BC News and Highlights - January 2018

New Board Members Sworn In

Congratulations and welcome to our newest board members, Joe Abbott, Matt Bratton, and Rod Johnson! All three members were sworn in at the January 10th BOE meeting held at Bloom-Carroll middle school. Following the swearing in ceremony, the newly elected members joined along side our current board members, Mark Milless and Stacy Parker, to begin their annual organizational meeting in which new officers were elected for 2018. The BOE elected Mark Milless as president and Joe Abbott as vice president. The next BOE meeting is scheduled for Monday, January 22nd in the middle school media center beginning at 6:00pm. During this meeting, the board will recognize students that have received building-wide Student-of-the-Month awards for the first semester. The Student-of-the-Month ceremony will be held prior to the start of the BOE meeting at 5:30pm in the BCMS cafeteria. For more information about the BOE and to find the dates for upcoming meetings, please visit their webpage listed below. Bloom-Carroll Local Schools Board of Education

Message Regarding Calamity Days

Calamity Day Make-Up Assignments Our students have currently missed two days of instruction this school year due to inclement weather. It is impossible to tell what the rest of the winter has in store for us; however, with two more months of winter left, the chances we will face another school cancellation are pretty good. To make up for lost instructional time, districts in Ohio are permitted by law to utilize online assignments or paper copy assignments (“Blizzard Bags”) to make up the equivalent hours of three school days per year. Our Board has authorized the use of calamity day make-up assignments for the 3 rd , 5 th , and 8 th  calamity day. Again, at this point, we have only missed two days. If we miss a third day of school, students will be issued a make-up assignment. Students in grades K-4 would be issued “Blizzard Bags” upon their return to school. Middle school and high school students would be issued online assignments through Schoology or “Blizzard Bags” upon their return to school. Students have two weeks from the date of a the school closing for which the lesson is assigned to complete and return the assignment. Principals have communicated with the instructional staff that close attention should be given to the amount of time an assignment takes to complete, and all assignments should enrich or reinforce content closely connected to the subject and grade level standard – it should not be “busy work.”   Additional information will be communicated from building administration and teachers in the event we reach a 3 rd , 5 th , or 8 th  calamity day. Let’s hope for a regular schedule and good weather for the rest of this winter!   Thank you, Shawn Haughn Superintendent

Bulldogs Committed to Paying it Forward

Over the decades, the Bloom-Carroll Local School District has been committed to investing in our community and seeking opportunities to pay it forward by partnering with some of the wonderful organizations in our BC community. Many of our Bloom-Carroll students, staff, and clubs played an active role in supporting, participating, and planning these opportunities within our community. During the past few months, we have partnered with organizations such as Directions for Youth and Families, the American Red Cross, Fairfield Center for Disabilities and Cerebral Palsy, Angel Works, Shalom United Methodist Food Pantry, and the Village of Carroll. In addition, many of our students and staff came together this year to give back to those in need by donating food and gifts during this holiday season. This is an annual event that really brings intangible benefits to all who participate! What an amazing response we had by everyone involved. Thank you to all that participated and partnered with us over the holiday season!

BCMS Students Shine in December

The month of December was a busy one for the students at Bloom-Carroll Middle School. From packing-the-house at band concerts to bringing their best performances in the classroom, these bulldogs were shining bright in December! Throughout the month, our middle school band and choir students hosted several winter concerts and shared great performances for family and friends! During the 6 th  grade band and choir concerts, students displayed many of the musical skills they have mastered since the start of the school year. The 7 th  and 8 th  grade middle school choir and band concert had everyone in the spirit of the season with their festive holiday vocal and instrumental music. It was an outstanding performance by all! Also, exciting things were happening in the classroom during December. Sixth grade students had the opportunity to strengthen the essential 4-C's of 21st century learning during a multidisciplinary project in their social studies and language arts classes. Students in Mrs. Butcher's and Mrs. Conrad's classrooms collaborated and created short stories and illustrations based on their recent book study of the novel The Wolf's Boy written by Susan Williams Beckhorn. The Wolf's Boy is a novel set in Paleolithic times that is about an outcast boy and a young wolf that only have each other during an Ice Age winter. Students used their critical thinking, collaboration, creativity, and communication skills to write short stories and create illustrations based on Beckhorn's book, as well as excerpts from Study Sync's literature selections about Ancient Realms. This cross-curricular project was a hit with the students!

Check out BC Artwork on display at Artsonia!

Curious what your child is creating in art class? Would you like their work displayed in a museum for family members to view? If so, check out Artsonia! Artsonia is a digital art museum where young artists and students from around the world display their art for other children and adults worldwide to view. The Artsonia gallery displays schools and student art projects (grades K-12) in their museum and offer exciting lesson plan art project ideas. Bloom-Carroll art teachers use Artsonia to showcase some of our students' artwork in the online art gallery to allow family members and friends the opportunity to view some of their child's artwork online throughout the school year instead of waiting until the spring art show at BC. Artsonia also allows friends and family to be a part of each student’s "fan club", and provide comments on their artwork and even purchase items from the gift shop with the student artwork. Twenty percent of each purchase comes back to support the Bloom-Carroll art program. Since the elementary art program began this project in February of 2017, we have raised over $2500!  Outstanding! In addition, parents are happy to learn that student's artwork does not disappear when your child is no longer in art classes. Students who begin the program in elementary will be able to continue their gallery and portfolio throughout middle school and high school. Parents can even add their own artwork with the app and add to the student gallery. Our goal is to help each child grow as artists as they improve their skills and take pride in what they have accomplished!  Please visit the websites below to view some of the amazing creations by our BC artists! BC High School Artsonia Site BC Elementary Artsonia Site For more information, contact Kim DeKay or Kristen Sony.

The Bulldog Video Corner

Bruiser Visits Primary School On the last day of school before Winter Break, Bruiser, our newly-named Bulldog mascot, stopped by the primary school for a little surprise visit to meet all of our K-2 students and staff members. During his visit, Bruiser took time to shake hands, pass out candy canes, and introduce himself to each student at the primary school. Watch Video

Check out First Grade's KINDNESS Video In honor of World Kindness Day, our first grade students took time to spread a little extra dose of kindness around the primary school. Students created kindness posters, wrote gratitude letters, and handed out pencils and kindness notes to the other students at the primary school.  A big shout to Mrs. Baughman for creating this video! #ColorTheWorldwithKINDNESS Watch Video

Athletic Department Winter Update

The winter sports’ season is in full swing and the Athletic Department is working hard to keep things running smoothly for our 142 athletes competing in this season's line-up. We have a total of 12 teams from middle school through varsity competing in basketball, wrestling, and swimming. Great things are happening Bulldogs! Here are just a few highlights: Our Girls Varsity Basketball team is 9-4 overall and 6-1 in the MSL. Our two senior wrestlers, Ross and Blake, (pictures above) were both recognized at Senior Night recently for their dedication and commitment to the wrestling program. Both 4-year varsity letterman had an impressive and outstanding season!   BRUISER is the winner! Last month, the Athletic Department wrapped up their "Name our Bulldog Mascot" contest after viewing all of the videos submitted with name ideas for our mascot. A small committee chose the top two names from the video submissions and invited the entire BC community to vote on one of the two names. Over 600 staff, students, and community members voted! And the winning name was .... BRUISER! Thank you to all who participated and be watching for Bruiser out across campus and in the community! For more highlights and the most up-to-date information, visit the BC Athletics webpage or follow the Athletic Department's Twitter and Instagram channels!

BC Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony scheduled for January 20th Congratulations goes out to the 2018 BC Athletic Hall of Fame class!  Inductees will be honored on Saturday, January 20th prior to the varsity boys’ basketball game (approximately 7:00 pm.). The Class of 2018 inductees include Francis Woods (1963), Brandon Jennings (2002) and Ashley Hughes (2006).  Also this year, BC will be honoring the first Athletic Hall of Fame Service Award recipient. This award is given to an individual who has devoted much of their own time and effort to enhance the experience of our student athletes and school district. This year’s Service Award winner is Greg Shafer (1970).  Congratulations once again to all 2018 Hall of Fame Inductees! For more Athletic Department highlights and updates, click here to visit their website

Parent Resources

ODE Parent Resources: "KNOW! Setting Family Goals for 2018" January is the time of year for all of us to take time to reflect and look for opportunities to make this new year a little better moving forward. ODE has provided some quick parent resources and tips for families to consider as we begin 2018! Some tips include: Eat dinner together as a family often Practice active listening and talk more to one another Create a family goal list for 2018 Strive for a balance in the calendar To learn more, visit ODE Parent Resources: Tips for Setting Family Goals in 2018

Don't Be Caught Off Guard! Practice Information for State Tests Now that students have returned from winter break, it is that time of year to start thinking about state testing. State assessments for students in grades 3-12 will not begin until April; however, it is never too early to begin preparing and practicing for these online assessments. Parents and students alike are encouraged to visit ODE's Test Practice Portal and click on the practice tests icon located on the right side of the screen. This practice portal allows students the opportunity to practice a variety of mock test questions in each of the tested grade level and content areas. Should you have any questions regarding the district’s participation in these assessments, please contact Mr. Mark Thomas, District Testing Coordinator, at 740-756-9798 or by email at mthomas@bloomcarroll.org.

Mark Your Calendars!

Upcoming Events Jan. 22nd: Student of the Month Reception at 5:30pm, BCMS Cafeteria Jan. 22nd: Board of Education Regular Mtg. 6:00pm, BCMS Media Center Jan. 22nd: BC Elementary PTO Meeting 6:30pm, BCIS Library Feb. 1st: Parent-Teacher Conferences K-12 Feb. 6th: Middle School PTO Meeting 6:30pm, BCMS Media Center Feb. 8th: Parent-Teacher Conferences K-12 Feb. 12th: Athletic Boosters Meeting, 7:00pm, BCMS Cafeteria Feb. 13th: Band Boosters Meeting, 6:30pm, BCHS Band Room Feb. 16th: NO SCHOOL: Teacher Professional Development Day Feb. 19th: NO SCHOOL: President's Day

Spring Dates for Ohio State Assessments: Grades 3-8 and HS BC Intermediate School Spring Dates ·       April 16 th :  Grade 3 ELA Part 1 ·       April 17 th :  Grade 3 ELA Part 2 ·       April 18 th :  Grade 4 ELA Part 1 ·       April 19 th :  Grade 4 ELA Part 2 ·       April 23 rd :  Grade 3 Math Part 1 ·       April 24 th :  Grade 3 Math Part 2 ·       April 25 th :  Grade 4 Math Part 1 ·       April 26 th :  Grade 4 Math Part 2   BC Middle School Spring Test Dates ·       April 17 th :  Grades 5-6 ELA Parts 1 & 2 ·       April 18 th :  Grades 7-8 ELA Parts 1 & 2 ·       April 24 th :  Grades 5 & 8 Science ·       April 30 th :  Algebra I (8 th  grade only) ·       May 1 st :   Grades 5-6 Math Parts 1 & 2 ·       May 2 nd :  Grades 7-8 Math Parts 1 & 2   BC High School EOC Spring Exam Dates ·       April 10 th : ELA I (Eng 9) Parts 1 & 2  ·       April 11th: ELA II (Eng 10) Parts 1 & 2  ·       April 17th: Algebra I Parts 1 & 2  ·       April 18th: Geometry Parts 1 & 2  ·       April 19th: Biology Parts 1 & 2  ·       April 24th: Government Parts 1 & 2   ·       April 25th: U.S. History Parts 1 & 2

Spring Musical Auditions: Grades 3-8 Scheduled for January 17th - 19th The Bloom-Carroll Middle School will be performing The 25 th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee musical this spring. The story is a celebration of being different! Aside from giving us a glimpse into the world of a spelling bee, the musical tells the stories of six different contestants and their families. You’ll laugh, be uplifted, and add some new words to your vocabulary – not to mention, spell them! This is our 2 nd annual musical for grades 3-8. The cast will also feature a few cast members from the upper grades.  Auditions are scheduled for Jan. 17th - 19th. As long as weather cooperates, the cast should be announced on Jan. 19 th . Rehearsals will begin on Jan. 22 nd .  The musical will run March 15 th – 17 th . Tickets will go on sale through www.showtix4u.com in the next few weeks.  So stay tuned! For more information or any questions, please feel to contact the director, Mr. Mark Yoder: myoder@bloomcarroll.org Hope to see you at the show!

3rd Annual District Showcase: Tuesday, April 24th We are excited to be hosting our 3rd Annual District Showcase Night at Bloom-Carroll Middle School on Tuesday, April 24th. This year's event is expected to be our biggest one yet. The event will include our spectaular learning showcase, the K-12 visual spring art show, performances by our high school music department, free ice cream, and more! Mark your calendars now and be watching for additional details in the near future! Looking to get involved? Questions? Contact Jodi Ranegar, Curriculum Director/Communications at 614-834-6714 or email her at jranegar@bloomcarroll.org.

To view these stories and more, visit our website.

Bloom-Carroll Local School Dis trict | bcnews@bloomcarroll.org Questions: Contact Jodi Ranegar - Curriculum Director/Communications - jranegar@bloomcarroll.org

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