Illing Insider
December 13, 2020
Greetings Illing Families!
As you are aware, we have temporarily transitioned into full remote learning and anticipate being able to resume with the hybrid model on January 11th. Regular updates will continue to be shared by our Superintendent of schools, Matt Geary. Please continue to check your emails for additional information.
Marking Period 2 Progress Reports:
Teachers are in the process of reporting how students are performing so far this marking period. We anticipate HAC to be updated by the end of the week. You will receive an email informing you when progress reports are available to view.
Who to Contact for Assistance During this Time:
We are here to assist you during this remote learning experience! Please contact your student's teacher directly for information related to assignments, grades, google classroom, assessments, etc. Below is information on how to get technology assistance. Click this link or visit our school website for information on who to contact for additional supports.
Have a great week!
Iris Gomero,
Principal
Need Technology Assistance?
The Library Media Center and the IT department are here to help!
During this full remote experience, please continue to use the IT Helpdesk for technology assistance or to report device issues.
You can do that by filling out this form OR
Email infosys@mpspride.org OR
Call or Text 860-682-0607,
Monday - Friday from 8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
For all other questions, email support@mpspride.org or call 860-647-5041,
Monday - Friday from 8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Please refrain from calling individual schools.
Students of the Month
This week 7th Grade Assistant Principal Mr. DiDominzio, and 8th Grade Assistant Principal Mrs. King, along with school counselors surprised students with a visit to their homes to announce they had won Student of the Month. These students were honored as Students of the Month with an award certificate and received a gift card to Manchester Pizza and Grill. We are very proud to have such exemplary students representing Illing Middle School!
Congratulations and keep on doing an outstanding job!
Stacy Addo - Team Uconn
Aayan Rahman - Team Princeton
Callista Asante - Team Syracuse
Carina Brown - Team Dartmouth
Abigail Jacobs - Team Tufts
Meilani Grayson - Team URI
Joel Bailey - Team Cornell
From the Counseling Department
Greetings 8th Grade Families
During the week of January 4th your 8th grader will be hearing about their options from each elective department at Manchester High School. They will choose a foreign language and six electives that they would like to take as a freshman next year. A verification letter will be mailed home on February 22, 2021. Parents and students are encouraged to reach out to their school counselor with any questions or to make adjustments to their selections.
Please click here to view Manchester High School’s Course Catalog and please also view the Elective Selection sheet via this link.
Patrick Biggins - UConn & Syracuse - pbiggins@mpspride.org
Justine Meyer - Princeton & Cornell - jmeyer@mpspride.org
DEPARTMENT NEWS
7th Grade ELA
The first example is done by Samiya Eady, the second is by Kylie Gilbert.
8th Grade ELA
Below are two examples of students interpreting narrative techniques such as time shifts. The top sample is by Sapphira Costa, the bottom is by Kemoya McLeod.
READ 180
Grade 7 Science
Please be sure to use Home Access Center and Google Classroom to make sure all graded assignments are completed and submitted.
8th Grade Science
Please be sure to use Home Access Center and Google Classroom to make sure all graded assignments are completed and submitted.
NEWS FROM OUR TEAMS
ELA students are wrapping up their Narrative Reading Unit with "Body Biographies" of the main characters of their novels. Students are creating visual biographies to showcase important traits the characters have.
Science classes are moving from learning about the electromagnetic spectrum into astronomy. Students should have a good grounding in the field of gravity by winter break. (Don't forget to look for the rare alignment of planets on the winter solstice.)
Science - Students are learning about pendulums through research, a lab, and a MythBusters video.
Social Studies- Students have just wrapped up a unit on the Declaration of Independence, answering such questions as whether or not the colonists should have declared independence.
Math - Princeton students are learning about proportional relationships and also reflecting on their previous unit test answers and making corrections.
Spanish - Classes are currently reviewing Spanish vocabulary about the places around the world, the thing you like to do (activities vocabulary), the Spanish pronouns and the conjugation of the “Ir” (to go) verb using the dictionary
Family & Consumer Science - Princeton students have started their FCS experience out with learning basic hand sewing and starting some food & cooking skills to get into the kitchens soon!
Team Princeton Art Animal Collages
Deer by Jordan Carter
Corgi Dog by Ariana Bradley
Cheetah by Mekhi Forbes
Elephant by Elizabeth Gomez
Dog by Bryan Valerio-Ortega
Bird by Brynn Mesick
Dolphin by Feryal Al Kalaf
Team URI students are working hard this second quarter!
Language Arts students are finishing up the realistic fiction reading unit which will culminate in a “Remember Me” project. The project will focus on the perspective of a character in their short story. The next unit which will begin after the December break will be an analytical writing unit.
Below is a letter written by Rebecca Osei-Assibey to the author of the short story "Noodle Soup for Nincompoops," explaining how she sympathizes with a character in the story.
In Math, students are focusing on using proportions to find percentages.
In Social Studies students are concentrating their efforts on their DBQ (document based response) about oil in the middle east to be followed by a study of religion and culture in the region.
Sem-R students are selecting new books to read. Mr. Kienle suggests searching Destiny Quest for online and physical books. Here is a link to Illing’s media center. (Illing Media Center).
Science classes are learning about the circulatory system and the heart. Students engaged in an activity where they found their resting heart rate and monitored how it changed when they became active.
Technology students are learning how to use Google Animation. The students had to first draw their character using the Polyline and Curve Tool in Google Draw. Step two was to animate the slides and finally, create a video using their character. Click the buttons below to see some technology samples from students on team URI.
The team would like to continue to encourage students and parents to regularly check home access to view grades.
🖇️🖇️🖇️ We are doing a positive behavior incentive system with our students called "The Paperclip Challenge." For each class, the teacher chooses one expectation, which they announce. If 80% of that class meets the expectation, the cohort earns a virtual paperclip. The cohort with the most paperclips at the end of each week earns an incentive. A larger incentive goes to cohorts that earn the most paperclips over longer periods of time. Please talk to your children about the importance of showing up to Google Meets on time, having their cameras on, and being engaged in the lesson. 🖇️🖇️🖇️
During the last week before Winter Break, students will take part in a "virtual field trip" with Real Art Ways Cinema in Hartford. This will include a film screening of the documentary "Mighty Times: The Children's March." It's about the Children's March of 1963 that took place in Birmingham, Alabama. Ask your children what they learned from the experience after they watch the film on either Dec. 18, 21, or 22. 🙂
Does your family celebrate the Muslim holiday of Eid? Would your child like to help set up a presentation teaching others about the meaning of the holiday and how your family celebrates? If so, please reach out to Ms. Burdacki through Ms. Burdacki's Google Classroom or email (sburd@mpspride.org). Our upcoming language arts unit features a story revolving around the holiday and who better to explain the background of what Eid is all about than those students to celebrate it?! 🧡💛💚
Family Consumer Science Club
Family Consumer Science Club is starting back up! It meets virtually on Mondays from 3-4pm. Share your cooking creativity, learn about new cultures and traditions, and visit with new students, all from the comfort of your own home. If you have any questions, tell your Crew teacher, contact Ms. Monahan, or add code uxdwb6v.
Important Dates
Wed 12/23: Half day schedule (Emergency Dismissal Schedule)
Thurs 12/24 - Fri 1/1: Holiday Break - No School
Wed 1/6: No School- Three Kings Day
January 11: Hybrid students begin in person learning schedule again
Free Meal Pickup for Students
- Bennet -- 11:00 a.m.- Noon
- Buckley, Waddell & MHS -- Noon -1 p.m.
- Bennet -- 3-4 p.m. (includes frozen items for next-day lunch)
Contact Us
Email: igomero@mpspride.org
Website: www.mpspride.org/illing
Location: 227 Middle Turnpike East, Manchester, CT, USA
Phone: (860) 647-3400
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Illing-Middle-School/802258026499553
Twitter: @MPS_Illing