W.E.B. Du Bois Regional Middle School
Week at a Glance, News and Notes
Nov. 29 – Dec. 3, 2021
Note from the Principal:
I am grateful for the families that make up our learning community. Thank you for entrusting us with your children in their education. Thank you for supporting us and making sure the kids come to school ready to learn. And thank you for being patient as we figure out how to do this school thing in the midst of a global pandemic for which none of us has prior experience. Your collaboration is essential.
I am grateful to the educators who take the time to make sure students are held, that students are seen, and that we balance learning about the content of middle school subjects as much as we teach about our feelings and learning how to work together. This year is harder than last year, actually, because we have so much more opportunity with the kids. Our educators are dedicated to your children, and their learning, and show up every day to collaborate to make progress.
I am grateful to the staff who support all of this endeavor: the custodians, food service folks, secretaries and bus drivers who keep the clock ticking. We work in a great building with people who care about this learning community.
It takes a village, and we are the Du Bois community.
And here is the news you have been waiting for: We are having the Middle School Musical. And yes, I can tell you what it is going to be: The Wizard of Oz, updated for the 21st century, but still a timeless classic! See details below if you want to be a part of this amazing production.
See below also for the information on Student Led Conferences (SLCs). We are excited that our students get to show their families how much they have learned and how they have grown so far this year.
Please see the reminder about vacations and long term absences below. We really need the students here all day, every day, in order to do what we do best: help kids become leaders of their own learning!
Please drop me a note if you have feedback or questions at ben.doren@bhrsd.org.
Have a great break!
Ben Doren
Principal
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Monday, November 29
Regular School Day
Tuesday, November 30
Regular School Day
Wednesday, December 1
Regular School Day
Thursday, December 2
Regular School Day
Friday, December 3
Regular School Day
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Middle School Musical!
We are pleased to announce the Du Bois Middle School 2022 Musical: THE WIZARD OF OZ! This is a brand new adaptation, written by Joshua Briggs, featuring both songs you know and love from the original production, as well as some new musical surprises. This new adaptation is set in the here and now, and will explore how a young person like Dorothy has to learn how to save herself. Auditions are come one, come all, and we will have a part for any student who wants to participate. English-language learners are strongly encouraged to try out! Auditions: the week of December 13th. JOIN US FOR AN INFORMATION SESSION, Thursday, December 2nd, 3:00 pm on the Du Bois Stage. Please see link to flyers below.
Pre-order your yearbook today!
https://jostensyearbooks.com/?REF=A03463230
Safety and the Pandemic: How to navigate symptoms at home
We are serious about safety here at Du Bois, and appreciate all you do to coach the students on how to keep it safe while here at school and in the community. So far we are in school and able to come every day. Much of that depends on you abiding by our community safety norms–thank you for your help so far and in the future! One way you can do that is to check in with the school nurse, Hilary Bashara, if you are not sure about symptoms and whether to keep your kid home. She can advise on covid protocols, testing and other health questions. When your kid is home sick, please make sure they rest, and we will catch them up on school work when they return: the best cure for being sick is rest, and not worrying about falling behind. For unvaccinated students, if there is a concern about exposure to Covid and the student is symptomless, we are able to support learning during quarantine with materials as the school is directing the student to be home. If a vaccinated student is a close contact they can continue to attend school, while connecting with pediatricians and our health office to ensure the safety of all. If a student, regardless of vaccination status, is positive for Covid we are able to support learning remotely until quarantine is complete and they can safely return.
Long Term Absences
Long term absences are difficult to manage as our curriculum depends on students being present for instruction every day. If you take a student on vacation or on an extended family visit it really interrupts the learning cycle, as we are set up for in-person, community based learning. Please let us know if you are planning a longer absence, as there are Massachusetts rules about extended absences and attendance laws that we have to follow. If a student is out of school for a non-medical reason we will support as best we can when they return. We are not set up to provide learning materials for this, again, as we are an in-person learning community.
Student Led Conferences in December
We are excited that Student Led Conferences are coming up in three weeks. Your child’s Crew Leader will be reaching out by email or phone after the upcoming break next week to set up an appointment for the evening of December 14 or the afternoon of December 15. The conference is a great opportunity for your kid to explain how they are doing in classes, and how growth is happening this year. The students have chosen work from each of their classes to share, and will highlight their best work or work that shows their growth. We piloted this kind of conference last year, and it is really helpful for families to hear and see how students learn. Due to health protocols all the conferences will be conducted over Google Meet remotely: you and the student on one end of the videoconference and the Crew leader on the other. We will be able to do them in person in future years, but we are advocating for safety at this time. Please reach out to your child’s Crew Leader if you have any questions about the conference or setting up an appointment for a Google Meet. And if you have questions about a particular class you can always reach out to the teacher of that class.
Pool Testing
If your student or members of your household are unvaccinated, we strongly encourage your student’s participation, and anyone can participate in the pool testing regardless of vaccination status. Please use this LINK for more details and to complete the electronic consent form. Each student in your household will require an individual consent. The link defaults to Muddy Brook. Select the drop down for your child’s school — Muddy Brook, Du Bois, or Monument Mountain. The video is available in multiple languages–click the link on the top right to choose the language you want.
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Flyers and School Letters
Flyers and School letters are available on our website at this link: https://dbrms.bhrsd.org/category/families/flyers/
This week’s flyers:
- Du Bois Middle School 2022 Musical: THE WIZARD OF OZ! (English & Spanish versions)
- Winter Farmer’s Market
- Hancock Holiday Nights
Recent flyers:
- Pediatric COVID-19 Vaccine Information Session
- Community Thanks Supper: BSRCC
- Participate in a Williams College Study on Children’s Thinking
- Girls Basketball Free Clinic Grades 5 and 6
- Fall Arts & Crafts Festival – BSRCC
- Yearbook Club
- Casting Untitled Annie Baker Film
- Housatonic Youth Basketball Registration
- 27th Annual Winter Outerwear Drive
- Ski Butternut Student Application
- FUNK BOX BREAKING: Berkshire Pulse
- Golden Knights House League Registration
- American Red Cross Swim Lessons: BSRCC
- Oct. 2 ThinkFOOD Conference FREE for all students
- Talking to Teens so that they Talk Back
- Flying Cloud Institute: SMArt Kit Flyer
- Parent Child+: Equal Possibilities from the Start
- Yearbook Cover Contest
- Project Connection Fall Packet
Older flyers:
- Action Adventures Out of School @ BSRCC
- Ballet Ages 5-8 @ BSRCC
- Berkshire Hills Youth Soccer House League Registration
- Ski Butternut Student & Family Season Pass Application