Clark September Newsletter 2023

Welcome from the Counselors Office

Serving you and your students

Dear Parents and Guardians,

We would like to take a moment to introduce ourselves to you and your family. Our names are Ms. Emily Wentzel-Walle, 6th grade, Mr. Gage Moore, 7th grade and Mr. Brent Haugen, 8th grade. We will be the school counselors at Clark Middle School 6 – 8 for the 2023-2024 school year. We are excited and honored to be joining this amazing team of educators and staff. We look forward to meeting you and your student(s) and to help support your student(s).

Our school offers counseling services as an additional resource to help your student succeed in their academic goals, as well as support social and emotional growth throughout the school year. Counseling sessions in a school setting are typically short-term in nature and focus on solutions to help your child succeed in all areas of their development.

Counseling activities can include individual or group counseling, whole class presentations and observations. Many of these activities will focus on helping students learn ways to build positive social skills, gain confidence in their ability to interact with others and learn ways to deal with problems and conflicts constructively.

Your student may be referred to counseling from a teacher, staff member or from you as a parent/guardian. To make a referral, you may call the school or email us personally. The counseling office phone number are:

Ms. Emily Walle, 6th Grade 907.742.7773 Wentzel-Wall_Emily@asdk12.org

Mr. Gage Moore, 7th Grade 907.742.7772 Moore_Gage@asdk12.org

Mr. Brent Haugen, 8th Grade 907.742.7771 Haugen_Brent@asdk12.org

Ms. Ghislaine Gillespie, Department Chair 907-742-7770 Gillespie_Ghislaine@asdk12.org

Please call the counseling office if you have ANY questions or concerns. We are thrilled to be working with your students and hope to meet all the families that make Clark Middle School such a wonderful community! Have a great start to the school year everyone!

Sincerely,

Ms. Wentzel-Walle, 6th Grade Counselor

Mr. Moore, 7th Grade Counselor

Mr. Haugen, 8th Grade Counselor

Ms. Gillespie, Department Chair

Open House September 11th 5:30 - 7:30 pm

Our Back to School Night is Monday, September 11th. We will begin in the MPR for a chili dinner and visit with administration and counselors.

Families will then be released to go to teacher classrooms and get an

overview of each class.

• Fall Picture Day - September 8, 2023

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Our boy's teams have been underway and looking good. A special Thank You to the Coaches and Athletes who help make our athletic programs competitive, enjoyable, and successful. The first game to kick off the season will be September 7, 2023. In order for your athlete to be eligible for the first game per the student Athletic Handbook they need 10 practices. Practices are daily from 3-4:30 p.m. and remain a requirement to continue to participate in all games. Our goal is to support our student-athletes in being well-rounded by recognizing they are a Scholar first, therefore keeping their grades up is important as well as having good sportsmanship with each other and with the teams we compete against whether it be at Clark or away visiting another middle site. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to the head coach Mrs. Swisher.

Daily attendance is one of the most powerful predictors of school success and on-time graduation. Our goal is to have every student at school on time every day. We are asking for your help and partnership in getting your student to school every day. Whether you need to maintain your student’s excellent attendance or improve future attendance, it will not only help your student be successful this school year, but will prepare your student to do well in the future at college and at work.

Our GOAL is for students to miss nine [9] or fewer day during the school year.

9 or / FEWER DAYS of ABSENCE

Please feel welcome to contact your student’s school or one of the Administrators

#907-742-7763 if you have any questions related to attendance.

Valid Excuses for Absences

• Participation in a district or school approved activity or instructional program.
• Illness, health condition or medical appointment (including, but not limited to, medical counseling, dental or optometry) for the student or person for whom the student is legally responsible.
• Family emergency including, but not limited to, a death or illness in the family;
• Religious or cultural purpose including observance of a religious or cultural holiday or participation in religious or cultural instruction;
• Court or judicial proceeding;
• Absence directly related to the student’s homeless status;
• Absences related to deployment activities of a parent or legal guardian who is an active duty member.

We miss your student when they are absent, and we value their contributions to our school. We ask you to help ensure that your student attends school regularly. If your student is going to be absent, please contact our Attendance Secretary at #907-742-7763. The attendance voice mail system is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If prior notice is not possible, you may call, send an email, or written note upon the student’s return to school.

Notification shall include:

1. Name and spelling of the student.

2. Name and contact information of person providing the excuse and their relationship to the student.

3. Dates of absence

4. Reason for absence (see above for list of excusable absences)

Unexcused Absences

Any absences from school are unexcused unless it meets one of the criteria above for an excused absence.

• Parent notification – The school will notify the student’s parent or guardian in writing or by telephone whenever the student has failed to attend school.
• As a means of instilling values of responsibility and personal accountability, a student whose absence is not excused will experience the consequences of his/her absence including progressive discipline. A student’s grade may be affected if a graded activity or assignment occurs during the period of time when the student is absent.
• Three unexcused absences in a month – When a student has three unexcused absences in one month, our dedicated team of educators will communicate with parents to schedule a conference with the parent/guardian and student to identify the barriers and supports available to ensure regular attendance. We will then, develop a plan which may require an assessment to determine how to best meet the needs of the student and reduce absenteeism. As always, we appreciate the help and support from our families.

Early Dismissal

An early dismissal will be excused or unexcused using the same rules applied to absences.

Request for Planned Excused Absences

• Extended vacations during the school year or leaving school prior to the end of the school year are highly discouraged because students missing class lose essential instruction.
• Families must request prior approval for an excused planned absence. An “Pre-Arranged Absence Form” can be picked up at the Front Desk/Attendance Secretary to request prior approval. Your student will need to take the form to all teachers to indicate the current grade and share assignments. The form must be returned to the Front Desk/Attendance Security for signatures.

“Tenacity is more than twice the weight of intelligence.”

Powerful Pride

Getting from here to There, together by Discovering Who We Are

Exciting News for September 2023

Language Arts 6: Ms. M. Smith, Ms. Ridgely, and Foley: Whether a student is an avid reader, a bulb-like writer, or simply curious about the power of words, our Language Arts class is the perfect class where the literary adventure begins. It is our great pleasure to see our students excited to journey with us to unveil new words, to craft their voice, to share insights, to perform theatrical magic, and to build a safe classroom community.

Unveil new words: Our class will explore the pages of captivating person Go Team Fearless!

al narrative selections, thought provoking questions, and inspiring examples of narratives. We will embark on literary journeys that will take us to distant perspectives and experiences and beyond imaginable realms.

Craft student’s voice: As the saying goes, “Writing is students’ canvas and words are their tools.” Throughout the year, our students will learn to express themselves with clarity, creativity, and organization. From narratives to argumentative essays, their words will become a reflection of their unique voice.

Share Ideas: Our Language Arts class is not only about individual growth, but also about exchanging ideas and perspectives during collaborative discussions and other forms of students discourse techniques. Students themselves are the travelers on this literary expedition.

Theatrical Magic: Our students will discover the world of stage performances such as the Living Museum, Speech Choir, and dramas as we explore scripts, characters, and the thrill of each.

Classroom Community: Our students are encouraged to collaborate, support each other, and embrace challenges. Together, we will celebrate success, overcome roadblocks, and grow as individuals.

As we embark on this literacy together, every word we read and write, there is always the potential to inspire, inform, and impact. Our Language Arts class is ready to amaze, to learn and to create among the potentials of our individual tenacious students!

SCIENCE: Ms. Olsen: For the month of September, Science classes will be reviewing Science safety, learning the location of safety equipment. We will also be learning why science uses the metric system and how to use the metric system to measure mass, volume, and length.

SOCIAL STUDIES: Mr. Moran In the month of September Social Studies will be starting our unit on Economics. For this topic, students will be learning the following:

- How to use graphs and charts to identify needs versus wants

-Explain and justify needs and wants

-Identify the three kinds of productive resources (human, capital, natural) and give examples of each

-Recognize that availability of natural resources influences production

-Explain how scarcity influences prices

-Compare and contrast availability within economic systems

ELL Math/SCIENCE: Ms. Mohammad There is a kick start year for the NCC Science and Math programs. In Grade 6 Math, we are investigating numbers, metric units, and figuring out the area of parallelograms. The seventh and eighth grades cover numbers, operations, proportional relationships, and linear relationships. We are learning about Science Lab Safety Rules, the scientific method, as well as the reasons why scientists from all around the world use it to

find solutions to natural mysteries, are all topics being explored in NCC Science Class.

Writing: Ms. Foley: We are working on developing descriptive paragraphs in preparation for our Personal Narrative for our first unit of study. We are also working on correct sentence structure, spelling and grammar and various sentence types.

Math: Ms. Cleopas: Get ready to embark on a thrilling mathematical adventure! Whether you're a problem-solving pro or just starting to master the world of numbers, this edition is tailor-made to spark your mathematical curiosity. Dive into the world of fractions and discover how they are not just parts of a whole, but also essential tools for everyday life. From baking recipes to real-world measurements, you'll see fractions in action! Put your problem-solving skills to the test with our math puzzles that range from fun riddles to mind-bending challenges. Sharpen your brain while having a blast!

We are so excited for another wonderful year of 6th grade! This quarter, your student will be engaging in a number of exciting projects, science labs, and writing prompts. Please be on the lookout for weekly emails regarding assignments and major dates to keep track of. We look forward to meeting you at Clark's Open House event on September 11th, and please don't hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns in the meantime.

Best,

Team Pizzazz

Ms. Cash (Language Arts) --> cash_ellie@asdk12.org

Ms. Pfisterer (Science) --> pfisterer_abigail@asdk12.org

Mr. Manlangit (Writing) --> manlangit_cesar@asdk12.org

Ms. Nault (Social Studies) --> nault_tanya@asdk12.org

ELA Welcome to Clark! I am so excited and happy to have your student in our class. We will be starting with “Classroom Procedures,” “Effective Collaboration,” and an “Art piece-called Affirmations” so that during Open House- on September 11th from 5:30-7:30, you can celebrate and marvel at your student’s work.

Our first unit is the ‘Challenge of Heroism,’ and our class will be learning strategic reading strategies to help our 8th graders navigate High School English: Metacognitive Markers, Annotating a text for a specific purpose, Figurative Language, Plot Elements, and Grammar skills. Students will complete a “What Defines a Hero”: explanatory essay this quarter and share this with the class. We are also learning how to revise and edit our writing. I will post “Assignments Due” for the week on Canvas (on announcements). Please reach out if you have any questions: parchman_tina@asdk12.org. I am so happy to have your student in my class.

Kindest Regards, Tina Parchman- M.A.T. ELA Teacher-Clark Middle School

Writing Bethany Bean bean_bethany@asdk12.org

Welcome to a new school year; I am so excited to be the writing teacher this year. Every Friday we will have a vocab quiz. Please make sure your student is practicing the words (I have notecards and other study materials if they are needed). This quarter we are focusing on narrative writing. Ergo, moving forward we will be focusing on writing a narrative piece and then transition into starting historical fiction writing.

Science We are diving into chemistry. With our new schedule on Monday and Tuesday, we will dive into the material. We are going to do labs on Wednesdays and Thursdays, and quizzes on Friday. Labs will reenforce the lessons and the quizzes will cover what is learned that week. This month we are doing introducing Chemistry. This will cover matter, atoms, elements, and chemical reactions.

Thanks,

Georgianne Renfroe

Team Resilience is really excited to welcome you to the 2023-2024 school year! As we move into September, our students will be actively engaged in a variety of activities. In Science, we will be doing experiments involving multiple chemical reactions, and we will be using various learning strategies such as station rotations. For Social Studies, we will continue the Historiography Unit; students will be practicing interviewing techniques and telling interesting stories. In English Language Arts, students will study and apply the Hero’s Journey to Odysseus from The Odyssey and characters in other select short stories as they look at the challenges of heroism. During Writing, students will be creating powerful narratives and dialogue within their stories. We’ve enjoyed getting to know your children during the first few weeks of this year and look forward to getting to know them better in the coming month.

Writing Department Scott Macdonald macdonald_scott@asdk12.org

The Writing department is excited to start this year focusing on Narrative Writing. As we all build stories to understand our place in the world, students will be working on developing plot structure, dialogue, characterization, and adding sensory details to create a more realistic and immersive narrative world. Students will also begin improving their writing through focus on sentence structure and adding sentence variety.

8th Grade Social Studies

We have had a fantastic start of the school year and are transitioning from beginning of year activities to content-focused work. In the month of September we will begin working on our Historiography unit. This unit will include how to evaluate online sources and we will learn how to think and ask questions like historians. I look forward to working with each and every one of my students and working with them on this skill which is important in our digital age world.

Thanks,

Hannah Hewett

Social Studies Teacher

Ashshanta Swisher swisher_ashshanta@asdk12.org

Welcome to the 2023-2024 school year! We've had a wonderful first few weeks with your students, getting to know them and helping them get to know one another. The first six weeks of school are so important in establishing a positive climate and expectations. We believe that by investing time at the beginning of the year by teaching social skills, character values, and setting rules together, students will benefit all year long by knowing they are in a place that is welcoming and safe. You can support us by talking to your students about the rules their class created for themselves and how showing they are respectful, responsible, and safe are traits that help everyone do well in school and make friends.

This year will be my 9th year at Clark Middle School and my 10th overall working in public education. Our middle school staff in general is a highly experienced one with many years, more like decades, of service. Several of our teachers and aides are at the midpoint or later of their careers. What does that mean? If nothing else, it should give parents confidence that they are entrusting their child’s education to a team that has seen and done almost everything in education at one point or another. Mixed in among our veteran staff is a sprinkling of new and/or early career staff members, which is one of many things that keeps us evolving and growing as a staff and as a school. New energy and eagerness! For me personally, the excitement and anticipation of a new school year are just as strong today as it was when I first started. I hope that feeling of excitement and anticipation comes through in everything we do for your child.

Accommodation of the Month:

Reduced Workload In the Classroom:

1. Give the student 50-80% of the problems you give everyone else by:

a. Cross off some problems if you see they are struggling

Give 1-2 problems per concept rather than 3-4

2. Ask the student to write 1-2 quality paragraphs rather than 3-4 paragraphs.

3. As always check in with the student’s case manager to be sure that you are meeting their individual needs.

Team Fearless is beginning the school year with exciting activities that build community connections and positive relationships. Social studies is beginning the five themes of geography, which are the foundations of our core course studies. Science is working on understanding the nature of science and inspiring students' curiosity and discovery through the scientific process. English Language Arts (ELA) is studying personal choice through narrative writing and analyzing memoirs and biographies. Writing will be supporting the ELA curriculum by analyzing and writing narrative paragraphs. Math is taking assessments to identify student skills and opportunities for growth. Then they will be jumping into proportional relationships, which are at the heart of 7th grade math.

We are excited about the students this year and see great potential. We have started off this year strong with exciting activities and we look forward to more exciting activities to come. One of our focuses at the beginning of the year is to focus on building positive relationships. We will continue building relationships throughout the school year. We look forward to meeting you at the open house on September 11th.

Should you have any questions, you can reach us at:

schlicht_amanda@asdk12.org - Language Arts

smith_carol01@asdk12.org - Writing

holmes_david@asdk12.org - Social Studies

cole_susan@asdk12.org - Science

DISCIPLINE COMMITTEE MEETING

Elizabeth Hermanson, Assistant Principal, Contact:907-742-4724

If you are interested in serving on the school Discipline Committee

Team or attending any of the discipline meetings, please let me know.

The committee meets at 7:30am each month in the Clark Library during

the school year. The meetings last thirty minutes and is a great way to

provide input to the Administrative Team.

Friday, September 15, 2023

Friday November 3, 2023

Friday, February 2, 2024

Friday, April 5, 2024

SAFETY COMMITTEE MEETING

Carl Snider, Assistant Principal, Contact: 907-742-7724

If you are interested in serving on the school Safety Committee

Team or attending any of the discipline meetings, please let me know.

The committee meets at 7:30am each month during the school year.

The meetings last thirty minutes and is a great way to provide input

to the Administrative Team.

Tuesday, September 19, 2023

Friday, November 3, 2023

Tuesday, February 6, 2024

Tuesday, April 9, 2024

Front Office Administrative Assistant: Ms. Chekedia Rias 742-4715,

Registrar: Ms. Lillian Lopez 742-7765,

Attendance Secretary: Ms. Shawna Alexander 742-7763,

Administrative Assistant of Finances and Procurement: Ms. Christina Russell 742-4727

We are proud of our Clark Falcon Family!

Work Hard, Dream Big, & Stay Positive Clark!

September

• Sept. 4th Labor Day
• Sept. 5-15th MAPS Testing
• Sept. 6th X-C Run Meet
• Sept. 7th Boys Basketball Game
• Sept. 8th Fall Picture Day
• Sept. 11th Extended Day After School Program Begins 3:00pm-5:00pm
• Sept. 11th Open House - 5:30pm-6:30pm, Dinner Provided for families, 6:15pm-6:30pm - Review of Title I Plan for families' suggestions, Ideas, & Thoughts, 6:30pm-7:30pm Meet and Greet Teachers
• Sept. 12th Boys Basketball Game
• Sept. 14th X-C Run Meet
• Sept. 14th Boys Basketball Game
• Sept. 15th Quarter 1 Discipline Committee Meeting
• Sept. 19th Quarter 1 Safety Committee Meeting
• Sept. 19th Boys Basketball Game
• Sept. 21st X-Country Running Meet
• Sept. 22nd Boys Basketball Game
• Sept. 26th Boys Basketball Game
• Sept. 28th X-C running Meet
• Sept. 28th Boys Basketball Game

October

• Oct. 2nd X-C Run Meet
• Oct. 3rd Boys Basketball Party
• Oct. 5th X-C Running Meet
• Oct. 6th X-C Running Party
• Oct. 7th Zap The Zeros
• Oct. 9th Indigenous Peoples Day
• Oct. 10th University Week
• Oct. 14th Zap The Zeros
• Oct.14th Debate Tournament
• Oct. 16th Volleyball Practice Begins
• Oct. 17th Picture Retake
• Oct. 20th End of 1st Quarter
• Oct. 25th Parent Teacher Conference
• Oct. 26th Parent Teacher Conference
• Oct 27th In-Service Day
• Oct. 30th -Nov. 3rd Red Ribbon Week