A Message from the Foundation President

August 19, 2020

Dear Friend of Bearden Middle,

Welcome back to school. I hope that you and your family have managed to enjoy your summer even in these uncertain times.

Whether you’re new or returning, I’m sure you’re aware of how special a school we have in Bearden Middle. We have an engaged passionate staff and numerous distinctive educational opportunities that help our young men and women excel. However, the funding is not always there to give our teachers the tools to get the job done right. That’s where the Foundation comes in. We raise money to fill in some of those financial gaps.

While the Foundation was initially formed with an eye toward funding BMS’s 1:1 Initiative (a device for every child), it’s whole mission is to raise funds to support, benefit, promote, encourage and enhance the educational programs and facilities of the school. That is to say that just because Knox County Schools has provided a Chromebook for every child in the District, does not mean our mission is any less urgent than in years past.

All of our fundraising is achieved through sponsorships, donations and tickets to our spring event. We hope that as we reach out throughout the year, you and/or your company or employer will consider donating directly or sponsoring the event. We further hope that you’ll join us for the event, which is always great fun. Watch for details as we make our way through the school year.

Last year we were able to write a check to the school for $45,000 to cover various needs at the school and this year we are expecting to write an even bigger check. However, we need the support of our BMS community to make that happen. If you’d like to learn more about the Foundation, donate or even become a board member, please go to our website: https://beardenmiddleschoolfoundation.org .

Sincerely,

Jonathan Wimmer, President

Bearden Middle School Foundation

Events

CANCELLED

61068566_2704986816240732_2464726360732467200_n Purchase tickets to the Bearden Middle School Foundation Benefit online:

Thank you to our generous sponsors!

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Bearden Middle School is upgrading technology devices! By the month of February 2020, BMS will receive and begin implementing Chromebooks into the classrooms. Teachers will receive the first 95 and begin training within the next 2 weeks. The transition from iPads to Chromebooks will be by grade level, beginning with 8th grade. Older iPads (gifted to BMS by the Verizon grant) will be sold back to help pay for Chromebooks while the newer iPads, (purchased by BMS) will continue to be used in multiple ways for staff and students.

The decision to switch to Chromebooks was multifaceted: less expensive and more affordable to repair, more viable, compatible for district/statewide testing, and they are currently being used at West High School. The cost of new Chromebooks for one grade level is approximately $100,000, with a need to raise $85,000 this year.

The Bearden Middle School Foundation is helping to make all of this possible! Providing and maintaining 1:1 technology for all of our students has been at the forefront of the Foundation’s fundraising efforts.

Please consider supporting the BMS Foundation.

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Sponsor Benefits 2020

Sponsor Benefits

Donate any amount online using a credit card or Paypal account:

Checks payable to the Bearden Middle School Foundation may be mailed to:
Bearden Middle School Foundation
P.O. Box 51373
Knoxville, TN 37950

BMSF is exempt from federal income tax under Internal Revenue Code (IRC) Section 501 (c) (3). Donors can deduct contributions they make to the Foundation under IRC Section 170. The Foundation is qualified to receive tax deductible bequests, transfers or gifts under Section 2055, 2106, or 2522.

School

Bearden Middle is a Knox County, Tennessee public school and the only middle school in the county that is a certified International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme (MYP) World School. IB World Schools share a common philosophy—a commitment to improve the teaching and learning of a diverse and inclusive community of students by delivering challenging, high quality programmes of international education with a shared vision.

ALL students at BMS participate in the IB MYP. The MYP focuses on supporting student academic and personal growth through the following components:

8 subject areas that focus on TN State and KCS local curriculum through a challenging IB MYP framework, which encourages students to make connections between their studies and the real world.
Areas of Interaction to tie learning to both the real world and other subject areas. These include: Health and Social Education, Community and Service, Environments, Approaches to Learning, and Human Ingenuity.
Approaches to Learning help students to develop skills that have relevance across the curriculum that help them to “learn how to learn”. They help to provide our students with a solid foundation for learning independently and with others.
Learner Profile attributes are characteristics that all faculty encourage our students to embody in all aspects of their lives. IB learners are: Thinkers, Communicators, Risk Takers, Knowledgeable, Inquirers, Balanced, Reflective, Principled, Open-Minded, and Caring.
Personal Project is the culminating MYP experience that West High School 10th graders develop and create throughout the sophomore year. If a student continues on to West High School to complete his/her IB education, he/she will complete the Personal Project. This is a mandatory experience for all 10th graders at West, and gives each student the chance to create a truly personal and creative project of their choosing. Through this endeavor, each student will be able to demonstrate his/her ability to take initiative, think creatively, and communicate effectively—a few of the many skills our students needs to be college and career-ready.

Bearden Middle School promotes and nurtures a supportive, dynamic learning environment, by challenging every child to meet high expectations and therefore succeed in a diverse society.

BMS is proud and honored to be recognized as an AVID Schoolwide Site of Distinction. An AVID Schoolwide Site of Distinction represents the highest level of AVID implementation fidelity demonstrating excellence in instructional practice and the promotion of college readiness schoolwide.

Contact

Foundation Mailing Address:
Bearden Middle School Foundation
P.O. Box 51373
Knoxville, TN 37950

School Address:
Bearden Middle School
1000 Francis Road
Knoxville, TN 37909

Checks payable to the Bearden Middle School Foundation may be mailed to:
Bearden Middle School Foundation
P.O. Box 51373
Knoxville, TN 37950

BMSF has applied for 501(3)(c) status and is currently pending and waiting approval from the IRS. All donations will be retroactively tax-exempt after approval.

If you wish to contact the Bearden Middle School Foundation via email, please fill out the form below: