Last week, BES celebrated Kindness Week starting with a lively kick off assembly full of singing, dancing, minute-to-win it games and of course learning about what it means to be kind. They had fun dress up days, daily lessons of kindness and compassion in their classrooms and guidance class. There were activities related to kindness in art, music and PE as well.
There were 41 families who participated in the Random Acts Of Kindness Family Challenge - if you think about how many students are within 41 families, that was a lot of students doing random acts of kindness at home and out within the community last week! Way to go!! Each day we got to hear about each of those acts of kindness during morning announcements. The last component of kindness week was the students in each grade level planned, participated in and carried out a community service project.
One of our favorite parts of BES Kindness Week is the student's excitement to work on and complete a community service project! This year our students definitely sprinkled our community with kindness - Read on to see what each grade level level decided to do for a community service project.
4K - students worked together to make a trail mix for the library staff. In art class, all BES students had the opportunity to make bookmarks for community members visiting the library.
5K - The students and their teachers worked together to create pocket hugs for community members visiting the bank. If you need a hug, stop in the bank and grab a pocket hug for when you need it.
1st grade - Students held a food drive for Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry in Genoa City. Students found out what items were most needed at the food pantry and collected those items. They took all their food donations to the pantry, helped stock the shelves and were able to learn a lot about the food pantry and community service.
2nd grade - Students focused their community service project as a random act of kindness. Students collected laundry supplies, packed it into single load packages, each, with a message of kindness. They left them at the laundromat as a way to brighten someone's day.
3rd grade - Students collected individually wrapped snacks and created labels of kindness and encouragement for our police officers and firefighters. Each time one of our hero's grabs a snack, they will be greeted with a message of kindness/encouragement.
Way to go Mustangs! Way to work together to show kindness to others in our community!
4th and 5th grade celebrated the end of Kindness Week with a good read. The BookTrust and Scholastic program gave each student a free Dog Man book.
4th grade are studying rocks and minerals in science. Students have been learning about the layers of the earth and how they connect to states of matter. For example, the crust is a solid, the mantle is a solid, the outer core is a liquid, and the inner core is a solid. Liquid magma is inside a volcano and as it travels upward and turns into lava. That is when it hits the invisible air or gas.
Yesterday, our first grade students had an amazing time at Traxside exploring sound, wavelengths, gravity, and friction in such an interactive and hands-on environment. Even though some students had a few falls along the way, they kept pushing through, practicing, and showing their determination. It was incredible to see their personalities shine as they supported one another, had fun dancing, and sang along to the music. It was a day full of learning, laughter, and teamwork, and we couldn’t have asked for a better experience.
Calling all Kindergartener-5th Graders!! Saturday Morning Basketball is BACK!!
Saturday Morning Basketball Sign-Up Form:
https://docs.google.com/.../1FAIpQLSfGtU0C-2w8E.../viewform
Saturday Morning Basketball is back! Saturday Morning Basketball is open to our Mustangs in grades K-5th.
Saturday Morning Basketball will meet March 8th, March 15th, and March 22nd.
This year, Saturday Morning Basketball will operate with an open-gym format. You may bring your Mini Mustangs to the BMS gymnasium any time between 8am-11am on these Saturdays and stay for a short period of time or the whole morning.
All Saturday Morning Basketball will take place in the BMS gymnasium. Please use the side parking lot (by the playground) and enter through Door 5. Parents are welcome to stay - we will have seating set up - or you can drop and go.
This form is to ensure we have contact information on file for any children who show up. You are not obligated to attend every Saturday.
Please fill out a separate form for each student you are signing up.
If you have any questions, please contact Jess Metcalf (jessica.metcalf@gcj2.k12.wi.us).
Go Mustangs!
On February 19, as part of Kindness Week, Brookwood Middle School had the incredible opportunity to welcome the K-9 Comfort Dogs and their handlers from the Lutheran Church Charities (LCC) for a special visit. The event, centered around “community kindness,” allowed students and staff to experience the warmth, comfort, and joy these specially trained dogs bring.
The visit provided a calming presence for our school community and lots of smiles and hugs. Comfort dogs provide many benefits-they help children learn compassion, empathy, responsibility, respect, and self-discipline. They provide non-judgmental love, acceptance, and emotional support and studies have shown that even a short time with a comfort dog can decrease levels of anxiety and increase emotional well-being. Students also had the chance to interact with the dogs, learn about their training, and gain valuable lessons about kindness, empathy and the impact, benefits and the power of giving back through volunteerism. The handlers highlighted the importance of volunteerism, explaining how their dedication to training and working with the dogs has made a big difference in the lives of others.
Throughout the visit, students met with the dogs in small groups, ensuring a peaceful and positive experience for all. The handlers shared insights about each dog’s personality and responsibilities, teaching students about the important role these animals play in providing emotional support during times of crisis.
The LCC K-9 Comfort Dog Ministry is a national, volunteer-based program that deploys over 130 comfort dogs across 26 states. These dogs work in schools, hospitals, nursing homes, and disaster-stricken areas, offering emotional support and relief to those in need. Each dog undergoes 18 months of rigorous training before being placed.
The visit was a huge success, leaving smiles on faces and love in hearts. As a school, we are grateful for this experience and look forward to future opportunities to visit with the LCC K-9 Comfort Dogs and their handlers. We extend a heartfelt thank-you to the handlers and volunteers who made this special day possible-your kindness truly made an impact.
This past week, we honored our 6th-8th graders and their families who finished the first semester with a 3.5 GPA or higher with a light breakfast celebration. Way to go, Mustangs!!
We ask our Brookwood families to share with us what our Brookwood students are doing outside of school so we can share in your greatness and how #MustangProud we are of your accomplishments!! If you have something to share....email it to Mrs. Xiong at Helen.Xiong@gcj2.k12.wi.us
Our next sharers of greatness are four BMS students that competed in the 2025 Wisconsin State USBC Youth Championship Tournament in Madison, WI this past weekend. Members competed in 3 divisions including Singles, Doubles, and the Team event. To represent their Brookwood pride, the boys competed under the team name of Mustangs.
Way to go to Elijah, Gage, Griffin, and Reed on a great showing at Youth State this weekend! We are SO #MustangProud of you all!!!
#BrookwoodFamily #GCJ2Alumni
Once you are part of the Brookwood Family....you're always a part of the Brookwood Family. We love being able to share what our Mustangs are doing beyond Brookwood and as they continue to Grow into their Greatness.
Our next alumni of Greatness that we are SUPER excited to share with you about is Emilee Booker!! Emilee is currently attending UW-Eau Claire and is on the Track and Field Team.
Check out her stats and Track and Field awards and honors write up here:
https://blugolds.com/sports/womens-track-and-field/roster/emilee-booker/19026
Way to make us #MustangProud, Emilee!!
Our BES Kids Heart Challenge officially ends tomorrow! We have raised $13,600 so far and have 130 students registered. Please remember to make your final online donations. Make one more push for donations tonight and ask donors if their companies match donations. We’re having a blast getting healthier and helping kids with special hearts!
*Any donations made after this weekend will not count towards our totals*
http://www2.heart.org/goto/BrookwoodGenoaCity
Seventh grade scientists began quarter 3 by investigating atoms and chemical reactions. In this lab, the groups are investigating household powders and how they react with vinegar, iodine, and a universal indicator for pH. They also observed how copper chloride dissolved in water and aluminum foil react.
Last Friday, our 8th grade boys basketball team played its final game of the season battling male staff in a hard fought game. It also kicked off our Kindness celebration! Great season, Mustangs!
We are SO excited to introduce to you all --- Brian Silk and JoAnn Simons! Brian will be seen at our elementary school as one of our daily subs and JoAnn will be seen at our elementary school as a part of our custodial team!
Welcome to the Brookwood Family, Brian and JoAnn!
We are SO excited to share this press release with you all since we have 16 -- 6th, 7th, and 8th graders participating in 12 events this year in the Solo & Ensemble Festival. We are very proud of these hard-working students!
Press Release:
Local Students Participate in District Solo & Ensemble Festival
WAUNAKEE, Wis. (February 10, 2025) – Students from area schools will participate in a Wisconsin School Music Association (WSMA) sanctioned District Solo & Ensemble Music Festival hosted at Lake Geneva Middle School on Saturday, March 1, 2025. During the festival, which is free and open to the public, students will perform vocal and instrumental solos, duets, trios and small ensembles before an adjudicator.
WSMA music festivals annually attract thousands of students from middle, junior high and high schools throughout Wisconsin. The festival will draw students from a number of area schools, including Badger High School, Brookwood Middle School, Delavan Darien High School, Lake Geneva Middle School, Lakeland School, Phoenix Middle School, Reek School, The Lincoln Academy (HS) and Traver School. Kim May, music director from Lake Geneva Middle School, will be serving as the festival manager.
“WSMA is proud to support music educators as we work together to provide quality music education experiences for students. Our long-standing festival programs encourage well-rounded musicians who develop deeper understanding through performance preparation that culminates in comprehensive feedback from a qualified adjudicator. Opportunities for reflection and consideration of new ideas is invaluable for musical growth,” said WSMA Executive Director Laurie Fellenz.
WSMA music festivals support school music programs as part of a comprehensive education by encouraging the study of quality music literature; motivating students to prepare and perform to the best of their abilities; improving students’ understanding of music literature and concepts (performance through understanding) and providing a performance assessment to improve individual and group achievement.
For more information on WSMA, go to www.wsmamusic.org.
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Founded in 1932, Wisconsin School Music Association (WSMA) is a non-profit service organization with more than 1,000 member public and private schools. Students from member schools are eligible to participate in WSMA programs, such as District and State Music Festivals, Concert Festivals, State Honors Music Project, State Marching Band Championships, WSMA Aca U Camp and Student Composition Project. WSMA is governed by a board of directors made up of superintendents, principals and other officers from all over the state. WSMA believes music is a basic human need and that all children have the right to experience all that music offers them.
Brookwood Elementary School's Forensics is kicking off! This is open to all students in grades 1st-5th. We hope to see you and your child at the informational meeting on February 25th at BES from 3:30-4pm
Yesterday, 4th graders brainstormed kind adjectives to describe each other. Students anonymously wrote a kind adjective on someone else's heart to put on their Valentine's bag for today. They loved to see what their classmates thought of them and they talked about if you think something nice about someone, say it!
This past week Mr.Lubus took students to Science Immersion Day at the campus of UW-Madison. The event featured over 20 nearby districts having students exposed to real science labs and simulations about energy, cheese making, chemistry and stem cells. Students were inspired about the possibilities!
Attention 8th Grade Families:
The Badger Showcase has been rescheduled to Wednesday, February 19th, 2025 due to the school closures on February 12th. Join us for the Badger High School Showcase on from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the Badger High School Sports Center!
Explore Badger’s classes, programs, athletics, and activities
Meet teachers and counselors
Learn about the student registration process
Q&A sessions with counselors
Student-led tours every 15 minutes to key areas, including the fitness center, fine arts, music, and west wing with hands-on demonstrations!
