The Beckwith Chronicle

Dates to Remember
10/24 Picture Day
10/27 Lip Sync Contest
10/28 Pink Out
11/6 PTSA 5K at Bridge Inn
11/8 No school - teacher workshop
11/9 PTSA meeting at PRES
11/11 No school - Veterans Day
11/14-11/18 Book fair
11/14 Early Release at 11:30 a.m.
11/14 Parent teacher conferences - afternoon and evening
11/15 Parent teacher conferences - evening only
11/18 Term 1 report cards available through parent portal
11/23-11/25 No school- Thanksgiving recess

Students of the Month
The following students were presented with Student of the Month Certificates for the month of September: 
Gr. 8 - Kamila Carreiro / Sam Branco
Gr. 7 - Jillian Pestana / Alex Tomellini
Gr. 6 - Kevin Moitoso / Morgan Randall
Gr. 5 - Matt Suprenard / Elizabeth Parker
Related Arts - Jairus Hardmon / Breanna Couto

The PTSA Color Run Delights Students, Staff, and Parents
The PTSA Color Run was an amazing time for all participants. Students ran through the lower field at Beckwith as BMS staff “threw color” and music blared. A fundraiser for the PTSA, the Color Run was also a celebration of school spirit and fitness. The PTSA hopes to continue this fundraiser again next year. Students and staff are no doubt looking forward to another great time!

A Successful Soccer Season for Beckwith
The boys and girls soccer teams are finishing the season on top. The boys’ team won the division with an undefeated record of 9 wins, 0 losses, and 1 tie! The girls’ team is also having an awesome season with 8 wins, 2 losses, and 1 tie. Special thanks and congratulations to Coach Freeman and Coach Correia for great seasons. 

Ms. McQuilkin Creates a Contest for the Beckwith Library
Recently the Beckwith Middle School library kicked off the school year with a contest aimed at getting students into the library to promote and encourage reading for pleasure and enjoyment. The contest, “How Many Books in the Library?” had students counting and estimating the number of books in the collection. New students to the school had a chance to visit the library and everyone had a chance to check out old favorites and view brand new additions to the collection. 

It was interesting to watch the different ways the students tackled the task at hand, individually, in teams, with calculators or pencil and papers - they were serious and competitive! Prizes of school supplies and edibles for two students who were closest to the collection numbers were promised and happily delivered on October 3rd. A special thank you to our Student Council and Mrs. Jerauld for the contribution of a fifteen dollar Scholastic Book Fair gift certificate to each winner. The winners, both fifth graders were Allison Tito who guessed 12,700 and David Hunt who guessed 12,682. The actual number of titles in the Beckwith library is 12,652. Congratulations to Allison, David, and all the participants in the contest and the Beckwith staff for their support of a strong library program.

Mrs. Bilentschuk’s 7th Grade ELA Classes Participate in a Cultural Exchange Program 
Fifty-five students from the D.L. Beckwith Middle School will be on a journey to Nepal with their seventh grade English teacher Mrs. Melissa Bilentschuk.

After the earthquake in Nepal in 2015, a close friend of Mrs. Bilentschuk asked her if she would like to donate any used books to The New Millennium School, a K-12 private school located forty minutes outside of Katmandu, Nepal. Mrs. Bilentschuk immediately began to pull resources from her personal teaching library that she was able to send. She also collected many books she thought would be of interest to the students in Nepal both for their reading pleasure as well as educational materials. She was able to collect so many books it took a number of shipments to send them all to Nepal.

After she heard her Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Anthony Azar, challenge his staff to think outside of the box for innovative ways to enrich their students’ educational experience this year, Mrs. Bilentschuk proposed a Cultural Exchange Program. Mr. Joseph Pirraglia Jr., the Principal at Beckwith Middle School, jumped at her idea for a cultural exchange program.

Ipswich high school senior Maya Smith was planning to volunteer at The New Millennium School in Nepal for part of her senior year. (Maya’s mother is the friend of Mrs. Bilentschuk who inquired about the books for the school in Nepal.) Maya will be traveling to Nepal to be involved in an educational and cultural exchange program that she initiated with the Principal of The New Millennium School. She completed her high school academic work this past summer. Part of her work in Nepal will be to learn about more ways she and others can assist with the earthquake devastation that occurred in April, 2015.

Maya and Mrs. Bilentschuk are planning the cultural exchange program between the schools. Mrs. Bilentschuk’s classes will follow Maya through Skype on a regular basis with 55 students in a Nepalese classroom. The time difference may make this difficult at times but they also plan on video sharing as well as corresponding with one another. Culture, traditions, and holiday celebrations that are important to each other’s groups will be shared by the students. Trading selfie pictures of themselves, their homes, their communities, and landmarks that are significant in their countries will also take place regularly. Sharing our understanding of what it means to be “Global Citizens” and what it requires us to understand about each other’s similarities and differences is some of the learning Mrs. Bilentschuk wishes her students will gain through this endeavor. Hopefully all students involved will get a sense of belonging to a community greater than their own and the ripples for continued educational exchanges might someday result in even more travel between the schools for their teachers, students, and administrators. The possibilities are endless.

Reflections from Students on Inquiry-Based Learning
In Mrs. Sousa’s Science class, students were given an opportunity to reflect on problem solving, struggling to come up with an answer, and working hard to determine an answer. Students were presented with challenging “games” and were given an opportunity to “know” the solution or “figure out” the solution. Below are excerpts from students’ reflections:

“I liked that when playing the secret games we were never told the answer in this room because it makes me want to figure out the answer even more. I learned that if you try hard to solve something, and you’re observant, you can do it.” –Jillian Ross

“They [secret games] make you want to know. They make you motivated and excited. Secret Games teach us that we are intelligent and that we can figure out problems.” –Jacob Greenberg

“She [Mrs. Sousa] wants us to have that ‘ah ha’ moment and to think every day.” –Josh Guarino

“The lesson I learned was that I really had to think a lot and really watch and pay attention a lot. Some things in the secret games are right in front of you but you have to think outside of the box to understand.” -Kayley Dias

PBIS Update
PBIS is a school-wide system that provides clear expectations for behaviors, and consistent consequences for inappropriate behaviors, across all classrooms and across all school settings. Posters in classrooms, bathrooms, hallways and the cafeteria describe what it means to be respectful, responsible and safe here at Beckwith. Students are rewarded for displaying positive behaviors throughout the school day. By rewarding positive behaviors and by explicitly teaching our students to engage in these behaviors, we will foster a positive and safe learning environment. We are excited to have such dedicated and positive staff who are excellent role models throughout the school year. We have three pillars of behavior that are expected of every child in every setting.

1. RESPECT
Beckwith students are respectful. We are cooperative, acknowledge personal space, and treat others the way we would like to be treated. We respect our teachers and staff by listening and following directions. We respect our school by keeping hallways, classrooms and restrooms clean.

2. RESPONSIBILITY
Beckwith students are responsible. We are active participants in our classrooms. We come to class on time and are always prepared to learn. We navigate the hallways in a responsible manner and plan accordingly for locker and restroom breaks.

3. SAFETY
Beckwith students are safe. We are quiet when teachers and staff require our attention. We traverse the school in a safe manner. We use school materials appropriately and we look out for the safety of our fellow classmates.

The Haunted Hallway
On Saturday, October 15th BMS hosted the second annual Haunted Hallway as part of the PTSA’s Jack O’Lantern Festival. The Beckwith Community Service group led by Mrs. Arlene Parella and assisted by the Leo Club with Mr. DeMello and Drama Club students from DRRHS, prepared and starred in a number of scary scenes that left visitors with chills! Some highlights were the Witch’s Restaurant complete with a head on a platter, the wolf man in the dungeon, the return of the electric chair, and a zombie prom complete with musical accompaniment from the Phantom of the Opera. Thank you to all staff, students, and parents who participated and visited!

Principal’s Message

Dear Families,

October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month. People with Down syndrome are born with an extra chromosome. This can create some unique challenges. Overcoming these challenges is what makes people with Down syndrome so special. My sister has Down syndrome and has had a positive impact on my life. Her ability to overcome challenges has inspired me throughout my life. In 2007, I wrote an article about our relationship for the Down Syndrome Society’s newsletter:

Down syndrome?...Big Whoop!

My sister Jodie and I have a typical brother and sister relationship. We hang out and watch TV, and we fight over what channel we are watching. At the dinner table, Jodie is sure to fill my glass with the last of the Diet Coke. Not to be nice, but because the person who finishes the soda has to get another bottle from the basement. If I hear her singing Karaoke in her room, I will get in on the next duet despite her efforts to push me out of her room. And like normal brothers and sisters, we look out for each other.

My entire life, I have been aware that my sister is “special.” That is how my parents explained Jodie’s inability to perform tasks as quickly and efficiently as other people. “She is special because she is different,” my mom would say, “If everyone was the same, the world would be a crazy place.” Growing up with this notion, I never believed Jodie to be disabled; she always did and continues to be involved in what “typical” individuals do. Jodie did dance, she did math, she works, she likes to eat, she likes to sing, she made the honor roll, she graduated from high school, she went to her prom, she teases her brother...

When we were younger, Jodie and I would play together because we are only two years apart. At two years old, I got into the fridge and started to crack some eggs on the floor. Jodie made sure to tell my mom so she could clean it up. That same year I was looking to have some chocolate cake that was left on the table. I couldn’t reach it, so Jodie got it for me saying, “he was hungry, so I fed him cake.” My mom never minded cleaning up our mess because she was used to our collaborative mischief.

As I got older, I had the opportunity to help Jodie. I was, and still am always there to open up the door at the top of the stairs if she is going up, or change a light bulb so a light is on when she falls asleep. I have even put one of her van drivers in her place for telling Jodie to hurry up. “Jodie goes one speed, and it isn’t fast,” I explained, “Why would you even have a job like this if you don’t get that?” I always thought that I was over protective of Jodie because she had Down syndrome, and then I realized that I am just an over protective brother. When my other sister Julie brought home her boyfriends, I always forced a smile to hide my skeptical opinions. It’s what brothers do.

Like all brothers, I’m proud of my sisters’ accomplishments. Julie is a special Ed teacher, and Jodie works at a store in town called Let’s Party. At the store, she cleans the shelves, vacuums, stocks, fills balloons, and helps out in the party room. Interestingly enough, Barbara Morse Silva did a special on the channel ten news about Jodie’s job. I still bust her up about her working being newsworthy. When she clears the table, I break the story live from the dining room. I was very proud of Julie when she graduated from college even though I slept in and missed most of the ceremony, but I did make the party. When Jodie graduated from high school, her graduation party was ridiculous. We had to rent a hall to accommodate all the guests. The mayor came and gave a speech and a special award. That night I realized Jodie touched the hearts of so many people. I was so proud.

Jodie, like the other members of my family, is a very important part of my life. The fact that she has Down syndrome doesn’t change that one way or the other. Having Down syndrome just makes her different, special. She is special because of everything she has done for me, taught me, shown me, as my older sister. Sometimes, I don’t even tell people she has Down syndrome because it is easy to forget. I’d rather tell them about the time we climbed up to the medicine cabinet and ate a good amount of Dimetapp chew-ables. But if I did, she would get all embarrassed and yell at me.

Have a great month,
Joe Pirraglia