A Reminder

Hello everyone,

     Please remember that tomorrow, Tuesday, September 12 is Picture Day here at BEMS. Students should come in prepared to get their photos taken; this will be the image used in the yearbook as well. Tomorrow evening is Open House (Back to School Night) from 6:00 – 7:00; come in and meet your teachers and get to see what their classrooms are like. This is not a conference night, and it is too early in the year to really discuss students' grades in any depth, but it is a chance to say hello and ask a few questions. Join us!

     If you have any questions ahead of time, please feel free to email.

Regards,
Mr. DeMaris

Shared Clan Vision

CLAN BARCLAY

DO OR DIE

BARCLAY WILL OVERCOME ANY CHALLENGE WITH PRIDE, STRENGTH, AND INTELLIGENCE. WE ARE DETERMINED TO SUCCEED AND WE STRIVE TO BE OUR BEST. WE ARE ALWAYS THE G.O.A.T.

Open House Tonight!

Hello Everyone!

     Tonight is Open House, or Back to School Night, at Bonny Eagle Middle School. We in Clan Barclay are excited to welcome you into our little wing of the building, and we hope you attend. The event runs from 6:00 – 7:00 PM; we will be in our classrooms right up the front stairs of the building. Come in, come up, and see where your children spend their time this year.

     Remember, this is not a conference night — we don't know your children very well yet, and the year is just beginning. Rather, this is a chance to meet and greet teachers and other parents and get a feel for how the year will go. Conferences will take place later in November.

     We hope to see you there!

With Anticipation,

Mr. DeMaris

The Upcoming Week

Hello Everyone!

     We had our first day of school today, complete with tricky locker combinations, misplaced schedules, wrong turns, and plenty of laughs and smiles. Everyone has new faces and new names to learn, and we all took some time in the middle, of course, to get some food. It was, all in all, a good day.

     Friday we have no school, and Monday is Labor Day; in celebration of the holiday, we have no school again. This four-day weekend will be followed by a four-day school week, and we already have plenty to keep you busy, parents and students alike. Here is how it will break down.

     On Tuesday, students return to school and start their first genuine school day, without all the extra bits and modified schedules tacked on today. Tuesday will be a White Day, so our new Advisory period will take place from 9:15 – 9:45, where students will join small groups and meet with a staff member. Once school lets out, activity busses begin running that afternoon. In the evening, from 6:00 – 7:00, parents are encouraged to come to school (bring your kid back with you, too!) to attend our annual Open House, or Back to School Night. This is not a time for conferences, but an opportunity to meet teachers, see the clan, figure out what is where, and get a feel for how this year will go. Please be there.

     On Thursday, provided a parent has attended a technology seminar by that point, students will receive their new laptops from our IT department. These are fresh out of the box MacBook Airs, a slightly updated version of their previous machines. If you, as a parent, have not yet attended a meeting, please check the times on the district calendar here. There are sessions at all hours of the day, so there will be one to fit your schedule.

     On Friday evening, after this first nearly-complete week of school, students have the opportunity to attend their first school dance for 7th and 8th graders. Put on by the Pathfinder program, it runs from 6:30 – 8:30. Bring a friend or come alone, but students are welcome to dance and have a good time.

     In Language Arts today, students received their first reading books for the trimester, unless they identified books they are already reading. They also received their first assignment:  write a letter of introduction about themselves to me. Details about that assignment can be found on the assignments page of this website; see the link in the top menu.

     As usual, get in touch if you have any questions, comments, or concerns. We in Clan Barclay genuinely want you to know what is going on in the school and with your child, and communication is key to that understanding. Our email addresses are below, and you can call the school if that works better for you. Welcome to eighth grade, and welcome to Clan Barclay!

Sincerely,
Mr. DeMaris

Mrs. Grace Davis
gdavis@bonnyeagle.org
Mr. Andrew DeMaris
agdemaris@bonnyeagle.org
Mr. Dale Menard
dmenard@bonnyeagle.org
Mr. Lawrence Robertson
lrobertson@bonnyeagle.org

A Reminder

Hello Everyone,

     Please remember that Open House takes place from 6:30 to 7:30 on Wednesday night (that's tomorrow!) at Bonny Eagle Middle School. All us teachers will be there, and we are looking forward to meeting family members and introducing ourselves in person. This is usually a nice little event, and I am looking forward to it. We will all meet in Mrs. Davis' room (Room 84) for quick introductions of the teachers and an overview of the clan, and then we will all go to our homerooms so students and families can circulate as they wish.

     Please remember that this is not parent-teacher conference time; we barely know any of you yet, and we do not have the time or the privacy to discuss conference-level information this night. Thank you for understanding, and I will see you there!

Sincerely,

Mr. DeMaris

Welcome to Clan Barclay!

Hello Everyone,

     The new year is about to begin, and for all of you, this means the transition into eighth grade, your last step before entering high school. You will have many challenges this year, including maintaining your personal responsibility for all assignments at school; we expect you to meet these challenges with maturity and respect.

     We are Clan Barclay. Our clan leader is Mrs. Davis, the math teacher. The rest of us are Ms. Rancourt, for science; Mr. Robertson, for Social Studies; and Mr. DeMaris, for Language Arts. We are a dedicated clan, and we believe strongly in personal student responsibility both in and out of the classroom. Each of us has his or her own teaching style, but we care very deeply for the success of our students, and we expect you to work your best to honor that.

     Our clan motto is "Aut Agere Aut Mori," which, cleanly translated from the Latin, means "Do or Die." We work very hard to make our assignments and lessons understandable and accessible to you, the students, and we strive for success in all aspects of our professional lives. In return, we expect you to embrace the motto with equal vigor. School is your training for adult responsibility and education, and the lessons you learn here will have a direct and meaningful impact on the rest of your lives. You have no reason to give up on your education, and we expect you to try your hardest at all times. If you struggle and cannot solve your own problem, recognize your limitations and seek help. Your classmates and your teachers are here. Asking for help is not the same as giving up, and we respect students who can honestly assess their skills. "Do or Die" means you should fight for your success and find it despite any obstacles.

     This is a year of transition at Bonny Eagle Middle School, with changes in many areas and at many levels. We will communicate soon with you and with your families about all important aspects of school this year, and we will continue to communicate any important news throughout the year. In return, we hope you will communicate clearly with us about any questions or concerns you may have, or any obstacles you face that may impact your experience here at Bonny Eagle. We cannot solve problems if we do not know they exist, and communication should travel two ways. Personal responsibility means respectfully communicating concerns as well as compliments, and addressing consequences, both good and bad, for any actions. You are at the top of the middle school now, soon to enter high school, and you should be mature enough to recognize and accept responsibility for your work and actions.

     Welcome to Clan Barclay. We look forward to working with you this year.


Sincerely,



Mr. DeMaris

Hello!

Andrew DeMaris
Bonny Eagle Middle School
92 Sokokis Trail
Buxton, ME 04093-3059
(207) 929-3833 ext. 167
agdemaris@bonnyeagle.org
demaris8.blogspot.com

August 28, 2014

Dear Parents/Guardians:

My name is Andrew DeMaris, and I have recently accepted the position of English Language Arts teacher with Clan Dundee at Bonny Eagle Middle School.  I am very excited about this opportunity to teach your students, and look forward to meeting and getting to know each and every one of them over the coming school year.  As I am new to the district, I want to introduce myself and let you know a little about me.

I graduated from the University of Maine in 2011 with two degrees, one in Education and one in History.  I completed my Master’s this spring, and last year I worked for the Greenbush School Department, north of Bangor.  I love to read old books, and hope to share my love for good writing and interesting stories with my classes here at Bonny Eagle Middle School.  I got married in August 2011 to my lovely wife Alise, who just took a position as a speech therapist here as well.  She and I live in North Windham.  I have lived in Maine, Connecticut, and Washington state at various points in my life, and after experiences with 1,800-student city schools in my youth and the small town of Greenbush, I enjoy the idea of working with such a close-knit community within the larger district here.

I like to communicate often with parents and students.  I have created a website where I will post updates on classes and activities, including any letters like this that I send out.  You can find all my contact information above, including the school phone number and my email address.  I check email daily, and will gladly return phone calls if you would like to talk.  I will be sending home information on class assignments with students once school starts full-speed; if you have any questions about their coursework or homework, please feel free to contact me.

I am looking forward to a great year!

Sincerely,




Andrew DeMaris