The CHMS Post
May & June 2023
Principal's Corner
Hello Charger Families!
It's unbelievable to think that we are starting to wrap up the 22-23 school year in 5 short weeks. It has been my pleasure to serve as the principal of Challenger Middle for another year. I have been able to watch the students grow academically, physically, and emotionally. This year has been full of events, celebrations, and all kinds of after-school activities! Seeing how our new "normal" has developed throughout the year has been amazing. I want to thank all staff, students, and family members for all the hard work and dedication you have put in this school year to make it a success.
As we move into the testing season we ask that all students make it a priority to be at school on time, eager to learn, and have Chromebooks charged. This is the time for them to “show what they know”. I am proud of each and every student, just as I know you are.
Respectfully,
Stacia Winfree
Principal – Challenger Middle
Connect with LeeFree tutoring offered by the district with live educational experts. Connect with Lee will be offered Monday - Thursday from 3:30 PM to 7:30 PM Both Teachers and Students can access this resource via the Connect with Lee app on their Launchpad! | Teacher Appreciation WeekTeacher Appreciation Week is May 8 - 12, 2023 Please join us in celebrating our wonderful teachers and staff members at Challenger all throughout the week of May 8th. | Report Cards!Q4 Report Cards will be finalized Wednesday, June 7th, and will be available to parents through Focus starting June 12th! Please take time to review your student's grades with them and reach out to their teachers if you have any questions. |
Connect with Lee
Free tutoring offered by the district with live educational experts.
Connect with Lee will be offered Monday - Thursday from 3:30 PM to 7:30 PM
Both Teachers and Students can access this resource via the Connect with Lee app on their Launchpad!
Teacher Appreciation Week
Teacher Appreciation Week is May 8 - 12, 2023
Please join us in celebrating our wonderful teachers and staff members at Challenger all throughout the week of May 8th.
Upcoming Testing Dates:
Tuesday, May 9th:
6th- Civics Pre-test
7th- Civics EOC
8th- Science NGSS
Tuesday, May 16th:
FAST PM3- Reading
Thursday, May 18th:
FAST PM3- Math
Alg/Geo EOC
Testing Letters with information about all upcoming state tests were sent home in late April, but are also linked below. Please click the corresponding button to read more information about each test your student will be taking.
Attention Incoming 7th Graders!
Immunization Requirements for 7th Grade:
All students entering 7th grade next school year (2023 - 2024) are mandated by Florida State Statute to have a “Tdap” immunization. Please contact your Health Care Provider or the Health Department of Lee County to obtain the immunization if your student has not received it.
A #680 “Proof of Immunization” form should be brought to the clinic before the end of this school year, if possible. Your student must have the “Proof of Immunization” documented in the clinic by the first-day of 7th grade to receive a class schedule and start school.
If your student has not received the Tdap immunization please take your student to your healthcare provider or the Health Department of Lee County. The Health Department of Lee County can be reached at (239) 461 - 6100.
Upcoming Events...
8th Grade Field Trip Information

7th Grade Field Trip Information

6th Grade Field Trip Information

Challenger's Got Talent!
Challenger’s Got Talent Show will be held on Thursday, June 1st from 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm!
- Music used must be school appropriate
- Solo or groups are welcome
- Any musicians, actors, singers, comedians, magicians, or artists are welcome
- Amazon Gift Card Prizes awarded to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Place!!!
Tickets for entry are $5 per person
For more information, see Mrs. Leonard!
Save the Date!
2023 Awards Ceremonies are coming!
Our award ceremonies are coming up in June and all parents/family members are invited.
The dates for each grade level ceremony are listed below:
8th Grade Awards Ceremony - June 2nd
7th Grade Awards Ceremony - June 5th
6th Grade Awards Ceremony - June 6th

8th Grade Dance

ATTENTION 8TH GRADERS!
The 8th Grade Dance - Enchanted Forest - is approaching!
It will be taking place on June 2nd, 2023 from 6 pm - 8 pm in the Cafeteria.
As we get closer to the date, more information about price/purchasing and dress code will be posted in the 8th-grade Google Classroom.
Boys & Girls Club Summer Program

Challenger Middle is proud to announce Summer Fun 2023 hosted by the Boys and Girls Clubs of Lee County will be located at our school this summer! This is a great opportunity if you are looking for a summer program for your child from June 12th - July 28th.
Please see the flyer above for details and sign up information.
Please do not call the school to register, but CLICK THE BUTTON BELOW for details
or call 239-334-1866.
Middle School Science Summer Camp

This program is offered to current ELL 6th and 7th-grade students who would like to increase their science knowledge in an interactive and fun environment.
El Programa se ofrece a los estudiantes ELL que actualmente cursan 6 y 7 grado y que deseen aumentar sus conocimientos de ciencias en un ambiente interactivo y divertido.
Read the flyer above for more information, and use either the QR Code or the button below to register your student for the Science Summer Program.
Lea el folleto anterior para obtener más información y use el código QR o el botón a continuación para registrar a su estudiante en el Programa de Verano de Ciencias.


WhoDunnIt Mystery Activity
Towards the end of March, our 6th grade ELA team, Mrs. Mullins, Ms. Sierocinski, and Mrs. Wilke did a WhoDunnIt activity where students had to find hidden clues around the classroom, eliminate suspects, and use what they've learned about context clues and word meaning to figure out who committed the crime!
Annie the Musical

From April 26th - 28th, our theatre students performed Annie the Musical for our school, Challenger families, and community members. The entire show was thanks to the hard work of our students and several staff members. Ms. Rayannic's class helped with painting set pieces and creating New York building-style panels. While Ms. Leonard and her theatre/dance students worked tirelessly for weeks rehearsing and perfecting their performance. The shows were amazing and a great showcase of our students and staff members' talents.

Class Pet of the Month
Mrs. Firrincielli's Aquariums
Located in Ms. Firrincieli's science classroom, you will find three aquariums of fish! She has 14 baby fat belly molly fish that call her classroom their home. Fourteen is a whole lot of fish, especially considering they are the babies of the two original fish from Ms. Firrincieli's aquarium! Their mom and dad used to reside in these aquariums and their names were Night and Day! These babies are also super resilient, as they survived all of Hurricane Ian without any power or food!
New Teacher Shout Out, Ms. Camerlingo!
Ms. Camerlingo is new to us at Challenger this year, but she's been teaching for 24 years! For fun and leisure, Ms. Camerlingo likes to go on walks, watch sports games, crochet, and spend time with friends and family. Ms. Camerlingo told us that her favorite part of teaching is volunteering or attending after-hours events and seeing students perform their skills/talents.
Apples Mentor of the Year, Mrs. Heckler!
The APPLES Mentor of the Year award recognizes the work and dedication of mentors serving first-year teachers for their time and expertise in building the capacity of their first-year colleagues. The nominees are individuals who have demonstrated exceptional skill and dedication in the performance of their jobs thereby earning the respect and admiration of students, teachers, administrators, coworkers, parents, and the community.
Our very own Mrs. Heckler was awarded the 2023 APPLES Mentor of the Year title this year! Mrs. Heckler is a very supportive mentor and goes above and beyond to ensure our new teachers are prepared for a successful career in education. We are not only proud of Mrs. Heckler and this wonderful accomplishment, but we are also so incredibly thankful to have her here with us at Challenger. Please join us in congratulating Mrs. Heckler on this wonderful achievement.
May/June Students of the Month!
We would like to congratulate the following students on their outstanding excellence in school! Each student listed below was specifically selected by one or more of their teachers to receive this award. We are very proud of our students and the hard work they continue to put in.
6th Grade
Marina Azier
Josie Bettermann
Jacob Bradley
Khloe Deshield
Madalyn Duncan
Dairon Fernandez
Antonella Flores
Milla Galinos
Preston Gaul
Sophia Gomez-Bernal
Diego Guevara Cespedes
Kylee Hutchins
Trinyti Keeton
Dominic Lopez
Diego Macias Ramos
Gianni Mack
Levi Marsan
Dominic Martin
Nataly Niewola
Adrian Oliveros
Ayden Parker
Natalie Pim
Patrick Raftery
Steven Terekhin
Yovana Vuticevski
Ethan Wilson
7th Grade
Valerie Acevedo
Nicole Alfonzo Munoz
Chance Burgess
Osmel Caseres
Sofia Delgado
Sofia Devita
Cameron Diaz
Zoey Feazel
Jayda Garcia
Norah Huizenga
Wyatt Jeanneret
Edensi Luma
Daniel Medina
Hailey Padilla
Ben Pucin
Addison Ramos
Christopher Rios
Ethan Siegman
Daphne Sissons
Lila Smith
Kalyn Spooner
Roberto Tamayo Pacheco
Joslyn Tillman Hollis
Allison Varner
Breanna Zezula
8th Grade
Ashley Angulo-Calzadilla
Laylah Beaubrun
Aubrey Duncan
Anjelyn Giraldo
Karen Gutierrez
Josiah Janssen
Jonathan Joseph
Reagan Lau
Jacob Lehman
Kaylee Mathews
Jonathan Miller
Cameron Mohring
Gabriel Ogle
Alcides Perez
Ingram Perez
Logan Quicksall
Erickalyn Rodriguez
Christian Velasquez
Collin Verplank
Payton Wooten
Mental Health Corner
PTO/SAC
PTO/SAC Meetings occur the first Thursday of every month. Our next meeting will take place on May 4, 2023.
PTO will start at 5:30pm and run until 6:00pm.
SAC will then begin at 6:00pm and go until 6:30pm.
All PTO/SAC Meetings will be held in person at Challenger Middle School in the Media Center.
Who am I?
Below you will find a riddle that hints at a staff member at Challenger Middle School. Reading the clues, take your best guess as to who the riddle is about, and submit your answer using the Google Form below!
Whoever guesses correctly will receive kudos from Mrs. Wilke!
The winners will be given their kudos on May 19th, 2023!

Important Dates
Below are a list of dates for when both interims and report cards will be available to both students and parents. 😊
1st Quarter
Interim – Sept. 12th
Report Card – Nov. 1st
2nd Quarter
Interim – Nov. 16th
Report Card – Jan. 13th
3rd Quarter
Interim – Feb. 9th
Report Card – March 22nd
4th Quarter
Interim – April 27th
Report Card – June 12th

Out of Field Teachers
Anthony Barbier
Abbey Flecha
Mariel Orengo
Fortify FL
FortifyFL is a suspicious activity reporting tool that allows you to instantly relay information to appropriate law enforcement agencies and schools.
To visit this website go to getfortifyfl.com
Per the Code of Federal Regulation we are required to put a notice out to students and parents stating the following:
EPA 40 CFR 763
This school has been recently inspected and certain asbestos-containing materials or assumed to be asbestos-containing materials such as: fire doors or roofing materials that are tested prior to repairs or removal as needed, have been located in the school buildings. Please be aware that the School District of Lee County has an active management plan designed to ensure that the building is maintained safely for all occupants. These materials are being controlled in accordance with the Asbestos Management Program for the School and following the limitations and procedures of the policies and requirements of the Asbestos O&M Program. The report lists the location, quantity, and condition of all known materials and contains the details of the control procedures, and is available at the school office for your inspection during normal school hours. Copies of the school’s asbestos file can be supplied to you at a cost upon submittal of request.
Challenger Middle School
Lee County School Board
Armor Persons, District 5 (Chair)
Samuel Fisher, District 1 (Vice Chair)
Melisa W. Giovannelli, District 2
Chris N. Patricca, District 3
Debbie Jordan, District 4
Jada Langford-Fleming, District 6
Cathleen O'Daniel Morgan, District 7
Kathy Dupuy-Bruno, Esq., Board Attorney
Dr. Christopher Bernier
Superintendent