Middle School Matters Fall 2016 Greetings Parents & Students, I cannot believe that we are already into October. The NRMS Staff and I would like to thank all of you who attended Parent Teacher Conferences on Oct. 6th and 13th. The turn-out was good and shows the level of support and commitment that you as parents have for your children! As always you can request a meeting with any of your child’s teachers during the school year, not just at the scheduled conference dates. The first weeks of school have gone extremely well from my perspective. We have a great group of middle school students. I encourage and challenge all students to get involved in at least one activity at the middle school. Research shows, students positively involved in school and activities will be more successful in school and life. Please do your part to encourage your son or daughter to try something new! As the leaves begin to fall, and the temperature begins to drop, it is a good time to remind all students to dress appropriately and plan for changes in weather. Having an extra sweatshirt or jacket at school would be a good idea. If your students are missing that sweatshirt or jacket that they “just had to have”, you may want to check out our lost and found! We have added some new faces to NRMS. Please help me welcome Brianna Beebe, 8 th grade Language Arts, Cara Casey, School Guidance Counselor, Stephen Dahle, Choir/General Music, Heidi Hofmeister, 6 th grade Language Arts, Lara Hatzenbeler, 6th grade Math, and Stacy Carter-Davis and Kelly Till as Media Center Paraprofessionals. Additionally, we welcome Elizabeth Volkert, Bill Califf, Tomi Kuehne, and Melanie Ellison as they join our Special Services Paraprofessional team. FAMILYMEANS The School District of New Richmond has contracted with FamilyMeans for a School-Located Mental Health Program to provide mental health therapy services to students at the New Richmond Middle School. We are very fortunate to have this service and opportunity available to our students and families. If you have questions or would like more information, please contact Amanda Altmann or Cara Casey (Middle School Counselors), Ms. Wood (Assistant Principal), or myself. REMINDERS: School starts each day at 7:35am, which means students need to be in their 1st period classes prior to the 7:35 bell. Our school day ends at 2:52pm. NRMS ATTENDANCE LINE- 715-243-1616 Please use this number 24-7 when calling in your student’s absence. Please do not call the front office. MIDDLE SCHOOL AND DISTRICT WEB PAGES- Please check there for valuable information about NRMS events and happenings as well as in the district. FAMILY ACCESS- use this link on our web page to check grades, homework information, and progress/report card information. STUDY GROUPS- Are held Monday-Wednesday at each grade level/house. This is an opportunity for students to complete homework, get homework help, and work with teachers. No study group on early-out Wednesdays. Please consistently check your emails for forms, updates and other important information. We have had reports that emails sent via Skyward have ended up in SPAM folders. Please check your settings. If your email has changed, please notify the middle school office at 715243-7472. NRMS does not mail out paper copies of progress reports or report cards other than the final report card of the year. We send them electronically via Family Access unless otherwise requested. If you would like a paper copy, please contact the MS office. If there are questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact a staff member, MS office, or myself. We need to continue to work together to provide the opportunities to help make each student as successful as they can be! Respectfully, Mr. Hatch Doug Hatch Principal 715-243-7473 [email protected] Michele Wood Asst. Principal 715-243-7474 [email protected] From our Counseling Office... Introductions There is a new face in the Counseling Department at the Middle School this year. Ms. Casey is our new school counselor, replacing Mr. Traynor who served as school counselor for over 28 years. Ms. Casey is coming to us from the Grantsburg School District and is in her ninth year as a school counselor. She’s working hard to get to know students and is excited to be here. Staff Spotlight A more familiar face in the Middle School Counseling Department is Mrs. Altmann. She is in her tenth year at NRMS and is looking forward to working closely with Ms. Casey this year. We are excited to introduce new changes to our department and to our curriculum. Stay tuned to learn of more to come! What is the role of a School Counselor? There is a wide array of responsibilities that make up the job description of a school counselor. The general focus is the proactive and prosocial development of all students. School counselors work with situations and conditions that interfere with a student's academic, social, and emotional success. A school counselor encourages successful academic, career, and personal/social development to ensure every child succeeds. This is accomplished through a variety of methods, but mainly through individual counseling, group counseling, and classroom lessons. School counselors also work collaboratively with students, teachers, parents, administration, and community members. Curriculum Ms. Casey and Mrs. Altmann met with all 6th-8th grade students in September for ACES class, formerly known as “Guidance.” ACES stands for Academics, Careers, Emotional and Social development and is a better representation of what we do in the classroom with students. During class time students met both school counselors, learned how to make an appointment, reviewed what confidentiality means and how that works in our department, received an overview of what we will be teaching them in ACES classes, and participated in an activity to get to know both school counselors. We will be back in classrooms in October working with sixth graders on career education, seventh grade on safety topics, and prepping eighth grade for their individual planning conferences. Have you heard the exciting news?? FamilyMeans Counseling Agency has contracted with school district to provide a place for easily accessible mental health counseling to occur for NRMS students during school hours. We are fortunate to be working with FamilyMeans to provide counseling to students who need more support than we as school counselors can deliver. If you would like your student to meet with a FamilyMeans therapist during school hours, please contact Mrs. Altmann or Ms. Casey. Amanda Altmann 715-243-7485 [email protected] Cara Casey 715-243-7477 [email protected] “We would like to welcome Mr. Dahle back to New Richmond Middle School. We are excited to have Mr. Dahle working with our students again. Mr. Dahle brings with him a wealth of music knowledge, skill, and background with a student-centered approach.” - Ms. Wood After graduating from Luther College in Decorah, IA majoring in Music Education (Band, Choir and Orchestra) Mr. Stephen Dahle has spent the last 3 years instructing at the Elementary, Middle School and High School levels in the Hudson School District. Mr. Dahle’s having a blast working with the talented young musicians at NRMS. He feels the energy rise as soon as students enter the rehearsal room and they are just as eager to make wonderful music as he is. Mr. Dahle is also very appreciative for how incredibly warm and welcoming everyone has been in New Richmond; students, faculty, parents, and the community. “What we have in New Richmond, the collaboration, talent, and support, is uncommon in most cities. I love working here and I couldn’t ask for a better place to share my passion for music. I am so excited by the potential I see in all of my students. I can’t wait to take them to the next level of music appreciation and performance.” 6th Grade Grade 6 BENGAL HOUSE BENGAL TIGER noun. 1. a tiger of a large and threatened race with a long thick coat, found in southeastern Siberia and northeastern China. Lindsey Benning Spec. Services 715-243-1614 [email protected] Shelli Fehrman Spec. Services 715-243-1608 [email protected] Heidi Hofmeister Lang. Arts 715-243-1646 [email protected] Joe Hutter Science 715-243-1609 [email protected] Lori Klingler Literature 715-243-1607 [email protected] Rick Montreal Social Studies 715-243-1604 [email protected] Maryjo Peirson Math [email protected] 715-246-1610 Ben gal H ou se R ock s! Grade 6 SIBERIAN HOUSE ith ff w ! a t s rns to ut once o c h ns/ eac e r estio s a qu Ple y an Lindsey Benning Spec. Services 715-243-1614 [email protected] Lara Hatzenbeler Math 715-243-1603 [email protected] Travis Helland Science 715-243-1612 [email protected] Laurie Larrabee Social Studies 715-243-1632 [email protected] Josh Martinson Lang. Arts 715-243-1606 [email protected] Megan Stowers Literature 715-243-1605 [email protected] SIBERIAN TIGER noun. 1. a tiger, Panthera tigris tigris, found mainly in India and Bangladesh: an endangered species. How do we select the Student of the Month? “Student of the Month students are strong leaders with great attitudes toward learning. They are hard working students who go above and beyond in the classroom. It is a joy to recognize these students as role models of our school and community.” - Mrs. Stowers STARS shine BRIGHT at NRMS! Students of the Month “When I first found out that I was Student of the Month, I was very surprised. My mom opened the letter on a Friday afternoon and she yelled, “SAM!” I thought I was in trouble. When she read it, she started tearing up.” - Samuel Tyvoll Cal Eckardt Claire Seckora Chloe Groth Samuel Tyvoll 6th Grade Social Studies Literature CURRICULUM UPDATE CURRICULUM UPDATE The beginning of the school year in social studies is spent studying and reviewing map skills such as latitude/longitude, scale, and elevation/water depth. Students took part in a unique activity where they created a map project from an orange peel. This particular project depicts the difficulty in projecting a 3dimensional shape onto a 2-dimensional surface. In our next unit, we are studying early man and how early humans interacted with the environment. We also explore the development of farming and domestication of animals, as well as the many ways in which early man affects our culture today. Students will have the opportunity to experience an activity that will connect them to the past when they analyze some mystery artifacts that should simulate what it might be like at an archaeological dig site. Lastly, students will have the chance to create a personal cave drawing or mural about different aspects of their lives that describes them. We began the school year reading a number of informational articles to learn the process of annotating text. We are encouraging students to have a “conversation” with what they are reading to help reinforce reading strategies of good readers. These strategies include making connections, asking questions, making inferences, making predictions, clarifying confusion, summarizing, and identifying key vocabulary. It is our goal to help students become “smarter” each day by reading, talking and writing about the text they are reading. We are well into our first novel. It is a science fiction novel by Neal Shusterman entitled “Dark Side of Nowhere.” In this novel, students will be analyzing the main character and his journey/transition from a human being to an alien-type being trying to save the world. We will be comparing the novel’s protagonist to other well-known characters (Batman, Harry Potter, Shrek, Dumbo, etc.) to analyze how each of those characters are “marked for greatness.” Language Arts CURRICULUM UPDATE Students have been focusing on and working with a curriculum called Code X. Code X is a series that focuses on higher order thinking in regards to reading and writing skills. Students will also work with this curriculum in 7th and 8th grade. When reading through the pieces of literature, students learn new vocabulary and focus on how deeper understanding of words is important to reading and writing. Currently we are starting our second unit in Code X titled, "Live Your Dream.” During this Unit, students will be asked to explore the dreams that two famous individuals had when they were young. We will also study the strategies these authors use to describe the challenges they faced while working to achieve their dreams. Upon completion of the readings in Unit 2, students will plan and deliver a speech about one of the author’s goals and challenges and whether or not the author achieved the end result he was seeking. As for the Written Performance Task, students will explain how the two authors use writing strategies to help readers understand their experiences, challenges, and goals. Finally, students will show off their acquired knowledge and skills with an end of the Unit Assessment. “Smart is not something you are... Smart is something you get!” - Stephanie Harvey Extended Literature CURRICULUM UPDATE We began the school year reading a number of informational articles to learn the process of annotating text. We are encouraging students to have a “conversation” with what they are reading to help reinforce reading strategies of good readers. These strategies include making connections, asking questions, making inferences, making predictions, clarifying confusion, summarizing, and identifying key vocabulary. It is our goal to help students become “smarter” each day by reading, talking and writing about the text they are reading. We recently finished our first novel, Dark Side of Nowhere and are currently reading our second novel, Dangerous Days of Daniel X by James Patterson. We were exploring the genre of science fiction, and using this genre to critically read the novel for figurative language, author’s writing style, and author’s purpose, as well as character development, setting, and other literary elements. 7th Grade Clic k on Grade 7 CYCLONE HOUSE Erin Baillargeon Science & Lit. the “Ho u web ses” to view pag es! the ir 715-243-1645 [email protected] Bo Brandt Soc. Studies & Lit. 715-243-1651 [email protected] Ryan Schradle Math & Science 715-243-1649 [email protected] Kari Steffen Spec. Services 715-243-1657 [email protected] Josiah Wilson Literature 715-243-1652 [email protected] ˈsīˌklōn/ a system of winds rotating inward to an area of low atmospheric pressure Grade 7 TORNADO HOUSE Mallory Deziel Science 715-243-1650 [email protected] Sarah Kanter Lang. Arts 715-243-1648 [email protected] Taunya Kobernick Math, Algebra 715-243-1654 [email protected] h wit taff s! s rn t to ou conce h c / rea tions se s a e e qu Pl y an Kari Steffen Spec Services 715-243-1657 [email protected] tôrˈnādō/ Ryan Stowers Social Studies 715-243-1656 [email protected] Tara Van Eperen Literature 715-243-1647 [email protected] a mobile, destructive vortex of violently rotating winds having the appearance of a funnel-shaped cloud How do we select the Student of the Month? “When selecting candidates for Student of the Month we try to identify students who are excelling in the classroom, work well with other students, and who show great character, attitude, and work ethic.” - Mr. Brandt STARS shine BRIGHT at NRMS! Students of the Month “It felt really amazing. I got to hang out with my family, which was fun! We got to go out to eat. It was really fun hanging out with my family!” -Austin Marx Shaye Jacobson Austin Marx Samuel Olson Mya Phillips 7th Grade Literature & Extended Literature Science IMPORTANT DATES: CURRICULUM UPDATE 11/04—DUE: 4 AR points from INDEPENDENT reading book CURRICULUM UPDATE September was spent activating prior knowledge regarding what skills and strategies good readers use and then building on those skills and strategies by taking students deeper in their application of strategies by reading and discussing a short story in class. This story was also used to review the elements of fiction. From there, we practiced actively reading nonfiction pieces using “new” annotation strategies. Our nonfiction pieces also helped to develop background information for our first class novel, Z for Zachariah. You can expect your child to be working with this novel nightly either reading chapters, writing summaries or answering questions. Asking our child to regularly share the key points of the novel is a great way to help her/him improve understanding of the text. If you would like to “read” this novel with your child, (s)he can check one out for you in the Media Center. At this time, all literature classes (regular and extended) are following the same general curriculum plan, however, there is variation in the lexiles of some texts and the depth of questioning used in activities. REMINDERS One of the main goals of literature is to build personal reading stamina. Your child should be reading EVERY NIGHT to build this skill. We are available after school most days to work with students and/or provide a quiet area for independent reading. REQUESTS We are always on the lookout for grade level appropriate reading materials for the classroom, gently used is perfect! Please keep this in mind if you find yourself with a pile of books for donation. Geography We are working on our first unit of the year, The Foundations of Geography. We have learned about how geographers organize information about earth into the 5 Themes of Geography and the tools that they use. Students have created a map from their home to school using all parts of a map. We are currently studying the world population and the impact of a large and growing population. The unit will conclude with the topics of culture and how it changes with the movement of people and goods, as well as government and economics. As we begin to tour the world for the rest of the school year, we will begin in Asia. The month of October is all about what makes something a living thing. Students have been debating the 6 characteristics of life and how they apply to living and non-living things. The unit ends with a memory and stimuli lab which focuses on how they can most effectively process and store information. Late October and early November, we move on to our cell history unit where students will learn about how the first cells were discovered and how scientists developed the cell theory. We will have two microscope labs during this unit where students will observer different types of cells and classify them as prokaryotic or eukaryotic or multicellular and unicellular organisms. We will then take it a step further and have students observe unknown specimens to determine if they are plant or animal cell based characteristics. We will end the month of November with our cell organelle unit resulting in students building 3D models of plant cells! Language Arts CURRICULUM UPDATE Language arts students are currently working on writing a narrative based on an experience that has taught them a lesson, or made them think differently. Within the coming weeks we will be starting our next unit on natural disasters. We will be reading Super Disasters of the 21st Century, which covers 2005 Hurricane Katrina, 2008 earthquake in China, and 2004 tsunami in Indonesia, and an excerpt from The Perfect Storm. 7th Grade Math—ALL 7th Grade Students CURRICULUM UPDATE The online version of our textbook can be found at www.bigideasmath.com. There are some wonderful resources here to help both families and students understand the math. The lesson tutorials for each example in each lesson provide wonderful videos to view, there are also online practice tests and quizzes to take, review material and interactives. We encourage families to explore the website to find the options that will best help you and your student. Copies of the textbook can be checked out in the library for your student to use. And as always, if there are questions regarding either of these options please feel free to contact your student’s math teacher. REMINDERS Check Skyward on a regular basis to make sure your child is getting homework turned in on time. Check your child’s house website for up to date listing of homework assignments, scheduled quizzes, and tests. Check your child’s planner to make sure they are writing down what they are doing every day for each class. Your child will have homework in math class 4-5 nights per week. We expect them to do this homework at home and utilize WINN time for studying notes, creating study aides, getting help on the problems they were challenged on and utilizing school resources to help them out. Math 7 7th grade math students have started off the year studying integers and rational number operations. Chapter 2 basically combines our newfound knowledge of handling positives and negatives with our 6 th grade knowledge of how to add, subtract, multiply and divide fractions and decimals. The ability to manage positive and negative numbers correctly will be important throughout the year so feel free to quiz your student at home on any of these topics. Trips to the grocery store, shopping, managing savings accounts are among a few of the activities that would benefit your students in these areas and provide for some great real life application of our learning. Daily review of notes will only make our knowledge stronger! Accelerated Math 7 Equations have been our main focus. Your students should find themselves experts on these now as they can handle multi-step equations, variables on both sides, and rewriting equations for a different value as some of their many talents. Any review they can do on their own of operations with integers, fractions and decimals will benefit them in the long run! Inequalities, ratios and proportions are next up and should bring great learning opportunities to apply prior knowledge and gain new knowledge. Stay tuned! Daily review of notes will only make our knowledge stronger! Algebra 7 Algebra students started off the year with concentrated efforts on solidifying our knowledge of solving equations and establishing a strong foundation to build on as we move forward through the various aspects of Algebra this year. We then explored the “Linear world” where we are looked at different forms of linear equations and their graphs and how we can apply both of those areas of knowledge to solve real-world problems. Currently we are working with linear inequalities and seeing how an inequality looks and works graphically and what those solutions sets mean in real-world context. Systems of equations and inequalities will be up next. This will allow us to see when two ongoing situations have the same solution, for example when thinking about a profit point. Students will benefit from having graph paper available as they work this year. Daily review of notes will only make our knowledge stronger! 8th Grade Plea Grade 8 BLACK HOUSE Brianna Beebe Lang Arts 715-243-1611 [email protected] Damian Freyre Literature 715-243-1635 [email protected] Kate Geissler Science 715-243-1637 [email protected] April Hamdorf Spanish 715-243-1658 [email protected] Gabe Henk Amer. History 715-243-1636 [email protected] Maria Miller Math 715-243-1638 [email protected] Anna Young Spec. Services 715-243-1642 [email protected] se r eac h ou que t to stio ns/c staff w ith a onc ern ny s! Grade 8 ORANGE HOUSE Jeffrey Kanewischer Science & Lit. 715-243-1644 [email protected] Roger Reuvers Math & Lit. 715-243-1643 [email protected] Lisa Schmidt History & Lit. 715-243-1640 [email protected] Samantha Shipway Language & Ext. Lit. 715-243-1639 [email protected] Anna Young Special Services 715-243-1642 [email protected] How do we select the Student of the Month? “SOM choices are tough because we have SO many great students. When we make our choices, we look for a student who is a leader in class and with classmates, who has a great attitude, and who cares about academics. Once we've decided on students of the month, we honor them with a ceremony where teachers can share fun memories and compliments about the student.” - Mrs. Freyre STARS shine BRIGHT at NRMS! Students of the Month When the letter arrived I was surprised but happy that I was selected as September Student of the Month. I enjoy helping people and I was grateful to be recognized by the staff of NRMS. - Allison Kolbeck Taegan Crabtree Allison Kolbeck Sydney Massey Anneka Salstrom 8th Grade Science Math CURRICULUM UPDATE 8th grade scientists have started the year off with a number of lab activities. Students have used the scientific method to determine how many drops of water can fit on a penny and calculated the density of a variety of objects and liquids. Engineering skills were put to the test by designing and building a "Masscar" made from milk cartons and push-up wheels. Now, we venture into the great unknown space! We are beginning in our celestial neighborhood, focusing on Earth's position in our solar system and it's interaction with our moon. Soon we will be heading deeper into our solar system and beyond! CURRICULUM UPDATE U.S History Geometry CURRICULUM UPDATE CURRICULUM UPDATE Students are learning how the explorations of the Americas changed the world. The students studied how explorers from different countries claimed land for Kings and Queens in the name of Christianity, new resources and to expand their empires. They learned how the Columbian exchange brought plants, animals, and diseases to many countries as well as the beginning of the dreaded slave trade. Students were introduced to Spanish conquest of the Incans and Aztecs. They were amazed by the fact that so few men were used by Hernando Cortes and Francisco Pizarro to conquer entire civilizations! Next up: Colonialization of the 13 colonies! CURRICULUM UPDATE Students have spent the first month of school diving into a unit on survival. Students have read “The Story of Keesh”, a short story about a boy who must hunt in the extreme cold in order to provide for his village, and an excerpt from Life of Pi, a novel about a boy who must find a way to survive on a boat with a 450 pound Bengal tiger! Students are focusing on the challenging environments these characters face, and will be using this information to write their first essay. Students in the 8th grade CPM Geometry course have completed chapter 1, shapes and transformations, and chapter 2, angles and measurements. Next up, justification and similiarity, followed by trigonometry and probability. Keep up the great work students! Literature Language Arts The year in 8th grade math began with solving equations algebraically. Now students are working on geometry topics. Students have been completing rigid transformations, which include, translations, reflections, and rotations. Next up, more geometry topics, as we look at angle relationships when parallel lines are cut by a transversal and angle relationships in polygons. CURRICULUM UPDATE 8th grade Literature spent their last few weeks honing their reading and analyzing skills while reading the classic Outsiders. They are now about to move on to the much more modern Endangered. This is a rather popular book that takes the kids to the jungles of Africa as they follow a young girl and her bonobo. ` Extended Literature CURRICULUM UPDATE Students have been hard at work reading and analyzing The Giver. In just this first month students have already improved on their close reading and deeper thinking skills! In studying The Giver, we're able to discuss utopias and dystopias, as well as analyze symbols and allusions. Please be sure to visit our website for up-to-date information about homework assignments, upcoming important dates and much, much more! Click HERE! ENCORE Classes Emily Dabrowski Health 715-243-1602 [email protected] Stephen Dahle Chorus 715-243-1620 [email protected] Laura Feyma FCE (8th) 715-243-1618 [email protected] Amanda Figi FCE (6th & 7th) 715-243-1618 [email protected] Becca Haines Band 715-243-1621 [email protected] April Hamdorf Spanish 715-243-1658 [email protected] Allison Johnson Art 715-243-1625 [email protected] Jodi Mealey Music 715-243-1622 [email protected] Brian Miller Tech Ed / Shop 715-243-1623 [email protected] Karen Stellrecht Phy Ed 715-243-1631 [email protected] Matthew Schmitz Phy Ed 715-243-1633 [email protected] Jim Saliny 715-243-1666 [email protected] Orchestra Orchestra Tech Ed IMPORTANT DATES CURRICULUM UPDATE 6th Grade—are learning how to measure, how to read a drawing, and how to apply this knowledge to make projects. Ask them which project they have chosen to make. 7th Grade—are working through a design and problem solving process to construct a CO-2 dragster. They will test their cars by racing them against other students. Ask them about the design software that they are using. 8th Grade—are beginning the production phase of making clocks and will be beginning the individual work soon. Ask them how it is going and what jobs they have done on our production line. 5 points extra credit if they get your signature on a piece of paper that states their production job. 11/11—Veterans Day Service CURRICULUM UPDATE 6th Grade—have been studying how to hold and use their bows. They are moving along really well and are looking forward to their Christmas Concert in December. You should ask to hear your student play!!! And remember Practice, Practice and Practice. 7th & 8th Grade—are continuing to make great sounds, this will be the biggest 7th and 8th grade Orchestra ever at the Middle School! We are looking forward to our Christmas Concert as well. The 8th graders are also working on a couple of pieces for Veterans Day, they will play along with the Band and Choir. It will be a great day, Nov. 11th! Spanish CURRICULUM UPDATE 8th grade—we are currently working on describing others in Spanish. We are excited to be starting writing sentences in Spanish. 7th grade—students have been enjoying learning about weather expressions in Spanish. 6th grade—students are learning to count to 100 in Spanish. REMINDERS **Students will be mass producing the parts for clocks and assembling them individually. 5 points extra credit if they get your signature on a piece of paper that states their production job** It is important to practice Spanish outside the classroom. Please encourage your student to study and use their Spanish knowledge in their daily lives. ENCORE Classes Physical Education Media Center REMINDERS Students are able to bring their own technology devices (e.g. laptops, tablets, eReaders, iPads, phones, etc) for use in the school setting. A filtered internet connection on our “GUEST” wireless network is required for student use. A form can be picked up at the media center or downloaded HERE. CURRICULUM UPDATE We’ve had a great start of the school year in Physical Education. We started off with soccer and have now moved onto Ultimate Frisbee along with fitness testing. The students have a great time and the nice weather has helped us get outside to enjoy the fresh Autumn air. REMINDERS Please have your child bring the Phy. Ed. Uniform home to be washed weekly. As the weathers gets cooler, students are allowed to have sweatshirt/pants to put on over their uniform. If a student has missed a fitness test, please have him/her schedule a time with their teacher to complete it. If your child misses a day, please encourage them to schedule a “make up” so that they can earn those points that they missed. Family Consumer Education CURRICULUM UPDATE 6th Grade— students started the year learning about the basics of the sewing machine as well as how to thread the machine. Students' first project was a basic pin cushion where they practiced using their sewing skills by sewing a few straight seams to create their pin cushion. Students then were able to practice hand sewing their pin cushion shut to complete the project. Students then tackled the task of creating a drawstring backpack. Again students practiced sewing straight seams and learned the process of stringing the backpack strap cording through the tops of their projects. In the coming weeks students will have the opportunity to showcase their sewing skills once again while creating a pair of elastic waisted pajama shorts. 7th Grade—Financial Literacy—students started the year learning about values, wants and needs as well as goal setting and how setting goals is linked to financial planning. Students then learned about checking accounts and all the pieces associated with a checking account including checks and debit cards. We then discussed the concept of interest and how it is associated with both saving as well as loans and borrowing money. This past week we discussed credit and credit cards, what the pros and cons of having a credit card are as well as why having a credit card comes with great responsibility. We will finish out the rotation learning how to write checks and why creating a spending plan or budget is a useful tool in financial management. 8th Grade—students just finished up our unit on Child Development. Students reviewed stages and types of development. They applied this knowledge as they learned about discipline and guidance techniques. Along with guidance and discipline we discussed the very serious topic of Shaken Baby Syndrome. We have now progressed into our cooking unit! Students are excited to be in the kitchen and learning the fundamentals of cooking; not to mention eating what they produce! Choir CURRICULUM UPDATE What a great start to the year it has been for choir! All three choirs have been working hard on challenging pieces that they will be presenting at their concerts on December 13th. 6th Grade—their piece is based off a poem from the 1500’s. While featuring dramatic text painting, it is challenging the 6th Grade Choir to make soft portions of the song exciting as well as with the same intensity of a loud portion of music. 7th Grade—is working on a piece that is in Spanish and muy rítmico! While maintaining a high level of energy throughout the piece, 7th grade Choir has especially been working on creating a rich, dark timbre that makes the choir sound more collegial and unified. 8th Grade—has hit the ground running working on pieces for the Veterans Day ceremony on November 11th while simultaneously working on pieces that will be performed on December 13th. One piece to be performed at the winter concert is written by the famous Romantic Era composer, Johannes Brahms. The piece will be performed in its original language, German. ENCORE Classes Band CURRICULUM UPDATE The 8th grade band students had a busy homecoming week! They performed an indoor marching concert for the students of Starr and Paperjack Elementary schools. Tiger Pride was everywhere at the pep assembly/indoor band concert performed for all the middle school students as well. The band performed music from the summer parade season as well as new music from the fall. It was a great way to end the exciting homecoming week! 6th grade— band students are in full swing with their instruments and music. We have created some ‘interesting’ sounds so far and are looking forward to the challenge of new music. 7th and 8th grade—students have been learning lots of music in preparation for the homecoming events, Veterans Day assembly, and the holiday concert. All band students are currently participating in our fall fundraiser. We are selling items from two catalogs with gifts including frozen foods, wrapping paper, magazines, and home goods. This sale contributes and helps fund our uniforms, equipment, and travel. With the growth in our band program, this sale helps us continue to succeed in music. Orders (with payment) were due on Monday, October 10th. Thank you for your support! Items will be delivered to the school on Monday, November 14th and can be picked up in the band room between 2:45-5:30. The New Richmond Middle School Marching Tigers participated in several parades over the summer. The marching band consists of a voluntary group of 7th and 8th grade band students who practice throughout the summer to prepare for these events. They performed their show songs of Olympic Fanfare, The Muppet Theme, and Hey Jude. They are led by directors Becca Haines and Liz Rasmussen and drum majors Ashley Patten and Ellie Barlow-Sage. Programs & Special Services From our Health Office… DEALING WITH STRESS By: Health Assistant What is stress? Stress is what we feel when we react to particular events. It is our body’s way of rising to a challenge and getting ready to deal with a tough situation with focus and strength. A little stress can help keep you on your toes, ready to rise to the challenge. Feeling nervous before performing at a concert or playing a sport is natural. Taking a deep breath and relaxing will help you be calm and enjoy your event. Feeling a little stress about a test that is coming up can motivate you to study hard. But stressing out too much over a test can make it difficult to concentrate on what you need to learn. Some stressors are ongoing or long-term events, like dealing with a parents divorce or moving to a new house or school, being bullied or fighting with your friends. These stressful situations can cause your student to overeat on junk food, have headaches or stomach problems, be moody and cranky. Sometimes falling asleep or staying asleep can become a problem for them. There are ways that as parents we can help our student keep their stress under control. Help them to not overschedule themselves by cutting out an activity or two and just keep the ones that they love doing the most. Make sure your child gets a good night of sleep. Your student needs 8 ½ to 9 hours of sleep each night. Going to bed earlier, removing all devices from the bedroom such as; television, phone and games can help tremendously in getting a good night of sleep. Sleeping in on the weekends is a great way to catch up on sleep. Treat your body well with regular exercise such as walking the dog during the week, which is an excellent way to help relieve stress. Watch what you eat; choose an apple and milk instead of a bag of chips and a can of pop. Help your student practice solving problems and to ask for help. They still need your guidance. Learning to solve their everyday problems will help them feel capable of solving them and help them build confidence that they can tackle life’s bigger ones. Let a little stress motivate you into positive action to reach your goals. Believe in yourself and your student. That is the best motivation for all. Tiger Quest Battle of the Books Extreme has started for those who dare take the challenge! Participants must read 20 designated books by February 2017 and compete in a school battle where they will respond to 20 in depth questions. Top 4 finishers will compete online against other teams in the state of Wisconsin. Participants will receive a free Battle of the Books Extreme T-shirt and celebrate reading with a donut party. Math Masters-6th grade and Math Counts- 7th and 8th grade teams are getting underway with practices starting the week of Oct. 10th. Both teams will be participating in a kick off event on Oct. 20th at Target Field for the Learning Math through Baseball program. Participants will get an in depth tour and work on some baseball related math projects. Jodi Markowski 715-243-7416 [email protected] Clubs / Activities Ski Club (All Grades!) Yearbook Club IMPORTANT DATES REMINDERS 11/02—Ski Club Sign Up begin @ 7am in Commons 11/22—Ski Club Sign Up CLOSES 12/01—1st Day of Ski Club (weather permitting!) Please help us make the MS Yearbook one to remember by emailing pictures showcasing student Tiger Pride to: [email protected] REMINDERS Students can stop in the office for sign-up material or find them on our webpage HERE. After 11/02, sign up forms can be dropped off in the office or in room 128. EVERYTHING must be turned in at the same time; forms will not be accepted otherwise. Sign up is on a first come, first serve basis—space is limited! Sporting events, club & activity meetings, study groups, etc! Washington D.C & Civil War Battlefields Student Council June 2-6, 2017 REMINDERS Please remember to save your BOX TOPS and turn them into Mrs. Hamdorf or Mrs. Stellrecht. We have our first Friday Frenzy coming up on Friday, Oct. 21st. Join us for dodgeball, concessions, music, board games and more! REMINDERS Math Counts REMINDERS Math counts is a national middle school coaching and competitive mathematics program that promotes mathematics achievement through a series of fun and engaging "bee" style contests. Math counts is open to 7th & 8th grade students at NRMS. Practice is once a week, either on Tuesdays after school or Wednesdays before school. Practice begins the week of October 10th. Looking forward to a fun season! Calling all 7th and 8th Graders! Travel to Washington DC and Civil War Battlefields this summer! Click HERE for more info! Fill out this google form to get more information Go straight to the Brightspark website HERE and use code 6439132 Look for information at conferences in the commons Fundraising options are available! For cost of trip and other information, again please visit the website. Talk to Mrs. Schmidt (Room 105) or Ms. Shipway (room 107) in the 8th grade hallway (across from the health office) Mrs. Schmidt [email protected] Ms. Shipway [email protected] Check out all Clubs/Activities HERE! “Each one of us can make a difference. Together we make change.” - Barbara Mikulski 7th Graders! We also have a trip to Boston in the Summer of 2018! Look for more information coming soon! Get Involved in Extra– Curricular Activities All Year Yearbook Committee Jazz Band Student Council Ovation FFA Art Club Marching Band Craft Club Fal Scien l/W ce Ol ympi ad Foren sics er Ski Cl ub Sewin g Clu b Winter/Spring Spelling Bee int Solo & Ensemble Middle School Sports Drama Club Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did. Explore, Dream, Discover! - Unknown Summer Travel learning experience for 7th & 8th Graders. Planning meeting held throughout the school year. *Additional fees apply.* Washington DC Fall Football Cross Country Volleyball Boston, MA Winter Tiger Quest Clubs Boys/Girls Basketball Wrestling *Open to all students* Math Masters—6th Grade Math Counts—7th & 8th Grades Geography Bee PAWS (Peers Achieve With Service) Battle of the Books Chesskers (Chess & Checkers) History Fair Quiz Bowl Spring Track Cross Country Girls TiGeR aThLeTiCs 7th Grade Volleyball BALLARD, SOPHIA BAU, MAGGIE BURNS, MARIE DOLEZAL, CASSIE FLOM, DARIA FLOM, MARIA HARRIS, KAYLA JACOBSON, SHAYE KILIBARDA, DANICA KLING, BARBARA KNUTSON, ALANNA KNUTSON, AVERY KOSIN, STELLA MONTREAL, ABBIE NOLAN, SYDNEY OLIEN, CHLOE PATTEN, ASHLEY REWALD, ALINA ROGERS, WILLA SHILTS, ALI SIMENSON, SAMANTHA WHIPPLE, AMBER WHITE, EVELYN WIENKE, KAILYN WILLIAMSON, SHELBY ZILLER, ELIZABETH ZINCK, ADDISON Cross Country Boys BENEDICT, MICHAEL BESKAR, ANDREW BISHOP, CALE BURMOOD, JACK CAMPBELL, CHRISTOPHER DEAN, CONNOR DRILL, JONAS DULON, RILEY HANSEN, GAVIN HARRIS, TYLER HUGHES, NOAH JOHNSON, AIDAN MCDONALD, CADEN MENDEZ, CHARLES ANDERSEN, JACLYN BERG, MARIA BLINDERMAN, ANGELA CACKA, ISABELLA COLOMBO, EVELYN EIYNCK, SHELBY ENGSTRAND, MADISON ENGSTROM, KAISA FAGNAN, KYLIE FEHLEN, ERIN GADACH, MAKAYLA HAMS, ANNA HAUGEN, KIERA HEIER, LILLI JACKSON, BROOKLYN LaBLANC, BRYNN LARSON, ANNABELLE MATHEWS, PRESTON MELBY, GIANNA NAYLOR, KYLIE NELSON, ABBIE NELSON, HAILEY OKTONOVELIA SERINA PHILLIPS, MYA POWERS, DYLLAN TAPPE, EMMA THOMPSON, AJA VEENENDALL, LANIE WATTERS, CALI WILLIAMS, MAZIE 8th Grade Volleyball ANDERSEN, MEGAN BENISH, JAIDA BLASZCZYK, ABIGAIL BRITTON, ALEAH BROWN, DELANEY CONNOLLY, AINE COUNTER, ELIZABETH CRABTREE, TAEGAN DeYOUNG, LEAH EFFERTZ, ASHLEY ELLISON, BRENNA EMMERICH, CASSANFRALICK, BRYANNE GESS, MADELYN GOULETTE, SAVANNAH HAGEN, TAYLOR HEIBERG, SOPHIA HERBERT, SHELBY HOLLERN, BRIANNA KAMMERER, OLIVIA KIRCHOFF, MEGAN KOLBECK, ALLISON MEYER, CIERA MOLOHON, SARAH MORTIMER, ALYSSA MURKVE, ARIANA NYGAARD, JADA SCHOON, SOPHIA “The 7th grade volleyball players have been showing STAFSHOLT, MAGGIE great improvement as the season has progressed this year. As of October 10th, the black team has a record of 21-15 and the orange team is 5-31. The last match is Thursday, October 20th at Amery. Keep up the great work ladies!” - Coach Miller TUNNICLIFF, ALI TURBEVILLE, EMMA ULWELLING, GRACE “The middle school cross country team had an excellent year. As I am writing this, the girls team has taken first place at every meet they have run. All members have worked very hard in practice and this is evident by the great improvement in races since the beginning of the year.” - Coach Miller and Crotteau TiGeR aThLeTiCs 8th Grade Football ANDERSON, CADEN ANDERSON, JAMES BENEDICT, MARCUS BIRD, GAVIN BOTZ, CONRAD BRUCE, ADAM BURKE, MASON CORK, NICHOLAS DENNIS, TYLER T “ he 7th grade football team continues to grow in our 2016 season. We have 4045 student athletes who have committed themselves to improving their football knowledge and skill level. Practices are held daily after school and the emphasis has been on blocking, tackling, and the fundamentals of the game. The players have made noticeable gains in many areas and they are working very hard to keep building on a solid foundation. Both teams have experienced success in recent games against Amery and Somerset, both ending with decisive wins. The coaches have been pleased with the players overall attitude, work ethic, and their willingness to be coached. The 7th grade team and coaches alike are expecting to continue to improve while making this season enjoyable and successful.” - Coach Montreal - Coach Martinson 7th Grade Football ERICKSON, MASON EASTEP, CALEB FELTON, CONNOR FLATTEN, RYDER GEORGE, TAYVEN GRESCHNER, BRET HAYES, QUENTIN HOPKINS, JOSHUA JIMENEZ, RUBEN JOHNSON, BLAINE KIEFFER, MICHAEL LANGE, NATHANIEL ALEXANDER, ANTHONY ALTENA, JAXON ALTENA, JOSE ANCO, JOSHUA BAUER, LANE BESSAC, AUSTIN BLIETZ, DAMIAN BLOYER, TRAVIS BOHATTA, ALEX CAMPEAU, KADYN CONLIN, GRANT DEMULLING, CHASE DIETERT, WILLIAM ERICKSON, JAX ERICKSON, TUCKER FEINER, CHASE FINDLEY, MATTHEW FOX, LUKE HARTL, THOMAS HEINECKE, SAM HENNING, NOAH JARCHOW, ALEXANDER JOHNSON, TYLER KLINDT, CHRISTOPHER KRUIZENGA, DYLAN LaDUKE, DOMINIC LEFLER, BRADLEY MANSKE, TRENT MILLER, ISAIAH MOUA, ISAAC MYER, JACK OCONNOR, KELLEN OLSON, CHARLES ROFF, BRAYDEN ROGERS, RILEY RUD, ETHAN SALMON, CHARLES SCHOON, BRYCE SCHUTTE, HUNTER SHEETZ, IAN SMITH, CHASE SPIELMAN, JORDYN STOWERS , KENNAN UNGER, BROCK LANGENESS, CADEN WOLF, CALEB WEISS, SULLIVAN LaPEAN, SAMUEL LARSON, LOGAN LEASE, BRADY McGINLEY, JORDAN PANEK, ZACHARY PAULSON, GAVIN RISTOW, TRISTAN RUD, NOAH SCHUBERT, BRIAN SCHUTTE, JAMES SHARP, COLLIN SMITH, CARSON THOMPSON, CHASE THON, GARRETT TRAYNOR, GADGE VINCENT, AUSTIN WICKLEM, JACOB YAGER, DYLAN MOODY, ISAIAH Integrate Learning During Family Time & Have Fun Doing It! - Mrs. Peirson Many of us have a number of recipes that we enjoy preparing. Perhaps they are old family recipes or simply someone's favorite meal. Some recipes we can prepare without much effort: a quarter cup of butter, a quarter cup of flour, and two cups of milk for a white sauce. However, when we have guests over for dinner, we find these familiar recipes have to be adjusted. Maybe we have to make three times as many servings. Now we need three quarter cups of butter, three quarter cups of flour, and so on. Sometimes we want to make a smaller portion, such as when part of the family is away. Now we find ourselves using half a quarter cup of butter, half a quarter cup of flour, and so on. You and your child can discuss strategies for preparing a meal when you have to change the recipe. For example, you might ask your student: “Grandma's brownie muffin recipe makes enough for three dozen muffins, but we only want one dozen. What should we do?” Your child may answer, “We can divide the recipe measures by three.” Sometimes you have to make a judgment call. How do you cut the recipe in half, if it calls for three eggs? Talk with your student about different strategies for changing a recipe like this. This conversation will help reinforce the multiplication and division of fractions your child is learning in math. Enjoy your cooking time together! Did you know…. It seems we have a large number of Viking fans walking the halls of the New Richmond Middle School. Are you a Viking fan or a Packer Backer? (tell Mrs. Burmood, Mrs. Davis, or Mrs. Till in the Media Center and earn a treat)
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