Volume 36 No. 6
February, 2015
THE
Colophon
A Publication of Memorial Park Middle School...where education is a fine art
The month of February has several celebrated holidays. The more
commonly-known celebrations are Valentine’s Day and Black History
month. But what about Presidents’ Day?
The 16th of February is Presidents’ Day. Forty-four different men have
served as President of the United States. Each of them with their own
unique personalities and characteristics. Some of their personality traits
are generally known but what about some “odd” information?
It was said that George Washington had wooden teeth. Contrary to
popular belief, the country’s first president had dentures made of gold,
ivory, lead and animal teeth. John Quincy Adams, our 6th president,
was known for his early morning skinny-dips in the Potomac River. The
7th president, Andrew Jackson, had a parrot and taught the bird how to
curse. Apparently the parrot had to be removed from Jackson’s funeral
because it wouldn’t stop swearing.
Here’s some trivia for all of you music fans. John Tyler, the nation’s
10th president, was very good at playing the violin. Our current president is considered a comic book nerd. He collects “Spiderman” and
“Conan the Barbarian”. Ronald Reagan, who served as president during
the 1980’s, was an actor and even did stand-up comedy. An oftenforgotten president, Millard Fillmore, married his teacher. She was only
two years older than he. James Buchanan, the 15th president, was the
only president to never marry; he remained a bachelor his entire life.
This February take time to appreciate Presidents’ Day. The office of
the President is the toughest job on the planet. All the men who have
taken the oath bring their own style and quirks along with them. Their
love of country is apparent to all.
J. Adam Martin, Assistant Principal
A P UBLICATION
OF
M EMORIAL P ARK M IDDLE S CHOOL
The Colophon Page 2
Around the halls...
From faculty member Susan Utterback we learn that English Language Learners classes will be learning about and
following activities leading up to the Iditarod Dog Sled Race which takes place in March. Students will also be taking the
WIDA Access assessment, the annual state assessment that measures growth in English.
Students in 8th grade language arts classes will be learning how to prepare an argumentative speech and will then
select topics for their own speeches, reported Ms. Ryan. Seventh grade language arts classes will continue reading
“Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry.” They will also read non-fiction articles that fill in on the historical background of the
novel.
Mr. Schaffer reports that Communication Technology students are creating a short film. They have planned forty
or more shots using a story board and have written a script for dialogue. Students will be recording and editing their productions. Later in the term students will go through a unit in technical design drawings.
In technology education, the students are learning to identify and describe various parts of a computer. They will be
working on teams to create a board game and use computer software to design the graphics and rules. Each team will assess the other teams’ games according to a rubric.
Mr. Gibson’s social studies students will be working on a project dealing with the Presidents in observance of Presidents’ Month.
Girls’ basketball season successful…
Miss Ball was very pleased with her 8th grade girls’ varsity basketball team. After the game with Lane, which was the
conclusion to a 7-2 season, she made the evening very special by giving the girls gifts and special recognition. The team
members were surprised and thrilled.
Band will be busy…
Mr. Maack informs us that all of our jazz groups (7th grade combo, 8th grade combo, Any Day But Friday Jazz Band and
Big Noise) will be performing on Feb. 21 at the North Side Jazz Festival and on Feb. 28 at the Northrop Jazz Festival. In
addition, many students will be performing at the ISSMA Solo and Ensemble Festival at Carroll High School on Feb. 7.
Good luck to all!
Two earn gold keys
Two Memorial Park artists are Gold Key winners! They recently participated in the Scholastic Award competition, and
Nancy Santoyo won for her collage, “Thirsty Robin,” and Abriella Hickle won for her watercolor still life. Faculty member
Amy Clark said both work really hard and are very deserving of the awards. Congratulations to our winners and their
teachers! Their winning art pieces are on display at the Fort Wayne Museum of Art.
“Anchors Aweigh” spring play
A large cast has been assembled by Miss Ball, director, for the play Memorial Park will present this spring. “Anchors
Aweigh” is the delightful presentation. The cast includes Noah Snyder, MaKaya Leitch, Danielle Geels, Elisabeth
Kolkman, Riley Grim, Ariana Cano, Zara McCord, Raymond Wolf, Ian Witham, Brian Rodriguez, Alan Stemen, Ini-Abasi
Udoh, Shira Hansen, Alice Constant, Jamee Johnson, Elisa Justice-Moniz, Nadia Riley, Celia Constant, Bridget Sullivan,
Matthew Balfour, Dean Carlson, Emma Seewald, Sadie Souder, Parker Irwin and Hannah Snyder.
A
PUBLICATION OF
M EMORIAL P ARK M IDDLE S CHOOL
T HE C OLOPHON
P AGE 3
February Happenings:
Parents, please note…
(More info on TRUMBA)
On February 16, Fort Wayne Community Schools will not be closed for
Presidents’ Day. Classes will be held as usual. This is a makeup for a January
snow day closure.
3rd:
Honors recognition 7 a.m.
6th:
Honors breakfast Feb. 3…
School application deadline
When the magnet programs were started back in 1979, Memorial Park Middle School was charged with concentrating on the fine arts and foreign language and having a concentration on academic achievement. All three areas
have remained important over the years.
7th:
ISSMA Solo/Ensemble @ Carroll H.S.
9th:
Board meeting 6 p.m.
10th:
Norwell Invitational swim meet (girls)
@ Norwell 3:30 p.m.
11th:
Norwell Invitational swim meet (boys)
@ Norwell 3:30 p.m.
16th:
President’s Day - Snow makeup day school is in session
17th:
Bluffton swim meet
18th:
Progress reports distributed
21st:
North Side Jazz Festival
23rd:
Swim meet @ Natatorium 4:45 p.m.
26th:
Bellmont swim meet
On Tuesday, Feb. 3, Memorial Park will recognize its academic achievers at
a breakfast that begins at 7 a.m. Parents as well as students have been invited
to this event. Principal Tim Rayl will preside as the students are presented
with certificates attesting to their successes. Categories honored, according to
Counselor Thomas, are Distinguished Scholar, Highest Honors and Honors.
Congratulations to all those being honored.
Congratulations, Imani Rhodriquez
Thirty nine students participated in the 2015 Spelling Bee at Memorial Park,
and 6th grader Imani Rhodriquez was proclaimed the winner when she correctly spelled “hybridize.” The runner-up was Leah McGinnis, who missed on
the word “asthma.”
The contest was held on Jan. 13 and there were two participants from each
language arts class, said Mrs. Beutel, sponsor of the event. She also commented on the winner’s attributes: “She’s amazing and a power house.”
Imani will represent Memorial Park Middle School in the Allen County
Spelling Bee, which will be held on Feb. 11 at 6 p.m. at the Reinhart Center.
The winner of the county bee goes on to the regional and then - perhaps - to
Washington, D.C.
Spring courses available
IPFW has announced its spring schedule of courses for students in middle
and high schools. They include classes on the visual arts, dance, music and
theatre. For further information, call 481-6977.
27th:
District lottery
Lottery coming soon…
28th:
Parents who have applied for their children to change to other schools will
be watching closely on Feb. 27. That is when the lottery is held at the Grile
Administrative Center, deciding which students will be able to attend their
requested schools for the 2015-16 school year. The first drawing is for elementary schools, and then selections are drawn for secondary schools. Many
parents attend the lottery; all will receive letters telling them of the outcome.
Northrop Jazz Festival
Fort Wayne Community Schools
Memorial Park Middle School
2200 Maumee Avenue • Fort Wayne, IN 46803
The Colophon, our school newsletter, is published nine times during the school year. Colophon is derived from the
Greek word, Kolophon, “Summit.
Tim Rayl, principal
Dr. Betty E. Stein, editor
Maureen Houck, design editor
FORT WAYNE COMMUNITY SCHOOLS
Dr. Wendy Robinson, Superintendent
Memorial Park Middle School
Tim Rayl, Principal—2200 Maumee Ave., Ft. Wayne, IN 46803
Phone: 260.467.5300 • Fax: 260.467.5298—www.fortwayneschools.org
School Improvement Plan Focus Area: Writing
School Improvement Plan Action Steps: All teachers will embed weekly writing in all classrooms using journaling and/or quick writes with
anecdotal feedback.
Mission
Vision
Fort Wayne Community Schools educates all
Fort Wayne Community Schools will be
students to high standards enabling them to
the school system of choice and a source of
become productive, responsible citizens.
community pride.
Non-discrimination statement: In accordance with federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the
basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability.