Creekside Chronicle
February 24th, 2023
Important Dates
Mr. Doyle's Message
I invite you to provide your feedback by completing the 11th annual Illinois State Board of Education 5Essentials Survey. Your feedback is important to our continued growth to ensure we, at Creekside and District 200, do all that we can to support our students and our families.
I would love 100% participation but my realistic goal is 20%. Currently, we are at 16% (thank you to those who have completed the survey).
To take the survey please visit https://survey.5-essentials.org/Illinois/ and select the appropriate school survey to begin. (It should take no more than 5 minutes to complete)
Thank you in advance for your feedback! It truly means a lot to me! Now let's crush our goal!
Enthusiastically,
Mr. Doyle
Student Services Support Section!
Healthy Falcon Habits!
How do we build healthy habits in our students?
It can be hard to support students developing healthy habits. Whether it is trying to get more sleep, put away electronics before bed, or drink more water, we all need someone to help hold us accountable. Building healthy habits while also breaking bad ones is challenging.
Build Awareness
One of the most important strategies we can implement to best support our students is to simply be aware. We often do these things without even realizing it. Kindly pointing out that, “Joey, you are chewing with your mouth open,” can be the first step. We do or say these things in the hope that students, kids, or other adults can begin to self-monitor their own behavior or habits they wish to build. With patience and support, Joey can tell himself, “I’m chewing with my mouth open,” and correct himself. When students are able to develop that self-awareness, they are better equipped to be more independent and track their own habits.
If you would like more information on this subject, please watch this short video that students will be watching on March 8th, to discuss their progress on their own habits.
Please contact any one of us with questions or concerns about your child’s social, emotional, or mental health during the school year. We’ll be there for you!
Mrs. Nieman (School Counselor) hnieman@wcusd200.org
Mr. Dague (School Social Worker) adague@wcusd200.org
Ms. Tucker (School Social Worker) atucker@wcusd200.org
Miss Winters (School Social Worker) swinters@wcusd200.org
Exploratories & PE
ART:
Students at the middle school level are beginning to explore the possibilities of communicating personal and societal concerns in a visual manner. They are learning that art can go far beyond that which is aesthetically pleasing .It can be used as a vehicle for self-expression. Middle school students are acquiring the knowledge that the ups and downs, joy and angst, laughter and tears of the human experience can be communicated by creating tangible pieces that reach the viewer in a visual manner. I wish to foster the students' growing discovery that they have a voice, that their voice is important and deserves to be heard, and that visual art is a tangible long lasting vehicle through which to speak loudly to a world they might feel doesn’t always listen to young minds. As my students delve into new classroom projects, I encourage them to avoid the formulaic, look within, and share what they find with the world. It’s not easy to frame your soul and hang it upon a wall, but it’s cathartic and good. Throughout his/her lifetime, an artist writes a thousand stories without jotting down a single word. Art gives you a voice; loud, personal, articulate.
MUSIC
Rotation 4 has gotten off to a running start! In guitar class, we are nearing the end of our first unit, learning our E minor and A minor chords, and a sea shanty! We have also begun working on our extended project, the Great Guitars Exploration. In keyboards we are now into our 2nd unit, reviewing identification of staff notes, and learning to read music off of a grand staff. We have also begun our extended project, the Independent Study.
21st Century Skills
As February comes to a wrap, so do our first set of 21st Century Skills projects. Now that the 8th grade students have collected data from their carnival games designed by them, they will start crunching numbers to determine how profitable their games would be at the fair if 500 people played them. This project will conclude with a persuasive presentation outlining these findings to be presented to those in charge of planning the fair. 7th grade students are putting the finishing touches on their tiny home designs. An advertising brochure, materials data table, and system diagram will round out this project. 6th grade students have collected data to assist in the planning of a fundraiser. They will use this data to create marketing in the form of commercials and posters, then conclude with a cost analysis to determine how profitable they expect the fundraiser to be. Each of these projects will be graded using the rubrics located on the 21st Century Skills website grade level pages.
WORLD LANGUAGE:
Last week we just started learning how to recognize and write Chinese Characters. Students learned about the Evolution of Chinese Characters, helping them have a better understanding of each Chinese symbol.
This week we are learning how to write numbers (0~10):零,一,二,三,四,五,六,七,八,九,十. Last but not least, students will have a chance to experience how to write and draw with Chinese calligraphy brushes.
HEALTH:
We have reached the mid-way point of rotation 4. We will begin to have some end of unit assessments collected and scored in the next week for our first units of study. Any test or quiz can be retaken to improve a student's score/grade. 8th Grade students have hopefully gotten started on their research project. We will be inviting in some guest presenters from Turning Point and Healthy Choices in early March to supplement information relating to each grade level's curriculum - Healthy relationships for 8th grade, Bullying Prevention and Character Building for 7th grade, and healthy Friendships for 6th grade.
PE:
As we come to the end of February, all grade levels will be wrapping up 3 smaller PE units. Team Handball was brand new to all grades and the kids seemed to really enjoy this new game/sport (it’s actually an Olympic sport during the summer games). Students stayed busy in the fitness room working on their cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength and muscular endurance. Our Polar GoFit program (heart rate sensors and straps) is providing students with a better understanding of their “healthy heart rate zones.” Indoor games rounded out these rotations with everything from indoor soccer, a few matball/kickball variations and flickerball. March is right around the corner and that means it’s basketball season in PE classes. Students will go through a few skills days and lead up games early on and eventually combine with another teacher’s class to play 3 on 3 or 4 on 4 short court games. When they are not paired up for basketball, students will continue to work in the fitness room. Our spring fitness testing will take place either right before spring break or right away when we return from break. Please reach out to your child’s PE teacher if you have any questions or concerns along the way.
ORCHESTRA:
We have our March concert coming up on March 7 at 6 PM. Students need to wear white/black, arrive at 5:25 if they’re in CPO (all others arrive at 5:40), and bring their instruments/music. We will be selling Nothing Bundt Cakes for $5 before and after the concert if you’d like one. They take credit card, cash, or you can pay with apple pay.
We postponed the Blue Lake audition date to March 7 so if your child would like to be considered for a scholarship for them, please fill out the form on the website I emailed so you can find out how much money they’d received to go to camp.
March 15th students need to wear their orchestra shirts to school for our group pictures! These pictures will go in the year book and be taken during class.
Apr 24, 2023 is our D200 Orchestra Festival Performance at WNHS with ALL the orchestra students from the district! Students will wear their orchestra t-shirts for this event.
CHOIR:
Exciting month ahead.
MUSICAL AUDITIONS - March 1, 2. Your child has info for you to sign if they wish to be a a part of this production.
Our next Choir Concert is Monday, March 6 at 7:00pm in the Cafetorium.
D200 Festival concert is Monday, March 20 at 7:00pm in the WHS Gymnasium
Bass/Treble Choir Tour is Friday, March 24 during the school day.
BAND:
There is SO much happening in band from now until the end of the school year!
Wednesday, March 8 is our CMS & WHS Progress Concert at Woodstock High School at 7pm. Call time will be 6:30pm. Specific information has been emailed to you. We can’t wait to show you all of the things we’re working on for later in the year!
Jazz Band will be going on a tour of the elementary schools that feed into CMS on Friday, March 24 during the school day with the Treble and Bass Choirs. Look for more info on that coming soon.
Creekside Winter Hats!
Kindness Closet
CMS Associate Position Openings!
WONDERFUL Creekside staff members! I will then share your words with the whole Creekside Staff as a Token of Appreciation! :)
The health, safety, and wellness of our students is a priority for our CMS Student Services department.
Creekside Middle School
Assistant Principal: Tyler Carlson
Dean of Students: Jason Laidig
Secretary to the Principal: Kerrie Butenschoen
Secretary to the Assistant Principal: Adriana Silva-Rodriguez
Nurse: Carla Schrock
Office Hours: 7:30 am - 4:30 pm
Email: rdoyle@wcusd200.org
Website: https://www.woodstockschools.org/creekside
Location: 3201 Hercules Road, Woodstock, IL, USA
Phone: 815-337-5200