About Us
What does it mean to be BPMS Green?
Brooklyn Park Middle School is committed to growing a Green School. Students and staff have been working together for the past four years to collaboratively progress toward a healthier environment, and now the school culture thrives on it!
However, this school year has been particularly special as BPMS's first Environment Club was established! This after school club includes students from all grade levels and meets every Monday after school. The club is responsible for collecting the recycled paper, participating in clean-up walks, helping the school maintain awareness of conservation, and developing projects like the Australian fire fundraiser that the entire 6th grade participated in. This project was to help support the animals in Australia that have been devastated by the fires this past year. The environment club has also been planning to create and maintain an outdoor edible garden on school grounds. The club has partnered with a local business to sponsor all costs of the garden construction and its maintenance. Furthermore, to improve social-emotional learning, club members painted the 6th and 7th grades girl's bathroom with positive messages to cover unwanted graffiti and to improve the overall wellness of the school.
And, though there was a recycling presence in years before, the Environment club's 'Recycling Squad' has really been outstanding this year! Several times per week, club members circulate to each classroom to collect unwanted paper and assignments that each teacher puts in a paper recycling box in their classroom. This paper then goes into the designated Anne Arundel County paper only recycling bin outside. Four years ago this bin would have been practically empty, but now it is filled and collected regularly by the county recycling trucks!
Beyond the environment club, our school has also acquired a large indoor hydroponic garden for hands on study, and all grade levels participate in lessons about growing and maintaining the indoor garden. And, for two years in a row BPMS has won 1st Place in the county Art Recycling contest, and has been 2nd and 4th in the Energy Savings Challenge over the winter holiday break. There is also a strong technology presence as many teachers are creating virtual classrooms to reduce paper usage, and BPMS has a completely on-line weekly newsletter from the principal (The Buzz) that is sent out, as well as a quarterly "Bee Healthy" Newsletter from the Bee Healthy Charter. The Bee Healthy Charter, which consists of seven teachers who meet twice per month, is the staff charter that was specifically created to make the school, staff and students more healthy. Whether it's providing nutritional recipes, exercise tips, or seasonal sustainable practice ideas this charter has been on a mission to promote green school practices to our school community.
Oh, and lets not forgot, BPMS has a strong Wellness School presence through our sports clubs, student vs. teacher challenges, Girls on the Run sponsored club Heart and Sole, and our participation in the Maryland University Wellness for Change program!
As you can see, from our outstanding environmentally enriched curriculum to our extracurricular activities and community outreach, BPMS strives to become a community leader in sustainable practices and environmental awareness!
Please join us on our mission to become BPMS Green!
