The Spear
February 14-18 | Austin Middle School
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- Doors open at 7:00 am. Breakfast is available until 7:25 am. Tardy Bell at 7:30 am.
- The school day ends at 3:10 pm.
- Early Dismissal Days end at 11:15 am.
- Bring your supplies, GISD Chromebook, Earbuds/Headphones, and a clear or mesh backpack.
- Snack Bar Open- https://www2.mypaymentsplus.com/welcome
- If your child would like to wear a mask during the school day, please provide one.
February 14-18 @ AUSTIN
Monday, February 14
- After School Tutoring available today for all grades/subjects until 5:00 pm. Contact Ms. Guajardo with questions. (No transportation will be provided)
- Happy Valentine's Day!
- PTO Valentines Dress Day $2.00
Tuesday, February 15
- A+ 7:30-8:05 am
- Engineers Teaching Pre-Algebra
Wednesday, February 16
- PTO meeting 4 pm in the library
Thursday, February 17
- A+ 7:30-8:05 am
- Engineers Teaching Algebra 1
- 6:00 pm UIL Theater presents, PERSEPHONE
Friday, February 18
Spirit Dress Day
6:00 pm UIL Theater presents, PERSEPHONE
No Tor Prep afterschool
Weekend
MONDAY: No School/Parent-Teacher Conference Day
Upcoming in February:
February 21: No School/Parent-Teacher Conference Day
February 21: Health & Wellness Fair (see flyers below)
February 23: 5:30-6:30 pm Engineers Night @ Austin
IMPORTANT REMINDERS:
- Bring a Water Bottle!
- Austin will no longer accept lunch deliveries from restaurants, fast food, or delivery services. If lunch is forgotten, a parent/guardian may drop off lunch at the front office.
- If your child would like to wear a mask during school, please provide one.
Students must have their ID badges around their necks before entering the building. If students forget their ID, they can get a temporary one at the front office. The charge is $1 per day. Students that do not have the money will be charged. Students that need a new badge can purchase one for $5.
**All Device forms must be completed through Skyward before a device can be checked out to a student.
DRESS CODE
Students MUST be in dress code each day.
- Dress Code
- Remember Hoodies/Sweaters/Sweatshirts worn inside the building MUST BE Grade-level COLOR
Student Help with Missing assignments
Calligraphy Supplies Needed
Do you have brush pens and/or white cardstock available to donate for our Calligraphy A+?? Please deliver these supplies to the front office to the attention of Shanael Williams. We sure would appreciate it!! Thank you!
COVID
Please remember to report all COVID cases and exposures to the GISD website. Here are a few reminders
- We encourage you NOT to send your child to school if they have a pending COVID test results
- If your child is experiencing two or more COVID symptoms, we encourage you to have them tested
- Students in quarantine have all assignments on Canvas
- If a student is exposed/ close contact and is UNVACCINATED, they must quarantine for 10 days, or they may return to school on the 7th day with a negative test dated after the 5th day
- All positive cases are quarantined for 10 days
If you have any questions, feel free to contact the front office or the central administration building.
Has Your Child Been Absent?
The note should contain the following items:
- Student’s printed first and last name and GISD identification number
- Date of absence
- Reason for absence
Absentee notes must be received by the attendance clerk no later than three (3) days after the student’s return to school.
Austin Middle School's Academic Week At A Glance
ATTN: Parents/Guardians
RE: Canvas Observer Account Recommended
To view the Week At Glance Links below, you may need to set up your Parent Observer Account for Canvas. Many of you did this last year and will not need to set up a new account. If you need an account, please Click Here and go to the link under CANVAS OBSERVER GUIDE - TABLE OF CONTENTS for instructions.
- Math: Mrs. Mancil
- Science: Ms. Trevino
- Social Studies: Mr. Grasso
- Writing: Ms. Gonzales
- Reading: Ms. Salinas
- Tech Apps: Ms. Lee
- ELAR/MATH Co-Teach: Ms. Murphy
- Bilingual: Ms. Jones
6th Grade
- Math: Ms. Reyes
- Science: Ms. Diaz De Leon
- Social Studies: Ms. Terrell
- Reading: Ms. Root
- Writing: Mr. Murray
- Robotics: Ms. Marks
7th Grade
- Pre-Algebra: Mr. Ungurean
- Science: Ms. Costigan
- Social Studies: Ms. Ross
- Reading: Ms. Williams
- Writing: Dr. Cappiello
- VEX Competition Robotics: Ms. Marks
8th Grade
- Algebra I: Ms. Cartmell
- Science: Ms. Carranza
- Social Studies: Mr. Williams
- ELAR: Mrs. Taras
- PLTW: Mr. Puccetti
Intervention
Electives
Athletics
Planning to Volunteer this year??
Please turn in completed forms to Mrs. Zavala in the front office of AMS. Thank you.
PTO
There will be a PTO meeting on Wednesday, February 16th at 4 pm in the library.
We have a lot of upcoming events to plan and discuss! There will be a Valentines' treat cart going around for teachers and staff on Valentines' Day this week. Next up, we will be hosting a Fat Tuesday luncheon on Tuesday, March 1st. This is one of our favorite events! Be on the lookout for a dessert sign-up for this.
Our next Free Dress Day will be Monday, February 14th.
Samantha Gonzales
Teen Health Offers Vaccines
Medical
Moderna and Pfizer vaccines are available at all Teen Health Center Medical clinics. In order to receive their vaccinations, minors ages 5- 17 must have a Teen Health Consent Form (GISD families completed during school registration) and a Covid-19 Vaccine Consent Form signed by a parent or guardian. The Covid-19 consent may also be completed in Skyward Family Access or at www.teenhealthcenter.org. Call (409) 761-3530 to schedule an appointment at the Teen Health medical clinic of your choice.
Mental Health
Teen Health Center Offers Mental Health Therapy!
Galveston youth ages 0-21 are welcome. Mental Health therapy is provided via a secure telehealth platform and in person. If you feel your mental health is not where it should be, you can contact one of our Teen Health Center Mental Health Clinics!
To make a mental health therapy appointment, call: (409) 761-3530, ext. 7
SEL at AMS!
Relationship Skills
Peer To Peer Communication
How we communicate with one another has changed dramatically in the modern age. Research shows that texting is the primary method of communication between teenagers, 12-17 years, proving to be more popular than face-to-face interactions. However, social connection is vital to our well-being. Our brains are wired to connect with others. Given that being social is so intrinsic to who we are, it is important that we develop the tools to communicate and connect with others in a positive way both face-to-face and via digital technology.
Communicating via digital media may mean that adolescents are missing out on learning effective communication skills that involve nonverbal communication such as interpreting facial expressions, using eye contact and appropriate tone of voice and volume, along with body posture and personal space. Positive social interaction relies on the ability to understand nonverbal social cues and adapt our behavior in response to others’ verbal and nonverbal reactions. The ability to effectively process emotional cues is linked to many positive outcomes and is critical in making and maintaining friendships, finding and holding down jobs, and doing well academically.
Research suggests that increased opportunities for social interaction, along with less screen time, can enhance the understanding of nonverbal emotional cues. In this video, Reflective Communication Skills, the students participate in a fun nonverbal activity that challenges them to communicate without words and become better communicators. Through various reflective activities, they explore nonverbal communication, verbal communication, digital communication and the importance of being active listeners as well as speakers. The prefrontal cortex of the adolescent brain continues to develop into their early twenties and therefore these activities can influence this development by helping teens engage in better decision-making.
https://heartmindonline.org/resources/teens-connecting-with-others-reflective-communication
Amy Argubright
Email: AmyArgubright@gisd.org
Principal's Corner
It is extremely important that all students complete their class selection choice sheet for next year. If they have, they can log into their Canvas AMS student account to do so.
Principal
Austin Middle School
This week is Random Acts of Kindness Week!
Here are some ideas for random acts of kindness
Smile at someone just because.
Buy the person behind you a snack.
Donate toys to charity.
Make homemade dog treats and deliver them to a shelter.
Bake cookies for your neighbor.
Donate to a food bank.
Send a card in the mail just because.
Volunteer.
Donate old blankets and towels to an animal shelter.
Paint rocks and hide them for others to find.
Send a care package to deployed soldiers.
Pay for someone’s meal at a restaurant.
Let someone go in front of you in line.
Mow the lawn or rake the leaves for your neighbor.
Send someone flowers.
Help someone before they ask.
Leave a treat in the mailbox for your mail carrier.
Donate to your favorite charity.
Compliment a stranger.
Bake treats and deliver them to your local police station.
Pick up litter at the park or beach.
Call a relative just to say hello.
Email: ErikaPuccetti@gisd.org
A huge thanks to the team at NAL-JSC for awarding us a grant to cover the cost of our upcoming Discovery Dome experience!
February is Engineers Month!
We have an exciting lineup of activities planned for Engineers Month! Here is a list of the advanced academic opportunities our students will be participating in this month:
Feb 1-4:
Career Aptitude Quiz for Grades 6th-8th
- Feb 15 & 17:
7th & 8th Math: Engineers Teaching Pre-Algebra/Algebra 1
Feb 22:
NAL Stem Grant = DISCOVERY DOME experience for 5th-8th
- Feb 23:
- 7th-8th: 9:00-10:00 am: Engineers from Galveston College Round Table Talks (joined by 40 Ball High Engineering Students)
5th-6th: 10:00 am: NASA Women of STEM presentation (45 min. presentation live via zoom)
5:30-6:30 pm: Engineers Fair (Parents & Families encouraged to attend)
Feb 24:
7th-8th: 12:00-1:30 pm 10-20 girls (chosen based on Career Aptitude quiz showing interest in an Engineering career) go to Ball for Texas A&M’s Women of Stem Activities
Advanced Academic Specialist
Austin Middle School