2014 fall newsletter FINAL pdf version
Transcription
2014 fall newsletter FINAL pdf version
Quarterly SCMS PTO Newsletter STUDENT DIRECTORY COVER The Shocker OLIVIA JURNEY 6th Grade — Palinkas Fall 2014 Message From the Principal Dear Parents, Food, music & fun at the Booster Club’s tailgating party. Congratulations to Madison Dahl. She was named Middle School First Place Winner at Festival in the Park. Her work was named the best out of 42 middle schools. She also took Best of Show at the Pineville Art Festival. Inside this issue: Message from the PTO President, Hispanic Heritage Month & NJHS 2 Annual Fund 3 FAN & Media Center 4 8th Grade News 5 7th Grade News 6 6th Grade News 7-8 Career & Technical Dept. 8 Visual Arts & Yearbook 9 Booster Club 10 The quarter is over and it is hard to believe. Your students have done amazing things this year thanks to the teachers presenting them with engaging lessons and assignments. I am very excited to announce that South Charlotte has been awarded the One to One Personalized Learning Pilot. That means that each student beginning next semester will have access to a computer. Our staff has proved that we are ready to take this on, and we are excited that our students will have this wonderful opportunity. Eight middle schools were chosen for the pilot. You will hear more about this as we work out the details. A special thank you to Mrs. Nelda Smith for spearheading this effort. The application process and work done before the selection was intense. Our staff, with the leadership of Mrs. Smith, were successful for your students. Mrs. Smith, Ms. Barrows and I traveled out of town Oct. 23 to observe a middle school that has already taken the initiative with personalized learning. It was interesting to see how they use technology and how their culture is affected positively because of it. When you read this newsletter, the Kindness Campaign will have launched with what I know will be success. Kindness will not end this month, however. The sustainability plan that is in place is also a big part of what we are doing. I was just speaking with Carolyn Thomas and Grace Decker about the Kindness Campaign as I wanted to see what students were thinking about it. They both agreed that going in the direction of kindness instead of focusing on bullying is a positive. They indicated that bullying is very overused, and it is an ambiguous term. Kindness is a word that everyone understands, and the behavior associated with it is always positive. I was encouraged by their mature, thoughtful response. This could possibly change our culture. I am grateful that Mrs. Jones and Mr. Siftar took on such a large task as facilitating this campaign. I know it will be well worth the effort in the end, and our students will be better people because of it. The adults will be better as well. Thank you for your support. You may hear soon that there is a club forming at SCMS entitled YCI (Youth Commission International). One of our students presented a proposal to me regarding the club, and I in turn sent it to our legal department as it has a religious affiliation and needed legal approval. I want you to know that these type clubs are permitted; however, they have to meet after school, before school, etc. All information related to this club will be approved by my office based on the Board Policy set forth for clubs. It is a great thing and if other students want to have the same type clubs, that is fine as long as there is an intentional effort regarding planning and facilitation and our legal department approves it. I can’t say enough about our coaches and extracurricular leaders this year. Our fall sports teams have done so very well. Our softball team remains undefeated, and the other teams are playing at a very high level. Our art students are placing in every competition we enter. Madison Dahl won Best of Show in the Pineville Art Festival. She competed against not only middle school students but also high school students. She also was the number one choice for the Festival in the Park art competition. As a result of the Kindness Campaign, students in Mrs. Titus’ marketing class will visit Levine Children’s Hospital and deliver personal notes of encouragement to the children. Thanks to the work of the Student Council, we received over 2,000 cans to be donated to Second Harvest Food Bank. Thanks Continued on pagealso 2 to the work of our NJHS, our campus is more Continued on page 2 Shocker Fall Sports Rosters 11 Kindness Campaign kicks Off. 2,000 cans were collected for Second Harvest Food Bank. Fall 2014 1 The Shocker Continued from page 1 beautiful. They spent an entire day cleaning our campus and making it look incredible. Gold Patron Night was a wonderful evening. Our Fine Arts teachers have done a great job pushing our students to perform their best. Please remember the Tax Referendum information and the date for the vote. If you have questions regarding this, please reach out to me or visit the CMS website for additional information. Thank you for all you do to make our school successful. We could not do this without your support and the focus on excellence for your students. We are grateful for the opportunity to serve our students and their families. Message from the PTO President Dear SCMS Families, Our school year is off to a great start. Thank you to the families that have already given to our Annual Fund. We appreciate your support of SCMS! The Annual Fund is ongoing, and we welcome a donation at any point during the school year. The funds raised are used to support the students, teachers, and staff of SCMS. This year we are focusing on updating the Media Center’s collection of books and ebooks. Please consider supporting this important endeavor; it will benefit all students. The PTO committees are hard at work throughout SCMS. Thank you to all the volunteers for your dedication. The efforts of volunteers make a tremendous difference for our students and staff. If you have yet to become involved, please consider joining these dedicated parents. The rewards are plentiful. Thank you again for your support! Megan Walsh, PTO President Regards, Lisa Bailes, Principal Hispanic Heritage Month at South Charlotte By Srta. Cathy Eisner For the first time ever, SCMS celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month. For four weeks, Spanish-speaking students read some of the morning announcements in Spanish, we played Latino music, we read trivia information about Latino countries and decorated the building with pictures of famous Latinos and cultural symbols. It was a fun and educational experience all in one! Bravo to all who participated! Gracias! National Junior Honor Society By Alisa Wright-Yasurek, M. Ed. The 2014-2015 Chapter of the National Junior Honor Society is off to an incredible start! In September, members volunteered as guides during both curriculum nights. Having them stationed in certain areas of the building helped ensure that all visitors made it to the correct location in time for the teacher presentations. The chapter’s October project involved school beautification. Members spent a weekend sprucing up the exterior of the building. In the months ahead, students intend to continue the beautification project by planting flowers and painting the arbor by the track. Other planned school-based projects include the creation of a peer-tutoring pro- 2 Fall 2014 gram for 8th grade students and the presentation of a “Teachers’ Tea” in May. This annual event recognizes the hard-working faculty of SCMS during Teacher Appreciation Week. Members of the NJHS devoted some weekend hours to help improve the SCMS campus. In addition to their school-based projects, members plan to volunteer at the Crisis Assistance Ministry, Ronald McDonald House, and Samaritan’s Purse warehouse. Without a doubt, these students certainly recognize the importance of giving back to the community! this school year. The conference will help them develop their public-speaking skills, foster team-building, and promote 21st century thinking. Of course, the group also plans to invite guest speakers to their weekly meetings. In keeping with the society’s mission, members are also planning ways to develop their leadership skills. They look forward to participating in a studentorganized “Leadership Conference” later Related note: If you are interested in sharing your leadership skills with this year’s chapter, please contact Mrs. Wright-Yasurek at [email protected]. The Shocker Paving the Way for the Future Thank you to the 178 South Charlotte families who have supported the PTO's Annual Fund campaign. To date, we have raised $40,414 in gifts, pledges, and corporate matching gifts. Thanks to your help and generous support, we have blown past our goal of $32,000. This is the PTO's largest fundraiser of the year, and funds raised are used to provide support to our classrooms and media center, among other items in the PTO's budget. YOU If you haven't given, but would still like to, please download a green form here and submit your gift at any time. If you have additional questions, please contact our VP of Fundraising, Stacey Ellis, at [email protected]. Thank you for your support! Together we can make a difference. South Charlotte Middle School Annual Fund *Donors as of October 23 Platinum Level $500 & above Eddie & Mike Carter Decker Family Brian & Stacey Ellis Ken & Andrea Hollander Dan & Melissa Hooker Rick & Shelley Jones The Knepp Family Scott Lanier Darryl & Kristin Parker Mike Sadri Angela & Joseph Sequeira Yiping Zhuang & Qing Yang Gold Level $250-$499 Shelia & Kwasi Ankrah David Archer Andrea & Aaron Ayscue John & Mary Beasley John & Tracey Bengough Fred & Elizabeth Caudill Bridget & David Cohen The Coverston Family Family of Channing Dayton Euphoria Salon & Spa Scott & Sarah Fligel Steve & Lisa Friedman Laura & Jeff Fricano Amadeo Gonzalez Mary Margaret Johnstone Daphne & Dave Katz Sondra & Bart Key Cathy & Jeff Kirkland Ying Liu Zhugang Liu & Li Zhang Julie Maloney Ruth & Wolfgang Nett Bob & Terri Parr Joe & Lisa Pomilla 3 Fall 2014 Mike & Ashley Raley Anna & Josh Skudlarick Kevin & Megan Walsh Bob & Candi Whitsel Jeff & Melinda Wilkinson Woodward & Woodward PLLC Silver Level $100-$249 Tracey & Josh Adams Patrick & Heidi Anderson Adam & Shannon Berliner Andrew & Meaghan Blake Frank & Demetra Boardman Mr. & Mrs. Boyd Brad & Myriam Breedlove Michael & Cindy Brinkley Marissa & Adam Brooks Anthony & Joanne Caterino Neena Chopra Karen & Mark Crews Meg & Luis Dancausse Randy & Janet Darden Mr. Jacque & Dr. Harriet Davis John & Helen Dickerson Jolynn & Ronnie Ensminger Jamal Farhani Joe & Sue Ferro David & Vicki Foster Lynn & Tom Freitas Mark & Lori Gabriel Alan & Julia Godel Mike & Brantlee Green Darin & Mitzi Helms Anette & Frank Henry Chris & Melinda Hess John & Deborah Hofland Jack & Pam James Jose A. Perez Jimenez Amy & Kevin Johnson Stacy Keefer Barb & Aaron Linz Elvis Lopez Andy & Nicole Love Russell & Missie Mansfield Steve & Ginger Marquis Marie Martinez The Matthews Family Laura & Keith McGaha Lara & Eric McMillan Alan & Tyria Naspinski Ron & Lisa Nelson Bud & Deborah Nixon Chris & Katie Nygren Julie O'Brien Suzanne & Michael O’Keeffe Joe & Susie Oringel Ben & Tanya Ormand Brad & Elissa Parsons Holly & Clay Patton John & Leslie Pedernales John & Karen Perry Ben Plummer’s Family Lynn & Pepper Pounds Ben & Jodie Prosser Tom & Megan Quirk Jeffrey & Corinne Race Cheryl Ross & Michael Lieberman Therese & Troy Rothenberger Dorothy Sangmuah & Eugene Sangmuah Ken & Gail Sharp Cynthia & Chris Siemasko Mary Skibinski Mike & Susan Slade Wedna Sousa LeAnn & Chris Squier Sridharan Family Peter & Courtney St. Onge Gus & Stephanie Stallings Beth & Steve Stillitano Brian & Margot Strickler Celeste Swann Coralie & Eric Todd The Triveno Family Karunanithi Vellaisamy Ben & Samantha Wallach John & Becky Watts Richard & Lisa Williamson Wayne Wilson Kim & Marc Wojnowich Wayne & Karen Workman Calvin & Shem Wright Matthew & Michelle Yoder Minfen Zhang Tong Zhang Kimberly & Jeff Zusi Purple Level up to $99 Zerabruk Abay Iris & Haim Aizenberg Maile Allen Tigest Ayalew Greg & Loula Bauer Philip & Amy Bissette Sam & Sima Chhatrala Courtney Family Laurel Davis Karen & Jeff Devine Eric & Ava Eschert Glynnis & Joe Fadok Malia & Sean Fox Marta Freitas Steve & Lisa Garfinkle Carla Gomes Continued on page 4 The Shocker Continued from page 3 Mary & Hermes Goudes Karen Greco Ron & Christine Greeson Stephen & Luci Heeseman Curtis Hill Suzie Hinkle Sara & Mark Hogan David Holliday Jeanne & Thomas Huber Lyn & Charles Jacobus Bruce & Cheryl Kagan Karmond Family Jong Min Lee The Leonard Family Martin Family Stacey McCraney Aimee Miller Danielle Mitchell Nick O'Neill Ken & Wendy Oettinger Nikki Olsway Leighanne Palinkas Chris & Carolyn Sanders Kelly Shipman Mary Ann Smith Kim & Vali Sorell Packy Spahi Scott Steedly Nguyen Ta Walker Family Carla Weston Yolanda Wilmer Ning Zhao Fine Arts Network (FAN) is on the move! We have begun to get our Arts departments up and running in full force! Here are just a few of the things going on: Art – Our amazing Shocker artists are already out and about in the city featured in festivals such as the Pineville Art Festival and Festival in the Park! Dr. Cooke is busy getting his many artists to perfect their talents with many different mediums including clay, watercolor and paints! They even go outside to get inspiration. Band – Jazz Ensemble played the pep rally last week and all Band classes have begun getting ready for January concerts. Mr. Ratliff has purchased four new baritones thanks to the donations of our Gold and Platinum patrons! Chorus – This is the first year Mrs. Thompson has been at our school but already amazing things are happening. She has an Honors Chorus class that meets every day to get ready for competitions and shows, and Shocker families were treated to a performance for the Gold Patron Appreciation Night. Dance – Ms. Butler has been working hard to get her kids performing as groups in the classroom and working with her Honors Dance class on several scheduled events in the future. They performed in October and will again in December. Drama – Mrs. McKenna has some very exciting Drama students this year that are working on all the aspects of Drama from set design to scene development. She has even selected the musical for the Spring … Aladdin! This one will be a lot of fun to produce and watch. The show will be April 23-24! Get your tickets for that one! Orchestra – Ms. Guthrie is preparing her students for several upcoming performances, one of which will be at Providence High School! What a treat! She has even purchased some new cellos to make her orchestra even better. We would like to thank all those that donated to the Arts this year. We are doing great things with your donations from costumes, plays, music, instruments, substitute teachers, paper, art supplies and more! If you would like more information on how to give, participate or attend an event, please go to our website at http://scmsfan.cmswiki.wikispaces.net/ or contact Mary Margaret Johnstone at [email protected]. Media Center News By Nelda Smith, Librarian South Charlotte students have been learning how to live and work in a 21 st Century environment. All students visited the library in their Social Studies class and completed a Cyber-Safety course which discussed appropriate online behaviors. The students have also been trained to use their Google Drive account which is tied to their Gaggle email address. What is all this? Well both Gaggle and Google allow the students to store their documents “in the cloud.” Students can access their files at school, at home, at the public library, and on mobile devices. Google Drive works on all devices-desktop to Smartphone. No one should have to keep up with a flash drive anymore. A wonderful feature of Google Drive is the ability to share documents. For group projects, students can collaborate on a file without having to meet face-to-face. Gaggle also provides the students with an email address. All emails and files in Gaggle and Google Drive are filtered and monitored. Students also use their Gaggle email address to log into our Chromebooks which are like mini laptops. All 6th and 7th grade students visit the library once every two weeks to check out books. During this time, they browse for books to read independently. Studies show that reading for pleasure is “linked to greater intellectual progress, both in vocabulary, spelling and math. In fact, the impact was around four times greater than that of having a parent with a post-secondary degree.” (Alice, Sullivan. "Reading for Fun Improves Children's Brains, Study Confirms." The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 13 Sept. 2013. Web. 13 Oct. 2014.) Please encourage your child to turn off all electronics and read for fun. Students can access their library account on Horizon Information Portal, the online “card” catalog, at http:// sclibrary.cmswiki.wikispaces.net/ to renew books. Please have your student check their account for overdue books. Notices will be sent out soon. Please contact Mrs. Smith if you have any questions. Fall 2014 4 The Shocker 8th Grade News Language Arts Estro, Gross and Wright-Yasurek Our 8th grade Language Arts students have “hit the ground” running and are adjusting nicely to the expectations of this last year of middle school. Students are working with the list of literary terms they need to know before entering 9th grade. When they finish reviewing the literary terms, all 8th graders will move on to the study of Greek and Latin stems. With the knowledge of word parts, students are better able to decipher the meanings of unfamiliar words. are inside of us. Our students microbiologists are very excited about our upcoming labs, especially getting to spread our “microbes” and track the spread of diseases just like the scientists at the Centers for Disease Control do! Parents: We need latex-free gloves (sizes small, medium, and large) for these labs! Social Studies Chevalier and Getsinger Since the 8th graders finished their studies of the geographical terms and During this first two months of school, students have also landforms of the U.S. and learned how to perform a close read of text, respond to literaN.C., the American history ture using R.A.C.E., construct a literary analysis essay, and identeam is starting to look at the tify the reoccurring theme in various selections across genres. first English settlers of North Next, students will be exposed to the "Strange and Mysterious" America. We are differentiata unit of texts that expose students to craft elements such as ing the characteristics of the 13 colonies to begin to allow stuforeshadowing, mood, and tone. This is just in time for Hallowdents to note the different landforms, cultural groups and types een! Then, it's on to Steve Jobs - The Man Who Thought of livelihoods of each group of new Americans. At the conclusion Different by Karen Blumenthal. of this recent mini-unit, we will begin to build the platform for the protest movement that resulted in the American Revolution. Of course, students continue to be exposed to a daily dose of Eighth grade students will also be constructing the culminating grammar that challenges them to identify the parts of speech, activity for the American Revolution unit. sentence kind and type, and word functions — all before having them create a diagram of the week’s sentence. Students also read and respond to the “Article of the Week” to keep up with current events and improve their comprehension of informational Butler, Conlan and Rochester texts. Math Science Simcox and Williams This quarter in 8th Grade Science, students have been learning how to be actual scientists! We started the year by learning how to take a simple question and turn it into a research-based experiment to test a hypothesis and discover something new. We had a “blast from the past” learning all about Earth's history, evolution, and fossils. We are currently learning about microbes, all those icky little things on us, in us, and all around us! Our students scientists had a "refresher" on cells by creating 3D Cell Posters. These have been a great tool to use in class to see where all these microbes often Eighth Grade Math has been busy reviewing 6th and 7th grade curriculums. We started the year writing and evaluating expressions solving simple equations and inequalities. We are finishing with usage of integers in all above mentioned topics. All students have completed MAP and Explore testing. We will be moving into the number system and functions. Math 1 students reviewed basic skills briefly and have moved through multi-step equations and inequalities into functions. They are working diligently learning the characteristics of linear and non-linear functions. All classes spent two days in the computer lab for MAP testing. We will move on to slope and linear functions in chapter five. Please make sure your child has plenty of graph paper, markers or colored pencils, a TI-83/84 graphing calculator and a straight edge for in-class work and projects. They will spend some time creating city maps and constructing roads! WSCMS News Team Congratulations to the following students who have been selected for the WSCMS News Team this year. Students had to fill out an application and audition for their roles. Students work with Mrs. McKenna each morning to read the announcements and to operate the equipment behind the scenes. 5 Fall 2014 Anchors Amanda Ferlisi Aaliyah Fortner Christos Kokalis Leigh Millinder Bryanna Payne Liora Tal Tech Crew Meghann Villaroel Bechan Williams Patrick Yu Erin Barnette John Darden Allen Patrick Adam Stillerman Thomas Wilkinson The Shocker 7th Grade News Social Studies Math Lagrange and Whitney Brown, Holloway and Raffensperger We have eased through the Renaissance and Reformation, and into the Age of Exploration. Students have made their own presentations and given them to class on topics from The Great Dying to the Columbian Exchange, and Hispanic Caste System. We have analyzed primary sources that shaped how the modern world was made, and wrote our first DBQ. Students have decided if they should celebrate Columbus for uniting the world or denigrate him for the problems that arose. Science In Honors Math 7 we started out the year reviewing decimal and fraction operations. Next, we introduced students to variables, expressions, and explored real number operations in Chapter 1. The specific topics we covered were: order of operations, exponents, real numbers, properties of real numbers, adding and subtracting real numbers, multiplying and dividing real numbers, the distributive property, and an introduction to equations. Currently we are in Chapter 2 and are working on solving equations. We started with one-step equations, moved to two-step equations, and are getting ready to start multistep equations. In Math 7 we started out the year reviewing decimal and fraction operations. Next we moved into the Variables and Patterns section. This unit’s focus was on ways to deThe year has been off to a scribe situations that change. In the first part of the unit, very good start. The year started out with some review from last year with the Sci- students explored three ways of representing a changing entific Method. At the conclusion of the Scientific Method situation: with a description in words, with a data table, and with a graph. These representations are compared to unit the students conducted a lab using the Scientific Method, which was the Penny Lab. We then went into the one another to elicit the strengths of each presentation. Students learned to write equations as a shorter, quicker Atmosphere with the different layers and composition. way to give a summary of the relationship between two Those two topics made up the information that was on the first test of the year. At this point we are in the middle variables. We are currently working in the Accentuate the of our Weather Unit. The students were taught the water Negative Section. In this unit, the focus is on understandcycle once again and the types of clouds. Next we will be ing and developing systematic ways to add, subtract, multiply, and divide positive and negative numbers. Students investigating the different types of air masses and will develop algorithms for computations and will use the climates. The Science teachers are looking forward to a order of operations, the Commutative Property, and the great second quarter! Distributive Property to solve problems. Hicks and Lagrange Language Arts Eilers, Titus and Virtanen In Language Arts, the teachers are guiding the 7th grade students through complex texts, such as this quarter’s novel The Jungle Book. Students are not only reading a classic story, but also developing their vocabulary, applying reading strategies, and participating in classroom seminars to enhance their comprehension. In addition, students are developing their writing skills in writing workshops. Students have written argumentative essays that help them make connections from literature to today’s society. Mr. Theiler, Ms. Markwis, Mr. Hicks & Susan Yeargan enjoy some food at the tailgating party. Fall 2014 6 The Shocker 6th Grade News relevance of the method, students conducted a miniGallagher, Glenn and Palinkas helicopter investigation. We know that the kids were What a stellar start to 6th grade! One of our major goals during first quarter was getting to know one another. We had opportu- disappointed that they were only creating paper helicopters and not real ones. Even though nities to express ourselves through writing in several forms (letters, illustrations, and responding to literature). With the “All the Scientific Method Unit is officially over, students will be able to apply their learning as they conduct a soda and Mentos experAbout Me” friendly letter, we explored the writing process from start to finish, and the students did an awesome job! Throughout iment. We need to begin collecting materials for this lab, so start this year, writing will be a focal point and students will be able to saving your money for buying soda and Mentos. recognize the differences between formal and informal writing. During the first quarter, students had the opportunity to be creaAfter teaching our students to use Active Reading Strategies, we tive, while completing "The Book Support Challenge." Students spent some time practicing with short stories from our textbook. were given a variety of materials and a few guidelines in order to As the quarter draws to a close, we are bebuild a sturdy platform to support a book. The kids really enjoy ginning to read our first class novel, Jerry conducting these experiments, and there are many others still to Spinelli’s Stargirl. Using this book we will ex- come. plore the elements of plot, including characWe want to send a sincere thank you to the many parents who ters, settings, and theme. We will also use have donated supplies to our Science classrooms. Science is so this novel throughout the year to compare much more fun for the kids when we have materials to help Spinelli’s style of writing to other authors and them investigate. We are wrapping up the “Matter: Changes and examine how authors deliberately make Properties” unit. Students will have a chance to manipulate dry choices to use figurative language, imagery, and vocabulary to reach the reader/audience. ice. One of our overall goals this year is that your child comes home excited about Science. As for the vocabulary study we plan to use this year, the students have grown accustomed to the expectation of rote memorization and application. Students will be using stems, as well as other methods of study, Matusiak, Rich and Theiler to improve their own vocabulary. This will ultimately show its benefits in testing, as well as enhancing their writing and reading Sixth grade Math students have gotten off to a great start this school year. We started with our Algebra Unit. We learned about comprehension. In addition to vocabulary, students will engage Expressions and Equations and a lot of new vocabulary. We in a year-long grammar study. We will work to put in place the learned that simplify is used for more than just fractions. And important building blocks that will become the foundation for the speaking of fractions, did you know rest of their school career. Expect the same for 2nd, 3rd, and 4th that they have been division problems quarters. all along? We can now solve and The 6th grade Language Arts teachers are looking forward to this check equations algebraically and not year! We have worked hard to plan valuable lessons for our stu- just use mental math. We all know how to log on to Castle Learning and dents so they may experience literature by reading a variety of complete assignments tailored to indiworks, as well as writing some of their own. vidual needs. We have moved on to our first textbook unit Prime Time: All About the Relationships Between Numbers. Do you know your divisibility rules? We do! They are tricks to save time Markwis and Tubb when finding factors. Language Arts Math Science Transitioning from elementary school to SCMS is no easy task. Students are faced with the crazy block-scheduling, which is commonly referred to as the A day-B day monster. Please do not ask about getting the kids accustomed to using lockers; it has been a headache. Surprisingly, the current 6th grade students have done well with the transition and are beginning to understand what it means to be a middle school student. In our Science classes, students began the school year studying the Scientific Method and how it can be utilized to help them conduct investigations. In order to help students understand the 7 Fall 2014 Social Studies Markwis and Rogers Sixth grade students are adjusting to middle school and the academic requirements for Social Studies as outlined by the Common Core Curriculum. The Social Studies curriculum for 6th grade will continue to expand the knowledge and skills learned previously. The curriculum will focus heavily on geography, espeContinued on page 8 The Shocker Continued from page 7 cially the Themes of Geography and how they are used to influence the study of the world. They have also learned about the geography of population, how population is measured, and the challenges that an increasing population can create. The students will spend the last part of first quarter learning about the history of the five major world religions, the basic belief systems of each religion, and the influence that the belief systems impact on culture. As the world turns, 6th graders will continue to enhance their knowledge and skills as they learn about the history of the world. A REMINDER ABOUT EARLY DISMISSALS BELL SCHEDULE 8:30 AM-3:30 PM ALL EARLY DISMISSALS MUST LEAVE AND RETURN FOLLOWING THE BELL SCHEDULE 1ST BLOCK: 8:30-9:46 AM 2ND BLOCK: 9:49-11:05 AM 3RD BLOCK (6TH GRADE): 11:08 AM-12:21 PM LUNCH/HEALTHY LIVING (6TH GRADE): 12:24-1:24 PM LUNCH/HEALTHY LIVING (7TH & 8TH GRADE): 11:08 AM -12:08 PM 3RD BLOCK (7TH & 8TH GRADE): 12:08-1:24 PM 9TH BLOCK: 1:27-2:10 PM 4TH BLOCK: 2:13-3:30 PM Our first Box Tops submission is nearing completion and has been very successful. Don’t forget to keep clipping and sending in your Box Tops throughout the school year. There will be another submission in the spring. Thanks for helping SCMS with this easy fundraiser! CTE Department News Seaman and Strickland Computer Skills and Applications 2 curriculum had a big The Career and Technical Education dechange this year. This course partment is off to a great start in the now leads students through courses of Computer Applications I and II two modules of business appliand Exploring Entrepreneurship. Look becation software: Spreadsheets and Datalow to see what the students have been bases. Classes began the semester with a learning. unit of study on the basics of spreadsheet Computer Skills and Applicause. The students complete projects that tions 1 classes started the year simulate real-world business needs. They with learning proper technique will soon be transitioning into more adto be used while keying all alvanced spreadsheet functions and the phabetic, numeric, symbol, and operation- creation of charts. Before the end of the al keys. The students are now moving into semester, students will also explore dataa unit of study on Word Processing Basics bases. and Business Correspondence which will re-focus them on the need to learn good Exploring Entrepreneurkeyboarding skills. They will continue the ship classes have covered semester with Desktop Publishing and the four types of business Multimedia. ownership and the purpose of business. They have differentiated between profit, non-profit, service, product, and combination service and product businesses. In addition they have learned the six functions of a business which include accounting, human resources, operations, information technology, marketing, and management. Students are now differentiating between the command, mixed, market, and traditional economic systems. Students have compared the economic system of the United States to the economic systems of Chad and North Korea. They are learning about the law of supply and demand and how it contributes to price changes, too. Please refer to Ms. Strickland’s and Mrs. Seaman’s websites for more information about each course including daily activities, notes, and study guides. Fall 2014 8 The Shocker Visual Arts By Dr. Ted Cooke The semester got off to a terrific start in the Visual Arts classes. All students, regardless of their previous training or ability, received a three-week introduction to the essentials of drawing. Students in all three grades learned how to begin every drawing with a warm-up and a quick gesture and then move on to incorporate line, value, Bonnie McGaha, 8th grade, captures the clear dry atmoscomposition, emphasis, space and texture. phere of an autumn “Carolina Blue” day. They also learned to use charcoal, graphite, and watercolor in producing tonal and Seventh and eighth graders began their linear drawings. After this introduction to drawing, each grade level went on to tackle clay projects with a day and a half of reflection, group feedback and personal exploratheir clay projects. tion. Both grades conducted an exercise known as the “Johari Window.” Students Sixth were brought into groups and given a list of graders spent a 56 positive adjectives that might describe class perithem. After discovering which adjectives od reflecttheir peers thought accurately describe ing on their personalities, they were challenged to their fadecide for themselves, in isolation, if these vorite adjectives were correct or not. More implace to portant, they were pressed to find adjec6th grader Ella Rasmussen explores be, espe- broken contours & lost-and-found edges tives describing aspects of their personality cially dur- in her beautifully arranged still life. unrecognized by their peers. This final list ing difficult times. They each made a small of intimate descriptors became the basis clay sculpture in relief that they can hang in for creating the imagery which would be their bedrooms to remind them that life is the blueprints for their ceramic projects. not so difficult when you have comforting Seventh graders created a ceramic experiences to remember and guide you. mask, but unlike most masks, the point of Yearbook this was not to disguise their identity but to reveal to the world, by the design of the mask, who they really are. Eighth graders also took the “Johari Window” as their point of departure and created ceramic vessels and sculptures representing their deep values and personal identity. The “Johari Window” is a fruitful group exercise often used in team building and self-discovery within the corporate environment. It helps people understand themselves more deeply and to be compassionate and empathetic with their colleagues. Honors Art students began outdoor painting after a two-day PowerPoint presentation lesson on Monet and color theory. They paint outdoors when the weather is fine, incorporating colorist principles and techniques and just enjoying our beautiful campus. Ava Pomilla, 8th grade, simplifies the forest scene & uses it as a context to explore bold color. by Mary Anne Seaman Capturing 2014-15 Moments The yearbook staff is busy capturing all the SCMS moments from the first days of school through Spirit Week. Would you like to have some of the pictures you have taken included in the 2015 yearbook? If so, using access code LTUPHW, please upload your photos to www.community.lifetouch.com. We will do our best to include as many of your photos as possible. Please identify the people included in your photos, along with a description. Thank you to those 500 plus families who have already purchased a yearbook through the PTO at the beginning of the school year. If you would like to add a name or icon to the front of your yearbook or extra autograph pages, a flyer will be coming home soon with your son or daughter so enhancements can be included with your order. In addition, if you have not yet purchased a yearbook, it is not too late! The flyers will give you the opportunity to order online, too. Questions concerning the yearbook? Please contact Mary Anne Seaman at [email protected]. 9 Fall 2014 The Shocker SCMS Booster Club Update By Lynn Pounds THANK YOU!!!! The South Charlotte Booster Club wants to thank all of the parents and teachers who generously supported our athletic program by joining the booster club. Your support allows us to purchase the necessary equipment used by our coaches and athletes. Additionally, membership money is used to promote school spirit through events like our pep rallies, the faculty-parent tailgate, and banquets. It is not too late to join the Booster Club. Please contact Coach Sprenger, SCMS athletic director, for more information. Thanks again! Bronze Level Sponsors ($25) Silver Level Sponsors ($50) Platinum Sponsors ($100+) Bob & Liz Adams Matt & Terri Baker Elizabeth Bashore Shannon Berliner Frank & Demetra Boardman Eddie Carter Vic & Lori Cope Meg & Luis Dancausse Laurel Davis Michael Diamantis Ava Eschert Jamal Farhini Lynn FreIitas Anne HaltIwanger Faith Harman Karen Harvey Stephen & Luci Heesman Dawnette Hodge Paige Ingle Bruce & Cheryl Kagan Kellie Karavokiros Sondra Key Shirley Lamm Joseph Liebau Ginger Marquis Niki O'Neill Dorothy Sangmauh Josh Skudlarick Carla Weston Steve Brooks Paul Clark Bridget Cohen Susan Combs Chris & Beth Cotton Julia Curley Rob & Kimberley Dayton Glenn & Stephanie Eickenhorst Ellen Fischer Mark & Lori Gabriel Scott Johnstone Renee & Ty Leonard Randy Patterson Leslie Pedernales Corinne Race Troy & Thereas Rothenberger Stephanie Sawyer Gus & Stephanie Stallings John Watts Davis Archer Jason Barnett Matthew Brockman Joanne Caterino Guy & Mindy Decker Mike Green Jack & Pam James Rick & Shelly Jones Jon & Sarah Kocmond Julie Maloney Missie Mansfield Christy Masch Dennis O'Dea Kristen Parker Joe & Lisa Pomilla Lynn & Pepper Pounds Mike Sadri Angela Sequeira Brian & Margot Strickler Calvin Wright Gold Sponsors ($75) John & Beth Bowen Ethel Boyd Tashia Parker Euphoria Salon & Spa Celeste Swann Luke & Jennifer Watson Lisa Williamson Katherine & Scott Willis Matthew & Michelle Yoder Winter Sports Tryouts Begin November 17 & 20 Winter sports tryouts will be held November 17-19 for boys basketball and Nov. 17 for cheerleading. Girls basketball tryouts will be November 20-21. Tryouts will run from 4:00 to 6:00 PM each day. Students will report to the gym immediately after school and will need to be picked up on time. Sign-ups for tryouts will take place during lunch periods the week before (November 12-13). For a student to participate in tryouts, they must have a completed physical on file at school and completed all necessary paperwork. Physical forms can be picked up in the front office or on the school's athletic website. Paperwork will be available during the week of sign-ups. Please plan ahead when scheduling physicals as many physicians do not have appointments available less than two weeks out. CVS Minute Clinic accepts walk-ins for physicals at a rate of $40 if you cannot get an appointment before the tryout date. For further information, refer to the South Charlotte athletics website. http://www.cmsathleticzone.com/page/ show/815013-south-charlotte-middleschool Jeff Sprenger Athletic Director Fall 2014 10 The Shocker 2014 LADY SHOCKERS SOFTBALL TEAM #1- Harper Tassy #5- Emily Debe #6- Grace Decker #9- Lily Siemasko #10- Halle McKellar #12- Amanda Watson #13- Alleta Patterson #14- Madison Lark #15- Annie Leonard #16- Haley Sutherland Mgr – Katherine Balas Mgr – Amelia Leahy Mgr – Isabella Linz Mgr – Maggie Slade Coach – Jennifer Martin Erica Boyd Pace Clark Jeffrey Daniels James Fairley Thomas Quirk Matthew Rank Whit Williams Coach - Norman Getsinger #1 – Margaret Combs #2 - Maia Bullard #3 – Elizabeth Race #4 - Erin Gabriel #5 - Sadie Evans #6 – Lili Bowen #7 – Sarah Mansfield #8 – Ellie Cotton #9 – Anna Barnett #10 – Sally O’Dea #13 – Stuart Fischer #14 - Sydney Yoder Coach – Shelly Fabian 2014 SHOCKERS FOOTBALL TEAM 01 – Peyton Pounds 03 – Amir Samuel 05 – Justin Shorter 07 - Josh Devine 09 – Parker Green 10 – Jason Rickel 11 – Charlie Stamps 18 – Alex Holcomb 19 – Zach Weston 20 – Nathan Kocmond 21 – Christopher James 23 – Trey Harris 25 – Usim Mang 27 – Jackson Francisco 31 – Jared Metz 32 – Isaiah Jenkins 34 – RT Williamson 37 – Luke Cheramie 40 – Ethan Baker 44 - Caleb Ogunmola 47 – Matthew Gormley 48 – Ben Pendernales 49 – Parker Johnstone 51 – Mac Neely 54 – Brandon Baldwin 55 – Benjamin Foesch 59 - Ryan Spivak 65 – Julian Swann 66 – Divyansh Nagpal 67 – Dylan Williams 2014 SHOCKERS VOLLEYBALL TEAM 2014 SHOCKERS GOLF TEAM 71 – Josh Adams 75 – Connor St. Clair 77 – David Belous Mgr – Wyatt Roach Coaches - Trevor Young, Keith Bright, Carl Daniels, Erik Saxon and Matt Baker 2014 SHOCKER CHEERLEADERS Madison Campbell Lyrric Duncan Kayliah Gamble Kate Hammermeister Julianna Jones Julia Macchiaverna Macey Morton Antonia Taboada Caroline Tabor Isabella Tousa Makenzie Wakem Jennifer Walsh Ariel Willis Rachael Wondracek Coach – Jenice Boone Cheerleaders and staff show their school spirit at the fall pep rally. Fall 2014 11 The Shocker South Charlotte Middle School 8040 Strawberry Lane Charlotte, NC 28277 Phone: 980.343.3670 Fax: 980.343.3725 A 2007 NCLB Blue Ribbon School http://schools.cms.k12.nc.us/ southcharlotteMS/Pages/Default.aspx Calendar of Upcoming Events OCTOBER 27 Mon. 31 Fri. End of 1st Quarter NO SCHOOL - TEACHER WORKDAY NOVEMBER 6 Thurs. Fall Sports Banquet 7 Fri. Report Cards 11 Tues. NO SCHOOL - VETERANS’ DAY HOLIDAY 12-13 W-Th. Winter Sport Sign-up (during lunch) 13 Thurs. PTO Officers’ Meeting 8:45 AM 13 Thurs. PTO General Meeting/7th & 8th Band Concert 7 PM 17 Mon. PTO General Board Meeting 8:45 AM 17-19 M-Wed. Boys’ Basketball Tryouts 4-6 PM 17 Mon. Cheerleading Tryouts Begin 4-6 PM 20-21 Th-Fri. Girls’ Basketball Tryouts 4-6 PM 26-28 W-Fri. NO SCHOOL - THANKSGIVING BREAK SCMS Main Phone: 980.343.3670 Fax: 980.343.3725 CMS Transportation: 980.343.5715 DECEMBER 9 Tues. 10 Wed. 11 Thurs. 17 Wed. 22-31 Chorus Concert 6:30 PM Orchestra Concert at PHS PTO Officers’ Meeting 8:45 AM 7th & 8th Dance Concert NO SCHOOL - WINTER BREAK JANUARY 1-2 Th-Fri. 6 Tues. 8 Thurs. 14 Wed. 19 Mon. 20 Tues. 23 Fri. NO SCHOOL - WINTER BREAK Deadline for PTO Quarterly Newsletter Submissions PTO Officers’ Meeting 8:45 AM Honors Dance Showcase NO SCHOOL - MLK JR. HOLIDAY End of 2nd Quarter NO SCHOOL - TEACHER WORKDAY Remaining Sports Contests: Monday 10/27 HOME, Softball/Volleyball vs Southwest 5 pm Tuesday 10/28 Golf vs Community House at Raintree 5pm Wednesday 10/29 HOME, Softball/Volleyball vs Community House 5pm Thursday 10/30 Football at Community House 5pm In compliance with federal law, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools administers all education programs, employment activities and admissions without discrimination against any person on the basis of gender, race, color, religion, national origin, age or disability.
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