Pella Middle School
News from March, 2019
IMPORTANT DATES
- April 4 - Final ISASP Practice Assessment (Science)
- April 5 - 3rd Quarter/2nd Semester Midterm End
- April 5 - 6th Grade Orientation (1:00-3:00 tours)
- April 8 - School Board Meeting
- April 10 - 90 Minute Early Dismissal
- April 10 - 3rd Quarter/Semester 2 Midterm Grades Published
- April 12 - Laptops stay at school over the weekend
- April 13 - 8th Grade Party from 5:30-8:30
- April 15 - 18 - ISASP Testing
- Laptops stay at school all week - we will avoid technological homework.
- April 19 - Good Friday - No Class
- April 22 - School Board Meeting
- April 23 - 5:30-6:30 6th Grade Orientation @ Pella MS
- April 24 - 90 Minute Early Dismissal
- April 24 - Incoming 7th grade course sign-up (Final schedules released in late August)
- May 2 - 11:15 Dismissal Tulip Time
- May 3 - 11:15 Dismissal Tulip Time
- June 7 - Final Day of Classes
Second Chance Breakfast
Bark Internet Safety App
In partnership with parents and schools, we are utilizing another resource for monitoring our students' technology use on their Chromebooks. Bark allows us to monitor 24 hours a day and detect inappropriate behavior or usage on their devices. If we detect behavior that is concerning, we will inform parents, document an Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) violation, and work with the students to support them to make better decisions in the future.
New Statewide Assessments
Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress (ISASP)
We will be taking the new Iowa Assessments on April 15, 16, and 17 this year. The district and I will continue to send out communication about this, and I would ask that you support us to make this first round of assessing as successful as previous years. Rest, nutrition, and hydration are some key elements to success. Please know there may be a first year dip with a new assessment, so we may all need to prepare for that.
Students stock up to fill care bags.
Care Bags Foundation
Student council teamed up with the resource room to go shopping with money they raised for the Care Bags Foundation that supplies foster care children with items to call their own. Student Council raised $100 by selling pretzel rods, and the resource class raised $60 on their February coffee cart! The resource class also held a dontaion drive where they collected over 60 items!
The teams united and used their earnings to purchase more items focusing on items for teenagers.
“This program started when Annie Foskett saw people who were homeless and had nothing. Think about if this was all you had, what would you want in this bag?” Kristin Schulz reminded the students. The students collected items such as toothbrushes, chapstick, card games, journals, travel shampoos and more. More info can be found at the website below.
Students brought a touch of Spring on the Coffee Cart, offering strawberry smoothies served with umbrellas, flowers, and smiles!
meals from the heartland
Student Council was awarded a grant from the Pella Community Foundation for $4000. Meals from the Heartland matched, and we packaged $8000 worth of food. The student council and Pella Middle school were also awarded for packaging over 100,000 meals in the past three years. Our students showed such great teamwork and service learning!
Students Compete at State for Math Counts
Knights of Columbus Spelling Bee
First Place Finsh for our 8th graders at Knowledge Bowl
Knowledge Bowl
Physical Education FUN
Improv performs for Eighth Grade Students
Pella Middle School Represents at National History Day Districts
City of Pella Summer Programs
8th Grade Party - April 13 from 5:30-8:30 PM
If you are interested in supporting the party or joining in on April 13, please contact the 8GP facilitators.
Holly Kraber: hkraber@gmail.com
Melissa Brown: ronlissa@mchsi.com
April Tech Tips
- Remind students that images explicit/inappropriate in nature shared with them, of them, or stored on their phones are illegal.
- Take a look at what your children are posting and writing on social media.
- Ensure you know what your students are doing online and with whom.
- Charge and store all devices in a public space...not bedrooms.
Pella Middle School
Email: msoffice@pella.k12.ia.us
Website: https://www.pellaschools.org/schools/middle-school/
Location: 613 East 13th Street, Pella, IA, USA
Phone: 6416284784
Twitter: @pellamidschool