Arnold Anchor - Arnold Middle School
Transcription
Arnold Anchor - Arnold Middle School
Arnold Anchor Arn old Middle School October 2014 Volume 1, Issue 1 Note from our Principal Inside this issue: The Arnold Buccaneers are starting the 2014-15 school year off right where they left off last spring, being the BEST. I can truly say this is the best start of school I have had in 31 years of education. The students came to school full of enthusiasm and positivity. This great attitude is reflected in all the activities the students are involved in. Our sports teams, clubs, and fine arts have already started collecting honors. This school year we implemented some new policies and procedures. Arnold has a new tardy policy, stricter cell phone and dress code policies, backpacks are allowed in classrooms and a new early morning drop off policy. Both students and parents have risen to the new expectations! Students are getting to class on time, averaging less than 50 total tardies per week. This is amazing considering there is a possibility of over 52,000 tardies per week. The students are also allowed to carry backpacks to class this year. The teachers love the students having their backpacks with their school supplies and assignments in it! The parents are following the new morning drop off policies. All of these things have contributed to our students soaring in their academics as well. Each grade level had over 90% of all students passing all classes, 6th grade-97%, 7th grade-91%, 8th grade was 96%. Arnold had the following honor roll results. Honor Roll and Perfect Attendance Counts 2014 - 2015 Distinguished Total Six Weeks 6th 7th 8th 1st 90 74 109 273 Regular Total 6th 7th 8th 199 143 147 Overall Total 489 Art 2,3 Theatre Arts/ Band 4 Orchestra 5 Language Arts 6, 7 Math 8, 9 Social Studies 10 Science 11 PE/Athletics 1215 Counselors 1622 School & District Info 2326 Yearbook/ Library 27 VIPS/Parents 28 Upcoming Events 29 762 Perfect Attendance Six Weeks 1st 6th 7th 8th Total Students who received HR and Perfect Attendance 208 196 144 548 336 students received both The fall fundraiser was a great success also, earning Arnold over $12,000. This money will be used to buy items for the school store, needed classroom supplies, STAAR interventions, eighth grade dance, seventh grade party and much more. Parents, I encourage you to partner with Arnold Middle School in providing your child with the best educational experience possible. Please use the Home Access Center (HAC) to monitor your student’s academic achievement. Please do not hesitate to contact the school if you have an issue or concern. Arnold is a diverse school full of engaged, energetic students and teachers. A place where everyone strives to do their BEST every day and the reason why there is no place like Arnold. Sincerely, Vicki Snokhous 1 Art Department The beginning of the year… The very first assignment for all students in art this year was post-it art. Students were asked to draw three things that described them or three things that they felt attached to, on different post-it colors. Students used a variety of different media for the drawings. This assignment served as a pre-assessment for their drawing skills and was put together in an installation in the display case by the library. The theme of the installation was this school year’s theme, “Lead the Way.” Rotation Students in 6th grade rotation started off their year by studying the Elements of Art and working in their sketchbook. They then went on to study color, color mixing and impressionist painting. Students created their own impressionist landscapes, using oil pastel. Recently, they completed their clay sculptures based on Mexican inspired pottery, they are looking forward to painting them! They are about to begin working in printmaking. 6th Grade Full Year Students started off their year by studying the Elements of Art. They then went on to study balance and positive/negative space through Notan Art. They recently studied early art and cave art and had fun creating their own cave art on altered paper. Students recently began studying observational drawing, completing contour line drawing, gesture drawing, and contour drawing. They will begin working on a still life drawing next week. Art Students in Art began their year studying the Elements of Art and learned about the art of Zentangle. Students practiced a variety of different patterns, culminating in the creation of their sketchbook covers. Art students did a fantastic job! Students then went on to study the principles of design and different shading methods. Art is presently learning color pencil techniques and creating a cubist or side by design, that shows color harmony and the principles of design. 2 Art Department, continued Art Design Art Design started their year studying the elements of art. They then went on to study op-art techniques, and used op-art to create their sketchbook covers. Following op-art they studied realistic drawing and shading techniques, and drew a still life as a sketch artist. They are presently studying painting and color mixing, creating a skateboard design as graphic designers. Advanced Art Advanced art began their year by studying the elements of art and the principles of design. They learned about the art of zentangle and created sketchbook covers using zentangle inspired patterns. They then went on to study drawing from observation and shading techniques. Students created their own still life using origami and forms to draw off of. They are presently drawing their still life in graphite. Art 1 Students in Art 1 started their year reviewing the elements of art and the principles of design. They then went on to work brainstorming to develop ideas for their sketchbook cover, and for additional art projects this year. They then worked in mixed media to develop their sketchbook covers. Following the completion of their sketchbooks covers, students reviewed drawing techniques. They then completed a white charcoal drawing on black paper of a white paper still life they constructed. Students are presently learning about composition, color pencil techniques and color theory, in preparation for the Rodeo Art Competition. Art Club Art Club meets every Tuesday from 3:30-4:30 pm. Please see Mrs. Quevedo or Mrs. Teague for an application. Officers Elections are to be held in the next couple of weeks. Positions include: President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasure, PR manager, Club Social Coordinator, and Studio Coordinator. The mission of art club this year is to beautify Arnold and help inspire student creativity. Art club’s goal is to build school pride through art. 3 Theatre Arts Department December 11, 2014 Theatre Arts Presents: Their Holiday Show Arnold Cafeteria 7:00 p.m. January 14, 2015 Arnold Talent Show Cy-Fair High School Auditorium Band Department We are off to a great and exciting start in the Arnold Band. Our 7th and 8th grade students have performed their first concert of the year at the Fall Concert. We hope you enjoyed the performances of all of our 7th and 8th grade bands. Our next performance will be our Holiday Concert on Tuesday, December 16th in the Cy-Fair High School Auditorium. This concert is scheduled to begin at 7:00 PM. The Honors Band will be attending both Honor and Region Band auditions in the upcoming weeks. Honor Band auditions will take place Monday, October 20th at Goodson MS. Region Band auditions will take place Friday and Saturday, November 7-8th. There will be more detailed information to come on these auditions. We are so excited for our Beginning Band students. We are making our first sounds on our instruments and improving greatly each day. Our first performance will be our Holiday Caroling on Wednesday, December 17th during all beginning band classes. Performance times will be during each instruments’ designated class period. Parents are encouraged to attend. Please bring cameras, phones and whatever else you need to remember their first performance! It is truly a fun day! As always, thank you for all of your support in The Arnold Band Program! 4 Orchestra Department Self-motivation, Discipline, and Focus = Success In orchestra this fall, we are learning a lot and having a blast in Philharmonic, Symphony and Chamber Orchestra, and the Beginners are starting out on a musical journey that I hope will last a lifetime. Practicing at home is our DAILY homework, even on the weekends! In order for students to be successful at all the music they are expected to accomplish this fall, practicing should be a part of each orchestra student’s daily routine. Practice sheets are due for a grade EVERY MONDAY, students log in their practice minutes each day and turn it in on Mondays for a weekly homework grade. Parents please encourage your child to practice every day and don’t forget to verify their practice time and check over the calendar for morning rehearsals, when signing their practice sheets that are due each Monday. Orchestra students must be in attendance at morning rehearsals. Morning rehearsals are assessment grades for participation, and missing morning rehearsal can hinder a student’s understanding of the music we are learning as well as drop their average in the class. Morning rehearsals are extensions of classroom time, and are crucial to the success of our performing orchestras. The morning rehearsal schedule is clearly listed on the practice sheets. In mid-October, Arnold Orchestra sent 28 of its best performers to audition for the All Region Orchestra--which is a performing orchestra made up of the best students from Cy-Fair and Spring Branch ISD combined. These Arnold students practiced lots of extra music for this audition and put in countless hours at before school rehearsals preparing for the Region Audition. I will update you in the next newsletter as to how we did at Region Orchestra auditions this year. Upcoming Performances: Arnold Orchestra Fall Concert: Thursday, October 23rd in the Arnold Cafeteria. Children’s Concert “Science Fiction and Space” with Arnold, Hamilton and Cy Fair H.S. Orchestras is on Tuesday November 4th; fun starts at 6:30 pm, the concert/music begins at 7 pm in the Cy Fair High School Auditorium November 4th The Region Orchestra Concert is Saturday November 15th at Cypress Ranch High School; the concert schedule is as follows: 4:00 pm Middle School Region Philharmonic Orchestra 4:45 pm Middle School Region Symphony Orchestra 5:30 pm High School Region Symphony Orchestra Arnold Orchestra Holiday Concert: Tuesday, December 9th in the Arnold Cafeteria. 5 Language Arts Department 6th Grade Welcome new Buccaneers and Buccaneer parents! Sixth grade reading and writing curriculum should be familiar to new sixth graders as it follows the same principles of balanced literacy instruction used in Cy-Fair elementary schools. The balanced literacy model combines all strands of the reading and writing experience into one. Our launching units for reading and writing introduced students to curricular concepts and expectations. Currently, our reading unit is focused on concepts critical to comprehending fiction. Students are to be reading books chosen to present just enough challenge to influence growth. The librarian allows students to check out three books at a time. Students are responsible for their own books and must have them everyday in class. Each teacher has a collection of books in her room, so no student is ever without access to a book. Each student is required to read 20 minutes or more in class using that time to use their books to reinforce concepts taught in class. Additionally, students have regular reading comprehension homework that is due every other Friday. While reading, students were given certain analytical tasks to practice with their books using charts, graphic organizers and post-it notes—lots of post-it notes. These tasks are designed to promote a dialogue between the reader and the author, one in which the reader questions, predicts, analyzes, and otherwise interacts with the text. Writing is focused on elements of producing an original imaginative story, our own fiction pieces. Lessons are designed to help students develop interesting plots with engaging characters. Revision lessons focus on adding imagery and sensory detail as well as using dialogue and sentence structure to add interest and greater fluency. Editing will focus on conventions of grammar and mechanics and on using language to develop individual style. Each student is expected to keep notes and activities organized in a binder he or she works in and maintains every day. Students need to keep supplies of notebook paper, pens, pencils, highlighters, map pencils, and markers for use in class. Students also use post-it notes daily. Please check regularly with your student to be sure he or she has the supplies needed including replacing binders that break or wear out. Thank you for all you do to prepare your students for school each day. We know that you work at home to prepare your children for their time here and are grateful for all that you do. 6 Language Arts Department, continued 7th Grade Great things are already up and running this year in seventh grade language arts! We began the year focusing on the Six Traits of Writing, which students will refer when writing compositions each six weeks. We also completed our first Personal Narrative Essay to help students prepare for the STAAR Writing Test in April. We read several stories from the literature book to model good writing and practice reading skills such as, identifying the author’s purpose and short story elements as it applies to both reading and writing. While reviewing grammar, we have and will focus on types of sentences and how to combine ideas to improve sentence fluency. During the Second Grading Period, we are focusing on a Literature Circle with The Outsiders. Students are not required to purchase their own copy because we have class sets. In this unit, students will be reading independently, analyzing characters, analyzing the plot, and making inferences to help practice for the STAAR Reading Test. Students will also be able to use examples and scenarios from The Outsiders to enhance their future writings. Towards the end of the Second Grading Period, we will be writing our first Expository Essay to help prepare student for the Writing STAAR Test. In this type of essay, students will be asked to explain their opinion and provide examples to support their opinion. In addition, please encourage your child to read and write often. Practice makes perfect. We look forward to a great year in seventh grade language arts! 8th Grade Welcome back! We are so excited to start a fresh new year, and experience the elements of literature with our students. In the first unit, the students explored poetry and both fiction and nonfiction pieces of literature. The first six weeks' theme focused on making connections between all literary elements. Our areas of focus in this unit were point of view, figurative language, plot structure, and analyzing short stories. Students are in the middle of a novel unit where the focus is on characterization, mood, and using text evidence to prove literary analysis answers. To round out the second six weeks, students will be studying Edgar Allen Poe’s “Tell-Tale Heart” in order to grasp the different uses of figurative language in literature. We hope that the first two six-weeks will inspire an appreciation for both Writing and reading as students make a connection between the two. 7 Math Department 6th Grade Sixth grade math is transitioning to meet the new state standards. These new standards require your student to increase their level of understanding in math by being able to combine multiple skills. These skills include concepts previously taught in elementary school as well as new concepts being taught in each unit. The bar has been set high for your students and they have done a remarkable job at meeting the expectations. Thank you for your support! What can you do to help your student be successful in class? Encourage your student to attend tutoring when needed. Email your student’s teacher for their tutoring schedule. Be sure your student is bringing a pencil, math folder, and assignments to class daily. How can you help your student with math at home? Frequently visit Home Access Center (HAC) to monitor academic progress and encourage your student to check as well. At the beginning of every grading period, your student will receive a tentative calendar that includes concepts being covered in class, assessment dates, tests dates, and other information. The internet is a wealth of information and we encourage you to use search engines like Google to find practice problems and games to reinforce what students have learned in class. You can use the calendar as a guide. We are currently in the rational numbers unit, which includes all operations with fractions and decimals. It is strongly suggested that your student become extremely comfortable with their fraction/decimal benchmarks and be able to convert between them fluently. In addition, you will continue to see Daily Math coming home at the beginning of every week. Please take some time throughout the week to go over these problems with your student. We appreciate all of your help in making 6th Grade Math a success! Benchmarks ½= 0.5 ¼= 0.25 ¾= 0.75 1/3= 0.3333… 2/3= 0.6666… 1/10= 0.1 3/10= 0.3 7/10= 0.7 9/10= 0.9 1/5= 0.2 2/5= 0.4 3/5= 0.6 4/5= 0.8 8 1/8= 0.125 3/8= 0.375 5/8= 0.625 7/8= 0.875 Math Department, continued 7th Grade The summer has flown and we are well on our way into the new school year as we start the second six weeks. The first six weeks had 7th grade math classes reviewing concepts they started to learn in 6 th grade. The concepts were then built upon, so students should have a solid foundation to work with for the rest of the school year. In the upcoming months the students will be learning new ideas and concepts so it is very important to help your child in any way possible. This could include making sure they are finishing their homework, studying for tests, or bringing them to tutoring if they are not grasping a particular concept. The on-level math classes will start off the new six weeks with foundations of linear functions. This includes topics such as unit rate, rate of change, and constant of proportionality. We will then move on to rational numbers as we start the third six weeks and look to end the semester. The 7th grade level-one math classes will start the linear functions unit as well. This includes classifying multiplicative and additive relationships, independent/dependent quantities, writing equations, finding rate of change, unit rate, and proportional relationships. We will continue to study linear relationships throughout the third six weeks by looking at slope and direct variation relationships. 8th Grade 8th Grade math students have kicked off the year with a unit on Equations and Inequalities. Students have been using graphing calculators in class to solve equations and explore inequalities. Our next unit will last until Semester Break. Students will discover various forms of representations (scenarios, graphs, equations, tables, and descriptions) and then find various forms of equations such as slope intercept form and other algebraic ideas. Since 8th graders can use graphing calculators during the STAAR test this year, it is important that they are using them every day. Students can find apps for graphing calculators on their i-pads, tablets, and smart phones for completing assignments at home. Tutorials are offered afterschool on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Remember to check online through the Home Access Center for updates on grades and incomplete assignments. Students can log in with their Novell username and password that we use at school. 8th Grade Algebra The 2014-2015 school year is off to a great start in algebra classes. During the first six weeks of school, students completed Unit 1: Foundation of Functions and are currently working on Unit 2: Linear Equations and Functions. Throughout the unit students will investigate the multiple representations of linear functions and generate the equations given various data sets. The unit will conclude with students achieving proficiency in the manipulation of equations including combining like terms, variables on both sides, and distributive property. Linear Equations and Functions will be followed by Unit 3: Linear Inequalities to complete the first semester. Algebra Tutoring Schedule Morning Tutorials 7:35-8:00 a.m. Wednesday, Thursday, & Friday Afternoon Tutorials 3:20-4:30 p.m. Thursday All tutoring sessions require a pass with a parent signature. Morning tutorial passes can be picked up from each teacher. Afternoon passes may be picked up from each teacher or printed out from the teacher’s website. Please continue to monitor weekly assignments and news on the teacher’s websites. http://www.epsilen.com/laraharjo http://www.epsilen.com/melissarawl 9 History Department 6th Grade World Cultures We had a great first grading period we enjoyed learning about culture and geography. During the second grading period we have been studying the culture, history, economics, government and geography of South American countries. Also, during this grading period students will be going to create a postcard to express what they have learned while traveling through South America. We are looking forward to moving on to our travels through Europe and Russia to finish up the first semester. 7th Grade Texas History We had a great start of the 2014-2015 school year. During the second grading period 7th graders have spent two weeks studying the government of Texas. They will discover the 7 principles of government and learn the state Constitution. We are now transitioning into the Anglocolonization unit and looking forward to getting to know Stephen F. Austin. 8th Grade US History We have introduced the Arnold’s 8th grade students to many different areas of early American history. During the second grading period we have begun to look at various causes of the Revolutionary War and studying the Declaration of Independence. We are looking at the war in depth, including key people and major battles. We will complete our studies by analyzing the Articles of Confederation and understanding their importance as a forerunner to our nation’s current Constitution. 10 Science Department 6th Grade We just finished up our Super Chemistry Unit. The students enjoyed the numerous labs. Thank you parents for helping us make those labs possible with your generous donations. We will be ending this semester with the Force and Motion Unit. There will be some fun investigations during this unit as well. A few reminders: Every student needs a new composition book or spiral next semester Sign up for your child's teacher's Remind 101 texting system Check out your child's teacher's webpage Thank you for sharing your child with us! 7th Grade Our 7th grade science students have had a successful 1st six weeks as they learned about cells, the building blocks of life. We have also had the opportunity to explore science concepts through the use of technology in the classroom. Students have enjoyed learning about cells and their functions. The second six weeks kicked off the heredity unit. Students have explored DNA, genes, and the passing of traits through generations. We look forward to finishing out the fall semester investigating human body systems. Please remember to visit the teacher Web Pages for notes, agendas, and upcoming events. The teacher’s webpage is a great way to stay connected! http://www.espilen.com/hollylewis1 http://www.epsilen.com/laurennavar http://www.epsilen.com/klinder5 8th Grade Welcome to the 2014-2015 school year! Our 8th grade science students have had a successful 1st six weeks as they learned about energy, force and motion. We have had the opportunity to explore these science concepts through several lab investigations. The Alka-Seltzer rocket and newton-car labs were two of our exciting investigations in which students were highly engaged. Next, we will begin our chemistry unit as it relates to atoms and the periodic table. Throughout each unit our students will have the opportunity to utilize technology and other resources to broaden their understanding of science through relevance and real life applications. We have an exciting year ahead of us and we look forward to working with you and your scientists. Thank you for your continued support as we strive towards excellence in 8th grade science. Please remember to visit the teacher webpages for homework and important dates. The teacher’s webpage is a great way to stay connected! 11 PE / Athletic Department Arnold Girls Basketball Try-out Information 2014-15 Coaches: 8 A & B - Coach Barcelona 7 A & B - Coach Kalinec Who can play: 7th and 8th grade girls from Athletics or PE (Student needs a PHYSICAL on File) Expectations of try-outs: We will be observing the following skills during try-outs: basic fundamentals during scrimmage and drill time which includes dribbling, shooting technique, passing, speed, endurance (getting up and down the court), overall ability/skill level, court sense, attitude, sportsmanship and general knowledge of the game (includes offense, defense, positions, etc.) Each criterion will be scored/ tallied into a scoring system for try-outs and used to determine who makes the team. Try-out Dates and Times: Nov. Nov. Nov. Nov. 7th Grade 11th-6:45-8:00 am 12th-6:45-8:00 am 13th-6:45-8:00 am 14th-6:45-8:00 am 8th Grade Nov. 12th-6:45-8:00 am Nov. 13th-6:45-8:00 am Nov. 14th-6:45-8:00 am It is strongly advised that you come to every try-out date. Due to the time frame of try-outs, (beginning Oct. 27th, 2014) Athletes will be completing some of the try-out criteria during their athletic period. All athletes who are in season in another sport will be given the same opportunity as the students who are completing try-out criteria during this time frame. They will complete their try-out criteria during the week of try-outs. On Friday, November 14th, teams will be posted on the front doors of Arnold at 5 pm. Paperwork: You must have all of the REQUIRED paperwork in order to participate: a physical, Sudden Cardiac, Concussion, Emergency card and release of medical information. For more information on the required paperwork please go to http://www.cfisd.net/dept2/athletics/formpacket Grades and Conduct: You must have a 70 or above and E’s and S’s in conduct in all classes, in order to participate in basketball. Transportation: You will need to make arrangements for transportation for try-outs before school. Please be on time to try-outs. Uniform and shoes: For try-outs and practice, you will need to wear your athletics or p. e. uniform. We are also asking that you wear an appropriate shoes for basketball purposes. It needs to be laced up and tied properly to give support to the foot and ankle. Practices and Games: Practice will be in the mornings from 6:45-8:00 a.m. Practice times maybe earlier once teams are decided. A team schedule will be given when athletes make a team. This season games are scheduled for THURSDAY evenings. Schedules can be found @cfisd.net/athletics If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the coaches listed above at 281-897-4708. Or via email: [email protected] and [email protected]. We look forward to having a positive, safe, and fun season!!!! BPND!!!!!!! 12 PE / Athletic Department, continued 2014 7th Grade Volleyball Team 7th A Team 7th B Team Hua, Emily Guerrero, Christi Franz, Ainsley Scott, Sophie Zachos, Morgan Arndt, BriAnn Lindemann, Lauren Schreiber, Kennedy Cashaw, Loren Padilla, Priscilla Tims, Amaya Foy, Ally Furniss, Malia Garney, Shae Howard, Katlyn Johnson, Taylor Kemp, Paetyn McCollum, Maddie McGinty, Amaya Miller, Kaycee Petersen, Olivia Reindl, Kolbie Rodenbaugh, Jordan Rotholz, Reade Vernon, Kathleen Williams, Brianna RECORD 2-3 RECORD 2-3 2014 8th Grade Volleyball Team 8th A Team 8th B Team Belden, Kallie Coble, Jackie Cooke, Chloe Costa, Katie Doyle, Jenna Gallagher, Casey John, Abby Johnson, Caroline Picou, Kennedy Rios, Hannah Scheaffer, Hannah Barcelona, Gabby Blanco, Elisa Boatcallie, Haley Castro, Allison Galvan, Lauren Garcia, Stephanie Huebner, Alyssa Krieger, Maddie Locandro, Ryley McDonald, Alee Mitchell, Krysta Morgan, Ali Oviedo, Victoria San Jose, Ashley Scullion, Emily Teamer, Taylor RECORD 4-1 4-0 Record RECORD 3-2 3-1 Record Remaining Volleyball schedule for the season, game times 4:30, 5:30 October 23rd October 30th November 6th November 10th @ Truitt Labay @ home Aragon @ home @ Dean 13 7th BA 7th AB 7th BA 7th AB 8th AB 8th BA 8th AB 8th BA PE / Athletic Department, continued Arnold Cross Country 2014 The Bucs Cross Country season came to an end on Wednesday, October 15th. We had 98 student athletes participate in the district meet! Our student athletes are made up of 7 th and 8th grade girls and boys. Over all team finishes were the following: 8th grade Girls: 12th place out of 18 schools 8th grade Boys: 12th out of 18 schools 7th grade Girls: 9th out of 18 schools 7th grade Boys: 7th out of 18 schools A huge thank you goes out to all of our parents, students and Arnold staff who came out and supported our teams this season! We really appreciate you cheering on our Bucs! Cross Country Outstanding Runners All of the athletes did a terrific job this season, we did have a few athletes who placed at each meet and would like to recognize them. 7th grade Girls: Morgan Zachos placed 16th out of 212 runners at district with a time of 14:00. She placed at every weekly meet, she placed 1st, had 3 2nd place finished and a 6th place finish. Alyse Gonzalez, Beth Ann Bonner, Lisa Nguyen and Abbey Spence all had top 15 finished this season. 7th grade Boys: Beau Cagney placed 3rd out of 185 runners at district with a time of 12:06. Greg Fossati placed 21st with a time of 13:03 also earning a medal and receiving ribbons at every meet. 8th grade Girls: Alexa Truong placed 23rd out of 246 runners at district with a time of 13:57, she also placed at every meet this season. 8th grade Boys: Blake White finished 19th overall at district with a time of 12:15 out of 218 runners. Blake also placed in every weekly meet earning a ribbon for each meet. Proud of all our runners! Thanks for great season! 14 PE / Athletic Department, continued Cross Country Roster 7th grade Girls 8th grade Girls 7th grade Boys Karen Abularach Cyndee Barefield Beth Ann Bonner Kamila Cardenas Ana Contreras Cameron Crowder Alexis Cuevas Amber Cummings Jay De Vera Amanda Dieu Regan Dinh Emily Dobney Allison Fry Joselyn Garcia Ailani Adams Cynthia Alfaro Rosana Arteaga Isabel Brooks Hayley Brown Lauren Bryant Emree Curtis Stephanie Diaz Alexis Ellermann Jasmine Jenkins Emily Lefler Fatima Medina Paola Najera Angeline Pham Talha Ahmed Austin Abdala Nicolas Akins Nathanael Austin Beau Cagney Ryan Bergeron Ronald Erickson Matthew Chang Gregory Fossati Michael Deo Logan Garza Alex Fanos Balaji Gopalakrishnnan Carter Ho Jordan Harris Carter Lee Gunther Houn Cameron Lewis Paul Ibrahim Kellen Long Anand Kalkat Taylor Nguyen Binh Nguyen Matthew Nix Victor Reyes Justin Rangel Franklin Sampson Sahij Singh 7th grade Girls 8th grade Girls 7th grade Boys 8th grade Boys Gabriel Sanchez Jacob Schoenvogel J’Veon Ware Christian Montifor Sonny Torres Blake White Alyse Gonzalez Faith Sharp Regina Gonzalez Natalie Solis Morgan Haney Isabelle Tanguma Anagalena Hays Alexa Truong Susan Hernandez Analise Valdez Madison Holmes Shelby Howard Jolea Jacob Aaliyah Jenkins Jahmir Jones Upneet Kaur Kinza Khan Wendy Luong Cristal Martinez Bridgette Nguyen Lisa Nguyen Penny Nguyen Sandra Perez Marinda Perez-Gruetzner Ramirez, Alexa Robles, Diana Alexia Rodriguez Mariam Salam Olivia Scott Abbey Spence Kahlea Sutherland Yvonne Tessitore Taylor Tran Mar’kayla Rucker Katlyn Franklin Iyunie Narcisse Allsion Wuellner Morgan Zachos 15 8th grade Boys Counselor’s Corner Counselors’ Corner ~ The counselors have had the opportunity to display guidance lessons which enable students to be enlightened on today’s issues and areas of concern affecting our youth. These lessons play a vital role in assisting teachers and other staff in the integration of guidance objectives with other instructional goals. The purpose of delivering classroom guidance lessons is to assist students in their personal, social, academic development and aid in the application of skills needed in everyday life. Lessons have included topics regarding social skills, bully prevention, peer pressure, conflict resolution, and much more! All of our Buccaneers were seen by their grade level counselor after the start of school to experience and discuss these topics. It was a great way to visit our students as we started the school year! Looking Forward… Career Cruising is career exploration software which students utilize to inspire them to achieve their full potential in school, career and life. It engages their imagination as it inspires them to take positive action researching career choices. Our students will discover how they learn and retain career information and even find tips on how to improve study habits to suit their learning styles. Each Buccaneer will visit the computer lab during the Fall semester as they cruise into their future! ‘Testing, Testing, 1.2.3 Testing’ Please mark your calendars for our STAAR 2015 testing dates: Date of STAAR Grade/Subject Monday, March 30 8th grade STAAR MATH (no Alg) 7th grade STAAR WRITING (day 1 of 2) Tuesday, March 31 8th grade STAAR READING 7th grade STAAR WRITING (day 2 of 2) Tuesday, April 21 6th & 7th grade STAAR MATH 8TH grade STAAR SOCIAL STUDIES Wednesday, April 22 6th & 7th grade STAAR READING 8th grade STAAR SCIENCE Tuesday, May 5 ALGEBRA EOC 16 Counselor’s Corner, continued Generation Texas Week 2014-2015 The Arnold Counseling Staff kicked off Generation Texas week by participating in the “Flip Out Over Your Future” day! The staff and students all dressed up in their favorite flip flops and college attire as we helped our students get excited over their future. We encouraged the teachers to help “Lead the Way” for their students, as the students are all beginning to look towards their futures. Each staff member decorated a “train car”, which depicted either their college that they attended, or what they still hope to accomplish in life. They then all hopped aboard the “AMS Future Express” Train by placing their train car on the wall by the counseling office. This train has been displayed on the wall all week, so that students could see all the different options out there. This “Trains and Treats” morning was an exciting event with college fight songs playing loud and proud. We were able to enjoy our morning coffee and juice and eat muffins and streusel bites all generously donated by HEB for breakfast. On Tuesday, we focused on “Is your college/career a match for you?” Day! The students and teachers dressed in their favorite “mis-match attire” (you should have seen some of the outfits!!!) and participated in the Tuesday Trivia game! The advisory class that got the most questions right with the fastest time won a cookie party! Congratulations Ms. Teague’s class! We also had a representative from the U.S. Navy present during all the lunches to answer questions about the Navy! On Wednesday, it was “Hats off to Education” day! The staff and students all wore their favorite hats! It was such a hoot to walk down the halls and see how creative our students were! During the lunches today, the U.S. Airforce was present to talk about what they had to offer the students after graduation. On Thursday, we had our “How Bright Is Your Future” Day! Our students and staff dressed up in their neon clothes and sunglasses all day! Today during the lunches, we had material for the students from Sam Houston State University, Texas State, University of Texas, and the University of Houston! The students loved getting more information about more colleges! 17 Counselor’s Corner, continued On Friday, it was “Crazy about College” Day! The staff and students all wore their favorite college t-shirt with crazy socks! We also had the finale to our Door Decorating contest that the advisory classes had been working on all week. Congratulations to Mr. Edmun, Ms. Lusk, Ms. Chapin, Ms. Howard, Ms. Johnson, Mr. Turner, Ms. Alishusky and Ms. Poston! Their advisory classes all won a donut party for how they decorated their doors in regards to their futures!! Way to go y’all!! We also had a representative from Texas A & M University come out to all the lunches to talk to the students about what A & M has to offer them! The teachers also had the 4th annual teacher tailgate luncheon outside! HEB provided the staff with baked potatoes and frito pies! They were soooo good! What a great day! Thank you HEB!! The students were also shown advisory lessons each day related to how to become college and career ready. As you can see, here at Arnold, we take college and career readiness seriously! We love to promote our successes so that they children can see that they can do it too! You can never start learning about planning for your future too early! Go Generation Texas Week!! ~Dennis, Lauri, Tammy, and Kristi **************************************************************************************** 8th Grade ~ 4 Year Planning Parent Meeting ~ November 13 ~ 6:30 Our 8th graders are participating in 12 advisory lessons, ‘Business Meetings’, this fall to learn details about their personal high school graduation plan. All parents are invited and encouraged to attend this informative meeting to discuss all the new details. Don’t be left out! Let’s talk!! Looking forward to seeing you Thursday, November 13 at 6:30 p.m. in the Arnold cafeteria! 18 Counselor’s Corner, continued Military Academy Night Hosted by Cypress-Fairbanks ISD Guidance & Counseling Department ________________________________________________________________________ West Point Navy Air Force Coast Guard Merchant Marine ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ November 18, 2014 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. Berry Center / In the Theatre 8877 Barker Cypress Rd., Cypress, TX 77433 All Middle & High School Students & Parents interested in attending any of the Nation’s Service Academies are invited to attend this informative program. The presentation will begin promptly at 7:00 so please plan to arrive on time. Representatives will present information and answer your questions on the application process, admission requirements, and nominations for the following: US US US US US Military Academy Naval Academy Air Force Academy Coast Guard Academy Merchant Marine Academy Representatives from The Citadel, Texas Maritime Academy, and the Army and Air Force ROTC will also be available. For more information, students should contact their school counselor. 19 Counselor’s Corner, continued Noche de las Academias Militares Evento patrocinado por Cypress-Fairbanks ISD y el Departamento de Orientación y Asesoría __________________________________________________________________________________ West Point Armada Fuerza Aérea Guardia Costera Marina Mercante ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 18 de noviembre de 2014 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. En el Teatro del Centro Berry 8877 Barker Cypress Rd., Cypress, TX 77433 Invitamos a padres y a estudiantes de escuela intermedia y secundaria interesados en ir a alguna de las Academias de Servicio de la Nación a asistir a este programa informativo. La presentación comenzará puntualmente a las 7:00, por lo tanto asegúrese de llegar en hora. Los representantes presentarán información y responderán las preguntas que usted pueda tener acerca del proceso de inscripción, los requisitos de admisión y las recomendaciones para lo siguiente: Academia Academia Academia Academia Academia Militar de los EE.UU. de la Armada de los EE.UU. de la Fuerza Aérea de los EE.UU. de Guardia Costera de los EE.UU. de la Marina Mercante de los EE.UU. También habrá información disponible acerca de la Universidad Militar Citadel, la Academia Marítima de Texas y sobre otras oportunidades del Cuerpo de Entrenamiento para Oficiales de Reserva (ROTC) del Ejército y la Fuerza Aérea. Para más información, los estudiantes deben contactar a su consejero escolar. 20 Counselor’s Corner, continued 21 Counselor’s Corner, continued 22 School and District Information WANTED! ARNOLD MENTORS! What is a mentor? A mentor is a suitable role model committed to serve as a guide and a friend, helping a student with his or her educational and social development. How much time would I need to devote to the mentoring program? Once a week for thirty to forty-five minutes. Whom should I call if I have more questions? Diane Kampsen at 281-517-2664 or Jenna Box at 281-897-4733. What do I need to do to sign up? Anyone interested in being an Arnold mentor will need to attend a district training session. Trainings are sponsored by the Cypress-Fairbanks I.S.D. Community Engagement Department and are held at the Berry Center located at 8877 Barker Cypress Rd. To register, go to the Cy-Fair ISD website (www.cfisd.net) and click on Community Involvement/Mentor. Mentor trainings are posted on the Cy-Fair website under Community Involvement/Mentor. 23 School and District Information, continued HORIZONS Mid-year Testing/Students K-11 Open Referral Period October 1 through December 5, 2014 Parents who wish to refer their child for HORIZONS testing must follow the process described below: Please access the parent information within the HORIZONS website at http://www.cfisd.net/en/parents-students/academics/giftedtalented/ and review the PowerPoint presentation entitled, Should I Refer My Child for the HORIZONS Program? If testing is appropriate, request a HORIZONS Parent Survey and Permission to Test form from your elementary counselor or secondary director of instruction. The form may also be accessed on the HORIZONS website, http://www.cfisd.net/files/7514/1027/4292/permissiontotest.p df. Return the HORIZONS Parent Survey and Permission to Test form to your director of instruction no later than Monday, December 5th. Students will not be screened unless the parent permission form is returned by the December 5th deadline. Kindergarten students will be tested on their campus during the school day in January 2015, and students in grades 1-11 will be tested on their campus during the school day prior to spring break. Specific testing dates will be provided to parents by the campus. Kindergarten students who qualify for HORIZONS will receive services beginning in March 1 with parent permission. Students in grades 1-11 who qualify for HORIZONS will receive services at the beginning of the 2015-16 school year with parent permission. If you need more information, please contact Bridget Milligan, Director of Instruction for Arnold, at 281-897-4723. 24 School and District Information, continued Evaluación de mediados de año del programa HORIZONTES para estudiantes de K a 11mo grado Período abierto para recomendaciones 1ro de octubre al 5 de diciembre de 2014 Los padres que deseen recomendar a sus hijos para ser evaluados deben seguir el procedimiento descrito a continuación: Visitar el sitio web de HORIZONTES en: http://www.cfisd.net/en/parents- students/academics/gifted-talented/ y mirar la presentación en formato PowerPoint titulada: ¿Debo recomendar a mi hijo para el programa HORIZONTES? Si se considera que la recomendación es apropiada, solicitar el formulario “Cuestionario para Padres y Permiso para Evaluar de HORIZONTES” de parte del consejero de escuela primaria o del director de instrucción de escuela secundaria. Este formulario también puede obtenerse en el sitio web de HORIZONTES http://www.cfisd.net/files/7514/1027/4292/permissiontotest.p df. Entregar el formulario “Cuestionario para Padres y Permiso para Evaluar de HORIZONTES” al director de instrucción para el lunes 5 de diciembre a más tardar. No se evaluará a estudiantes que no hayan presentado el formulario y permiso de los padres para la fecha tope del 5 de diciembre. Los estudiantes de Kindergarten serán evaluados en su escuela durante el horario escolar en enero de 2015 y los estudiantes de 1ro a 11mo grado serán también evaluados en su escuela durante el horario escolar antes de las vacaciones de primavera. A comienzos del segundo semestre, las escuelas notificarán a los padres las fechas de evaluación específicas. Los estudiantes de Kindergarten que califiquen para el programa HORIZONTES comenzarán a recibir servicios el 1ro de marzo, con el permiso de los padres. Los estudiantes de 1ro a 11mo grado califiquen para el programa HORIZONTES comenzarán a recibir servicios a principios del año lectivo 2015-16, con el permiso de los padres. If you need more information, please contact Bridget Milligan, Director of Instruction for Arnold, at 281-897-4723. 25 School and District Information, continued Award’s Times 6th Grade: 6:00 p.m. Awards Criteria for Awards Ceremony Thursday, May 21, 2014 Cy-Fair High School Auditorium 7th Grade: 7:00 p.m. 8th Grade: 8:00 p.m. Daughters of the American Revolution The San Jacinto Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution awards a Good Citizenship Medal to an outstanding 8th grade student. This Student exemplifies the qualities of honor, service, courage, leadership and patriotism. Duke University Talent Award Seventh grade students are identified and invited to complete either the SAT Reasoning Test or the ACT Assessment college entrance examination. These students received state level recognition and Duke TIP then provides the participants with resources for unique educational opportunities. Outstanding 8th Grade Student Student exceeds in leadership, academic performance, citizenship, responsibility, involvement in extracurricular activities and outstanding overall contribution to Arnold Buccaneer Spirit Award Student is recognized for showing school pride, exhibiting a positive attitude, encouraging others, displaying energetic enthusiasm and supporting school activities through their time and service. 3 Year Distinguished Honor Roll Eighth grade students, enrolled in the Cy-Fair school district, who have made all A’s for the three years of middle school. Distinguished Honor Roll Students have earned 7 A’s for each six weeks, while maintaining satisfactory conduct. Honor Roll Students have earned no less than 4 A’s and 3 B’s each six weeks, while maintaining satisfactory conduct. Perfect Attendance Students enrolled in the Cy-Fair school district, who attended every class, every day of the current school year. 26 Yearbook We had a great start to the year by selling over 150 yearbooks at Buc Express. Thanks to all of you who supported us with your purchase. We will be selling again during lunches throughout the year including October 22-24. Each book is $40 and the personalization (name & icons) are $5 each. The price will increase in January. You may also purchase books on-line at www.balfour.com To purchase yearbooks at school, please send a check, made out to Arnold Middle School, or cash with your child. If the books aren’t being sold during lunch, students may come to Mrs. Belinoski’s room, PB 4 or have their Advisory teacher email Mrs. B at [email protected] . Parents are also encouraged to email with Student Spotlight questions or concerns. If your 7th or 8th grader did not get a book from last year, we still have some available. The discounted price is $25. The Yearbook Staff is very excited about our theme and recently created the cover art (a milestone in Yearbook world). Our great Staff is led by Editor-in-Chief Anthony Fuentes. The Managing Editor is Gia Garcia, and the Design Editor is Emily Rayburn. Other staff members include Miah Hernandez, Fayhaa Rahman, Fahmish Rizvi, Andrew Combs, Stephanie Garcia, Elisa Blanco, and Karly Sullivan. Each student on the team has important responsibilities to help create a great book of memories for 2014-2015. Library Last year students read 28,800 library books!!! 27 VIPS The entire staff wants to thank our wonderful VIPS for all they do for us at Arnold Middle School! Our VIPS have been working very hard this year with: Staff Luncheons School Pictures Fundraisers Vision/Hearing Honor Roll School Store Box Tops Parents/Guardians Parents, When you are looking at the grades in Home Access Center, you may notice letters in addition to numbers. Teachers use numbers for grades, but they may also use a Z, 0 or X. Z– The assignment is missing, but can still be completed and turned to the teacher by the student. Z averages in as a zero. 0 (Zero) – Student has earned this grade on the assignment because the assignment was not turned in within the required number of days. X– The teacher is not going to issue a grade for the assignment. T The student doesn’t need to complete the assignment. X averages in as if the assignment doesn’t exist for that student. If you have any questions about any grades or letters that you see in the HAC, please contact your child’s teacher. 28 Delivering Items to Students at School and Transportation Changes In the front office, we have a cart for parents to place items that your child has forgotten at home. This is a courtesy to help students and parents with occasional deliveries. If you leave an item for your child, please notify your child in the morning that you will be delivering an item and to stop by the front office to check the cart on their way to lunch. We don’t always have the opportunity to send notice to your student about items on the cart or transportation messages by the end of the school day. Visit our website www.cfisd.net / schools & facilities / middle schools / Arnold Follow Arnold on Twitter Arnold Middle School @ ArnoldBucs Arnold Middle School 11111 Telge Road Cypress, TX 77429 Upcoming Events Thanksgiving Holidays November 24-28 Picture Re-Takes Nov. 4, 2014 Winter Holidays December 22, 2014-January 5, 2015 29