The Eagle Gazette
A Publication for KMS Parents & Students
From the Principal's Desk
Hello Killough family!
Can you believe it is already March?! Well, as the Spring weather returns to Houston, that means testing season is upon us. Many of our students are completing TELPAS, an assessment program for students in Texas public schools who are learning the English language. STAAR is right around the corner so we need all students and teachers present daily… on time to class… and prepared for learning.
Students of our Fine Arts department are also gearing up for competition season. Many of our band performers were recognized for their achievements, as have Orchestra, Choir, Theater and Art students. We have so many talented students at KMS and I love it when our young Eagles soar at the highest levels.
Academically, we proudly boast medalists in the area Science Fair and nationally recognized writers. Check out our webpage and Twitter for more information about our amazing students.
I want to end by saying that our students’ success is possible because of the collaborative effort within our KMS family: Students + Parents + KMSl= SUCCESS!
On our best days, and even on our most challenging days, please know this: Our students matter to us. Student learning matters to us. Student and staff safety matters to us. Being treated respectfully and equitably matters to us. It All Matters At Killough Middle School! #IAMKMS
Young Teacher of the Year
Paraprofessional of the Year
Counselor's Corner
- Students completed their Panorama Survey (SEL) this last 9 weeks.
- 40 students participated on a field trip to Alief Early College High School.
- 7th grade students completed their Course Selections for 8th grade.
Important dates:
Content News
MATH:
Students have taken the state’s Interim Assessment and both 7th and 8th grade have scored higher than the state! Very proud of our hard working students! Math has started their interventions and students are being invited to attend tutoring sessions to review concepts from last semester. Students are tracking their progress after every CBA and meeting their goals! Our teachers are currently working hard to plan for our BLITZ, which is the time where students are reviewing for the STAAR exam. We know that ALL of our students will show growth!
Social Studies:
8th US History
Did you know in the 1800s that the destiny of the US is to expand to the Pacific Ocean? Students are learning about Manifest Destiny and how it contributed to Westward Exspansion. Students will be taking a district assessment on the roots of Manifest Destiny and the Presidency of Andrew Jackson Thursday, Februray 23. US History students participate in engaging lessons geared towards giving students a better understanding of the world around them. The social studies teachers Ms. King, Mr. Jones, Ms. Alvarez, Ms.Evans and Mr. Osborne are always hard at work to make history come alive for our students.
7th TX History
Did you know after the Civil War,, Texans from all walks of life had to focus on economic recovery ? Did you know that Texas was a key location for railroads and the ranching industry after the Civil War? For the next four weeks, 7th Texas History students will be learning about economic growth and expansion. They will be focusing on the effects of the Civil War and Reconstruction. Mr. Gibson, Ms. Joseph and Ms.Jones are implementing interactive lessons that bridge a connection from the content and everyday life.
Reading & Language Arts:
Hello KMS families,
"At its simplest, literacy is the way that we interact with the world around us, how we shape it and are shaped by it. It is how we communicate with others via reading and writing, but also by speaking, listening, and creating. It is how we articulate our experience in the world and declare, ‘We Are Here!’” (NCTE Standing Committee on Global Citizenship, March 2020). This quote exemplifies the amazing work that the students and their teachers have been doing in their Reading and Language Arts classes. Several RLA students participated in the 2023 Scholastic Writing Contest. The Scholastic Writing Contest celebrates creative teens locally and nationally with awards, exhibitions, publications, and scholarships. Killough Middle School was awarded 30 Honorable Mentions, 10 Silver Keys, and 1 Gold Key. Congratulations to those students and their teachers for an outstanding job!
Finally, the 2023 STAAR tests are getting closer. There are several resources available to parents, including results from past years, sample questions, and tips on how to help your child prepare. You and your family can access these resources on the TEA website. State and federal law require all students be tested in specific grades and subjects once a year to measure student progress in learning state content standards or other career- or college-ready goals, so please aid us in stressing its importance to your student. If there is anything that you and your family may need to help assist your student with any RLA resources, please contact the school. Have a great semester!
8th grade Science
Did you know the Sun is a medium-sized star? The Killough scientists have made this discovery!Our 8th grade students are currently learning about the rotation and revolution of Earth, seasons and moon phases. The students have been working with all of the 8th grade science teachers in the auditorium to maximize learning with extreme fun! The 8th graders are also reviewing for the state STAAR test! All of our 8th graders will exceed expectations!
7th grade Science
Did you know that blending cabbage with cauliflower makes broccoli? The 7th graders are currently learning about dichotomous key and natural selection vs. selective breeding to answer that question!
Students have been learning how to classify information and how plants and animals change over time through natural selection.
STEM:
Killough STEM will close out the year with a BANG! The Student STEM Committee will implement a College and a Career Day event collaborating with KMS AVID for all KMS students to attend. 7th Grade will present their Traffic & Tardy PBL to Houston TranStar and KMS Administrators. After STAAR testing, both 7th and 8th grade will complete their final PBL of the school year. It has been an amazing school year filled with student innovation, visitors, field trips and events.
KMS Health Science Pathway students will end the year with a few special events. 7th Graders will meet an EMS Team and perform emergence care practice, become certified in Stop The Bleed emergency care techniques and learn CPR by HCA’s RN Taylor Barrett.
8th Graders will view an HCA Cath Lab (surgery room) and Specialty Equipment, practice hand & arm scrubbing techniques with surgeons, work with a Respiratory Therapist and meet with a Memorial Hermann physician discussing the “Know your Medications Project” for Seva Clinic.
Lastly, all Health Science Pathway students will visit the University Of Houston School Of Medicine.
ESL:
Newcomers participated in reader’s theater to practice fluency by roleplaying. They practiced using feeling words while in the doctor's office. Students practiced describing their classmates by drawing pictures and using parts of the body vocabulary to label them. The students really enjoyed those activities with their classmates!
Intermediate ESL students are currently learning about Human Rights and different societies fighting for freedom. Students in Mr. Serpas’ class created a poster highlighting different abolitionists. They included a timeline, interesting facts, and reasons why this abolitionist positively influenced their life.
Special Education:
Our Life Skills students just completed Valentine’s day craft sale. Now we are looking forward to our next event, our Easter Craft sale on campus during all lunches!
Elective Happenings
AVID:
This month, the AVID students had a chance to visit Rice University. During our visit, students were given the opportunity to visit class sessions, tour the campus, meet a few professors and enjoy the Rice vs UTSA basketball game. As we continue to explore and learn more about college expectations and skills needed to achieve their future goals. This last nine weeks coming up, students will explore the various careers and programs throughout the last semester. We will also have an opportunity to visit Lamar University March 4th, in preparation for our mini student led career showcase in May.
WE ARE A.V.I.D.!
Fine Arts
The JR VASE Art Contest will be held on Saturday, April 22nd at Memorial Park Junior High for students who are competing.
Our student Hoang “Tina” La recently won a Scholastic Silver Key award and has also had her artwork chosen to be displayed at the Bullock Texas State History Museum in Austin.
Band
Students will be competing with two bands at the Alief Pre-UIL competition on March 8th. UIL will be held on March 29th–30th.
Band selfie!
Theater students making costumes.
Working with clay in art class!
Orchestra
Pre-UIL was held on February 27th and will be taking two orchestras to compete. UIL will be held on March 9th, also competing with two orchestras.
Theater Arts
Students went to theater day held at Taylor High School on February 15th to see the showcase of the high school theaters.
Students performed a Motown Showcase for Black History Month on March 3rd.
Choir
Students finished competing in Pre-UIL and UIL.
CTE & Health Science
Three 8th grade GTT students participated in the district’s creAteInnovation 23 Showcase. You can catch the videos here: Out of This World Circuits; Spooky Circuits; and Butterfly Circuits. All GTT 8th graders researched brains and functions, wearing their brain hats and want you to watch Brain Song. They will dissect brains to identify what they learned, as well as describing the functions. They also put on their directors hats to create slow motion videos of their nerves in action. They’ll be planting next (think recycle and green) and have revisions in mind for the garden.
8th grade Health Science received their scrubs, learned how to take vitals, then practiced CPR on George with HCA Ambulance crew, and have been doing rotations with our Nurse Broyard. They created hearts, inside and out, to explain the cardiac function (check us out on Twitter), wore their brain hats and agreed on you watching the video, and started brain dissections.
Investigating Careers in STEM have learned to research, program with LJ Create, and built some interesting contraptions to show off their engineering design and prototyping skills.
P.E./Sports:
Basketball season has wrapped up and now we are on to track season. Tennis/Soccer/Softball and Baseball will be fast approaching as well so if you are interested please make sure to have your physical completed and listen for announcements for start dates.
Technology:
Students and teachers continue to accelerate the use of technology in the learning process. Both students and teachers are always thinking about and sharing unique ways it is possible to embed technology into learning. As we move into the TELPAS and STAAR testing season, we are all pleased with how well the 100 percent online testing system functions and with how well the district’s networking system works with no downtime.
For resources regarding internet and technology safety and balance, please visit the Alief ISD Internet Safety and Digital Citizenship website.
Communities in School
- Killough's Communities in School representative is Ms. Jordan.
- Click here for more info.
Library Updates
Virtual Author Visit
Students received the authors' book!
The result of our DIY Valentine station in the library!
January and February have been fun and busy in the library! There are a variety of book displays for students to peruse, a Valentine DIY station, and the board games have recently become quite popular at lunch time.
Morning Library is going strong. We’ve had to remind students about behavior expectations with our growing crowds in the morning as well as lunch, but we continue to welcome new friends to visit and check out books.
Speaking of checking out books, CIS and the KMS library have collaborated to create a Killough Reader Rewards program. There is a Google Form for students to fill out in the library as they complete each book. The program goes until the library closes for inventory in mid-May.
In early February we had a virtual author visit for the book Retro that was very successful. The authors were interesting and engaging and at the end 15 books were raffled to students in attendance.
With the upcoming STAAR exams being online, students are encouraged to practice their typing skills in order to be more efficient. Typing Club is a great website, and there’s no need to sign up when prompted.
As usual, don’t forget to snag a free book from the Little Free Library in front of the school!