Valley Middle School
May 2023
Important Dates
- May 10th - Early Dismissal
- May 29th - No School (Memorial Day)
- June 1st - Last Day of School
District Parent and Family Engagement Policy
GFC Cheer Tryouts
Hair Club
Summer Events
End Of The Year Letter
Lets Explore Aerospace Youth Event 6/16/23
To the University of North Dakota Community,
Aviation Education Student Outreach Program (AESOP) is looking for Middle Schoolers to join us for a ½ day full of UND Aerospace activities. This will be on Friday, June 16th from 12:45-4pm. This special Youth Event is a one-time opportunity due to UND Aerospace hosting the start of Air Race Classic! If you have a student interested in participating, please fill out this form: https://und.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_eqwAhIBAsD9z0jk
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to mikaila.gillis@und.edu or flyund@aero.und.edu. Have a great day!
UND Money Hawks Summer Camp
Altru Safe Kids Winter Weather
Athletics
Block IV Sports
Please complete this form to sign up for:
*Girls Track & Field (March 27th-May20th)
*Boys Track & Field (March 27th-May20th)
* Girls Soccer (April 3rd-May20th)
Additionally:
1. Make sure your athlete has a physical: https://www.gfschools.org/site/handlers/filedownload.ashx?moduleinstanceid=10546&dataid=15605&FileName=NDHSAA_Physical_Form_approved%202019.pdf
2. Fill out and turn in the concussion form: https://www.gfschools.org/site/handlers/filedownload.ashx?moduleinstanceid=10546&dataid=20105&FileName=GFPS_Concussion_Form.pdf
3. Pay $50 for each season using https://www.myschoolbucks.com/ver2/login/getlogin.*
*Please reach out to Dr. Larson if there is a hardship. hlarson230@mygfschools.org
The MySchoolBucks (MSB) Store is open for families to use! Families can pay for athletic fees, purchase bus tickets and other items online or via the MySchoolBucks button on the Grand Forks Public Schools' smartphone app.
POWERSCHOOL ONLINE REGISTRATION
A reminder was sent out in November to families that have not completed the mandatory online PowerSchool registration. You must use the PowerSchool Parent Portal to access the Registration link. The registration feature is not available using a cell phone and must be completed on a computer or laptop. If you do not have a computer, we have availability at our office for you to complete the registration.
If you do not remember your PowerSchool login information or need to update your information, please call our office at 701-746-2360 for assistance.
High School Summer School Registration
The Grand Forks Public Schools high school summer school registration form is now open! If your student has any questions or needs assistance with registering for high school summer school, please have them speak with their school counselor.
6th Grade Dragons
News - Our 6th-grade students are preparing for our season-ending 6th Grade Track Meet. For those of you who aren’t familiar, the 6th Grade Track Meet is an opportunity for students to participate in various activities and races with Valley and other schools in the district. The track meet will be Thursday, May 18 starting at 11:00 AM at Cushman Field. The field events will start at 11:00 AM and running events will start at approximately 12:15.
Science - We have just finished the unit Gravity and Kinetic Energy. The last unit we will explore is a unit on Waves. This unit will take us to the end of the school year.
Math - We are finding percents of numbers to help students understand how to find discounts while shopping. We will be finishing the year with geometry and interpreting data. Also, our final STAR test will be coming up this month. We will try and push it back so the kids are exposed to more material.
RLA - We will continue reading our novel Blood on the River JamesTown 1607 by: Elisa Carbone. We are identifying the environmental and social factors that affected this journey. We are starting our argumentative writing project. The next book we have lined up to read is Written in Bone Buried Lives of Jamestown and Colonial Maryland by: Sally M Walker. We will be ending our year off with a one-pager about our novels and an argumentative paper answering the question “How did social and environmental factors in the unknown world of Jamestown shape its development and decline?”
Social Studies - We have begun Rome! We will be working through our unit on Rome in the coming weeks. We will be finishing off the school year talking about ancient Rome’s impacts on our modern world.
6th Grade Wizards
No update from the Wizards. Have a great month.
7th Grade Bears
No update from the Bears. Have a great month.
7th Grade Wolves
No updated from the Bears. Have a great month.
8th Grade Eagles
May 2023 (FINAL Newsletter)
Eagles Team Note: We want all Eagles students to be successful! Please encourage your students to utilize the times before (8-8:30am) and after (3:30-4pm) school to get one-on-one help with specific teachers. Please also speak with your student about getting to class on time, each period, and accomplishing work in-class.
Money for Character Challenge Course ($85 fair share) was due Friday, April 14th. Please have your student bring this money to their RT teachers ASAP if they are still interested in attending! Please reach out to your students’ RT teacher if financial assistance is needed as well. Recent letters were sent out about your students’ status of attending. Please reach out if you have any questions or concerns!
Earth Science: We are finishing up our module on “The Sun-Earth-Moon System” and will be moving into our last module of the school year, “Exploring the Universe”. The “Exploring the Universe” module encompasses gravity and the solar system. While we are covering these last two lessons we will be doing labs investigating the universe and how weight is affected by gravity on different planets within our solar system. Weather permitting, classes will be doing these activities outside where kids can not only enjoy the weather, but get a better understanding of our universe and how large it really is. This should bring us to the end of the year. It’s been a pleasure having your child as a student and I wish them a wonderful summer!
U.S. History: This week we will begin reviewing for our civics test. The civics test is an important test because your son or daughter must pass the test before they are able to graduate high school. I highly recommend that you take some time before May 3 to help your child review for the test. If they do not pass the test they will have to retake it as a junior in high school. After the civics test we will be moving on to the civil war unit for the remainder of the school year. We will finish the unit with a whole 8th grade water balloon fight reenactment of the civil war!
English: We have begun the mega-unit about the Holocaust and World War 2, focusing on the story of Anne Frank, amongst other related topics. Students will be working in a single packet that merges three different sources of information (Grand Forks Herald Holocaust Newspaper, Anne Frank Scrapbook, and an adapted Anne Frank SMART Board lesson) that will guide us through the end of the school year. It is very important that students do not lose this packet, so please encourage your student to use the binder tab for English in their binders to easily keep track of this packet. Soon, we will start reading the Anne Frank play, in addition to the packet.
We will also occasionally be listening to a short story, A Soldier’s Heart by Gary Paulsen, which will help provide some background knowledge about the time period leading up to the balloon battle at the end of the year.
PreAlgebra: Today we end Angle relationship and will be starting Pythagorean Theorem and its Applications next week. We will then continue with Transformation which consists of translation, reflection, rotation and dilation. Our Last topic will be Solving problems involving Area and Volumes .
Algebra I: We are currently in the middle of exponential functions which will take us to the end of next week. We will then explore quadratic functions and the methods of solving quadratic equations and inequalities.
Computer Apps: We are finishing out our PLTW - AppCreators (coding) assignments in the next couple of weeks. After we finish this unit, we will launch into the Personal Finance unit. During this unit we will talk about: budgets, jobs, investing, retirement, and other topics. Families, if you are able to, please have a money talk with your student(s) - it’s even extra credit for them.
Parents: We will be doing a 3 lesson unit, and as part of your student completing the unit, they can enter into a scholarship contest. You can find more information on the contest here: EverFi Scholarship Contest8th Grade Mustangs
No update from the Mustangs. Have a great month.
Choir Concert
GFC
Information from our Social Workers
Active Parenting of Teens
Date: March 28 – May 2
Time: 6:30 – 8:30pm
Location: Online via Zoom
Facilitator: Maura Ferguson
Registration: https://forms.gle/gid4a2fW41EmWL5Y6
Even more classes can be found on the NDSU Extension Parent Education website: https://www.ndsu.edu/agriculture/extension/programs/parent-education
GF Youth Commission
The Youth Commission is a diverse group of youth representing many perspectives, ages, and backgrounds.
Youth Commissioners develop leadership skills, encourage other young people to get involved and voice the concerns and needs of our young people.
The GF Youth Commission meets the first Wednesday of each month from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. during the school year.
If you are interested in joining the group, please complete an application using this link: https://forms.gle/R4ZWoSCqut8GoswW9
Safety
One of the most influential factors during a child’s adolescence is maintaining a strong, open relationship with a parent/guardian. When we each create supportive and nurturing environments, children make better decisions. Though it may not always seem like it, children hear concerns, which is why it’s important that parents/guardians discuss the risks of using alcohol and other drugs. How do you start the conversation? Visit www.parentslead.org.
Parents Lead - Influential Factors
Listening is a powerful parenting tool.
You may not always know what to say but by listening carefully, with interest, and with empathy, you send the message that you care, are emotionally available, understand and accept. Kids sometimes feel that their parents “don’t understand” or “don’t listen” which can lead to a feeling of disconnection from parents. Good listening involves reflecting back or paraphrasing what your child has said so they know that you fully heard. Responses like, “It sounds like you are pretty angry at your coach” or “From what you are saying, it sounds like you feel she isn’t being a very good friend to you. Is that right?”
For more information and resources, visit www.parentslead.org
Setting a Pattern of Rules and Consequences
Kids are less likely to use alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs if their parents have established a
pattern of setting clear rules and consequences for breaking those rules. This applies to no-use
rules about tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs — as well as bedtimes and homework. Have clear
expectations for behavior, monitor your child, and implement appropriate consequences. In
setting these rules, be sure you discuss your rules and expectations in advance and follow
through with the consequences you’ve set.
Don’t forget to acknowledge times when your child follows the rules! Parents who have a warm
relationship with their children while maintaining rules for behavior are teaching their children
self-discipline. Parents who have rules that are too harsh or no rules at all are more likely to
have children who are at greater risk for drug-taking behavior.
For more information and resources, visit www.parentslead.org.
Open Communication
Talking openly and honestly with your kids is one of the most effective ways to support their
behavioral health. Whether it’s everyday topics like friends and school, or more serious topics like substance use, anxiety, or depression, it’s never too early to start the conversation. As your kids grow, your conversations may change, but they will always be centered on keeping them happy, healthy, and safe. Keep your conversations relaxed, friendly, non-judgmental, and genuine. And most importantly, be a good listener. What should I say? Visit www.parentslead.org for more information.
Thank you!