MS Minutes: 03.27.24

Posted on March 28, 2024

Hello, Middle School Students and Families! Welcome Back! Below is this week’s MS Meeting recap.

Rose Scott ’30 and Sam Singer ’28 ran today’s meeting. You can check out the slides from this week’s meeting here.


THE BVR STUDENT

Bea van Stolk ’29 and Nathaniel Bennett ’29 presented: Incorporates Feedback by Reflecting, Asking for Help, and Trying Again.

This is important because feedback can help you improve and understand your work better and realize what you did wrong. If you already did it correctly, you can go above and beyond. If you don’t know what you are doing, you can ask for help to figure out what to do. You can ask your classmates and teachers. If you get something wrong, you can try again.


FEED YOUR BRAIN BROOK BUFFET

The Outcasts by John Flanagan

Recommended by Zach Chiu ’29

WHAT I LIKED ABOUT THIS BOOK …
It had a lot of common difficulties that kids at middle school age face. It is also a series and has a great hook and cliffhanger. I loved that it was about pirates and adventure.

WHY I THINK YOU WOULD LIKE IT …
If you like pirates, adventure, and heroes you will like this book. It is also a series so you can read more of the same story. Additionally, you will be able to connect to multiple of the challenges faced throughout the book.


ANNOUNCEMENTS

The next Hiatt Institute, Collaborations That Uplift is Monday, April 8 at 8 a.m. Students will learn about how to work with others towards a common goal. Ms. Garayúa will share the form to sign up via email.


We showed the You Got In Video that was sent to all admitted students right before spring break, and, K.L. Benjamin ’28, Quinn Burke ’28, and Abigail Zimman ’28, this year’s head admission ambassadors, spoke about Admission Revisit Days happening next week: Tuesday for admitted 6th graders and Thursday for admitted 7th and 8th graders.


Beaver hosted Future FocusED, a conference for educators and industry leaders to talk about expanding education and the future of teaching and learning on Monday and Tuesday this week.

Congratulations to the students who presented projects they’ve done in class:

  • The UN Essay: a video convincing adults about the struggles teens face today: Charlie Schaffer ’28
  • Interviewing Chinese Elders: Keola Appleton ’28, Caden Salzano ’28, Baker Henson ’28
  • Times of Boston: Rishaan Chowdhury ’29, Jasper Ingenthron ’29, Rafay Desautels ’29, Analise Gottschalk ’29
  • The Search for E.T.: Kaz Jurkiewicz ’28 and Addie Marsh ’28

We have some upcoming field trips, and since we won’t have MS Meeting next week due to special schedules for Revisit Days, we announced them this week:

Friday, April 5
6th grade to the Franklin Park Zoo, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. (more details)

Monday, April 8
French C class to the MFA, 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. (more details)


On Monday, April 8 a total solar eclipse will be visible across parts of North America. Here in Boston, our view will not be a total eclipse, but about 90% of the sun will be blocked at around 3:30 p.m. The school has purchased special glasses so students can look up at the sun and see the eclipse. Students will all get out of afternoon activities a few minutes early to head up to the Upper Field, get a pair of glasses, and stare up at this solar event.


We talked about The BVR Way: The BVR food way.

We showed this Food slide. Reminders included:

  1. Students may only bring water in a water bottle into class.
  2. No other drinks or food may be brought into the classroom.

Sharing the Wisdom: 8th graders presenting about an important middle school topic.

Ms. Kosberg’s advisory presented on Managing Stress. Charlie Schaffer, Tylee Gould, Lila Faye Mandelman, Abigail Zimman, and Joe Murphy

Murphy encouraged us to:

  • Connect with others
  • Sleep
  • Find help outside of school
  • Spend time with people whom you care about and who lift you up
  • Do things that elicit positive energy
  • Be more active
  • Create a homework balance
  • Take breaks from social media
  • Get fresh air and sunshine

Things to remember:

  • You’re not alone – you have support
  • Everyone experiences stress at some point
  • You will get through it/it will pass
  • Dealing with stress will make you stronger, and better equipped to manage it in the future

PROGRAMMING & EVENTS

LUNCH & RECESS PROGRAMMING, CLUBS & AFFINITY GROUPS

RISE

Yesterday’s RISE activity was bracelet making. Through fun activities, students learn how to deal with stress and worry.


WELLNESS

The 8th grade created mental health apps during wellness class. They had to choose a diagnosis, learn about it, create a logo and slogan, and develop tools that would be helpful for a diagnosed student.

These are the winners!

  • Joza Wang and Joe Murphy for their app called Word Cloud for students with Dyslexia
  • Allie Kahn and Romy Seidman for their app called Mingle Minds for students with Autism
  • Tylee Gould and Misti Birnbaum for their app called Wiggle for student depression