Tonight, the BPMS Honors Banquet was held in the Commons.  43 8th Grade Students were honored for their academic achievement throughout the 2012-13 school year.  We congratulate our Honor Students and wish them the very best in high school.

FCAT 2013 is now officially complete at Bayonet Point Middle School!

This year was a first for BPMS, as FCAT CBT was used for two grade levels.  263 6th Graders and 226 7th Graders were tested over 10 days on 138 computers in 5 labs.  Our students did an amazing job, and are to be commended for their hard work and effort!

Thank you to Mrs. Sluder, Mr. Gartland, Ms. Hawkins and Mr. Babiarz for being fluid and moving around while we utilized their classrooms for testing over the past two weeks.

Mr. Petro, Mrs. Horten, Mrs. Babiarz, Ms. Geer, Ms. Lane, Ms. Jonas, Mrs. Speare, Ms. Acosta and Mrs. Gemmellaro are to be commended for their hard work during this time period ensuring that everyone was tested and that everything went as smooth as possible.

Great job, Patriots!!!

Best wishes to our students as they begin FCAT testing today with the Mathematics test.  Please give your very best, and know that your hard work and effort will pay off the next two weeks!

Today, one of the highlights of the 8th Grade year came to fruition for students that will be attending Ridgewood High School: Freshman Course Selection Day.  Students were able to go online and select which classes they want to take to start their high school careers in 2013-14!  As the end of the year quickly approaches, students need to maintain a successful academic course to ensure their path to high school!

Dear Parent/Guardian,

The purpose of this letter is to inform you that your student will be taking the Grade 8 FCAT 2.0 Writing Test on Tuesday, February 26, 2013.  The FCAT 2.0 Writing Test is administered in one 60-minute session in which students write an essay in response to a prompt.  Later this spring, your student will receive a score for his/her writing on a scale from 1-6 score points.  There is no “passing” score for FCAT 2.0 Writing.  However, a recent revision to State Board of Education Rule established that the percentage of students scoring 3.5 or above in the spring 2013 administration will be used for the Writing proficiency component of school grade calculations.  You may visit http://fcat.fldoe.org/writing-prompts.asp to access writing prompt descriptions and scoring guides with sample essays.

Please be sure to review the following policies before testing:

■ Electronic Devices—If your student is found with ANY electronic devices including, but not limited to cell phones and smart phones, at anytime during testing, including bathroom breaks, his or her test will be invalidated. The best practice is for students to leave devices at home or in their lockers on the day of testing.

■ Testing Rules Acknowledgment—The Writing test includes a Testing Rules Acknowledgment that reads, “I understand the testing rules that were just read to me. If I do not follow these rules, my test score may be invalidated.” Prior to testing, test administrators will read the rules to students, and students must acknowledge that they understand the testing rules by signing their names under the statement.

■ Leaving Campus—If your student leaves campus before completing the test (for an appointment, illness, etc.), he or she WILL NOT be allowed to complete the test. If your student does not feel well on the day of testing, it may be best for him or her to wait and be tested on the make-up day.

If you have any questions related to this test administration, you may contact Martha Babiarz at 774-7400. For more information about the statewide assessment program, visit the FDOE website at http://fcat.fldoe.org/.

Thank you for supporting your student as he/she prepares for the test.

Sincerely,

Michael Asbell