The proposed assignment involving research on the topic of the Ku Klux Klan that was recently identified as being planned in one of our 7th Grade English Language Arts classes in January 2017 has been withdrawn.
The teacher recently submitted a letter to the parents of all of her students to simply inform them of various activities and assignments being undertaken in class with this particular assignment being just one of them. As the teacher stated in the letter to parents “the goal of the research paper was not to teach the students the Klan was correct in their behavior, but rather to teach the students how to write persuasively.” To the best of our knowledge there was no malicious intent involved.
BEAM feels that the objective of teaching students how to write persuasively is important. However, we feel that the choice of topic is inappropriate for a 7th grade class. A new topic will be selected for the assignment.
We understand the concern of the parent who contacted the school. The principal was out of the office on Friday, 12/16/16 and, thus, unavailable. He is in the process of trying to talk with the parent to address her concerns.
The teacher, who is African American, has been temporarily removed from the classroom while an investigation is underway.
Families, always feel free to contact the school Administration with any concerns. We are your partner in the education of your child and working together is the key to success.
We are inviting all BEAM families to our Open House on Tuesday, August 30, 2016 from 2:30 pm – 6:30 pm. The Open House will provide the following opportunities:
- Meet your child’s teacher
- Complete enrollment application forms
- Become familiar with our school environment
- Learn about our expectations, policies, and procedures
- Receive a BEAM uniform shirt at no-charge
BEAM’s Junior Academy students were the 1st Place Winners in the Finance and Investment Challenge Bowl (FICB) held on March 8, 2016. The FICB is a city-wide Jeopardy-style competition sponsored by Asset Builders of America that our Junior Academy students have participated in since 2009. This is the sixth time BEAM has won the completion since 2009.
Student picture day is Friday, October 16, 2015. Simplify Picture Day by ordering portraits online at mylifetouch.com using Picture Day ID MB195898Q0. No need to send cash or flyer back to school when you order online.
On March 10th Ms. Leazer took JA students to participate in the Financial Investment Challenge Bowl (FICB) held at Manpower. FICB is a team competition held at the Middle School and High School levels to test students in business and economic concepts that encompass local, national, and global events. Students were selected by Ms. Leazer based on their knowledge and dedication to learning business and economic concepts.
The program kicked off with a Saturday meeting and information session in January. Once the core teams were chosen, Ms. Leazer spent numerous hours, juggling her time between teaching and coaching, preparing the students for competition. Participants were expected to attend after-school sessions and prepare independently.
Two teams from BEAM participated against 10 other schools from southeastern Wisconsin. BEAM came in 2nd place, coming up just short in the finals against Golda Meir Middle School. Congratulations to all who participated. Thank you, Ms. Leazer, for all your hard work and dedication. You efforts are evident in the students’ success. We look forward to bringing the trophy to BEAM next year.
Please congratulate the BEAM faculty members who made this 2014 BEAM – The Sky’s The Limit Academy (BTSTLA) possible – Brian Hansen, LaDonna Leazer, Anjanette Nickel and Anne Wise – and for winning the 2014 Wisconsin Financial Literacy Award as selected by hte Governor’s Council on Financial Literacy and for which they are being recognized on January 28, 2015 in Madison. This award is given to individuals and organizations and BEAM won in the organization category as a team. The criteria used in the screening process included innovative implementations, demonstrated measurable results, collaboration with partners, and whether the effort was focused on needs-based groups. There were a total of 38 nominations submitted for consideration and 17 individuals, businesses, and organizations were named recipient of the 2014 Wisconsin Financial Literacy Award.
Something to be proud of….
BEAM’s The Sky’s The Limit Academy (BTSTLA) is an academic-intensive learning opportunity for students entering grades 7th through 8th. The first annual Academy took place in July 2014. This two week program introduced students to the basics of career planning and how to save and invest for the future. Students learned how our free market economy works and about individual roles within the economy. The Academy focused on the steps students can take to build the skills needed to be successful in middle school, high school and beyond.
The goal of this program was to educate middle school students on the basic principles of personal finance, career planning, investing and economics. Special Features and Objectives of BTSTLA included:
• Identifying career interests and how to achieve your goals
• Introduction to how to prepare for college
• Writing and presenting a Career Report
• Recognizing the basic principles of personal finance
• Writing and presenting a Stock Analyst Report
• Learning the basic principles of our market economy and how it works
• Recognizing and applying the economic way of thinking
16 Students participated in our Summer 2014 Academy. Check out the fun they had in our video on You Tube .
Is this something you are interested in? Start planning for your financial future by participating in our Summer 2015 Academy.
Our own board member and Lakeland College Associate Professor of Economics and Business, Scott Niederjohn, has been selected as a Fulbright Scholar. Scott will teach an undergraduate course on the U.S. economy, culture and business practices at the University of Luxembourg the fall of 2013. Not only is he BEAM’s first Fulbright Scholar but he is also Lakeland College’s first as well. Scott is one of about 1,100 U.S. professors who will travel abroad this year through the Fulbright Scholar Program.
He will leave in September with his family and return to Wisconsin in December. Congratulations to Scott on this prestigious award. Having a Fulbright Scholar involved in BEAM is a huge honor for us all!
BEAM was awarded the 2012 Wisconsin Financial Literacy Award by Governor Scott Walker on March 1, 2013. BEAM was one of 21 recipients of the award. As Governor Walker stated, the award recipients are “making a difference in our schools, our workplaces, and our communities across the state.”
The Governor’s Council on Financial Literacy was created in 2011 with the mission of improving financial literacy of Wisconsin citizens. This amazing honor for BEAM is entirely in line with our mission.
Mia Washington, 5th grade BEAM student, won 1st place in the Martin Luther King, Jr. Speech Contest in the 5th and 6th grade category. The 29th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday Celebration was held on January 20 of this year. The theme of this year’s event was “Fair Play, Good Will and Justice”. This was the theme that Mia kept in mind as she created an award-winning speech!
Excerpts from Mia’s Award-Winning Speech:
“Even though I am too young to have known Dr. King, I really do know him. I know him because of the legacy he left behind. He was a great man of faith and used his own life’s journey to create a pathway just for me. As I skip along the pathway of life, I am faced with both obstacles and opportunities. Sometimes there are small pebbles on that path and sometimes there are larger rocks. Sometimes the path is clear! Thanks to Dr. King I can overcome any of those obstacles and take advantage of any and every opportunity brought before me on my life’s pathway. On this pathway Dr. King left the right for me to receive a quality, fair education. Today, I can attend any school I so desire. It does not matter what my race, culture, or religious background may be…”
The BEAM staff and administration is proud of Mia and her accomplishment. Way to go, Mia!
