TPMS February Events
February 2016
 February 1—5 —National School Counseling W eek
 February 3 — PTA Workshop: How to Help your Middle Schooler Manage Stress
 February 15 —President’s Day (No School)
 February 19 —Books and Basketball 6 pm
 February 22-26 — SGA Sponsored TPMS Spirit W eek!
 February 26 —Coffee and Conversation with the Principal 8:30 a.m.
 February 26 —Early Release - 12:30 PM
TA K O M A PA R K M I D D L E S C H O O L
Principal’s
“One kind word can warm three winter months.” - Japanese Proverb
Dear Parents and Guardians,
It is hard to believe that we are already in the second semester of the school year! After returning from nature’s second
winter break, students successfully completed their final
exams and are hard at work in their classes this semester.
This month students will begin the process of making their
online course requests for next year. During the first week
of February, 8th graders received information from high
school counselors about their course registration for high
school. TPMS counselors will be visiting the classes of
sixth and seventh graders this month to review and complete
the course request process with them. Once students have
electronically requested courses, parents will receive a
course request list for their child that they will need to review. Please take a moment to review it with your child. In
an effort to save paper, we have made our course bulletin
available in electronic form on our website. We will not be
sending hard copies of the bulletin home with students this
year. However, hard copies of the course bulletin will be
available in the main office. If you have any questions
about the course request process please contact the counseling department. Please take a moment to read the counseling department’s monthly newsletter later in this publication
for more details on this year’s registration process.
During the Blizzard of 2016, also known as Snowzilla, students from the TPMS Difference Makers club mobilized
their efforts in the Takoma Park community to shovel over
75 driveways – sometimes twice! That same week, Difference Makers and TPMS staff participated in the Polar Bear
Plunge to raise over $4,000. The Difference Makers are
organizing a week of service at TPMS in conjunction with
Global Youth Services Day in mid-April.
Newsletter
Three TPMS 8th graders (Sarthak Bhatnagar, Ishaan Oberoi,
and Neal Machado) currently participate in the FirstTech
Robotics Team. Their team has won awards at two regional
competitions and has qualified for the Maryland State Tournament where they will compete to qualify for the Eastern
Super-Regional Tournament and then the World Championships. We look forward to hearing about how they do in the
upcoming competitions. Congratulations students!
The PTA has a busy month in February. Books and Basketball will be on February 19 at 6 p.m. Please come out to
buy books and watch the students play the staff. You may
donate books or DVD’s in the main office. No magazines
or textbooks please. Also this month, the PTA will continue
its Blue Devil Appeal. Books and Basketball and the Blue
Devil Appeal are both important fundraising events for the
PTA. If you haven’t already done so, please join the PTA.
Every little bit makes a difference! Your participation in
these initiatives goes a long way to support instruction at
TPMS. Thank you!
On February 26 I will host a “Principal’s Coffee” at 8:30
a.m. in the Media Center on the topic of how TPMS supports students’ Social Emotional Learning. Our counseling
department will be present for this session as well to talk
about how they work on a daily basis to support our students. I hope you are able to join us!
Please visit the TPMS website (www.tpmsweb.com) for
more information on our calendar, events and to view our
daily, Wake Up Takoma television production.
Alicia Deeny
Principal
COUNSELING SERVICES
FEBRUARY 2016 NEWSLETTER
It’s time to think about next year!
Can you believe it? We are already getting ready for the 2016-2017 school
year. Our students will be making course requests online, just like last year.

Teachers have completed recommendations for next year’s courses online.

The TPMS Course Bulletin will be available
online, at the TPMS website.

Sixth and seventh grade students will make
online course requests, during the weeks of
February 9th and 16th, with the supervision and assistance of the School Counselors. This will happen during World Studies
classes.

A list of the courses your child has requested for the 2016-2017 school year will go
home in the last week of February, for your
review.
High School Registration
The School Counselors from most of the high schools our students will attend visited us
this week! The 8th grade students took registration cards home and are to complete
them, with your guidance. The registration cards are due back on February 12, 2016.
TAKOMA PARK
MIDDLE SCHOOL
6TH GRADE NEWS
F E B R U A R Y
INSIDE
THIS ISS UE:
Computer
1
Science
Science
1
Social Stud-
1
2 0 1 6
Computer Science
Science
6th grade Computer Science
Students have just completed the Photoshop section of the curriculum. Students enjoyed learning how to manipulate images and
apply some creative flair. We are moving on to
PowerPoint, where students will improve their
graphics presentation skills. Students continue
to use Turbo Typing to enhance their word processing skills. We are in the final stages of all
students giving their hardware speech, to conclude our work for the second marking period.
I can be contacted at
[email protected].
6th grade science
Students are working their way
through the unit titled Ecosystems, Interactions,
Energy, and Dynamics. In this unit we explore
ecosystems, especially those found within the
Chesapeake Bay Watershed. We learn about
how all organisms depend on each other as well
as the non-living parts of an ecosystem. This
unit will be merging with our next unit titled,
Human Impacts on the Environment. In this
unit we explore how humans can harm and help
the environment locally and globally. We will
discuss topics such as a carbon footprint. We
will also discuss the importance of making
changes to save the environments naturally
found on Earth.
Please check the website,
https://sites.google.com/a/mcpsmd.net/mrssmith-s-science-tpms/ for the most updated science information.
6th Grade Magnet Science
We will be finishing our Chemistry
unit. We will discuss different types of chemical reactions, and will learn to balance chemical
equations. Students should be working on their
STEM experiments at this time – their data will
be due at the end of February! Please encourage your student to share their Google Classroom account with you to track assignments
and find copies of worksheets. I am best contacted by e-mail at
[email protected] if you have any
questions or concerns.
ies
English
2
Mathematics 2
Social Studies
“Veni, vidi, vici”; "I came; I saw; I conquered" is a Latin phrase popularly attributed to
Julius and is used to refer to a swift, conclusive victory. The battle against the snow is over and the
third quarter has begun. As you can see, in Social Studies classes, our attention will shift from the
Greeks to the Romans. We will focus on the rise from a republic to a vast empire stretching across
three continents. Students will explore the connections to our modern government and ideals of
citizenship. Students will practice their debating skills during the study of Julius Caesar, was he a
hero or tyrant; you decide. These topics should provide interesting conversations at the dinner table! The end of the unit test will occur during the month, we will keep you posted on the exact
dates, due winter break 2.0!
English
Quarter 3 begins this month! The theme is challenges and barriers, focusing specifically on individuals (or groups) who take on challenges
and inspire or encourage others to face their
own challenges. Students will be reading such
books as Holes by Louis Sachar; Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor; and
The Green Glass Sea by Ellen Klages. Additionally, during Quarter 3, students will delve into
researching topics having to do with schoolrelated issues. Possible research topics include
school uniforms, extended school year, and virtual classrooms. Students will use their research
to write a persuasive essay supporting one side
of the issue and then present their argument to
the class in the form of speech.
Mathematics
Magnet Investigations in Mathematics: Unit 4 is
all about Statistics and Probability. Students will use
frequency to explore empirical and theoretical probability and will be able to predict probability based on
a model. They will differentiate between equally
like and not equally likely outcomes for chance
events and then move on to compound events. Students will also experience how to draw inferences
from the results of random sampling. Please check
Edline for quiz dates and topics.
CC6
In math 6, we will start the month of February with
our continued examination and introduction of algebraic expressions. This examination will have students calculate expressions using correct orders of
operations, and write and solve algebraic expressions. The assessment for this topic will be towards
the beginning of the month. Then we will move to
the next topic which covers number properties. This
examination will include finding and calculating the
factors of multiples, identifying the greatest common
factor, using the distributive property, and creating
multiple representations of equivalent expressions.
The assessment for this topic will be towards the
middle of the month. Finally, we will round out the
month of February with the math 6 classes studying
equations and inequalities. For more information
about the specifics of the topics (including important
dates and parent resources) and to check the success
of the math 6 students, please continue to check the
teacher’s edline page.
GRADE 7
NEWS
Takoma Park Middle School
7611 Piney Branch Road
Febru ary 1, 20 16
Vol u me 9, Issue 5
Grade 7 February Newsletter
What’s Happening in Class?
World Studies
In World Studies students will be finishing
their unit on Africa and beginning their unit on
Latin America. The focus of the Latin America
unit is on the ways in which humans interact
with their natural environment (adaptation
and modification) and how geography shapes
culture. Highlights include a comparison of
Aztec and Inca culture and their land use
ending with a debate to determine which
culture modified and adapted more effectively.
Science
In Science students are finalizing their
Nutrition Food Menu Projects that are focused
on an ES student meal plan for 5 days. They
will also be investigating the Nervous,
Digestive , Urinary & Excretory systems via
laboratory experiments. By next week, the
students will be focusing on “Inheritance and
Variation of Traits.”
ALL students have been given a STEM EXPO
CHECKPOINT TIMELINE. By now, they are to
have completed their experiments and will be
submitting the week of Feb. 1-9 their Data
Collection and Results Draft. Ordering of
Backboards has begun and the payment of $
6.00 will be due when boards come in by the
end of the month. We look forward to seeing
you and your child on the night of STEM
EXPO Friday, April 8 from 5:30-9:00 pm..
In Magnet science class students are
completing their study of genetics. The unit
culminates with a student debate on cloning
and a student project in which they create their
own species. The culminating genetics project
is due on or before February 16. In March we
will begin our study of human body systems.
STEM projects should be near completion.
Projects are due on March 20.
Math
In Math 7/IM students are beginning Unit 3:
Expressing Geometric Relationships. Students
will draw (freehand, with ruler and protractor,
and with technology) geometric shapes with
given conditions. They will focus on
constructing triangles from three measures of
angles or sides, noticing when the conditions
determine a unique triangle, more than one
triangle, or no triangle. Students will use facts
about supplementary, complementary, vertical,
and adjacent angles in a multi-step problem to
write and solve simple equations for an
unknown angle in a figure.
In Algebra 2.0, quarter 3 starts out with Unit
4, Quadratic Relationships, which is split into
three topics: Quadratic Functions, Structure of
Quadratic Expressions, and Solving Quadratic
Functions.
Topic 1 covers recognizing
quadratic patterns, describing the functional
characteristics of a quadratic function,
comparing and contrasting quadratic and
exponential functions, and calculating and
comparing the average speed over an interval
for quadratic and exponential functions. Topic
2 covers transformations of quadratic
equations, polynomial operations, factoring
quadratic trinomials, and identifying functional
characteristics of quadratic equations. Topic 3
covers solving quadratic equations, the
quadratic formula, the Pythagorean Theorem,
and finding the distance between points on a
coordinate plane.
Grade 7 Team Newsletter Page 2
What’s Happening in Class?
Math (cont.)
In Magnet Algebra students will complete
Unit 5 which is all about Abstract Algebra
and different mathematical systems like
Modular Arithmetic, Groups, Abelian
Groups, 2D Symmetry Groups, 3D
Permutation Groups, and Fields. The unit
will end with a group project based on the
system properties as they apply to 3D objects
like the Rubik’s Cube. Unit 6 continues the
study of polynomials, both simplifying and
factoring with numerous applications.
English
In English 7 students will begin reading,
writing, and speaking about people and
events related to our third literary unit,
“Perspectives.” The unit focuses on the
1940s and World War II. We will be reading
two or more of these titles for class study:
The Diary of Anne Frank, Farewell to
Manzanar, Friedrich, and The Member of
the Wedding, Daniel’s Story, or I Am David.
In the second half of the quarter, students
will be completing a research project on an
issue that interests them. Our study of
grammar and sentence structure continues
as part of our work with the writing process.
The DETER Strategy for Taking Tests
To do well on a test, you must have good knowledge of the
information that is being tested. But you must also have a
strategy for taking the test that allows you to show what you
know. The DETER strategy can help you do your best on any
test. Each letter in DETER reminds you what to do.
D = Directions
 Read the test directions very carefully.
 Ask your teacher to explain anything about the test
directions you do not understand.
 Only by following the directions can you achieve a good
score on the test.
 If you do not follow the directions, you will not be able to
demonstrate what you know.
E = Examine
 Examine the entire test to see how much you have to do.
 Only by knowing the entire task can you break it down
into parts that become manageable for you.
T = Time
 Once you have examined the entire test, decide how
much time you will spend on each item.
 If there are different points for items, plan to spend the
most time on the items that count for the most points.
 Planning your time is especially important for essay tests
where you must avoid spending so much time on one item
that you have little time left for other test items.
E = Easiest
 The second E in DETER reminds you to answer the items
you find easiest first.
 If you get stuck on a difficult item that comes up early in
the test, you may not get to answer items that test
things you know.
R = Review
 If you have planned your time correctly, you will have
time to review your answers and make them as complete
and accurate as possible.
 Also make sure to review the test directions to be
certain you have answered all items required.
http://www.how-to-study.com
Upcoming Events
February 15: No School – Presidents Day
 Have you checked your child’s notebook or student
planner?
 Have you checked your child’s academic performance on
Edline? Go to https://www.edline.net/Index.page
February 2016
English
8th Grade Newsletter
TAKOMA PARK MIDDLE SCHOOL
Grade 8 English classes will be starting Unit 1 of 8B, Literature as Craft. Students will
be reading The Pearl by John Steinbeck, A nimal Farm by George Orwell, or The Hobbit. The skill focus will be on point of view and characterization. Students will rewrite
a passage from a different point of view, and then analyze and explain the significance
of one character for the assigned work as a whole. Students will also participate in the
Dramatic Arts festival in late February and early March, performing an original or selected poem, essay, or short story to their classmates. Students can brush up on the
grammar skills that we have reviewed but they still find confusing by doing the minilessons on the Purdue Owl website. Check out this valuable resource that many high
school and college students use.
U.S. History
We are currently covering Unit 3 on Westward Expansion. In this
unit we will focus on the concept of manifest destiny and its impact on various groups in the United States. Along with Manifest
Destiny, the unit focuses on the presidency of Andrew Jackson and
the Trail of Tears. The unit ends with a study of the Industrial
Revolution and immigration. The skill focus for this unit is working with primary source documents. Students will write an essay
response to a document based question about the presidency of Andrew Jackson. Students will also analyze political cartoons and create their own for the Jackson presidency.
Algebra-Prep
As we begin the new month, we begin a new unit. Unit 4 consists of geometry constructions and relationships based on properties of geometric figures.
We will be studying angles, sides, lengths, perimeters, areas, and
volumes of all types of figures. Geometric figures can change size
and/or position while maintaining proportional attributes and we
will practice solving equations to prove this relationship. We will
also be exploring real world scenarios using geometric properties
and congruence.
Algebra 2.0
Quarter 3 starts out with Unit 4, Quadratic Relationships, which is
split into three topics: Quadratic Functions, Structure of Quadratic Expressions, and
Solving Quadratic Functions. Topic 1 covers recognizing quadratic patterns, describing
the functional characteristics of a quadratic function, comparing and contrasting quadratic and exponential functions, and calculating and comparing the average speed over
an interval for quadratic and exponential functions. Topic 2 covers transformations of
quadratic equations, polynomial operations, factoring quadratic trinomials, and identifying functional characteristics of quadratic equations. Topic 3 covers solving quadratic
equations, the quadratic formula, the Pythagorean Theorem, and finding the distance
between points on a coordinate plane.
Honors Geometry
Students will be introduced to the next Unit which extends to the third dimension. Students’ prior knowledge with two-dimensional and three-dimensional objects is extended
to include informal explanations of circumference, area, volume, and density formulas.
Additionally, students apply their knowledge of two-dimensional shapes to consider the
shapes of cross-sections and
8th Grade Homework Club on Thursdays
After School in Room 306 with Ms. Taylor
Continued on next page
the result of rotating a two-dimensional object about a line. Tentative dates for exams
will be on the 3rd, 11th, and 26th.
Magnet Geometry
Semester two begins with a unit on area, volume, and three-dimensional figures. We
will derive a variety of area and volume formulas, some familiar and some new
ones. The formulas will be applied to composite figures and real-world problems. The
unit will finish with a study of polyhedra, including Platonic, Archimedean, and other
classes of solids.
Magnet Algebra II
We will complete the second half of our unit on polynomial & rational functions with a look at what happens
when you divide two polynomials - lots of interesting things! We will examine graphs, properties, and applications of this intriguing class of functions, the rational functions.
Science
Last month in science, students have finished their STEM projects and they will be displayed at STEM night
on April 8th. We are now starting a new unit “Restless Earth”. Throughout the month, students will be exploring what lies beneath the Earth’s surface as well as how our world is constantly moving and changing through
continental drift, earthquakes, and volcanoes.
Magnet Science
In Magnet Science, students have started the Planetary Systems and the Universe unit. They
will be observing and measuring changes in sun spots using a Sunspotter. Students will investigate a constellation identifying the major structures within it and build a scale model of it. Students are continuing work on their Capstone project. They are conducting their experiment individually or with a partner. They will display experimental results on STEM night (8 th April
2016). Many students are also entering their Capstone experiment in the County Science Fair
see www.sciencemontgomery.org for details.
Counseling News
High School Assignments for students who completed the DCC/NEC choice forms are scheduled to be mailed
out to 8th grade students' homes during the week of January 18. This does not include information regarding
the Magnet programs. Those letters will be out at a later date.
On February 2, the DCC counselors (Blair, Northwood, Wheaton, Kennedy, and Einstein) will be at Takoma
Park Middle School to talk with the students about registration. Students will receive a course booklet and a
registration form to complete. Those students who do not attend a DCC school, will be a part of a general information meeting at the same time. If your child does not attend a DCC or NEC school, it is up to you to go
to the home school to register your child.
For DCC/NEC students, all registration cards will be due to the counseling office by February 12.
On February 10 at 7pm, each DCC/NEC high school will have a parent/student registration
visit. Again, if your child will not attend a DCC/NEC school, it is up to you to find out the
date of your home school’s registration night.
World Languages Department February Newsletter
Spanish
Spanish 1A full year—Ms. Carroll
Students are finishing up a unit on Mis Amigos y Yo. We are describing ourselves and others and talking
about what people like to do using infinitive verbs. Students have studied the rules of adjectives, gender
and number and how to use the verb To Be in the singular and plural. In our new unit, students will talk
about life in school. They will be describing their schedule, classes and teachers. Students will talk about
what period they have certain classes and what they do in those classes. They will also identify common
classroom objects to use in their descriptions. They will continue to work with the verbs gustar, ser and
tener, but they will also begin conjugating –ar verbs to talk about they actually do in classes. Students
should review verb conjugations daily. Parents should check agenda books and EdLine to monitor
homework and student progress. Please pay special attention to due dates that appear on Edline. Students
are responsible for completing work by the due date.
Spanish 1B full year—Ms. Vogel
Students are just finishing up the Family Unit and will begin a new unit on The Home. They will
describe the layout of various dwellings. Students will give simple descriptions of furnishings, including
color and size of objects. Students will also communicate about household chores and make simple
comparisons. Students will learn the affirmative tú commands and the present progressive (-ing) form of
verbs. The differences between the verbs ser and estar will be further explored. Finally, students will
identify and describe typical housing from Spanish-speaking countries and compare them to a typical
home in our area. Parents are encouraged to check agenda books for homework and to monitor grades via
EdLine regularly. If your child needs additional practice with a particular skill, please email me at
[email protected] and I will gladly provide you with some suggestions!
Spanish 1 (Sra. Carroll y Sra. Kim):
Students will start a unit on Pastimes. In this unit, students will learn how to discuss where they are going,
what they will be doing there, how often they go, etc. Students will learn about locations in the
community, discuss leisure activities (what they do in their “tiempo libre”), discuss with whom they go
and will learn how to structure questions in Spanish. In addition to learning the verb “Ir”—to go, students
will also learn about stem-changing verbs or “boot verbs” in Spanish, such as “Jugar”—to play a sport or
game. Please make sure that your child is regularly checking Edline for due dates and deadlines along
with checking their grade. It is essential that students record daily homework in their agenda book in
order to keep up with the pace of the class. Pay special attention to deadlines and dates for quizzes.
Meeting due dates is the best way to stay caught up with class instruction and to be on target with
concepts presented in class.
Spanish 2 (Sra. Kim, Sra. Guevara and Sra. Vogel):
In February, students will finish a unit about describing their younger childhood. In this unit, students
will be introduced to a new past verb tense (the imperfect tense) and begin to compare it to the preterit
tense we learned last semester. In addition, students will use indirect object pronouns and reciprocal verbs
to express actions done to other people. They will also communicate about family and celebrations.
Students will discuss various aspects of childhood and celebrations in Spanish-speaking countries, and
they will compare them to their own experiences in the USA. The pace of the class moves quickly and
students are encouraged to establish a routine of studying every week night for 10-15 minutes in order to
help build vocabulary and ease with structures. There are many resources on Edline for them to practice
such Quizlet, an online flashcard website which allows students to make flashcards for vocabulary but
also verb conjugations as well. Students in Sra. Guevara’s class may also complete the monthly optional
formative assignment, ¿Dónde está Sra. Guevara? which students can find on Edline or posted on the
board in the classroom.
Spanish 3— Sra. Guevara
In February and March, students will be working on a combined unit about work, service, and
professions. Students will continue to refine their ability of the subjunctive voice as well as learning both
the present perfect and future tenses. In addition, students will demonstrate how to use a double object
pronoun and the impersonal “se”. Finally, students are being encouraged to use circumlocution for all
vocabulary definition instead of translations from English, a strategy we have been practicing all of
semester 1. The pace of the class moves quickly and students are encouraged to establish a routine of
studying every week night for 10-15 minutes in order to help build vocabulary and ease with
structures. There are many resources on Edline for them to practice such Quizlet, an online flashcard
website which allows students to make flashcards for vocabulary but also verb conjugations as
well. Students may also complete the monthly optional formative assignment, ¿Dónde está Sra.
Guevara? which students can find on Edline or posted on the board in the classroom.
French—Mme Finklea
French 1
In February, French 1 students will be learning to communicate about pastimes. We’ll also be learning to
describe weather conditions, so bring on the snow, and we’ll tell you about it in French! February is also
the month of La Chandeleur (a French holiday when people eat crêpes)—we will celebrate in class. Your
child may ask to bring something for the occasion. Please check edline or your child’s weekly French
grade report to make sure s/he is keeping up to date! If your child has a C or below on a weekly progress
report, please sign it and have your child return it to me!
French 2
In French 2, we’ll be learning to communicate about daily routines (past and present) using reflexive
verbs. Students will also learn to give commands. February is also the month of La Chandeleur (a French
holiday when people eat crêpes)—we will celebrate in class. Your child may ask to bring something for
the occasion. Please check edline or your child’s weekly French grade report to make sure s/he is keeping
up to date! Parents should check agenda books for HW and encourage students to study vocabulary at
home. Parents should also check Edline and weekly student progress reports. If your child has a C or
below on a weekly progress report, please sign it and have your child return it to me!
French 3
In February, French 3 students will be learning about the French press (news, not coffee!). Also, we will
celebrate La Chandeleur (crêpe day!), and there will be field trip to a French restaurant. Look for a
permission slip coming your way. Please check edline or your child’s weekly French grade report to make
sure s/he is keeping up to date!
Arts Department February Newsletter
Art—Ms. Spera
In February, all students will be
starting a new art class. The first
project for 6th graders will be to create
a portfolio to hold their artwork
papers. This will be a radial design
created using their name. The project
is very artistically challenging---and
the results are really amazing!
Repetition of lines/shapes, choosing
color schemes, and making a creative
design will be emphasized.
For their new art class, the seventh graders will be
making a portfolio to store their papers. The design
is created using tools and other objects from the art
room. The students use them to create an intriguing
composition ---focusing on positive and negative
space, overlapping, texture, and color.
In February the 8th graders will be
creating a portfolio to store their
papers. It is a simple assignment;
they need to have their first and last
name and their period number
somewhere in the design. I love to
see how they challenge themselves
to make it creative.
FACS—Ms. Davis
What is going on in FACS? For those
just entering the class, you already
received the syllabus. This is just a
reminder that the $10 lab fee is due,
enabling us to purchase the sewing
projects and foods consumed in class.
What do we do in class? Your child
learns skills that will help him/her
become more independent. The most
popular unit is food and nutrition. But students also learn about
financial literacy, careers, sewing, interior design and more.
Computer Applications
Ms. Galley
6th grade Computer Science students have just completed the Photoshop section of the
curriculum. Students enjoyed learning how to manipulate images and apply some creative
flair. We just completed our test for Photoshop. Classes are moving on to Powerpoint,
where students will improve their graphics presentation skills. Students continue to use
Turbo Typing to enhance their word processing skills. We are in the final stages of all
students giving their hardware speech, to conclude our work for the second marking period.
Dr. Taliff
Intro to Computer Science students have finished their website projects and have begun to
create infographics using Canva software. Learning Google Apps—Docs, Drive, Sites,
Calendar, and Forms—will consume the remaining semester days. Magnet Computer
Science students have been diligently learning how to read, write, and manipulate text files.
The coding learned since the start of this course is now applied to solve programs involving
multiple tasks. At home studying is always helpful.
Ms. Wu
In February, 8th grade Computer Science students will continue working on ACSL topics,
Infix-Prefix-Postfix, Boolean Algebra and Graph Theory, and participate 2 nd ACSL
contest. They will learn and design basic webpages using HTML, and will learn syntax and
structure of JavaScript; later they will use JavaScript to enhance the functions of their
webpage. They will also continue working on their Final Project at home. The Game
Manual or Website Advertisement is due on 2/12, and the deadline is 2/22.
A new group of students will begin the 8th grade computer applications class. Keyboarding,
a critical skill for all computer users, is taught and reinforced throughout the
course. Students will become proficient in basic word processing skills and they will create
spreadsheets to solve real-world problems. Students will learn and practice some basic
programing and coding skills using Scratch. They will use it to design games of their own.
World Beat Music and Chorus —Mr. Liddle
The end of the second semester
brings much change to our General
Music and Chorus class. Students in
Chorus performed a wonderful winter
concert and after a music literacy exam
are now moving into creative
projects and new music. We are
working towards our February 16
Pops and Cabaret concert which
will feature music projects
created by small groups of
students, solo performances, the
“We Will Rock You Club” bands,
and the choirs performing pieces from the pop and musical theatre worlds. This concert is
held after school from 3:00-4:15pm to allow for TPMS students to join us for a concert and
ride the activity bus home. Parents are invited and more than welcome but much of this
music will be performed again at the Spring Concert so if you cannot make it, you’ll be able
to see elements of this concert then. The end of the semester means wrapping up our
individual and band work on instruments and saying goodbye to many General Music
students as they head off to their second semester electives and hello to a whole new group
of incoming music students. The new classes are digging into instruments, getting to know
the technology in the classroom, and about to start their history and exposure elements of
the curriculum. Welcome to you all!
Contemporary Communications and TV Studio
Mr. Wilson
In 6th Grade Contemporary Communications, students are just beginning their trek
into the world of media literacy. First, they learn just what, exactly, “media” is. Then we
begin to discuss all the different forms of media we know and participate in. Then we
discover the different ways media can manipulate us and how to look at media more
critically. We look at some samples of various forms of media and write about them in our
journals. We will soon be quizzed on our “Media Literacy” vocabulary words, so be sure
students are studying!
In 7th Grade Intro to TV studio, students are learning
about the format of video scripts and the different camera shots
as well as when and why to use them. They will be writing their
own scripts and drawing their own storyboards for a video, and
will soon break into production groups to decide which script to
shoot.
In 8th Grade TV Studio, full year students are working on their 3rd quarter ads/PSA’s
which will be a bit longer than a typical advertisement in order to give them some practice
with a longer script for their 4th quarter final production. New semester students are
learning the basics of “Media Literacy”, including Visual Literacy and Technological Literacy
in order to begin making media of their own.
Orchestra & Band — Ms. Pasquale
All instrumental music classes are working on new music. This is a very busy
season. Students in the advanced and intermediate ensembles are choosing music for the
upcoming Band and Orchestra festivals. Parents should look for the letter and permission
slip in hard copy and on Edline in mid-February. This is when students prepare 3 pieces
for adjudication. Music must be chosen from the Maryland State list. Many students are
preparing solos and ensembles for the Montgomery County District II Solo and Ensemble
Festival also at the beginning of March. Mrs. Pasquale is recommending that all section
leaders participate. Music for solo and ensemble may be found at mmea-maryland.org,
choose "music list" from the heading. The deadline for Solo and Ensemble applications is
was January 29th but if you are reading this early in February there may still be time for a
late application. Please check Edline for updated information and registration applications.
6th grade band students are working on new music and many students are making the
switch to “color” instruments to fill out the band sound (bass clarinet, tuba, horn, etc). This
month students who auditioned and were accepted into Montgomery County Honors
Ensembles will be performing in their Gala Concert. Montgomery Junior County Honors
Band and Orchestra will perform at BCC High School on February 9 th. The
6th grade Honors Band and Orchestra will perform at Einstein high School
on February 6th. Mrs. Pasquale has the privilege of co-conducting the 6th
grade honors band.
Takoma Park Middle School
Media Center News
February 2016
Thanks to our
Book Fair
Volunteers
Sally Chaupiz
Barb Barrett
Maker Mondays in the Media Center
Every Monday, the Media Center becomes a maker space! A variety of crafting
and engineering challenges are made available to students during all lunches. Each
Monday features a different maker activity. This year, activities have included—
origami, friendship bracelets, pony bead crafts, electronic Snap Circuits, K’Nex,
brain games, and fall crafts. Snap Ciruits are one of the most popular activities.
In order to participate,
students need to obtain a
lunch pass from the Media
Center on Monday morning.
All are welcome!
Emily Hanford
Susanna BunzelHarris
Marilyn Sklar
Cathy Futrowsky
Shruti Bhatnagar
Lora Dunne
Ann Marie
Staudenmaier
In addition to Maker
Mondays, the Media
Center is also maintaining
the TPMS MakerSpace
website:
Donna Victoria
Nyree Wannall
https://
sites.google.com/a/
mcpsmd.net/tpmsmaker-space/
Marla Nix
Cindy Zenick
*Students must log in to their MCPS Google accounts in order to view the website.
Megan Donohue
Susan Roth
E-books Now Available from the TPMS Media Center!
For the first time ever, e-books are available
for check-out through the TPMS Media Center!
There are several ways to access these
e-books. The quickest way is by downloading
the Follett BryteWave K-12 Edition app, which is
available on handheld devices including Apple, Android,
and Kindle. Download the app, choose Takoma Park
Middle School as your location, and enter your 6 digit
student ID and school computer password to access our
online collection. Students can also borrow e-books on
computers through the Destiny Library Catalog, which is
linked to the TPMS website under the Media Center
page. Directions for accessing e-books through Destiny
can be found on the Destiny homepage.
**See Ms. Phelan if you have questions.**
Follow the TPMS Media Center on Twitter!
Anne Fothergill
Kristy Sun Cho
Stacy Cardillo
Jenny Wagner
Important Dates
February 15—
President’s Day
February 26—
Early Release Day
https://twitter.com/TPMSlibrary