Nordonia Middle School Newsletter

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May-June 2011
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A LEGACY OF ACHIEVEMENT,
A COMMITMENT TO THE
FUTURE.
From the Principal,
Dear Parents,
It is hard to believe that my first year as principal of Nordonia Middle School is coming to an
end. I hope your child had a wonderful educational experience this year. I want to wish our
current 8th graders much success at Nordonia High School for the 2011-12 school year. I
know they will do well as they strive to live their life by our school motto – ―the Knight Waythe Right Way.‖ Lastly, I hope that all of our students have a safe and relaxing summer.
Below are some tips that I hope you find helpful.
Nordonia Middle School
73 Leonard Avenue
Northfield, OH 44067
Office:
330-467-0584
Parent Access Line: 330-908-6199
Attendance Line:
330-908-6160
Fax:
330-468-6710
Set Limits-fair but firm
Since no two families are alike, only you can decide what rules work for you.
But all children need rules that are fair and easy to follow.
It’s best to sit down with your children and explain each rule. If your kids see
them as fair, they’ll find them much easier to accept-and obey. Once the rules are in
place, firmly enforce them. The fewer the rules, the better.
Finally, state rules in a positive way that tell children what you do want-not
what you don’t want.
Website: www.nordoniaschools.org
Athletic Department:
330-908-6614
Athletic Website:
www.nordoniamiddleschoolathletics.com
David Wessel, Principal
Tips: Some areas in which families choose to make rules: Peacefulness-settle
disagreements without violence. Respectfulness-speak politely. Routines-follow a set
bedtime on weekdays. Permission-ask before going out.
Shon Smith, Associate Principal
Use the power of consequences
Tonya Huml, 8th Grade Counselor
This might be one of the most effective discipline techniques you can use. It
teaches children that their actions have results-and shows them they are responsible
for what they do.
There are two types of consequences. Some happen naturally. Examples: Bike
left out in the rain? It rusts. Homework missed? You get a zero.
Sometimes a consequence to misbehavior isn’t automatic-you have to pick it.
The trick is finding consequences that relate to the misbehavior. Fighting over TV?
It’s turned off. Toy misused? It’s put away for a while. Curfew missed? Stay home
next time.
It can be difficult to stand by and watch your children learn a hard lesson. But
if you try to shield them from mistakes, they will lose an opportunity to learn.
Tell your children-in advance-what consequences you plan to use. Then you
won’t be in the hot seat trying to figure out what to do when you’re upset. Some families write down consequences along with the rules.
Eileen West, 7th Grade Counselor
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Be consistent but flexible
When your children break a rule, try to deal with it the same way each time-even if they plead, beg,
and whine. Giving in tells them rule isn’t firm and that you’ll change if they keep nagging.
Being consistent is challenging. Why? Because children know their parents' ―soft‖ spots and often
push them every chance they get. ―Oh, come on, Mom. Don’t be mean. You let Joey do his homework
later!‖
Tip: Being consistent doesn’t mean you can’t be flexible. If you have a visitor, for example, it’s fine
to extend bedtime. The important thing is to explain why the rule isn’t being followed. ―You can stay up
later tonight so you’ll have more time to be with Gramps.‖
Give encouragement and praise
Children often repeat behavior that gets your attention. When they do something you like, notice it!
Whether it’s making the team or getting a good grade in school, children need their successes recognized.
Comment on efforts and improvements, too, such as waking up on time in the morning or tackling
homework without prodding. Praise works best when it is specific to behavior. Example: ―I see you cleared
your place after dinner. I appreciate your help.‖ Praise is least effective when it describes the child, not the
job (―What a good boy you are!).
Tip: Here’s a secret that will have a big impact on behavior. Try adding privileges when kids do
well. It encourages them to try even harder. Find privileges your children will really appreciate, such as a
special outing or staying up later.
Set up routines
Tired of all the hassles surrounding mornings, chores, and bedtime? Try using simple routines.
Children thrive on routines. Once they’re in place, they know what to do without needing constant
directions. Doing the right thing becomes automatic and family life is less chaotic.
For example, a typical bedtime routine may start at 8:15 p.m. and include: book bag ready to go,
bath taken, pajamas on, teeth brushed, and bathroom picked up-all by 8:45 p.m.
Love works magic
All the best discipline theories in the world won’t work without love. Children respond best when
they understand the rules are there because you care. Your relationship is the basis upon which everything
else rests.
You can cement your relationship by talking, listening, and spending time with each of your children-even when life gets hectic.. Some parents actually write in parent/child dates on their calendars.
When your children’s behavior gets out of hand, sometimes it’s hard to see positive. It helps to look
beyond the behavior and focus on their strengths.
Children don’t learn right from wrong overnight. But, with time and patience, most children eventually learn to do the right thing-even when you’re not around.
Tip: Kids need to know you love you love them-and hear it often-no matter how old they are.
Dave Wessel
Principal
———————————————————————————————————————————
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Counselors’ Column
Mrs. Eileen West, 7th Grade
Mrs. Tonya Huml, 8th Grade
330-908-6608
330-908-6609
This time of year is very hectic with scheduling, awards program, Knight Way Right Way end of the
year activity, and retention/promotion meetings. We have made decisions about the master schedule as it
was affected once again by recent cuts. Information about next year’s course offerings was shared with 6th
graders and parents at the ―walk through‖ on May 11 and with 7th grade students in study hall.
Next year our core classes will be 60 minutes long and encore classes will be 45 minutes in length.
There will be an intervention/enrichment time the first 25 minutes of each day and every student will have 30
minutes for lunch. There will be 5 teams instead of 6 teams at the middle school for the 2011-2012 school
year.
Our awards program will be Wednesday, May 25 at 6:30 at the high school. Refreshments will be
served in the cafeteria, followed by the awards program at 7:00 in the auditorium. Invitation letters were
mailed home to invite students and their families to attend this special event. Counselors will be meeting with
students during intervention prior to the program to go over the evening format. Congratulations to all the students who worked hard to receive their honors.
We will have an end of the year celebration for our Knight Way Right Way students on Friday May 27.
Because of no field trips, we will be hosting the activity here at school. Students will go to our gym and watch
a movie and have refreshments. Thanks to all our Knight Way students who help make our middle school a
positive place.
Letters were mailed home to all students experiencing failure. Parents were encouraged to meet with
the school to discuss retention/promotion and possible summer interventions. Please contact your child’s
school counselor if you have questions about your child’s placement for next year.
We appreciate everyone’s cooperation during OAA’s. We had many make up tests but all were completed and sent to the state for scoring. Results will come back to the district in the summer.
We are hoping for a positive end of the year for all our students. Please have students complete their
summer reading for next year and contact us if you have questions or concerns.
Mrs. Huml
8th Grade
Mrs. West
7th Grade
DELAYED STARTS
New for the 2010-11 …delayed start dates
The Nordonia Hills City School is continuously evaluating all aspects of the school organization, striving for
continued excellence, all while being prudent and fiscally responsible. The Nordonia Hills Board of Education
voted and approved the school calendars for the 2010-11 and 2011-12 school years at the January 11, 2010
Board of Education meeting.
New for the 2010-11 school year - four (4) delayed start days on November 12, 2010, February 22, 2011,
March 21, 2011, and May 19, 2011. On these late start days, school will start exactly two hours later – with
teachers and staff using this time for in-house professional development. If you have any questions or
concerns on these late start days - please check with your student's building principal or contact the Board of
Education at 330-467- 0580.
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PARENT
MENTOR
PROGRAM
About the Program
Ohio Parent Mentor projects are
funded through grants from the Ohio
Department of Education (ODE).
A Parent Mentor is the parent of a
child with a disability employed to help
school districts and families by providing training, support, and information
services. Kitty Boylan is the parent
mentor for the Nordonia School District. You can reach the parent mentor
office by phone 330-908-6219 or
email at [email protected].
We Need You! (Really Need You!!)
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA) requires
that children with disabilities who do not have parents to advocate for
them in the special education process be given a surrogate parent to
make decisions about special education issues.
What is a surrogate parent?
A surrogate parent acts in the place of a child's natural parent to make
decisions about the child's education when the child's natural parent is unavailable to make decisions. A parent is unavailable when he or she canSome services provided by the parent not be located or when he or she chooses not to act as a parent for the
mentor include guiding parents
child. A parent is also unavailable if he or she has lost the ability to act as
through the special education process parent by court order. The surrogate parent makes decisions for a child
including rights and responsibilities,
with a disability in all matters relating to the identification, evaluation and
listening and providing support to famieducational placement of the child and the provision of a free approprilies and staff, providing information
ate public education to the child.
and resources, attending IEP and
other meetings when requested and
conducting information sessions and
workshops. Parents of typical students are welcome to contact the parent mentor office with questions or
concerns.
The parent mentor project also provides a resource library for parents
and staff. There is a collection of
books in each building office that are
waiting to be borrowed! For a complete book list contact the parent mentor office or visit the parent mentor
page on the district web site under pupil services.
NMS Going Green
Report Cards will be mailed
home after the 1st and 4th quarter the 2010-11school year. The
2nd and 3rd quarter report cards
will be available on Progress
Book. Paper copies are available
per request.
What are the qualifications of a surrogate parent?
A surrogate parent must have knowledge and skills that ensure adequate
representation of the child. A person with such knowledge and skills may
be a foster parent, relative, or a friend in the community. To the extent
possible, the surrogate parent should match the child's cultural and linguistic background. The Ohio Department of Education requires that surrogates must successfully complete training for surrogate parents.
Trainings for our area are held at SST-8 in Cuyahoga Falls and are usually about 5 hours long. However, there may be a training held in the
Nordonia School District.
PLEASE consider becoming a surrogate parent!
If you have any questions, please contact Kitty Boylan, Nordonia Hills
Parent Mentor @ 330-908-6219
([email protected]) or Dr. Margo Costello, Director
of Pupil Services @ 330-468-4600
([email protected])
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NOTES FROM THE LIBRARY
It is hard to believe the end of this
school year is already upon us!
Here is what’s been happening in
the library as we try to wrap up
this year and prepare for summer
break:

The Scholastic Book Fair, sponsored by the PTSA was a huge
success! We raised money
which will be used to order
new materials for our students.
Thanks for all your support!
The after-school Book Club will be
celebrating the end of the year
with a special trip to Rosati’s
Ice Cream Stand on May 25th!
As we enjoy our snacks we will
discuss the books we read over
the past month…librarian’s
choice. More book club details
can be found on the library
website at https://
sites.google.com/site/
nordoniamslibrary.
The after-school Book Club will be
celebrating the end of the year
with a special trip to Rosati’s
Ice Cream Stand on May 25th!
As we enjoy our snacks we will
discuss the books we read over
the past month…librarian’s
choice. More book club details
can be found on the library
website at https://
sites.google.com/site/
nordoniamslibrary.
Remember, all students are required to participate in the Summer Reading program over break!
All of these titles can be acquired
from your local public library or
through interlibrary loan.
The Giver Lois Lowry
For 8th graders going into 9th:
**To Kill a Mockingbird Harper Lee
(required)
PLUS chose ONE additional title from
the following:
Five People You Meet in Heaven Mitch
Albom
House of Scorpion Nancy Farmer
Secret Life of Bees Sue Monk Kid
For 9th grade HONORS:
**ALL three books are required reading!
The Lord of the Flies William Golding
AND
For
7th
graders going into
A Separate Peace John Knowles
8th:
AND
**Nothing but the Truth Avi
(required )
PLUS chose ONE additional title
from the following: The House of
Dies Drear Virginia Hamilton
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry Mildred Taylor
Z for Zachariah Robert O’Brien
The Tempest William Shakespeare
The Teacher’s Funeral Richard
Peck
Wide Sargasso Sea Jean Rhys
We wish the 8th graders the best of
luck at the high school and will see the
7th graders next school year. Have a
wonderful and relaxing summer!
Miss Klintworth, Library Media Specialist and
Mrs. Nordlie, Media
Resource
Notes of Interest from the Band
Congratulations to the 7th and 8th grade bands for spectacular performances at OMEA Band Contest on May 12 th at the University of Akron! Both bands received the rating of ―Excellent‖! Thanks again to the chaperones who made the day go so
smoothly: Mrs. Stephens, Mr. Shuster, Mrs. DeShane, Mrs. Doty, Mrs. Lohrey, Mrs. Serbinowski, Mrs. Bell, Mrs. Manocchio,
Mr. Flint and Mrs. Kouba. You guys were AWESOME!!!!!
On May 9th, three of our 8th grade students were invited to attend a clinic on Leadership at Kent State University, Fran Kick,
speaker. Caleigh Sullivan, Alexis Aldhizer and Hagan Reichel said the speaker was terrific and they learned a lot that can be
applied not only to band, but other areas of leadership.
The University of Akron is hosting a summer band camp for students 7-9 from June 19th -24th. Please email me if you are interested or if you have questions. There is some scholarship money available to students. This camp is a great opportunity to
excel on your instrument and meet other kids that love band as well!
I hope everyone has a great summer- don’t forget to practice every once in a while…….
Thanks for a wonderful year. I will really miss those 8th graders!!
Mary Schrembeck, Director
330-908-6657
[email protected]
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GIFT CARD
PROGRAM EXPANDED
(PILOT PROGRAM)
"Nordonia Middle School is happy to announce that the TRIP program that has been
in place for the past three years to help
lower or eliminate the fee for the class trip is
being expanded as a Pilot Program for the
2012 school year to include ALL FEES at
the Middle School. The program will begin
the first week of school. Start early to
save. Purchase gift cards and earn rebates
on each of your gift cards to eliminate school
fees!! The key to successful savings is to
participate on a weekly basis. It doesn't
have to be a large purchase. Remember
that a percentage of nothing is always nothing but a percentage of something adds
up!!! If this is successful, we may be able to
expand it district wide!"
If you have any questions, please contact
Andrea Rupp at [email protected] or 330-9086604.
An Academic Consumable Fee will be
charged for each student. If you are financially
unable to pay student fees for this current
school year, you must show in writing, proof of
one of the following: qualification of free or reduced lunch program; welfare case load number; AFDC number or income verification which
meets government guidelines. Waiver forms
are available in the Main Office. Regular academic fees should be paid in full at the time of
notification. Partial payments and a payment
plan can be arranged with the bookkeeper. Payments will be applied against any previous outstanding balance. If no payment is made, records will not be released. Any accumulative
balances will remain open each year until
graduation time. Middle School – Academic
Fee - $32.50, Athletic Fee - $67.50, Band &
Choir Fee $37.50 and Club Fee $15.00. For
your convenience, an online payment service is
available to pay all school fees at
www.spsezpaynordonia.com. Please make
checks payable to: NHCS. If you have any
questions, please contact the bookkeeper @
330-908-6604 .
A WORD FROM OUR BOOKKEEPER
GIFT CARD…GIFT CARD…GIFT
CARDS…
SAVE ON YOUR CHILD’S SCHOOL FIELD
TRIP BY PURCHASING GIFT CARDS!
TRIP GIFT CARD PROGRAM
Do you want an easy way to pay for your 7 th or
8th grade field trips and 8th grade End of Year
celebration? Order gift cards through the TRIP
program offered at our school. All you need to
do is have your child pick up order forms from
the school office, and then use the TRIP gift
cards for normal household everyday purchases such as groceries, gasoline, clothing,
and stores and other items. A percentage from
the TRIP gift cards is applied to your account
here at the school, and many families are able
to pay for their entire field trip in this fashion.
Build up TRIP credits to be applied once a year
by the school towards the student’s class trip
fees. Any shortfalls (if your purchase credits
are not enough to pay for the entire field trip)
can be made by paying the balance for the outstanding field trip price; often families can save
half or more of the field trip cost. You can contact the school bookkeeper at to verify how
much you have on your account and the accumulated total is also on each envelope when
you pick up gift. Any excess credits earned will
be applied to the TRIP Assistance Fund to help
other students.
DON’T FORGET TO ORDER YOUR GIFT
CARDS. Orders are taken each week throughout the school year .
If you have questions, contact the bookkeeper at 330908-6604 or email at [email protected]
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8
SCHOOL DRESS CODE
Nordonia Middle School students are expected to dress in a neat, clean and modest
manner that enhances a positive school image.
Any apparel that violates health and safety
codes is prohibited. Clothing should not be
worn with messages or graphics that promote
or suggest profanity, gang affiliation, violence,
substance abuse, or is considered to be suggestive, lewd or obscene. If a student is un-
sure about the appropriateness of the outfit, it
should not be worn to school. Parental cooperation regarding appropriate dress and
grooming is greatly appreciated.
The Following Restrictions Apply To Student

Hats/head coverings- Upon entering the building, students are expected to remove all head coverings.
Acceptable- barrettes, clips, scrunchies, headbands
Unacceptable- hats, bandannas, sweat bands, scarves, hoods

Shoes- Students must wear shoes at all times.
Acceptable- tennis shoes, hard-soled shoes, sandals
Unacceptable- slippers

Tops- All tops must be long enough to tuck in. Tops must not be revealing cleavage or midriff). Sleeves must cover the shoulder, and
armholes may not expose one's side or underwear. Outerwear (jackets
and coats) must be stored in the locker upon arrival to school.
Acceptable- T-shirts, sweatshirts, sweaters, blouses, polo/dress
shirts
Unacceptable- tank tops, spaghetti straps, mesh or sheer shirts, under shirt, muscle shirts

Bottoms- Pants, shorts or skirts must be secure above or at waist
level. Shorts and skirts must be at least fingertip length, including slits.
Acceptable- jeans, (with no holes or tears) casual or dress slacks,
shorts, sweatpants, skirts

Unacceptable- pajamas, boxers, spandex, thin knit or sheer bottoms,
pants with words or graphics on the backside, jeans with holes or
tears.

Other/Misc.- Jewelry is not to be worn during physical education
classes or when participating in after-school athletics. Any dress or
grooming that has a distracting influence or is a possible safety hazard
is not permitted.
Unacceptable- chains, spiked jewelry, face or body piercings, ex
posed tattoos, jewelry that is unsafe (large or sharp), sunglasses.
Book bags, backpacks and carryalls may not be carried during
the regular school day and must be stored in student lockers.
No water bottles or drink containers may be carried into the
school building.
When purchasing school
clothes please
remember the
dress code.
Administration reserves the right to
determine the appropriateness of
appearance. Students who
are
in violation of the
school dress code
will be issued
clothes to wear for
that day. Clothing
must be
returned to school
the next day properly laundered.
Habitual violations
of the dress code
may result in disciplinary action.
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8th Grade Encore
8th Grade Art
8th Grade Physical
Education with Mrs.
Covin
Students in 8th grade Physical Education will finish up
the school year with football
and softball. Mrs. Covin
would like to thank all of her
second semester students
for their hard work, fair play
and cooperation! Have a
great summer and best of
luck at the High School!
In Mrs. Hopkins’ 8th grade Art
students will be working on an in
-depth printmaking unit during
May. Students will design and
cut their own abstract print
blocks and create a portfolio of
prints in mixed media using assorted papers, colors, inks, and
printing styles. We will finish the
year with an Americana-themed
still life in colored pencil and fine
point.
We are pleased to announce
our eighth grade winners in the
Akron Institute of Architects
annual drawing contest:
Amanda Brumfield – first place
for middle school, Sara Caporuscio – honorable mention,
Ashlee Freeman – honorable
mention, Katie Fulton – honorable mention, and Rebecca
Wagner – honorable mention.
These five excellent art students
were honored at an awards banquet in Akron on May 3rd. We
are proud of all students who
entered the contest and extremely proud of our five winners!
Parents will enjoy seeing the
many artistic creations when our
second semester Art students
bring their work home in June!
Thanks for a productive and
creative second semester and
good luck in high school art
classes! Keep drawing, sketching, and creating . . . . .have a
wonderful and relaxing summer
Tech Ed with
Mr. Edgar
The Eighth grade Tech Ed
students will break free of
the Earth’s gravity. In the
Space Technology unit students are going to launch a
bottle rocket of their own
design. We will select materials, construct and test a
rocket that will have to meet
specific guide lines. We will
look at what forces will act
on their rocket, what makes
them go up and what
makes them come down.
So grab your space suits as
we escape the effects of
gravity.
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Cheetahs
Social Studies with Miss Kruse
Social Studies on Team Cheetah is moving from the preCivil War time period, into the Civil War & Reconstruction
unit. The Pre-Civil War unit we are currently wrapping up has
focused on explanations of causes for the Civil War with an emphasis on slavery, states’ rights, extension of slavery, the abolitionist movement, the addition of new states and the emergence
of Lincoln as a national figure. The Civil War & Reconstruction
unit will focus on explaining the cause relationships of the Civil
War including significant individuals and the Emancipation Proclamation and the effects on Reconstruction including amendments
to the Constitution and the enforcement of black codes.
The last week of school students will complete a project
to conclude the units we’ve talked about all year long. They will
be choosing an event, time period, or person of American History
and create a persuasive project to prove its importance. Students
may choose to; make a video & recreate a scene, write a persuasive paper, create a newspaper/magazine, or create a power
point. A rubric will be passed out to guide students in creating
this final project. We will be presenting their information to their
peers the last couple days of school & we’re looking forward to
some great projects!
German with Mr. Szentkiralyi
Cheetah students are currently in their 12
week rotation in German, having already
been introduced to French and Spanish.
Students have already memorized 39 European countries, and listen to spoken German on a regular basis. They also listen to
German opera, rap, and punk music, and
speak rather well.
When your child signed up for high school
classes this year, he or she should have
weighed the 8th grade foreign language experience to choose their language to study
in high school. If your child has an A or B
average, he or she should definitely study a
language in the 9th grade. It’s not too late to
sign up; contact your child’s counselor to
make changes in their 9th grade schedule.
Science with Mrs. Urban
Cheetahs will be focusing the rest of the school year on Plate Tectonics. In this unit, we learn about the Earths plates
(lithosphere), which move around on the plastic-like layer called the asthenosphere causing many different natural phenomena such as mountain building, earthquakes, and volcanoes. We will also be building our own volcanoes (which we
will be erupting) and working on many fun activities related to the movement of the plates and earthquakes.
Math with Mr. DeMell
Students on team Cheetah in the connected math class during the fourth grading period will be
working on solving linear systems of equations using algebraic ideas and techniques. They will
also be writing, graphing and solving inequalities.
Students taking algebra on team Cheetah will complete the academic year by simplifying rational expressions and solving rational equations.
Language Arts with Mrs. Sekulich
Cheetah, Language Arts' Students have impressed peers and teachers, while wrapping up the Fahrenheit
451 novel, with excellent common assessment scores and presentation of multi-sensory projects. For the
last month of school, the students will be exploring Shakespeare. The purpose of the unit is to build background knowledge on the author, historical time period, and experience with comedies and tragedies in
readers' theatre format. It will be exciting to watch our students explore their theatrical and dramatic talents. The two plays performed in class will be "Much Ado About Nothing" and "A Midsummer Nights
Dream". We will also finalize our growth in the area of writing with an end of the year writing assessment
and portfolio breakfast. I look forward to visiting with many of the parents during our writing portfolio
breakfast celebration on June 3rd. Look for more information to come home in the next few days.
11
Team Coyote
In Science, we are in the midst of studying volcanoes and earthquakes. The
students have learned what happens when plates interact, and what impact that has
on the populations that live near them. We’ve also practiced plotting volcanoes and
earthquakes on a world map, and made connections as to why they are located where
they are. After we complete the study of plate tectonics, we will move into the study of
topographic maps. It is hard to believe we are in the very last stretch of the school
year!
In Language Arts, the students will be reading William Shakespeare’s A Mid
Summer Night’s Dream. They will be re-writing a portion of the book to make it seem
as if it is occurring in our modern day times. This allows the students to make realworld connections to the material that they read.
In Connected Math, students just finished parallel lines, perpendicular lines and
midpoints on a coordinate grid. They are in the midst of The Shapes of Algebra book,
and will be graphing linear systems and linear inequalities. In Algebra, they just finished data and probability, Chapter 10. Next, we’ll dive into Chapter 11 which includes
exponents and simplifying radicals.
Students will be learning conversation works and presenting their conversations
in front of the class in Spanish. After, they will be in the computer lab doing a project
on Mexico, and to end the year, they will partake in a Spanish Fiesta!
In Mr. Shank’s social studies class we are diagnosing the causes of the Civil
War and the courageous leaders/contentious battles that defined the great conflict
which separated America. Also, we will finish the year with each student formally presenting a project on the most influential event in American History. This persuasive
presentation can be completed in a number of different manners: a PowerPoint, a music video, a magazine advertisement, or as an original song. Let’s end the year with a
real ―bang!‖
12
TEAM GATOR
**Gator Fest – Students need to bring in craft supplies and a toy car to participate in the 4th annual Gator Fest on Thursday May 19th.
Language Arts – Midsummer Night’s Dream, end of year assessment, writing
assessment, June 1st high school summer reading presentation.
Math – Students will be solving and graphing inequalities and solving systems
of inequalities in the book Shapes of Algebra to finish up the year. All book
fines will be given the last two weeks of school. Algebra students will be wrapping up the year solving equations with radicals and square roots,.
Science – We have been studying the physical make-up of the earth including
a study on rocks and minerals. We are now learning about the changes to the
earth on a large scale such as plate tectonics, earthquakes and volcanism.
Near the end of the year we will be learning about mapping the earth and topographic maps.
Social Studies – North and South, Civil War, Reconstruction, end of the year
project (History’s Greatest Invention by an Individual or and Event)/
presentation – June 2nd and 3rd.
French—It has been my privilege and pleasure to teach your children French
this year. It is my hope that they have all enjoyed their experiences, have
new interest in other languages and cultures and will continue their studies at
the High School.
13
7th Grade Encore
In Mrs. Allen’s second semester art classes, students completed a cartoon style drawing of a
rabbit taking on human characteristics. Students have also created a painting of a product design focusing on a complimentary color scheme, like the artist Andy Warhol. A mixed media
project of an animal based on the art of Laurel Burch has also been created by the seventh
grade art students. All classes hand built a luminary out of clay which you should be enjoying at
home very soon. Students also created an illuminated letter design using either the first or
last initial of their name. Students will be working on a fiber arts project before this year
comes to an end. All art projects that have not been taken home yet will be sent home at the
end of the school year; please take a moment to look at the results of your child’s efforts during art class this year. I hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable summer!
Physical education students have been busy learning and playing basketball, volleyball, floor
hockey and badminton. Students will finish up the school year by playing flag-football, soccer,
softball and ultimate Frisbee. Mr. Spellman would like to wish all students the best and most
enjoyable summer.
Family and consumer science classes will be learning how to prepare nutritious breakfast foods
such as omelets and crepes. In May they will embark on their greatest challenge, the breads
unit! In this unit they will learn how to prepare yeast bread dough from scratch and from it
into personal pan pizzas.
In the last few weeks of the school year, students in Health Education will be concentrating on
a variety of different areas. We want to make sure that we continue to build skills in order to
improve our health literacy. Students are learning about dealing with our growing and changing
bodies, the benefits of good nutrition, the importance of physical activity, and financial literacy.
Page 14
THE OWLS
It’s hard to believe, but the end of the school year is almost upon us.
With that said, Team Owl teachers would like to have a
strong finish to
the school year. In Mrs. Matthews’s language arts classes, students will be busy working on a
multi-disciplinary research project. This very involved project will focus on countries of the past
and present and will include components from all four core subjects: math, science, social studies
and language arts. Once they have chosen a country, students will research their country’s religions and customs, explore tourist attractions, study the climate and geography, analyze indigenous
plants and animals, and create a travel budget for a simulated sight-seeing trip. Not only will this
project expand their knowledge of the world around them, it is also sure to be a challenging and
engaging activity for Owl students. Finally, students will be ending the year with a unit on poetry.
In this unit, students will be learning to interpret and use various types of figurative language. In
addition, language arts students will continue to polish their written expression skills as they work
on writing narratives. Don’t forget that all students will be required to read two books from the
summer reading list and complete a story map for each book before next school year. Check the
district website near the end of the year for more detailed instructions.
Mrs. Bailey’s math classes are identifying possible outcomes and analyzing theoretical and experimental probabilities in What Do You Expect? They are developing area models and using tree
diagrams to determine probabilities. The students will also take a break from probability to work on
budgets for the research project. They will use technology to plan and display expected costs for
their virtual trips. This is sure to be a fun and popular part of their projects.
In social studies, Mr. Pilato’s students will complete their study of the early western African empires of Mali, Ghana and Zimbabwe. The Owl students will finish the year learning about modern
day explorers and inventions as well as the discovery of America. Once we ―drop the 7 th graders
off in the New World,‖ the 8th grader social studies teachers will pick up where we left off next year
with the study of American History.
Last but not least, Mr. Capretta’s science classes will be studying the fascinating science of genetics. During this unit, students will see why organisms have the traits that they do and how
these traits have been passed down over generations. In addition, they will examine fossil records
and track how species have changed over time. Finally, the classes will wrap up the year looking
at populations of organisms and how certain traits appear because of the environment around
them. It is sure to be an interesting topic.
Team Owl teachers would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you for your support and
cooperation this school year. We have been lucky to have such a great group of students, and you
should be proud of their accomplishments. We are confident that they will continue to be successful in and out of the classroom next year and the years to come. Have a fun, relaxing and safe
summer!
15
NEWS FROM THE ROOS
Summer is almost here, but students are still involved in many interesting and educational activities. For example, Mr. Yeager’s math classes complete the school year working
with concepts of probability and measures of central tendency (mean, median, mode).
Classes will explore various methods of displaying data, via stem-and-leaf plots and box-and
-whisker plots. A fourth quarter assessment will be given in addition to a comprehensive
final exam.
As the year concludes, science students are working on cells, genetics, and change
over time. Students are examining how traits are inherited, how they are expressed, and
what that means for society. They will look at multiple ways of inheritance, genetic disorders, and pedigrees.
Mrs. Scheip and Mrs. Lindsey are collaborating on a research project about famous
explorers and scientists. Students are completing a three-step multi-genre approach to
this project. They have chosen a research topic, have researched important information in
our media center, and have written a research report. They will turn that in with three
other choice-based projects about their topic. These projects are a major part of the
fourth quarter grade in both social studies and language arts.
Students in Language Arts will round out the year with poetry, parts of speech review and a final writing assignment.
Mrs. Lindsey’s students will finish their yearlong adventure to the past by studying
West African civilizations and discoveries of the Age of Exploration.
Team Roo teachers have enjoyed working with the Roo students this year and have
kept them “hopping” with many areas of study. We thank you for your support this year,
and we wish everyone a relaxing summer.
16
News from the Wildcat Cage
It’s hard to believe that we are already nearing the end the last quarter of the school year! It is true that
time flies when you are having fun. Our students have had a busy time here in preparing and taking the Ohio
Achievement Assessment, and having fun afterward.
The entire seventh grade class travelled to Columbus on May 5. This is a great chance for students to learn
things that cannot be presented in the classrooms. They have a chance to visit our state capitol building to witness
firsthand the operation of our state government. We visited the “horseshoe” at The Ohio State University, as well.
Also, students visited some of the species we have studied up close and personally at the zoo. This was a great
trip.
For Mrs. Tylicki’s science classes, the next course of study will include, cell biology, genetics, and evolution. In the study of heredity, students learn about the passing of traits from parent to offspring using theories of
Mendel’s genetics and Punnet Squares. Also, since the kids love doing math in science we also calculate probabilities of outcomes for offspring.
Social studies students in Mr. Roeten have travelled through time this past quarter. The students have
studied the Renaissance and learned about the culture and art that it encompasses. Students had the chance for a
role play of Michelangelo while painting on their backs. This authentic experience gave them a better perspective
of not only his work, but also the concentration required for his famous art. The remainder of the year will focus
on Africa and explorers. Furthermore, Mr. Roeten’s intervention class has been studying the symbolism of the
American flag. Students have now begun to recognize the flag as a symbol of freedom and responsibility. Their
willingness to study flag etiquette and current event issues have led to a great appreciation of the opportunities
they are given. Mr. Roeten has thoroughly enjoyed the discussions generated throughout all his classes and hopes
that these discussions will open the students’ minds to a world outside of their own.
Mr. Merhar’s math classes have just begun the study of probability and expected values. In this unit, the
students will be evaluating games of chance, and determining if a game is fair. Probability will be studied using an
area model. They will be able to simulate a probability situation and compare expected values, and binomial outcomes, including a baseball series. This is perfect timing to correlate with the study of heredity in science classes
and Punnett Square probability.
Language Arts students are working on their research papers. The topic? Poets and their poetry. Additional work this quarter: public speaking, drama, sentence combining, and grammar. Never enough grammar!! Classes will continue to read and analyze literature. A little F. Scott Fitzgerald is coming up!
On the last of school, June 8, our Wildcats will have a chance to showcase their talents in our third annual
end-of-the-year talent show. Encourage your student to participate; we all have some special talent. Likewise,
Wildcat teachers ask that you also encourage your students to maintain our high expectations of homework completion and appropriate classroom behavior for the duration of our school year with being prepared for class both
with homework as well as proper supplies.