BeaufortMiddle School

BMS celebrates many points of pride during the 2016-2017 school year, and I am proud to share with you some of those things that make us #gryphonproud so far this year:

• Beaufort Middle School is an Arts in the Basic Curriculum School with a Distinguished Arts Program and receives grant funding to support the arts because of these designations
• Last year, 6^th grade Classical Studies students completed interviews of Veterans in our area. The Library of Congress accepted these interviews and have added them to their Library of Congress Veterans History Collection.
• Community Member Mr. Kidd donated a dulcimer to our music department
• 7^th Grade student have visited three colleges: CCU, Claflin and SC State.
• Learn about Project Unify at this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dq5DV9mpgyg
• 27 students participated in the BMS Honors Choir.
• BMS students perform in the community in Youth Orchestra or Children’s Theater
• Three BMS Teachers: Ms. Trimpey, Miss Morgan, and Mrs. Stoddard, made a presentation at the SCAAE STEAM Integration Conference Music Literacy Integrated with Math and Technology.
• Miss Morgan presented at the SC Middle School Conference
• BMS Media Specialist, Dr. Richardson, presented at the SC Ed Tech Conference in the fall and will present at South Carolina Association of School Librarians this spring on Bringing History to Life? Applying learning from national summer institutes / travel grants 
• The BMS Gryphon Singers were featured on Music in our Schools in December.
• Community and parent attendance at art events has increased tremendously over the past 3 years from 200 recorded attending in 2013-2014 to almost 1,000 in 2015 – 2016.
• Eight Gryphon Time sessions focus on STEM / Science for students in all grade levels.
• A Disney produced infomercial for Disney World includes Beaufort Middle School students. This is currently broadcast on Nickelodeon.
• 83 students are members of Tri-M Musical Honor Society.
• 66 eighth grade students took the PSAT in November. Nine of them qualified as South Carolina Junior Scholars.
• 65 students from grades 5 (at Mossy Oaks Elementary), 6, 7, & 8 were part of the cast and crew in this year’s BMS musical, The Lion King Jr. held in January at the Performing Arts Center at Beaufort High School. 
• Over 800 community, family, and staff attended the evening performances of The Lion King, Jr.
• Ms. Trimpey, orchestra / band teacher, has just been named Rotary Club of Beaufort’s New Teacher of the Year, 2016-2017.
• BMS Parent Action Council received grant funding from Lowe’s to beautify the BMS courtyard.
• 6^th Graders held a Walk-A-Thon and raised $150.00 for Gatlinburg Middle and Elementary Schools in the wake of their fires. They are also establishing pen pal relationships with students there.
• National Junior Honor Society

• Raised over $200.00 for relief for flood victims in Louisiana.
• Volunteered at the MOES Fall Festival
• Baked and delivered cookies to local first responders in appreciation of their support of our community during Hurricane Matthew
  • Student Council raised $175.00 to support Alzheimer’s Research
  • BMS Staff adopted 14 different families for the holidays
  • At the end of the first semester, BMS students had logged 3,429 Community Service Hours
• They rang the bell for Salvation Army
• Teamed up with HELP of Beaufort and sponsored a Charity Community Basketball Tournament that yielded $100.00 in cash, 89 canned food items, and 122 coats and sweaters for HELP’s closet.

  Community is involved and engaged in our School:

  • Archaeologist Dr. Poplin taught 8^th grade seminars about the Yemassee Indians
  • Dance Artist in Residence, Laura Peterson – Held a 4-day residency with 65 students from all grade levels.
  • Author Sheri Levy visited BMS and led a book talk and a writing workshop with students.
  • SC Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities staff member, Ms. Wright, shared the opportunities available at SCGSAH with 8^th grader students.
  • Visual Artist Dory Ingram worked with our 7^th grade Classical Studies students on their River of Words art.
  • BMS 8th grade students learned set design from Greg Rawls, Set Designer/Set Construction Engineer, USCB Center for the Arts.
  • Members of the Parris Island Marine Corps Band serve as mentors and tutors for our 6^th grade band students.
  • Kimberly Roberts, steel drum band artist in residence, worked with Ms. Trimpey and band students. 
  • Natalie Daise taught 6^th graders and drama students Gullah Storytelling skills.
  • Love Hours Ministries, Thumbs Up, and YMCA tutor BMS students after school
  • Beaufort Soil and Water Conservation District taught an Environmental Studies class with Dr. Brooks to a class of Classical Studies students
  • Beaufort Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention facilitates two leadership groups, one for boys and one for girls.
  • DJJ presented their “Choices” curriculum to a group of 7^th graders in a 6-week series.
  • Friends of Caroline Hospice provide grief counseling to our students
  • Young Leaders of Beaufort meet with the mayor and other key community members each month, focusing on leadership and learning about our community.
  • 80 of our 8^th grade students visited Penn Center to learn about the importance of this newly named national monument in American History. 
  • 26 8^th grade students traveled to Columbia to be part of the We the People Competition that promotes teaching and learning about the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.