Quarter 1 Newsletter

The Firebaugh Middle School Quarterly newsletters are intended to provide essential information to parents, stakeholders, and the community to cultivate a connection between school and home. Firebaugh Middle School's goal is to increase parent engagement by providing streamline communication in our school to create a culture of consistent communication. Together, we can support and improve the academic achievement, social-emotional development, and health of FMS students.

**Padres/tutores, si desean que este boletín se traduzca a otro idioma, ubiquen el botón Traducción en su teléfono inteligente en la parte superior de la pantalla.**

Thank you FMS students, parents, and staff for making this 1st quarter a great start to the school year. I feel we are working diligently to implement our multi-tiered systems of support in the areas of academics, behavior, and social-emotional learning. FMS staff believe these systems will help our Falcon students soar to success. Our mission is to create a learning environment where all students are empowered with a growth mindset, critical thinking skills, and social-emotional and behavioral skills necessary to be successful life-long learners. Please help us encourage our students to be Respectful, Responsible, and Safe at all times. Thank you for taking some time to read through our newsletter, we encourage you to discuss with your students what they are learning at school.

Your Servant,

Mr. Suarez

• Quarter 1 ended on October 13, 2023
• Falcon Way Assembly on October 19, 2023

• Period 2: 8:54 am-9:48am Honoring 6th Grade

  Period 3: 10:06 am-11:00 am Honoring 7th Grade

  Period 4: 11:03 am-11:57 am Honoring 8th Grade

• Activity Day/FunFriyay/Rally on October 20, 2023
  
• Parent Workshop: Risks of Vaping on October 19 from 6:00pm-8:00pm in the FMS Library
• Red Ribbon Week October 23-25, 2023
• Harvest Festival & Trunk or Treat on October 25, 2023 from 5:00pm-8:00pm
• FCSS Mobile Unit will be conducting a flu shot clinic on Thursday, October 26th from 10-12pm at the FHS parking lot. First come, first serve.

6th Grade: Students took their Unit 1 Assessment on theme and central idea a few weeks ago. Currently, students are working on their Narrative Performance Task. Students researched real and make believe robots, and learned how to use a plot diagram to plan and map a story. The narrative is about what happens when they get a robot of their own. Soon, we will be moving on to making inferences by combining information in a text with our own knowledge.

7th Grade: Students took their Unit 1 Assessment on theme and central idea a few weeks ago. Currently, students are working on their Narrative Performance Task. The topic of the story is climbing Mount Everest, and the climax (problem) is that something happens while on their expedition.

8th Grade: At the beginning of the year, students learned how to identify a theme and central idea within a text. In addition to informational texts, we used our class novels to practice this skill. Students worked on a narrative essay for the rest of the quarter. For this unit, students were required to analyze sources, plan a story, create a rough draft, and edit that rough draft.

6th Grade:

• Find Area of a parallelogram
• Find Area of a triangle and other polygons
• Use Nets to find surface area
• Work with Algebraic expressions
• Write and evaluate expressions with exponents
• Find Greatest Common Factor and Least Common Multiple
• Add, subtract, and multiply multi digit decimal numbers
  

7th Grade: In the first quarter, 7th grade students learned how to do the following:

• Find distance using scale drawings
• Find area using scale drawings
• Create scale drawings using scale
• Find unit rates with complex fractions
• Identify proportional relationships and the constant of proportionality
• Write equations to represent proportional relationships
• Interpret graphs of proportional relationships
• Find the circumference and area of circles

8th Grade: For 8th grade math, during quarter 1, the students learned about Rigid Transformations, Dilations & Similarity, Angle Relationships, and Angle Relationships in Triangles.

• Rigid Transformations: transformations that flip, turn, spin, and change the location and orientation of figures on the coordinate plane, but do not change its size or shape.
• Dilations & Similarity: With dilation, students learned to make and identify scale copies of a figure that were similar (same shape, different size) to the original figure.
• Angle Relationships: students learned about the different angle relationships that are formed when two lines are intersected (or cut) by a third line.
• Angle Relationships in Triangles: students learned that the sum of the three interior angles of a triangle equal to 180 degrees. They also applied previous knowledge to find the missing angles within a triangle.

6th Grade: Students typically enjoy Wednesdays where they either play Blooket(online game program) practicing on their math skills or playing other math games.The students have done the following topics:

• Working with Algebraic Expressions: Students practice in warm ups more student friendly. Students would find the missing number in a math expression.
• Write and Evaluate Expressions with Exponents: Students practiced on evaluating exponents through playing an Exponents game(card game).
• Add, subtract, and Multiply Multi-Digit Decimals: Students played Blooket which had problems on adding decimals.
  

7th Grade: Similar to the 6th graders, the 7th graders have done various activities to practice on their math skills. The students have done the following topics:

• Solve Area and Circumference Problems Involving Circles: Students did an activity that involved finding the area and circumference of circles around the classroom. Students worked in groups with a tape measure. Tape was used to create the circles.
• Understand Addition with Negative Integers: Students used red and yellow counter chips to practice addition with negative and positive integers. Students also played Blooket practicing on the skill.
• Understand Addition with Negative Integers: Students used red and yellow counter chips to practice addition with negative and positive integers. Students also played Blooket practicing on the skill.

8th Grade: Students enjoy doing blooket on a weekly basis on our Wednesdays. They like competing against each other and sometimes myself(Mr. Choperena).

The students had done the following topics:

• Understand Dilations and Similarity: Students practice on the skill by doing an activity involving making a drawing of the classroom. Students had to make an accurate drawing to the physical classroom size.
• Describe Angle Relationships in triangles: Students played Blooket on Wednesday that dealt with problems involving the topic. The person in first place got a candy as a reward for the game.
  

6th Grade: Sixth grade science began the academic year in full swing with high expectations and daily routines that set the tone for a successful quarter. Students had hands-on learning activities with microscope labs. This lab truly motivated students to engage in curriculum so they can continue doing fun labs in class. They are also applying cooperative learning, completing projects and posters for the Earth’s Layers. All these skills will prepare them for a big evolution presentation in the 2nd quarter.

7th Grade:

• 7th Graders have been learning all about Earth and its Geosphere.
• They studied Earth and compared it to similar features on Mars to determine if Mars once had water.
• They are currently learning about plate tectonics and how our Earth’s surface is always changing.
• In quarter 2 they will finish learning about plate tectonics and then shift to learning all about how rocks are formed and can change.

8th Grade:

• 8th Graders have been learning about contact and noncontact forces.
• Focusing on our essential question: How can we stop an asteroid from colliding with Earth?
• Students wrote a narrative telling about the day an asteroid almost collided with Earth. Using Newton’s Laws of Motion to guide them in their narrative.

6th Grade: In Ancient History we started learning about “Why Study History” and skills and tools we would use in our study of history. We then jumped into how we as humans came to be the species that we are today and we evolved from a “hunter-gatherer” society to a more civilized society; we also played a game where the students “hunted” for “food” and learned how to be more civilized. We then jumped into Mesopotamia, one of the first civilizations, and learned about the contributions they made to our current society. One of those contributions was writing, in a language called “cuneiform” and the students got to write their name in cuneiform and had a blast doing it, but also gained a greater appreciation for our current form of writing.

7th Grade: In 7th Grade students learned about the fall of the Roman Empire and the spread of Christianity. Students even wrote a 5 paragraph informational essay about the reasons for the decline of the Roman Empire. Students have also been working on analyzing maps, charts, and historical pictures as well as primary sources. Students also learned about geographical features, the continents, oceans,hemispheres, and how to determine latitude and longitude. Lastly, students learned about Roman Numerals and how to calculate them.

8th Grade: 8th Grade History has focused on the Founding of America through the Revolutionary War and into writing of the Constitution during the First Semester. Students have been learning to take notes as well as reading historical documents and writing their first essay. The students have also been learning all 50 states and will complete their assessment of the 50 state Map on Friday October 6th.

In PE so far we have learned how to play three sports: Netball, Volleyball, and Soccer. They have also learned about the five fitness components and healthy eating habits. Students have been dressing out and are being very active this quarter. We have also started pre-fitness testing, which will carry over into the second quarter. The fitness tests include push-ups, curl-ups, mile run, pacer, trunk lift, and shoulder stretch for flexibility. Our fitness standard for this quarter is “Demonstrate body management and object-manipulation skills needed for successful participation in individual and dual physical activities.”

Students in our ELD classes have been engaged in crafting paragraphs. They are continuously learning about the importance of sentence structure and coherence in writing. They learned the significance of topic sentences that serve as the foundation, followed by supporting details, and a conclusion. Through this process, students are enhancing their writing skills and their ability to deliver their thoughts in an effective manner.

Additionally, our students are reading diverse texts and honing their comprehension skills. They engage in discussions, answer questions, and participate in comprehension exercises. These activities help our students build their capacity to extract meaning from text!

6th Grade: The 6th grade RSP students have been working diligently to improve their multiplication facts. Everyday at the beginning of class they practice their math facts and have been improving in accuracy. They have been working hard to catch up on their missing assignments and have been working hard on creating their narrative story for the ELA class, they are coming up with great plots for their stories. They are working on understanding new math concepts, and are working very hard to keep up with the fast paced introduction of new math concepts.

7th Grade: Our 7th Grade Resource students have been working hard to improve their multiplication fluency. This group of kids have been practicing their multiplication skills every day during their class warm up activity. From the first day of school to the last day of August we are proud to have seen an increase in accuracy by 21% in one class and 8% in another. Two students had an increase of 40% or higher while 6 others had an improvement of 10% or higher. Keep up the great work kids!

8th Grade:

ELA: Students have just finished reading the story, The Outsiders and have completed their book report projects. The students' projects focused on comparing and contrasting characters from the story. Students also examined their own connections to the text.

Math: Students are continuing to work on their multiplication math facts. We’ve been focusing on units of measurement, adding and subtracting fractions with unlike denominators, and solving for the area and perimeter of a rectangle.

History: Students have been learning about California’s early History. The class has just finished our California Native American Tribes project. Students completed google slide presentations about their selected tribe. We are now beginning our study of Mexican-American history.

Science: We are currently learning about Animal and Plant cells. The class has been working on identifying cell parts and their functions. We are beginning to examine the relationship between cells, organs, organ systems in multicellular organisms.

Music Engagement: Students have been learning concepts of music and listening skills. They have been working on identifying various characteristics of genres, identifying what instruments are being used in these genres, and how they differ from each other. We will soon be moving into music in context and how it is used to tell stories or supplement life.

Band: All of the bands have been busy at work. Marching Band is in full swing! Intermediate and Advanced classes will be participating in the Cantaloupe Roundup Parade right before opening ceremonies on September 28th at 4:30PM. All of the bands will be participating in the stands for Band Day with the FHS Band at a football game on October 6th.

Beginning Band, Beginning Percussion, and Jazz Band performed at Taco Tuesday on October 10th at 6:00PM.

Choir (Mens, Womens, Advanced, Beginning): The boys choir was able to go to Fresno State for the Soundoff Event. This event was meant to inspire middle school boys to sing. Students sang with 250 other middle schoolers and came back inspired. They did a phenomenal job performing and learning from the guest director.

All choirs participated in their first performance at our Taco Tuesday Fundraiser on October 10th. Each choir is doing well with their rehearsal skills and practicing their music. We are getting ready to start our performance skills.

• Dual Enrollment: Our Dual Enrollment Program attended their first field trip to visit California Polytechnic State University on October 13, 2023. Students saw first-hand what makes this specific college unique, the diversity of the college, and the potential outcomes from studying at this specific college. This college campus visit encouraged students to understand that visiting campuses is an essential step in their college search process. The overall educational benefit from this field trip is to promote college and career readiness and A-G requirements.

• Monthly Career Days in Dual Enrollment: Firebaugh Middle School began a Monthly Career Day to expose students to a variety of careers in order to jumpstart their thinking about the future. By preparing early, students are more likely to be college and career ready after high school graduation. Our counseling department’s mission is to create a valuable educational experience by fostering a positive environment for students to learn about different professions with the help of caring community members and stakeholders.
  
• This semester students are learning about career exploration and colleges. The Career Exploration Report involved students taking a career quiz and personality assessment to learn more about continuing their education in a specific career. Students compiled the information and presented it to the class. This class also serves as an introduction and pathway to the Firebaugh High School Dual Enrollment program.

• MESA 6: 6th graders are excited for MESA! They began the school year with a lot of team building activities from building the tallest tower with spaghetti noodles..
• MESA 7/8: MESA is getting off to a great start! We completed our September monthly project which consisted of recycled airplanes. Students attended their first MESA Academy at Fresno State on October 7th, and started our October monthly project, which is a pumpkin (candy) catapult! Our students were really excited to see what this academy has to offer, as well as getting started on their new project.

• Computers 1: Students are working in Edutyping.com building keyboarding accuracy and efficiency, recalling alphabetic keys and symbols.
• Computers 2: Creating a resume identifying hard and soft skills, planning and creating an event through sheets, docs, drawing, and calendar with the option of using Canva.
• Ag Science: This class serves as an intro to all the Agriculture pathways that are available at Firebaugh High School (floriculture, plant science, animal science, ag mechanics, ag science, and FFA). Students are prepared to have a career in agriculture.
• Photo: This class prepares students for Firebaugh High School’s Photography, Intro to Graphic Design and Digital Media & Graphic Design Pathway. The skills learned in this class can lead to career paths in graphic design, marketing, and web design.
• Art: This class prepares students for the Firebaugh High School art electives (Art I & Art II). Students also learn about careers in art through training and production. Mr. Flood says, “With hard work, students are prepared to be in any endeavor as they work to build skills in art.”

Boys soccer defeat Creekside 2-0 to advance to WSAL Championship⚽

Choir and Band Taco Tuesday Performance 🎤

Band students practicing for Firebaugh High School Homecoming 🎺

Cross Country team and coaches 🏃‍♂️🏃‍♀️

Cross Country Soars through Tesoro Viejo and Monterey County with FMS student being a Top Runner at both races!🏆

4.0 & Above Students at The BIG Fresno Fair!😄

Students at the 1st Rally of the year! 🙌

Dual Enrollment Field Trip to Cal Poly and Pismo

• Tier 1 Academic Support: 6th, 7th, and 8th grade Academic and A-G presentations and activities
• Tier 2 Academic Support: Collaboration with academic CT’s; push-in, small group, and 1:1 academic conferences
• Tier 3: Academic QR code for student self-referral
• Student Portal assistance
• Aeries Parent Portal assistance
• 4.0 & Above Students + Trip to Fresno Fair 4.0 & Above Program
• 8th grade parent conferences & collaboration
• Acellus, extended learning program and Saturday School opportunities
• Data-driven reports to target off-track students for academic conferences

In the area of Social Emotional learning, FMS has been collaborating as we push out weekly, Tier 1 content to our students. Each month, FMS focuses on one specific domain of SEL. For the month of October, we are focusing on Self-awareness with topics such as impulsivity, treating others as you would like to be treated, and recognizing bad habits. Every topic covers the quote of the week, definitions/examples, solutions, and prompt questions for our teachers to engage in classroom discussions. To further support SEL and promote Tier 2 & 3, a Student Self Referral Form is posted in every classroom. This form allows students to scan a QR code to access mental health and social/emotional supports. Student Self Referral links are also posted in Google Classroom for those students who can not access the physical forms.

In the area of behavior, October is a busy month as we implement various awareness campaigns such as our bully awareness campaign where students learn the ABC’s of bullying, a definition of bullying, positive ways to stop bullying, and how to ask for help or report bullying. We are also collaborating with our School Resource Officer for our Red Ribbon week. We have guest speakers sharing the dangers of vaping and substance use and on October 27 our SRO in collaboration with Firebaugh PD will have lunch time activities and booths from our Firebaugh Police Department & Explorers Program, Firebaugh Fire Department, Mendota PD K-9 , Face painting & games by FHS criminology students.

Expanded Learning Program Hours:

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday

3:23 PM-6:00 PM

Wednesdays

2:03 PM-6:00 PM

Snacks are provided and transportation is available.

Enrollment for Expanded Learning/After School Program:

Applications are available in the Firebaugh Middle School Office.