PYTHON PRESS
PIKESVILLE MIDDLE SCHOOL DECEMBER 2019
FROM THE PRINCIPALS DESK:
December is here! Cooler temperatures… disappearing daylight. The upcoming weeks can become quite overwhelming as families prepare for family gatherings, special travels, and perhaps some shopping outings in preparation for special traditions. As much as we’d all like to feel that we are organized and well-prepared for the upcoming weeks, each family deals with the stress of the holidays in different ways. Routines often fall to the wayside along with daily reading practices, consistent homework support, and even family meals. I encourage you to make a concerted effort to see that the rush and stresses of the holiday season do not seep into your child’s daily routine and need for consistency. We look forward to the new year and the opportunities that await our students. We wish everyone a a wonderful winter break and we look forward to seeing what 2020 will bring us!
IMPORTANT DATES:
December 12th - Orchestra Concert - 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
December 19th - Second Quarter Interims Distributed
December 20th - WINTER HOLIDAY BEGINS AT THE END OF THE SCHOOL DAY
January 2nd - School Reopens For Students
6TH GRADE NEWS FLASH BY MRS. HAMMEL
Our sixth grade class is award winning, literally! Last Monday we held our first quarter awards ceremony. Students were recognized for making the honor roll, principal’s honor roll, achieving perfect attendance, demonstrating Python PRIDE and a special All The Way Up Award was given to students who might’ve had a little trouble navigating the Pikesville Way when they arrived but have made great strides since then.
Our virtue for the month is perseverance and we are continuing to push our students academically and challenge them to achieve their best. Please aide our 6th graders in completing homework assignments that have been written in their Homework Helpers.
We are also getting ready for our winter concert series. The Chorus concert was December 4th, the dance concert was December 5th, the 6th grade band concert was December 11th and the orchestra concert will 12th.
We are working hard to plan a field trip for our 6th graders and information will be shared soon about those upcoming field trips. Stay tuned for more information on the horizon!
7TH GRADE SCOOP BY MR. SULLIVAN
Happy December to our 7th grade students and their families! It is hard to believe that we are almost to the Winter Break. This month will be filled with enriching academic content, as well as several extra-curricular activities that will engage our students in school life and that showcase their growth and hard work throughout the quarter. We kick off this month with our 7th grade awards assembly on December 3 to celebrate students’ successes for the first quarter. At this event, we celebrate students who made honor roll or straight A’s, students who have perfect attendance, students who demonstrate Python PRIDE, and those that have made significant improvement throughout the first quarter. We also have our Medieval Times field trip on December 5th. During this trip 7th graders will experience what life was like during the Middle Ages. This will give them a better understanding of the current unit that is being taught in Mrs. Pultorak’s and Mr. Thompson’s World History classes. We are also looking forward to our winter concert series, in which our orchestra, band, chorus, and dance students showcase their talents.
We ask that you continue to keep open communication with your child’s teachers. Communication is the key to any successful partnership. We are here to support and help your child throughout the school year. Don’t hesitate to contact us should you have any questions. Now that it’s cold, please help us to reinforce the dress code and other important school policies. We use the slogan H2O to remind students that hats, hoods, and offensive language are not permitted. 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. As always, we thank you for your continued support and we want to wish you Happy Holiday’s from the 7th grade team.
8TH GRADE UPDATES FROM MS. LUECHTEFELD
Happy December 8th grade Families!
We are looking forward to many great things this month – the 8th grade field trip to Towson University, the Winter Showcase for our Chorus, Orchestra, Band, and Dance students, and the start of our basketball season! Additionally, we are having our 1st Qtr. Awards Assembly to celebrate our students amazing achievements, such as Honor Roll, Perfect Attendance, and the Pikesville Pride Award. Students are able to cheer each other on and encourage one another to do their very best each and every day at Pikesville Middle School.
As the basketball season starts, this is a reminder that students must buy tickets prior to attending the game, they cannot have more than two minor incidents (tardy, cell phone violation etc.) and zero major incidents, and must have their school issued ID to enter the game. Students will not be able to purchase tickets at the door.
Additionally, as the school year continues and the weather gets colder, we would like to remind students and families that outerwear (jackets, coats, gloves, hats, etc.) are not permitted based on our school dress code and that all belongings must be put in student lockers. If students do not know their locker combination they can see their Homeroom teacher or one of our school counselors.
We are very proud of our students and how they have started the school year – they have been great role models to our 6th and 7th graders. As the year continues, please be sure to contact Ms. Luechtefeld (grade level administrator), Mrs. Banks (8th grade counselor), Mr. Laraia (8th Grade Team Leader), or Mrs. Norris (8th Grade Team Leader) with any questions or concerns. The year is moving quickly and we are here to support you.
Have a great Winter Break!
VIRTUES
PERSEVERANCE
Perseverance means continued effort to do or achieve something despite difficulties, failure, or opposition.
Mantra for the month: I will not give up no matter the challenge. I will learn from my mistakes and continue to try my best in order to succeed.
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.
So, what’s the deal with all of the college pennants hanging around the school?
The mission of our AVID Site Team is to close the achievement gap by promoting opportunities and experiences that develop excellence in academics, character, leadership, and habits of mind.
One of the ways we support student achievement is to promote beliefs and behaviors that reflect and demonstrate a college going culture, one in which students are seeing, hearing, and talking about college and future careers. In the AVID Elective and College and Career Readiness classes, students research colleges and careers. College visuals are displayed prominently throughout the building: the hallways and cafeteria are decorated with pennants, and classrooms feature “college corners.”
We encourage all students, faculty, and staff to wear college gear the first Friday of every month, and teachers use this opportunity to talk about their college experiences in class.
We are currently accepting donations of college promotional materials and gear to support our culture of college and career readiness. Contact Amy Felton (afelton@bcps.org) if you are able to support us in this manner.
ITS ACADEMIC
SCIENCE
Happy Holidays Pikesville Family! In 6th grade science students have begun to make slime!!! As classes transition into the Physical Science unit, students will focus on the structure and properties of matter. Our 7th graders have moved into the Form Follows Function unit, which introduces students to the connection between cells, tissues, organs, organ systems and ultimately the human body. Eighth grade students are also moving into unit two which leads them to discussions and research on fossils and embryonic development as it relates to the connections between present day and prehistoric species. In Ms. Porter’s Engineering class 7th graders are finishing up their Skimmer projects in which they used their metric measurement skills to layout and design a skimmer that travels the farthest distance. Students are moving into the 3D modeling unit. In this unit, students learn to transfer a two-dimensional representation to a three-dimensional solid model with technology. Students study basic geometric shapes within a mathematical model and use combinations of geometric primitives to form more complex shapes. Students are using the design process to create 3D models using the 3D modeling software called Autodesk Inventor. Students will then 3D print their designs. 6th graders are finishing up their unit, Introduction to Engineering and the Design Process. Students designed, built and tested backpacks to meet the needs of a client. Students were expected to adhere to criteria and constraints as they developed and built a prototype of their design. Students are beginning their 3D modeling unit. Students are being introduced to isometric sketching in which they are using isometric grid paper to create drawings in which three sides of the object are visible. Students are also being introduced to 3D modeling using Autodesk Inventor. Students will be able to 3D print a couple of their projects. Students in Mr. McChesney’s 8th grade Engineering have been building and practicing skills in order to create 3D models using the software Autodesk Inventor. This engineering software is professional grade and very challenging. These 3D models are then fabricated by our 3D printer into real objects that the students get to keep.
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS
The second round of the spelling bee has just concluded, and the top 13 students will convene on December 18th for the Pikesville Middle School Spelling Bee. The Language Arts Department is thrilled to support our first annual LITERACY WEEK! Students will participate in fun literacy activities all week, with many opportunities for prizes! Thanks to our awesome media specialist, Ms. Getty, for organizing these opportunities!
In December, sixth graders continue their study of Greek mythology and how it continues to influence culture today. Seventh grade students are exploring portrayals of stories in both written text and film. Eighth graders have been studying suspense stories and the techniques used to keep us turning the pages. Students in reading, college & career, and theater continue to build their skills in each subject.
SOCIAL STUDIES
Welcome to December Historians!
With 2nd quarter under way, we are continuing to improve as researchers, readers, and writers. Be sure to stay organized, annotate all sources, and keep all documents. We will be preparing for DBQs (Document-Based Questions) and power writing. Be sure to keep up with your Unit 2 Vocabulary lists. Current topics for each grade-level are below:
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 grown socially, politically, and economically during the Dark Ages of barbarians and chaos? The Medieval Manor system and self-sufficiency.
American History 8 – Early America. U.S. Constitution, Bill of Rights, and the principals of government.
MATH
Second Quarter is off and running. Math 6 is working on Decimal Operations, Proportions, and Ratios; Math 6 GT is working on Decimal and Fraction Operations, Percents and Probability; Pre-Algebra 7 is working on Unit Rates, Ratios, and Proportions; Math 8 is working on Proportional and Non-Proportional Relationships; Algebra 1 is working on Data Analysis, and Systems of Equations/Inequalities; Geometry is working on Geometric Reasoning, Perpendicular and Parallel Lines. Remember the textbook is online in BCPSOne – Digit Content. We wish everyone a great winter break!
WORLD LANGUAGE
Bonjour et Buenos Dias! In this Unit of World Languages, Beginner A classes are discussing their physical appearance and will begin a unit on food soon. Beginner B classes are learning about places to go in and around Baltimore. Intermediate classes are learning about animals, their habitats and why some are endangered.
After winter break, we will have access to a NEW interactive textbook series called “Entre Cutures” for French and “Entre Culturas” for Spanish. It is a fantastic resource that will help you and your student move forward in their chosen language. More information will come as we are granted digital access over the next few weeks. Hard copies of the book will also be available to sign out if needed.
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.
“A different language is a different vision of life.”
– Federico Fellini
RELATED ARTS
Music News
The music department is off to a great start this year. Please mark your calendars for our upcoming Winter Concerts. All are welcome!
Winter Concert
Thursday December 12
Orchestra 6:00 p.m. - S. Norris
Symphony Orchestra 7:00 p.m. -S. Norris
Philharmonic Orchestra 8:00 p.m. - S. Norris
Jazz Band
Mr. Auffarth is looking for students interested in playing in the Pikesville Middle School Jazz Band. This ensemble rehearses on Thursdays from 3:00 – 4:30 p.m. See Mr. Auffarth if you are interested.
COUNSELING CORNER
Dear Parents and Guardians,
As we make our way towards a long winter break, encourage your child to practice self-care in order to recharge and prepare themselves for an exciting new year.
“The term self-care refers to activities and practices that we can engage in on a regular basis to reduce stress and maintain and enhance our short- and longer-term health and well-being. Self-care is also necessary for you to be effective and successful in honoring your professional and personal commitments.” –healthyteennetwork.org
Students experience many different stressors during the first half of the school year. Students are adjusting to a new school, grade level, and teachers. They are navigating new friendships and physical changes. Grades start rolling in on top of extracurricular activities like clubs and sports. Winter break should be a time for students to relax and let the constant stressors of school life fade away. In order for students to recharge, they should begin practicing self-care techniques. These activities can be simple everyday things that reduce stress and enhance personal well-being. Examples of self-care are:
· Reading a book
· Watching a movie with family
· Meditating or deep breathing
· Getting enough sleep
· Exercising
· Taking a break from social media and enjoying the present moment
· Hanging out with friends
· Participating in an activity or hobby that you enjoy
The possibilities for self-care are endless as long as the practice reduces stress and enhances personal well-being. Have a wonderful winter break and we hope to see everyone refreshed when we come back in 2020!
Mrs. Banks 8th Grade School Counselor & Chair
Ms, Daeschner 7th Grade School Counselor
Mr. Hess 6th Grade School Counselor
HEALTH SUITE
A note from your nurse:
The Health Department is here this week & next (12/4-12/10) doing their annual hearing & vision screening on all 8th graders. If you would like your child in the 6th or 7th grade to be tested if you think they would benefit now rather than wait until the 8th grade, call Ms. Cleland RN at 443-809-5000. Make sure if they have glasses to bring them. Thank you