UPCOMING EVENTS:
DEC 1– AFTER
SCHOOL TUTORING
DEC. 3– NATIONAL JUNIOR
HONOR SOCIETY
MEETING AFTER
SCHOOL
DEC 3- AFTER
SCHOOL TUTORING
DEC. 7– NATIONAL JUNIOR
HONOR SOCIETY
INDUCTION AT 6
PM
DEC 8- AFTER
SCHOOL TUTORING
DEC 10- AFTER
SCHOOL TUTORING
DEC. 11– BOX
TOPS CONTEST
ENDS
DEC 15- AFTER
SCHOOL TUTORING
DEC. 16– INTERIMS GO HOME
DEC 17- AFTER
SCHOOL TUTORING
DEC. 18– BOX
TOPS GRADE
LEVEL WINNER
ANNOUNCED
DEC. 23-JAN 3–
SCHOOLS
CLOSED
JAN. 4–
SCHOOLS REOPEN
Essex Intermediate School
D E C E M B E R ,
2 0 1 5
Dear Families,
As we approach the winter break, I would like to take
this opportunity to wish each of you and your families a
happy, healthy holiday season. I hope that you will
have a chance to relax and enjoy some special time
with your children. I am so proud of how hard they have been working each
and every day! We will continue to work hard through December 22nd.
Please remember that unless your child is sick, it is very important for them
to be at school from 8:10-3:15 each day. Every educational minute is a valuable resource.
We hope you enjoy reading through the newsletter this month to learn more
about the amazing things that have been going on in our school. We have
been very busy the past month, and we have many exciting events coming up
in the future. If you have any questions about our upcoming events or activities here at EIS, please feel free to contact me at any time at [email protected] or 804-443-3040.
During these busy times, I want to take a few moments to tell you how grateful I am for each and every one of the children and staff members here at EIS.
They are the heart and soul of this building, and they never cease to amaze
me. I also want to thank you for sharing your children with us. We are
thankful for many things, but we are especially thankful for the opportunity to
work with such amazing students and families everyday. Enjoy your time off,
and I look forward to seeing everyone in 2016!
Best regards,
Heather Gentry
Principal
An Update From Our Literacy and Curriculum Coaches
Keep Your Kids Reading Over the Holidays
As the holiday season moves into full swing and kids are home from school, it's
easy to get lost in the preparation and forget to keep children on a regular reading schedule. One of the things kids look forward to in December is the academic downtime, but
there's no reason why they can't keep their minds sharp during the holidays. And, believe it or not, they can have fun while doing it. “Reading doesn’t have to mean sitting at
a table with a boring school book for a set amount of time each day,” says Kathy Doyle Thomas, executive
vice president of the bookstore chain, Half Price Books. “You can easily ‘sneak’ reading into daily activities.” Here are some of her tips for sneaking learning into holidays at home:
Have your children read holiday cards when they are received in the mail, and let them write a message
in outgoing cards.
Let children read ingredients from holiday recipes while you bake together. It's a great way for them to
learn measurements and temperatures.
Make special holiday readings a tradition. Find a special book for Hanukkah, Christmas, or Kwanzaa,
and have each member of the family read from it at the same time each year.
Read for fun! Whether your child is in the mood for holiday stories or the newest installment from a
favorite series, winter break provides the perfect opportunity to set aside school books and read
for fun. Make time for bedtime stories to create the routine and enjoy books on a daily basis.
Stock up on books at the local library. Help your child pick out books they’re interested in reading
over the winter break. Libraries may also have fun, free holiday activities throughout the break.
Make the most of travel time. Turn travel time to or from a holiday get-together into an opportunity
to practice reading. You can look for license plates from different states, try to find the alphabet
on the license plates, or count the number of red (or white or green) cars you see. Read street
signs and billboards you see along the way.
A little predictability is comforting for kids. Starting a special Winter Break Story Time can be a
new tradition that links reading with happy memories. Hot cocoa and your favorite stories will
have the whole family feeling comfy and cozy, while creating memories that will last a
lifetime.
Remember, you don’t have to be an expert to help your child with reading. By simply interacting
with children around books, you can show them that books are important and worthy of our
attention.
PAGE
News from the EIS Library……………….
Dear EIS Families,
Did you know that December is “Read a New Book Month?” This month is the perfect
time to gather the family and take a trip to the public library to explore a new series
or try a recipe from a new cookbook. I will be encouraging our students to try our wonderful new arrivals. We recently received new non-fiction and fiction selections,
graphic novels, and magazines. There should be something for even the choosiest reader. Likewise, the books that the library purchased through the Scholastic book fair are
flying off the shelves including the new Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Old School. This is
the tenth book in the Wimpy Kid series. If your child loves humor, then this is the
current book of choice. Other books that your students may enjoy this holiday
season include The Christmas Book: How To Have The Best Christmas Ever by Ju- “Books are a
liana Foster; The Angel Tree by Daphne Benedis-Grab and How the Pops Stole
uniquely
Christmas another title in the How I Survived Middle School series by James Pat- portable
terson.
magic.”
Speaking of the book fair, it was a huge success! The students, families, and
~Stephen King
staff really came out to support this fun event. It was especially exciting to hear
our students over the morning announcements do book talks and commercials. We
raised over $1,600 Scholastic dollars! These dollars can be redeemed through
Scholastic for books, furniture, prizes, technology, and so much more! When it is time
to shop, I will be sure to get valuable input from our students. Thanks again for taking
an interest in our library and school.
Lastly, our Instructional Technology Resource Teacher, Jason Bellows will be visiting all
grade levels in the library this month to discuss online/internet safety. Students will
learn best practices on using the internet responsibly and safely both at home and
school. One of my favorite go to websites on this topic is www.Netsmartz.org. Both
parents and children will find this link a valuable and reliable
resource.
Keep in touch!
Season’s Readings,
Ms. Weeden
3
EIS Book Clubs!
At Essex Intermediate School, we are striving to encourage a
love of reading in our students. To assist in reaching this
goal, we have several after school book clubs that meet
weekly. We currently have a 7th grade book club and an 8th
grade book club that meets on Mondays after school.
Ms. Caracappa and Mrs. Coates are the sponsors for the 8th
grade book club. Students in this club have the option of either reading Percy Jackson & The
Olympians: The Lightening Thief by Rick Riordan or Story Thieves by James Riley. During the
meetings students enjoy some delicious treats as they discuss the book they are reading.
Mr. Cote is the sponsor for the 7th grade book club. The students worked to build the focus
of the club themselves. They selected books from a recommended list, and they work together to choose how much reading should be done each week. They also design the discussion
activities, and they enjoy snacks as they discuss what they read. The club is divided into 4
groups, based on book choice. They are reading, Ender's Game, Fallout, Inkheart, and The
Witch of Blackbird Pond.
These clubs have been very successful, allowing students to take ownership of their activities
and truly enjoy reading. In addition to the 7th and 8th grade clubs, our 5th and 6th grade book
clubs will be starting soon. We hope to see even more of our students enjoying their book
club books soon!
Students of the Month
Each month, students from each grade level are nominated by the EIS staff for
exhibiting our behavioral expectations and going above and beyond at our
school. From these nominations, our staff members choose a “Student of the
Month” for each grade level. For the month of November we recognized the following students as our PBIS Students of the Month:
5th Grade: Brandon Gutierrez-Hernandez- Brandon is a polite and respectful
student who truly appreciates what our school has to offer. He sees the positive in
any situation and is a wonderful student.
6th Grade: Nichelle Rankins- Nichelle works hard in class to do her best. She is
considerate of her peers and respectful of her teachers.
7th Grade: Rachel Easter- Rachel is always ready, responsible, and respectful.
She is a hardworking, quiet and well behaved young lady. She completes all of her
assignments on time and they are done perfectly.
8th Grade: Alvin Carter- Alvin is helpful and focused and tries so hard to be the
best he can be.
Congratulations to our Students of the Month for November. We look forward to
recognizing the Students of the Month for December at our next school board
meeting.
Above– Rachel Easter, Nichelle
Rankins, Brandon GutierrezHernandez, and Alvin Carter
The Counseling Corner From Mrs. Nash
Holiday season is quickly approaching!! Holidays are a time of excitement and great anticipation of spending time with family and friends. It is also a busy time of meeting timelines,
shopping, cooking and trying to get all of those last minute items to make your Holiday special. In the midst of all the excitement, anticipation, joy and stress, remember the importance of being a role model for your child. Below are some tips to keeping this Holiday
season joyful and stress free:
Don’t overdo it. To reduce holiday stress, you have to pace yourself. Long before the
family gatherings actually happen, decide on some limits and stick to them.
Involve your children. Many times the planning and preparation are handled by the
adults, while the children watch TV or stay in their rooms playing video games.
When in actuality some wish they were a part of the excitement. Try having your
child help prepare a simple recipe, decorate the house or even choose board games the
family can play once they all come together. This will create a lasting memory for the
entire family.
Give Thanks. Life brings ups and downs to each and every one of us. So when life gives
you lemons, make lemonadeJ Take time this holiday season to focus on what’s going right or went right in the past year instead of what’s wrong. The holidays are
a great time to practice gratitude for what you have.
Need something to do over the Holidays? Look below to find some fantastic, affordable family outings.
RVA on Ice. Enjoy outdoor ice skating in the heart of downtown Richmond. Now through
January 3rd . www.skatervaonice.com
Ignite the Night Laser Show. Thurs, Fri (6 & 7 pm) and Sat (6, 7, &8 pm) through Dec
20. Take a journey into pure imagination with B 101.5's Holiday Laser Show Every Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings step into a land of lights and magic, you might even get a
glimpse of Santa, or see it snow. In the Village at Towne Center Across form Sephora.
Dominion Garden Fest of Lights. Nov 28 - Jan 12, 5pm - 10pm (Closed Dec 24,
25). Holiday tradition features more than a half million lights, botanical decorations, trains,
holiday dinners, fire pit w/ s'mores, family activities and more. The theme this year is bicycles! $12 adults; $11 seniors; $8 children ages 3 - 12; children under age 3 free. Lewis
Ginter Botanical Gardens. www.lewisginter.org
Illuminate Light Show & Santa's Village. Nov 14 - Jan 3 . Nightly, 5:30 - 10 pm.
(Located in Doswell Virginia at the Meadow Event Park) Santa's Village will be open
Nov. 14 through Dec. 24, and Santa will depart on Dec. 23. As you drive through the park
you will experience hundreds of thousands of LED lights synchronized to music from your
car radio. The show features an 80-foot tunnel of lights, 50-foot Christmas trees, dancing
snowmen and festive decorations. After the show, spend some time in Santa's Village. There
will be pictures with Santa, children's activities, Christmas trees, food and
more. www.illuminatelightshow.com
A Spotlight on Our New Teachers!
Each month in our newsletter we will spend time introducing our families
to
the new teachers we have at EIS. To accomplish this goal, some of our
student authors will compose articles for you to read as a way to get better acquainted with our new faculty members. These student authors will spend time interviewing our new teachers, then they will compose an article with information highlighting these faculty members. We hope you enjoy their compositions!
Ms. Elizabeth Longest:
Hello, our names are Endia Ross, Michalah Beck, and Haylee Ferrell, and we
want to tell you about a new 6th grade English teacher named Ms. Longest.
Ms. Longest wanted to be a teacher since college. She started off teaching
kindergarten, then she switched back and forth between kindergarten and
first grade. Now she teaches 6th grade, and she loves it! She went to James
Madison University for her bachelor’s degree, Mary Baldwin for her master’s
in education, and The University of Virginia for her educational specialist’s
degree. Ms. Longest used to play volleyball, and now she rides horses. She
grew up in Virginia, and she has been teaching for nine years. She used to
teach at Cool Spring Primary School in King William. She decided she wanted
to teach at EIS because job satisfaction is about who you work for and who
you work with. The principal at EIS is one of the most authentic and hardworking educators she knows. She considers it an honor to work for her.
There are also great teachers at EIS, and it is a privilege to work with them.
Ms. Longest loves kids, and she loves helping them learn.
Dr. Mary Legare:
Hello, our names are Jaclyn Suggs, Ryland Conway, and Cristian Weeden,
and we would like to introduce everyone to a new teacher here at EIS, and
her name is Dr. Legare. Dr. Legare teaches 8th grade math. She knew she
wanted to become a teacher when she was working in a residential setting
with children, and she loved the teaching part. Dr. Legare went to Emory
University in Atlanta for her bachelor’s degree, she went to Columbus University for her master’s degree, and she went to Mercer University for her PhD. In
high school she was on the dance team and the horseback riding squad. She
grew up in Virginia and has been teaching for about 30 years. She has
taught in many schools. Her favorite hobbies are singing, reading, and writing. She wanted to teach at EIS because she wanted to be a part of a school
system that is moving forward with staff who are committed to continual growth and improvement. She
loves being at EIS. She said there are great staff and
terrific students. She couldn’t be much happier than
she is now!
PAGE
7
November’s Parent Involvement Event
Continuing with the parent-student activities that have already been
held this year at Essex Intermediate School, the Eighth grade teachers
invited parents to join their child for a special event on Wednesday, November 12th. Teachers allowed students to complete homework before
leading them in a fun-filled science experiment which allowed them to
use ice and salt to create ice cream. Students reported that it got a little
cold and messy, but the results were delicious.
8th Grade Parent
Involvement
Event
“Education
is not the
Afterwards, the parents joined their child in the cafeteria for the main
event. Ms. Caracappa, an eighth grade English teacher, had invited author and Essex graduate, Ronnie Sydney II, to read from his book, Nelson Beats the Odds. He spoke to the audience of his own experiences
in the middle school in order to reinforce how he was able to overcome
his personal hardships as a struggling student. He inspired the students
to remain confident, no matter what.
Students and parents were treated to a light dinner of sandwiches and
chips served by our Men of Distinction and Ladies of Virtue and Elegance members before they headed off to a special opening of the
school’s Scholastic
Book Fair followed by
the monthly PTO meeting.
filling of a
pail, but the
lighting of a
Box Top Contest!
fire.” ~W.B.
Our PTO is sponsoring box tops contests for the students at EIS this
year. The grade level that collects the most box tops during each contest will win a prize! The first contest ends on Friday, December 11th.
Please send in any box tops you have collected on or before this date.
Students can turn box tops in to their Core 1 teachers. There are thermometers hanging up in our cafeteria so that
students can track each grade’s progress.
Good luck to each grade level!
Yeats
ESSEX
INTERMEDIATE
SCHOOL
PAGE
An Update From Our Math Coach…………….
Do You Know What a Koch Snowflake Is?
The Koch Snowflake is an example of an iterative drawing (or fractal or recursive drawing)
as each successive stage begins with the previous stage.
The Koch snowflake begins with an
equilateral triangle. Like this:
The first iteration divides each side of the triangle
into thirds, removes the middle third and replaces it
with two line segments of the same length.
Visualize this as constructing a smaller equilateral
triangle on the middle third, then removing the original middle third line segment. Continue doing this.
Try constructing the first few iterations with pencil, paper and a ruler for measuring and
marking each side into thirds. See how far you can go with it.
If this interests you, check out these websites for more iterative drawings, fractals and
recursive art:
https://bentrubewriter.wordpress.com/2012/04/24/fractals-you-can-draw-the-kochsnowflake
http://www.fractalsciencekit.com/types/orbital.htm
An example of recursive art with circles
An Apollonian Gasket Fractal
A Sierpinski Triangle
8