Valley Middle School
February Newsletter
FROM THE OFFICE OF THE ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL
Greetings Valley Families:
I can’t believe that we are halfway through the 2019-2020 school year! We are making great strides in all areas at Valley Middle School and we want to keep that momentum going. Let’s all do our best to finish the second semester strong!
ATTENDANCE
In order for your scholar to get the most out of their education, they need to be in the classroom each day. When it comes to education, every day matters. Many studies suggest that students with less than eight absences on average grew academically more in reading and in math than students with eight or more absences. Additionally, we love having your child at school!
ANNUAL STANDARDIZED TESTING
The North Dakota State Assessment window is right around the corner. The dates are as follows:
Science - 8th grade only - April 7
Math - April 8
ELA - April 16 & 17
Here are some steps you can take to help your student score their best:
✔ Ensure your child arrives at school on time.
✔ Have your child eat a healthy breakfast at home or at school.
✔ Ensure your child gets a good night’s sleep (8-9 hours is recommended) .
✔ Gently encourage them to do their best.
✔ Ask your child about their day.
MUSICAL
Staying on the topic of scores, the “Mary Poppins Jr.” musical cast and crew are practicing their
scores daily. Mark your calendar for this performance on March 26th & 27th at Central High School.
ATHLETICS
There is also a lot of scoring happening in both gymnasiums as Block III sports are in full swing.
Please check the school calendar for basketball schedules. There are many opportunities for students to get involved. Track season and Girl’s soccer are fast approaching. Come cheer on the Valley Royals!
PARENTING SUPPORT AND GUIDANCE
Looking to score a few resources and some support? Mark your calendar on Tuesday, March 24th for our very first Family Resource Rally at Valley Middle School from 6:00-7:30 pm. There will be many speakers on-site to provide you with information about a variety of topics ranging from vaping to mindfulness. More information to come.
We appreciate your support and look forward to seeing you at all of the upcoming opportunities. Get involved and show your ROYAL PRIDE!
Wolf Ridge Update
Letters have been sent out to Bears and Wolves with funds raised/funds needed to get to the $275.00 total fee.
When: March 30-April 3
Eligibility: Citizenship grades will determine eligibility. These will begin being recorded February 16. Strike 1=call student in to team and give a warning. Strike 2=notify parent/guardian, behavior plan is created and implemented. Strike 3=student will not be attending the Wolf Ridge trip.
Update from the Bears Den
Science - Our science classes have been hard at work breaking down the process of evolution and how adaptations lead to changes over time. We’ve become well acquainted with adaptations such as: camouflage, beak changes in birds, dogs growing thicker fur in the wintertime, and different tooth types.
We are just finishing up a bird beak adaptation lab in which students are modeling natural selection by using different “beaks” (clothes pin, spoon, chopsticks) to collect “food”. It’s been very active and very fun!
Moving forward, we will discuss fossils, classification, and then onto genetics and DNA. I learn something new each day from these 7th graders. The students make my days so fun!
In Language Arts we began the third quarter on a "Bookflix" assignment, where students were challenged with coming up with a Netflix-styled poster for a book of their choice, which will be displayed
outside my room to recommend books to their peers.
We're currently beginning lit circles, where students are able to choose which books they want to read together in small groups. Following that
unit, we'll be shifting gears to work on an informational writing unit, where students will practice reading nonfiction texts and then writing a piece of their own.
In Literature, Bears are completing a short unit on grit and why we need it in school and in life in general. Ask your child to tell you what grit
is, and ask him/her to tell you about the movie McFarland USA and how it relates to grit!
We will soon begin a study of the elements of the short story, beginning with point of view and moving on to character, plot, setting, and theme. We will also study literary techniques such as flashback and foreshadowing, and we will be reading great examples of short stories as we dive into each
of these elements and techniques. We focus on reading and getting better at it, so we read at the beginning of the period each day.
Encourage your child to read, read, read! It's SO important!
In February, Geography students will be brainstorming ideas in order to come up with a way to present several cultural characteristics of a country of their choosing to their classmates. In March, we will be having some UND geography students coming to facilitate a project involving aerial photography and the use of stereoscopes.
April will concentrate on mental map activities.
Hopefully in May we should be able to get outside and practice some of our
orienteering/map skills.
Eagles Update
English and Computer Apps are collaborating for a really fun assignment. To practice their persuasive skills, the students will be creating a commercial to promote a product or an idea. Looking ahead, the students will be helping fifth-grade students with their transition into middle school by creating a survival guide to middle school.
Computer Applications we have been learning about Microsoft Office Word and we worked on three different assignments. Currently, we are partnering with Mr. Pritzl and collaborating on creating a commercial. Students have just started gathering media for their projects.
History we took spent weeks getting ready for the Civics Test, which is a high school requirement. The students were nervous but did very well! Next, we'll be studying the origins of the two major political parties in the US.
Counseling Corner
VMS Musical
Orchestra News!
Sources of Strength (SOS)
February is Positive Friends month! This month Sources of Strength will focus on helping students identify qualities of a healthy friendship and warning signs for a relationship that may be unhealthy.
Photo Booth
Students will have the opportunity to strike a pose with their friends in front of a Valentine’s Day-inspired backdrop in our SOS photo booth that is complete with props! The photo booth will be stocked with props and SOS members who can help take pictures from 3:30-4:00 pm on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday (February 12-14).
Scavenger Hunt
This month there are 25 hearts hiding on the walls of Valley Middle School. Each heart has a trivia question attached to it. Students are encouraged to grab a positive friend and work as a team to find and answer as many trivia questions as possible. Answer sheets are available on the bulletin board outside the library and must be submitted to Ms. Weston in Room 101 by Friday, February 28th at 3:30 pm. The friends who answer the most questions correctly will each receive a $25 Target gift card. LIMIT OF 2 FRIENDS ON EACH ANSWER SHEET!
Royal Time Lessons
This month our Royal Time teachers will lead students through a lesson on positive friendships. This lesson focuses on boundary setting and trust building with friends.
If you would like to discuss the lesson at home, with your student, a link to the lesson is below:
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1B9z3Io5C5sWF97-QsC8ti2GCTY5i_Z2Ig68BE5A5s5Q/edit?usp=sharing
Stop Lights
There are 15 stop lights in the hallways of Valley Middle School this month. These stop lights educate students on characteristics of friendships. Some of the friendship characteristics listed on the stop lights are healthy (green light=go), some are concerning (yellow light=warning), and some are unhealthy (red light=stop).
TEARS Newsletter
TEARS is offering Adult Mental Health First Aid and Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) classes through May 2020. These 8-hour classes are to mental health what CPR is to physical health – learning to recognize the symptoms and how to be connectors for help. All classes are $20/person.
The classes will be held:
February 2020
2/7: 5-9 PM, 2/8: 8 AM- 12 PM at Valley Middle School, Youth MHFA
2/21: 5-9 PM, 2/22: 8 AM-12 PM at Altru Hospital Meeting Room A, Youth MHFA
2/22: 8 AM-5 PM at Altru Professional Center, Adult MHFA
March 2020
3/20: 5-9 PM, 3/21: 8 AM-12 PM at Altru Professional Center, Youth MHFA
3/21: 8 AM-5 PM at Altru Hospital Meeting Room A, Adult MHFA
3/27: 5-9 PM, 3/28: 8 AM-12 PM at Red River High School, Youth MHFA
April 2020
4/3: 5-9 PM, 4/4: 8 AM- 12 PM at TBD, Youth MHFA
4/10: 5-9 PM, 4/11: 8 AM-12 PM at Red River High School, Youth MHFA
4/18: 8 AM-5 PM at TBD, Youth MHFA
4/25: 8 AM-5 PM at TBD, Adult MHFA
May 2020
5/15: 5-9 PM, 5/16: 8 AM-12 PM at TBD, Youth MHFA
5/23: 8 AM-5 PM at TBD, Youth MHFA
5/23: 8 AM- 5 PM at TBD, Adult MHFA
Participants must be 18 years of age or older and must go to both session dates. If you register for a class with two class dates back-to-back, you must attend both 4-hour dates to receive a certificate. You can register for classes by searching Mental Health First Aid on Eventbrite https://www.eventbrite.com/ or looking under Events on the TEARSGF Facebook page.
Contact Moriah Opp (mopp@altru.org) with any questions.
Dates to Remember
- February 18 - Winter Band Concert
- February 25 - Winter Choir Concert
- February 27 - RAD Day
- February 28 - NO SCHOOL - Staff Professional Development
- March 5 - Parent/Teacher Conferences
- March 10 - Parent/Teacher Conferences
- March 26-27 - Valley Musical
Attachments
- Middle Years