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Erie Middle School, Pre AP Focus School

Todd Bissell, Principal

Dr. Rachel Heide, Assistant Principal

Erie Middle School Tiger Community,

TCAP Assessments have concluded for the 2013-2014 school year. The students

worked very hard during the assessment period. We are very confident they did very

well on the TCAPs. Thanks to the students for their outstanding effort, thanks to parents

for making sure their students were well rested and sending us such wonderful students,

thanks to the teachers who had our students very well prepared to take the TCAP tests.

Also special thanks to all the parents’ and PTO for contributing snacks and juices for the

students during testing.

A new state assessment, CMAS, will be given for Science in 8th grade and Social

Studies in 7th. This is an electronic assessment and the students will be using our com-

puter labs to complete these assessments. 8th grade will participate on 4/17, 4/18, and

4/21, and the 7th grade on 4/22, 4/23, 4/25.

The fourth quarter is a busy time. Field trips at each grade level are planned.

There are upcoming concerts. Many after school activities like Track, MESA, Chess Club,

to name a few. We will have NJHS inductions on April 26th. We will keep the website,

Facebook, and Weekly Announcements up to date with these events.

With only 7 weeks of school left after Spring Break, I am challenging the teachers

and students to finish strong. We have had a great first three quarters of the school

year. Now we need to finish strong making it an outstanding school year.

I hope everyone had a safe and enjoyable Spring Break. As always, if you have

questions, concerns, etc. Please don’t hesitate to call me.

Sincerely

Todd Bissell

EMS Principal

Picture courtesy of yearbook

staffer Mollie Thomas

From the desk of the Assistant Principal

Back in August of 2010 the Colorado Department of Education adopted the Common Core State

Standards (CCSS). Here is a link with information about this adoption:

http://www.cde.state.co.us/contentareas/ccss_in_the_colorado_standards

Prior to this adoption the state used CSAP as a measure of how well students were doing on the state standards. With the adoption of the CCSS, CSAP made way for the transitional assessment (TCAP),

which we just recently completed assessing here at EMS.

As we move toward complete implementation of the CCSS, while also maintaining the unique ele-ments within the Colorado State Standards, we will be transitioning to new ways of assessing our

students’ mastery of the standards. During this month of April we will begin piloting a new testing system called Colorado Measures of Academic Success (CMAS). For this year’s pilot CMAS will cover

7th grade Social Studies and 8th grade Science. These assessments will occur completely on the com-puter versus the traditional pencil and test booklet approach that both CSAP and TCAP have taken in

the past.

Students will be on the following testing schedule:

8th grade Science

April 17th, 18th, and 21st

7th grade Social Studies

April 22nd, 23rd, 25th

In order to help with accurate testing please ensure your students are well rested and present for each day of testing. Please feel free to contact the school at 303.828.3391 with any questions re-

garding this new assessment pilot.

Important Bus Pass Information for Parents of Students Riding the Bus

As we near the end of the 2013-14 school year, I would like to thank you for encouraging your stu-

dent/s to show up with their bus pass each and every day this past school year. Doing so has pro-

vided our students with a greater level of safety and security. As explained during initial roll out

and distribution, students only receive one free bus pass. Therefore, your student’s’ bus passes

must be safely stored over the summer months until the start of the new school year to avoid the

cost of a replacement.

Should your student require a replacement pass, please contact the Bus Pass coordinator by sending

an email to buspass@svvsd.org or calling 303-702-7540. The replacement cost for lost, stolen and/or mutilated bus passes is $5.00 and shows up as fee under your student’s name in Infinite Campus.

Sincerely,

Randy McKie

Director of Transportation

6th Grade

Outdoor

Education Trip

YMCA of the

Rockies

April 30 - may 2

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

31 SPRING

BREAK

1 SPRING

BREAK

2 SPRING

BREAK

3 SPRING

BREAK

4 SPRING

BREAK

7

PTO Meeting

7:00 PM Library

8 Orange Day

Track Practice 3;15-4:30 PM

Academic

Assistance 3:00-4:00 PM

9 Good Movie Better Book

3:10-4:30 PM

Soul Sisters 3:15-4:15 PM

Track Meet @

Sunset MS 3:30 PM

10 Orange Day

NJHS - All Members

3:10-4:00 PM

Track Practice 3:15-4:30 PM

Tiger Lily Choir

3:15-4:00 PM

11

Art Club 3:05-4:15 PM

Track Practice

3:15-4:30 PM

NJHS Volleyball Tournament

5:30-8:30 PM

14 Orange Day

15 Academic Assistance

3:00-4:00 PM

Chess Club 3:05-4:00 PM

Track Practice

3:15-4:30 PM

16 Orange Day

Soul Sisters 3:15-4:15 PM

Track Meet @

Longs Peak MS 3:30 PM

17

Track Practice 3:15-4:30 PM

Tiger Lily Choir

3:05-4:15 PM

18 Orange Day

Art Club 3:05 –4:15 PM

District Track

Meet @ Lyons MS/HS

3:00 PM

21 22 Orange Day

Academic Assistance

3:00-4:00 PM

Track Meet @ Frederick HS

3:30 PM

23

Good Movie Better Book

3:05-4:30 PM

Track Practice 3:15-4:30 PM

Outdoor Ed

Parent Meeting 3:30 –5:00 PM

24 Orange Day

WEB Spring Play Day

3:00-5:00 PM

Academic Assistance

3:00-4:00 pm

Track Practice 3:15-4:30 PM

Tiger Lily Choir

3:05-4:15 PM

25

Art Club 3:04-4:15 PM

Track Practice

3:15-4:30 PM

28 Orange Day

29 Academic Assistance

3:00-4:00 PM

Chess Club 3:05-4:00 PM

NJHS Inductions

6:00 PM

30 Orange Day

6th Outdoor Ed.Trip Starts

8:00 AM

Soul Sisters 3:15-4:15 PM

EMS Activity Calendar

April 2014

NATIONAL JUNIOR HONOR SOCIETY

How do I become a member of the National Junior Honor Society?

All 6th and 7th graders who have a cumulative GPA of a 3.5 for the first three quarters of the

year will receive an invite to apply to be in NJHS.

Once the application is turned in, a list of all students is given to the teachers, administration

and counselors to discuss possible member’s character, leadership and citizenship.

After data is collected, a team of staff members review the comments and decide if an appli-

cant has what it takes to be a member of the EMS chapter of National Junior Honor Society. .

NJHS VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT

NJHS will host a student volleyball tournament as a fundraiser from 5:30-

8:30 PM Friday, April 11th. Student and teacher teams will be able to start

signing up starting March 24th.

Proceeds go to : Humane Society Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation

Cost: $1 per person to play and $1 admission, or you can donate any pet supply

(food, litter, toys, snacks etc.) for free admission.

National Junior Honor Society Induction Ceremony

Tuesday, April 29th, 2014

6:00 PM

Erie Middle School Cafetorium

To all EMS parents and guardians,

Updated immunization forms are to be turned into the Health Clerk, who in turn updates

our school records. By state law, each student is to receive the Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria,

pertussis) vaccination to attend school. If your student has received the Tdap shot, please

bring in, fax in or email a copy to Nicole Meadows, the Health Clerk

at meadows_nicole@svvsd.org. Our fax number is 303-828-3817. Or if you wish to speak

to Nicole she can be reached at 303-828-3391.

A reminder for 6th grade parent(s) and guardian(s):

The Health Clerk is collecting medication forms and medications for Outdoor Ed. If you

have not already turned in your form and medication, please do so ASAP. Outdoor Ed

is April 30-May 2. Please contact Nicole Meadows using the above info if you have further

questions. Thank you!

Sixth Grade

Seth Alexander started the school year as a new student but quickly rose to become a leader in all

classes. Seth always participates and shows his best effort. He is polite and respectful, and all around a

joy to have in class. Great job, Seth!

Michelle Karstensen is the April student of the month for 6th grade. Michelle is a true leader in the

classroom, and always sets a positive example for students around her. Michelle demonstrates ROAR

behavior at all times, and she always produces high quality work. Michelle is making the most of her

education her at EMS. We are really proud that Michelle is an Erie Tiger!

Seventh Grade

Witt Unruh is the male student of the month for 7th grade. Witt is a renaissance man with being very

active in school, sports and his community. He always gives 100%, comes to class prepared and ready

to learn, volunteers often, he is a friend to all, and has near perfect attendance. Congratulations Witt!

Hannah Conley is our 7th grade student of the month. Hannah has grown in both academic skills and in

maturity this year. Hannah is a friend to all and is kind and respectful to her teachers. She shows con-

sistent effort in every subject, making sure she is turning things in and making up missing work. Way to

shine, Hannah!

Each of these students have been honored with a free

pizza for lunch on the last Friday of the month. Please

congratulate these students if you see them!

Eighth Grade

Paris Branch is the epitome of rock star. She is a very hard worker who is always asking clarify-

ing questions and not getting behind in her school work. She consistently strives to remain caught

up with her school work. She also is very polite, thoughtful, insightful, a great friend to everyone

and funny. These amazing qualities make her an easy choice for student of the month. Way to

go, Paris!

In the classroom, Tahnee Xiong gets all of his work in, asks good questions, and puts thought

and time into projects. He is a student who is on task, a positive influence on other’s behavior

and is a leader when it comes to group work. Tahnee has a nice balance between being studious

and social, and adds a positive and hard working energy to the classroom.

Each of these students have been honored with a free

pizza for lunch on the last Friday of the month. Please

congratulate these students if you see them!

There are ways for your student to peacefully settle conflicts without fighting, without running away, and without going against their feelings or beliefs. Resolving conflicts peacefully helps

keep your student safe, feeling good, and helps them learn respect for others.

Following are some strategies your son or daughter can use to help them solve conflicts peace-fully:

First, calm down and decide whether there really is a significant problem, then think of

solutions, weigh the results and choose a plan.

When meeting with the other person to settle the problem, be a good listener. Avoid in-terruptions and ask questions after the other person has presented his or her side. Re-

peat what you have heard to make sure you understand what the problem seems to be. Present your side of the conflict. Then negotiate a solution. It is sometimes very helpful

to have a third person who can be impartial to help brainstorm ideas and develop solu-tions. This is where your student’s school counselor can help.

The Erie Middle School Renaissance program will host an assembly on April 9th to acknowledge our students’ accomplishments for 3rd quarter.

Kimberly Jacobs Genaro Villareal

Jacobs_kimberly@stvrain.k12.co.us Villareal_genaro@stvrain.k12.co.us

COUNSELING CORNER

Lunch is $2.75 Individual Milk is .$50

You can make lunch pre-payments at svvsd/nutritionservices.org