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PIKESVILLE MIDDLE SCHOOL NOVEMBER 2019
FROM THE PRINCIPALS DESK
Part of our mission statement at Pikesville Middle School is to establish strong values and citizenship within and beyond the school community. Every student’s experience should be as the result of being educated in a safe and strong community. At Pikesville Middle School, we believe that all students should be active participants in making the community a better place to live, learn, grow, and raise a family. As scholarship is engaging in the work of a scholar, community-ship is engaging in the work of the community. As an important part of our community, students must learn to display positive attitudes, respect the rules/expectations, and participate in the work of developing a strong and safe community. A lesson learned throughout history has shown that a nation or community which has a strong set of moral values and solid citizen participation will flourish at a high level. As such, students should apply this lesson of history to life at Pikesville Middle today.
Being part of a school community, includes the community being an active member of the school. Since American Education Week is November 18-22, we invite the community to join us and be an active part of our school. Please see the section on American Education Week for process to that will be used this year to visit during American Education Week. The schedule for American Education Week:
Tuesday, November 19th – 8:00-11:00 a.m. - 6th Grade only
Wednesday, November 20th – 8:00-11:00 a.m. - 7th Grade only
Thursday, November 21st– 8:00-11:00 a.m - 8th Grade only
The connection between home and school is critical. When staff and parents work together, student educational experiences are enhanced. Student academic success and personal responsibility at Pikesville Middle School are dependent on a cooperative triangle comprised of student-teacher-parent/guardian. Through a close and shared partnership with all stakeholders associated with Pikesville Middle School, I am confident our school will continue to be a successful place for our students to learn and grow. We Are Pikesville!
Pikesville Middle School American Education Week 2019
In order to ensure a safe and orderly environment for our students, parents/visitors have been assigned specific times.
Parents are required to complete and submit the attached form to their student’s homeroom teacher by November 13th. Walk-in visitors will not be permitted to visit during American Education Week.
Visitor labels will be preprinted. Please note if your license has not been scanned at PMS we will be unable to print a visitor badge for you on the day of the event. Please make arrangements to stop in to have your license scanned prior to November 15th between 7:30 am-3:30 pm to ensure you may visit at your assigned time. All visitors (including parents) must be listed on the form below so that visitor badges can be prepared. Please note visitors must be listed as an authorized person in the Student Information System to visit or the parent/guardian can write the visitor’s name on this form. This form can also be found on our website.
Visitation will be on the following:
Tuesday, November 19th – 8:00-11:00 a.m. - 6th Grade only
Wednesday, November 20th – 8:00-11:00 a.m. - 7th Grade only
Thursday, November 21st– 8:00-11:00 a.m. - 8th Grade only
Please note the following:
· Bring government-issued identification such as a driver’s license.
· Arrange for the care of small children so that they will not interrupt the educational program.
· Park only in designated parking areas. Cars parked illegally are subject to being towed.
· Push the buzzer to be admitted. Do not hold the door open for others.
· Sign in at the main office or designated location and go through the visitor identification process.
· Wear your visitor badge at all times. It must be visible.
· Go directly to your child’s classroom/location and remain there until exiting the building.
· Do not bring food or snacks into the building to share with children.
· Put your cell phone away and make sure it is silenced. Videotaping or photographing is not allowed.
· While in the school, do not attempt to verbally or physically discipline other children.
· Address any immediate concerns you have with an administrator. Do not disrupt class to voice your concerns.
· Upon completion of your visit with your child, sign out in the lobby.
Thank you for your cooperation as we maintain a safe and orderly environment. If you have an extenuating circumstances, that will make it difficult to follow these procedures, please communicate with your child’s grade admininstrator for support.
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Pikesville Middle School
Required Registration Form
This form is due on or before November 13th
Name of Student: ________________________________________
Homeroom Teacher: _______________________________________
Please check the grade level of the student you are visiting.
_______6th grade -November 19th -8:00-11:00 am
_______7th grade- November 20th 8:00-11:00 am
_______8th grade- November 21st 8:00-11:00 am
Please list anyone who will attend on the above date.
Visitor #1 Full Name ___________________________________
Visitor #2 Full Name ___________________________________
Visitor #3 Full Name ___________________________________
Signature of Parent/Guardian completing this form: _______________________________
Printed name of Parent/Guardian completing this form; _______________________________
IMPORTANT DATES:
November 4/5 - Fall Pictures - Students will take during their science class.
November 8 - First Marking Period Ends: School closes at 11:30 a.m. for students
November 20 - PTA Meeting, 6:00 p.m. in the Library
November 21 - First Quarter Report Cards Distributed
November 18/22 - American Education Week
Tuesday, November 19th - 6th grade visitation
Wednesday, November 20th - 7th grade visitation
Thursday, November 21st - 8th grade visitation
November 28/29 - Thanksgiving Holiday - Schools and Offices Closed
6TH GRADE NEWS FLASH BY MRS. HAMMEL
It’s been a very exciting month for our 6th graders. We inducted the class of 2026 into our Pikesville family with a ceremony in the cafeteria. Pikesville High School senior Omer Reshid, who is also the Baltimore County Student Board Member, spoke with students about the keys to being successful throughout middle school and into high school. 6th graders without any behavioral incidents and who have been present in school at least 95% of the year were invited to our first incentive, and enjoyed some music, ice cream, and socialization. We were so pleased with the number of 6th graders who were eligible to participate! 6th graders are becoming more and more comfortable with the school and are adjusting well to our expectations. The first quarter will conclude on November 8th, which is a half day for students. We are excited to welcome families for American Education Week on Tuesday, November 19th. First quarter report cards will be distributed on November 21st.
7th GRADE SCOOP BY MR. SULLIVAN
Happy November, from our 7th grade team. We are looking forward to an exciting month, filled with great opportunities and experiences. The first quarter concludes on November 8th, 2019. Please encourage your children to review their grades, complete missing work, and finish the quarter strong. As always, the end of the quarter will be followed by a Quarterly Rewards Assembly for our students. This is a great opportunity for our students to be recognized for their hard work in front of their peers. Additionally, on November 20th, 2019 we will be going to Medieval Times for a 7th grade field trip. Students will get to experience feudalism during the Middle Ages. Please note, this experience requires our students to meet certain criteria. This include: no failing grades, no major incidents, 2 or less minor incidents, and 94% attendance. The total cost for the trip is $43 and we can only except exact cash or money order. We are all looking forward to sharing this great experience with this year’s 7th grade class. Moving forward, we ask everyone to promote positive behavior and peer interactions. Students are expected to respect school policies, teachers’ rules, and each other. This creates a positive environment in which all students at Pikesville Middle School can be successful. Not to mention, without this shared respect, students will miss out on the great activities and trips we continue to plan for this year. We continue to encourage open communication with your child’s teacher; we are all here to support them throughout the school year. In order to support students, we encourage all students report all issue to teachers, administrators, and/or counselors. Also Ms. Daeschner, the 7th grade counselor, will be meeting with all 7th grade students individually about their Six-year plan. We would encourage students to be thinking about what they like to do, their talents, and their interests. These conversations will help students create a plan for high school and beyond. Remember, Teamwork Makes the Dream Work, and lets continue to build on our success throughout the 2019-2020 school year.
8TH GRADE UPDATES FROM MS. LUECHTEFELD
Hello 8th grade families,
First quarter is over, and we are moving quickly into the second! Report cards will be coming home soon. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out directly to the teachers or to Ms. Norris or Mr. Laraia who can help!
Now that it’s cold, please double check the dress code and school policies. Students may not wear hats/masks, hoods, or large winter jackets during the school day. Hoodies are allowed, but the hoods may NOT be up. If your student does not know their locker combination, they need to see their home room teacher or the guidance office.
Please also review the cell phone policy with your student. It is the Pikesville Middle School cell phone policy that cell phones MAY NOT BE SEEN during instruction. They need to be safely locked in lockers or put into their bags. The only time cell phones are allowed to be used during the school day is during lunch.
We have two field trips coming up. The JA Inspire Career Fair Trip is BCPS sponsored for every student to attend… please return the forms ASAP! The trip is to the Timonium Fairgrounds on November 14 and will be during the school day. Lunch will not be provided so students either need to pack a lunch to eat when we return or they can purchase pizza or chicken patty. The second field trip will be announced soon, so please keep an eye out for paperwork coming home soon! Also, if you are interested in volunteering or chaperoning any 8th grade trips or activities, be sure to check with Mrs. Cheryl Lightner, Office Secretary, to see if you are able to volunteer with us.
Lastly, we are celebrating our students during our First Quarter Incentive on November 15. We are excited to celebrate the great things our students are doing at Pikesville Middle. Here’s to a wonderful second quarter! As always, if you have a questions or concerns, please contact Mr. Laraia, Ms. Norris or Ms. Luechtefeld.
VIRTUES
Our virtue for November is Gratitude. Gratitude is the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to and to return kindness. Our Gratitude mantra for the month:
• I’m grateful for the air, water, and food.
• I’m grateful for my family and friends.
• I’m grateful for the opportunity to be in school.
• Because that’s where LEARNING never ends.
AVID
AVID, which stands for Advancement Via Individual Determination, is a comprehensive instructional system which provides strategies, resources, and college readiness support for all students.
All teachers have been trained and are using AVID’s focused note-taking process in their classes this year. AVID’s focused note-taking process embodies research-based best practices for note-taking and using notes for learning. The five stages in the process apply to a number of formats for notes. The process includes:
1. Taking Notes: teachers or students will select a note-taking format and students will take notes based on an information source.
2. Processing Notes: students will revise notes—by underlining, highlighting, circling, chunking, questioning, adding, deleting—to identify, select, sort, organize, and classify main ideas and details.
3. Connecting Thinking: students will analyze the notes using inquiry to make connections and deepen content knowledge by asking questions and adding their own thinking.
4. Summarizing and Reflecting on Learning: students will pull together the most important aspects of their notes and their thinking about them to create a summary.
5. Applying Learning: Students will demonstrate what they have learned and apply it to a new situation such an assessment, experiment, project, or essay.
IT'S ACADEMIC
SCIENCE
Happy Fall Pikesville Family! In 6th grade science students are continuing to learn about ecosystems as they prepare to research a native species of Maryland. Students will research habitats, food resources, range and predators in order to determine the status of the species population. Our 7th grades have made their solar cookers and had the opportunity to taste a sweet S’more treat! Students are currently moving into Unit 2, where they will study the relationship between cells, and organs as they relate to the organization of organisms. Finally, our 8th graders have begun testing their homes to determine how well they can withstand natural disasters, including heavy rain, floods and high winds. Students were excited to watch as their teachers subjected their homes to pitchers of water and strong air from a leaf blower. In Engineering, students have been creating blueprints and building skimmers. They have tested and observed skimmers with various designs to determine which travelled the greatest distances. This process allowed students to modify their models and ultimately create a well-designed skimmer to race with their peers.
English Language Arts
Classroom spelling bees will soon be taking place. The top two winners from every class move on to the school-wide written spelling bee to be held before winter break. In language arts classes, sixth graders will begin their study of Greek mythology, seventh graders are beginning to read the play A Raisin in the Sun, and eighth graders are studying the art of suspenseful storytelling. Students in reading intervention classes are developing decoding, vocabulary, comprehension, and analysis skills. Theater students have just finished interpreting poetry using tone, facial expression, body language, and stage movement. AVID and CCR students are learning different techniques to support their executive function and lead to greater success in all classes. We are looking forward to Literacy Week in December! Stay tuned for more details about this week of exciting events featuring literacy across all subjects!
Social Studies
Happy November and Congratulations on finishing First Quarter from Social Studies!
As the 1st Quarter closes, reflect on all that you have accomplished and your goals for 2nd Quarter. Do you need to reorganize your binders or get more materials? Do you need to take and study better notes? Remember that practice assignments help you on your minor assignments and they both are the weapons you use to defeat your major test! Here is what is coming up next Unit:
Ancient World 6 – Mesopotamia and Egypt. Where did they settle? What caused them to grow? What were their achievements?
Medieval World 7 – Medieval Europe. How did kingdoms grow socially, politically, and economically during the Dark Ages of barbarians and chaos?
American History 8 – Early Nation. How did America form their own government after the Revolutionary War? Articles of Confederation, Constitution, and Bill of Rights.
World Languages
Bonjour et Buenos Dias! We are already getting ready to start the second quarter. By now, your student should be able to talk about their family and personality in their chosen World Language. All classes begin by talking about themselves. Beginner A classes have learned about their family order and have finished their mid-unit assessments, Beginner B classes have discussed their personality types and activities, fears and dreams and have compared their childhood activities to their adolescent activities, and Intermediate classes have discussed and written about their personality types, learner types, and future careers and have finished at least one novel in the target language. You may see an interactive notebook in some classes, and digital notes in others. We do not have a textbook for World Language classes, so note keeping is very important. You should be seeing homework in World Language classes, and if no written work is assigned, there should always be studying. All students are still using authentic websites, videos and readings to practice using the language, therefore is very important to make sure your child has his or her device charged and in class. Some level A and B classes have already begun reading novels in class. Novels will stay in school.
After first quarter grades are released, eligible students will be notified of their nomination into the Jeunes Amis de Francais, or French Junior National Honor Society. The child must be in level B or Intermediate and have received A’s for two consecutive quarters in French, beginning 4th quarter of last year. More information will come home next month!
For additional practice and enrichment at home, your student can use https://quizlet.com/ to review vocabulary, we also like https://www.duolingo.com/ to track progress and https://conjuguemos.com/ for extra practice.
“To learn a language is to have one more window from which to look at the world.” – Chinese Proverb
Math
The first quarter ends November 8th, please make sure you are looking in Schoology with your child and checking their current grades. All contents are finishing up an unit at this time and will be giving a County Assessment before the quarter ends. Math 6’s next unit is Number Operations, GT 6 is Using Variables, Pre-Algebra 7 is Ratios and Proportional Relationships, Math 8 is Proportional and Non-Proportional Relationships, Algebra 1 is Exploring Linear Relationships, Geometry is Geometric Reasoning.
Related Arts
Music News
The music department is off to a great start this year. Please mark your calendars for our upcoming Winter Concert Series. All are welcome!
Winter Concert Series
Wednesday December 4
6 Chorus 6:00 p.m. - B. Permenter
7 Chorus 6:30 p.m. - B. Permenter
8 Chorus/Pikesville Singers 7:00 p.m. - B. Permenter
Thursday December 5
Dance at Pikesville High School 6:00 p.m. - S. Crockett
Dance at Pikesville High School 7:00 p.m. - S. Crockett
Honors Dance at Pikesville High School 8:00 p.m. - S. Crockett
Wednesday December 11
6 Band 6:00 p.m. - A. Auffarth/Leggiero
7/8 Band 7:00 p.m. - A. Auffarth
Honor Band 8:00 p.m. - A. Auffarth
Thursday December 12
6 Orchestra 6:00 p.m. - S. Norris
Symphony Orchestra 7:00 p.m. -S. Norris
Philharmonic Orchestra 8:00 p.m. - S. Norris
BCPS Honors Auditions for Band, Orchestra, or Chorus
The Baltimore County Music Department will be holding auditions for county wide honors ensembles on Saturday, December 7th. Applications are due to your child’s music teacher no later than October 31st. Auditions are open to any 7th or 8th grader currently enrolled in band, orchestra, or chorus.
Jazz Band
Mr. Auffarth is looking for students interested in playing in the Pikesville Middle School Jazz Band. This ensemble rehearses on Thursdays from3:00 – 4:30 p.m. See Mr. Auffarth if you are interested.
PHYSICAL EDUCATION NEWS
Online Order Information
https://pikesvillemiddleschoolpe2019.itemorder.com
· All items will be delivered to the school 2 weeks after the close of the online store.
· This online store has NO affiliation with Pikesville Middle School, if you have any questions or concerns you need to contact TimeOut for Sports NOT PMS.
· When items are delivered to PMS they will be given to your students by their PE teacher during their PE class.
· PMS PE Cold Weather Gear is not mandatory for students to purchase but highly recommended.
· PMS PE Cold weather gear is only sold on this website. It is NOT sold at PMS.
COUNSELING CORNER
Cookies, Coffee & Chat with the Counselors & Social Worker during American Education Week!
Parents and Guardians,
Please stop in at the School Counseling office to chat with your child’s school counselor and meet our school social worker, Mrs. Wilson.
Mr. Hess, 6th
Ms. Daeschner, 7th
Mrs. Banks, 8th
Middle school years are often challenging for both student and parents
We will be happy to discuss the following topics:
Time Management: Balancing social media time, video gaming time & homework
Anxiousness
Social and peer relationships
Maintaining good attendance& arriving to school on time for learning
Getting proper rest
Navigating Schoology, etc.
College& Career Readiness, 6th
Naviance & 6 Year planning 7th/8th
Quick reminder:
Magnet School application deadline date is Friday, Nov. 15, 2019.
The school counselors and social worker are looking forward to seeing you.
Health Suite
The Nurse’s Note:
Parents this is your monthly reminder to get you & your family the flu vaccine. If you have ever gotten sick from the flu, you know how horrible it can be. But you can reduce your chances by simply getting the flu vaccine. Unfortunately there is lot of misinformation floating around about the vaccine, which dissuades a number of people from getting the shot.
Myth #1: The flu is the same as a cold: False, the flu has all the bad symptoms of a cold including cough, sore throat, fever & chills & feeling like you’ve been hit by a truck.
Myth #2: Healthy people do not need a flu vaccine: False again. Anyone can get the flu. That’s why the CDC (center for disease control) suggests an annual flu shot for everyone 6 months & older.
Myth #3 & my favorite: “I got the flu from the flu shot”: absolutely false. The flu vaccine is made from an inactivated virus that cannot transmit infection. It takes a week or two to get protection from the flu vaccine. But some people assume that because they got sick after getting the vaccine, that the shot caused their illness. In reality they were probably already on their way to getting sick.
PLEASE GET VACCINATED! Any questions/concerns call me at my new number 443-809-5000. Ms. Cleland RN