This school year’s BES Character Education assemblies are attended by all students, both in person and remotely, by logging on to a school-wide virtual assembly hosted by Principal Kent.

This gives the students, both in-person and remote, a shared experience and a feeling of unity.

These assemblies are opportunities for students and staff to come together, to learn and talk about the character traits that will help them succeed socially and emotionally in and outside the classroom.

In each assembly a new character trait for the month is introduced by the Character Ed Committee. The trait is discussed and presented through innovative skits, music, writing, artwork or scenarios put together by BES students and staff.

This month’s assembly opened with the Mountaineers Mantra recited by Ms. Nichols and Ms. Bianchi’s second-grade class for the students in attendance, in-person and remote.

Mountaineers Mantra
The Mountaineers are we!
RESPONSIBLE, SAFE, RESPECTFUL!
Berlin students all agree!
RESPONSIBLE, SAFE, RESPECTFUL!
We climb, we climb, we climb!
RESPONSIBLE, SAFE, RESPECTFUL!
We do it every time!
RESPONSIBLE, SAFE, RESPECTFUL!

 

March’s character trait has been teamwork. This month the students at BES were tasked with showing teamwork right off the bat. Each grade level at BES was assigned a “breakout box” by BES’ Library Media Specialist Ms. Mitchell.

Ms. Mitchell, the BES Quiz Master, has been challenging students since last spring with the breakout box. Back in January, 60 students from BES joined in on a virtual “Breakout of a Book Night” hosted by the BES Quiz Master.

Ms. Mitchell reflected on the January virtual puzzle solving evening: “The fact that so many of our kids wanted to spend their evening using their critical thinking was fantastic.”

Breakout boxes are a fun and collaborative way for students to use STEM, gaming, and problem-solving to complete puzzles and reveal clues. The clues that were revealed by each grade level came together as a monthly mantra for BES.

During the assembly each grade shared the word uncovered by solving their breakout box and revealed the monthly mindset mantra: Berlin Elementary School Always Shows Teamwork.

After the reveal Principal Kent pointed out to the students that they had just successfully participated in a teamwork challenge.

The BES Kindergarten Team showed the power of teamwork this month by organizing a 5K Team to benefit the Down Syndrome Aim High Resource Center at the Center for Disability Services in Albany: https://www.cfdsny.org/dsahrc.

BES families have also shown what teamwork can do this month by the supporting the school’s PTO and raising $5,500 to support BES programs and activities.

The BES school community certainly does show teamwork!

After each BES Character Education trait presentation the monthly merit recipients, mountain guides and mountain climbers are announced.

Being a Mountaineer means being responsible, safe and respectful. Merits are given out throughout the month by BES staff and bus drivers to celebrate a students who demonstrates these traits. These students are given merits that are deposited in the Mountaineer Merit container found in the main hallway. At the assembly each month Principal Kent draws 10 merit recipients ,which includes both in-person and remote students (5 from kindergarten to 2nd grade and 5 from 3rd to 5th grade) who then receive a prize from Principal Kent.

Mountain Guides and Mountain Climbers are chosen by the teachers each month. A Mountain Guide award is given to students who consistently follow the expectations at school and serve as role models for others. A Mountain Climber award is given to students who are working really hard and showing improvement to meet the behavior expectations.

Mountain Guides:

Forrest Kennedy, Taylor Sroka, Jaxson Homiak, Aubryana Burdick, Shayana Peterson, Brielle D’Agata, Danielle Garner, Elaina Dellio, Ryland Crowley, Roddy Gardell, Addison Dezess and Lydia Morgan

Mountain Climbers:

Micah Manning, Freya Dunlop, Isabelle Swartz, Chance Burdick, Sawyer Goodermote and Michael Bennett

Mountaineer Merit Winners:

Liliann Dickinson, Alison Deschaine, Teddy Reed, Mason Morris, Ethan Thompson, William Snyder, Tabitha Hurd, Brendon Clyde, Sawyer Goodermote and Rachel Smith

Congratulations Mountaineers!