Celebrations @ Sierra
Sierra Middle School Community Update — April 2015
Service, exploration in Ecuador for Spring Break
Twenty-three students and four chaperones traveled to Ecuador over spring break. The group visited small villages and practiced speaking Spanish with the people there, observed religious practices and farming techniques, tasted new fruits , played soccer and Ecuavoli with local children and families, walked the streets of the two largest cities in Ecuador, ate guinea pig and llama, watched howler monkeys climb in the treetops of a tropical jungle, made friends with llamas and alpacas, bartered and bought souvenirs in a local market, watched dolphins jump and swim alongside the boat on the way to a deserted island, made friends with some teenagers at a school in Guayaquil, painted a classroom for students, enjoyed a visit from some sea turtles, and gained a greater appreciation for the world around us.
It was an amazing, unforgettable experience. Students posted blog entries and photos to a website while they were gone. To read about their trip, use the button below.
First library challenge winner selected
Jenson Zaugg won the first library challenge for his work of 55-word fiction. To read Jenson's story, click here.
Respect, not the R-word
Hundreds of Sierra students took the pledge to ban the R-word from their vocabulary. The national campaign encourages kids, youth and adults to stop using the word "retarded" and to adopt respectful, accepting attitudes toward all people in their communities. Take the pledge online at www.r-word.org.
8th-graders head to state history competition
A team of three 8th-graders has advanced to the state competition for National History Day. Caitlynn Doyle, Megan Steinheimer, and Ilke Derycke hope their project on Eleanor Roosevelt will take them all the way to nationals in Washington, D.C. Their project explains the leadership and legacy of the former first lady.
Career Exploration Opportunities Abound
The counseling office has many opportunities to explore careers.
- On April 21, a speaker from Lincoln Tech will talk to students about the automotive and diesel industry.
- Career Club went on a field trip to Parker Adventist Hospital recently to learn about health care related fields. Soon, they will be learning about robotics and programming through the Sphero program and counselors are working on a field trip to investigate the world of culinary arts. Career club will meet April 15 and May 6 after school from 3-4:30 p.m. See Mrs. Maupin for more information.
- 8th graders accessed Naviance in February. Naviance is comprehensive career and college exploration software. Students will be using this technology in 7th and 8th grade to begin exploring careers and career pathways, college majors, and colleges (including college acceptance criteria). By the end of May, both 7th and 8th graders will have logged into Naviance and will have completed various interest inventories and personality assessments to find out what careers would be worth exploring. Naviance will also be used by our counseling department to communicate important events and happenings at Sierra and in the district. Parents can get onto Naviance with their students. In high school, parents will get their own accounts in order to walk with students through the college selection and application process. Please check it out! There is information about financial aid, scholarships, planning for the future and more. To access Naviance, use the link below or go to the Sierra website, click on Student Links and then click on Naviance. Ask your student to log in.
Sierra LMC offers 3-D printing
Sierra's 3-D printer has arrived. The library purchased the MakerBot Replicator with money raised through the annual book fair and other book sales. It was unveiled after spring break. The 3-D printer is available for students to print for their own personal designs or for students and teachers to use as part of classes. Already, art students have visited the LMC to learn about the printer and start creating. Students can download or create their own designs and bring the file to the library to print. This link provides instructions on creating, saving, printing, and pricing. The addition of the 3-D printer is part of the librarians' ongoing effort to transform the library into 21st century learning space that supports critical thinking and creativity.
Digital Design Photo Contest Winner
Congratulations to Aspen Jeffers, who won the most recent Digital Design Photo Contest.