November is our kick off month for the character trait Kindness. On Friday, we had a 7 Period day to introduce the character trait and engage the students in conversations about being kind to one another and others in our community. Throughout the month we will show videos on the announcements, engage in community circle discussions, distribute PAW tickets for acts of kindness, and engage in various activities to prepare our students for December & January.

In December, the Social Studies Department will model and encourage kindness by leading a food drive to support Morse & Baker families. Likewise, in January, the Math Department will lead a clothing drive to support our Baker students in need. Our character trait of Kindness will be ongoing throughout these three months.

Replacement IDs Now Available

If your student has lost or misplaced their student ID, they can get a new one printed in the main office at any time for $5. Please see one of the administrative assistants in the office throughout the day or Mrs. Conaton in the cafeteria during lunches.

The Baker Courtyard / Patio Furniture

The Baker Courtyard aka Flag Hallway is now open for business! We appreciate every PTO member's donation and yes vote. We are extremely grateful for the Baker dads who showed up on a Saturday to help put the new patio furniture together! In an attempt to maximize our new resource and utilize our new patio furniture all year around, we brought 4 of our 8 patio tables inside for the winter months. This will allow us to use the flag hallway as an additional teaching space. In the spring, when the weather improves, we will take the patio tables back outside. They are already getting put to good use!

IA East Parent Meeting

The application window for the IA East lottery opened on November 1. Their first family informational night for all incoming 9th graders will be at IA East on November 14 at 7:00pm

Winter Guard

Come join the Award winning AKA Winter Guard. This outstanding group is comprised of six, seventh, and eighth grade girls and boys from the middle schools in the Troy School District and rehearses at Larson middle school. There will be two introductory rehearsals and clinics – where you couldn't give this activity a try. The next two clinic will be held on Tuesday, November 13.

The clinic take place from 6pm to 8:30pm in the Larson Middle School gym. Winter Guard is an activity that combines DANCE with the use of flags and other props in a routine which is set to recorded music. AKA Winter Guard is open to ALL Troy School District Middle School students who will one day attend Athens High Schol. No previous experience is necessary. Please wear athletic clothing and shoes for these events. questions can be emailed to dmccoy67@yahoo.com

Donors Choose

DonorsChoose.org is website that allows teachers and schools to publicly post projects they are seeking funding for. Several Baker teachers use this platform. In the past it has funded classroom furniture, advanced technologies, and field trips. A listing of Baker teachers can be found at the link below.

Testimony from Mr. Schmidt:

"This year was the first time that I've tried the website. Parents helped my class by fulling funding a keyboard project to provide my class with keyboard sets for everyday use. They fully funded my second project, provided my classes with enough stylus pens for everyone to use. And most recently, they funded one of my projects aimed at slowly replacing my old and worn our headphone sets."

This Week at Baker

7th Grade Reproductive Health Parent Preview

The annual parent preview for the material used in our Reproductive Health unit in 7th grade Health classes will be held at Baker Middle School in Room 103 at 6:30 pm on Tuesday, November 13. Please note that this is the only time scheduled for this event. Please plan on attending if your student has Health during the first or second semester and you are interested in previewing these materials.

PTO Communication

Box Tops Winning Class

In the PTO's most recent collection of Boxtops, Dr. Xydas' class won for the most Boxtops collected. They celebrated with a pizza party. Congratulations!

Help Needed in the Bobshop

The sign up is open for October and November! Please click on the link below to sign up. Spots fill up quickly. Thank you. We are looking forward to a great Bob Shop for the rest of the school year! - The Bob Shop Committee

Kroger Rewards & Amazon Smile

The Baker PTO has the opportunity to raise a significant amount of funds every year through purchases regularly made at Kroger and Amazon! Many of you already make purchases through theses companies. They are willing to donate a portion of the proceeds back to Baker. These funds go directly into the classroom, impacting all Baker students. If you have not registered yet with Kroger or Amazon, simply click on the links below to find out how. Please consider asking your family and friends to sign up for this FREE benefit for our Bobcats. Thank you for support of the Baker PTO.

Yearbook Fundraiser

Homework Help Club

The Baker Homework Help Club meets every Tuesday from 3-4 pm in room 113. All 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students who need help with assignments, organization, or just need a quiet place to work should consider attending.

Baker Middle School Book Club

The Baker Book Club is a program for Baker students who love to read! This club promotes reading for pleasure, teamwork, and exposure to great novels. During club meetings students will discuss books and participate in team activities based on the novels we are reading. Book Club Meetings start at 7:30 am.

Upcoming dates :

• November 14
• November 28
• December 12

Counseling Update