KING
Fall 2015
Newsletter
Middle School
Welcome from
Principal Bouchard
I would like to start with a special welcome to all of our new
6th grade families. It’s hard to believe that a month of
school has gone by and I’m happy to say that the students
have made an excellent transition to King. I’m also pleased
to offer a very special welcome back to all of our 7th and 8th
grade families. I have met many of you before in my years as
teacher, coach and administrator for the Portland Public
Schools. I taught art at Jack Jr. and Portland High, served as
Assistant Principal at Lyman Moore and Portland High,
where I was also the Interim Principal. We could have even
met at Downtown Jack on Congress Street. Finally, I found
my home right here at King Middle School in 2002 as the
Assistant Principal until I retired in 2010. Clearly, my passion is working with students.
I am happy and honored to be back at King as the Interim
Principal for this academic year. I am truly grateful to be
with such a skilled
and thoughtful staff.
Know that your children are in good
hands!
As the year progresses, I invite you all to
find your niche at
King. We welcome
your insight and look
forward to your support for our staff with
their years of experience and training. My
goal is that we all
work together. When
we meet, please reintroduce yourself. I am
looking forward to a
great school year!
Reporting an Absence
Call: (207) 874-8141 and leave a message or
Email: [email protected]
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A Middle School for All
For up to date news check out our website!
king.portlandschools.org
Upcoming Events
Thursday , Oct 1st
6:30-7:30pm
Friday, Oct. 2nd
5:00-7:00pm
Tuesday , Oct 5th
6:30-7:30pm
Device Take Home Meeting
For ALL 7th grade & NEW 8th
grade families
Parents should attend one
meeting only
School Dance
Device Take Home Meeting
For ALL 7th grade & NEW 8th
grade families
Parents should attend one
meeting only
Friday, Oct. 9th
NO SCHOOL –for students
and teachers
Monday, Oct. 12th
NO SCHOOL –Columbus Day
Tuesday, Oct. 13th
Picture Day!
Wednesday-Friday
Oct. 14th-16th
7th Grade Trip to the
Leadership School
at Camp Kieve
Tuesday & Wednesday
Nov. 3rd & 4th
ELL Parent Teacher
Conferences
Friday, Nov. 6th
5:00-7:00pm
School Dance
Wednesday, Nov 11th
NO SCHOOL –Veteran’s Day
Monday & Tuesday
Nov. 23rd & 24th
Student Led Conference
Early Dismissal @ 11:30am
Wednesday-Friday
Nov. 25th—27th
Thanksgiving Break
KMS Newsletter
Fall 2015
Sports and
Clubs
Sports schedules
Are posted on the King
Website under:
“For Students” -> “Sports and
Clubs”
Schedules are also available
from the coaches.
Most games start at
3:30pm or 4:30pm
Club Name
Teacher
Time/Date
Wednesday beginning
in October
Wednesday beginning
in October
Wednesday beginning
in October
Description
6th Grade Math Club
Mr. Thorne
7th Grade Math Club
Ms. Porsensky
8th Grade Math Club
Mrs. Young
Bug Club
Ms. Bursk
Thursday 2:35-3:20pm
Get excited about bugs! Collect,
observe & build.
Debate Club
Ms. Nylen
Tuesday before school
Informal debate on a
predetermined topic each week
Green Team
Ms. Penalver
Tuesday before school
King Rock Climbing Team
Ms. Orth
Ms. McWilliams
Thursdays
4:30-6:30pm
Ms. Hanley
Ms. McWilliams
3rd
New Arrivals Explorer
Club
Math Club for 6th grade students
Math Club for 7th grade students
Math Club for 8th grade students
Work to make our school more
Green
Indoor rock climbing at EVO Rock
and Fitness
Students should sign up with the
teachers
Thursday of the
Month -2:30-4:30pm
New arrivals explore the city of
Portland and learn English. Interested students should see Ms.
Hanley or Ms. McWilliams for
more information.
Sketch Club
Ms. Penalver
Tuesday before school
Come in to start your day with a
quiet and peaceful drawing time.
Students will learn some skills
and share artwork with each
other.
Yearbook
Ms. Nylen
Ms. MacLean
TBD
Come work on making the best
KMS yearbook ever!
Yoga
Mrs. Colella
Friday before school
Flex and focus. Learn about the 8
limbs of Yoga.
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King Middle School, 92 Deering Avenue, Portland, Maine 04102
207-874-8140
KMS Newsletter
Fall 2015
Students ON expedition
York 6
Our House: If York 6
Were A Village
This fall the students of York 6 will be exploring what a
community is and how individuals play a larger part in a
community. Using If the World Were A Village as an anchor text, students will examine the York 6 house of 100
and discover commonalities among its members and celebrate its diversity. To understand their community, students will survey themselves as well as the larger King
and Portland communities and graphically interpret the
data. Then, working in small teams, students will create a picture book for local elementary schools that reflect
themselves and York 6 as a cohesive unit that devotes time to collaborating and to the success of all of the members of the King Middle School, York 6 community.
Windsor 6
Rules to live by
In Rules to Live by students explore the questions: What are “rules to live by”? How do people formulate and use
“rules” to improve their lives and their community? In this expedition, students consider these questions as they
read the novel Bud, Not Buddy, Steve Jobs’ 2005 commencement address at Stanford University, President Barack
Obama’s Back-to-School Speech, “If” by Rudyard Kipling, and informational research texts. Students will be
writing a literary argument essay in which they establish a claim about how Bud uses his “rules”: to survive or to
thrive. In social studies they will learn about the Great Depression to support their reading of the novel. In
science they are using the scientific method as a way to explore the rules that scientists live by when doing good
scientific work. They will then shift their focus to their own rules to live by and conduct a short research project
about a leader and determine the leader’s rule to live by. As a final product, students will use their research to
write an essay to inform about one important “rule to live by” supported with evidence.. As a final product, they
will create a graphic design poster highlighting their research and will include original artwork.
York 7
It’s for the Birds
In the fall of 2014 the National Audubon Society published a report in which they listed 314 birds across the country that are endangered by human activity. Maine Audubon has identified 84
birds from that list that are residents in Maine for at least part of
each year. This fall in our expedition titled, “It's for the Birds”,
York 7 students are will be partnering with Maine Audubon to
create products that will educate the public about these birds and
their needs. They will learn about the connections between these
birds and native insects and native plants with the goal of identifying areas in Portland where native plants can be introduced to
help improve habitat for both the birds and the insects that they
depend on. Students will add native species to their own backyards and teach Portland residents how to garden for habitat.
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King Middle School, 92 Deering Avenue, Portland, Maine 04102
207-874-8140
KMS Newsletter
Fall 2015
Students ON expedition
Windsor 7
R.E.D. Rovers
Throughout the Fall trimester, students in Windsor 7 will be investigating the dilemma of invasive plant species in
Maine through a technologically innovative expedition: R.E.D. Rovers (Research, Engineering and Deployment).Invasive plants have a tremendous impact on our environment. In order to address this growing problem,
the D.E.P. (Department of Environmental Protection) has asked our students to design R.O.V.s (Remotely Operated Vehicles) which can be used in local ponds and lakes to identify invasives. Engineers from the Office of Naval
Research will be facilitating students in the design and test of a type of R.O.V. (small, remotely operated, submersibles called SeaPerches). Once the students have built their R.O.V.s they will engage in the scientific method and
engineering design process to modify their machines for photographing invasive plants.
In tandem with this engineering project, students will explore technology through literature and research in Language Arts and social studies. Students will read The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind as a case study of how a community issue can be addressed through the innovative use of technology. After this initial case study, students will
research other cases of technology’s use to address community issues around the globe. This research, plus the
process and scientific findings of the R.O.V. project will be published for the expedition’s culminating event. Additionally, formal scientific reports will be presented to the Department of Environmental Protection.
York 8
Rethink, recharge, react:
Windsor 8
Truth or Consequences
In Truth or Consequences, students explore the questions:
"What is the truth?", "Why and how do people manipulate the
truth?", and "How can I create positive social change?" They
examine media literacy, advertising, and, on a broader scale,
propaganda to see how people are targeted and persuaded. Fieldwork includes examining historical artifacts at the
Holocaust and Human Rights Center of Maine in Augusta. As
a final product, students choose a current issue and create a
truth poster to uncover and communicate the truth behind their
topic. Students work with local advertising executives and
graphic designers to create, revise, and hone their products.
Their work will be presented to the public in an open forum in
January.
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Engineering Your
Energy Future
Will there be enough energy for our future? What
source of energy is the best for our environment?
Which source is the cheapest? Who is using the energy and what are they using it for? York 8 is
spending the spring of 2015 researching and debating different renewable and non-renewable energy
sources and their environmental, economic and social impacts to best prepare for our energy future.
Our guiding questions are: What energy sources will
most sustainably take us into the future? How does
engineering impact our energy future? How can individual choice impact our environment?
King Middle School, 92 Deering Avenue, Portland, Maine 04102
207-874-8140