Bronxville Middle School Dads Club
Click here for information on our first event of the 2009/2010 School Year, Monday, October 26, 6:30-8:30PM, Project Adventure Activity with Children
The MS Dads Club is open to all fathers with children attending the Bronxville Middle School. Ours is a young organization that plans to hold monthly meetings moving forward. Please read on for more information. We welcome all MS dads to join us!!
Objectives of MS Dads Club
- To foster a more tightly-knit community by virtue of enhanced dad-to-dad relationships;
- To facilitate dad-to-dad discussion of topics of interest regarding our MS children;
- To enhance dads' communication with BXV school administration/educators and community resources;
- To deepen dads' understanding of children/school/community issues;
- To provide a vehicle for dads as a group to express their concerns relating to MS children and offer suggested actions to address these concerns to the appropriate entity(s) within our community; and
- To offer additional shared dad/child activities such as community service projects and entertainment/sports outings.
Please contact Bob Galbraith or Jim Hudson for more information regarding the MS Dads Club.
Volunteer Opportunities:
- The MS Dads Club is soliciting dads to volunteer their homes for future meetings. $10 suggested contribution by dads attending should cover the cost of food and beverages. Please contact Bob Galbraith (rdgalbraith@gmail.com).
- The MS Dads Club is looking for someone to help in the development of our website (see Action Item 2 below for more information). Please contact Bob Galbraith (rdgalbraith@gmail.com) if you can help.
- The MS Dads Club is in the process of forming sub-committees to concentrate on Sports, Drug and Alcohol Abuse and Community Service (see Action Item 3 below for more information). We hope to have these committees established by 3/15. Please contact Bob Galbraith (rdgalbraith@gmail.com) if you would like to participate.
- The MS Community Service Club will be participating in Habitat for Humanity projects on Saturday, March 21 and Saturday, May 9. Please contact Julie Meade for details.
- The organizers of the very popular Teen Center, a highlight for our MS children, are looking for dads to help chaperone these events which take place monthly on Friday nights from 7 pm – 9 pm. The very presence of a few dads at the Teen Center goes a long way in helping to manage the event. Do not worry if your child says they would be mortified if you were there - you are unlikely to see them more than a fleeting moment. Please contact Sunny Mulford (sunny.mulford@gmail.com) if you are able to help.
Notes on MS Dads Club Meeting 2/11/09
32 dads attended meeting at Bob Galbraith’s home.
Issues discussed:
- Modified Sports – Discussion centered on necessity of modified sports program at the school given that children can participate in non-school sponsored club sports (e.g. TYA baseball, EYSA). Budget constraints were the backdrop for this discussion.
- Drugs/Alcohol – This was a topic of great interest for the dads. Dads were encouraged to attend the 2/24 PTA sponsored Town Hall meeting on this topic.
- Code of Conduct – Discussion of Code of Conduct and ramifications for students violating code (e.g. drug and alcohol use). Should violators be precluded from participation in extra-curricular activities?
- Frequency of meetings – Dads expressed interested in club having social aspect (less formal monthly meetings) with occasional meetings (2-3 p.a.) with "experts" as appropriate.
- Structure of MS Dads Club – Discussed establishing sub-committees to follow up on areas of interest.
- School Budget - Tangentially discussed, but seemed to be of great interest to the group.
- Community Service – Dads were supportive of trying to identify community service project which could be undertaken by dads and children together.
- Sports Outings – Dads expressed interest in attending sporting events with their children. Events of interest included local college, semi-pro and professional events.
Action Items:
- Based upon our last meeting, it seems that dads would like to meet on a monthly basis. We would appreciate a volunteer to host our next meeting at their home (tentatively scheduled for 3/18 7:30 pm). Requested contributions of $10 pp should meet the cost of food and beverages.
- A number of topics of interest were discussed during our last meeting with dads expressing a desire to continue this dialog. We would appreciate someone with computer skills to volunteer to assist in setting up topic -specific chat rooms on the MS Dads Club website to foster the ongoing discussion of these topics.
- We are hoping to establish a number of committees to address areas of general interest. The committees will work with the appropriate members of the school administration/staff/community to understand the programs/issues under consideration, prepare a report evaluating these programs/issues and offer recommendations to the MS Dads Club as to any changes the subcommittee believes to be appropriate. Committee recommendations will be reviewed by the general membership of the MS Dads Club. The MS Dads Club will bring proposals approved by the membership to the attention of the appropriate entities within our community. Initial committees will include:
- Sports Committee
- Drugs and Alcohol Committee
- Community Service Committee
Please contact Bob Galbraith if you would like to offer your home for our next meeting or can assist in the development of our website. It is hoped that committees will be formed by 3/15 and you are encouraged to contact Bob if you would like to participate. We welcome your input as to any thoughts you may have regarding the MS Dads Club or agenda items for future meetings.
Bob Galbraith/Jim Hudson contact: rdgalbraith@gmail.com
The following information has been copied from the Bronco Handbook
Middle School Athletics
The Bronxville School Modified Sports Program provides interscholastic competition for students in grades 7 and 8. As per the Commissioner of Education, sixth grade students are not permitted to participate in competition with other schools. After school opportunities for sixth graders are incorporated in the elementary after school program.
Modified Sports Program Goals and Objectives
-Provide the student athlete an opportunity to experience a new sport or to continue to develop sport specific skills
-Allow the student to develop skills of time management, commitment, teamwork and leadership
-Develop skills in a competitively safe environment considering factors such a physical size and skill development
-Students are not "cut" based on skill, but there is an expectation of commitment to the program for at least 3 days per week
-Quality playing time is an expectation – Quality does not always mean equal
MODIFIED SPORTS OFFERINGS
Fall Winter Spring
Girls Field Hockey Girls 7th Grade Basketball Baseball
Girls Soccer Girls 8th Grade Basketball Softball
Boys Soccer Boys 7th Grade Basketball Girls Lacrosse
Coed Cross Country Boys 8th Grade Basketball Boys Lacrosse
Football Wrestling Coed Track & Field
Ice Hockey*
*Starting in the 2006-07 school year, ice hockey will again be offered as a merged team with Tuckahoe and Eastchester.
Seventh and Eighth Grade Participation on a High School Team
The Selection/Classification Program was designed for mature and exceptionally skilled students to advance to an upper level. This program, as defined by the State Education Department, is not to be used to fill rosters or to provide a place for middle school students when no modified program is offered. The process begins with a coach's recommendation to the Athletic Director, and includes the following components: parent permission form, maturation physical by the school physician, physical fitness test, skills tryout, and academic review.
A complete Modified Sports Packet is available through the Athletic Office. For additional information, please call 395-0500 x3234.
