Bala Cynwyd Middle School
Encyclopedia
Bala Cynwyd Middle School (commonly referred to as BC by its students) is located on 510 Bryn Mawr Avenue, in Bala Cynwyd
, a community within Lower Merion Township
, Pennsylvania
, United States with a ZIP code
of 19004.
Bala Cynwyd is a public middle school
in the Lower Merion School District
. The school's logo is a knight known as the BC Knight. Bala Cynwyd's Motto is T.R.U.S.T. [Tolerance, Responsibility, Understanding, Self-Esteem, Togetherness]. The school song is titled: Bala Cynwyd Alma Mater. There are 897 students and 83 teachers, as of March 2011. The Principal is Dr. Margery J. Andersen, with Mr. Jason E. Potten and Mrs. Gail Brown as Assistant Principals. Most of the BCMS teachers have an online message board, known as an "eBoard", at the Lower Merion School District Website. This school became part of the Blue Ribbon School Program
during the 2001–2002 school year.
, and was renovated in 2002.
, TSA
, and Mathcounts
.
2011–2012 Officers:
(Both jazz bands participate in the annual Jazz Festival hosted in late March. Mrs. Jenny L. Neff directs both jazz bands and coordinates the festival.)
(* denotes ensemble does not entirely consist of students from this school)
),
as well as first in the State of Pennsylvania, and second in Southeast Pennsylvania Regionals in 2010. In the past they have placed first at the regional tournament (most years except 2010), second at the state tournament (2008), and as high as 4th at the National Science Olympiad Competition (2002).
In 2010, Bala Cynwyd Science Olympiad were the champions of the Pennsylvania State Science Olympiad Tournament for the first time in its history.
2011–2012 Officers:
Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania
Bala Cynwyd is a community in Lower Merion Township which is located on the Main Line in southeastern Pennsylvania, bordering the western edge of Philadelphia at US Route 1 . It was originally two separate towns, Bala and Cynwyd, but is commonly treated as a single community...
, a community within Lower Merion Township
Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania
Lower Merion Township is a township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania and part of the Pennsylvania Main Line. As of the 2010 census, the township had a total population of 57,825...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, United States with a ZIP code
ZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
of 19004.
Bala Cynwyd is a public middle school
Middle school
Middle School and Junior High School are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. Most school systems use one term or the other, not both. The terms are not interchangeable...
in the Lower Merion School District
Lower Merion School District
Lower Merion School District, or LMSD, is a public school district located in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. The school district includes residents of both Lower Merion Township and the Borough of Narberth. Established in 1836, LMSD is one of the oldest districts in Pennsylvania...
. The school's logo is a knight known as the BC Knight. Bala Cynwyd's Motto is T.R.U.S.T. [Tolerance, Responsibility, Understanding, Self-Esteem, Togetherness]. The school song is titled: Bala Cynwyd Alma Mater. There are 897 students and 83 teachers, as of March 2011. The Principal is Dr. Margery J. Andersen, with Mr. Jason E. Potten and Mrs. Gail Brown as Assistant Principals. Most of the BCMS teachers have an online message board, known as an "eBoard", at the Lower Merion School District Website. This school became part of the Blue Ribbon School Program
Blue Ribbon Award
Blue Ribbon Award can refer to:* Blue Ribbon Award , an annual award presented by the Japan Railfan Club* Blue Ribbon Awards, annual Japanese film awards* Blue Ribbon Award of Excellence in Education, awarded by the Blue Ribbon Schools Program...
during the 2001–2002 school year.
History
The Bala Cynwyd Junior High School (name revised to Bala Cynwyd Middle School) was built in 1938 and founded in 1939 by Jacob Jones and "is still in use for educational purposes". The school is on the National Register of Historic PlacesNational Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
, and was renovated in 2002.
Extra-Curricular activities
Bala Cynwyd offers students many extracurricular activities, outside of required classes. These consist of athletic teams, musical and theater groups, and academic teams, such as Science OlympiadScience Olympiad
Science Olympiad is an American elementary, middle, or high school team competition which tests knowledge of various science topics and engineering ability. Over 6,200 teams from 49 U.S. states compete each year. Most teams compete in three levels of competition: regionals, states, and nationals...
, TSA
Technology Student Association
The Technology Student Association is an international Career and Technical Student Organization made up of over 150,000 Middle School and High School Technology Education Students. TSA is the premier CTSO dedicated to STEM Standards: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics...
, and Mathcounts
MathCounts
Mathcounts is a middle school mathematics competition held in the United States. Its founding sponsors include the CNA Foundation, the National Society of Professional Engineers, and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. The competition is designed for sixth, seventh, and eighth...
.
B.C. Applause
BC Applause is the theatre organization at Bala Cynwyd Middle School. It is run by Mrs. Lee Reilly. It uses the funds that it raises for various charities, such as Alex's Lemonade Stand.2011–2012 Officers:
- President- Alex Stern
- Vice President- Jon Adams
- Secretary- Bari Spector, Moria McConnell
- Treasurer- 2 seventh graders
- 8th Grade Representatives- Maura Hess and Dalia Weinstien
Athletics
No cuts are permitted on any athletic team, with the exception of basketball, where there are simply too many people joining. Intermural sports are only available to 6th graders, while interscholastic sports are for 7th and 8th grade.Musical Groups
- 6th, 7th, and 8th grade Band
- 6th grade Orchestra
- Chamber Orchestra
- Senior Orchestra
- Junior Jazz Band
- Senior Jazz Band
(Both jazz bands participate in the annual Jazz Festival hosted in late March. Mrs. Jenny L. Neff directs both jazz bands and coordinates the festival.)
- 6th, 7th, and 8th grade Choir
- Advanced Choir
- Bell Choir
- Pit Orchestra
- Pep Band
- Schuylkill Valley Area Orchestra*
- Schuylkill Valley Area Band*
(* denotes ensemble does not entirely consist of students from this school)
Theatrical Groups
- BC Applause
- BC Applause Officers
- Cast
- Crew
- Stage Crew
- Props/Costume Crew
- Tech Crew
- Light Crew
- Sound Crew
- Junior Thespian Society
- Junior Thespians (200 Hours of Service)
- Honor Thespians (400 Hours of Service)
Academic Teams
- MathCountsMathCountsMathcounts is a middle school mathematics competition held in the United States. Its founding sponsors include the CNA Foundation, the National Society of Professional Engineers, and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. The competition is designed for sixth, seventh, and eighth...
- Technology Student AssociationTechnology Student AssociationThe Technology Student Association is an international Career and Technical Student Organization made up of over 150,000 Middle School and High School Technology Education Students. TSA is the premier CTSO dedicated to STEM Standards: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics...
(also known as TSATechnology Student AssociationThe Technology Student Association is an international Career and Technical Student Organization made up of over 150,000 Middle School and High School Technology Education Students. TSA is the premier CTSO dedicated to STEM Standards: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics...
) - Science OlympiadScience OlympiadScience Olympiad is an American elementary, middle, or high school team competition which tests knowledge of various science topics and engineering ability. Over 6,200 teams from 49 U.S. states compete each year. Most teams compete in three levels of competition: regionals, states, and nationals...
Science Olympiad
The Bala Cynwyd Middle School Science Olympiad team, fondly nicknamed "BCSO" by its participants, placed fourteenth out of sixty of the best teams in the nation at the Science Olympiad National Tournament of 2010 (dubbed "SONT '10" by its host, the University of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
),
as well as first in the State of Pennsylvania, and second in Southeast Pennsylvania Regionals in 2010. In the past they have placed first at the regional tournament (most years except 2010), second at the state tournament (2008), and as high as 4th at the National Science Olympiad Competition (2002).
In 2010, Bala Cynwyd Science Olympiad were the champions of the Pennsylvania State Science Olympiad Tournament for the first time in its history.
Specialized Programs
- 6th grade: AW&W (Ancient Worlds and Waterways)
- 7th grade: CMK (Communiqué)
- 8th grade: VOC (Voices of Change)
- For 7th and 8th grades: NOW (New Options Work) and EXCEL
Notable alumni
- MirahMirahMirah Yom Tov Zeitlyn , is an American musician based in San Francisco California. She has released five albums under the K Records label.- Background :...
- Singer and songwriter - Kobe BryantKobe BryantKobe Bean Bryant is an American professional basketball player who plays shooting guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . Bryant enjoyed a successful high school basketball career at Lower Merion High School, where he was recognized as the top high school...
- NBA player for the Los Angeles Lakers - Bobbi Wolf – play director for many years
- Jordan Wolf- Freshman Lacrosse Player at Duke
- Too Much Contra – Achievement is unlocked
Student government
In Bala Cynwyd, there is a student government. The lower-level student government is made of two Class Representatives and Members at Large from each team. The higher-level student government consists of a single president, vice president, secretary, and treasurer.2011–2012 Officers:
- President- Dana Hendleman
- Vice President- Todd Gilman
- Secretary- Megan Dennis
- Treasurer- Alex Koch