Sandwich Middle School Newsletter
January 2019
6th Grade News
Happy New Year!
We hope everyone had a wonderful winter break with family and friends. We are beginning quarter three in January as the new year begins. Make sure to check with your kids that they have all the supplies they need to start out the third quarter on the right foot.
Science classes will be discovering what makes the land change and begin digging into fossils.
Our Language Arts classes will be writing a narrative essay and starting our next novel, Bud, Not Buddy.
Social Studies classes will be learning about the Indus River and how it led to cultural development in Ancient India. We will also be starting our unit on Ancient Greece.
In Mrs. Strothman’s two Language Arts classes they will be working on the novel study THE CASTLE IN THE ATTIC and will be working on reading skills, figurative language and literary elements.
In Ms. Kawall’s two Math classes, students will be working on understanding and applying the skills of finding area and volume of 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional figures. After investigating area and perimeter we will be solving working on solving equations and inequalities.
In regular math class, students will be working on rates and ratios for the month. They even will be learning about tax, tip and discounts! In AT and ACC math class, they will also be doing the same concepts plus a project. Before you know it, your kids will be figuring out the tip on your meals out for you.
Congratulations to our Students of the Month, Devyn Strike and Ryan Etheridge, whose hard work and great attitudes continue to lead to 6th grade success!
7th Grade News
Winter season has arrived and the break is now over. Take time to check on your child's school supplies as many are running short on loose leaf paper, pencils, and pens. Looking forward to a great second half of the year.
We will be dealing in social studies with the Federalist period and the difficulties in using the new Constitutional government. Students will see how our Founders established a process that we still use today to shift from one political position to another in a peaceful transition. We will look at the evolution of the political party development into everyday political decisions. This will be followed by our look into the Jeffersonian policies and their impact today.
In science, we are continuing with our Astronomy unit. The students will be working on a planet project for the next two weeks before break. When we get back from break, we will do a mini unit on the sun. From there, we will learn about the formation of the Earth. We will then learn about the Earth, Earth’s atmosphere and Earth’s moon.
Language Arts classes will be doing a Snowflake unit when we return from winter break. This unit encompasses reading for comprehension in both fiction and nonfiction. We will also begin working on the composition of argumentative essays and learning the techniques and features that make up a solid argumentative piece. This will take us to our feature novel of the third quarter, "The Giver."
In the math classes, we finished up our unit on equations and inequalities before break. During this unit, the students learned how to solve one-step and two step equations and inequalities involving the four operations. They also learned how to solve equations involving rational numbers and how to work backwards to problem solve. After we get back from break, we will be starting our first geometry chapter. During this chapter, the students will learn how to classify angles, about complementary and supplementary angles, and triangles. They will also learn about scale drawings, drawing three-dimensional figures, and cross sections. When this chapter is complete, we will start our second chapter on geometry.
In the pre-algebra classes, we are just finishing up our chapter on polynomials and linear expressions. During this chapter, the students learned about polynomials and how to simplify, add, subtract, and multiply polynomials. The students also learned how to factor linear expressions. When the students get back from winter break, we will be starting our chapter on more complex equations and inequalities. During this chapter, the students will review how to solve 2-step equations. Then we will move on to multi-step equations and inequalities, solving equations with variables on both sides, solving for a variable, and system of equations. When this chapter is complete, we will move on to graphing lines.
Students of the Month: Hunter Ahrens and Savannah Skillin
8th Grade News
Happy New Year! We are looking forward to a great start for 2019. In regular language arts, the students will begin The Cay by Theodore Taylor. The AT students are reading and analyzing various literary works about the Holocaust. They will be reading The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne. We will continue to incorporate the Common Core reading strategies into our lessons as we prepare for the state testing (the Illinois Assessment of Readiness) which begins the beginning of March. Our science classes are going to be reviewing scientific method and then starting the oceanography unit. In social studies, the students will begin learning about the Jazz Age and begin the study of the Great Depression. In algebra, students are beginning exponents and polynomials. In regular math, they will continue working on Functions. Before you know it, the state test will be here. We have been busy preparing for this and hope our preparation will pay off.
January Students of the Month are Katie Kreinbrink and Mike Toth. We appreciate their hard work, commitment to success, and their overall courteousness.
Incoming Freshman Curriculum Night is Wednesday, Jan. 23, at 6:00 p.m. This is an event designed for 8 th -grade students and parents to meet the high school teachers and sign up for a small group meeting with their counselor.
Life in High School is Thursday, Jan. 17. Student “ambassadors” from SHS will present to the 8th -grade students at SMS about what to expect in high school.
Speech and Drama News
Speech & Drama Newsletter – New Quarter, New Semester, New Year! January 2019
Wow, it is hard to imagine that the school year is halfway done! Speech & Drama welcomes an entirely new group of students in January!
Speech & Drama I starts the quarter by giving a few quick speeches, discuss good audience qualities, and then gets into reading the play Arsenic and Old Lace. We will spend time reading the play, watching the movie, comparing the movie and the play, and discussing character. We learn about how plot diagrams work and apply that knowledge to another couple of plays. After that we work on presentations, focusing on how speeches are put together, vocal variety and communicating a message to an audience. This is done with many different types of presentations: presenting a story as a poem, a “Big Mac” speech, and an “I am” poem. If there is time the quarter will conclude with watching Singin’ in the Rain.
Speech & Drama II begins the quarter by reviewing complete sentences and subject/verb agreement. This leads us to a more thorough examination of speech introductions and conclusions. From there we go on to reading a play about a blind woman and how she defends herself against some nasty conmen. The play is called Wait until Dark and the movie stars Audrey Hepburn as Susy. From there everyone in the class moves on to presenting a “How To” speech utilizing a prop. After that we will turn out attention to presenting a dulogue or trilogue (similar to a monologue) and reading a play, Text This, that relates to both our anti-bullying initiative as well as reviewing plot diagrams from last year’s speech class. We will have an “I am” poem along with other speeches in class.
Speech & Drama III begins the quarter introducing a partner and then giving a much more detailed speech about three of our own memories. After that we will by reading Harvey, a wonderful play about a 6’3” invisible rabbit followed by the movie starring Jimmy Stewart. From there the class turns its attention to how to put on a play. We will look at set, costume, lights, sound, and special effects as well as the jobs of a director, house manager, stage manager, and actors. We will go on a field trip to see the backstage workings of a working theatre. Finally, we turn our new knowledge towards a play, The Foreigner, and make a few design choices of our own.
Congratulations to Savanna Sluiter, the Explore Student of the Month! This 7th grade young lady epitomizes kindness. She always has a smile for her teachers, completes her work, and most importantly, befriends other students and help them to learn and understand what is happening in classes. Savanna, we thank you for being an example of kindness and generosity.
STEM News
Welcome 3rd quarter STEM students! During the first part of the quarter 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students will be learning how to access their District 430 Google accounts and will be exploring the variety of ways they can use the tools available to them for their school work.
6th graders in Introduction to Engineering will then move on to discover the world and work of engineers. They will learn the engineering design process and complete exciting design challenges this month.
After exploring Google for Education, 7th grade students will be learning about different types of sketching and technical drawings used by engineers to document and communicate designs. They will be working with an internet based CAD program, called TinkerCAD, as they begin to explore the possibilities of computer modeling.
Finally, 8th grade students will begin learning about current robot technology. Later this month they will begin building mechanisms to better understand how automated systems work. This will lead to the design and building of projects which include the mechanism they have studied.
PE News
Hello from the Physical Education department,
Our students have been busy finishing up their basketball and volleyball units and we are proud to see the growth of our students in each sport. Fitness classes have been working hard and making personal fitness goals as well. Our overall Fitnessgram tests have provided a great result in student growth throughout this quarter when comparing recent scores from previous ones. A student who has gone above and beyond all expectations and shined in class is Elijah Somlock . Keep up the great work! The P.E. staff would like to wish everyone a Happy Holidays. We hope you enjoy the time off and will be looking forward to the next exciting units of Hockey, Badminton, and fitness classes.
Happy Holidays,
Physical Education department
News from the LRC
January News from the LRC
It is time to settle in and brave the winter. January in the LRC will be all about reading books, books, and more books especially Rebecca Caudill books. The Caudill program runs until February 21st so there is plenty of time to read at least three of the nominated titles and earn the right to vote for the state-wide winner. Remember… when you curl up on a cold winter’s night with a good book and hot chocolate…don’t burn your mouth and don’t splash the pages.
The LRC will also host its annual Tic-Tac-Toe Tournament. More information will be out soon. Look for the sign-up sheet in the LRC. Everyone has fun and with a limit on the participants – be sure to sign up fast so you don’t miss out.
District Infomation
Follow Sandwich CUSD 430 on Twitter @SandwichCUSD430
Have a Twitter account? Follow Sandwich CUSD 430 for information regarding programs and activities throughout our learning community.
District Dashboard
The Sandwich CUSD 430 district dashboard has been launched and is linked to the district website. While the dashboard includes data the ISBE report card generally includes, the dashboard highlights in greater depth the many types of positive programs and services offered throughout the district.
The dashboard addresses five main indicators:
1) Overall School Achievements and Accomplishments (this indicator highlights success stories from each attendance center such as learning environment activities, academic growth and extra-curricular activities);
2) Student Success (this indicator highlights success stories such as AP course work, Career & Technical Education, student growth performance and academic achievement results);
3) Learning Environment (this indicator highlights success stories such as our AdvancED model of school improvement, professional development experiences, our wellness, technology & safety initiatives and extra-curricular involvement);
4) Finance and Operations (this indicator highlights information such as Evidence Based Funding revenue, expenditure costs, total fund balance); and
5) District Characteristics (this indicator highlights information such as enrollment data, attendance, and mobility).
On-Line Payment of Fees
Sandwich School District offers on-line payment of fees thru the Tyler Parent Portal. We encourage you to take advantage of this convenience. You can click on the Tyler Parent Portal on the district website to access your child's account and pay any outstanding fees.
Safety Alert
As Illinois school children return to school after their holiday break, l am writing to remind the driving public to be alert for children making their way to and from school.
Sadly, this year has seen at least eight kids across the U.S. killed by motorists who failed to stop for school buses loading or discharging passengers. Five of those kids were killed over two days in November, including a 9-year-old Rochester, Indiana, girl and her 6 year-old twin brothers. It is illegal to pass a school bus whose red stop lights are flashing in all 50 states.
A one-day survey of 38 states by the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services recorded 84,000 incidents of motor vehicles illegally passing stopped school buses. That was in just one day.
My office has kept a close eye on these studies. As part of our Toby Tire School Bus Safety program, we emphasize the dangers of crossing the street, no matter the purpose or time of day. Our efforts have produced positive results. We lead the nation in school bus safety and have complied an enviable record of fatality-free miles covered by our school buses.
School bus safety has been a priority of school administrators, teachers and parents, as well as my office during the 20 years I have served as Secretary of State. We warn children to always look both ways while crossing the street. That means all the time, not only while crossing in a school bus loading zone.
School bus safety is a responsibility to be shared by everyone in the community, not just parents and school officials. We all are stakeholders in the safety of our communities' children.
I encourage those with school-aged children to take time to remind them of the fundamentals of student transportation safety:
• Stay away from strangers.
• Always look both ways while crossing the street, even in bus loading zones.
• Maintain decorum on the bus by speaking in normal tones and always staying seated.
• Always stay clear of the 10-foot "danger zone” that surrounds the bus.
We must remain vigilant in our efforts to protect our children and ensure they get to and from school in a safe and responsible manner. We owe our children nothing less.
Jesse White
Illinois Secretary of State