SAUK PRAIRIE MIDDLE SCHOOL
Middle Level News - December 2017
Attendance: 643-5580
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From the Principal
Dear SPMS Learning Community Member,
We are into the second trimester, with some of the beginning-of-the-year stuff behind us. Teachers and students are settling into a great pace of teaching and learning here at SPMS.
We are currently in the process of finalizing grades for the first trimester. You should receive an message next week to let you know that grades have been finalized and that report cards have been posted. Remember, we care about your child’s growth and want to work together to help them achieve all that they can. We are ready and willing to discuss this with you, so if you have questions about your child’s progress and grades, please contact his or her teachers and they will be glad to discuss how we can work together!
Thank you to all SPMS community members for the great job following drop-off and pick-up procedures and the direction of our Safety Patrol in the mornings and afternoons! As the weather gets nasty, more students will be dropped off at school creating heavier traffic. There are five things that will relieve traffic congestion and help keep students and drivers safe. One, please do not line up down Oak street waiting to drop off or pick up your student in front of school. If the driveway is full, pull down Maple Street to drop off or pick up your child on the school side of Maple. Two, please have your child exit the vehicle as soon as you pull up do the curb when you drop off in the morning. Waiting to drop off one-at-a-time right in front of the building causes congestion. Three, please remember to stop at the end of the driveway and wait for traffic entering or exiting the parking lot between the middle school and the maintenance and administration buildings. Fourth, remember that as you exit the driveway onto Maple Street it is right-turn-only during drop-off and pick-up times. Lastly, think about dropping off and picking up your student behind the school on the school side of Sycamore Street to avoid all the bus and car traffic in front of the middle school! Thanks for making safety a priority!
Speaking of safety, SPMS is committed to teaching students how to take care of each other! We continue to build on our teaching about and responses to bullying. We have held a couple of student-led awareness dress-up days, delivered multiple lessons to all students about bullying behavior, and held the 7th grade Courage Retreat. If your child is experiencing mean behavior or harassment at school, there is an anonymous online bullying report. Remind your child to be an “upstander” and not a bystander! The best way to stop bullying and empower young people is to call out and report mean behavior when it happens to them or when they see it happen to someone else! Call me anytime to learn about how we, or you as a parent, can help empower your child to fight bullying!
Enough from me! The real excitement of our school comes from the staff and students who work hard and do new and innovative things here every day. Please take some time to read through the rest of this newsletter to see what great things are happening at SPMS. If you don’t see it here, check out our page on the district website. Also, you can like Sauk Prairie Middle School on Facebook! There is a lot going on here to be excited about!
Yours in education,
Ted Harter
ART SHOW OPENING
7th Grade Math
Students in MATH 7 classes are continuing to learn about Ratios and Proportional Reasoning. In this chapter, students are identifying proportional and nonproportional relationships. We will explore how to determine whether or not a relationship is proportional or not by organizing data in tables. We will then graph the data to determine what a graph that represents a proportional relationship will look like. As we get to the end of this unit, here are some suggestions for some activities that could be done at home to extend student’s understanding of the key concepts of the chapter.
Keep a record of the length of time you spend doing homework every day for a week.
Make a table showing the number of the day and the number of hours.
Graph your ordered pairs.
Find the rate of change from Monday to Friday. Is it a constant rate of change? Is your
graph that of a linear function?
Students in Math 7+ just finished up a unit on The Language of Algebra and are now beginning some work with Integers. Students will be developing their understanding of what it means to add, subtract, multiply and divide integers (positive and negative numbers) using hands-on models (chip models) and number lines. We will then develop algorithms (rules) for all operations with integers. Coordinate graphing with negative numbers will also be included in this unit.
ALL 7th GRADE MATH STUDENTS received login information for their textbook. By visiting www.connected.mcgraw-hill.com, students will be able to access an online version of their textbook, as well as a variety of resources (videos, tutorials, sample solutions, etc.) to help them as they are working through their assignments. There are also MANY additional practice problems that are not assigned in class. These problems make great review problems for assessments. If your student has misplaced his/her login or password information, please contact Mrs. Schmidt or Mr. Frey and we can get that information to you.
7th Grade Social Studies
7th Grade Science
Team S- During the months of December and January science classes will be studying Gregor Mendel and his genetic experiments. We will be identifying the factors that control the inheritance of traits in organisms and de-scribe the principles of probability and how Mendel applied them to inheritance.
Team P- Students will continue to develop critical thinking skills and practice CER strategies as they complete investigations that explore cell processes. These processes include how cells obtain and use energy – photosynthesis, respiration, and fermentation. They will also learn about the process of cell division – mitosis. Students will then move on to develop an understanding of DNA, the “Blueprint of Life” and lay the basis for an upcoming unit in Genetics.
7th Grade English
After students create and present their historical fiction book group projects, we will move into our second writing unit, which will focus on argument. Students will learn to write essays that build convincing, nuanced arguments, balancing evidence and analysis to persuade readers to shift beliefs or take action. We will start by studying a common topic-- competitive sports-- before students select a topic to go in-depth on in January.
8th Grade Math (& SM-1)
Math 8 will be starting Chapter 3 - Equations in Two Variables. In this chapter, students will be learning that linear relationships have straight line graphs and a constant rate of change. We will be talking about a specific kind of linear relationship called proportional, and learning how to find slope and y-intercept of all linear relationships. We will be writing equations of lines, graphing linear equations and creating tables for relationships.
SM1 will be getting an introduction to functions. In this lesson, the students will be learning that the value of one variable may be uniquely determined by the value of another variable, and that these relationships may be represented using words, tables, equations, and graphs. We will be getting a general idea of how different equations make different graphs (linear, quadratic, exponential, inverse) before we study them individually in more depth.
8th Grade Social Studies
8th Grade Science
8th Grade English
Focus on Fiction: Students are learning about the steps in the Hero’s Journey, and are writing a short story of their own that follows the pattern of the journey.
ELA: Students are doing pre writing activities about how to angle evidence, see two sides to an issue, how to know if websites are real and give accurate, reliable information. They will choose a topic and write a position paper where both sides of an issue are explored. They will learn about using good transitions and making word choices that fit their purpose. A reminder-- students will NOT be receiving a rubric/progress report on Dec. 1 at the end of the trimester. A report will be sent home after the holiday break, as the final paper is not due until Dec. 21. Happy holidays to all.
From the Counseling Department
Parenting in a Digital World
In November we offered the Parenting in a Digital World seminar to parents. We appreciate the positive feedback we have received from that event and hope that we can keep the dialogue of teen internet use and their overall safety going. It is important to us that we continue to collaborate between home and school, teaching our children to be responsible, digital citizens.
If you were unable to watch the presentation, here is a synopsis of the tips that were provided to parents to help ensure their safety. This checklist for pre-teens (ages 11-13) comes from the Internet Matters website. The link to the article is here: https://www.internetmatters.org/advice/11-13/ The article includes a number of hyperlinks with additional resources we would encourage you to check out.
Have free and frank discussions
Encourage your child to talk to you about how they use the internet and show you what they do. Discuss with them the kinds of things they might come across. A good time to talk is when they get a new device or mention a new website.
Manage their devices
Encourage them to use their tech devices in a communal area such as the living room or kitchen and set up a user account for your child. If you think they aren’t old enough to have a mobile phone or tablet, stay firm and explain the reasons why.
Put yourself in control
Activate parental controls on your home broadband, all devices including mobile phones and games consoles. Safe search settings can also be activated on Google (and other search engines), YouTube and on entertainment sites like iTunes and iPlayer.
Stay safe on the move
Be aware that if your child is accessing the internet using public WiFi they may not have safety features active. Some providers are part of family friendly WiFi schemes with filters to block inappropriate content. Look out for friendly WiFi symbols like Mumsnet Family Friendly WiFi and RDI Friendly WiFi symbols when you’re out and about.
Have an agreement
Agree and set boundaries with them or have a family contract for their internet use, including when and where they can use portable devices and for how long, before they get used to doing their own thing.
Start discussions about social networking early
Talk to children about the benefits and risks of social networking before they join any sites. Let them know that anything they upload, email or message could stay around forever online.
Keep private information private
If your child does have a social networking profile, teach them to block or ignore people and how to set strict privacy settings. Request that you or someone you both trust becomes their ‘friend’ or ‘follower’ to check that conversations and posts are appropriate.
Check age ratings
The age ratings that come with games, apps, films and social networks are a good guide to whether they’re suitable for your child. For example, the age limit is 13 for several social networking sites including Facebook and Instagram.
Middle Level Leader
Jessica Keichinger is the Optimist Middle Level Leader for November. She is an 8th grader and is the daughter of Raymond and Patricia Keichinger . Mabel was nominated by her Business Education teacher, Sue Ziegler.
Mrs. Ziegler: There are many ways to describe and define a leader. Besides someone who actually leads or commands:
Leadership is influencing others by your character, humility, and example.
Leadership is also employing your skills and knowledge, leveraged by your attitude to get the results you desire.
Jessica Keichinger was nominated by Mrs. Ziegler because she truly fits these descriptions. “She is someone that I see who encourages and inspires those around him. She is a kind and polite young lady, who has humility and leads by example. Jessica always seems to strive to improve her knowledge and skills in my classes. She has been true leader in my classroom, as she is always willing to contribute, assist, and help others.”
Jessica is a Sixth Grade Mentor and is also involved in Art Club and Chorus at the Middle School. Outside of school she is involved with Club Scrub and her Church Choir. She plans to go on to college and would like to become a Doctor.
GOOD CITIZENS, ROLE MODELS & LEADERS
6th Grade Good Citizens:
Aidan Marti / Olivia Thompson / Addison Strunz / Will Judge / Shawn Uselman / Lexy Schwartz / Eden Remlinger / Jayden Grams / Hugo Flores / Ava Andres / Emerson Drew / Garrett Kannenberg
7th Grade Role Models:
Pablo Arreola Alvarez / Kiana Travis / Rianne Detter / Ethan Kolnik / Carter Buss / Darlene Gingerich / Jaden Fultz / Nick Basken / Madeline Gassman / Jonah Richard / Kristine Hooker / Brody Ballweg
8th Grade Leaders:
Eva Green / Jamie Nolden / Isaac Homar / Dalton Zirbel / Luke Sprecher / Logan Sprecher
News from the G/T Department
The Gifted/Talented Department conducts screenings in February, and April. The screeners are designed to identify students who may need programming outside of the regular course sequence. These screenings include:
6th Grade: A math screener is given to 6th graders to identify students who should be placed in an accelerated math class during their 7th grade year. A science screener is also given to 6th grade students. Scores on this will be one of the criteria used to help identify students who should take the 8th grade science assessment in 7th grade.
7th Grade: A science assessment is given to selected 7th graders. This will be used to identify students who will need further evaluation to enhance their science programming during their 8th grade year.
8th Grade: A social studies screener is given to 8th graders to identify students who have outstanding talent and/or interest in United States History, and who may qualify to take 10th grade World History as 9th graders. These students then will take the AP U.S. History class at some point in high school, in order to fulfil the curriculum requirements at SPHS.
Who should take the math, social studies or science screeners? These screeners are not for everyone. Students who would be eligible to take these screeners would be those who meet the following criteria:
Maintaining an A or A+ average in the subject
STAR or State Testing scores in the 90th %ile or above in reading for students taking social studies and science screeners
STAR or State Testing scores in the 85th %ile or above in math for students taking the math screener
Recognized by teachers as mature, organized and responsible, which includes homework completed on time and a strong work ethic.
Parents who have questions regarding the screeners are welcome to contact their child’s teacher or Julie Breunig.
FROM THE NURSE'S OFFICE
What is good handwashing technique? There is more too it than you think! By rubbing your hands vigorously with soapy water, you pull the dirt and the oily soils free from your skin. The soap lather suspends the dirt and germs trapped inside, which are then quickly rinsed away.
Follow these four simple steps to keep hands clean:
1. Wet your hands with warm running water.
2. Add soap, then rub your hands together, making a soapy lather. Do this away from running water. Wash the front and back of your hands, as well as between your fingers and under your nails.
3. Rinse your hands well under warm running water.
4. Dry your hands thoroughly with a clean towel. Then turn off the water with a clean paper towel and dispose of it.
ATHLETICS
PHYSICAL EDUCATION CLASS
Student Council Food Drive
Eighth grade student council members organized a food drive to benefit the local food pantry for two weeks during the month of November. Flex classrooms were in competition amongst each other to see who could bring in the most food in a week. Winners for the first week included: Grade 6 – Mrs. Schutt’s class, Grade 7 – Mrs. Larson’s class & 8th Grade – Mrs. Wipperfurth’s Class. Winners for the second week included Mrs. Schutt (6) and Mrs. Larson (7) again and Mrs. Sullivan for Grade 8. Our goal was to reach 500 items donated. We far exceeded that goal by donating well over 1000 items to the Food Pantry. The 8th Grade Student Council would like to thank everyone for their generosity and for participating in this year’s Food Drive.
Picture above: Mrs. Larson's Flex class with some of their contributions.
Picture below: Ellie Lankey & Makenzie Breunig representing the 8th Grade Student Council.
BE A MENTOR - MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Are you someone who cares about the people in your community and willing to invest one hour a week to assist, encourage and accept? Sauk Prairie friends, we are looking for volunteers to be mentors to our students at the Middle School. Mentors in our program offer emotional and education support to youth attending the Middle School.
Mentors encourage good attendance, promote learning through responsible study habits, help students get organized and set goals, build career awareness and appreciation for higher education. The mentor program is designed to be an in-school service.
If you can volunteer your time once a week during a study hall, we’d love to hear from you! Contact sherri.ramaker@saukprairieschools.org for an application or to learn more about this opportunity!