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Pikesville Middle School Newsletter December 2017
From the Principal's Desk
Dear Pikesville Middle School Families,
It’s difficult to believe that we are already in December! This school year seems to be moving at an incredible pace. I must take a moment to celebrate our students, who were recognized for their academic work during the first quarter. In grade six, we had 15 students with all A’s; 126 students on the Honor Roll. In grade seven, we had 47 students with all A’s; 161 students on the Honor Roll. In grade eight, we had 37 students with all A’s; 133 students on the Honor Roll. That’s quite amazing! I am so proud of our students and their hard work for the first quarter and look forward to celebrating even more students for their academic achievements for their second quarter efforts.
On Wednesday, December 6th, our new dance program was featured at our BCPS monthly principal’s meeting. A group of sixth grade students performed the opening selection to kick off the monthly principal’s meeting. To state that I am so very proud of our students for the outstanding routine that they did for over 200 principals and central office staff is a huge understatement. Congratulations to Ms. Crockett, Dance Teacher, for being recognized for her work with our new dance program.
Please join us for our winter concert series that will take place the week of December 18th. It's also not too late to join the PTA at Pikesville Middle-get your membership forms in to the school.
On behalf of Mr. Sullivan, Mrs. Hammel, Ms. Luechtefeld, and the teachers and staff at Pikesville Middle, I would like to take this time to wish everyone a wonderful winter break. I am so proud of the work that we are doing at Pikesville Middle School. It gives me great pleasure to share the accomplishments of our students, staff and community of Pikesville Middle School. Enjoy your families and friends during this winter break.
Sincerely,
Kalisha T. Miller
Important Dates to Remember
December 12: Basketball Game @ PMS 4:00 pm-Girls; 5:00 pm-Boys
December 13 Middle School Matters: A Student Forum for elementary school parents 6:00-7:00pm in the school cafeteria
December 13 PTA Meeting 7:00-8:00pm library (note time change)
December 14: Basketball Game @PMS 4:00 pm-Girls; 5:00 pm-Boys
December 14 4:00-6:00pm Parent Conference Night
December 17 Barnes and Noble Book Fair, Pikesville, 2:00pm (through December 23)
December 18 6th grade Winter Dance and Concert Series (see schedule below)
December 19 7th grade Winter Dance and Concert Series (see schedule below)
December 20 8th grade Winter Dance and Concert Series (see schedule below)
December 22 Winter Break Begins
January 2 School Reopens
Barnes and Noble Book Fair Kick Off December 17 at 2pm
Book Fair Kick Off Sunday, December 17, 2017 at 2:00pm
The Book Fair runs December 17-23
Barnes & Noble
1819 Reisterstown Rd
Pikesville, MD 21208
20% of all sales the week of December 17-23 go to the PTA to support programming for the school | Please mention Pikesville Middle PTA at check out!
Can't make it to the store? That's OK! Buy online!
Visit BN.COM/bookfairs to support us online from December 17-23, 2017
by entering 12273199 at checkout.
November's Teacher of the Month: Ms. Crockett
November's Dad of the Month: Mr. Gaylord
December's Dad of the Month: Mr. Joyner
6th Grade News Flash by Ms. Luechtefeld
In November, we celebrated the success of many of our 6th grade students during our First Quarter Awards Ceremony. It was nice to see students cheer on and congratulate each other for receiving various awards including Honor Roll, displaying Pikesville PRIDE, and perfect attendance.
Students have been hard at work in their classrooms and are learning fun and exciting ways to incorporate technology into their lessons. Students are often using their devices on a daily basis so it is vital that these are charged every night to allow for an optimal class period.
Lastly, we are working hard to get ready for a field trip to North Bay! On March 21st we will head to North Bay education center in Cecil County, Maryland. During the three-day, two-night trip the students will participate in many fun indoor and outdoor activities that will allow them to learn more about their environment while interacting with it. In addition they participate in character development exercises that teach them about the lasting impact of their actions on their personal futures. We will be holding an informational session soon so you can learn more about this exciting opportunity!
Ms. Sheila Luechtefeld
410-887-1207
The 7th Grade Scoop by Mrs. Hammel
Greetings 7th grade families and friends! What a month we have had! The Ice cream social/ dance party was a great success. Students in attendance enjoyed ice cream treats and live music provided by our very own Dj Black Wizard. Please continue to encourage your students to do well in class in order to participate in our next incentive activity (Minute to Win It)! Report cards were sent home on November 16th, and the number of students on Honor Roll and Principals Honor Roll was amazing! We held our first awards assembly and all students in attendance had an opportunity to earn some cool prizes, including Chick-fil-a gift cards, PMS t-shirts, free- seating at lunch passes and even Cold Stone gift cards. Interim reports will be distributed on December 7th. Please continue to encourage your students to do their very best as we enter final month of the 2017 year! As always, we thank you for your continued support! Your 7th Grade Team.
Mrs. Anne Hammel
410-887-1207
8th Grade Updates from Mr. Sullivan
November was a great month for our 8th grade students here at Pikesville Middle School. There were so many wonderful things to celebrate as the first quarter came to an end. We were thrilled to be able to celebrate all of the accomplishments at our first quarter awards assembly which was attended by every eighth grade student. Our students’ hard work and perseverance was evident by the large number of students earning awards. Some of our students were honored for their demonstration of a particular aspect of the Python Pledge (Prepared, Respectful, Inclusive, Diverse, Engaged). Many earned a certificate for Perfect Attendance. Other students were honored as making significant improvement, earning the On-A-Roll Award. For the first quarter of this school year, 137 students made honor roll and of those students, 37 made the Principal’s List, earning straight As.
The number of awards earned by students only helps to highlight the amazing work that is going everyday with our 8th grade students. When you have an opportunity to visit classrooms and actually see the work being done, it gives you a great appreciation for their hard work and their talents. We are fortunate to be able to showcase the talents of our students at events after school and we hope that you are able to visit to help us encourage and celebrate them. One of the next events is our winter concert series. This is always a great event and it allows our students to demonstrate their hard work and dedication to the music program. New this year to our winter series is a dance performance. Despite being a new program to the school, our dance students have immersed themselves in their work and have a lot of great talents to showcase. Many other 8th grade students will be participating in this year’s STEAM night, which will be a great event geared toward, Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics. We also hope to see you at some of our basketball games, all of which will be played on our new hard wood gym floor. Coming off an undefeated season, there is a lot of excitement in the air and anticipation of another great season.
Announcements
Second quarter interims will be distributed to students on December 7, 2017. Parent conference night will be held on December 14, 2017 from 4-6 p.m.
We are hoping for great turnouts for our home basketball games this season. We wanted to remind students and their families that attendance at basketball games is a privilege. Students who are not meeting the Python PRIDE Code of Conduct will not be permitted to attend. Students will also need to be in possession of their school ID. We always expect high levels of excitement, respect, and encouragement for our players and the guests that enter building. Therefore, inappropriate behaviors will result in future loss of game privileges.
The 8th grade team wishes you a fun and healthy holiday season.
It's Academic
English Language Arts
Classroom spelling bees are now taking place. The top two winners from every class move on to the school-wide written spelling bee to be held before winter break. In language arts classes, sixth graders continue their study of Greek mythology, seventh graders are beginning to read the play A Raisin in the Sun, and eighth graders are studying the art of suspenseful storytelling. The ELA department also thanks Ms. Laura Getty and our parent helpers for another successful Book Fair. We love to see our students excited about reading!
Social Studies
National History Day has begun in some 6th and 7th grade classes. Students have selected a Conflict and Compromise in History. Students have turned their topic into a thesis, collected primary and secondary sources, and began to take research notes. 6th grade has progressed from early human societies to the civilizations of Mesopotamia and Egypt. 7th graders are learning about the Pre-Columbian societies of the Aztec, Inca, and Maya. 8th grade American History is moving into their Unit 2 which includes the French and Indian War then onto the British Acts/Taxes.
Math
Second Quarter is off and running, we have had some mathematic class changes that are going well. We would like to welcome Mr. Marcellino to our Mathematics team. 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 Perpendicular and Parallel Lines. Remember the textbook is online in BCPSOne – Digit Content. We wish everyone a great winter break!
World Languages
Bonjour et Buenos Dias! We are having fun communicating in French and Spanish this month. All classes are now in Unit 2, and we have been talking about school in level 1 classes and our communities in level 2. French and Spanish 1 students have been very busy learning new skills. By the end of Unit 2, students will be able to communicate about their school day, tell time, and say how they feel about their classes. They will also be able to talk about the differences in cafeteria lunches in various countries as well. French 2 students are mapping out their ideal city, and will be learning how to give and follow map directions. Spanish 2 students are talking about their childhood and what they used to do when there were younger. They are using the imperfect tense to discuss how it ‘used to be’.
All students have been using authentic websites, videos and readings to practice using the language, therefore is very important to make sure your child has his or her device charged and in class. Some teachers are using the BCPSone tests and quizzes feature for daily drills as a “practice” grade, so having a device keeps them up to date. We are using lesson tiles for the majority of the activities, so it is needed daily. 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.
Winter Concert Series
Monday December 18
6th Grade Orchestra 6:00 p.m. S. Norris
6th Grade Chorus 6:30 p.m. B. Permenter
6th Grade Band 7:00 p.m. A. Auffarth
6th Grade Dance 7:30 p.m. S. Crockett
Tuesday December 19
7 Grade Standard Orchestra 6:00 p.m. S. Norris
7 Grade Standard Chorus 6:30 p.m. B. Permenter
7 Grade Standard Band 7:00 p.m. C. Yadush
8 Grade Standard Chorus 7:30 p.m. B. Permenter
Wednesday December 20
7/8 Grade Honors Orchestra 6:00 p.m. S. Norris
6/7/8 Grade Honors Chorus 6:30 p.m. B. Permenter
7/8 Grade Honors Band 7:00 p.m. C. Yadush
7/8 Dance 7:30 p.m. S. Crockett
The PTA @ Pikesville Middle
WEDNESDAY'S MEETING IS Dec. 13, FROM 7-8PM! NOTE THE CHANGE IN TIME!
AGENDA: SCHOOL UNIFORMS
RAFFLE PRIZES at EVERY PTA MEETING!
Everyone who attends gets entered to win a raffle prize! December raffles: Sephora sample bag; Pikesville Discount Card; Arbonne make up!
Thanks for making American Education Week a Success!
Thanks to those volunteers who helped out! Candice Rodriguez, Aileen Losin, Yelena Nabutovsky, Renne McNair-McFarlane, Irene Hacket-Brown, LaShaune Stitt, Allyson Simon, Nikki Robbins, Tomeka Givens, Vann Joyner, Kia Pearson, Christine Purefoy, Regina Gee, Adrienne Gordon, AND Alicia Danyali
We want to welcome 10 new families to our PTA who signed up during American Education Week!
PTA BOARD FOR 2017-18
President: Adrienne Gordon
Vice President: Alicia Danyali
Treasurer: Chava Elgamil
Secretary: Regina Gee
Google Phone Number: 443-738-4660
NEVER FORGET A MEETING AGAIN!
Would you like text reminders for upcoming PTA meetings? If so, click HERE to enroll. Your cell phone number will remain private, and you will receive text reminders before meetings.
DON'T FORGET TO like us on Facebook and check your news feed for important updates!
THE PTA WISHES YOU AND YOUR FAMILY A WONDERFUL HOLIDAY SEASON!
SEE YOU NEXT YEAR!
BOXTOPS NEEDED: 10 TOPS FOR 1,000
If every family brings in 10 boxtops by February, we will raise $1,000 for our school. Bring your boxtops to the main office. Print out a collection sheet here. Boxtops are often found on name-brand items like cereal, sandwich bag boxes, food boxes, kleenex boxes, etc. Thank you for your support! Want to know what products have box tops? Click on boxtops.
Online PTA Store & Current Fundraisers
MAKES A GREAT TEACHER GIFT!
Pikesville Discount Cards Still Available!
Purchase a Discount Card for year-long discounts at Rita's, Miller's Deli, Subway, Dunkin Donuts, California Tortilla, and many others! Cost: $10 at PTA events; $10.50 online. To purchase online, click here.
50% of sales go to the PTA at Pikesville Middle.
Mixed Bags Fundraiser a Hit!
Your Mixed Bags items will arrive in time for the holidays. Stay tuned for pick up details. Thanks for supporting this fundraiser! The PTA raised $694.16! Many thanks to 6th grade mom and PTA VP Alicia Danyali for making this a success--and to the parents who supported this fundraiser!
REMINDER: JUST CHARGE IT!
Pikesville Middle School Vision
Pikesville Middle School students will develop excellence in academics, character, and habits of mind by participating in student-centered learning experiences that promote 21st century skills.
Pikesville Middle School Mission
Pikesville Middle School aims to promote a safe, equitable, learner-centered environment for all students. In order to prepare our students for high school, college and careers, we will:
- Provide rigorous, relevant, and responsive instruction to all students.
- Establish supportive respectful relationships that encourage responsive behaviors.
- Instill healthy habits to support positive social, emotional, physical, and academic development.
- Establish strong values and citizenship within and beyond the school community.
About Us
Assistant Principals
Grade 6: Ms.Luechtefeld sluechtefeld@bcps.org
Grade 7: Mrs. A. Hammel ahammel@bcps.org
Grade 8: Mr. M. Sullivan msullivan2@bcps.org
To report an absence, please send a note in with your child upon their return to school.
FAX 410-887-1259
Other Important Numbers:
Guidance: 410-887-6725
Cafeteria: 410-887-1209
Library: 410-887-1272
Nurse: 410-424-9347
Email: lsilverman2@bcps.org
Website: https://pikesvillems.bcps.org/
Location: 7701 Seven Mile Lane, Pikesville, MD 21208, United States
Phone: 410-887-1207
Twitter: @PikesvilleM