November 2015 - Academy Publishing, Inc.

NOVEMBER 2015
Issue 3
For the parents, students and community of Gotha Middle School
Gotha Activity Line Call:
407-521-2360
Principal’s Message
Press the number 6.
Gotha Middle School
9155 Gotha Road
Windermere, FL 34786
Phone: 407-521-2360
Office Hours
Monday-Friday:
8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
School Hours
Mon., Tues., Thurs., Fri.:
9:30 a.m to 3:50 p.m.
Wednesday:
9:30 a.m. to 2:50 p.m.
Greetings Parents,
It is my pleasure to share with you Gotha Middle School’s Teacher of the Year,
Mrs. Laura Firth. After spending 35 years in the educational system here in Orange
County and ten at Gotha Middle, Mrs. Firth has been selected by her peers as this
year’s Teacher of the Year. Her highly achieving classes and her sparkling, positive
personality reflect this honor and she will represent us well at the district level.
Additionally, our Support Person of the Year, Mrs. Alice Scinta is an outstanding
selection to represent Gotha Middle School across our district. Mrs. Scinta has
been with Orange County for four years all at Gotha. Students and teachers look
forward to saying hello and sharing an encouraging word with Mrs. Scinta. Her
selection for this honor by her peers is a testament to her commitment to our school
and helps us inspire greatness.
Non-Discrimination Statement
The School Board of Orange County,
Florida, does not discriminate in
admission or access to, or treatment
or employment in its programs and
activities, on the basis of race, color,
religion, age, sex, national origin,
marital status, disability, genetic
information or any other reason
prohibited by law. The following
individuals at the Ronald Blocker
Educational Leadership Center,
445 W. Amelia Street, Orlando,
Florida 32801, attend to compliance
matters: ADA Coordinator & Equal
Employment Opportunity (EEO)
Supervisor: Carianne Reggio; Section
504 Coordinator: Dr. Kimberly
Steinke; Title IX Coordinator: Gary
Preisser. (407.317.3200)
Sincerely,
Principal Knowles
To download a PDF version of this newsletter, go to
http://academypublishing.com/schools/gotha/gotha.php
‘Gotha Growl’
November 2015
Published Five Times Per Year
Orange County Public Schools
P.O. Box 271
Orlando, FL 32802
Issue# 3
Gotha Middle School
Gotha Middle School is a student-oriented school that focuses on the whole child. We promote a
partnership between students, educators, parents, and community to achieve our goals of:
• Academic excellence
• Technological proficiency
• Character development
• Preparing students for transition to high school
Visit Gotha Middle School’s web site at: http://www.ocps.net/lc/west/mgo
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See What is
Cooking in
Our Cafe
Parents,
Please note that if your child
receives lunch at no cost, then
they can also get breakfast at no
cost as well. We have two breakfast
carts in the court yard with Grab
and Go items in addition to
breakfast in the cafeteria. We
have a Fantastic New Menu for
LUNCH and BREAKFAST
with fresh fruit and vegetables.
Our Thanksgiving Meal was
November 19. Students, and
faculty, enjoyed a feast complete
with a free cookie!
Week of the Family Contest Winner!
Congratulations to 7th grader Farrah D. for taking first place in the Week
of the Family’s essay contest “My family is strong because…”. Farrah won the
6-8th grade division of the contest.
Putting Cancer to Sleep
October was Breast Cancer Awareness
Month. On October 22, 2015, students and
faculty members donated $1 to wear pajamas
on campus. As a result, $355.00 was raised
for the American Cancer Society. Our
donation will fund lifesaving research,
essential programs for prevention and
early detection, patient support, and
trusted information cancer patients and
their families need. If you are interested in
donating to the American Cancer Society,
please visit https://donate.cancer.org.
Maker space is coming to Gotha!
Donations and Volunteers are needed
Maker spaces are areas and activities students utilize in order to plan,
collaborate, and create. The media center is currently taking donations of
creative materials such as Legos, K’Nex, and Erector Sets. Robotic
kits and circuit kits are desirable as well. We are also seeking
materials for crafting items such as paracord bracelets, bead
jewelry, stitching work or needle work, scrapbook materials
and similar items. If you are interested in becoming an
ADDitions volunteer to help with
our maker space in the morning
Can We Count ON
or afternoon, please contact Mrs.
LaBaw at 521-2360 ext. 5082295
to volunteer or donate
for more information.
You
&
3
Media Center News
BATTLE OF THE BOOKS is under way. This is
a county wide reading competition in which participants
read the 15 Sunshine State Young Readers Awards titles
and compete with the other middle schools in April to see
who knows the books the best. Participants have exclusive
check out privileges for the titles. Weekly meetings are taking
place now on Thursday mornings 8:45-9:10 in portable 6 and
Thursday afternoons from dismissal until 4:30 in the media
center. You do not need to attend both sessions at this point.
Mrs. LaBaw and Mrs. Wilcox are sponsoring this team. It’s not
too late to join us! Participants will also be eligible to vote for the
year’s best title in the state.
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6th Grade ELA News
Middel East
6th Grade World History
Sixth Grade Social Studies is excited about
our upcoming topics as we begin 2nd Quarter’s Nine
Weeks! We delve in to Chapters, 5, 6 and 9. The
topics covered are, Ancient Egypt and Kush, The
Israelites and Ancient India. These are the topics
students have been excited to dive in to.
These topics will allow students to imagine life in
these ancient cultures and learn their contributions
to modern day life.
The students will be able to describe the
emergence of early civilizations, and how geography
influences the way people live? What makes a culture
unique? Why do civilizations rise and fall?
Students will be challenges to define “civilization,”
identify economic, political, social, and religious
institutions of ancient river civilizations. Recognize
the important achievements of each civilization,
and locate each civilization on both a historical and
modern map.
What do middle schoolers love to do? Argue and debate!
Our next unit is perfect for them! We are beginning our unit on
argumentative writing and debates, Unit 3 Changing Perspectives.
In this unit, students focus on the elements of argumentative
writing and texts, learning about claims, thesis, citing evidence,
and the rhetorical appeals of ethos, pathos, and logos. They will
finish the unit by participating in a 6th grade debate and writing
argumentative letters/editorials. To learn more about your
child’s unit of study the second nine weeks, go to Springboard on
Launchpad and check out the activities in the online book.
7th Grade Science
Earth/Space Science at Gotha Middle School began the
2015-16 school year with inquiry activities to ignite the “scientist”
and to provide the framework of inquiry learning for the rest of
the school year. As we embark on the voyage of learning Earth/
Space science concepts we firmly planted our feet in the nature of
science and in experimental design. From this point the students
will be prepared and have increased proficiency in performing
inquiry experiments and activities that are designed to promote
both independent and cooperative learning. Intermixed into the
curriculum are cross-curricular activities that will promote the
success of the students in high school science classes. Science
learning is engaging the students on many levels by making
connections to prior knowledge. Throughout the first nine weeks
we were working with the students to instruct and expand the
students understanding of our Universe. During the second nine
weeks we will be concentrating our efforts on enhancing the
students’ understanding of our Sun (and other stars) and our Solar
System, including the Sun-Earth-Moon relationship.
5
7th Grade Language Arts
Seventh grade Language Arts students are working to finalize their Shark Tank
projects. They have been working diligently to establish a company and come
up with their own products. We will hold our final presentations before Winter
Break in front of a group of “Celebrity Sharks” where the young entrepreneurs
will vie to secure the best deal they can. Please be sure to check on their progress
and encourage them to do their best.
Mrs. Burgess
Ms. Melville
Mr. Vasquez
Mrs. Zurek
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8th Grade US History
We are moving into independence. The colonists have realized that they are no longer
going to be bullied by the treacherous King George III. They have had enough of the
unfair taxes. The Second Continental Congress has the authority to coin money, raise
an army (Continental Army), and start a post office. Paul Revere and Samuel Dawes
were notified that the British were coming. They then rode off into the night to warn
the colonists that they were on their way. Paul Revere was captured by the British and
Dawes continued on his ride to warn the rest of the colonists. The shot heard around
the world (Lexington and Concord) has a couple of different theories. Some say that
it was a hunter who fired upon an animal and the British or the Colonists thought it
was the other side that started the war between the British and the American Colonists.
Therefore, the colonists fired upon the British starting the battles of Lexington and
Concord. Others state that it was someone from either the British or Colonists side firing
upon each other. The Revolutionary War has begun. Our army is weak, inexperienced,
and is lacking supplies. We are against the strongest army in the world at this point; the
British Army has a ton of supplies and very well trained. The British have hired Hessians
(paid soldiers from Germany) to aid them in the fight. The Continental Army receives
financial and military aide from the Polish, French, Germans, and Spanish. The British
Army may have more experience, but the Continental Army has determination to win
this fight for independence. The 8th grade social studies team would encourage you to
check your child’s planner and progress book on a regular basis for assignments, tests,
and quizzes. Thank you for all you do to help our children be successful.
Mr. Aldrich, Mrs. Godboldte-Hazzard, and Mrs. DeJesus
[email protected], [email protected], [email protected]
Take a look at what is going on in our classes!
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8th Grade Language Arts
Students in 8th grade language arts have
continued exploring the unit about heroism.
We have started to create definitions of
heroism while writing expository essays
defining individual claims and explaining
examples. We have researched, read,
and written to develop a more complex
understanding of this important societal
and cultural concept.
In addition, we will explore utopian
and dystopian societies while reading The
Giver by Lois Lowry. We will read, write,
and engage in various types of collaborative
discussions, including debate, to explore
these types of settings. We will also practice
skills of reading and writing argumentative
and expository essays.
Each teacher utilizes ProgressBook,
Edmodo, and Remind.com. Please be sure
to ask your child how to use these digital
tools to stay in touch with what is going on
in your children’s classrooms!
AVID Update
AVID students are diligently working on completing Tutorial
Request Forms (TRFs) for both Tuesdays and Thursdays. We are
evaluating goals, setting new goals for the second quarter, participating
in Socratic Seminars, researching colleges and universities, and
refining Cornell Notes. Our first field trip will be to Full Sail University
for our 7th and 8th graders.
AVID students should be consistently reviewing their notes,
handouts, etc, for all classes every day! We’re trying to build good
habits of reviewing and studying so that we are always prepared for
classes and upcoming tests. Students also should be bringing home
Weekly Progress Reports to be signed so that they are monitoring
their progress. Tutorial Request Forms (TRFs) are due each Tuesday
and Thursday so that students are ready to participate
in Tutorials. These are great because the students
have to identify the critical information that they are
learning and where they get “stuck”! Then, working
as a group and with a tutor, they
get their questions answered. It’s
an awesome process and so much
fun to see their progress!
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Orange County Public Schools
Gotha Middle School
P.O. Box 271
Orlando, FL 32802-0271
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The first quarter has flown by and now
November is upon us! I wanted to take a moment
to share some exciting events for Advanced
Drama students.
Drama 1 students have also been busy creating characters and
seeing the assembly Ms. Carrara-Rudolph performed on Nov. 12.
They are currently embarking on a puppet project inspired by
the artist’s visit.
The week of November 9-12, guest artists
Leslie Carrara-Rudolph and Jamie Donmoyer
worked with the students helping them to create a
holiday-themed show centered on Thanksgiving.
Both of these ladies are nationally-recognized
puppet artists—Ms. Donmoyer has worked as a
puppet specialist for Disney and Royal Caribbean
Cruise Lines, on various television programs
including “Sesame Street,” “The Chica Show”
and as Francesca on “Johnny and the Sprites,”
and has served as Artistic Director of the National
Puppet Festival. Ms. Carrara-Rudolph performs
her own original work around the country, but
is probably most known for working with Jim
Henson’s Muppets—she performs the popular
“Abby Cadabby” character on “Sesame Street.”
Students used the theme of “gratitude” to generate
short shows using actors and shadow puppets.
Photo of Leslie Carrara-Rudolph and Abby Cadabby—photo from http://
theroarbots.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Leslie_and_Abby.jpg
Academy Publishing School Newsletter Program ™ 800-644-3541
Drama News