The Faubion Lion Pride Press
week of december 14, 2020
Dear Lion Pride,
Please read this week's installment of the Faubion Lion Pride Press. Engaging learning opportunities, acts of kindness by our students, successful endeavors in fine arts, and demonstrations of school spirit were a big part of this week.
National App Day on December 11th encourages us to explore all the possibilities software apps afford us. Apps continue changing how we work, live, and play. My favorite app is the "Notes" app because it allows me to jot down notes throughout the day without having to find a pencil and paper. However, it is proven through research that the physical process of writing helps learners retain information better than typing. On the flip side, typing or using speech to text does allow for faster input.
The key to learning the content is to interact with it in varied ways and make connections that help your brain file the information into crystallized memory. Our teachers are keenly aware of that. Our instructional activities have input that is comprehensible, and we also provide frequent low-risk opportunities for students to demonstrate their understanding. Our campus instructional coach, Mrs. Becky Black, has done wonders with the other instructional leaders on our campus, and she is highlighted in this week's update.
Please emphasize to your child(ren) that the district-issued MacBook is property of the district, and as such, students are not allowed to download programs or circumvent district security measures. If your child has done so, please ask them to bring their device to the library so we can assist.
Aristotle once said, "We are what we repeatedly do. Therefore, excellence ought not be an act but a habit." At Faubion Middle School, we make excellence a habit, and we are kind to each other. Parents, thank you for instilling those values in your children so they can make a lasting and positive mark on our community.
Go Lions!
-Mr. Boom
Chemical or Physical Change?
Mr. Perez demonstrates chemical and physical change with his students, using a variety of experiments. Pictured is an experiment when Mr. Perez burned magnesium to show chemical change. Immediately before, students shared their thoughts about what type of change happened to a rusty horseshoe. Mr. Perez's creative style, thorough lesson planning, and care for students are just a few reasons why Mr. Perez is an exceptional educator. Pictured are: Al Amin, Yesenia Serna, Genesis Hernandez, Jeremy Hinojosa, Tatiana Cruz, Issac Zavala, and Carmela Palacios.
Angel Trees
Community Education Outreach (CEO), The Love Life Foundation (with Mayor Fuller), the Faubion PTO, Faubion Athletics, and PALS all help with adopting "angels" from the Angel Tree. The anonymous families receiving the gifts are so incredibly grateful for the efforts of our school community, and we are so blessed to provide a bit of extra cheer for them during the holidays. Pictured are members of the PALS program, including: Lexie Lara, Annelise Fish, Alivia Rivera-Norman, Presley Robinson, Reid Gambrell, Gavin Ordoyne, and Coach Wammack. Other students from PALS who helped with the program were: Raylynn Baker, Annalee Biggs, Emma Calhoun, Monica Davila, Tristen Fought, Ella Griffin, Ellena Hartman, Joshua Hastings, Antonio Landeros, Camille McFadden, Tyler Moon, RJ Starks, Julianna Wieghat, Lily Wieghat, A’Shonda Bolden, Issac Bourbois, Layne Brown, Madeleine Brubaker, Kohlin Carter, and Hiram Hernandez.
becky black - instructional coach
Drug Use Prevention Resources
McKinney ISD offers a Canvas course called "Talk it up! Prevention resources for parents," which is full of drug prevention resources. Please visit the following LINK, bookmark it, and review it at your convenience. Our district truly embodies the "Live Kind" mindset in taking care of the entire child. Our district Substance Use Prevention Committee works hard to make the content relevant, engaging, and timely. Our counselors are also equipped with lots of resources to assist you, so if you need anything please reach out to us.
Student Spotlight - hugo Sanchez
This week's student spotlight features sixth grader, Hugo Sanchez. Hugo's favorite meal that his mom cooks at home is steak and macaroni. When cooking the steak, Hugo's mom pan sears it using butter, thyme, pepper and salt. Hugo has not had a chance to cook steak yet, but he is looking forward to it one day. His mom's macaroni is the BEST, and all of his brothers like it when she makes it. Hugo likes to make his macaroni all by himself by boiling the pasta, draining it with a strainer, adding milk to the same pot (with butter), adding cheese, and then blending it all together with the pasta. Hugo has two older brothers who both go to McKinney Boyd High School.
Hugo wants to be a chef when he gets older. Becoming a chef will allow Hugo to feed others and make people happy. Hugo has several chefs in his family, including his uncle and aunts. His brothers want to become a plastic surgeon and a lawyer. Undoubtedly, they will share some great stories at family gatherings when Hugo prepares a delicious feast for everyone.
Payment Needed for Macbook Assurance Fees
McKinney ISD is uniquely positioned to not only address the challenges presented by the pandemic but also to create an environment where students can become producers in an increasingly digital world. In order to provide the very best technology for our students, parents pay a nominal annual fee for insurance on their district-issued laptop. These fees can be paid in HAC through either the parent or student account. The deadline to pay laptop fees is January 22, 2021. You are welcome to pay in person with cash or check if you prefer.
This file provides instructions for how to pay the fee, including troubleshooting suggestions. Also included in the file is the 1:The World handbook (in English and in Spanish). Please pay the assurance fee at your earliest convenience.
The Art Department is "at it" again!
MISD facilities hard at work
Upcoming Events
Monday, Dec. 14
7th boys' basketball (home) vs. Dowell - Gold - 5:00 / Navy - 6:00 / White - 7:00
8th boys' basketball (away) @ Dowell - Gold - 5:00 / White - 6:00
Tuesday, Dec. 15
Band (7th and 8th grade) @ MHS Performing Arts Center - 6:30 p.m. start (invite only)
Wednesday, Dec. 16
7th girls' basketball (home) vs. Dowell - Gold - 5:00 / Navy - 6:00 / White - 7:00
8th girls' basketball (away) @ Dowell - Gold - 5:00 / Navy - 6:00 / White - 7:00
Thursday, Dec. 17
Cheer Holiday Show - FMS gymnasium - 6 p.m. (invite only)
On Fridays in AVID, we participate in team building activities so that we can create the famous AVID “family” culture. Having this built into our curriculum allows us to create a trusting atmosphere where kids can support each other through their successes, as well as encourage one another when feeling defeated.
Last Friday, we played "Minute to Win It" games, and the class favorite was the cup stacking challenge. The kids were eager to participate and many laughs were shared. We work hard on academics Monday-Thursday, but on Fridays we reinforce our strong sense of community through creative games!
Pictured are: Hemam Mattewos, Madis Musah, Jaya McDonald, Elijah Iniguez, Aaron Witsell, Lexie Lara, JaLacia Humphrey, PJ Sawyer, Dominick Pesano, Angeles Pulido, and Alejandra Martinez.
“Adolescent Blues”
Below are some signs of concern that can help you, as a parent know whether your child has the “adolescent blues”, or if it’s something more serious:
Depressed mood (sad, down, grouchy, or irritable). Avoiding family or friends. A decline in grades. Struggling to complete simple tasks. Not taking care of physical health or personal cleanliness. Change in sleeping patterns, weight, and/or appetite. Feelings of worthlessness and/or hopelessness. Constant worry about body image. Drug and/or alcohol abuse. Thoughts or writing of death, suicide, or wishes to be dead.
If any of these symptoms last over a period of weeks, you may decide to seek help outside the family. The school counselor can also help you find appropriate resources.
Healthy Communication
It is normal to have disagreements from time to time. However, high emotions can get in the way from having productive and respectful conversations. Whether you are talking to parents, siblings, teachers, friends or co-workers, remember to H.A.L.T. before those disagreements escalate. H.A.L.T. method is part of the self-awareness skills we teach our students at Faubion.
As always, check out the Faubion MS Counselor Website for more info and counselor contacts:
Checking Your Child's Grades and Attendance
You may monitor your child's grades and attendance by using the Home Access Center.
Here are the steps to follow:
1) Please make sure that you are using Google Chrome as your browser.
2) Go to https://sso.mckinneyisd.net
3) Enter your login credentials. If you need assistance with your login information, please reach out to your child's house secretary:
A-G: Mrs. Soroa - rsoroa@mckinneyisd.net or 469-302-7005
H-O: Mrs. Gonzalez - amgonzalez@mckinneyisd.net or 469-302-6911
P-Z: Mrs. Dedman - odedman@mckinneyisd.net or 469-302-6917
Sr. Demakas lleva una zarape
Words from the Learning Commons
This week is officially Hour of Code! The purpose of Hour of Code is to “demystify ‘code’, to show that anybody can learn the basics...It has become a worldwide effort to celebrate computer science.
Take some time to do some fun coding activities! Scratch is a program that was created by MIT and teaches coding through various activities and tutorials such as animating a name or making a chase game! The website for Scratch is scratch.mit.edu
Code.org has various tutorials to help learn coding! These courses range from the beginner to the intermediate to help at all ages. They include various programming languages including JavaScript, CSS, and HTML and students can create apps, games and websites!
For a one stop shop, this link will take you to tons of various activities that you can use to start your coding journey! https://hourofcode.com/us/learn
Have a great week!
Mrs. Willardson
Jack C. Faubion Middle School, the best middle school in the State of Texas
Email: mvandenboom@mckinneyisd.net
Website: faubionmiddleschool.com
Location: 2000 Rollins Street, McKinney, TX 75069
Phone: 469) 302-6900
Facebook: facebook.com/FaubionMS/
Twitter: @FaubionMS