The Beckwith Chronicle

Dates to Remember
10/25 Grade 5 Field Trip -HR 103, 106, 108
10/26 PTSA Trunk or Treat + Monster Mash Event
10/28 Picture Retakes/Make-ups
10/30 Grade 8 Group Photo
11/5 No School – Teacher Workshops
11/6 Basketball Try-outs Start
11/7 Parent teacher conferences - Evening only
11/8-11/15 PTSA Book fair
11/11 No School - Veterans Day
11/12 School Committee 6:30pm
11/13 PTSA meeting at PRES
11/14 Early Release at 11:30 a.m.
11/14 Parent teacher conferences - Afternoon and Evening
11/18 Term 1 Report Cards available through parent portal & via backpack
11/26 School Committee 6:30pm
11/27 Early Release at 11:30 a.m.
11/28-11/29 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 –Riley D’Alessio, Nathan Mackenzie
Gr. 7 – Aubree Miller, Aidan Ferraro
Gr. 6 – Amber Parker, Lucas Estrella
Gr. 5 – Brenna Withers, Dario Conceicao
Related Arts: Corinne Braga, Tim Zibrida

MCAS: Perfect Scores
On October 22nd Beckwith students were honored at the Dighton-Rehoboth Regional School Committee meeting for achieving perfect scores on the 2018 or 2019 MCAS tests. This is an outstanding demonstration of achievement. We are proud of the hard work and dedication of our students. Congratulations to the following students from the entire Beckwith Middle School community: Noelle Blais (2018 ELA), Patrick McCann (2018 Math), Zachary McCann (2018 Math), Penny Braga (2019 Math and ELA), Emily Marquis (2019 Math and ELA), Jane Kostka (2019 Math), Logan Menezes (2019 ELA), Haleigh Kelley (2019 ELA), and former Beckwith students who currently attend DRRHS Sabrina Marsella (2018 and 2019 ELA), and Hayden Bessette (2019 Math).

BoxTops for Education
Beckwith is again participating in Box Tops for Education this year. We hope to submit at the end of the month so that we can have a check by winter. Please continue to save your BoxTops and send them in to us. You can also scan your sales receipt using the BoxTops app to support Beckwith. If you have any questions, you can email cmitnik@drregional.org 

Beckwith Middle School Number 1 Fund Raiser for American Heart Association
On October 18, Ms. Miller and Mr. Sampson were presented with an award honoring their contribution to the American Heart Association by Lindsay Pietro, an AHA representative. Through the AHA Play for Heart campaign, Beckwith Middle School raised the most money in the southeastern region… $3,036.50… more than double the amount of the school that raised the second most funds. Ms. Miller and Mr. Sampson organized and managed the fundraiser for BMS. The Beckwith School Community thanks them for their efforts and applauds the contributions of students and staff to make Beckwith the school with the most donations raised in southeastern Massachusetts.

Beckwith Has a New Gaga Ball Pit
Thanks to the work of scout and Beckwith alum John Lewandowski, Beckwith has a new gaga ball pit for the recess area. John and fellow scouts from his troop completed the gaga ball pit during the Columbus Day weekend. Gaga ball is a game requiring players to eliminate competitors by hitting them below the knee with a playground ball. This is a great alternative to dodge ball because it requires players to aim for other players' legs. It is a very exciting game that is now enjoyed by Beckwith students in all grades. The gaga ball pit was completed as part of John's Eagle Scout project. He and fellow scouts also cleaned and stained Beckwith's outdoor classroom. The Beckwith School Community would like to thank John for facilitating and managing this project that has had a great impact on our school.

App Update
(from smartsocial.com)
Lasso App from Facebook: What is it?
The Lasso app is Facebook’s knockoff to the popular video-sharing app Tik Tok. Lasso users can create and edit videos, then share them on their Facebook or Instagram accounts. While kids can have a lot of fun using this app, we want parents to be aware there are few privacy controls on Lasso. That means whatever your kids are creating can easily be viewed (or even shared) by strangers on the internet.

What is the Lasso app?
• Facebook is decreasing in popularity with tweens and teens, so the Facebook team launched the Lasso app in 2018 to try to keep its younger users
• Lasso is a competitor to the Tik Tok app (an app students love)
• Users create short videos and have the ability to add filters or songs, just like Tik Tok
• When signing up for the standalone Lasso app, users must sign in with either their Instagram or Facebook account
• Users are then encouraged to follow creators on the platform
• If users sign up with their Instagram account, they can use Instagram Direct to message others on the Lasso app
• The Lasso app makes it easy to share videos from the app to other social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram DMs
• Users can download the app for free on iOS or Android devices
• Hashtags are prominent on the app
• Users can filter videos based on hashtags

When watching videos from other creators, users can:
• Like
• Comment
• “Relasso” (which adds the video to their Lasso profile)
• Post it to Facebook
• Share it in an Instagram Direct message

Popular hashtags on the Lasso app:
At the time of this review, these hashtags were very popular:
• #smh (shaking my head)
• #flexin
• #GoOff
• #sorrynotsorry
• #fail
• #savage
• #realtalk

Why should parents care?
• Videos autoplay as users scroll through the app
• If a video includes mature or inappropriate content, students will see it
• At the time of this review, profiles on the Lasso app cannot be made private. Meaning whatever is posted on the app is public to everyone
• This app can have a major impact on a student’s digital footprint
• By default, other users can share and post your kid’s videos to their own profile or story outside of Lasso
• Every video has a link that can be shared anywhere on the internet or through texting
• In our experience, apps like these can push tweens and teens to behave in inappropriate or dangerous ways in order to gain attention
• There are several reports of predators using similar apps to target victims
• Profiles are public– which is a major red flag that this app is dangerous

Principal’s Message

Dear Families,
Although the word “homework” has a negative connotation, 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 …
• Ask their child about what the child is studying in school.
• Ask their child to show them any homework assignments.
• Assist their child in organizing homework materials.
• Help their child formulate a plan for completing homework.
• Provide an appropriate space for their child to do homework.

Parents may, if they wish …
• Help their child interpret assignment directions.
• Proofread their child's work, pointing out errors.
• Read aloud required reading to their child.
• Give practice quizzes to their child to help prepare for tests.
• Help their child brainstorm ideas for papers or projects.
• Praise their child for completing homework.

Parents should not …
• Attempt to teach their child concepts or skills the child is unfamiliar with.
• Complete assignments for their child.
• Allow their child to sacrifice sleep to complete homework.

As a staff we have discussed the importance of practice and its impact on achievement. Homework is a good opportunity for our students to practice the skills learned in the classroom. With practice students feel more confident and can engage in higher order thinking. Our goal is for students to understand, apply, and make connections, which ultimately leads to learning.

Have a great month,
Joe Pirraglia

Sources used:
Marzano, R. J., Pickering, D. J., (2007). The Case for and Against Homework. Educational Leadership, volume 64 (6), 74-79. http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/mar07/vol64/num06/The-Case-For-and-Against-Homework.aspx
Vatterott, C. (2013). How to Guide Parents in Homework Help. ASCD Express, volume 9 (5). http://www.ascd.org/ascd-express/vol9/905-vatterott.aspx