Pella Middle School
News from February, 2019
IMPORTANT DATES
- March 6 - 90 minute Professional Development Early Dismissal
- March 11 - 15 - Spring Break
- March 20 - 90 minute Professional Development Early Dismissal
- March 27 - 90 minute Professional Development Early Dismissal
- April 5 - End 3rd Quarter/2nd Semester Mid Term
- April 8 - 4th Quarter Begins
- April 15 - IA Statewide Assessments of Student Progress (ISASP) formerly Iowa Assessments
- April 16 - ISASP
- April 17 - ISASP
- April 17 - ISASP
- April 18 - Good Friday (no classes)
- June 7 - Final School Day due to weather related No School Days
2019-20 School Registration
Opens March 1
All district families are encouraged to register all of their school-aged children for the 2019-20 school year starting March 1. Have a child turning 4 by September 15, 2019? We need you to register them for preschool too! More details to come in the next few weeks about this exciting annual event, so watch your inbox! Questions about the 2019-20 school registration can be directed to Allissa Grandia by emailing allissa.grandia@pella.k12.ia.us or by calling 641-628-9539.
Snow Days and Last Day of School
Official Last Day of School: June 7.
Winter is lingering, and the chance of weather-related school cancellations continues to be a possibility. The current number of accumulated school hours allows us the flexibility to absorb up to three more days of cancelled school without scheduling a make up day (Iowa law requires 1080 hours a year).
If there is a fourth cancellation, the make up day will be Good Friday, April 19.
If there are more than 4 cancellations, we will communicate a plan on utilizing already scheduled early dismissal days.
Regardless of whether we have any more school cancellations, classes will be in session through June 7.
New Iowa Assessments
Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress (ISASP)
We will be taking the new Iowa Assessments on April 15, 16, 17, 18, and 22 this year. The district and I will continue to send out communication about this, and I would ask that you support us to make this first round of assessing as successful as previous years. Rest, nutrition, and hydration are some key elements to success. Please know there may be a first year dip with a new assessment, so we may all need to prepare for that.
Pella Youth Coalition (PYC) Pals - Mentoring & Role Modeling
In partnership with the Pella Youth Coalition, your student may have the privilege to work with Pella High School students starting this week. Nearly 50 junior and seniors have volunteered to ‘hang out’ with middle school students during one of their study halls. Typically, the high school students will come over to play board games, simply talk, help with homework, play in the gym (depending on gym availability), or whatever else we think up. The goals are to build positive connections, and allow an opportunity for our high school students to serve as positive role-models. Our middle school students look up to high schoolers. What an exciting opportunity for high school students to build caring relationships with our middle school students and take pride in owning and promoting what Pella Schools stand for.
Valentines Day Visit to Care Centers
February is Heart Month
Seventh grade students interviewed relatives to learn about their family’s history with heart disease. Each basketball on the wall represents a family member who has been impacted by a heart condition.
Student Council Quote-of-the-Week (Feb 18-22): "Be kind to yourself so you can be happy enough to be kind to the world."
Student Council President's Day!
High School Orientation
Knights of Columbus Free Throw Competition
Congratulations to winners of the Knights of Columbus Free Throw Competition:
Girls: Aaliyah Riddick (age 13) Taylor Mousey (age 14)
Boys: Luke Hardman (age 13). Aiden VanMaanen (age 14)
Students Place 3rd at the Science Bowl
(3rd out of 30 teams in Ames)
(Seated, L-R) Stephen Gaul, Taryn Peffers, Wyatt Van Dyke (back, L-R) Donovan Helle, Kieran Van Voorst, Coach Jeff Siewert and Ames Laboratory Director Adam Schwartz.
Student Council quote-or-the-week (Feb 11-15): “If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.”
Letter from the President
SOUP-er Bowl of Caring
Over 600 cans were collected during the SOUP-er Bowl of Caring food drive this month. Student Council sponsored the drive and offered a pizza party to the 10th period class who had the most student-to-can ratio at the end of the collection.
Mrs. Blommer's 10th period class collected the most, with a 9:1 student-to-can ratio. All donations will go the Pella Food Shelf. Thank you for you support!
Snowy Classroom
Mother Nature creates a nature-al classroom for physical education classes to experience outdoor activities during the winter months.
Seventh grade students enjoy a fresh snowfall by strapping on snowshoes generously shared by the Army Corp of Engineers at Lake Red Rock.
Updates to Cell Phone Expectations at Pella Middle School for Next School Year
Possible Plan for 19-20 School Year:
1st Incident - Principal/Dean of Students returns to student
2nd Incident - Parents pick up, and it is home or in the office for 5 days
3rd Incident - Parents pick up, and it is home or in the office for 30 days
8th Grade Party - April 13, 2019
If you are interested in helping plan and prepare for this year's 8th Grade Party (8GP) on April 13, 2019, please contact the 8GP facilitators.
Holly Kraber: hkraber@gmail.com
Melissa Brown: ronlissa@mchsi.com
This is something I am going to incorporate on a monthly basis, and it may be a good time to review expectations heading into spring break.
March:
- Ensure you know what your students are doing online and with whom.
- Take a look at what your children are posting and writing once in a while.
- Charge and store all devices in a public space not their bedrooms.
- Remind them images explicit/inappropriate in nature shared with them, of them, or stored on their phones are illegal.
- Lastly, if you have heard anything about Momo, this is what you need to know. Momo LINK
Pella Middle School
Email: msoffice@pella.k12.ia.us
Website: https://www.pellaschools.org/schools/middle-school/
Location: 613 East 13th Street, Pella, IA, USA
Phone: 6416284784
Twitter: @pellamidschool