Tutor.com...

 Tutor.com is a free service for all students in SC offered through SC Discus and SC State Library.  All students are able to login to SC Discus to access Tutor.com using their Richland Two device and Richland Two login.

Conquering the PSAT Virtual Seminar...

2020 BMS Football & Volleyball Schedules...

 

Athletic COVID Protocols...

 

Join the SIC...

 Did you know that the Blythewood Middle School - School Improvement Council (SIC) is a two-time Riley Honor Roll SIC?  Come join us!!!

It's that time and now more than ever, as we find ourselves in the middle of COVID-19, we are looking for parents that are dedicated and willing to provide input on ways that can continue to move our school forward.  If you would like to become a part of our SIC, please contact Mrs. Rachel Corvi at 803-691-6850, ext. 85401 or email her at rcorvi@richland2.org by Friday, September 25th.

The goal of the Blythewood Middle School - SIC is to continuously identify ways that we can improve the learning environment for all students.  To this end, each year, the SIC comes up with at least one school-wide goal aimed at the continuous improvement of our school as we work to enrich the lives of our students.  

The SIC meets on the 4th Monday of every month from 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm. 

Come be a part of the Blythewood Middle School - SIC and help us continue our tradition of excellence.  

BMS Virtual Open House General Session Link...

 Parents, 

Please be sure to join us for our Virtual Open House Tonight from 6:00-7:35.  The video for the General Session will be available at 6:00 PM via YouTube.  The link for the video is below.

https://youtu.be/ybctQ-yvFRc

Link will be active at 6pm

Viewing Interims in Parent Portal on 9/23/2020...

BMS "Virtual Open House" Tomorrow...

 Please join us for our "Virtual Open House" on Wednesday, September 23rd beginning at 6:00 pm.  During the "Virtual Open House", you will have the opportunity to meet your student's teachers and learn more about their classes.  Our first interim for the 1st nine weeks will also be viewable on the evening of our "Virtual Open House".  Parents will be provided with more information on how to view their student's interim during the General Session.  Please find the schedule attached below.  If you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact the school.  

*Have more than one student and don’t know which schedule to follow?  Sessions will be recorded and placed on the teacher’s Google Classroom page so that parents have the opportunity to go back and view sessions later.  

Attention 8th grade Parents...

 Our fabulous PTO will be paying for the PSAT for every 8th grade student that registers to take the test.  Available PSAT dates are October 14th, October 29th & January 26th.  If you are interested in your 8th grade student taking the PSAT, you must register in advance for one of the previously listed dates.  

Our district office will be sending additional information out to our 8th grade parents this evening.  The deadline to register will be Sunday, September 27th.

Thank you again to our PTO for providing this opportunity for all 8th grade students that register.

If you need additional information regarding the PSAT, please contact our Director of School Counseling, Dr. Cheryl Canty at chewilliams@richland2.org

Join the SIC...

 Did you know that the Blythewood Middle School - School Improvement Council (SIC) is a two-time Riley Honor Roll SIC?  Come join us!!!

It's that time and now more than ever, as we find ourselves in the middle of COVID-19, we are looking for parents that are dedicated and willing to provide input on ways that can continue to move our school forward.  If you would like to become a part of our SIC, please contact Mrs. Rachel Corvi at 803-691-6850, ext. 85401 or email her at rcorvi@richland2.org by Friday, September 25th.

The goal of the Blythewood Middle School - SIC is to continuously identify ways that we can improve the learning environment for all students.  To this end, each year, the SIC comes up with at least one school-wide goal aimed at the continuous improvement of our school as we work to enrich the lives of our students.  

The SIC meets on the 4th Monday of every month from 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm. 

Come be a part of the Blythewood Middle School - SIC and help us continue our tradition of excellence.  

BMS "Virtual Open House"...

 Please join us for our "Virtual Open House" on Wednesday, September 23rd beginning at 6:00 pm.  During the "Virtual Open House", you will have the opportunity to meet your student's teachers and learn more about their classes.  Our first interim for the 1st nine weeks will also be viewable on the evening of our "Virtual Open House".  Parents will be provided with more information on how to view their student's interim during the General Session.  Please find the schedule attached below.  If you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact the school.  

*Have more than one student and don’t know which schedule to follow?  Sessions will be recorded and placed on the teacher’s Google Classroom page so that parents have the opportunity to go back and view sessions later.  

BMS "Virtual Open House"...

 Please join us for our "Virtual Open House" on Wednesday, September 23rd beginning at 6:00 pm.  During the "Virtual Open House", you will have the opportunity to meet your student's teachers and learn more about their classes.  Our first interim for the 1st nine weeks will also be viewable on the evening of our "Virtual Open House".  Parents will be provided with more information on how to view their student's interim during the General Session.  Please find the schedule attached below.  If you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact the school.  

*Have more than one student and don’t know which schedule to follow?  Sessions will be recorded and placed on the teacher’s Google Classroom page so that parents have the opportunity to go back and view sessions later.  

BMS "Virtual Open House"...

 Please join us for our "Virtual Open House" on Wednesday, September 23rd beginning at 6:00 pm.  During the "Virtual Open House", you will have the opportunity to meet your student's teachers and learn more about their classes.  Our first interim for the 1st nine weeks will also be viewable on the evening of our "Virtual Open House".  Parents will be provided with more information on how to view their student's interim during the General Session.  Please find the schedule attached below.  If you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact the school.  

*Have more than one student and don’t know which schedule to follow?  Sessions will be recorded and placed on the teacher’s Google Classroom page so that parents have the opportunity to go back and view sessions later.  

BMS "Virtual Open House"...

Please join us for our "Virtual Open House" on Wednesday, September 23rd beginning at 6:00 pm.  During the "Virtual Open House", you will have the opportunity to meet your student's teachers and learn more about their classes.  Our first interim for the 1st nine weeks will also be viewable on the evening of our "Virtual Open House".  Parents will be provided with more information on how to view their student's interim during the General Session.  Please find the schedule attached below.  If you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact the school.  

*Have more than one student and don’t know which schedule to follow?  Sessions will be recorded and placed on the teacher’s Google Classroom page so that parents have the opportunity to go back and view sessions later.  

Google Meet Expectations...

Agenda Book Pick-up...

Greetings Charger Families,

Our 2020-2021 Agenda books have arrived.  So that we can get them out to you, the Administrative Team has arranged for two Saturday pick-ups.  Please drop by the school on Saturday, September 12th from 10:00 am - 12:00 pm or Saturday, September 19th from 10:00 am  - 12:00 pm. Pick up will be in the front reception area.  Masks must be worn in the building.

If neither of these times work for you, please contact your grade-level administrator to arrange an alternate pick up date:

Mr. Robert (Rock) Ratterree - rratterree@richland2.org

Mr. Cedric Jones - cjones@richland2.org

Mrs. Greta Carter - gcarter@richland2.org

Thank you,

The Admin Team

Tomorrow's Schedule...

Thank you for using the life skills of flexibility, cooperation and patience as we worked through two days of MAP testing.  

If make-up days are needed, our testing coordinator, Mrs. Denise Webster, will be in touch with you.  The last day for make-up testing is Monday, September 14th.

We will resume our Phase I eLearning schedule tomorrow, Friday, September 11th.

Map Testing Tomorrow...

 Don’t forget, we will be MAP testing tomorrow, September 9th and Thursday, September 10th.  Remember, we will follow the schedule below for the next two days...

MAP Testing September 9th & 10th...

MAP testing will take place on September 9-10, remotely.  Students will use their Chromebook on a secure platform to take the test.  In math classes, students will complete a device readiness check to ensure that their device is properly set up for MAP testing.  These instructions are also included in the Charger Live video and on the BMS MAP Testing Remotely Steps Sheet.  

Charger Live:  Fall MAP testing 2020

BMS MAP E-Learning Schedule

BMS MAP Testing Remotely Steps Sheet  

MAP Testing September 9th & 10th...

MAP testing will take place on September 9-10, remotely.  Students will use their Chromebook on a secure platform to take the test.  In math classes, students will complete a device readiness check to ensure that their device is properly set up for MAP testing.  These instructions are also included in the Charger Live video and on the BMS MAP Testing Remotely Steps Sheet.  

Charger Live:  Fall MAP testing 2020

BMS MAP E-Learning Schedule

BMS MAP Testing Remotely Steps Sheet  

Attendance, Daily Participation Assignments (DPA) & Other Important Information...

Greetings Charger Families,

Thank you for your flexibility and support during our first week of school!  I hope that you have had an opportunity to view at least one of your student’s classes to see the amazing planning that has gone into preparing for instruction for our students.

Just a few reminders for our students and parents as we continue to move forward in the school year.  Students will be marked absent if they are not seen “live” on the camera by the teacher at the opening of the class.  Attendance can be reconciled by completing the Daily Participation Assignment (DPA) by Sunday at 11:59 pm.  The attendance will be reconciled the following Monday.   DPAs received after 11:59 pm on Sunday must be approved by the grade-level Administrator. 

Please keep in mind that all Google Classroom meetings are recorded.  This is for the benefit of all students so that they have the opportunity to go back and view lessons when they are absent.  To this end, please remind your student about using the chat in Google Classroom responsibly, as well as following all school and classroom procedures as expected.  

If you have questions, please contact the school directly.  

MAP Testing September 9th & 10th...

MAP testing will take place on September 9-10, remotely.  Students will use their Chromebook on a secure platform to take the test.  In math classes, students will complete a device readiness check to ensure that their device is properly set up for MAP testing.  These instructions are also included in the Charger Live video and on the BMS MAP Testing Remotely Steps Sheet.  

Charger Live:  Fall MAP testing 2020

BMS MAP E-Learning Schedule

BMS MAP Testing Remotely Steps Sheet  

Counselor's Corner ~ Help your Kids Succeed at Distance Learning...

 Hello Parents, this is a great article with tips regarding distance learning that I wanted to share with you.  

Three Ways to Help Your Kids Succeed at Distance Learning

How can parents support their children at the start of an uncertain school year?

BY CHRISTINE CARTER | AUGUST 31, 2020

Dear Christine,

Last spring, distance learning in our household was a mess of constant interruptions, wacky sleep schedules, and Zoom burnout. I’d like to set my kids up better this fall, as the soonest in-person schooling could open for us is mid-October. What can I do until then to ensure that my kids actually learn something this fall?

Sincerely,
Totally-Not-a-Teacher

Dear Not-a-Teacher,

In Dear Christine, sociologist and coach Christine Carter responds to your questions about marriage, parenting, happiness, work, family, and, well, life. Want to submit a question? Email advice@christinecarter.com.

Good news: Setting our kids up for success with distance learning now can also set them up for academic success later, no matter where they go to school or what the format is. My best advice is to focus on fostering the following three key skills that can help our kids complete their work faster, concentrate longer, and remember more of what they are learning.

1. Focus

With distance learning, focus is now a prized superskill. Without it, kids struggle to learn. To minimize the interruptions and distractions that kill focus, we can do the following.

Designate a learning playing field. Kids need a place where they can concentrate, and when we designate a place that is for concentration only, we help them train their brains to focus better.

For example, they might have a specific spot at a small desk in a hallway where they do their online schooling and their homework—and only those things. Have them leave their desk to check social media or do anything but focused work. Encourage them to step away from their desk when they take breaks. Bonus: Their presence at that desk can be a signal to others in the household that they are trying to focus, and that everyone else needs to be quiet and careful not to interrupt.

Ask them how they feel. Interruptions and distractions can be both external (losing internet access, a Snapchat alert) and internal (feeling stressed or overwhelmed). Research shows that when kids stuff their feelings down (also known as “emotional suppression”), their intelligence and learning suffer. Pretending to feel fine even when we are actually feeling something else takes energy and self-control, and that steals the energy and willpower needed to focus.

As parents, we can help our kids identify how they are feeling. “I’m feeling anxious right now,” they might say. This is the “name it to tame it” technique. When kids label their emotions, the emotions tend to dissipate. If they start telling you a story that is making them more emotional, gently bring them back to what they are feeling.

The task here is to identify what they are feeling, not necessarily why they are feeling that way. This can be difficult. We can get attached to our narratives about why we are upset, and get caught up in trying to problem-solve. But that won’t help us focus. We need to talk about the actual emotions, not the reasons for the emotions.

See if you can sum up their feelings in a simple phrase or two. For example, “You feel sad and lonely.” You could leave it at that, or throw in a little empathy: “That’s so hard. Feeling lonely is the worst.” Don’t try to “fix” their challenging emotions. The goal is to unearth and label emotions, not change them. Send your kids the message that you believe they can handle those difficult emotions. There’s no need to stuff them down.

But multitasking is the enemy of focus. The human brain did not evolve to focus on many things at once, and it can’t actually do it—it can only switch rapidly back and forth between tasks. This is a giant energy drain for kids’ brains in many ways. It makes them tired (or wired) and inattentive. Most of all, multitasking makes learning inefficient.Encourage single-tasking. It might seem blazingly obvious that in order to focus, kids will need to focus on one thing at a time, but this is no longer the way of the world. Even though multitasking is wildly inefficient, it feels productive. Especially for kids who are feeling bored and stuck at home, having a lot of screens open and alerts coming in makes them feel busy and stimulated.

As parents, we can help kids configure their learning environment, their devices, and their online time so that they aren’t tempted to multitask—so they’re less distracted by alerts and less tempted to check social media compulsively. Turn off all alerts and turn on “do not disturb,” and designate a parking place for phones during school hours, allowing them access to just one screen at a time.

2. Motivation

Trying to motivate kids with sticks and carrots is its own special form of parental ...... Without self-motivation, it’s pretty darn hard to learn. Fortunately, we can foster self-motivation in our kids by supporting their competence, their independence, and their connection to others. These are the three core psychological needs that, when filled, lead to self-motivation. Here’s how to help meet those needs.

Acknowledge competence. Help kids see where they’ve done really well in the past through their own effort (rather than your nagging). Ask: “Where do you feel most confident?” And then help them see that it is their own effort that led to that capability.

Allow independence. Our kids need the freedom to fail on their own—and the freedom to succeed without having to give you credit. Our kids can’t feel responsible for their schoolwork if we are still the organizing force.

So instead of instructing and directing kids, ask them: “What’s your plan?” As in, “What’s your plan for eating breakfast before class tomorrow morning?” Asking kids about their plan makes it clear that they are still in control of their own behavior, and it helps put them in touch with their own motivations and intentions. If kids aren’t asked to articulate their plan, sometimes they won’t make one. (Especially kids who are used to being nagged; those kids know that their parents will eventually get frustrated and do their planning for them.)

Support a sense of belonging and connectedness at school. This is obviously much harder during a pandemic, but it isn’t impossible. Ask your kids who they feel connected to. What groups or classes are helping them feel a sense of belonging? If they are coming up short, ask them who needs help and what they can do to help that person—helping others is one of the best ways to create connection.

3. Flexibility

You might have noticed: Every plan we make seems to fall apart. We are living through a time of accelerated change and constant unknowns. That makes it critical for us—and our kids—to remain flexible. They may be going back into the classroom this year. They may not. Either way, they’ll need to roll with the punches. We can help them do so.

Stick to a consistent sleep schedule. Exhaustion makes us brittle; it’s pretty hard to stay limber when we’re so tired we just want to lay down and cry.

Despite not having much going on, many kids are exhausted (especially teenagers). Not having the structure of school (at least the don’t-miss-your-bus kind) makes it harder to impose our own schedules and enforce bedtimes. In addition, many older kids who are used to having a lot of privacy and social time at school are now filling their needs for independence and connection with their peers by staying up playing video games half the night, unmonitored by sleeping parents.

Unfortunately, irregular sleep causes more than grogginess and grouchiness. Even modest reductions in sleep quality, such as simply not sleeping deeply because of a blue-light-induced decrease in melatonin, tend to make kids feel lonelier, even without a reduction in quantity. So, if their sense of connection to peers is already fragile, sleep disruption might be exacerbating the problem.

We parents will do well to enforce consistent bedtimes. The most important thing is not necessarily that they go to bed early (if their school starts late and they can sleep in), but rather that they are getting enough sleep for their age, and that they are doing so on a regular schedule. (See this post for how to reset kids’ biological clocks.)

Practice accepting whatever is actually happening. Our kids don’t have to like doing school online, but the more they resist it, the more they will struggle. We can acknowledge all the ways that school isn’t ideal right now, and also how they are feeling about it. It’s okay if they are frustrated or disappointed. And, also, the sooner they accept the reality, the better.

That doesn’t mean that they won’t feel frustrated anymore, or disappointed, or saddened by the state of things. Our feelings are a part of what is actually happening! When our kids surrender resistance, they put themselves in a better position to move forward.

To be clear, acceptance is not the same as resignation. Accepting a situation doesn’t mean that it will never get better. We don’t accept that things will stay the same forever; we only accept whatever is actually happening at the moment.

Foster happiness. By happiness, I mean positive emotion, not pleasure. Positive emotions enhance our “cognitive flexibility”—that’s a fancy way of saying our ability to deal with a change. Research shows that positive emotions (like gratitude or awe) make dealing with change less taxing, and they make us more open to new things. This might be part of the reason why other research shows that students with higher emotional well-being tend to be more than one semester ahead of those with lower well-being.

Yours,
Christine

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