TJ Today
Thomas Jefferson Middle School
2016-17 School Year - December Edition
DECEMBER
Dec. 2 End of 2nd AA Rotation
Dec. 5 Technology Parent Information Night 5:30-6:30
Dec. 6 - Pick up large fundraising orders
Dec 5 - 9 TJM Book Fair
Dec. 12 This is Our Story 7:30 @ VHSDec. 20 Chipotle Fundraiser
Dec. 21- Jan. 3 First Day of Holiday Break
FORGOTTEN CHROMEBOOKS
Perfect 10 tops off a decade of wins!
The Thomas Jefferson Middle School Spell Bowl team completed a decade of state championships on Saturday, November 12, at Purdue University, by capturing its tenth consecutive state crown, and thirteenth state championship in the last 15 years. TJMS spellers procured 8 priceless purple perfect round ribbons on their way to the top score in the state. Stellar spellers Amol Verma, Ricky Hall, Connor McCall, Devishi Jha, Lucia Otten, Lily Rengstorf, Shannon McCall, and captain Keaton Olson overwhelmed everyone in attendance by spelling all 72 words in the contest correctly.
Team TJ qualified for the state competition by earning the top score in the state in enrollment Class 2 at the Area meet held on November 1 at Kankakee Valley Middle School.
Eight spellers comprise the state team, and each speller in a round writes 9 words from the list of 1,661 words supplied by the state. At the end of 8 rounds, the team with the most correctly spelled words is awarded the state championship medals, banner, and plaque. Team TJ bested all other teams in the state by correctly spelling words such as mille-feuille, objet trouve, confectionery, synecdochical, plebiscite, otolaryngology, annus mirabilis, facetious, and gerontological.
When asked how she felt while on stage competing, sixth grader Lily Rengstorf replied, “Going through my mind was OK – I got this, and oh, no, I think I got that wrong!” First year team member and eighth grader Lucia Otten reminisced, “Being inside the Purdue auditorium held a daunting, intimidating feeling all on its own. But being up on the stage, able to view the rows and rows of people in the audience and knowing you held the team’s success in your hand, was quite terrifying. I honestly don’t remember much besides having shaky handwriting as I wrote down the words.”
Team members Meg Calumpang, Lexie Coberg, David Coombs, Leo Donaldson, Regina Gilliam, Katrina Gootee, Leah Green, Ramaya Hall, Precious Harvey, Aubrey Krieger, Emily Mowbray, Madisyn Myskewitz, Micah Nathan, Caludia Pearson, Skylar Prewitt, Emmett Richter, Katelynn Taylor, and Talyn Watkins enthusiastically applauded their peers as TJs score continued to climb up the leader board, finally surpassing all other teams in the competition.
Various motivations brought students to the team this year. Eighth grader Skylar Prewitt commented, “I joined at first because my friend, who had been in Spell Bowl for the past two years, said that you get donuts on Wednesdays. But now I regret not joining Spell Bowl in 6th and 7th grades, and not for the donuts.” Third year state speller Shannon McCall penned, “I came back for the feeling I get when competing with people who support me and trust me to perform. I love the experience, and I couldn’t have imagined my last season going any other way.” Sixth grader Ramaya Hall wrote,” I wanted to come to Spell Bowl because I thought it would help me expand my vocabulary, which it did.” Sixth grader Madisyn Myskewitz joined the team, “Because I was in Spell Bowl the previous year (5th grade) and I really enjoyed it, so I decided I would do it again this year.” Madisyn continued, “I met a lot of new people this year in Spell Bowl. Next time I am going to study a lot more and try to be a speller.”
When asked what benefit spellers derived from this season, first year member Katrina Gootee responded, “Not only did I learn how to spell words I had never even heard of before, but I also got a very rewarding team experience.” 7th grader Regina Gilliam, also a first year speller, replied, “I benefitted by learning new vocab. I was reading a book and about 5 Spell Bowl words were in one chapter!” Leah Green echoed the vocabulary sentiment when she quipped, “My vocabulary is nice now!” Rengstorf stated, “I learned so many new words to use on ISTEP+!”
Team members were asked to describe this season in one word. First year team member and eighth grader Claudia Pearson chose ‘teamwork.’ She added, “We cheered each and every teammate as they fought for victory in every competition. Teamwork is what makes us win every time, and we have each other’s backs every step of the way. I had a strong sense that we could defeat every one of those teams from all across Indiana, and when the competition ended, we did!” Other submissions included ‘fun,’ ‘marvelous,’ ‘incredible,’ ‘ecstatic,’ ‘exhilarating,’ ‘challenging,’ and ‘arduous.’ Team TJ practiced every morning at 7 AM under the guidance of coaches Linda Kemper and Jane Strayer. Daily spelling tests ranged from 25 words in late August to 156 words the day before the state meet.
Team Captain and third year state speller Keaton Olson summed up the team’s feelings when he remarked, “ I think we all agree that we won’t miss having to get up early. But we will always miss sitting in the audience of the Purdue University auditorium, cheering for Mrs. Strayer as she walks down the steps to her team, who won another state championship."
October Pride Card Winners
8th Remembering our past
Every year, our 8th grade students are able to recognize and honor Veteran’s Day in a very personal way. This year was no exception.
In social studies classes, students wrote essays about a veteran that has been a part of their lives. This could be a relative or friend of the family. Students who did not have a veteran from their own lives to document were able to research a veteran.
This writing project allowed students to realize the sacrifices of our military and gain personal insight into real people who served our country. History truly came alive to the eighth graders as more than information in a textbook.
These essays are graded and evaluated, and a few were chosen to be shared at the TJMS annual Veteran’s Day program. Students whose writings were chosen then read their essays for our honored guests at this special event.
8th Graders Heard Renowned Speaker
Eva Mozes Kor, a survivor of the Holocaust, spoke to TJMS eighth grade students about her experiences during this tragic time in world history. This presentation was given as part of both the social studies curriculum and language arts study of The Diary of Anne Frank.
Ms. Kor was born in Romania, and her entire family was captured by members of the Nazi armed guard and taken to Auschwitz. At Auschwitz, she was separated from her parents and two older sisters. She never saw them again. Ms. Kor, however, and her twin sister, Miriam, became part of the twin experiments conducted by Dr. Josef Mengele. At the time of liberation, the Soviet Army found many of the Mengele twins still alive. Eva and Miriam were among them.
Ms. Kor continues to share her story across the country. She has appeared in many news documentaries, founded the CANDLES Holocaust Museum and Education Center in Terre Haute, Indiana, and presents her lecture to many audiences.
Her message to students was simple yet poignant. She encouraged all who heard her story to practice respect, equality, forgiveness, and peace. It is her ongoing hope that students heard this message loud and clear.
More information about Eva Mozes Kor and her organization can be found on her website- www.candlesholocaustmuseum.org
7th Grade ending year in a flurry
7th Grade is finishing out 2016 with plenty of fun activities and new knowledge!
In Language Arts, the poetry contest is in full swing! Students are very busy practicing and perfecting their poems with their partners. The grade level poetry contest will be held December 19th. We can’t wait! Students will also be reading and discussing the Charles Dickens classic, A Christmas Carol. Your student will be exploring vocabulary related to the play, as well as reading it in class. To finish out the unit, we will be watching the movie version and comparing it to the original written version.
In Social Studies we are working on studying the culture in Ancient and Modern India. We will discover how the Indus Valley civilizations sprang up and what made them rise and fall. As we study the history of Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro; we will also explore the history of Hinduism and Buddhism. Be sure to ask your student how the religions and cultures intermixed in both ancient and Modern India. To finish out our unit, we will be studying the life of Mahatma Gandhi.
Mrs. Alvarez and Mrs. Kemper are busy teaching their math classes about how to figure discounts and sales tax. Just in time for the holiday rush! Your student will be able to calculate the discount on their favorite new gadget as well as just how much sales tax will cost them!
This month in Science, students will be finishing up their energy unit and moving on to a new unit about waves! Don’t forget to ask your student about all of the interesting things they learned this month in Science!
6th Grade - That's a Wrap
Social Studies: We are wrapping up our unit on Greece. We had our Greek Olympics right before Thanksgiving break and the results were....... Mrs. Strayer's homeroom won with 11 points winning the gold! The next closest was Mrs. Haller with 5 points taking the silver, and the bronze was shared by Mrs. Highlan and Mr. Keller as their homerooms had tie scores of 4!
We are moving into Ancient Rome (because all roads lead to Rome) with studies on Italy's geography, the Caesars, gladiators, and the growth from a republic to an empire. Once again, please continue to check your student's Skyward account for homework completion and current grades. We are half way through the second grading period and appreciate all your help in creating a successful year!
Math:
Sixth grade math classes have mastered many pre-algebra skills this quarter, including order of operations, evaluating algebraic expressions, and exponents. Students will be learning about integers in the coming weeks. They will study absolute value, comparing/ordering rational numbers on a number line, and the coordinate plane. This will prepare students for a unit of study on linear equations and functions. Please continue to talk to your students about quiz and test scores, as well as retake deadlines.
Science:
We have started Chapter 5 on Energy. The students will be learning that all forms of energy can be transformed into other forms of energy. They should be able to tell you the difference between and calculate potential, kinetic, and mechanical energy. If the students have extra time in class or during advisory, they should be working on Study Island to earn a blue ribbon to put up on our class bulletin board.
ELA:
ELA classes are hard at work on their various novels. Ms. Coberg's class is finishing pen pal letters and will be working on holiday cards for nursing homes. Mrs. Strayer's class is busy diagramming sentences and working on vocabulary, as well as reading novels that correlate with social studies topics. Detectives in Togas has sent us to Rome!
Strolling Strings on the Road
YEARBOOK INFORMATION!
Yearbooks can still be ordered online at www.jostens.com. Be sure that you click on Thomas Jefferson Middle School in Valparaiso, Indiana, as there are several Thomas Jefferson Middle Schools listed!
A yearbook would make a fine Christmas gift! Don't let these memories slip away!
After November 27, the book can only be ordered online, and the cost will be $33 through February 16. After February 16, the cost is $35, and only online.
Please consider ordering a yearbook for your student. This year is definitely one to remember!
Student Council Update
The Student Council has been busy in the month of November. The Dress the Turkey Contest was a big hit! The student body raised $489 that will go back to helping our students. In addition to the week long Spirit Days, Mrs. Murvine and Mr. Keller were the big winners who sported turkey costumes throughout the hallways on Tuesday, November 22. Miss Arce took second place and wore a cute turkey hat for the day. Thank you to the teachers, staff, and students that made this a successful event!
(photo attached)
Smencils (smelly pencils) are coming to TJ! We will be selling these scent- filled writing utensils the week of December 12 -16. Pencils will be sold for $1.
We appreciate all the Box Tops that have been donated. Please keep sending them in!
December Spirit Days
Friday, December 9 - Festive Pajama Day
Friday, December 16 - Holiday Hat Day
Tuesday, December 20 - Ugly Sweater Day
Builders Club News
Holiday greetings from Builders Club! As so many people do this time of year, Builders Club members are getting involved in many different projects that serve others in our community.
We have chosen several angels from TJ’s Angel Tree. Members will be piling in cars headed for local stores to shop for the clothes and toys these kids have requested. December 10, you will find members at the Walgreens on Calumet ringing bells to raise money for the Salvation Army. If you are in the area, stop by, say hi, and donate some of your loose change. Hopefully it won’t be too cold that day! December 15, we will be bringing good cheer to one of the local nursing homes while we sing carols to the residents. And somewhere in there, we will decorate the school with two festive trees and gather to celebrate the season.
Our next meeting is Wednesday, December 7. Rides should come to the front doors at 3:45, or members may take the late bus home.
Parent/Teacher Advisory Group
Thank you so much for your support with the 5 GUYS give back night! We raised $442.52!
December's give back is December 20th from 5:00-9:00 at Chipotle. Flier is attached. It will also be posted on Facebook and sent home with students closer to the date.
Coming in JANUARY! TJMS friends and family skate at Central Park!
Mark your calendars on January 16th from 6:00-8:00. More information will be sent home closer to the date!
Parent/Teacher Advisory dates to remember:
12/20 Chipotle give back night
1/11 Parent/Teacher advisory meeting 6:00 pm in the Media Center
1/16 TJMS friends and family skate night at Central Park from 6:00-8:00
Media Center Happenings
Upcoming: A Busy Book Fair Week!
Our first semester book fair is scheduled for Monday, December 5, through Friday, December 9
TJMS Reads again
Homework and Study Table Procedures
- 6th Grade - Skyward
- 7th Grade - Canvas
- 8th Grade - Canvas
- AA - Canvas
All parents are encouraged to create a parent Canvas Observer account. For more information on this, please follow this link on our website.
Thomas Jefferson Middle School
Email: ekrutz@valpo.k12.in.us
Website: http://www.valpo.k12.in.us/Domain/248
Location: 1600 Roosevelt Rd, Valparaiso, IN, United States
Phone: 219-531-3140
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TJMS.Valpo
Twitter: @Valpo_TJMS