W.E.B. Du Bois Regional Middle School
Week at a Glance, News and Notes
December 22, 2022
Note from the Principal:
After a busy fall and start of winter, here we are at the start of vacation and entering a new year! I hope you have good times with family and friends over this break. It is a blessing that you share your kids with us every day at school–thank you for your partnership in educating our students.
Please drop me a note if you have feedback or questions at ben.doren@bhrsd.org.
Be well!
Ben Doren
Principal
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Dec. 26-Dec. 30
No School–December Break
Monday, January 2
No School–New Year’s Holiday
Tuesday, January 3
Regular School Day
Wednesday, January 4
Regular School Day
Thursday, January 5
Regular School Day
Friday, January 6
Regular School Day
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W.E.B. Du Bois Middle School Family Crew * Crew Familiar
¡Esperamos que todos los estudiantes y familias de Du Bois disfruten de unas vacaciones de invierno alegres y tranquilas!
Hoping all Du Bois students and families enjoy a joyful and restful winter break!
Upcoming student crew event — New Year’s Fire! Coming up the first week of January, the students will have a chance to reflect with their crew about things in their life they’d like to let go of, move on from, leave behind as we start the new year. Then each crew will add their reflections to a bonfire on the school grounds. Family crew will also participate — if your family would like to add to our New Year’s Fire, you can email your reflection to us and we’ll print it and add it at the event: duboisfamilycrew@gmail.com
Próximo evento — ¡Fuego de Año Nuevo! Próximamente la primera semana de enero, los estudiantes tendrán la oportunidad de reflexionar con su equipo sobre las cosas de su vida que les gustaría dejar ir, seguir adelante, dejar atrás al comenzar el nuevo año. Luego, cada equipo agregará sus reflejos a una fogata. Crew Familiar también participará: si su familia desea agregarse a nuestro Fuego de Año Nuevo, puede enviarnos su reflexión por correo electrónico y la imprimiremos y agregaremos en el evento: duboisfamilycrew@gmail.com
“Children learn more from what you are than what you teach.” * “Los niños aprenden más de lo que eres que de lo que enseñas.” — Dr. W.E.B. Du Bois
Yearbook Fundraiser
Follow this link: https://linktr.ee/dbmyearbookart?fbclid=IwAR2muE1_q1qE48VFKwm7hEj1F8u3YmUhVVzJUCeL8idOmTKUc0JgL1CWZCY
Project Connection Winter Session
Link To Program Enrollment Form/Enlace al formulario de inscripción al programa: https://forms.gle/e9oeXFSouGB2JfLu5
Link To Program Descriptions in English: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Umtumxo07wiuirZfK4mnMTpZ90Kkcnpg953nq0YwgAg/edit?usp=sharing
Enlace a las descripciones del programa en español: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YbE2yJtatHnwSJ-4VYNKplWdPD9sAS3OjcOyMsE27Hc/edit?usp=sharing
Create & Restore with Community Access to the Arts!
Community Access to the Arts (CATA) is sharing an exciting opportunity for caregivers of people with disabilities. We’re creating a program where you can nourish your body and spirit in gentle yoga workshops at CATA, while the person with a disability that you care for enjoys painting workshops in a separate CATA studio.
To plan for the best experience, we are asking for your input so that we can design this program with caregivers’ needs and preferences in mind. Please take a moment to complete this brief survey. If you are interested in this opportunity but do not want to fill out the survey, I would be happy to talk through some of the questions over the phone.
You can also click on the Survey here: https://forms.gle/rLih8mxXK8BSnzbs9
No experience is necessary for either program, and we are providing these programs free of charge. CATA welcomes all levels and abilities for both workshops. For questions or to share additional feedback, please feel free to send me an email at Kara@CATAarts.org or at (413) 528-5485
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REMINDERS:
Student Led Conferences (SLC reminders)
At the end of January we will hold our Student Led Conferences, the evening of 1/24 and the afternoon of 1/25. We are proud of this process, as it allows our students–your children–to reflect on who they are as a learner, what they have accomplished, and where they are going. This past month and into the new year students are reflecting on what and how they have learned in their subject area classes. Once we return from break they will take all of those reflections and bring them to their Crew. There they will work with their Crew peers and Crew Leader to put all of the reflections together into a presentation for you. The presentation will consist of three parts. The introduction will tell you about themselves, a reflection on who they are as a learner. The second part will be a quick review of what they have accomplished in each class–an example of the proficiencies they need to meet through the year in the subject–and a deeper dive into one project of their choice from a class to show details of their proficiency. The last will be a look ahead–goals and areas of development. The seventh and eighth graders will present to you facilitated by their Crew Leader, and the fifth and sixth graders will be with their Crew Leader or an Exploratory teacher so we can focus the preparation on each student with enough time and attention for all. This is a full school endeavor! The conferences will generally be in person, a full twenty minutes for the presentation and time for questions and dialogue with the student. You also have the option to hold the conference over video for health reasons, remote family members or convenience. Right after the vacation the teacher who is facilitating the conference will reach out to you to schedule a slot for the afternoon or evening sessions.
Concerning Screen Time presentation
Thank you to those who attended the Concerning Screen Time presentation on Nov 15, 2022. Please see below, a link of the video and a pdf of the presentation in the flyers. Note that there are additional resources included at the end of the presentation. The video and slides are the property of the Southern Berkshire Community Health Coalition and Jaime Cooper. They are for personal use only and may not be posted, shared or used without permission of SBCHC and Jaime Cooper. Please reach out to Jaime Cooper for parent support or ITC info, jaime@rsyp.org, to Laura Rodriguez director of SBCHC laura@rsyp.org or the Du Bois family crew with any questions or needs
Video: https://vimeo.com/776226301/73f196552c
Message from the Superintendent
Dear BHRSD Families and Staff: I hope you are doing well. We are noticing an uptick in COVID-19 cases, flu, and RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus). Please continue to monitor your children for potential symptoms and reach out to school nurses and/or your own health care providers for advice. If a student doesn’t feel well, please keep them home and consider testing. We have masks available and encourage students and staff to use them. Please notify the school immediately if your student tests positive. They should stay home for 5 days and wear a mask for 5 days upon their return. The school nurses will help on the timelines. Hoping we can navigate this well together. –Peter Dillon, Superintendent
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Flyers and School Letters
Flyers and School letters are available on our website at this link: https://dbrms.bhrsd.org/category/families/flyers/
This week’s flyers:
- Berkshire Children’s Chorus: Now enrolling singers Grades 3-8
Recent flyers:
- CHP Special Virtual Event: The Secret Life of Autism
- Night Wood An Outdoor Sound & Light Experience @ The Mount
- GB Libraries December Newsletter and Gingerbread House take home kits
- CHP December playgroup Schedule
- Stateline Youth Wrestling 2022-2023
- Winter Workshops @ Berkshire HorseWorks
- DBM Musical Information Session Nov. 28, 3-3:45
- Berkshire Children’s Chorus Fall 2022
- BRTA FREE! Nov. 25-Dec 31
- Community Thanks Supper @ BSRCC
- Shining Star Supplemental Holiday Program@ BSRCC
- Holiday Shop, Sip & Stroll
- Concerning Screen Time: A Workshop for Middle School Parents
- Movie Night Fundraiser for Class of 2024 @ MMRHS for district students, parents and staff
Older flyers:
- Dine to Donate Nov. 9 and 10 for MMRHS Class of 2024
- “Shine The Light” A Screening and Conversation about Youth Mental Illness and Suicide Prevention
- Project Connection Food Drive
- CHP Family Services November Playgroup Schedule
- Girl Scouts
- Basic Rights: Understanding the IEP
- Ski Butternut 22/23 Lesson Program Application
- Ski Butternut 22/23 Student & Family Pass Application
- Southern Berkshire Winter Coat Drive
- Who We Are: A Chronicle of Racism in America
- Housatonic Youth Basketball Registration
- Teen Chefs: Learn & Master
- Great Barrington Libraries Newsletter
- CHP Family Resources Oct 2022 Paygroup Schedule
- Truck Day
- Berkshire County Steam Challenge Night
- Community Boxing Gym
- An afternoon of Outdoor Fun for the Special Needs Community Oct. 9
- Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s Office of Public School Monitoring (PSM) Tiered Focused Monitoring Review
- YA Author Barbara Newman @ The Mount
- Southern Berkshire Winter Coat Drive
- Cub Scouting for Boys and Girls K-5
- Yearbook staff needed
- Halloween Painting Contest
- Housatonic Party in the Park
- Festival Latino
- Latinx Festival–English and Spanish versions
- RSYP Bilingual Club–English and Spanish versions
- Great Barrington Libraries Newsletter
- Du Bois Yearbook Cover Contest for 8th Grade Students
- Babysitter Training: BSRCC
- Free Story Walk and Live Bilingual Concert @ The Mount, Sun. 9/11/22
- Heart and Sole
- Berkshire HorseWorks Fall Programs
- Ski Butternut Student & Family Season Pass Application
- BCAC Elf Warm Clothing Program applications due 9/30
- Free School Supplies from Berkshire Money Management
- School Supply Lists
- Bus Routes
- Family Forum in Spanish
- Family Forum in English
- Blue Rider Pony Rides for Rico
- Read-Learn-Play: Wingmaster’s
- The Children’s Attic Fall/Winter Consignment Sale