JANUARY 2018 • ISSUE 1

Punta Gorda Middle School

1001 Education Ave.Punta Gorda, FL 33950

Phone: 941-575-5485

Mrs. Justina Dionisio, Principal

Sixth Grade HouseMr. Daniel McIntosh, Assistant Principal Mrs. Kalyn Wolff, School Counselor

Seventh Grade HouseMr. Lyman Welton, Assistant Principal

Ms. Deborah Guilford, School Counselor

Eighth Grade HouseDr. Scott Nicklas,

Assistant PrincipalMs. Leanne Fahey, School Counselor

PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE

Where Eagles SOAR Everyday!

Dear Parents,

I hope all of you had a wonderful holiday and were able to spend time with your family and friends. As we start second semester, please take time to talk to your child about the importance of staying focused on academics. Third quarter is traditionally a time when some students slack off, but students who continue to complete all their work and stay focused should be able to finish the year strong and receive all their credits. If your child received an F for the semester grade in any of their core classes first semester, they will need to do the credit recovery in order to retrieve that credit. You may contact your child’s counselor if you have any questions about any of this.

In this issue of our newsletter, you will see the variety of activities we have going on here at Punta Gorda Middle: many students are participating in athletic competitions, others are participating in academic events, and several hundred contributed to our holiday UNICEF, food and toy drives. You will also find some very important information like the dates for our FSA and EOC Testing. I must stress that while these dates are scheduled, they are subject to change if the state requires it or if we have technical issues. Please do your best to avoid scheduling any appointments for your child during this time.

Just like first semester, we have a wide range of events scheduled. I look forward to a great second half of the year. If you have any questions or concerns, please give me a call at the school.

Sincerely,

Justina Dionisio

Principal

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PGMS VisionWe exist to prepare students academically and socially for the rigor of high school/college/career and to develop admirable citizens in our community.

PGMS MissionRelentlessly pursuing academic and personal growth.

Calendar of EventsJanuary3 Quarter 3 begins for students9 Movie Night, sponsored by Eagle Pep Club10 Semester 1 Report Cards released11 Volleyball, PGMS at Port Charlotte Middle, 5:30 pm13 Martin Luther King, Jr. Breakfast, PGMS, 9 am15 Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday (no school)16 Period1 - 6th grade; Period 2 - 7th grade; Period 6 - 8th grade18 Volleyball, PGMS @ Murdock Middle, 5:30 pm25 PTO Meeting, 9:15 am Volleyball, Port Charlotte Middle @ PGMS, 5:30 pm27 Volleyball, County Playoffs, Lemon Bay High School, 9 amFebruary2 Teacher Work Day, no school for students6 FSA Practice Writing Test8 SAC Meeting, 5:30 pm12 Quarter 3 Progress Reports19 Presidents Day, no school22 PTO Meeting, 9:15 amMarch6 FSA Writing Test 19 Quarter 3 Report Cards released “The Addams Family” Opening Night, 7 pm20-21 “The Addams Family,” 7 pm22 Wrestling, Port Charlotte Middle @ PGMS, 5:30 pm “The Addams Family,” 7 pm27 Period 1 - 7th grade; Period 2 - 6th grade: Period 6 - 8th grade PTO Meeting, 9:15 am Wrestling, PGMS @ Murdock Middle, 5:30 pm30 Good Friday, no schoolApril2-6 Spring Break, no school12 SAC meeting, 5:30 pm Wrestling, LA Ainger @ PGMS, 5:30 pm16-17 Grade 8 - FSA ELA18-19 Grade 8 - FSA Math21 Wrestling Tournament, Charlotte High School, 10 am23 Quarter 3 Progress Reports Grade 7 - FSA ELA24 Grade 7 - FSA ELA25 Grade 7 - FSA Math26 PTO Meeting, 9:15 am Take your Child to Work Day27 Grade 7 - FSA Math30 Grade 6 - FSA ELAMay1 Grade 6 - FSA ELA2 Grade 8 - FCAT Science Grade 6 - FSA Math3 Grade 6 - FSA Math7-8 Grade 8 - Algebra EOC9th Grade 7 - Civics EOC

Talent Show Sign-Ups, January 3-23

Auditions are Jan. 30th and 31st(must sign up ahead of time)

Field Trips6th to LEGOLAND, May 10

7th to SEA WORLD & 8th to BUSCH GARDENS, May 16

FSA TestingApril 16-May 7

Spring BreakApril 2 through April 6

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‘Eagle Times’January 2018

Published Four Times Per YearCharlotte County Public Schools

1445 Education Way Port Charlotte, FL 33948-1052

Issue #1

Ad Placement

Eagle Pep Partners With Eagle Engineering ClubEagle Pep Club is excited to partner with Eagle Engineering Club for Spirit dances, movie nights, t-shirt sales, and more! So far this year we have introduced the t-shirt cannon at athletic events, the 3D printer to make cool Eagle keychains and other designs, and have sold newly designed t-shirts and hoodies. Our Eagles are dressed for success and full of school spirit! If you are interested in purchasing a newly designed PGMS school t-shirt, hoodie, or 3D printed Eagle keychain, please contact Mrs. Nicklas or Mr. Jesse. All prices and designs are available on our website. Go Eagles!

Students Earn Industry Certifications At PGMSSo far this year, over 140 students in PGMS computer classes have earned industry certification in IC3 Spark and Microsoft Word 2016. The Internet Core Competency Certification (IC3) is a global benchmark for basic computer literacy, including operating systems, hardware, software, and networks. IC3 Spark, the internationally recognized online training course specifically designed for middle school students, is introduced in 6th grade computer classes at PGMS.

After achieving IC3 Spark certification, students train toward Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) certification to demonstrate knowledge of the latest software necessary for both school and career success. PGMS students have the opportunity to earn certification in Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Excel with the help of their 6th, 7th and 8th grade computer teachers. The next MOS certification exam is scheduled in late January, and hundreds more students are preparing to demonstrate their skills in both Word and PowerPoint on that date.

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Media Center Gears Up For Sunshine State Reader Competition

Our media center is taking on a new look with a little re-arranging of our fiction section. Students returned many long-overdue books during a “grace period” of no fines in December. The Creative Writing Club has decided to meet twice a month beginning in January on Thursdays, and Book Club will continue meeting once a month on Tuesdays. We will be gearing up to vote in the spring on our 15 Sunshine State Young Reader Award Books and there will be festivities prior to that. Lots of great things continue to happen in the media center with Ms. Sheehan this year. Please join our media twitter feed @PGMS_Media and follow us for all the news.

PTO Raises Thousands For Students And StaffWith proceeds from the fall cup sale fundraiser, PTO was able to fill all teacher wish lists for classroom supplies this year, including the purchase of two sets of classroom books, a high-powered solar telescope for the science department, and $100 each to art, band, the nurse, drama, TV production and the school resource officer for supplies. PTO was also able to provide an outstanding Thanksgiving meal for staff (special thanks to all PGM families who donated desserts!), and help keep our staff looking sharp in new blue shirts promoting the school mission statement - relentlessly pursuing academic and personal growth! All students who sold cups in the cup sale attended a snow cone party and participated in drawings for over $1,200 in prizes.

Students participated in PTO’s very successful Rock/Paper/Scissors fundraiser last fall, too. Many thanks to our dedicated PTO volunteers and families who participated in our fall fundraising events!

PARENT TEAC

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ORGANIZATIO

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Ad Placement

www.village-fish-market.com

1200 W Retta EspPunta Gorda, FL 33950941 639 7959

New England Style seafood with great meat lover favorites too!

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Junior Honor Society Serves With Food, Toy Drives

Members of the Junior Honor Society had a busy fall season. To honor the Element of Service in November, the club organized a school wide nonperishable food items collection for the Holiday Food Drive. After providing holiday dinners for several members of our school community, JHS was able to donate items to St. Vincent DePaul Society, a local food pantry.

Mrs. Oettinger and Mrs. Volk, JHS advisors, organized food donations for distribution in the community.

For two weeks in December, PGMS served as a collection location for Toys for Tots/Team Charlotte County. Students enjoyed donating toys for children aged infant to sixteen years of age. Once again, JHS members were honored to be of service and help the needy in our community. We look forward to new members joining our club at the Induction Ceremony in the spring of 2018!

Junior Honor Society members Juliana Sacilowski, Malia Dennis, and Kalliyan Pho show some of the toys donated by PGMS students for Toys for Tots.

Follow PGMS on

http://www.edline.net/pages/Punta_Gorda_Middle_School

@Pgmiddle

@pgmiddle

pgmiddle

bellas bellasbellas

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Did You Know?Thirty-seven (37) PGMS teachers were nominated for CCPS Teacher of the Year this year! Congrats to all the nominees, and best wishes to Dr. Courtney, PGMS band teacher, who was selected as one of only five finalists from a field of very talented and dedicated nominees.

Kids Help Kids Through Builders ClubThe PGMS Builders Club raised $621 in the annual Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF campaign this year. The campaign is part of the UNICEF/Kiwanis International Eliminate Project, which aims to rid the world of maternal and neonatal tetanus. Mrs. Welton, Builders Club advisor, and the students in the club owe a HUGE shout-out to Mr. Comment, 6th grade science and computer teacher, who agreed to match all funds raised by students in his classroom. Mr. Comment and his 6th graders contributed over 2/3rd of the money that PGMS was able to donate toward this international campaign.

Builders Club members were honored guests at the December meeting of Punta Gorda Kiwanis at Laishley Crab House. Pictured are club president Kaylie Gordon, member Zoey Goold, and immediate past president Travis Hicks with Mr. Jim Finch, Punta Gorda Kiwanis secretary, and Charles Gugliuzza, Kiwanis International trustee and recipient of the Eliminate Project Centennial Award.

Advertise in the Eagle Times! This is a wonderful way

for your companyto get community recognition

and exposure,and at the same time

help support your local schools!

A few spots are left!

We need you!

Rindi Weltonrindi.welton@yourcharlotteschools.net

Punta Gorda Middle School

Advertise in the Eagle Times! This is a wonderful way

for your companyto get community recognition

and exposure,and at the same time

help support your local schools!

Rindi Weltonrindi.welton@yourcharlotteschools.net

Punta Gorda Middle School

A few spots are left!

We need you!

7

Controlled Open Enrollment is Right Around the Corner!This is a friendly reminder from Dr. Desjardins, Executive Director of School Support Services for Charlotte County Public Schools, alerting parents that the months of February and March are designated as the school district’s controlled open enrollment window (school choice). During these months, parents and guardians may select a school in our district other than their child’s assigned geographic school for the upcoming 2018-19 school year as long as that school is not closed due to being at capacity enrollment. If a school is “open” to reassignments, it is important to note that your child is not necessarily guaranteed a spot at that location. If there are more reassignment requests for a particular school than available seats, then the district will use a random lottery to determine which students will be allowed to attend that school. If a random lottery is needed, it will be conducted during the first two weeks of April.

Any student who is currently on reassignment to a school other than his or her assigned geographic school is no longer required to renew his or her reassignment every year. Your student will remain on that school’s roster until your student has completed the highest grade level offered at that school (5th grade for elementary school and 8th grade for middle school). Out-of-County residents no longer need to renew their reassignment application each year they wish for their student to attend a Charlotte County Public School unless they decide to change the school their student is currently attending.

Reassignment forms are available at any Charlotte County Public School, Charlotte County Public Schools Murdock Center, or on the web at www.yourcharlotteschools.net. A complete listing of schools that are at capacity (closed to reassignments) is also available on the school district’s website. If you decide to select a school other than your child’s assigned geographic school, be careful to research the special conditions such as athletic eligibility that are attached to reassignment obligations. Transportation is not provided for students who have obtained a reassignment. Out-of-County students no longer need to obtain a signature (release) from their county of residence.

Parents or guardians who have any additional questions may call 941-255-0808, extension 3005.

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Charlotte County Public SchoolsPunta Gorda Middle School1001 Education Ave.Punta Gorda, FL 33950

Non-Profit OrganizationU.S. Postage Paid

Orlando, FLPermit #2346

Inside This IssueCalendar of Events

Students Earn IC3 Industry CertificationsKids Help Kids through Builders Club

JHS Serves Serves with Food, Toy DrivesPTO Raises Thousands for PGMS

Controlled Open Enrollment

Inside This IssueCalendar of Events

Students Earn IC3 Industry CertificationsKids Help Kids through Builders Club

JHS Serves Serves with Food, Toy DrivesPTO Raises Thousands for PGMS

Controlled Open Enrollment