The time from April break through the end of the school year flies by in schools. In the BFA Middle School, there has been many activities and accomplishments to round out the year.
GeoBee State Champions
On May 11, the BFA Fairfax Middle School GeoBee team won the Vermont State Championship. GeoBee is a team geography competition run by the Vermont Principals Association. Teams first compete in a regional competition before advancing to the state championships. Also competing in this year’s state championship were Orwell Village School and Hartland Elementary.
The GeoBee team meets 2-3 days a week after school, from March – May, preparing for the competition. Questions cover a range of topics, from Vermont geography to the geography of Australia and New Zealand.
Trills and Thrills
Over the past two weeks, our 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students have participated in Trills and Thrills. The day begins with a performance at a New York high school where our band and chorus are judged by professional adjudicators. After the performance, the students travel to The Great Escape for a fun day riding the rides, playing games, and eating. For the second year in a row all of our groups earned a “Superior” rating. This opportunity is a reflection of the growth of our music program and the dedication of teachers Ian Flint, Christie Maynard, and Sarah Wolff.
Boston Trip
On April 18 and 19, our 8th grade students travelled to Boston. During the trip, we explored the Freedom Trail including Paul Revere’s house, visited the New England Aquarium, had dinner at Quincy market, saw the Blue Man Group, visited the Museum of Science and had a traditional Italian lunch in the North End. The overnight trip was exciting and exhausting. It was amazing to see the growth in our students over the 30 hours we were in the city. The trip would not have been possible without the advance organization of Sally Billado and the tireless work of chaperones and 8th grade teachers Ben Psaros, Melody Wilkins, Dana Hamm, Ashley Barnes-Cota, Dylan “Blue Man” Callan, and Christie Maynard.
The end of the year culminates with the 8th Grade Dinner and Middle School Dance, Honors Breakfast, Step Up day, 7th Grade Trip to Jay Peak Water Park and the 8th Grade Graduation Ceremony. It’s a lot to pack into a week, but BFA’s Middle School students and staff love challenge and adventure.
John Tague is the Principal of BFA Fairfax Middle/High School and is a regular contributor to THE FWSU STORY. You can follow him @jtague252
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