BMS October 2025

A Message From the Principal

Greetings BMS Families!

We are excited to share that the school year has begun on a high note! Our sixth graders are quickly mastering their lockers, seventh graders are gaining confidence in their identities, and our eighth graders are taking the lead by being positive role models, demonstrating expected behaviors, and facilitating WEB activities.

Athletics have also kicked off successfully, with impressive participation in football, cross country, and volleyball. Additionally, clubs such as Student Council, Yearbook Club, Art Club, Pokémon/Board Game Club, and Vex Robotics have started their meetings and activities.

As September comes to a close, we have fostered many positive interactions and built strong relationships, setting the stage for more challenging academic work in October. This month, we will introduce Performance Time, which will take place daily from 3:30 PM to 4:30 PM for students who have missing assignments. Teachers will reach out to parents if their child needs to participate. Your support in this initiative is vital, as we believe that all our efforts at BMS contribute to the academic growth of every student.

We also want to remind you that Parent-Teacher Conferences are scheduled for Wednesday, October 22. We encourage all parents to sign up to meet their child’s teachers and discuss their progress. Conferences will be available both in-person and virtually. Please let us know if you require any assistance with the sign-up process.

Thank you for your continued support in ensuring a successful start to the school year. We look forward to what lies ahead! Please reach out if you have any questions.

Warm regards,

Colleen Pariso

Berlin Middle School Principal

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October 6-10 | Homecoming Week
Wednesday, October 8 | Outdoor Movie & Yardgames Night | Football Field | 6 PM
Friday, October 10 | Homecoming Parade | 3 PM
Friday, October 17 | BMS Fall Dance | BMS Gymnasium | 3:45 PM - 5:45 PM
Wednesday, October 22 | NO SCHOOL
Wednesday, October 22 | Parent Teacher Conferences | 10 AM - 7 PM

We invite you to participate in our upcoming parent-teacher conferences! This is an excellent opportunity to connect with your child's teacher.

Registration opens on October 13th at 7 AM through your PowerSchool parent portal and will close on October 20th at midnight. We look forward to seeing you!

Sign Up Here: https://berlin.powerschool.com/public/

Regular school attendance and active participation from parents or guardians are essential for students to achieve their academic potential. If your child must be absent for any reason, please call the school attendance line below. For medical appointments, kindly provide a note upon your child's return. Always report your child's absence to the BMS Office at (920) 361-2441, option 1.

Did You Know?

Attendance is a crucial life skill that supports graduation and job retention.
Missing 10% of the school year (about 18 days) can significantly impact academic success.
By 6th grade, absenteeism is a strong indicator that a student may drop out of high school.
The consequences of missing school are the same for both excused and unexcused absences.
Absenteeism in the first month can predict poor attendance for the rest of the year.

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7th grade students tackled their very first recipe: peanut butter bananas. Everyone did an amazing job and enjoyed this yummy snack!

Time for some banana pancakes! Student: "Boy! Things taste better when you make them yourself!"

The parade will begin on South Capron St, proceeding East on Huron. The route will turn North on Adams, continue East on Park, go North on Oak, and finally head East on Marquette Street, finishing just past Clay Lamberton Elementary.

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Join Us for Outdoor Movie Night

In celebration of Homecoming Week, the BHS Student Council and Link Crew invite you to an exciting Outdoor Movie Night on Wednesday, October 8!

Schedule:

Yard Games: Kick off the fun at 6:00 PM!
Movie Screening: Enjoy the classic The Princess Bride starting at 7:00 PM!

This event is open to all grade levels, but we kindly ask that students in 4K-8th grade come with an adult.

We can’t wait to see you there for a night of fun and festivities!

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BMS Guidelines

Headphones: Wireless headphones are not permitted during the school day. Students may use wired headphones at the discretion of their teachers.
Backpacks and Personal Bags: All backpacks, string bags, and purses should be stored in students' assigned lockers throughout the school day. Students are not allowed to carry these items from class to class.
Personal Items: We kindly ask that personal items, including toys and stuffed animals, be kept at home and not brought to class.
Food and Beverages: Students may only drink water during classes, unless otherwise specified in an individual plan. All other food and beverages should remain in students' lockers.
Caffeinated Beverages: Caffeinated drinks are not allowed at Berlin Middle School. We kindly request that parents and guardians refrain from providing these beverages to students during the school day.

BMS Cross Country Team Triumphs at Wautoma Invite

Recently, the BMS Cross Country team headed to the Wautoma Invite, and what a night it was!

The girls shined brightly, clinching the title of Meet Champs!

Our medalists included: Lexi Kurczek: 2nd place, Brooke Shattuck: 3rd place, and Caroline Liesch: 7th place.

The boys also gave it their all and showed amazing determination! We're so proud of all our incredible student-athletes! Go, BMS!

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BMS Cross Country are the MEET CHAMPS at Westfield

Medalists:

• Nash Bartol - 7th place

• Lexi Kurczek - 2nd place

• Brooke Shattuck - 4th place

• Caroline Liesch - 7th place

Congratulations to our amazing student-athletes! Keep up the great work and have fun!

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BMS Football Team Dominates Westfield in First Home Game of the Season

Our BMS Football team has been crushing it, recently taking down Westfield in our first home game of the season!

Both 7th and 8th grade are still undefeated, and we couldn't be prouder of these talented young athletes—shining on and off the field! Way to go, team! Keep up the fantastic work!

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Important Dates

Competition Schedules

It is hard to believe that we are already one month into the new school year and Homecoming festivities are less than a week away. New this year, you will occasionally notice a little section in this school newsletter with a message from the Board of Education of BASD. These communications are part of our board goals for this school year, where we are focusing on communication to all our district’s stakeholders. We hope to keep you as parents updated on recent items from the Board level as well as ask the occasional question to help us gather feedback.

In September, all board committees met, and the monthly board meeting was held on September 24th. Items on the agendas included feedback from new staff members, a K-12 curriculum review cycle, the addition of the district’s capital improvement plan to the website, budget forecasts for this school year and the next several, and the process required if the district were to sell two of its properties. The district’s continuous improvement plan for the 2025-2026 school year, which includes goals for all schools, certain departments and teams, and the board, was also presented at the monthly meeting. Lastly, we approved changes to the superintendent’s contract and formally approved a document detailing the superintendent evaluation process used by the board each year.

As stated above, this new little section is a part of the board’s goals for this school year. In addition to this, the board is also developing a new quarterly electronic newsletter directed to all residents of BASD. This new newsletter will allow us to go more in-depth on many board level topics as well as keep all interested residents more aware of the district’s happenings. We are in the beginning stages of this project, but please be on the lookout for more information and sign-up opportunities to receive the new newsletter in the weeks ahead.

School Board Information

Strategic Plan

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