School PTA. The link to join is here.

Attendance- We love seeing all of our students' smiling faces everyday! Please be sure to have your student here everyday on time. If your child does need to be out due to illness or appointments. Please write a note and turn it in to our attendance secretary within 10 days of the absence -Mrs. Belleard - mbelleard@bscsd.org. Please consider reviewing Attendance Works if you need additional supports getting your student to school on a regular basis - https://www.attendanceworks.org

Free and Reduced Lunch Application- The Ballston Spa Central School District is participating in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) or Provision 2 in a non-base year. All children in the school will receive meals/milk at no charge regardless of household income or completion of this form. This form is to determine eligibility for additional State and federal program benefits that your child(ren) may qualify for. Please be aware that this program is reviewed on a regular basis, and these forms help the school to continue to be eligible for free lunch and breakfasts in years to come. If you have any questions, please contact us for assistance.

Latest Update

ResponibilityRubric2025.pdf

First page of the PDF file: ResponibilityRubric2025

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