Well, how about that…

Hello Everyone!

     It appears we have ourselves an extended weekend! Two days of cancelled school in a row, since Tuesday is off, too. Students, this is a great opportunity to get outside and get some exercise cleaning up fallen limbs, downed trees, and blown leaves — remember that more time outside and more time physically active is directly tied to more happiness! Or, if you just don't want all those health benefits, or for some reason you can't get outside (but still have power and access to the internet!) you can always proofread and resubmit assignments on Google Classroom!

     Or, when all else fails, get yourself a book, find a quiet spot, and read. Get those lexiles up, and lose yourself in another world!

     Last but not least, there's nothing like a day of making memories at home to remind you that you make memories at school every year. What better way to capture those memories than in your own yearbook? Order your yearbook here!

     Enjoy your fourth day of the weekend, and stay safe on Halloween!

Warm Regards,
Mr. DeMaris

Week of Dec. 12 – Dec. 16

Good morning, everyone.

     Well, the snow has just begun to fall here, and the predictions are pretty nasty for the whole day, so we will reserve judgement on whether or not there will be a snow day today. If there is, stay safe and off the roads as best you can, and then enjoy yourself and admire the beautiful winter scene in comfort. We aren't in charge of the weather, so we might as well make the best of it!

     Regardless of the snow day, this week will be about reviewing vocabulary and developing setting and character. Last week, students took their first vocabulary and spelling quiz, to mixed results, and you will all get the chance to retake it if necessary early this week. However, there will also be a few new words to learn, and a new quiz this coming Friday. So, if you did poorly, this is your opportunity to fix that mistake and study earlier and more often for the next one. We will be making a habit of having vocab quizzes this trimester, so pay attention and learn your words.

     Monday (or Tuesday, depending on the weather and our district's call!) students will get their vocab quizzes back and will have the opportunity to review their work and a chance to retake the quiz the following day. There will be only one retake given per student; after that, your grade is set. The new batch of words will also be provided, so start studying that night to prepare for Friday's quiz. Students will also review how setting works, and will dig into descriptive language by writing about physical objects in detail.

     The middle of the week will be devoted to honing setting by improving the language of student descriptions. Everyone will share their writing with another person in the class, and there will be conferencing on how to improve, followed by revision. By the end of the week, each student will submit his or her descriptive writing to be considered and graded; all five senses must be applied in the work for full credit.

          Wednesday will be a reading or writing day in class; students will either work on their settings or read from their books. Thursday will be a strictly reading day, so students should make sure their settings are complete before then, or prepare to write furiously on Friday to finish.

     On Friday, students will take their vocab quiz, write a Week in Review, and make final edits to their settings as needed. Beyond that, it will be more time to read. After all, there will be less than a week remaining before vacation!

     After school this week, Yearbook Club meets Tuesday and Chess Club on Wednesday; to my knowledge, all eighth grade games are away.

     Stay safe, stay warm, and keep in touch with any questions! Report cards went out on Friday, so if there is any lingering confusion about grades, now is a good time to ask.

Regards,
Mr. DeMaris

Week of Nov. 7 – Nov. 11

Good morning,

     This week continues our work on story analysis with a comparison of original texts to movie versions of the same narrative. Over Monday and Tuesday, students watch a movie adaptation of "The Tell-Tale Heart" as a class, and compare it to the written text on their own, explaining what was changed and kept and why they think the director made those decisions. After that, on Wednesday, students move on to their own personal texts for a day. On Thursday, all classes visit the book fair one last time this season before spending the remainder of the class time reading.

     The second round of parent-teacher conferences take place Tuesday evening from 3:30 – 6:30; we meet in Mrs. Davis' room, while my room is used as a waiting area for those who arrive early or stay after. Yearbook and Newspaper Clubs (like so many clubs this day) are cancelled due to the early start of conferences. Wednesday afternoon Chess Club is still on; Mr. Edwards will not be joining us this week, or for many weeks to come, though.

     Friday is Veterans Day, formerly Armistice Day, and is a day to honor and remember all who have served this country in her armed forces. It is also a day off school as a result of it being a federal holiday. Take some time on your day off to thank a veteran for his or her service; it is their efforts that provide our safety and our freedom.

     If you have any questions or concerns, as always feel free to contact us!

Regards,
Mr. DeMaris

Week of October 10 – 14

Good Evening,

     This week has three major components:  arguments, NWEAs, and reading. On Tuesday, students get introduced to their big persuasive project, which will include written, visual, and presentation components. Students will get rubrics for each section in time to ensure they all have the opportunity to earn a three (3) or four (4) in every aspect of the project. There will be ample class time over the next couple weeks for students to work on this in school and to ask questions so the work they do at home will be successful.

     Remember, as students you are responsible for your own success. You have reached an age where you can ask for help when you need it, and you can recognize when you are struggling. While we, as teachers, check in and offer support, you must take charge of your work and stay focused.

     On Wednesday and Thursday, students will have regular Allied Arts classes followed by NWEAs before lunch. After lunch, they will have their standard afternoon classes for those two days. This way, thanks to the Green / White scheduling, they will have all of their four core classes once each over the two days. Students will read silently in Language Arts on those days, taking a break from the computerized tests and the pressure.

     On Friday, students will have a chance to work on their persuasive projects in class; they should be prepared to get up and announce their topics to the class as a whole by the end of the period.

     After school this week, Yearbook Club meets on Tuesday, and the same afternoon sees our field hockey teams facing Scarborough and girls' soccer teams facing King at home. Wednesday is Chess Club, and 8th grade soccer faces SMC. Thursday we play Gorham in field hockey, and on Friday our girls are home competing against Westbrook in soccer. As always, you should take an afternoon out of your busy schedules and come support your Scots — there is always more room for fans to cheer them on!

     Yearbooks are still for sale, but prices have returned to normal — $25 for hardcover, $20 for soft. Buy them online at jostens.com or in person by bringing cash or check up to Room 83. Make checks to BEMS Yearbook. Students will get yearbooks delivered to their homerooms in the spring upon completion of design by the club and printing and binding by Jostens.

    Thank you for reading, and remember to get in touch if you have any questions!

Kind Regards,
Mr. DeMaris

Week of October 3 – 7

Good morning!

     This week is a shorter week than usual for students, as Friday is an In-Service day for staff. This means students stay home and do whatever they do when we are not around, and all of us get to come into school and attend trainings and workshops and experience the building with about nine-hundred fewer voices than it usually holds. Thank goodness this doesn't happen too often — it would get far too quiet around here.

     In Language Arts this week, we will hopefully start by having students take the SRI in class, a short, straightforward Lexile test to see how students are doing on their reading levels. On Tuesday, students will discuss the difference between logical arguments based on credible sources and some of the major fallacies in argument — that is, weaknesses that get in the way of credibility and validity. On Wednesday, students will continue to develop their understanding of logical fallacies, including making a quiz or assessment on the subjet, and Thursday will be presentation day, where students present their topic to the class. This time, to earn full credit, students must take some type of test, quiz, or other assessment to determine if the audience understood their topic.

     After school this week, we have a mix of clubs and sports going on. Our soccer girls play a home game on Monday, while the boys play Wednesday. We also have a cross-country meet on Wednesday. Tuesday after school is newspaper club, and Wednesday (an awfully packed day!) is chess club. Go join a club or cheer on our Scots!

     Remember that YEARBOOKS ARE ON SALE AND RIGHT NOW YOU CAN GET THEM FOR $4 OFF!

Sincerely,

Mr. DeMaris

Yearbooks are on sale!

Good evening!

You can preorder your yearbook at last! The Yearbook Club is going to spend the next several months designing and building this year's book, which we will print courtesy of Jostens. Every year, we pour the heart and soul of the Bonny Eagle experience into this beautiful publication, and it can be yours for only $25.00 in hardcover, or $20.00 in softcover.

But, from now until Columbus Day, there is a SALE going on! You can get 16% off hardcovers and 20% off softcovers if you order online or in person before or on October 10th. That's $4.00 off either option!

Buy now while prices are low, and guarantee yourself a book of memories that you will cherish for a lifetime. Order at http://jostensyearbooks.com?REF=A03296105 or in person in Room 83, right above the office. You can pay online with credit card, or you can pay with cash or check in person. Make checks payable to BEMS Yearbook.

Buying a yearbook supports your school and gives you something you can enjoy for years to come. Take the time; order a book.

Sincerely,
Mr. DeMaris

Week of September 26 – 30

Welcome back!

     This week will be all about developing the practical use of persuasion. That means combining the simple persuasive method with letters and speech. On Monday and Tuesday, students will write a basic persuasive letter about a selected topic, finding evidence from credible sources to support their claims. Wednesday, the late arrival day, will be for silent reading in the classroom. Students must submit their letters by Wednesday evening to be printed for Thursday. Throwback Thursday will be a chance for students to present their claims and a part of their reasoning aloud to the class, and Friday will be a day for review.

     After school this week, Yearbook Club meets on Tuesday and Chess Club meets on Wednesday. On the sports front, there is field hockey Monday at 4:30, a girls' soccer game Wednesday at 4:30, and a boys' soccer game Friday at 4:30; the seventh grade games all happen at 3:30 the same days. If you have the time, come out and support your Scots!

     Remember, Wednesday is a late arrival day for students. That means everything starts two hours later — busses and the school day.

     Finally, the school news website is up and running! bit.ly/BENewsNet is the official site of the Newspaper Club — check it out!

Regards,
Mr. DeMaris

Our Upcoming Week

Good Evening,

     This is our first full week of school this year, five uninterrupted days at BEMS, and it looks like the weather will be a little cooler by the end of the week, too. Those of us upstairs are thankful for that; any break from the heat will be appreciated. Come December, we will appreciate our warmer spot, but right now it is just uncomfortable.

     On Monday, we in Clan Barclay will be watching the ESPN mini-documentary "The Man in the Red Bandana," a fourteen-minute segment honoring the memory of Welles Crowther, a man who sacrificed his life on September 11, 2001 rescuing others in the South Tower. We will discuss and write about the event as a part of history, a tragedy, and a moment that united the nation; this year's students are the first group where everyone was born after those events took place.

     Tuesday will be a reading day in class; all students should bring their reading books and read silently throughout the class period. Tuesday is also picture day here at Bonny Eagle Middle School! Dress your best, comb your hair, and smile for the camera; even if you do not plan to purchase photos from LifeTouch, you should still look good — these will be the student photos in the yearbook this year. Speaking of yearbook, our first club meeting will be Tuesday after school in my classroom; if you are interested, come join us!

     We begin discussing argument and persuasion on Wednesday; students will learn the basic terminology — claim, counterclaim, evidence, source, rebuttal. Students will memorize the terms and see which team can identify them all clearly first. The first Chess Club meeting is Wednesday after school in Room 98, down the hall. We also have a Cross-Country meet Wednesday afternoon at 4:00; come support your Scots!

     Throwback Thursday will be a discussion day; we will review argument definitions and read quotations on the purpose of democracy and government, and then students will have group discussions and small debates centered on those quotations. Remember, you are not allowed to use your laptop in Language Arts on Thursday, so come with a pencil or pen if you want to jot down notes. Thursday afternoon is the first Newspaper Club meeting; if you are interested in investigating your school, your community, and your world, or you like drawing cartoons, or you are just curious, stop in!

     On Friday, all students will write a "Week in Review" letter, reflecting on their first full week of school and connecting it, if they please, to their weekend or their plans for the future. This is an open opportunity to express themselves clearly and without any criticism of grammar and spelling, as it is only graded on completion. Once they have finished writing, they may free write or read quietly. We also have our first school-wide assembly Friday afternoon, so classes will be shorter than usual — roughly 40 minutes instead of the full hour.

     As usual, if you have any questions, comments, or concerns, get in touch by email or phone, or even by commenting here. We are always interested in what you have to say.

Have a good week!

Mr. DeMaris

Buy a Yearbook by June 1

To guarantee you get a yearbook, buy one by June 1! Order online at jostens.com, keyword Bonny Eagle Middle School, or bring cash or check to Room 83. Make checks to BEMS or BEMS Yearbook. Guarantee your copy of this year's memories, now in full color through and through!

Yearbook distribution will take place in early June.

—Mr. DeMaris

Yearbook Clarification

Hello All,

     I have gotten a couple questions recently about yearbooks, so I figure it makes sense to announce this to all staff rather than field the same questions more than once. I apologize for intruding on your inbox, but here is the yearbook scoop.

     You have two options for yearbooks — hardcover and (new this year!) paperback. The paperback version is the exact same yearbook, with the same sized pages, and the same content. The only differences? It has a soft cover instead of a binder board cover, and it costs five dollars less!

     Hardcover yearbooks cost $23, two dollars less than last year, and paperback yearbooks cost $18 — that's over 25% off last year's prices! Yearbooks are all full color this year, too, so your vibrant Bonny Eagle classroom and event decor will shine from the pages in all its glory.

     To buy a yearbook, either go to jostens.com and search Bonny Eagle Middle School (here is a link — http://bit.ly/1OQNDSc) or bring a check (made out to BEMS) or cash to me upstairs in Room 83. I'll give receipts for cash and check purchases, so students can get confirmation home that their order is secure.

     Thank you for your patience, and let me know if you have any further questions!

Best,

Mr. DeMaris

Yearbooks and Book Sale

Hey All!

     This is the LAST WEEK of the discount sale on yearbooks; after this, prices go up again. Buy one now! We still need to purchase many more to make our payment quota to Jostens, so go online and order away.

     After you buy a yearbook, if you have any funds left, bring a few bucks in cash tomorrow (Wednesday) and look through the Scholastic Book Fair down in the library. During Language Arts class, interested student can go peruse the sale and buy books of interest to them.

     The staff beat the students 4–1 in the soccer game this afternoon. The scores were split 3–1 for the girls' half and 1–0 for the boys' half. Muddy J. and Grady J., among others, represented Clan Barclay well in the match, but Mr. Robertson and the rest of the staff were simply too powerful for them. All played well, although I think if we had refs they would have called a few dangerous or off-sides plays. Good game!

Exuberantly,

Mr. DeMaris

Week in Preview

Hello All,

     This week we continue reading short stories, finishing the seasonal set with "The Tell-Tale Heart" by Edgar Allen Poe. We will discuss the stories, compare them, and write about them over the course of the week.

     In news this week, tomorrow (Tuesday) is picture retake day. If you are retaking pictures, dress for it; Barclay clan sends students down right after Allied Arts at 9:30. Wednesday is a late arrival for students; school starts at 9:10 instead of 7:10. Students can also visit the book fair on Wednesday.

     Wednesday night is the second round of conferences; parents who signed up will attend and discuss student progress and behavior so far this year. If parents did not get a chance to attend a conference, they may email Mrs. Davis and ask if we have any other times available.

     Remember, Yearbooks are still on sale for discounted prices this week only. Take advantage of this, and buy one while they are cheaper! Remember, you only experience your year once; remember it forever with a yearbook!

Sincerely,

Mr. DeMaris

Yearbooks are on Sale!

Happy news, everyone!

     Yearbooks are on sale at jostens.com! For the month of October ONLY, they are $21.00 for hardcover and $16.00 for paperback. Prices WILL increase starting November. Buy one now, while prices are low. Yearbooks are FULL COLOR this year — no more black-and-white. Filled with pictures of your friends, classmates, teachers, and experiences, this year's book is a vivid collection of all the greatest memories of the Bonny Eagle Middle School experience.

     You only get to experience your year once. Remember it forever with a yearbook!

     Let me know if you have any questions or concerns. Buy a yearbook!

Cheerfully,

Mr. DeMaris

Week in Preview — September 14

Hello Everyone,

     I hope you all had a good weekend. I had to replace a corroded brake line in my car and rotate some tires, but it was a good weekend overall. This week, September 14–18, starts comfortably, but we will be back up into the 80s from Tuesday on.

     This week, we will continue our development of the elements of literature, which we started with theme last week. You will work in groups and individually on terms and application of the concepts.

1. On Monday, students will discuss terms and definitions in class, including application of concepts with a story of their choice.
2. On Tuesday, students will provide and work with examples of setting, characterization, point of view, and conflict.
3. On Wednesday, students will provide and work with examples of mood, irony, foreshadowing, and plot.
4. On Thursday, students will provide and work with examples of symbolism and theme.
5. On Friday, students will recap the concepts and write a Week in Review.

     Remember that Tuesday is Picture Day here at Bonny Eagle Middle School, and Open House has been rescheduled for Tuesday evening from 6:30 to 7:30. Students also have their first dance on Friday from 6:30 to 8:30.

     Finally, Yearbook Club meets Tuesday afternoon from 2:20 to 4:00 in Room 83 (my room), and Chess Club meets Wednesday afternoon from 2:20 to 4:00 in Room 98 (Mr. O'Searcoid's room, in Clan MacCallum).

     Have a good week!

Sincerely,

Mr. DeMaris

Vote on Yearbook Covers

Hello Students,

     It's time to vote on yearbook covers!  Click on this link to go to the page so you can vote; you must be logged in with your Bonny Eagle email address.

Sincerely,

Mr. DeMaris