The Beckwith Chronicle

Dates to Remember
June 6&7 Freshman Transition
June 7 Gr. 6 Field Trip
June 8 Gr. 5 Field Trip
June 9 Band and Chorus Spring Concert
June 10 Gr. 5 Field Trip
June 10 Gr. 8 Falcon Fusion
June 13 Gr. 5 Field Trip
June 16 Gr. 8 Promotion Exercises
June 20 Gr. 8 Field Trip
June 21 Last Day of School – full day

Learning in Action!
Students in Physical Education Class strategize to complete a Team Challenge.
Students in Mr. Ketler’s Science class replicate roller coaster tracks with plastic tubes and marbles.

Student of the Month
The following students were presented with Student of the Month Certificates for the month of April:
Gr. 8 - Hope Siddall / Isaiah Farrar
Gr. 7 - Jennifer Doan / TJ D’Ambrosio
Gr. 6 - Charleigh Blackwell / Ben Wheeler
Gr. 5 - Haleigh Ulicnik
RA - Angelina Araujo / Sam DeMoura / Will Landry

8th Grader Deirdre Sullivan Selected for Community Award
Deirdre Sullivan, 8th grader at Beckwith and volunteer coach for the Out of Control All Stars Cheer Company in East Providence, received a 2016 Recognition Award from the East Providence Local Advisory Committee for Special Education. As a volunteer cheerleading coach, Dee has worked with students with special needs specifically teaching choreography and a performance routine. Deirdre’s commitment to helping others exemplifies the values of the Beckwith Middle School community. Congratulations Deirdre!

Mr. Kelly Wins Prestigious Sullivan Award from the Massachusetts Middle Level Education Board
Congratulations to Mr. Tim Kelly, 8th grade Social Studies teacher, for winning the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Middle Level Education (COMMLE) Sullivan Award. This award recognizes teachers who exemplify a commitment to Middle Level Education.

Although Mr. Kelly has taught all of the core academics, his area of expertise is U.S. History. Mr. Kelly is equally committed to his profession and his 8th grade students. He can be found working countless hours preparing interesting lessons. He uses the lessons of History to teach about the past and to touch on the sensitive issues of society today. He fearlessly addresses topics that may otherwise go unexamined in other classes. Mr. Kelly sheds light on racial injustice, gender inequality and numerous other issues of relevance. His lessons explore topics that require students to self-reflect and find compassion and insight into today’s struggles. His classroom is a place where all students feel comfortable expressing and discussing even the most difficult topics. Students have returned year after year with encouraging feedback about his influence and how he changed their perspective on life.

Over the years Mr. Kelly has and continues to volunteer his time at many of the social and extracurricular activities in which his students have been involved including Student Council advising, planning and participating in trips to Washington, D.C., scoring basketball games, umpiring baseball games, summer camp counseling, and planning and chaperoning dances. Mr. Kelly demonstrates the qualities of middle level education and is a teacher that has had a positive impact on many students throughout his career. Congratulations, Mr. Kelly!

Beckwith Represented at SEMSBA
Congratulations to Sarah Arnold, Ashley Damon, Bella DeCilio, Emma DePalo, and Meghan Reed for representing Beckwith Middle School in the Junior SEMSBA Music Festival held on May 6th and 7th at Whitman-Hanson Regional High School. The students participated in two full-day choral rehearsals under the direction of Braintree High School's choral director,
Mr. Matthew Sawtelle. The festival concluded with a concert that was enjoyed by family and friends.

Middle Level Scholar Leaders Chosen to Represent Beckwith Middle School
Eighth graders Devin Dembrow and Adrienne Iafrate were recognized on May 17th at the Massachusetts Middle Level Scholar Leader Banquet as the D.L. Beckwith Middle School Scholar Leaders. This prestigious award is given to students from schools throughout New England who demonstrate a commitment to academic excellence and the school community. Devin and Adrienne are positive leaders in the Beckwith Middle School Community who model the criteria for student leaders. They consistently work hard in and out of the classroom demonstrating dedication to academic content and a strong work ethic. Among peers Devin and Adrienne stand out as positive models of respect, responsibility, and safety. Congratulations to Devin and Adrienne for receiving this award. Thank you for making a positive impact on the climate and culture of our school.

Makayla Barbosa Wins Honorable Mention in Regional Writing Contest
Makayla Barbosa, 8th grade student at Beckwith, was awarded Honorable Mention in a writing contest for her essay about the importance of relationships. “I wanted to focus on relationships within families, like grandparents, parents, and kids and how important those relationships are,” she said in an interview with Mr. Pirraglia. “Those positive relationships have an important effect on the world.” Makayla has always liked to write but was inspired this year by author studies and short stories from Ms. Simmons’ 8th grade ELA class. “I loved the short stories that we read. They were creepy, interesting, and had clever writing. I wanted to write like that.”

Makayla continues to write and is currently writing a story about her life. “It’s about me, but it’s more funny than serious. I like that kind of writing.” Makayla would like to continue writing beyond Beckwith and even high school and eventually try song writing. Congratulations to Makayla and thank you for representing Beckwith with your talents!

CSI Starring Beckwith Middle School Students
Mrs. Sousa and Ms. Garnett’s 7th grade Science classes participated in a unique learning experience that connected classroom content to crime scene investigation. Students wrote letters of application to be considered for the positions of police, detectives, CSI, artists, lab technicians, photographers, and reporters. Working with the Rehoboth Fire and Rehoboth Police Departments, students completed their assignments by applying their knowledge of DNA, genetics, and observation skills and collaborated to solve a “crime.” It was a great experience for Beckwith students!

PBIS Pizza Party Raffle Delights
At Beckwith students are recognized for modeling appropriate behavior and following expectations by receiving green tickets. Students can exchange tickets for incentives or submit tickets into various raffles. This month a highly motivating raffle for students was a raffle for a pizza party at lunch. Raffle winners were excited to have pizza delivered by Ms. Jerauld during lunch.

Too Much Technology?
Common Sense Media Offers Tips for Teens/Parents
Technology is prevalent in most homes in myriad forms. It can provide users with unlimited information, keep users connected to families and friends, and help keep users organized. But, how much is too much technology? Can technology hinder the development of healthy social behavior? Or get in the way of family relations? For more information that can help start the conversation you can read Dealing with Devices at www.commonsensemedia.org

Principal’s Message

Dear families,
As we enter our final month of the school year, I challenge all students, staff, and families to reflect on the accomplishments, challenges, and progress this year at Beckwith Middle School. For me, a first year principal, it was a whirlwind of meeting new people, establishing relationships, and learning the routines, dynamics, and traditions of a new setting.

It was a positive change but sometimes change can be hard. We instinctively seek consistency and routine because it is comfortable. However, little progress is made without stepping out of our comfort zone.

Beckwith Middle School is changing. We have incorporated new strategies in classrooms, bolstered our PBIS program, revamped our schedule for next year, added programs, created best practices for grading, and continue to adapt our instruction to educate a new generation of students. Only with the support of each other, families, students, and staff will our school program continue to be successful.

One of the best qualities of Beckwith Middle School that I have realized is the commitment of families and staff to the success of students. That’s one thing that will never change.

Sincerely,
Joe Pirraglia