This past August 11th, when the morning bell rang, students, teachers, and staff entered Bak Middle School of the Arts, excited about a new school year. As soon as we stepped on campus, we noticed a few new things: the newly painted exterior walls, the brand-new technology in our classrooms, and the passionate new educators standing by their classroom doors, ready to teach the next generation of young leaders.
The art of noticing is valuable. It reminds us that every day is a new beginning, as we anticipate and appreciate all things.
In this issue of the Portfolio, our focus is not only on what is new at our school, but also on what makes us BAK MSOA. Featured stories include a deep dive into our theatre department, a few new members of the Bak family, a concert experience that people have been waiting for, and an update on the modern-day arcade.
In addition to the arts Bak is known for, we have multiple clubs on campus for students. A few of the many afterschool activities the school offers, but are not limited to, are Battle of the Books, Speech and Debate, Academic games, and the Lit Mag Club, which is bringing back the Organized Chaos literary mag, providing an opportunity for student writers, artists, and photographers to get published this year.
Some of our clubs have won a variety of awards and recognition from around the state. The annual club rush took place last month in the courtyard and was the perfect opportunity for students to see what goes on at our school beyond our art and academic areas.
In our Sports section, you will get to meet a variety of sports teams. From baseball to softball–our student athletes are seeing a change to their starting line-ups, as younger players are now allowed to have more time on the field or court. Additionally, a mandatory sponsorship form has been added, which students must submit promptly before the first day of tryouts; otherwise, they will not be eligible to attend.
As Bak students get older and find interest in things beyond the arts and academics, our feature ‘teen throwback’ covers nostalgic shows, books, movies, and other essentials from our childhood. Watching our interests change and our personalities develop over time may give us a sense of growth and even prompt us to ask, “Remember when…?” Always remembering the roots of our foundation.
The Portfolio online edition features a new weekly game, similar to the New York Times Wordle. Students will have access to the word guessing game through the Portfolio’s website, www.portfolionews.org. The words that must be predicted will have a relation to the current published issue. So, read this newest issue in its entirety to get your name on the leaderboard displayed on our news website.
However you use this new school year to get ahead and accomplish great things, don’t forget that the art of noticing is important. Find ways to spark creativity in yourself and in others. Find inspiration and joy in new things, and discover new joy in everything you do.