October 1, 2026
Dates to Remember
12/26-1/2 No School- Holiday recess
1/4 Basketball Home Game
1/9 Basketball Home Game
1/9 Debate Team Informational Meeting
6pm @ BMS Cafeteria
1/11 PTSA Meeting 6:30pm @PRES
1/12 Geography Bee
1/16 No School- Martin Luther King Jr. Day
1/18 Winter Band Concert 6:30pm @DRRHS
1/20 Beckwith Bash 2:30-4pm
Students of the Month
The following students were presented with Student of the Month Certificates for the month of November:
Gr. 8 – Jen Doan / Cameron Carro
Gr. 7 – Sophie Murdock / Jack Griffin
Gr. 6 – Anastasia Bettencourt / Thomas Dyson
Gr. 5 – Ava Wasylow / Luke Peltz
Related Arts – Ella Wasylow / Aiden Garabedian
Students Debate in Mrs. DeMelo’s Social Studies Class
Students in Mrs. DeMelo’s classroom participated in a debate to decide whether or not Columbus Day should be celebrated. Each side presented convincing arguments, with Team Affirmative arguing that Columbus should be celebrated for his bravery and connecting of the New and Old Worlds. Team Negative argued that Columbus was a villain, not a hero, and his mistreatment of the Native Americans, along with the spreading of deadly diseases, should be cause to eliminate this holiday. Students enjoyed facing off to debate these two opposing viewpoints. Some even got into character, dressing in suits and carrying briefcases. In the end, everyone was left with a number of very serious points to be considered as the future of this holiday’s status is uncertain.
Peter Pan Comes to Beckwith
Beckwith Middle School’s Drama Club is putting on a production of Peter Pan this year. Students have been working hard for a month and a half and still have a long way to go. Peter Pan is based on the play by Sir J.M. Barrie with lyrics by Carolyn Leigh and music by Morris (Moose) Charlap. The music is quite catchy and the theme of growing up is a classic one that anyone can relate to. The Drama Club would love to have your support on March 24th at 7pm, March 25th at 7pm, and/or March 26th at 2pm at Beckwith Middle School.
Beckwith Teams Win Awards in FIRST LEGO League Qualifying Tournament
Two teams from D.L. Beckwith Middle School in Rehoboth won awards at the FIRST ® LEGO ® League qualifying tournament on December 3rd. The Magical Partridges won the Project Award, and Team FUR-ocious won the Champion’s Award, the event’s top honor. To win the Champion’s Award, a team must excel in the robot design, project and the robot game while demonstrating FIRST LEGO League core values: working together as a team, honoring the spirit of friendly competition, and understanding that what they discover is more important than what they win. Team FUR-ocious did just that to take home the Champion’s Award over 16 other teams. The other teams receiving awards were: RoboCreepers, a neighborhood team in Lincoln, 1st place robot design and 1st place robot performance; Dumbledore’s Army, Riverside Middle School, East Providence, 1st place Core Values; The Magical Partridges, Beckwith Middle School, Rehoboth, 1st place project, and Sprocket Storm, Wheeler School, Providence, 2nd place robot performance.
Team FUR-ocious was coached by Mrs. Tomellini and Mr. Kenny. This team developed a mat that can be used in animal shelters to help calm nervous dogs. The mat has sensors that either vibrate, play soft music or a soothing human voice. The team sewed and stuffed a prototype for the judges to evaluate.
The Magical Partridges was coached by Mr. Greenberg and Mr. Kenny. They won the project award by designing and creating a phone app that will let farmers alert beekeepers when they are spraying their crops and so the hives can remain closed until the dangers from the pesticide has passed.
At the Robot Game Challenge, with 51 scores posted, the teams from Beckwith had five scores in the top ten. Both teams were competing in the school’s first ever FIRST LEGO League qualifying tournament and both teams did an awesome job. The teams would like to thank Mrs. Flatley for sharing her beekeeping expertise, Officer Muggle from the East Providence Animal Shelter for allowing us to visit and learn about their operation, and to the teachers and staff who supported the teams at the event on December 3.
The Ricci Middle School FIRST LEGO League qualifying tournament was the second of the season. There are three additional qualifying tournaments on December 10 and December 17. In all, 40 of the 80 teams registered for the FIRST LEGO League season will advance from the 5 qualifying tournaments to the FIRST LEGO League Rhode Island state championship on January 14, 2017, in the field house at Roger Williams University. The winner of the State Championship will compete in the FIRST World Festival in St. Louis, Missouri from April 26-29, 2017. For more information on the FIRST LEGO League Rhode Island, visit www.risf.net.
Beckwith Leos Spread Holiday Cheer
On December 12, the Beckwith Leo Club brightened the holidays for the residents at Evergreen House Health Center by singing Christmas carols and passing out over a hundred handmade ornaments. The hearts of both the children and the residents were filled with joy.
Winter Chorus and Grade 5 Percussion Concert
The Winter Chorus and Grade 5 Percussion Concert was a wonderful showcase of talent on December 19th. Directed by Ms. Lopez, the concert featured excellent selections and performances from 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students throughout the night. Special thanks to Ms. Lopez for organizing a wonderful concert!
Massasoit League Champion Boys Soccer Team Recognized with Banner Ceremony and School Committee Award
Michael Jordan once said “If you're trying to achieve, there will be roadblocks. I've had them; everybody has had them. But obstacles don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.” This year, a determined team of Beckwith athletes did just that. Through their hard work and dedication, we are proud to recognize our Raider boys soccer team as the 2016 Massasoit League Champions! They have shown us all how determination, grit, and teamwork can pay off in the end. A special thank you to our 8th grade boys who will be going on to high school next year. We appreciate your leadership and wish you all the best for the future.
No team is complete without a dedicated coach at the helm. Heartfelt congratulations go to Ms. Tina Freeman on her fantastic job this season as the Raider boys’ team soccer coach. She is a tireless advocate for her players both on and off the field.
On December 7, the championship banner was presented to a crowd of Massasoit League fans with Dr. Azar and Mr. Doug Kelley, (high school athletic director) in attendance. Ms. Freeman was presented with an autographed photo collage of the team in action. On December 13th the entire team was presented with DR Difference Award certificates at the School Committee meeting and recognized for the outstanding season.
Student Council Annual Canned Food Drive
The Beckwith Middle School Student Council organized its annual canned food drive. During the week of November 28th – December 2nd students were asked to bring in donations to help the Rehoboth Food Pantry. This year more than 1,000 cans and over $500.00 will be donated to the food pantry. A contest was held to see which homeroom in each grade level could bring in the most cans for the drive. The following homerooms were the winners of their grade level:
Student Council would like to thank everyone for their participation in this annual event.
Principal’s Message
Dear Families,
In the spirit of the season, this month’s Principal’s Message is as light as low-fat eggnog. My own take on:
The Top 10 Things Middle School Students Wish You Knew:
10. We also do not like the smell of Axe Body Spray.
9. An Instagram post is worth a 1000 words.
8. Multi-tasking is real.
7. A sweatshirt is as good as a coat in the winter.
6. We have enough energy to power a city block.
5. When we reach the 8th grade, our cool factor triples.
4. We wish we could refuse the ticket for the emotional roller coaster we ride each day.
3. We can pretty much Google our way through our homework.
2. Lunchroom nachos are better than filet mignon.
1. As much as we pretend not to listen to adults, we do care about and value everything adults say.
Kids in middle school respect and value our words. They are also very observant of our actions. The best way we can teach kids is to model the behavior we want to see from them. I’ve spent a decade working with middle level students. What I have learned is that kids, like all people, need to be heard, respected, and valued, and when we give kids what they need, they succeed.
Have a wonderful holiday season,
Joe Pirraglia
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