AMS Weekly Update
March 22, 2024
The Musselwhite Memo
· Click here for instructions for accessing report card grades in Parent Portal.
As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out. Remember to be the difference and have a great Bearcat Day!
Week at a Glance
MONDAY - MARCH 25
- AMS Tennis vs. Mineral Wells @ AHS
- Dance Team Tryout Clinic - Day 1
TUESDAY - MARCH 26
- Band @ UIL
- AMS Track @ MMS
- Dance Team Tryout Clinic - Day 2
WEDNESDAY - MARCH 27
- Band UIL
- GRIT @ Grapevine Colleyville
- Dance Team Tryout Clinic - Day 3
THURSDAY - MARCH 28
- Dance Team Tryouts
FRIDAY - MARCH 29
- Staff & Student Holiday
AMS and the Solar Eclipse
We are excited to have our Bearcats in school on Monday, April 8, 2024, for the historic Total Eclipse day! Stay tuned for information from your campus as each campus has plans for students to have a great day of learning while experiencing the eclipse.
The start of the partial eclipse for Aledo will begin at 12:21 PM CDT and end at 3:01 PM CDT. Total eclipse will take place at 1:40:43 PM CDT and last until 1:41:09 PM CDT. Spectators in the Aledo area will observe 100% obscuration of the sun during this time.
For an interactive map of the path of totality and exact times for a specific area, spectators may use this link to the Path of Totality interactive Google Eclipse map. You can also download Totality app on your smart phone.
Eclipse Safety
Watching a solar eclipse is awesome, but it's crucial to keep safety in mind. NASA has some easy-to-follow guidelines for you to remember during the eclipse. Check these out!
· Inspect eclipse glasses or handheld viewer. If torn, scratched or damaged - DISCARD THE DEVICE
· ALWAYS supervise children using solar devices. Concentrated solar rays will burn through optical device filters and cause serious eye injury.
· DO NOT look at the sun directly or through the following devices:
o Camera Lens
o Telescope
o Binoculars
o Other optical devices
Additional Resources
Activities:
o Use this data sheet to record the air temperature measurements during the total solar eclipse.
· Arizona State University Eclipse Activities
o Free downloadable resources and activities that you can use in your classroom or share out in your community.
Videos:
· National Geographic's Solar Eclipse 101 - Viewing Safety and Occurrence:
o To learn more about how solar eclipses occur and how to view the sun safety, go to National Geographic’s Solar Eclipse 101.
· NASA - What Is an Annular Eclipse? To learn more about an annular eclipse, why it happens, and why it creates a “ring of fire” in the sky, visit NASA’s What Is an Annular Eclipse?
We plan for all students to go to the AMS Stadium to view the eclipse - glasses will be provided. However, we understand that some parents may have concerns or preferences regarding their student's participation in this event. If you do not wish for your student to participate in viewing the solar eclipse, please fill out the Google Form linked below by April 1, 2024.
Bearcat of Character - Evan Danals
We are proud to celebrate 6th Grader, Evan Danals as our Bearcat of Character for Humility. Evan has the ability to recognize his own strengths and accomplishments while remaining modest and respectful towards others. By embracing humility, Evan fosters a collaborative learning environment where everyone's contributions are valued. His modesty inspires others to work together, creating a positive atmosphere for growth and mutual support.
2024-2025 Course Requests (6th and 7th Grade ONLY)
Thank you for submitting your course requests for next school year! If you need to change a selection please complete the form linked below. This form needs to be completed by a parent or guardian.
Congratulations, 8th Grade RLA
Congratulations 🎉🎉🎉 to our AMS 8th Grade RLA team for being selected, along with their MMS counterparts, as AISD's Featured Collaborative Team!!! Christin Coyne, Renee Pokrifcsak, and Kristin Seals: these ladies are AMAZING educators, and their team embodies the effective collaboration possible in a PLC. This team's focus on learning has allowed their students to grow as readers AND writers!
Student Identification Cards
The Aledo Independent School District wants its students, staff, and parents to know the priority we place on safety and security. Proactive measures include extensive emergency operations plans, regularly scheduled safety drills, video camera monitoring throughout the district, controlled access to all facilities, and School-Based Law Enforcement at all district campuses. Inan additional effort to prioritize school safety Aledo ISD will require all 6th - 12th grade studentsto wear ID badges whenever present on school property during the school day.
Each 6th - 12th grade student will receive a photo ID badge and a lanyard at the beginning of
each school year. Throughout the school day, students will be required to clearly display their
ID around the neck with school-issued lanyard. Students will be required to wear the lanyard
and ID at all times unless the lanyard and ID pose a potential safety concern for a class activity, such as PE/athletics or in a science lab. Teachers will instruct students to remove their lanyard and ID if there is a safety concern for the class activity.
Requirements:
• ID badges must be worn with the picture facing out.
• ID badges must not be defaced or altered in any way
• ID badges must be worn on top of the outermost layer of clothing.
The 18th Annual Aledo AdvoCats Run, Walk, Crawl is March 23!
If your New Year’s resolutions involve giving back and getting fit, the AdvoCats family-friendly GLOW 1K/5K race supporting local students and families is for you! You can register NOW for the 18th annual Run, Walk or Crawl set for Saturday, March 23rd at Aledo ISD Bearcat Stadium. Click here to register!
Class of Shirts
Don't forget to order your CLASS OF shirt from Bigfoot Ink! Click the link below!
Attendance MATTERS!
What that means - prioritize school attendance!
What that does not mean - we are NOT encouraging students to come to school sick!
For Cycle 4 our CHALLENGE once again is 97%+ !
We will continue to recognize grade levels who meet this goal each week!
Check out this week's percentages:
6th Grade - 97.21%
7th Grade - 93.75%
8th Grade - 94.59%
AMS - 95.17%
WEEKLY WINNER - 6th Grade
Aledo PTO
Our Parent-Teacher Organization is a volunteer group dedicated to supplementing the needs of every campus in the district.
Aledo PTO strives to provide exceptional educational experiences for AISD students through community building, partnerships with local sponsors, school supplies for classrooms, scholarships, and staff appreciation throughout the district. Aledo ISD staff can join the Aledo PTO for only $5!
More about Aledo PTO | Follow the Aledo PTO Facebook page
Tutorial Schedule
Check out the schedules below:
6th Grade
- Tuesday - Jones (RLA) and Bernard (Science)
- Wednesday - Shifflett (Math) and Griffith (SS)
- Thursday - Penner (RLA) and Click (Math)
- Friday- Lasater (Science) and Blanton (SS)
7th Grade
- Tuesday - Newkirk (Science) and Cantu (Math)
- Wednesday - Jenkins (Science) and Jones (RLA)
- Thursday - Watson (Math) and Tom (RLA)
8th Grade
- Monday - Pokrifcsak (RLA)
- Tuesday - Lyle (Math) and Daves (Science)
- Wednesday - Seals (RLA) and Winn (Math)
- Thursday - Shreck (SS) and Cook (Science)
- Friday - Coyne (RLA)
A Note from Nurse Hammons
Please see link below for the following forms:
- Medication Form
- Authorization for Self-Administration/ Self-Carry of Asthma or Anaphylaxis Medication
- Special Dietary Needs
The Positivity Project
Dear Families,
This week our school community will be focusing on the character strength of Fairness. Fairness means you believe that all people have value. You approach situations with an unbiased mindset and treat everyone with respect.
Fairness is the product of moral judgement — the process by which people determine what is morally right and what is morally wrong. Moral reasoning has been explored and analyzed in two main traditions: the justice reasoning approach and the care reasoning approach.
For individuals, cultivating the character strength of fairness is correlated with highly desirable developmental outcomes. It helps people to become trustworthy friends, responsible citizens, and generally moral people.
To practice and encourage the character strength of fairness with your child, please visit the Positivity Project’s P2 for Families (password: P2) where together you will watch a video, read a quote and talk about the answers to three questions.
Have a wonderful week!
Damaged Chromebook?
Lunch Deliveries
In the event that you need to deliver lunch to your student, please follow the steps below:
- Please be sure that the lunch is clearly labeled with your student's first and last name.
- Upon entering AMS, please place your student's lunch in the bin assigned to your student's grade level lunch.
- The bins will be delivered at the start of each lunch period. Students will be responsible for getting their lunches from the bin.
Again, we request that you limit lunch deliveries when possible. Also, in order to limit distractions, we will not call students out of class to receive lunches.
Thank you for your help with this!
Aledo Middle School
Email: mmusselwhite@aledoisd.org
Website: https://www.aledoisd.org/AMS
Location: 416 FM 1187, Aledo, TX, USA
Phone: (817)441-5198
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AledoMSBearcats
Twitter: @aledo_ms