The Spear
December 13-17 | 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.
- Dress Code in Effect. Remember Hoodies/Sweaters/Sweatshirts worn inside the building MUST BE SOLID Grade-level COLOR (no emblems, logos, patterns, etc.)
- 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.
December 13-17 @ AUSTIN
We are not charging for the Holiday Spirit Days. Students must be in uniform if they are not participating for the day. Friday is $2 free dress.
Monday, December 13
- Kick off the Holidays: wear boots and flannel shirts (students not participating must be in uniform)
- 7th Grade Girls Basketball vs. Friendswood @ Friendswood 5:00-7:00pm
- 8th Grade Girls Basketball vs. Friendswood @ Austin 5:00-7:00pm
Tuesday, December 14
- Reindeer Games: wear favorite team shirts or jerseys with a holiday hat (students not participating must be in uniform)
- A+ 7:30-8:05 am
- 6:00 pm Holiday Choir Concert at Ball High School
- Holly Jolly Holiday tickets go on sale
Wednesday, December 15
- Cozy Christmas: wear school-appropriate PJ's or a comfy outfit (students not participating must be in uniform)
- Holiday Choir Caroling @ local banks 9:00 - 2:00 pm
Thursday, December 16
- Deck the Halls: wear red and green with a holiday hat and or socks (students not participating must be in uniform)
- A+ 7:30-8:05 am
- 7th Grade Boys Basketball vs. Friendswood @ Austin 5:00-7:00 pm
- 8th Grade Boys Basketball vs. Friendswood @ Friendswood 5:00-7:00 pm
Friday, December 17
Ugly Christmas Sweater competition with a prize for each grade level winner.
Friday is $2 free dress
- Holly Jolly Holiday hosted by the Electives Team. There will be food, fun & crafts.
Weekend
Holidays! No School! The first day back for students is January 4, 2022.
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.
Spelling Bee
On January 5th and 6th, our 5th grade students will be taking part in our annual Spelling Bee! Spelling words may be found on Ms. Gonzales' Canvas page, the AMS Student Canvas page, and HERE.
Science Fair Judges Needed
Science Fair
Science Fair at Austin is now in full swing for our 7th and 8th graders! We are excited to see our students challenge themselves and apply scientific processes outside of the classroom.
We are moving the District Science Fair Date to January 14th to give students more time to produce quality products that could go on to our District Science Fair, Houston Science Fair, or even further. Below, you will find a broad schedule of what students have and will be doing at the AMS Science Fair.
Nov 1-5
Complete Proposal and Registration: Students and parents register through the Scienteer website to begin the project. Students submit ideas for the project to a teacher for approval.
Nov 8-12
Background Research: Research into their topic area to see what has been done before and begin getting ideas for designing their experiments.
Nov 15-19
Experimental Design: Complete all forms and submit a Research Plan in Scienteer, reviewed by teachers and safety committees.
Nov 29-Dec 3
Approval and Feedback: Teachers and safety committees review projects (in Scienteer) and provide approval or feedback for revisions. Once a project has been approved, students may begin experimentation.
Dec 6-17
Experimentation: Students are performing experiments, documenting progress, and preparing fair materials. Teachers are checking in on progress.
Jan 4-7
Submitting Final Project: Students submit all their finalized materials.
Jan 14
District Science Fair: Students from across the district will come to compete in the District Fair.
*** Please note that this schedule does not reflect all the required assignments or due dates associated with the Science Fair. Please visit the science teachers Canvas class for those details.***
All Science Fair projects will need the following:
- 1/2 or 1 inch 3-Ring Binder
- Composition Notebook
- Display Board, the project can be no larger than: Depth (front to back) 30in. Width (side to side) 48in. Height (floor to top) 108in.
Austin to host the VEX Robotics Competition in January
Austin is hosting a Robotics tournament on Saturday, January 8th. We will have kids from all over the district, and hopefully teams from other districts as well.
In order to have a successful event, I'm asking for some help to pull this off.
Please consider volunteering to work a few hours Saturday, Jan 8th in one of these capacities:
- Volunteer Wrangler- I'm asking High School and NJHS students to work the event, but will need adults to manage them.
- Judges- to talk to the teams about their process of designing and building their robots, no engineering experience needed!
- Snack Bar manager
- Problem solvers as the needs arise
- scorekeepers
- Skills refs
Please email me at KarenMarks@gisd.org if you would like to volunteer.
Thanks so much,
K.C. MarksHas 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
- PLTW: Mr. Burke
- 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.
AMS PTO
PTO hosted a Thanksgiving luncheon for teachers before the break and it was a huge success! We look forward to our annual Fat Tuesday feast coming up at the beginning of the year! The teachers are also enjoying their monthly snack carts, look out for a donation sign up for treats! Thank you so much.
Thanks!
PTO President
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!
Social Awareness
Empathy
When we talk about empathy in middle schoolers, there are a few facts to consider, the first being that this age group empathizes differently than adults. A recent study deepened what we know about these differences. Research showed that adults are able to accurately empathize using both perspective-taking (“I understand why you might feel that way”) and sharing emotions (“I feel what you’re feeling”), but teens are more effective when they rely on perspective-taking forms of empathy instead of emotional forms.
Though scientists aren’t exactly sure why kids empathize differently, they have some theories. One reason may be that areas associated with self-regulation in the brain are still developing in adolescents and that such regulation is necessary to offset the personal distress they may experience when emotionally empathizing with another person.
Data suggest that a lack of empathy among youth is a serious problem. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, more than one-fourth of U.S. students say they have been bullied at school, where the most common types are verbal and social bullying. Finding ways to promote healthy emotional development during this time matters, especially since adolescence is important in shaping mental health into adulthood.
So how can we teach empathy? This animated video by Dr. Brené Brown reminds us that we can only create a genuine empathic connection if we are brave enough to get in touch with our own fragilities. Following are a few activities for building empathy in youth by the Center For Healthy Minds.
How To Be More Empathetic (video)
5 Tips For Empathy Building- In Youth (article)
https://centerhealthyminds.org/join-the-movement/5-tips-for-empathy-building-in-teens
NEXT WEEK: More tips for Building Empathy in teens!
Have a great day,
Amy Argubright
Email: AmyArgubright@gisd.org
Principal's Corner
This is our last week before winter break. Let's finish strong and exhibit our core values!
Principal
Austin Middle School
Empathy Month
How Can Parents Help Children Develop Empathy?
Tip #1: Provide children with the support they need to develop strong emotional regulation skills
Children will struggle to identify with the emotions of others if they are unable to handle their own emotions. Children with secure attachments to the adults in their lives are more likely to connect with others offer help when they see someone in distress. Gwen Dewar, Ph.D., suggests parents take on the role of “emotion coaches,” which means helping children name the emotions they are experiencing instead of dismissing them, identifying triggers to their negative moods, and collaborating with their child to create a plan for handling strong emotions when they arise.
Tip #2: Consistently Model Empathy for Your Children
If you encounter someone in emotional pain, even if it’s on TV or in a book, discuss with your child how that person must be feeling. Even taking just a minute or two to process another’s emotions over time can lead to a significant change in the ability to take the perspective of others.
Tip #3: Help Kids Identify What They Have in Common with Others
People generally find it easier to empathize with people who they feel are similar to them. Teaching kids to look for similarities, rather than differences in others, is a critical element of developing tolerance and empathy. Exposing students to different experiences and giving them opportunities to interact with a variety of people from different backgrounds is a great way to develop both tolerance and empathy. Even taking the time to learn about different cultures and people vicariously through media can make a powerful impact on a child’s ability to take another’s perspective in a variety of situations.
Email: ErikaPuccetti@gisd.org
Vivify STEM Gift Guide
You may be looking for a special gift that your child(ren) would like for the holidays and I would love to help you find something both educational and exciting that they will enjoy. Please see the pdf list below for recommendations broken down by age and price.
If you have been here long, you've seen me share resources from Vivify - this is another favorite resource for parents and teachers where I often find practical inspiration and ideas. Vivify is a free resource, but you need the password to join: vivifystem
About Vivify
Vivify is a team comprised of two Aerospace Engineer friends, Natasha and Claire, who live in Texas. We met as college classmates and roommates at Texas A&M University and later left engineering careers in the Department of Defense and Air Tractor to pursue our passion for STEM education. Learn more of our story here. Our goal is to bring engineering to life—to vivify learning—for kids of all ages. Please connect with us so we can learn how to better serve your students! - Natasha & Claire, The Vivify Team
Advanced Academic Specialist
Austin Middle School