Jaguar News
Volume 3, Issue 7 - September 27, 2019
Every day we encourage our students to read during any downtime they have at school. Research shows students who read independently become better readers, score higher on achievement tests in all subject areas, and have greater content knowledge than those who do not. The amount of free reading done outside of school has also consistently been found to relate to growth in vocabulary, reading comprehension, verbal fluency and general information. The info-graph below illustrates the benefits of reading 20 minutes every night.
Some kids have difficulty reading at home because they feel it's a chore or what they are reading is boring (they haven't found the right book yet!). The good news is that when you know why your child doesn’t like to read, you can address the issue and begin to make reading more enjoyable.
By learning to make reading fun, your child is more likely to develop a love of reading, encouraging better reading habits, and making learning easier.
Here are some tips you can use to encourage good reading habits in your child:
- CREATE A READING AREA.
- ENCOURAGE READING AT HOME AND EVERYWHERE IN BETWEEN.
- SET AN EXAMPLE.
- MAKE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN READING AND REAL LIFE.
- KEEP READING MATERIALS IN THE HOUSE.
- VISIT THE PUBLIC LIBRARY
- TALK ABOUT WHAT YOUR CHILD IS READING.
- EXPOSE YOUR CHILD TO DIFFERENT BOOK GENRES.
- SUPPORT YOUR CHILD.
- READ EACH NIGHT.
Make an area for your child to read in with his or her help. Grab a bean bag chair, fun accessories, a variety of books, and your child will have their own cozy reading corner.
Teach your child that reading is more than just for books. Practice reading magazines, comics, game instructions, and more—show your child reading is everywhere.
Act as a role model and read in front of your child. Watching you reading magazines, newspapers, and books shows your child that reading is important. Encourage your child to join you with their own book while you are reading.
Help your child apply what they are reading to everyday life. Making connections between books and your child’s own experience can help increase their interest in reading.
Give your child easy access to books and other reading materials at home. This helps them understand that reading doesn’t only happen at school—it can happen anywhere.
Making reading fun can be easy with a library card. Take advantage of the selection at THE public library by letting your child pick out a book that catches their attention.
After your child has finished a book, talk about what happened and ask what their favorite part was. This will enhance your child’s comprehension skills, and make reading a family activity.
Find a book that interests your child. Explore different genres like mystery, science-fiction, comic books, and more. The more interested your child is in a subject, the more they will be excited to read!
If your child has difficulty reading and gets frustrated, take a step back and see where they are struggling. Talk with their teacher and address the issue as soon as possible.
Make reading part of your child’s night-time routine. This habit helps your child learn to associate reading with relaxation.
Source: https://www.oxfordlearning.com/encourage-good-reading-habits/
No School on Monday, September 30th
School will not be in session on Monday, September 30th due to a teacher work day. Enjoy your three day weekend!
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Jaguar Journal
The class roster includes:
Adam Bailey, Alyssa Bailey, Anoushka Bhalla, Jackson Blattner, Claire Calhoun, Grayson Crutchlow, Ashley Davis, Gavin Davis, Alexis Doebelin, Duran Earleywine, Jacob Ferguson, Jameson Furkin, Aaron Gabrielson, Brendan Gordon, Sumner Henry, Tiger Li, Erica Mallott, Jacob Moore, Parker Orscheln, Rieley Palmer, Dylan Plank, Francesca Porter-Harel, Brandon Rodgers-Stemmle, Ava Schmidt, Kylar Serio, Luqman Sheth, Ryan Slade, Marko Tomovski, Kate Volmert and Charlie Walters.
Media Center Minute
Screen Time feature for student iPad
Is your student having issues using their school iPad too much? If so, you can set up Screen Time restrictions on their iPad. Apple Screen Time is a feature to address growing concerns around increased device usage. To get to this go to Settings and tap the Screen Time option on the left side of the screen. Choose “Turn On Screen Time” and follow the prompts to limit usage on the device. Be sure and set a passcode that your student will not know and keep it in a safe place where you will know it. The Screen Time feature also allows you to receive reports on device usage each week and limit apps that are on the device. The CPS device management system also limits the apps that can be added to the device, and our CPS filter keeps out explicit materials as well as other inappropriate materials.
Congratulations!
October Diversity Recognition and Celebration
Along with the many other celebrations that this time of year brings, October is also recognized as LGBTQ History Month. LGBTQ History Month is an annual, month-long observance of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender history, and the history of the gay rights and related civil rights movements. This year, Gentry’s Diversity Committee will be displaying a timeline depicting key moments in LGBTQ history. These depicted events will include court rulings, social events like the Stonewall Inn raid, and political events including the signing of the Defense of Marriage Act and later the legalization of marriage for same-sex couples. The first section of this timeline will be posted by the end of the first week of October and will be added to weekly and remain up throughout the month. For questions, please contact Diversity Committee members Erin Maynard emaynard@cpsk12.org or Caitlin Cunninghamcacunningham@cpsk12.org
EF Toronto Student Trip- Parent Informational Meeting
October Secondary School Lunch Menu
7th/8th Grade Girls and Boys Basketball Tryouts
Girls and boys basketball tryouts will begin in mid-October. Be sure that your child has turned in all of their MSHSAA paperwork to the main office PRIOR to tryouts. This paperwork can be found on our website or a paper copy can be obtained in our main office. Coaches will not be permitted to allow any student to begin the tryout process until all of this paperwork has been completed and is on file in the main office.
Advisory Lessons for September 30-October 4
Why do I use Google Drive?
Desired Outcome:
- Students will learn log in directions.
- The student will learn how to work on documents from any organization.
Various Documents
Desired Outcomes:
- The student will understand how to stay organized with various documents.
- The student will understand how to make various folders for different subjects.
Understanding other features with Google Drive
Desired Outcomes:
- The student will learn how to touch and drag files.
- The student will learn how to share documents and upload files to Schoology.
Lost & Found
This is a reminder that if your student has misplaced personal items, please encourage them to check out our Lost & Found area located in the cafeteria. If the item is small and/or valuable, they should check in the main office. If iPads are left unattended, they will be returned to the media center. Also, please encourage your student to label all their items for easy identification (lunch box, water bottle, coat...) as this will ensure an easier return.
Kindness Matters
OTIS Spunkmeyer Cookie Dough Fundraiser Orders
Our OTIS Spunkmeyer cookie dough orders will be arriving here at Gentry during the last week in October for pick up. Please be looking for further details on times and exact dates as we get closer to the final week in October.
Notes From the Nurse
In middle school, students have the freedom of responsibility to carry a dose of their own over the counter (OTC) medication. Examples include ibuprofen, Tylenol, Benadryl, allergy and cold medicine, cough drops, throat lozenges, eye drops, TUMS, Pepto-Bismol and Imodium.
- Secondary students are allowed to carry on their person over the counter medication needed for one school day. All self-administered medication must be in a container properly labeled by the pharmacy or manufacturer and enough for one school day at a time.
- Exceptions include Schedule II medications which students are never allowed to carry for self-administration. All Schedule II medications must be stored and administered through the health office.
- Students are not allowed to share medications.
With cold/flu season approaching, and allergy season upon us, having something at school to take can make a “not feeling good” day, a successful day of school. If you have any questions, please contact Gentry health office at 573-214-3246.
6th-8th Grade Archery Parent Informational Meeting
6th Grade Science Camp
6th Grade Science Camp
Our 6th graders are getting very excited about their approaching science camp field trip! We will once again be taking our sixth grade students to Camp Hickory Hill located at 5951 W. Hatton Chapel Road in Columbia. The camp is located about 5 miles north of the Columbia Mall. During the day students will be busy attending various learning stations that will introduce them to things such as hiking, fishing, historical weaponry, outdoor cooking and T-shirt tie dyeing, to name a few.
6th grade Science Camp Dates:
October 15-16 (Team M)
October 17-18 (Team G)
October 22-23 (Team S)
Picking Your Student Up During School Hours
When you need to check your child out of school during school hours for an occasional appointment, please call the school about 10 minutes prior to your arrival and we will make sure that your child is waiting in the office with their things when you arrive.
As always, please be sure to call the school if your child will be absent from school for any reason on a given day and/or provide the office with a medical excuse from your child's physician as attend medical appointments.
Looking Ahead (September 30-October 6)
Please see listed below the clubs and/or activities along with their locations that are occurring at Gentry Middle School for the upcoming week. Please know that activities are subject to occasional last minute changes. Feel free to contact the main office at 214-3240 or visit our website if you have any further questions.
Monday, September 30: Teacher Work Day/School Not in Session
4:30-7:00 pm- 8th Football Practice/Shed and Field
2:35-4:30 pm- 7th/8th Cross County Practice/Outside
5:30-7:00 pm- Cheer Squad Cheering for VB Home Game/Up Commons Warm-Up
6:00 pm- 7th Volleyball Match vs. Thomas Jefferson @ GMS
6:00 pm- 8th Volleyball Match @ Thomas Jefferson
Tuesday, October 1: (B Day)
2:35-4:00 pm- 6th Grade Intramural Kickball and Ultimate Frisbee/Outside
2:35-5:30 pm- 8th Grade Football Practice/Shed and Field
2:35-4:00 pm- Fall Play Rehearsal/Stage
2:35-4:00 pm- eSports Club/Media Center
2:35-4:00 pm- Student Ambassadors Meeting/Media Center
5:30-6:30 pm- 7th/8th Cross Country Practice/Gans Creek Recreational Area
6:00 pm- EF Toronto Trip Parent Informational Meeting/Media Center
Wednesday, October 2: (A Day)
7:00-7:25 am- FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes)/Up Commons
2:35-5:30 pm- 8th Grade Football Practice/Shed and Field
2:35-4:00 pm- Advanced Gaming Club/Rm. 168
5:30-6:00 pm- Cheer Squad Cheering for Home VB Game/Up Commons Warm-up
4:00-5:00 pm- Cross Country Meet @ Gans Creek Park
6:00-8:00 pm- 7th Volleyball Match @ Jefferson
6:00-8:00 pm- 8th Volleyball Match vs. Jefferson @ Gentry
Thursday, October 3: (B Day)
7:00-7:25 am- Jaguar PAWS (Gender and Sexuality Alliance)/Rm. 216
2:35-4:00 pm- Outdoor Club/Rm. 108
2:35-4:30 pm- 7th/8th Cross Country Practice/Annex C and Outside
2:35-4:00 pm- Fall Play Rehearsal/Stage
2:35-4:00 pm- Show Choir Rehearsal/Annex N
2:35-4:00 pm- 6th Grade Intramural Kickball and Ultimate Frisbee/Outside
2:35-4:00 pm- Advanced Gaming Club/Rm. 168
4:30-5:00 pm- 7th/8th Cheer Squad Cheering for Home VB Game/Up Commons Warm-ups
5:00-6:00 pm- 7th Volleyball (V only) Match vs. Troy (V) @ GMS
6:00-7:00 pm- 8th Volleyball (V only) Match vs. Troy (V) @ GMS
7:00 pm- 8th Football Game vs. Smithton @ Battle High School
Friday, October 4: (A Day)
2:35-4:30 pm- 7th/8th Cross Country Practice (Top 22)/Annex C and Outside
2:35-5:00 pm- 8th VB (optional) Practice/Gym
2:35-5:30 pm- 8th Football Practice/Shed and Field
6:00 pm- 8th Grade Band @ RBHS Football Game/RBHS
Saturday, October 5:
8:00 am-12:00 pm- Fall Play Tech Work/Stage and Cafe
8:00 am-8th VB (V only) Jefferson City Invitational @ Jefferson City/Times TBA
10-11:00 am- 7th/8th Cross County (Top 22 only) Trail Run/Scott Trailhead TBA
Sunday, October 6:
There are no activities scheduled for today.
Future Dates to Remember
9/30/19- Teacher Work Day/School Not in Session
10/1- EF Toronto Trip Parent Informational Meeting @ 6:00 pm
10/4/19- 8th Grade Band Performance @ RBHS Home Football Game
10/15 and 10/16- 6th Grade (Team M) Science Camp/Camp Hickory Hill
10/15- 6th Grade Rotation 2 (R2) Schedule Begins Today
10/15- 6th-8th Grade Archery Parent Informational Meeting @ 6:00 pm
10/16- PTSA Meeting in the Media Center @ 6:00 pm
10/17 and 10/18- 6th Grade (Team G) Science Camp/Camp Hickory Hill
10/21 Girls and Boys Basketball Tryouts Begin/Dates and Times TBA
10/22 and 10/23- 6th Grade (Team S) Science Camp/Camp Hickory Hill
10/24- The Seussification of Romeo and Juliet Performance @ 7:00 pm
10/25- The Seussification of Romeo and Juliet Performance @ 7:00 pm
10/26- The Seussification of Romeo and Juliet Matinee Performance @ 3:00 pm
10/28- Award Band Auditions @ 4:30 pm
10/29- Fall Choir Concert @ 6:00 pm
10/30- Flu Clinic
10/30- Fall Athletic Recognition Ceremony @ 6:30 pm
10/31- Teacher Work Day/School Not in Session
Dr. Fairouz Bishara
Email: fbishara@cpsk12.org
Website: https://www.cpsk12.org/Domain/17
Phone: (573) 214-3240
Twitter: @FairouzBishara