Feb 24 2020

Bulldog

Newsbites

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Testing Season….……..2

Student Conferences…3

Advisory …………….…..3

School Pictures ……….3

Calendar……………..….4

Counselor Corner …....4

PTA News ……………....5

Pics of the Week……….6

Introducing……………..7

Spirit Days ………….....8

7th Grade News……....8

Principal HR Breakfast

SMS Promotes Unity

Regardless of color, race, ethnic origin,

ect, we at SMS are all one.

Bulldogs!!!!

Testing Season is Approaching Springtime is full of much beauty. Not sure how many would consider the many upcoming standardized assessments as one of them. While they are challenging they are very important to both the student and our school. Schools are given a grade that is widely publicized based upon many factors with tests results being most important. Two years ago, the first year of the ratings system; SMS earned 4 Stars out of 5. This past year we slipped to 3 Stars. We are committed to turn that around. Most important however is the impact of these tests on our students. While these results do not impact your child’s grade or prevent them from passing, its impact is possibly greater. A student earning a high score is a necessity to move into advanced classes. Subsequent years usually demand that a student was in advanced the prior year. In addition, if a student scores low, remedial classes for math or reading may be required to close the gap that exists. This may mean an extra reading or math class instead of a preferred elective. This is true for middle as well as high school. Thus, as we approach this testing season please encourage your child to give their best effort. However the best ability is availability. It is thus very important your child is present on these dates. Below is the list of tests and dates they will be given. Every attempt to avoid missing those dates allowing your child to take the assessment in their regular classroom will be a great help.

Test Dates Given

MISA March 23, 25 and March 30 –31

MCAP

8th Gr Lang Arts April 20-23

7th Gr Lang Arts Ap 27-May 1

6th Gr Lang Arts May 4-7

8th Gr Soc Studies May 11-14

Math – All Grades May 18-21

SOUTHERN

MIDDLE’S

MISSION

TO PROVIDE QUALITY, AGE APPROPRIATE, CHALLENGING CURRICULUM AND ACTIVITIES THAT ALLOW EACH STUDENT TO ACHIEVE HIS/HER MAXIMUM INDIVIDUAL POTENTIAL IN A SAFE AND ORDERLY ENVIRONMENT.

Student Advisory

Every Monday and Friday all students have Student

Advisory where they work with one of their teachers on

Character Education. This is a vital part of a students day

because success and happiness does not all rely on

academic progress. So what are we focusing on this

month?

Advisory Lessons for February:

The theme for February is Self-Awareness and Self-

Management. 6th grade lessons focus primarily on identi-

fying emotions and anger management. 7th and 8th

grade lessons focus on self-assessment, anger manage-

ment, and self-control. Please ask your student about

what they are discussing in their Bulldog Block Advisory

lessons!

March 10—No School—Conference Day

On Tuesday March 10 schools will be closed

for conferences. The format of these confer-

ences will be Student Led. For those unaware,

this is very different. ALL students will have

worked to prepare a portfolio of key work

samples showing their progress on key skills.

There will also be goals they have set as well as

a reflection on their progress. Teachers will be

there to assist but will not be leading the

conference, students will. The conferences will

run from 8am-3pm, however, there is a break

from 11am-12pm so teachers can enjoy a lunch

break.

No scheduling for times is necessary.

Hope to see everyone at this key event.

Calendar of Events:

Principal HR Break-

fasts

Feb 25—6th Grade

Feb 26—7th Grade

Feb 27—8th Grade

March 10—No School

Conference Day

PTA Spirit Day-Bayside

Bull

March 23-26 College

Spirit Wear

March 24—2 Hr Early

Dismissal

THE BULLDOG PRIDE PLEDGE

I pledge to do my

BULLDOG BEST.

I will be PREPARED,

RESPECTFUL and

INDEPENDENT.

I will be DISCIPLINED

and do what’s right.

I will show EMPATHY

for all and make our

school

No Place For Hate.

4

Accessing Student Course Requests:

*To view your student “Course Requests” for next school year, follow the below directions:

Go to www.aacps.org

1. Click on “Student/Parent Portal” link on top of page

2. Click on “Student and Parent Sign In” link on right side of page

3. Enter Student Username and Student Password

• *Username/Password is the SAME Students use to log on to school computers*

5. Once logged on, click on “Class Registration” on the left side of page

6. View a list of your Student Course Requests (*Note: this is NOT your schedule but simply “Course Requests”)

*If you wish to change any Course Request at this point, you MUST turn in a signed letter from your

Parent/Guardian to your School Counselor!*

SCHOOL COUNSELOR TIP OF THE MONTH:

*Academic Support & Success!*

3rd MARKING PERIOD INTERIM REPORT: 3/9/20

Please continue to encourage your student to excel aca-demically by completing all required assignments, main-tain organization (agenda book), attend school each day on time, utilize tutoring resources (I&I/STAR Time) and prepare for tests and quizzes. We, as you do, want your student to reach their goals and be successful!

If you have any questions about a specific class, please contact the teacher directly as teachers are consistently updating grades.

Parents please remember to bring in an absence note each time your child is absent. Otherwise it is listed as an illegal absence.

Something New: PTA is Coming to You!!!

Instead asking busy parents to come to SMS to be a part of our PTA, for our next meeting we are coming out to the community.

Our next meeting will be:

Thurs March 12 @ 6:30 at the Deale Library

Please come out and check us out. Snacks will also be provided.

**** Tuesday, March 10****

SMS Spirit Day at Bayside Bull, 10am-7pm.

Proceeds benefit SMS PTA.

PTA NEWS

Counselors Corner Continued

CAT-South Registration:

CAT-South On-Line Applications for 8th grade students who are interested in CAT-South for High School are due March 15!!!

PICS OF THE WEEK

8th Grade students learning

to love a new sport….Pickle

Ball.

Ms. Daugherty and the NJHS

put stickees on every student’s

locker for Valentines Day saying

how special they are.

SMS Loves Their Students!

7th graders using Newton’s laws and simple machines to

build Rube Goldberg machines!

STEM at work!

LET ME INTRODUCE YOU TO…...

SMS is very lucky to have Ms. Michaels

6th grade

Language

Arts

What subjects are you currently teaching: 6th Grade Language Arts Where did you grow up? Long Island, New York Attended college where? What major? Bachelor’s Degree: SUNY New Paltz- Childhood Education (1-6); English Currently pursuing my Master’s Degree: LaSalle University- Education; Differentiat-ed Instruction Any family info you wish to share? I grew up with a family full of teachers! My mom, dad and almost all of my aunts and un-cles are retired teachers or are still teaching on Long Island. I have two older brothers and a nephew, that live in New Jersey.

When/Why did you decide to become a teacher? I think that I have always known I wanted to be a teacher. I have early memories of visiting my mom at her school and reading to her class. I also loved setting up her bulletin boards and grading her papers on the weekends. One Christmas, I got a large dry erase board and would play school with my cousins. I was fortunate enough to have many wonderful teachers along the way, who inspired me and set an example for the type of teacher I hope that I can be. In middle school I was hard-working and an en-thusiastic learner! I enjoyed helping my teachers and I loved learning new things! My middle school was in a building that was Kindergarten-8th grade, so I spent a lot of time helping out and reading to students in the lower grades.

Alex Michaels

March 17th St. Paddy’s Day

March 23—27—College Spirit Wear

April 24th Dress for Success

May 15th Hawaiian Day

June-8th grade dance TBD

Next School Dance: TBA

SMS Spirit Days

7th Grade News

In Social Studies we are continuing our studies of the Middle East. We will be working on a cross-curricular connection to math by creating tile tessellations. We will also be working on a cross-curricular connection to science by studying the Aral Sea and learning how a sea became a desert through human interference.

Math 7 is writing and solving equations and inequalities. Students will also learn how to graph their solutions on a number line.

Math 7/8 is studying geometry. Students are learning how to solve problems in-volving circles, as well as find the surface area and volume of 3-dimensional shapes.

In Language Arts, we're reading the Twilight Zone episode "Monsters Are Due on Maple Street" to study theme and mood through teleplay. After that, we'll continue studying the science fiction genre as we read Ray Bradbury's short story "Dark They Were, and Golden-Eyed."

In Science, we are learning about forces and motion. We have finished Newton's Three Laws of Motion and are calculating the net force on an object. We are using these laws of physics and applying to them to our Rube Goldberg Machine project.

Help Wanted/Needed—Cafe

Interested in part time work that allows you to get your child off to school and be there when they return? Then you might be interested in being a cafeteria worker. The hours at SMS are typically; 10:30—1:45. We have a dire need right here at SMS.

If interested you can APPLY TODAY by calling Andrea @ 410-222-5900.

Help Wanted/Needed—TSA

Interested in working with students as a Temporary Support

Assistant? Southern Middle is currently looking to hire an

assistant for students in the classrooms.

Please contact Patty Hiesener at 410-222-1659 or

Phiesener@aacps.org if you are interested

Principal's Honor Roll Breakfast Earning Principal's Honor is a great achievement. This means your child has received all A’s on their 2nd marking period report card.

To properly honor these students we host a Principal's Honor Roll Break-fast for them and their parents/grandparents/guardians. There is a day for each grade and the event begins at 8:20 am in our cafeteria. Please come and celebrate this great achievement with your child. The dates for each grade are as follows:

Grade 6—Tuesday Feb 25

Grade 7—Wednesday Feb 26

Grade 8—Thursday Feb 27

PVA Late Auditions

April 23rd, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.

Studio 39

PVA will hold late auditions for the remaining open seats for the

2020-2021 school year.

Late auditions are open to current 5th, 6th, 8th, & 9th grade students

The application window is open until April 8th

Apply online at aacps.org/magnet

QUESTIONS? Email us at pva@aacps.org