February Beckwith Chronicle

www.drregional.org

The Lady Raiders Basketball Team

The Raiders Basketball Team

8th grade Lady Raiders Basketball Team.

Winners of the Rehoboth Lion and Rehoboth Anawan Lions Clubs Peace Poster Contest

Learning In Action" Students work together in Miss Simmons grade 8 ELA class to identify sentence parts.

Learning In Action: Students in Mr Camillos Grade 7 Science class work together to complete a lab.

Learning In Action: Ms Santoros grade 5 students work together to identify evidence that supports a stated claim in ELA.

BMS Math Team returned with the second place trophy.

Beckwith's Debate Team participated in the Massasoit League Tournament on January 30.

Beckwith's Geography Bee Top Three with Principal Pirraglia.

Wyatt Keough, Grade 8 student at Edward R. Martin Middle School in East Providence, Rhode Island Named National Geographic GeoBee Rhode Island State Competition Semifinalist

Laura Breault winning bookmark entry.

Aubree Miller winning bookmark entry.

Posted Monday, March 9, 2020 12:04 pm

Dates to Remember

3/9 Spring Picture Day
3/10 School Committee 6:30pm DRRHS
3/11 Early Release at 11:30 a.m.
3/19 Faculty Basketball Game
3/24 School Committee 6:30pm DRRHS
3/21 Steamposium at DRRHS 10am-2pm

Students of the Month

The following students were presented with Student of the Month Certificates for the month of January:

Gr. 8 – Juliana Dias/Liam Dee

Gr. 7 – Winni Lin/Alex Verma

Gr. 6 – Maggie Kazanjian/Josh Auricchio

Gr. 5 – Cadence Pham/Ryan Avila

Related Arts – Juliana Dias/Alex DaSilva

BMS Geography Bee 2020
Congratulations to all of the geography bee contestants who competed in the school-level bee! Out of hundreds of students who took the qualifying test, the top ten students faced off on January 23rd in order to determine the school winner. The following students were part of the competition: Nathan Barriere, Joseph DiGirolamo, Emily Marquis, Bryce Dowdall, Victoria D’Aiello, Haleigh Kelley, Bridget Dee, Jonah Hebda, Avery Botelho, and Andrew Gilliatt. Finishing in third place was Jonah Hebda. Bryce Dowdall placed second. Nathan Barriere earned the title of school champion and will take a qualifying test in order to move to the state-level competition where he may compete with students from all over the State of Massachusetts. Congratulations Nathan! Best of luck with the state qualifying test!

On January 24 the following members of our math team traveled to Middleboro where they competed against eight other Massasoit League schools in the winter math meet and brought back the second place trophy: Sean Callaghan, Lily Charlonne, Travis Chartier, Caraline Corvi, Juliana Dias, Jane Kostka, Sophia Lin, Jeff McNaughton, Kylie Mirra, Sydney Pestana, Malakai Risotti, Alex Verma, Kaelyn Whitaker, Rowan Whittaker, and Timothy Zibrida. Sean Callaghan and Caraline Corvi each placed 3rd and Jane Kostka placed 2nd in the individual high score category. It was an entire team effort with many members scoring in the double digits! Our Math Team advisor is Ms. Tina Freeman. BMS Math Team returned with the second place trophy!

BMS Student Art on Display
Congratulations to the following students whose artwork was displayed at the SMARTS Art Show in January: 5th grade: Noah Silva, Hayden Silva, Allison Mandeville; 6th Grade: Angelina Chaves, Isabella Bouchard, Henry Murdock, Riley Clement, Molly Fortin, Avery Brown; 7th Grade: Aubree Miller, Kiley Miranda, Olivia Visinho, Sophie Pequeneza, Patipan Sintorn, Hailey McCracken, Sophie DiRenzo, Skyla Perry ; 8th Grade: Ava Wasylow, Nevaeh Sullivan, Luke Lindberg, Riley D'Alessio, Juliana Dias, Jaylin Gaudreau, Aidan LeBlanc, Rowan Whittaker

A reception for teachers, students, and their families was held on Sunday, January 12, 2020, at the Yamawaki Art Center. The exhibit was on display through January 26. Several pieces from each school were also selected to be part of the traveling art show. Those selected pieces will be displayed at each of the participating schools for one week following the opening reception.

Beckwith’s Great Debaters
On January 30, 2020, Beckwith’s Debate Team competed in the Massasoit League winter tournament hosted at Berkley Middle School.

Our debate team, which is comprised of students in grades seven and eight, have been researching and preparing their contentions and debate skills for the past three months. Our teams paired up and were excited to be part of the robust discourse that included social media, current events, and school-relevant topics such as YouTube, Recess, Instagram and Plastic Straws.

We were proud to see that every BMS team won at least one round, with some winning a second round. Seventh graders Ella Malinowski with Aubree Miller made it all the way to the semi-finals where they debated “banning plastic straws” as they finished just four points below the team that won the final competition. Way to go Great Debaters!

Students who won the first round, debating “mandatory recess for middle schools in the State of Massachusetts,” included Donny Azar with Jocelyn Borkowski, Charlie Roth with Brendan Henneous, Ben Pray with Anthony Mercer, Ella Malinowski with Aubree Miller, and Sarah Lima with Hazel Thomas. The second round topic “Instagram discontinuing likes” was won by Charlie Roth with Brendan Henneous and Ella Malinowski with Aubree Miller. In the true spirit of D-R district collaboration, Zach Thompson combined with a Dighton student to compete and won for his opening speech of the second round topic.

Congratulations to each Beckwith Debate Team member: Jocelyn Borkowski, Hazel Thomas, Sarah Lima, Aubree Miller, Ella Malinowski, Charlie Roth, Brendan Henneous, Ben Pray, Anthony Mercer, Donny Azar, and Zach Thompson. They did an outstanding job representing Beckwith from professional dress to kindness, confidence and respect. Our Debate Team coach is Ms. Dawn Houlker.

Beckwith Believers – Unified Team
Our unified team, the Beckwith Believers, will be playing two home games this year: February 25 and March 10. We will also be playing a Blue vs. White game on March 3. Come out and support our Beckwith Believers.

Beckwith Bookmark Contest
Congratulations to grade 6 student Laura Breault and grade 7 student Aubree Miller whose bookmark designs were chosen to represent Beckwith Middle School in the 2020 Massachusetts School Library Association's Bookmark Contest. This year’s bookmark theme is “School Libraries Build Strong Communities.” The Related Arts team of teachers selected finalists for Division III (Grades 4 to 6), and Division IV (Grades 7 to 12) from the entries submitted by Beckwith students for the school-level contest. Now, our Beckwith students’ winning designs have moved on to the statewide competition. Award winners for the entire state will be announced on March 30, 2020. Good luck Laura and Aubree!

AHA Play for Heart
The American Heart Association Fundraiser has just kicked off at Beckwith Middle School! Students in all grades have been asked to raise money and awareness for research, education, medical training, and community programs involving heart health and heart disease. Our school has ranked #1 in raising money in our region over the past three years and we expect nothing less this year! We will also be hosting the Play for Heart Event on March 4th for 7th and 8th graders and March 5th for 5th and 6th graders, which includes 3 v 3 dodge ball, 3 v 3 basketball, 4-square, and corn hole. It's always a great time and shows our students and staff that being active is important to heart health. All students have been provided with a family letter and donation envelope as well as information to donate online. It couldn't be any easier! Please consider donating to this very worthy cause to help our school keep its #1 status in fighting heart disease. Donations will be accepted through the month of February.

Lady Raiders
It was another successful year for the Lady Raiders basketball team. The team finished 14-2 and are Champions of their division! The team also repeated as Hurley Tournament Champions with the team beating Warren, Somerset, and Freetown- Lakeville. Laura DeGirolamo was named tournament MVP. The 2019-2020 Lady Raiders team was led by 8^th graders Ava Wasylow, Gianna Viola, Kaelyn Whitaker, Elaina Flood, Maddie Gomes, Caraline Corvi, and Laura DeGirolamo. This class of girls ended their career with a combined two-year record of 36 wins and just 3 losses. Congratulations ladies on another great season and a great career at D.L. Beckwith Middle School. The girls were coached by Mrs. Carol Jerauld.

2019-2020 Lady Raiders Julia Chaves, Caraline Corvi, Laura DeGirolamo, Keira DePalo, Elaina Flood, Avery Gomes, Maddie Gomes, Haleigh Kelley, Emily, Marquis, Isabella Silva, Gianna Viola, Ava Wasylow, Kaelyn Whitaker

Raiders Basketball Season
It was a slow start to the season for the Beckwith Raiders (5-10). We had a great group of boys who practiced hard and played with heart. Every player was a very important part of the success that we had towards the end of the season, due to playing as one team. We had a strong eighth grade group that led the team. Evan Dunn showed a tremendous amount of skill on the offensive and defensive ends. His ability to shoot and distribute the ball as a guard made it tough for opponents to guard him. Ricky Deppisch, a skillful shooter, could hit shots from inside as well as perimeter shots from outside. Adam Freitas, an athletic guard, used his athleticism and speed to create many turnovers with his quick hands on defense which led to transition opportunities. Dylan Andreozzi, a skillful guard, possessed great basketball knowledge and could really shoot the ball. Sean Callaghan was an athletic big man whose rebounding power made him an important asset to the team. Liam O’Neill was a true team player and contributed to the team in a multitude of ways. Whether it was to play guard, bring the ball up, or grab those rebounds, he did what was asked of him without a single complaint. Nick Conte was another team player that did whatever was needed. He rebounded the ball very well and became a better player throughout the season as his confidence grew. Kevin Gousie, an athletic player, gave the opposing offenses trouble with his stingy defense and his ability to rebound as a guard. Kevin was often assigned one of the better players on the opposing team. Evan Sampson did a great job for us on the shooting end of the game. He always worked hard at improving his shot which was an important part of our team. Matty Suprenard got better and better as the season continued. Matty was a role player to start the season and by the end he was one of the most important starters. His defensive tenacity was like no other. It didn’t matter who his assignment was he was always ready for the challenge. Matty didn’t score a lot but by the end of the season he was a great facilitator and unselfish player. The Beckwith Raiders look forward to an exciting future with seventh graders Ben Miller, Brennan Silva, and Tiago Conceicao. All players contributed a great deal to the successful season. The boys were coached by Mr. Isaiah Brewster.

2019-2020 Raiders Basketball Team with Coach Isaiah Brewster: Dylan Andreozzi, Sean Callaghan, Tiago Conceicao, Nicholas Conte, Ricky Deppisch, Evan Dunn, Adam Freitas, Kevin Gousie, Ben Miller, Liam O’Neill, Evan Sampson, Brennan Silva, and Matty Suprenard

Peace Poster Contest
Winners of this year’s Rehoboth Lions and Rehoboth Anawan Lions Club Peace Poster Contests are sixth graders Molly House and Lexi Hyder. This year’s theme was Journey through Peace. Special thanks to the Lions and art teacher Miss Faletra for making this opportunity possible for our students.

App Update-
TikTok from smartsocial.com

What Is TikTok?
TikTok is an app that allows users to watch and upload 15 second videos of everything from dancing to lip syncing to funny animal videos.

A “For You” page is curated for each user, based on the interests you choose when you make a profile. Users can follow, comment, and like each video.

The accounts you follow are then collected in your “Following” feed, which you can swipe through to watch. The Discover feature allows you to search for accounts and hashtags that you are interested in.

What Can Parents Do?

Know your child’s username and follow them
Keep an open dialogue about the types of videos they watch and post
Become a TikTok expert and learn the app’s safety settings
Advise your students that negative posts can come back to hurt their reputation in the future, especially with colleges and future employers
Remind your teen it’s okay to be silly and have fun on social media as long as they are positive and kind to others

Potential Negative Effects of TikTok

Addiction: Since the app boasts an “endless stream” of material, students are likely to spend a long time in the app and might even become addicted to watching the videos for hours at a time.

Bullying: A high school principal in New York tells Smart Social Founder Josh Ochs that students are being bullied on TikTok. Some students are making fun of each other’s videos, while others are making videos just to ridicule their fellow students.

Comparison: Some students make outrageous, and even dangerous, videos to get more likes and followers. Hashtag challenges are an easy way to gain likes, but some of the challenges are not appropriate for tweens and teens.

Safety Concerns: Apps like TikTok can easily be used by predators to solicit minors because the app makes it easy for strangers to direct message children. “There are no restrictions as to who can join the app and it is used internationally, connecting virtually everyone,” explained Digital Family Expert Theresa Desuyo, at the parental control software company Qustodio.

Mental Health: Some experts report it can be easy to come across triggering content on the app that could promote issues like self-harm or eating disorders.

Conclusion
TikTok is a fun and creative outlet for users to post dance compilations, tell funny jokes, and show off their talents. But some of the content users post can contain explicit language, suggestive themes, and lewd gestures. There’s no way for users or their parents to block specific content from the video feed without blocking individual users.

Smart Social recommends monitoring your student’s account and talking with them about safe and smart social media practices, if you allow them to use the TikTok app.

Principal’s Message
Dear Families,
Effort is identified as a crucial aspect of growth mindset, a term popularized by Carol Dweck in her book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. In Mindset, Dweck explains that success, in school, work, sports, the arts, etc., is not innate, but rather earned through practice and commitment.

At Beckwith we routinely use growth mindset language in and out of the classroom to inspire students to commit to learning. We do this because we understand the importance of practice. Brain research supports the necessity of practice when learning a new skill. As a student practices a skill, his/her brain establishes connections that lead to memory and learning. We are not born with connections in our brain that make us “good at math” or “good writers.” These pathways in the brain are created by repetition, and using information multiple ways multiple times. The best example of this is learning a language. Babies are not born with language. They learn language by listening, considering non-verbal cues, making sounds, repeating, and practicing over and over. The immersion in language makes babies learn language. When adults try and learn a second language, they often download apps that immerse the user in language. Often the apps require users to say a word, read a word, listen to a word, and use a word in a sentence in some context. The apps also have incentives for practicing. The apps are usually made by experts in language and brain science particularly in regard to learning new skills.

What does this mean for our students? To truly learn a new skill or new content, our students must commit to practice. They should be following our guidelines for homework which are listed below for reference. And, they should be learning the organizational skills to ensure they can practice effectively. The importance of homework is to teach students the importance of effort. Brain science demonstrates the significance of practice in regard to learning. If we want our students to be “good at math” or be “good writers,” we need to acknowledge that homework is critical. It is more than something that needs to be completed. Its completion leads to improvement.

Research-Based Homework Guidelines for Parents
Research provides strong evidence that, when used appropriately, homework benefits student achievement. At Beckwith Middle School the commonly practiced “10-minute rule” is followed (daily homework assignments combined should take about as long to complete as 10 minutes multiplied by the student’s grade level- 15 minutes if required reading is included). If your child is consistently surpassing the general guidelines as outlined in the “10-minute rule,” you are encouraged to contact your child’s teacher(s).

Parents do have a role in supporting homework completion and should follow these guidelines:

Parents are encouraged to …