The Cat's Connection
December/January
The Challenge of All Challenges! It's DeSTEAMber!
In our daily lives at the middle school, the 4C's of critical thinking, collaboration, communication and creativity can be seen in many classroom assignments and projects in which our students engage.
In December, we pull out all the stops. A few years back we started a design challenge with the intent of encouraging problem solving and creative thinking through a project called the Mini-Rube. Like the Rube Goldberg competitions held all over the country, our design challenge centers around a simple challenge like Feed a Pet. Our DeSTEAMber challenge however, is smaller in scale and is completed in a short amount of time. Kids that have chosen to participate have ended up creating some amazing projects and they have learned and practiced perseverance and collaboration in a fun and engaging way! This encourages active learning all the way up to winter break, which we are proud of, but the kids have really loved participating and seeing each others' work.
UPDATE: Our DeSTEAMber Challenge Deadline has been EXTENDED to December 21st!! Good Luck!
November/December Cats of the Month!
Every month our Wildcat staff nominates and votes for a Cat of the Month from each grade.
The quality we were looking for in November/December was Citizenship/Caring.
Congratulations to the following students:
6th Grade - Addi Cornthwaite & Polly Olliff
7th Grade - Emma Blake & Olea Green
8th Grade -Allen Duncan & Joerg Shambaugh
For the January Cats of the Month we will be looking for DILIGENCE.
Spirit Week is December 10th - 14th
Ducks & Beavers Dress-Up
Tie-Dye Dress-Up
Ugly Sweater Dress-Up
Crazy Socks Dress-Up
Dress up and show your spirit!
Drawing by Dakota Lee
WildCat Dress-Up
LaCreole Canned Food Drive
Where does the food go?
Christmas Cheer!
Christmas Cheer is a non-profit organization that aims to help families during the holidays. They also team up with other local organizations who help people all year long.
Lyle, Oakdale, Whitworth, DHS and LaCreole (as well as other local organizations and churches) all do food drives around this time of year. ALL the food they collect gets brought to our own LaCreole gym a few days before Christmas. On December 24th, beginning at 6 a.m., volunteers come to LaCreole and get a shopping cart and a list and ‘shop’ around the gym, filling a cart for a family. Different size families receive different amounts of food. The food is loaded in boxes and delivered to families.
Last year, over 300 families received food boxes on Christmas Eve!!
Check out their website www.dallascc.org
Winter Art Contest
Entries are posted in the front of the school. Please make sure to have your name, grade and advisory teacher on the back. The deadline to enter is Monday, December 17th.
PTC (Parent/Teacher Club) Meeting
What's going on with the PTC? Come to the meeting and find out! The next meeting is Thursday, January 10, 2019 at 6:00 PM in the LaCreole Library. The proceeds from the Activity Night on February 15, 2019 will benefit the PTC. Find out how to can help!
If parents come to the meeting, your student will received a $3 voucher for snacks at the Cat's Den.
Are you signed up as a district volunteer?
2020 Panama Trip Information
Oregon Battle of the Books
It's not too late to join Oregon Battle of the Books. If you want to participate please see Mrs. Deters in the library before December 14th. We will start practice battles in January and choose a team to represent LMS at the regional battle in March. Everyone who participates will get to celebrate with a pizza party after regionals! The regionals team members will receive Battle of the Books t-shirts.
After School Clubs
ASL Club
Speech & Debate Club
STEAM/Robotics Club
Magic The Gathering Club
Garden Club
Art Club
No School Days - December/January
1/21 - MLK Jr. Day No School
1/25 - District Assessment No School
1/28 - District Planning No School
December/January At A Glance
12/10 -12/11- Into The Woods Jr. Auditions
12/10 -12/14- Spirit Week
12/12 - Choir Concert- Bollman Auditorium - 7PM
12/13 - Extended Advisory
12/14 - Battle of Books sign-up deadline
12/14 - PM Spirit Assembly
12/17 - Winter Art Contest deadline
12/21 - DeSTEAMber Challenge deadline
12/22 - Hiking Club - Ankeny Hill
1/10 - PTC Meeting 7 PM Library
1/11 - Activity Night 7 PM $5 Students Only
1/15 - STEAM Night 6-8 PM
1/17 -8th Grade History Expo
1/18 - No Tardy Party (PM Assembly Schedule)
1/19 - Hiking Club- Peavy Arboretum
1/23 - 8th Grade OMSI Field Trip
1/23 - 2019 DC/NY Meeting 6 PM Library
1/24 - 7th Grade STEAM Film Exhibition 4:30-6:00 PM @ Dallas Cinema