PYTHON PRESS
Pikesville Middle School - June 2021
From The Principals Desk:
This is the final newsletter of the 2020-2021 school year. It has been a roller coaster year, but we survived it as a Pikesville Middle School family. 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 2020-2021 school year, 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. You have been understanding when we overcame hurdles associated with the virtual platforms, connectivity, the ransomware attack, and the return to in-person learning. And, most importantly, you have joined with us in a commitment to continue educating our children amid the coronavirus pandemic.
I want to provide some reminders as we close out the school year:
June 17 - 8th grade Drive Through Parade from 4:00-6:30 pm. 8th grade families don’t forget to decorate your cars!
June 21: Elementary and Middle Schools Close 3 hours early
June 22: Last Day of School: Elementary and Middle Schools Close 3 hours early
Student Devices
- Students in current Grades K-7 will keep their Chromebook regardless of the make/model through the summer and for the 2021-2022 School Year.
- Students in current Grades K-7 with a Windows-based device should receive a swap from the school for a Chromebook for the 2021-2022 School Year.
- Students in current Grade 8 (incoming 9th graders) will keep whatever device they have until July.
- Incoming 9th graders’ Chromebooks will be swapped with a Windows-based device in July.
- More information will be shared separately about when and how this will occur.
Important Dates:
6/17 - 8th Grade Drive Thru Celebration Parade 4:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.
6th Grade News Flash by Ms. Luechtefeld
Wow! Can you believe this is our last month of the school year? We are very proud of all the hard work that our 6th graders have made in this whirlwind of a year. They have displayed amazing perseverance amid all the changes and were able to excel through this journey of a year. It is amazing how helpful and patient our students have been during their first year as a middle schooler. We recognize that our 6th graders are leaders, tech whizzes, community builders, and officially sophomore members of the Python Family!
We also want to thank our parents for your ongoing support and your flexibility – transition years can be difficult for students, but sometimes it is even harder on the parents/guardians because you are entrusting us with your kids in the next chapter of their lives! But you were partners with us every single step of the way and we cannot thank you enough. We look forward to continuing our work as a 7th grade Python Family.
Over the summer, please reflect on what the positives were this past year and please know that we are very proud of you. We look forward to welcoming in even more of our students back for a new school year at the end of August. But for now, let's finish the year strong so we can enjoy the heat and relaxation that the summer can provide. Read lots of books, get lots of rest, and we will see you as 7th graders!
7th Grade Scoop by Mrs. Hammel
Hello, again from 7th the Grade Team. We are almost there; the end of the school year is quickly approaching. We know June can be an exciting month; however, it is still very important to stay connected! As we wind down from a long year, perseverance is key. We encourage our students to stay positive and overcome any challenges or obstacles they may face in the month of June. We have confidence in you and know our 7th graders can have a strong finish to the school year.
To ensure students have a successful 4th Quarter, they should complete all current and missing work. Consistently monitoring Schoology is a great way to stay up to date with all course assignments. Additionally, it is important to frequently communicate with teachers. Please reach out if there is confusion or questions regarding class content or assignments. We are here to help students succeed!
For the final time this school year, remember TEAMWORK MAKES THE DREAM WORK, and always show your #PythonPride! Have a great summer and see you next year!
8th Grade Updates from Dr. Sullivan
Hello Awesome 8th Graders!
We made it! The eighth-grade team wanted to take this time to remind you how proud we are of your accomplishments during this ever-evolving school year. Through all the obstacles, changes, personal challenges, you made it. You stayed focused, resilient, preserved, and steered the course as the PMS scholar we know you are and can be. We are proud of each of you. Please continue to demonstrate PRIDE in your daily interactions with your peers and teachers.
There are end of the school year activities that will be coming up so please mark your calendars. June 15 and June 17th are the dates for the pre-recorded celebration presentation. More information will be forthcoming. The Drive Thru Celebration will be held on Thursday June 17th from 4:00 pm to 6:30 pm. Please decorate your cars, bust out the streamers and the celebratory spirit to congratulate the eighth-grade class. Please bring in any library books, textbooks, instruments that belong to the school on June 17th as well. For now, hold on to your devices until we get further instructions.
As always if you need any help remember to reach out to your teachers, team leaders, Ms. Daeschner and Dr. Sullivan; we are here to support you with anything you need. Now go and be GREAT!!!!!!
Virtues
As appropriate we will end the year with a focus on perseverance. Having the ability to keep going even when things get difficult is a skill that students will use now and forever. Students will examine their own failures to gain knowledge and understanding that failure is a part of life and it’s really about getting back up after you fall! That is real success.
IT'S ACADEMIC
Science
Happy June Pikesville Family!
Our 6th, 7th and 8th grade students have worked hard this school year in their science and engineering classes. As we prepare to wrap up the last few weeks of school, we continue to encourage students to complete any missing assignments and seek assistance from their teachers when needed.
While the end of the year is near, it certainly doesn’t mean they we have stopped learning science and engineering 😊 In 6th grade science we are exploring Force and Motion and incorporating Phet simulations within our lessons to demonstrate different forces and Newton's Laws. We plan to wrap up the year with our Space Unit, where we will work on our Astronomy projects. In 7th grade science students are learning about Static electricity and friction. Teachers are also incorporating Phet simulations in their lesson. In 8th Grade students will begin working on the last unit of the year, the agriculture unit. Students will complete lessons about their environment and earn student service-learning hours.
Our 7th grade engineering students are learning about static electricity and friction using phet simulations as well. Phet is a great resource for students to use as we continue to teach and learn in this hybrid environment. 8th grade Engineering students are using TinkerCAD 3D modeling software to design their own smartphone and smartphone stand.
The Science/Engineering Department thanks each and every student and parent for their dedication to our content this year and hope you have learned a lot. We look forward to seeing you next year. Have a great summer break!
Math
Semester two and the school year are coming to an end, please make sure you are checking Schoology regularly to see how your student is performing in their mathematics class. Math 6 is working on Equations and Inequalities, the final units are Geometry, Measurement and Data; Math 6 GT is working on Multiplication in Algebra, the final units are Patterns Leading to Division and Linear Equations and inequalities; Pre-Algebra 7 is working on Expressions, Equations, and Inequalities, the final units are Statistics and Probability, and Geometry and Measurement; Math 8 is working on Linear Functions and, Math 8 - Ridley is working on Transformational Geometry, the final unit is Measurement Geometry; Algebra 1 is working on Quadratic and Other Functions; Geometry is working on Quadrilaterals, the final units are Similarity and Right Triangle Trigonometry, Spatial Reasoning, and Circles. Both Algebra 1 and Geometry will be taking their high school final exams around June 10th and 11th(these count as a third of the students over all grade in the course). Remember the textbook is online the link can be found in the students Mathematics course. The Mathematics Department wishes everyone a great summer break!
English
** PARENTS and GUARDIANS: Please look at home for language arts novels your child may have from this year or last year. Please return them to PMS before June 18. THANK YOU!
Congratulations students and parents on reaching the end of a challenging year! Students are currently wrapping up their fourth unit of study in language arts, reading, CCR, and theater. As you know, literacy is a life skill and one we don’t stop exercising even when we’re on breaks from school. Please continue to have your students read anything around them (cereal boxes, road signs, recipes, old scrapbooks, and yes – books!). Also, keep their brains active by getting them thinking:
· When driving, ask them to make predictions about what is inside box trucks.
· Ask your child to give directions when you walk or drive somewhere.
· If they are watching Tiktoks on their phone, ask them to summarize a favorite.
· Encourage your child to share an opinion and then ask for 2-3 reasons why they hold that opinion. Bonus points if they can provide evidence!
All of these strategies will help build students’ critical thinking and position them for success next year!
Be on the lookout for information about summer reading coming home the week of June 7th.
Social Studies
Final push to the finish Pikesville Historians!
We have endured a lot in the 2020-2021 school year! You have persevered! This final month gives you the opportunity to show all that you have learned in Social Studies. Apply all your skills as readers, writers, speakers, arguers, informers, analyzers, and critical thinkers. Go into summer knowing that you put forth your very best. Thank you for all your hard work, we know it wasn't easy. We all hope you have a great summer!
Final Topics:
Ancient World History 6 - Unit 4: Ancient Rome
Students will be able to learn about the Roman Empire. The investigation through Rome will take students through its geography, culture, government, and military conquest to ultimately decide how such a large and powerful empire could fall.
Medieval World History 7 - Reduced and combined Unit 3 & 4: Agents of Change and Pre-Columbian Americas
Students will be able to learn about how the late middle ages brought about change that impacted the world leading to the growth. Kingdoms changed into nation-states that started the Age of Exploration. This exploration brought Europeans to the America's where they encountered indigenous peoples leading to compromise, conflict, and colonization of the "New World".
American History 8 - Finishing up Unit 3: Nationalism and Sectionalism and Introducing Unit 4: Civil War
Students will be able to learn about how America became divided into sections and America impacted different social groups in different ways. This division led to the Civil War and a broken America.
Foreign Language
June 2021
Bonjour et Buenos Dias! As this year comes to a close, we are so proud of all of our World Language students and how much they have learned. These last few weeks we will be finishing up our final units, so it is very important to check Schoology regularly for missing assignments. Next week all 7th grade students who are currently enrolled in Novice Spanish B or Novice French B will be taking the AAPL proficiency test. This is not a graded test; however, it will provide teachers and students with valuable information about learning level in the target language. In person students will take the test during class time, and instructions will come home for how virtual students and will take the test.
In Novice A classes, students are finishing up discussing school schedules and supplies. In Novice B classes, students are learning how to talk about daily routines, and Intermediate classes are exploring how they express their creativity in their daily lives. Each theme in World Language aligns with the AP themes, so students will be well-prepared for high school courses.
For extra practice, your student can also use https://quizlet.com/ to review vocabulary and then make old fashioned flash cards on index cards! We also like https://www.duolingo.com/ to track progress and https://conjuguemos.com/ for extra practice with tricky grammar rules.
We are so happy to see many of you in person. It’s great to see so many students back in the building! Looking forward to seeing you all next year!
Related Arts
Welcome to the Pikesville Middle School Related Arts Department! At Pikesville Middle School they consist of Physical Education, Health Education, Art Education, Chorus, Band, Orchestra, World Music, American Music, and Dance Education.
Physical Education and Health Education are taught in a combined setting by the same teacher. 2021-2022 School year you will have 1 marking period of Health Education and 3 marking periods of Physical Education.
Physical Education is a class that students are required to take. It encourages psychomotor learning in a play, or movement explorations setting to promote overall wellness.
Hybrid Students need to wear athletic/ loose fitting clothes and sneaker/ tennis shoes when they come into school. It is also strongly encouraging for you to wear layers because we will be outside as much as possible and to bring a water bottle for class activities.
At Home Fitness Activities:
How to jump rope stations: https://youtu.be/D4CXWyFZnaU
Noodle Activities: https://youtu.be/LgMohkixc2I
Self-Passing Challenges: https://youtu.be/-RneuGZEumk
Bottle Flipping Challenge: https://youtu.be/AZd8oJv6LlM
Fan Favorite PE At Home: https://youtu.be/TJuYFFKyoew
Tossing and Catching: https://youtu.be/fCiATy5gfzc
Wheelchair workout - https://youtu.be/TogQwHLCIgw
Yoga: https://youtu.be/9MB__LsLGI4
PE Home Calendar: https://openphysed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Monthly-PE-at-Home-Calendar-Jason.pdf
Mindfulness Activities:
Alternating Nostril Breathing: https://youtu.be/xxBJOAaCWIM
Body Scan: https://youtu.be/-cwgCUmsaMs
Deep Breathing: https://youtu.be/_csXVyQotFA
I am Meditation: https://youtu.be/kR0c1Z4pKdM
June Health and Fitness Calendar
English Mind & Body Calendar: file:///C:/Users/mbritt2/Downloads/June-2021-Secondary-Mind-Body-Calendar-English.pdf
Spanish Mind & Body Calendar: file:///C:/Users/mbritt2/Downloads/June-2021-Secondary-Mind-Body-Calendar-Spanish.pdf
Fine Arts is a collection of classes such as Visual Art Education, Music Education and Dance Education.
Visual Arts is an area of learning that is based upon only the kind of art that one can see, visual arts- drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, and designing jewelry, pottery, weaving, fabrics, and design applied to other fields such as commercial graphics and home furnishings.
Music Education incorporates music training and education in multiple areas of music because involvement in music is considered a fundamental component of human culture and behavior. At PMS it is made up of many different courses, chorus, band, orchestra, world music and American music.
Instrumental Music (Band and Orchestra) –
Important Announcement:
If your student has borrowed and used a Pikesville Middle School owned instrument for the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 school year, please read the following:
- All Pikesville Middle School instruments must be returned to the school before your child leaves for the summer.
- Instrument return will happen throughout the school day and after school until 4 pm on specific dates for each grade level.
- Dates for band and string instrument return are as follows:
o 8th grade band and orchestra- Tuesday June 8 and Thursday June 10 from 8-4
o 6th AND 7th grade band and orchestra- Tuesday June 15 and Thursday June 17 from 8-4
- If your student is in cohorts A, B, or D; they are more than welcome to bring their instrument to school themselves and leave it with their teacher on the day of return.
- Please make sure that ALL accessories given at the time of the instrument loan are returned with the instrument in the case.
We hope everyone has a safe and happy summer!
Mr. Lavallee and Ms. Leggiero
Dance Education:
It is time to celebrate! The BCPS Countywide Dance Celebration programs are now ready to share and available for viewing via the links below and on the BCPS-TV Cable Channel (Verizon 34/Comcast 73).
Links:
The Dance Goes On - West Zone on the BCPS-TV Vimeo Channel:
https://vimeo.com/552984728/608d9ba38b
The Dance Goes On - Central Zone on the BCPS-TV Vimeo Channel:
https://vimeo.com/551583060/9194d31043 (Pikesville Middle School Dance Performance is located on this link)
The Dance Goes On - East Zone on the BCPS-TV Vimeo Channel:
https://vimeo.com/552951033/66857e510f
Digital Programs: https://dci.bcps.org/department/academics/career___technical_education_and_fine_arts/dance_education
Air times:
All in one block: Friday 5/28 through Monday 5/31 starting at 7:30 PM + the following weekends. The programs will air on the weekends and at night when the graduations are over.
Counseling Corner
10 Summer Activities that Parents can do with their Middle School Student:
When the temperatures soar, the last thing students want to do is think about school. But if your middle school student is serious about maintaining good grades and eventually going to a college or plan for a future career, he or she must keep that educational edge during the vacation months.
Studies show that students lose up to three months of academic progress during the summer, a phenomenon called “Summer Slide.”
There are books to read however there are other ways for your child to stay ahead of the game. The key is engaging their brains. Here are some novel projects you can do with your pre-teens to keep their academic skills sharp for the coming school year:
Write Something
The regular practice of putting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) will boost literary proficiency. Starting a journal is a good idea, but also consider the following–
1. Creating a comic strip. Be creative, and think up some characters and situations to put them in. Try to produce one strip a week to distribute to family and friends. Visit this site for help – http://www.makebeliefscomix.com/Comix/
2. Writing a script for your favorite TV show or a TV show you make up yourself. Conjure up dialogue for an episode of “Gossip Girl,” “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D,” or “Modern Family.” Or write dialogue based on your own family or friends.
3. Developing a blog. A blog is simply a regular, written record of your thoughts and opinions on anything – it’s just written online. Find some ideas at – http://make-website.com/netkids/kids-make-a-free-website.php
4. Communicating by snail mail. Composing letters is a lost art. But writing letters by hand helps you better focus your thoughts. You can’t cut and paste at will, and so you have to get it right the first time.
To whom can you write? Rihanna, New Direction, The CEO of Forever 21 retail stores, the manager of the local McDonald’s. Use Google to find addresses.
Make or Start Something
Following the steps to make or build something is a good way to keep your thinking sharp. Cooking is an easy way to do it, but also try:
5. Building a robot. Here’s how: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcIiINAPpe4
6. Making craft or science projects. http://www.kidsmakestuff.com/
7. Launching a business. http://www.momeomagazine.com/raising-entrepreneurial-kids-9-quick-start-businesses-for-your-budding-entrepreneur/
8. Take a trip somewhere interesting and fun!
Encountering new places, especially ones where you can learn something new, helps work your brain muscle.
9. Visiting museums. For example, plan a day trip to Washington, DC, and remember to go on the day of the month when museums are free. Taking a free tour around the city.
Read Something (Interesting).
10. Getting a library card. But you can assure your child that reading doesn’t have to be boring. Check out the local library and explore the possibilities. Comic books, magazines and TV show websites are all fair game. Just try to do it every day.
Your brain is just like a muscle; the more you use it, the stronger it becomes. The trick is to keep busy with activities that make you think.
Enjoy your summer and please be safe.
Always feel free to contact the school counseling office if you need assistance.
Mrs. Banks will be available all summer should you have any questions at: vbanks2@bcps.org 443-809-6725
Ms. Daeschner and Mr. Hess will return on Monday, August 19th.
Health Suite
Summer is fast approaching and with COVID restrictions being lifted everyone will be spending more time with family and friends. Please remember, if you are not vaccinated, continue to wear a mask and to socially distance. For more guidance on COVID recommendations please go to https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/fully-vaccinated.html. If you are interested in getting vaccinated, please go to https://www.vaccines.gov/ to find a location.
As you enjoy your summer vacations, please keep in mind these summer safety tips.
1. When outside wear a broad-spectrum sunscreen of at least SPF 15-30 that blocks against both UVA and UVB rays. Apply golf ball size of sunscreen, 15 minutes before sun exposure. Reapply every 2 hours, after swimming and sweating. Use available shade and wear protective clothing (hats and sunglasses).
2. Choose water and stay hydrated. There is no substitute for water; it is the number one calorie-free, sugar-free thirst-quencher. Replenish with eight 8 oz. glasses of water a day. Bonus tip* Add lemon, lime, cucumber, or strawberry for a sweet taste.
3. Reduce exposure to mosquitos and ticks. Don’t let insects suck the fun out of summer. In addition to itchy and irritated skin, West Nile Virus and Lyme Disease are transmitted through insect bites. Use insect repellent, wear long-sleeve shirts and pants, treat clothing and gear, and take steps to control insects indoors and outdoors.
4. Stay active. Shut off the TV, put down the electronic devices, and encourage kids and teens to be active for at least 60 minutes a day! Playgrounds, sports fields, and neighborhood public swim clubs are great places to get kids moving without even realizing it!
5. Protect children and avoid injuries. Wearing a properly fitting bike helmet can significantly reduce head injuries. Helmets or other protective gear should be worn when riding a bike, skateboard, scooter, in-line skates; even a bike with training wheels can tip over. Supervise children while swimming and using a trampoline.
6. Schedule check-ups and vaccinations. Cross annual student check-ups and vaccinations off your to-do list. Don’t wait to make your appointment. Sixth grade students who are entering 7th grade next year are required to have the MCV4 and Tdap vaccinations. Please check with your pediatrician to make sure that your student’s vaccinations are up to date and in compliance with the Maryland Dept. of Health requirements. Please send a copy of all updated vaccination records to Mrs. Limmer at jlimmer@bcps.org. If you are having difficulty getting an appointment with your pediatrician, please contact Mrs. Limmer at jlimmer@bcps.org or 443-809-5000 for assistance. If there are any changes in your child’s health status, please let Mrs. Limmer know.