ECMS Smoke Signals
Issue 3 February 12, 2016
FROM THE PRINCIPAL'S DESK
Dear ECMS family,
Coweta Committed to Student Success
Vision
Our vision is to ensure the success of each student
Beliefs
We believe, as a learning community, we must continuously improve.
We believe, as leaders of learners, we must see students as volunteers in their learning.
We believe the Coweta County School System, in partnership with the family and the community, must focus on providing challenging, interesting and satisfying work for students.
We believe we are responsible for the success of each student.
Overall Goal
The Coweta County School System will provide high-level, engaging work for all learners and leaders to meet the needs of all stakeholders.
Title 1 News
To All ECMS Parents and Friends,
ECMS Upcoming Title 1 events:
March 3, 2016, Thursday--(5:00-6:30 PM)—Milestones’ Night at the CEC-Build parent familiarity with the Georgia Milestones for each subject with math emphasis, learning expectations, and ways to support students at home.
April 16, 2016, Saturday--(9:00-11:00 AM)--Milestones Roundup--Student review
session for the Georgia Milestones
Assessment--include skills- based games and lunch.
(10:30-11:00 AM)--Milestones Prep for Parents--Preparing
parents on how to support their students
for Milestones.
April 28, 2016, Thursday--(6:00 PM)--Parent Night for Rising 6th Graders--Introduction to school for new parents and students--includes meeting teachers, touring the school, and a question-and-answer period.
ATTENDANCE REMINDERS
Parents,
When your students return to school after an absence, please send in a note from the doctor or yourself explaining their absence. Have your student bring this note to the attendance office. You do not need to send a note to the teacher. Remember, picture ID is required when signing a student out early. When you call for a transportation change, such as a bus rider to a car rider, that needs to be in writing. Please fax the information to 770-599-1051 or e-mail me anytime before 2:45 in the afternoon. After that time we cannot interrupt classes for messages. If you are signing your student out early please come in before 3:00.
My e-mail address is pam.sweeney @cowetaschools.net.
I will reply to your email for confirmation of receipt.
Thank you, Pam Sweeney Attendance Clerk
6th GRADE TEAM TALK
Team Honor
In Ms. Barnett’s Science Class we are becoming meteorologists by learning about the atmosphere, studying weather patterns, and identifying severe weather systems. We are also on the Milestones homestretch, so please check Google Classroom often and remind your student to study, study, study!!
The students in Mrs. Delaney’s class just finished up reading The Diary of Anne Frank: The Play. The students enjoyed acting out the play- we have some real actors on our hands! Before our Winter Break we will be focusing more on extended constructed responses as the kids compare and contrast the Anti-Jewish laws and Jim Crow laws put into place throughout history. Once we return from Winter Break, we are full steam ahead on our poetry unit! We are looking forward to some exciting creative writing in our future! As always, please stay up-to-date with Mrs. Delaney’s Google Classroom for all information regarding homework, quizzes, and tests.
We’ve just wrapped up Area and Volume and will begin working on Statistics in Mrs. Bryant’s Math class. In Statistics, we will analyze data from many different sources such as organized lists, box-plots, bar graphs, histograms and dot plots; understand that responses to statistical questions may vary; understand that data can be described by a single number; determine quantitative measures of center (median and/or mean) and determine quantitative measures of variability (interquartile range and range). Continue to check Google Classroom and look forward to review information for the Milestone to come home soon.
Hola! Mrs. Paine's classes are exploring Latin America! Students have investigated the physical and political geography of Central and South America, and learned about the major environmental concerns of this region. We determined how location, climate, and natural resources can affect the population of these countries. We have also analyzed the civilizations of the Aztecs and the Incas. We would all like to thank Mr. Damron for speaking to us about a Stanford University Pre-Inca civilization excavation in Peru.
TEAM COURAGE
Mr. Schettini’s Science students have finished their journey around our wonderful “Water Planet” and are learning about Weather, Climate, and Meteorology. YES, we will try to forecast the next snow day.
Hola! Mrs. Tysor’s classes are exploring Latin America! Students have investigated the physical and political geography of Central and South America, and learned about the major environmental concerns of this region. We determined how location, climate, and natural resources can affect the population of these countries as well. Finally, they analyzed the civilizations of the Aztecs and the Incas. We would like to thank Mr. Damron for speaking to us about a Stanford University Pre-Inca civilization excavation in Peru.
Mrs. Davis’s English Language Arts classes are combining social studies and reading when they read they play they just completed. They read, “The Diary of Anne Frank,” as a play in class. The students are enjoyed getting to play the different roles in the play while learning historical facts and new reading skills! Next we will be exploring the Japanese internment camps here in the United States during World War II and writing persuasive papers about them.
In Mrs. Baker's Math class, we have been working on Unit 5: Area and Volume. It is one of our toughest units for the year! Students are able to use a calculator in order to save time on homework BUT they still must write out the work (especially formulas!). Our last unit of the nine weeks will be Unit 6: Statistics and Probability. Help your student stay up on their math skills and start preparing for the Milestones by logging onto USA Test Prep. Your students have their login information.
Gifted
Ms. Knopp’s 6th grade ELA classes are combing social studies and reading when they read they play they just completed. They read, “The Diary of Anne Frank,” as a play in class. The students are enjoyed getting to play the different roles in the play while learning historical facts and new reading skills! Next we will be exploring the Japanese internment camps here in the United States during World War II and writing persuasive essays about them.
Ms. Knopp’s 7th grade ELA classes are currently finishing up the novel The Giver. Students are analyzing the components of utopian and dystopian societies and will complete a project after break where they create their own utopian society. We are also focusing on the differences between clauses and phrases and the various types of sentence structures. Additionally, we will emphasize test taking strategies as we prepare for the Georgia Milestones.
7th GRADE TEAM TALK
Team Tolerance
English Language Arts - Students are reading The Giver by Lois Lowry which is a story about a utopia that transforms into a dystopia. As they read, a novel packet with content questions, graphic organizers, and plot diagram chart is being completed. Chapter quizzes are given to assess comprehension of the materials and novel content. A weekly vocabulary list of seven words from the novel and seven literary terms readies students for the important end of grade assessments and serves as a foundation for future Language Arts studies. Pre-tests and post-tests for vocabulary are administered each Wednesday. Students should create a study guide with the new vocabulary every Wednesday night and should study the words for mastery a minimum of 15 minutes per night. Daily Oral Language, sentence types and structures, parts of speech, and reading comprehension are covered in the daily Warm Up. The class completes the daily exercise together with students recording the corrections on their warm up sheet. A Warm Up Quiz is given each Friday; students are allowed to refer to their daily notes thus this should be an easy “100”! Check the parent portal in Infinite Campus; if your student is scoring less than 100 on the Warm Up Quiz they are not paying attention and recording corrections as directed. Please encourage your students to study nightly for the vocabulary quiz. With adequate study of the words, mastery should allow them to score well on the quizzes. Additionally, they should read materials on their own outside of school to improve their reading speed and comprehension as well as to bolster their vocabularies.
Life Science- We are working on standard S7L4 which states that the students will examine how organisms depend on one another and their environment. Our students have just completed a major project in which they researched the physical characteristics of animals that make them well adapted to their Environments. These characteristics are often necessary for them to survive in their environments. The students must discuss an animal’s adaptation to a particular habitat. They discussed the habitats of different animals, how a change in an evolutionary feature of an animal would help or hinder the animal in its environment, and examining a characteristic that helps that animal live in its environment, such as a giraffe’s long neck, a seal’s blubber, or an eagle’s keen vision.
Our students are now studying each of the different land biomes. For each biome they must give a detailed description, list the different animals and plants, and write the average rainfall and temperatures.
Social Studies: This 9wks in social studies we are focusing on the continent of Asia. Our units will focus on India and China. We will discuss fascinating factors that influence these countries such as religion, environmental concerns, and much more! We will also begin preparing for the milestones, so please be on the lookout for important information coming home with your student concerning dates of and information about practice opportunities. Also, remember tutoring is available during homeroom, 2nd load, lunch, (or if after school works better for your schedule) email me and we'll set a date!
Math: This nine weeks we will explore foundational geometry standards. We will learn about characteristics of triangles, proof why Pi is approximately 3.14, calculate areas of irregular composite figures, and finally, work with volume and surface area of pyramids and prisms. We have started our weekly review homework on USA test prep.
Team Integrity
8th GRADE TEAM TALK
Team Discovery
Discovery's ELA class is beginning their semester-long dystopia theme with The House of the Scorpions. Students are using the novel to guide them through constructed response and extended response writing. As well as, learning the characteristics of dystopias, and what leads to an apocalyptic world. Through their assignments, students are becoming better prepared for the upcoming Milestones assessment.
In Ms. DuCharme's Science class, we are all about the Waves. Sound, heat, radio, transverse, longitudinal.....If you want a wave we have got a wave suit your personal taste. Have you always wondered why the sky is blue? Be sure to have your child explain this to you so you will see the light.
In Mr. Williams classes. The students have gotten off to a great start in Mr.Williams class. In Civics, we are discussing The Bill of Rights and The Constitution. In Georgia History, the students are learning about World War ll and the contributions of Georgia during the war.Team Wisdom
In Mr. Anander’s Math classes students are working on functions and graphing linear equations including finding the slope of a line.
In Mr. Bailey's Science classes students are working on the unit which covers light and sound. Students will focus on acquiring a conceptual understanding of the nature of sound and electromagnetic radiation. They will apply the Law of Conservation of Energy to explain
how energy is transferred as waves propagate. Students will analyze scientific data by collecting, using, and interpreting and comparing experimental results during the unit.
In Mrs. Eimer’s Social Studies classes students are studying the Civil War and Reconstruction and the effects they both had on Georgia. Students are also studying economics and essential life skills like creating a budget and balancing a checkbook.
Ms. Klein's ELA classes are continuing to hone their writing skills through constructed and extended responses. Students are also preparing for the Milestone through newly released practice activities. This nine weeks ELA classes are reading The House of the Scorpion. It is an exceptional book that lends itself to higher order thinking. The third nine weeks is sure to be exciting and motivating!
Clinic News
Parents,
Please remember over the counter medications, Tylenol, Advil, or cough drops are not provided by the school. These medications can be given as needed to your student when it is sent in to the clinic along with a request for administration of medication.
As cold and flu season approaches, please take a minute and remind your student of good hand washing routines and to cover their coughs. If your student gets sick, he/she should be without a fever for 24 hours with no fever reducing medication, before returning to school. If you have any concerns or questions, please call the clinic at 770-599-6607.
Rhonda Smits, R.N.
ECMS School Nurse
News from the Cafeteria
Parents did you know that, “Breakfast eaters are more likely to be calmer, less anxious,
more focused and learn better.
Breakfast also tends to organize children’s day, particularly if they eat at school.” According to Dr. Kleinman, professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School.
Parents we offer breakfast every morning for all students from
7:45 – 8:15am. Cost is 1.00 for breakfast. If students qualify for reduced meals cost is 30 cents. If students qualify for free lunch, breakfast is also free. Each day there is an assorted menu with either cereals, grits, eggs, pancakes, biscuits, yogurts, juices, milk and fruit.
Please call the cafeteria for any questions at 770-599-6077.
We look forward to serving your students each and everyday.
Susan Akin
ECMS Cafeteria Manager
Important Dates
Academic Dates
Progress Reports go home Friday, February 12
Third Nine Weeks Exams:
Tuesday, March 15 ELA & Connections 2, 4, 6
Wednesday, March 16 Science & Social Studies
Thursday, March 17 Math & Connections 1, 3, 5
3rd Nine weeks ends March 16
ECMS EVENTS
Important School Dates
Mid-Winter Break February 15-19
February 19 Student Holiday, but if needed Inclement Weather Option 1
February 20 Student Holiday, but if needed Inclement Weather Option 2
Milestones Night at CEC Thursday, March 3, 5:00pm to 6:30pm
Milestones Roundup Saturday, April 16, 9:00am to 11:00am
Teacher Work Day March 18
Spring Pictures April 24
Spring Break April 4-8
6th grade Parent Night Thursday, April 28, 6:30pm
Spring Fling Friday, April 29
Public Notices
Asbestos:
Be it known that all schools in the Coweta County
School System have been duly inspected for
asbestos according to EPA regulations and an
Asbestos Management Plan is available at
each school.
Coweta County School System Complaint procedures:
http://www.cowetaschools.org/images/legal/2015/complaint_procedures_ccss.pdf
Parent Teacher Communication
Indian Inbox: Weekly email of intercom announcements made at school.
Sign up at the link below or go the ECMS’ website.
http://cowetaschools.us2.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=dac9b2c5ebf7f47bedea2fb92&id=f482a9e7b1
*If you participated in receiving information through Indian Inbox last year, you do not have to sign up again.
· Remind: Periodic text messages from ECMS.
Enter the phone number 678 552-2497 and text the message @ecmspar.
· Twitter: Real time good news about ECMS. Follow us at ECMS_Jackson
· Website: Visit our website often at http://www.cowetaschools.org/ecms/
· Phone calls: Monthly phone calls will be made regarding events for the month.
· Edmodo: See your classroom teachers
· Parent Portal: See the front office secretary to sign up
Homework Help
Parents & Guardians,
Does your student struggle with completing his/her classwork and homework? Do they need access to school supplies or computers for homework, projects, and Study Island review? Well, then Homework Help is for you! Homework Help takes place most Mondays and Thursdays in the ECMS cafeteria and at the Central Education Center from 4-5pm. Homework Help gives students an opportunity to work on their homework/projects in a structured environment, with access to school supplies and a computer lab. Transportation is not provided; therefore, students need to be picked up at 5pm each day. Permission forms are located in the ECMS front office or ask your teachers. For students that live closer to Newnan, Homework Help is offered at the CEC as well. Students attending Homework Help at the CEC will ride bus 107-12 (first bus load) and be dropped off in front of the CEC. Parents will need to pick up these students at 5pm each day. If you have any questions, please contact Erin Hicks at erin.hicks@cowetaschools.net or 770-599-6607.
ECMS
Website: http://www.cowetaschools.org/ecms/
Location: 6291 Highway 16 West, Coweta County, GA, United States
Phone: 770 599-6607
Twitter: @ECMS_Jackson