PYTHON PRESS

Part of our mission statement at Pikesville Middle School is to establish strong values and citizenship within and beyond the school community. Every student’s experience should be as the result of being educated in a safe and strong community. At Pikesville Middle School, we believe that all students should be active participants in making the community a better place to live, learn, grow, and raise a family. As scholarship is engaging in the work of a scholar, community-ship is engaging in the work of the community. As an important part of our community, students must learn to display positive attitudes, respect the rules/expectations, and participate in the work of developing a strong and safe community. We encourage our students to engage with our community to build a strong Pikesville community!

I wanted to take a moment to share my gratitude to the Pikesville Middle School community. To our resilient and joyful students, you have successfully completed the first quarter, and are now in the middle of the second quarter, I am SO proud of you! I am thankful to our parents, grandparents and guardians for the patience and grace that they have shown to me, our school leadership, and teachers this school year. Please continue to provide ongoing feedback to teachers, counselors and school administrators about your child’s experience and needs throughout the second quarter. Please remember that are always here to support our students and families, so please don’t hesitate to contact us if you or your child needs support:

• Dr. Miller-Principal (kmiller2@bcps.org)
• Dr. Sullivan – 6th grade (msullivan2@bcps.org)
• Mr. Jackson – 7th Grade (ajackson@bcps.org)
• Ms. Luechtefeld – 8th Grade (sluechtefeld@bcps.org)

The connection between home and school is critical. When staff and parents work together, student educational experiences are enhanced. Student academic success and personal responsibility at Pikesville Middle School are dependent on a cooperative triangle comprised of student-teacher-parent/guardian. Through a close and shared partnership with all stakeholders associated with Pikesville Middle School, I am confident our school will continue to be a successful place for our students to learn and grow. We Are Pikesville!

Greetings families of 6th grade students! Marking period 1 is over and we are halfway through the new quarter. How time flies!! It has been a great start to our 6th grader's middle school journey. Already, we have seen our students' talents, work ethic, and personalities shine through. On November 23, we held our 6th grade awards ceremony. This was our 6th graders' first opportunity to attend our awards ceremony and the feedback from them was awesome! We had a great time celebrating the many accomplishments of our students. From perfect attendance to honors awards, and even those that excelled in different subjects, or made significant improvements, we honored them. Congratulations also goes to our 75 6th grade students who have been nominated as Students of the Month. You are all awesome and we are so proud you are Pythons!

Seasons Greetings Python families. As 2022 draws to a close, many of our 7th graders are staying engaged. Students in related are developing their Art portfolios. Students involved with chorus, dance, band, and string ensemble are working towards our Winter Recital next month. Boys and Girls basketball practice is underway and club attendance on Tuesday and Thursday remains steady. If you have a child that is recently enrolled or shows interest in participating in activities outside the classroom, please direct them to come to the guidance office to speak with Ms. Daeschener.

The beginning of December marks the interim period for the second quarter. Checking Schoology is the surest way to help your child meet with success. Most classes have three categories in which assignments are posted. These categories are “major,” “minor” and “practice”. Each category is important as it gives students the ability to learn, practice and demonstrate their understanding. Using Schoology to message teachers is also a useful way to communicate with teachers.

If you are having difficulty getting access or using Schoology, please email me (ajackson@bcps.org) or Ms. Daeschner, 7th grade counselor (ddaeschner@bcps.org ).

If your child has a 504 or if you believe your child might be in need of additional support, please email Mr. Jackson to inquire about a SST (Student Support Team) conference.

If your child has had issues with attendance or tardiness, please reach out to Mr. Jackson-Attendance Committee Chair or Mr. Roll-PPW.

Reminders:

• Excessive absences and tardiness will be addressed according to BCPS policy. It is important that families communicate when circumstances impact student attendance.

• As supported by BCPS policy, cell phone use is only permitted during lunch time at discretion of the Administrator. If a student needs to speak with a parent during class, that student can receive a pass from their teacher to make that call from the office or in guidance with Ms. Daeschner.

7th Grade Administrator Mr. Jackson 443-809-2129- ajackson@bcps.org

7th Grade Counselor Ms. Daeschner- ddaeschner@bcps.org

7th Grade Team Leader Mr. Hanzelka- chanzelka@bcps.org

PPW (Pupil Personnel Worker-Attendance) Mr. Roll mroll@bcps.org

High School Registration

Students will register for the high school they are zoned for in the month of December. Even if a student has applied to a magnet school, they still need to register for their zoned high school. Mrs. Banks, our 8th grade school counselor and department chair will meet with students to review the registration process.

Interims:

Before we know it, an interim report announcement will go out soon in December. Please encourage your student to review their grades regularly. Students complete a weekly grade check in their Advisory classes on Wednesday. Please take advantage of asking your student what they put on their grade check - for example, which class they are focusing on for the week. Many teachers have coach class regularly. If your student is struggling in a class, encourage them to contact their teacher to arrange a coach class.

Google Drive Organization:

Students complete a lot of work on their Chromebooks. It’s important for students to be able to find their files which is why they need to have their Google Drive organized. Some tips to help students organize their Google Drive:

• There should be a folder for every class

• When making a copy of a Google Document, they should rename it so it is meaningful

• For some students, color coding folders is helpful

• Students are also able to add emojis

For more information, visit the following site: https://shakeuplearning.com/blog/13-tips-to-organize-your-google-drive

As always, your 8th grade team is here to support you. Please reach out to Ms. Luechtefeld (Assistant Principal), Mrs. Banks (School Counseling Chair), Mrs. Grant (Team Leader), or Mrs. Ibbitson (Team Leader) for any assistance.

AVID Newsletter Article for December 2022

AVID, which stands for Advancement Via Individual Determination, is a comprehensive instructional system which provides strategies, resources, and college readiness support for all students.

So, what’s the deal with all of the college pennants hanging around the school?

The mission of our AVID Site Team is to close the achievement gap by promoting opportunities and experiences that develop excellence in academics, character, leadership, and habits of mind.

One of the ways we support student achievement is to promote beliefs and behaviors that reflect and demonstrate a college going culture, one in which students are seeing, hearing, and talking about college and future careers. In the AVID Elective and College and Career Readiness classes, students research colleges and careers. College visuals are displayed prominently throughout the building: the hallways and cafeteria are decorated with pennants, and classrooms feature “college corners.”

We encourage all students, faculty, and staff to wear college gear the first Friday of every month, and teachers use this opportunity to talk about their college experiences in class.

We are currently accepting donations of college promotional materials and gear to support our culture of college and career readiness. Contact Brandon Thompson (bthompson6@bcps.org) if you are able to support us in this manner.

We are halfway through the second quarter. Math 6 is working on Unit Rates and Percentages, next will be Dividing Fractions; Math 6/7A is working on Fractions and Decimals, next will be Equations and Expressions; Math 7 is working on Measuring Circles, next will be Proportional Relationships; Math 7B/8 is working on Writing and Solving Equations, next is Inequalities, Expressions and Equations; Math 8 is working on Linear Equations and Linear Systems, next will be Functions and Volume; Algebra 1 is working on Two-Statistic Statistics, next is Functions; Geometry is working on Similarity; next is Right Triangle Trigonometry. Please make sure you are checking your child’s grades on Schoology, regularly.

Happy December Pikesville Family! In our 6th grade Science classrooms students have just completed their Native Maryland Endangered Species projects and they were amazing! Each student chose an endangered Maryland organism, researched why they were endangered and came up with a plan to help their species survive. We are now starting our chemistry unit and diving right into the Periodic Table of Elements! In 7th grade Science, students have moved into our Biology unit (Form and Function) and finishing up Learning Cycle 1, where students learned about the characteristics of living things, cell theory and microscopes. Students will continue to student Biology and we learn about various types of cells, and cell organelles. Our 8th grade students are well into the Mastodon and Megalodon unit, and have started making fossils, as they study rock layers and geological times. As we continue into the month of December, students will study change over time, past and present organisms, and anatomical structures.

In Students in Ms. Porter’s 8th grade Engineering classes are working on the culminating project for their unit in Design and Modeling. They have started designing and building their dragsters with the goal of designing the fastest dragster. Students in Ms. Porter's 7th grade Engineering classes are finishing up their Morse Code Machine Projects. Students are applying their knowledge of circuits and electromagnetism in the design and construction of their project.

In Mr. McChesney’s 8th grade Engineering class, students have been working with the dial caliper: the Engineer’s precision instrument for measuring. Students have been learning how to use it and read it in order to be accurate to within +/- 0.001 of an inch. Students are learning about the dial caliper because “miniaturization” is the process whereby our technology becomes better, faster, and smaller. The small components found in a smartphone for example could not be measured accurately with a wooden ruler.

Mass Communications - Our Mass Comm students are learning about narrative filmmaking techniques such as storyboarding and continuity editing. They have been challenged to shoot and edit a silent "action" scene that incorporates a variety of camera angles edited together to create the illusion continuous action from shot to shot. We also continue to cover school news and events through our daily Morning Announcements live stream.

Computer Science - In December, our Computer Science students will continue to apply their coding and design skills to a variety of physical computing challenges. They will program micro:bits to read from pressure sensors, copper tape switches, accelerometers and light sensors in order to design a security device to protect a valuable item.

Please make sure that your students have their charged device with them as lessons as a combination of online and on paper. We look forward to a year of engaging lessons and exciting hands-on experiences.

The Social Studies Department would like to extend holiday greetings to all parents and students. As we enter the remaining weeks of the second quarter our emphasis has been preparing our students for college and career readiness. In addition, we are focusing on teaching and modeling social emotional learning skills and strategies by integrating them into our academic content.

Ancient World 6 – Unit 2 - River Valleys & Foundational Civilizations- During this unit students will gain a better understanding of the civilizations that began near the Tigris, Euphrates, and Nile River valleys and how the civilizations of ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt were able to develop into empires. Students will also examine farming technologies, trade networks and the development of cultural exchange in the context of the ancient world.

Medieval World 7 – Unit 2 - Medieval Europe – In this unit 7th grade students will examine the rules of individuals within societies based on characteristics such as social class gender and ethnicity and will examine how the feudal system provided structure and stability in medieval society. In addition, students will be required to analyze maps and primary sources to draw conclusions about life during the Middle Ages.

American History 8 – Unit 2 - Early Nation In this unit 8th grade students will examine the reasons for the structure and function of the United States government, explore the impact of expansion, settlement patterns and the ideological foundations of American culture including political, social, and economic influences. Furthermore, students will be required to summarize the viewpoints of the antifederalists and the federalists and evaluate the strengths of those arguments as early historical leaders worked to ratify the constitution. Moreover, students will be required to analyze perspectives on race as it relates to historical events.

In addition to exploring historical content, history teachers will also be working with students on AVID strategies and culturally responsive teaching to cultivate intellectual curiosity.

As we are winding down 2022, we are focusing on finishing up Unit 1 in all grades. All classes are getting ready for unit assessments, which will happen before break! Novice A is focusing on writing and speaking about physical descriptions of their families and themselves. Novice B has been working on expressing their past as compared to their present lives and are finishing up with professions. Intermediate students are getting ready to make vision boards about their ideal lives and writing in the conditional tense.

If your student would like extra work at home, try www.flangoo.com, www.quizlet.com, and www.conjuguemos.com. You can also try Duolingo, which is a free app!

Invitation letters were given out for French Jr. National Honor Society last week. We will be starting French NJHS meetings this week on Thursdays from 3-4pm. In order to remain in the organization, students must maintain an A in French, have no referrals, and maintain a B average overall in other subjects with only one C allowed. We will be doing some very fun activities including a sip and sketch, food tasting, and service projects during this year. If your child did not receive a letter this quarter, a second round of nominations will go out after the 2nd making period.

Related Art are your “Specials Area” classes. At Pikesville Middle School they consist of Physical Education, Health Education, Art Education, Chorus, Band, Orchestra, World Music, American Music, Theater and Dance Education. We have so many new and exciting opportunities for our students this school year.

PHYSICAL EDUCATION and HEALTH EDUCATION:

Physical Education and Heath are combined with the same teacher for both courses. All students must take PE and Health class. Teacher for Physical education and Health Education are Ms. Mary-Jean Britt (Department Chair 8th grade and APE), Mr. Ed Desort (6th & 8th grade), Ms. Catherine Speer (8th), Mr. Craig Hanzelka (7th) and our newest member Mr. David Bentzley (7th & 8th).

PHYSICAL EDUCATION:

Current Units of Study:

Ms. Britt: Basketball, Volleyball and Weight Training

Mrs. Powell: Basketball, Ultimate Games, Weight Training

Mr. Desort: Football, Ultimate Games and Floor Hockey

Mr. Bentzley: Handball, Volleyball and Weight Training

PE and the Weather Change:

All PE classes will have class outside even with the weather changing. We need students to be dressed for all types of weather (warm and cold). We ask that they were layers (Shorts and t-shirt under sweatshirt and Sweatpants. As long at the weather is 40 degrees and up, we will be outside. Hats, hoods and gloves are also encouraged and allowed when we are outside.

HEALTH EDUCATION:

Mr. Hanzelka and Ms. Speer’s Class are currently in Health class during Quarter 2.

8th grade Health Parent Opt-Out Letter:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1R8kQs-J0Ow1Fa5KaCAOriVBQEqAPNUOko_fH1jS4OTs/copy?usp=sharing

6th grade Health Parent Opt-Out Letter:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hA6tN2aRnAutsq9vS36uCCIGO-x9x3V6mnwRk4aO7iI/copy?usp=sharing

ART EDUCATION:

The Art department is in need of plastic bottle caps and empty plastic water bottles for a recycle sculpture unit later in the 2nd marking period.

MUSIC EDUCATION:

Winter Concerts:

Chorus: January 10th, 2023, at 7:00pm

Orchestra: January 10th, 2023, at 6:00pm

Band: January 11th, 2023, at 6:00pm

Dance: January 12th, 2023, at 6:00pm

*All concerts will take place at Pikesville High School.

As we make our way towards winter break, encourage your child to practice self-care to stay recharged as we prepare for the new year. What is self-care? ‘…given to oneself, especially to maintain one's physical or psychological well-being’.

Self-care needs to be something one actively plans, rather than something that just happens. The term self-care refers to activities and practices that one engages in on a regular basis. The goal is to reduce stress and maintain and enhance short- and long-term health and well-being.

As we are facing many different life stressors, including students adjusting to a new school year, new grade level, new teachers, as well as, trying to navigate friendships and learning ways to socialize with their peers. The first quarter grades and extracurricular activities can sometimes be hard to balance and can be very stressful, so it is important students have a plan for self-care.

Winter break is usually the time for students to relax and let the constant stressors of school routine and life fade away. We still need to find ways to recharge and practice self-care techniques. Here are some activities that we can continue to do that can also reduce stress and enhance personal well-being.

Examples of self-care are:

· Reading a book

· Make TikTok videos with friends and family members

· Watching a movie with family

· Google self-meditation videos that teach deep breathing techniques

· Getting more sleep

· Exercising/go on family walks

· Taking a break from social media and gaming to enjoy the present moment

· Have online video calls with family/friends

· Attend family gatherings or parties

· Participate in an activity or hobby that you enjoy

The possibilities for self-care are endless! Students can start by participating in the activities above, which will help to reduce stress and enhance their personal well-being.

Have a wonderful winter break and we hope that 2023 brings you much joy.

Mrs. McIntosh, 6th grade School Counselor

Ms. Daeschner, 7th School Counselor

Mrs. Banks, 8th Grade School Counselor & Chair

Ms. Bailey, School Counseling Intern

Mrs. Mann, School Counseling Secretary

It’s December Already!

We continue to work hard as interims are just coming out. Not too many more days and the Winter Break will be upon us. With that there are lots of resources for us to use.

Resources For You!

On bcps.org under the Students & Families Tab (Link - https://dci.bcps.org/department/special_education/special_education_resource_center ) you can be added to a contact list to begin receiving the weekly SERC News & Notes or just click another link and get the Fall 2021 edition of the Hand in Hand Newsletter. Or you can find them on @SpecialEducationResrouceCenterBCPS

If that’s not enough for you, please feel free to reach out to the Department of Special Education or us here at Pikesville, as we have just received Resources for Parent Resources & Support, Sports & Recreation, Tutoring, Mental Health, Funding, Social Skills, Equipment, Sign Language, and Respite. Also available to you is the Lending Library https://baltimore.follettdestiny.com located at White Oak School, 8401 Leefield Rd., Baltimore, MD 21234. There all BCPS parents and employees as well as local university students can borrow materials. Lastly there are the SERC Parent Webinars and you may go to this website/link to register. https://dci.bcps.org/department/special_education/special_education_resource_center/workshops

We hope you have a wonderful December and Happy Holidays. We will continue to support you and your needs! Come back in January to see what other opportunities might be available.

This Flu season, in addition to influenza and COVID, RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus) is also rampant. Please remember to practice good health habits like avoiding people who are sick, covering your cough and washing your hands to help stop the spread of germs and these and other illnesses. Below is a diagram that explains the symptoms of each. If you son/daughter is feeling any of these symptoms, please have them wear a mask and consider doing a COVID test at home. If the test is positive, please notify the health suite and keep your child at home. Below is a chart from the Mayo Clinic listing the symptoms of COVID, RSV, and the Flu.

For any questions or concerns please contact the health suite at 443-809-5000 or jlimmer@bcps.org