Thank You A+ Foundation!
For the second year in a row, we would like to thank our friends at The A+ Foundation for gifting us one dollar per student to be used to support our school this year with any programs or special events.
The A+ Foundation is a not-for-profit organization that supports and assists alumni and raises money to enhance the opportunities of the students and staff of School District 129. The goals of the A+ Foundation are to enrich the curriculum of West Aurora School District 129, inspire excellence in students and staff, expand opportunities for community involvement, and foster alumni connections.
The A+ Foundation works hard all year to raise funds and put these dollars to work in our schools. Along with their commitment to AP, Hall of Honor, Excellence in Education, and our Fund-A-Need grants, this program is another way to support the great things we do in West Aurora.
TEACHING & LEARNING
February - the shortest month that seems to be packed with so many things!
This month, we continue our focus to make a Commitment to Dialogue. But, as we look at the indicators in the district commitment, we, as a building, will really focus on the highlighted indicator and think about what our instructional intention is for the lesson, unit, activity and how we can best plan out “deliberate opportunities of planned dialogue.” To do that, Teaching and Learning will focus on how we plan and initiate questions and responses to further our student understanding.
Commitment to Dialogue (Exploratory Talk)
Exploratory dialogue underpins collaboration between all learners. Talk is exploratory rather than cumulative or disputational
High-quality dialogue enables students to generate ideas and think more deeply
Everyone experiences deliberate opportunities of planned dialogue leading to meaningful learning
The learning environment and culture of each classroom enable students to take risks in their thinking and dialogue.
This month, Herget Celebrates Black History! During this month, we will celebrate, acknowledge and highlight the achievements, works, and contributions of Black Americans. Students will see and hear about individuals and events through announcements, posters throughout the building, conversations they may have in class, and through Schoology posts.
Just as January’s newsletter explained, February continues a few things that started during that month, for example…
Testing:
We have ACCESS testing starting the week of February 7, 2022.
If you have questions regarding ACCESS testing, please reach out to Mr. Neukirch.
Course Selection continues for our 8th graders
Tuesday, February 8, 2022, 8th graders will meet with West Aurora High School counselors to register for their freshman classes next year.
If you have any questions, please reach out to Mrs. Nicholson-Rigaud
5 Essential Surveys
Here is the link to the district information regarding the 5 Essential Survey
Students will take the 5 Essential Survey on Wednesday, February 23, 2022
If you have any additional questions, please email or call Mrs. Nicholson-Rigaud
Email: knicholson@sd129.org
Phone: (630) 301-5231
Dates, Events, and Information to put on your radar…
February 7 - Begins ACCESS testing
February 8 - 8th graders will meet with West Aurora High School Counselors
February 11 - 3rd Quarter midterm grades are available on Home Access
February 15- Spring Pictures & 8th Grade Formal Pictures
February 21 - No School - Presidents Day (observed)
February 23 - 5 Essential Survey - students will take in school
February 23 - PARENT/TEACHER Conferences - please make sure to sign up through Power PTC.
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SOCIAL STUDIES
February. Ahhh, the season of love! Love is in the air this February and there certainly is not a shortage of it here at Herget. This month the Social Studies teachers wanted to share with you what we LOVE the most about teaching Social Studies. Mrs. Curgino and Mrs. Olsen love having students back in the classroom full time this year. Students are able to explore past and present events through the use of technology and in-person conversations! Watching students make connections between cultures and traditions, both past and present, is incredible!
Seventh-grade students are wrapping up their studies in developed and developing countries. They have analyzed data and examined standards of living in various countries throughout the world. In addition, they have worked on problem-solving current issues that would help people around the world raise their standard of living. For the remainder of the third quarter, we will bring a novel study to our classes while we focus on conflict and how conflict affects all parties involved. Our class novel Refugee focuses on the ideas of survival and courage as told by the narrator.
Eighth-grade teachers love that the kids at Herget Middle School are AMAZING! The eighth-grade teachers also love that “there is always something interesting going on in the world!” Worldly events make for numerous teachable moments! 8th-grade students have been focusing on the causes of the Civil War and how the war impacted American society and government.
As you can see, it doesn’t matter the grade level or the content, Social Studies teachers at Herget LOVE what they do each and every day!
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS
This quarter we as the 7th grade ELA department will be focusing on Argumentative writing and research. The students will be formulating and writing arguments based on researched-based articles. With every argument there are always two sides to every story, the students will have to choose a side and defend that side.
The students will learn the importance of a good hook, to grab the reader’s attention, as well as figuring out what information is important and crucial to developing a well-written argument following the CER strategy. The students will also be learning about the importance of telling both sides of the story by including a counterclaim and how to rebut that claim with a strongly worded rebuttal based on evidence and facts. The art or Argumentative writing is an important skill that helps develop young minds to be fact-based thinkers and confident debaters.
Also, this month we are infusing African American accomplishments, advancements, and the struggles that the African American people have endured and that are still very present today. Change is key and eminent to the advancement of us as a country and as a people, education is the starting point to that change. So, we will be incorporating studying poetry, speeches, and music that were instrumental in leading our country towards change. We also will be looking forward to the next quarters' topics of poetry, drama, and our final novel study for the year.
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HEALTH OFFICE
Herget Huskies continue to promote healthy lifestyles. Masks continue to be worn, keeping a safe distance of 3ft-6ft from others is encouraged and frequent handwashing and good hygiene are advised. A healthy mind and body are needed for productive learning. We have been documenting COVID vaccines as submitted. I want to remind families to talk to their doctor regarding personal concerns. This link has some good information regarding COVID Vaccines available in Kane County. COVID-Vaccine
Students are encouraged to describe their symptoms clearly and explain their needs. We talk about “letting your doctor know” when necessary. This is an important skill for our middle schoolers to begin to learn. A brief break, temp check, and back to class from the health office can result in a five-day stay home period. Please know that we continue to follow IDPH and Kane County guidelines. Thank you for helping us keep your students safe by keeping students who feel ill home.
Regarding doctor visits, health office staff are preparing letters to be mailed home with individualized notices for all eighth-grade students. All eighth-graders are required to have a complete physical exam prior to ninth-grade entry. This is an early reminder to make those appointments. Please take these notices with you when taking your student for his/her ninth-grade physical exam. Students at all levels are excited to prepare for sports participation. Remember that a valid school physical exam can be used for sports for one year from the date of the exam. Please do not hesitate to call the health office with questions.
On a personal level as your school nurse, I can report that I have chosen to receive the COVID vaccine and on November 7th I received the booster dose. I can share that it is peace of mind for me to have this vaccine protection.
Take care,
Elizabeth Silva RN-CSN (630.301.5243)
MATH
Math classes have been hard at work as we continue making our way through our respective course curriculums. We love seeing the students' efforts pay off and are amazed by the growth and progress of all of our students. We continue to emphasize the importance of attendance and hard work in order to become the best version of ourselves. We can all be great math students - we just have to persevere.
As parents or guardians you might have your children coming to you seeking guidance on different assignments from math class. When this happens, do you find yourself unable to help your child and do you find yourself thinking, “What do I tell my child when I don’t remember ever seeing this type of mathematics when I was a student?” or “I was never good at math, how can I possibly help my child?” If so, here are a few helpful tips, taken from this NCTM blog written by NCTM President J. Michael Shaughnessy, that might make the next time you sit down to work with your child more successful:
Work together as a team with your child. It is important to ask your child to share what they know and to explain how they are thinking about the question. This approach might help you as the parent remember a strategy but it might also get your child realizing they know more than they thought they did!
Be creative in finding resources that will help you - you can Google a topic, you can browse the NCTM website for helpful resources, or you can watch helpful videos you find on YouTube.
Remember everyone can be good at math! There is no math gene, no one was born being bad at math...it just takes perseverance and a positive attitude!
Be positive! Thank your child for taking the time to ask for help and encourage them to keep working hard and seeking help when they need it.
Additionally, on nights when your child doesn’t have homework or finish their homework early, practicing basic facts is always beneficial. Integer operations and multiplication/division facts are always excellent topics to practice no matter what grade your child is in. Here are a few websites that are quick resources for practicing these skills:
Here is a Valentine’s Day Challenge for you to try with your child - have fun!!
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Herget Middle School