Dear Families of FBMS,

I hope this message finds you and your family safe and healthy. As I began to reflect back to the beginning of the school year, I can’t help but to think how this ending is not what I had anticipated it to be. Spring is an especially fun time of the year for students with  a lot of opportunities to make many memories with their friends and to participate in all of the Spring sports and activities. It is also an opportunity to prepare academically for the transition to the next grade level, whether it is still at FBMS or off to the High School! Of course, when you start down the path of what should have been, you can’t help but feel a sadness for all students. While I know that we will do our best to stay in contact with each other, it won’t be the same. I can speak for our entire FBMS staff when I tell you we miss our students!

As you know, we have started the process of the “new and required learning”  through our online platforms. The FBMS staff have been planning this new online learning with full determination and devotion and keeping all of our students in mind. Our goal is not to replace in person learning, but to create an alternative way to maintain our focus and commitment to student learning and academic success.

With the new learning through online platforms, we are expecting our students to complete the work assigned and submit the work to the teacher. We expect our grading practices may evolve over the next few weeks, however, teachers will mark student work they receive. While we will expect students to complete assignments, we also understand that students and families are experiencing a wide variety of stressors. Our students and their family’s physical and mental health should always take precedence over any work assigned. Teachers will be flexible  and understanding of our students’ needs. We are currently working with the district administrators to determine how grades will be determined for this last quarter. Please know that we will keep your student’s best interest in the forefront of all decision making. 

A reminder that 3rd Quarter progress report grades are available on Infinite Campus Parent Portal for you to view. If you would need a hard copy of your child’s report card, please let the office know and we will mail you one. 

As we move through these unchartered waters together, I would like to reference the Starfish Poem, as we combine our efforts and hope to Make a Difference!

A little boy walked carefully along a beach where starfish by the hundreds lay there within his reach. They wash up with each wave as far as the eye could see. Each would surely die if they were not sent back into the ocean. One by one he tossed them back to the water. Then he heard a stranger call, ‘It really won’t make a difference…for you cannot save them all.’ The boy tossed another one back to the sea.  With deep compassion, the boy said-”It made a difference to that one!”