Holgate Happenings
Holgate Middle School
October 2013
IMPORTANT DATES
October 5th
Gypsy Day Parade
8th grade Band students
October 8th
PTA Meeting—6:30pm
October 11th
Staff Development
No School
October 14th
Columbus Day
No School
October 15th
Band Festival at Northwestern School
October 18th
End of 1st Quarter
October 22nd
Fall Concert at HMS—7:00pm
October 24th
P/T Conferences—4-9pm
October 25th
P/T Conferences—8-1pm
No School
Picture Re-Take Day
School picture re-takes will be
taken on Thursday, October
3rd. Please mark your calendar!! If students want re-takes, they will need to
bring their pictures with them to school. If your
student is having photos taken for the first time this
year, the picture packet paperwork is available in the
office and will need to be filled out and payment
made if you wish to purchase photos.
Parent Teacher Conferences
P/T conferences will be held on October 24 from 4:00 to 9:00 pm and October 25 from 8:00 am to 1:00 pm.
The transition to middle school is a significant change for your child. By now, you have probably learned that it can also
be an adjustment for parents. One of the changes from elementary is how we conduct Parent/Teacher Conferences.
Because your child has many different teachers throughout the week, it is not possible to schedule a specific conference
time. Consequently, wait time and conferencing may take longer.
Middle school conferences are intended to be a brief report of your child’s progress and curriculum. We try to limit each
conference to approximately 5 minutes. We want to provide as much time as needed to discuss any questions or concerns you might have, so scheduling a time other than Parent/Teacher Conferences may work better.
Conferences will be held in the gymnasium for 7th and 8th grades and elective classes. Sixth grade core teachers will be
located in the Main Entrance commons area. Report cards will be available at the entrance of the gym.
Parent/Teacher Conferences
October 24th & 25th
TEACHER AVAILABILITY
Douglas Barnes: Spanish
Oct 24th: 4:00 – 6:30 pm.
Josh Kimball: Orchestra
Oct. 25th: 8:00 am-1:00 pm
Attention 8th Grade Parents!
8th grade core teachers are implementing a new team
approach for fall conferences. With this format, parents
are asked to schedule a conference time online. You will
receive a letter with detailed information and a website
link for scheduling your conference. Please contact Mrs.
Swalve ([email protected] or 725-7736) if
you’ve not received a letter by October 1st.
SEASONAL FLU SHOT CLINIC
The Brown County Department of Health Office will be holding a flu shot clinic at Aberdeen
Central on October 8, 2013 from 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm in the Golden Eagle Arena. This flu shot
clinic is for students in the Aberdeen Public School District, their parents and their siblings. Seasonal Influenza Consent forms and the CDC’s 2013-2014 Influenza Fact Sheet are
available on the Aberdeen School District link at: http://www.aberdeen.k12.sd.us
Students must bring the consent form, completed and signed by a parent/guardian (if under
18), with them the day of the flu shot clinic in order to receive the vaccine.
Please do not send signed consent forms to the school or the nurses office ahead of time. The
forms will be turned in to Dept. of Health staff when your student registers at the flu clinic on
October 8. There is no charge for the flu vaccine for children ages 18 and under. Cost for adults
is $20.00.
HMS Daily Schedule
Geography Bee
coming
in November!!!
Period 1
Period 2
Period 3
Period 4
Period 5
6th Lunch
7th Lunch
8th Lunch
Period 6
Period 7
Period 8
Period 9
8:00 - 8:43
8:46 - 9:29
9:32 -10:15
10:18 –11:01
11:04 –11:47
11:50 – 12:20
11:04 – 11:34
12:22 – 12:52
12:09 – 12:52
12:55 – 1:38
1:41 – 2:24
2:27 – 3:10
Attention 8th Graders!
What: T.A.T.U. (Teens Against Tobacco Use)
When: Wednesday, Oct. 2nd @ 7:30a.m. in Mrs. Swalve’s classroom
If you are interested in joining, please sign the sheet outside Mrs.
Swalve’s door.
T.A.T.U. is a prevention program designed to help teens teach younger
children about the dangers of tobacco use and about making healthy choices. Students are trained
by the NE Prevention Council and SD Dept. of Health at a workshop on November 6th at the
Americinn. This training turns these students into advocates; as role models for younger kids, they
will reach and teach elementary classes on November 20th at C.C. Lee and on November 22nd at
Lincoln Elementary.
BAND EVENTS
Orchestra
Notes
Hello Orchestra
parents! First
concert of the year is October 22. Just a reminder
that all orchestra students
need a 3-ring binder to
keep music in and 6th
grade orchestra members
need Essential Elements
Book 2 for class and home
practice.
A reminder to the 8th grade band parents: The gypsy day parade is Saturday, October 5th. Your student needs
to be dropped off at HMS (North Band
door) at 8:20am. The parade begins at 9am. Students need to wear their marching band t-shirts, blue
jeans & tennis shoes. Please pick your student up at
Simmons Middle School when they are finished
marching. Thank you!
The fall concert is Tuesday, October 22nd. 6th & 7th
grade band, 6th, 7th & 8th grade orchestra, and 7th &
8th grade vocal will be performing in the HMS
Gym. The concert begins at 7pm. Students should
dress nicely for this event. Students should be here at
6:30pm to prepare for the concert.
8th grade band students will be performing in the CHS
Indoor Marching Concert Saturday, October 19th at
2:00pm. Students need to meet in the orchestra room
at CHS at 1:35pm. Students need to wear their
marching band t-shirts, blue jeans & tennis shoes.
CASSP DENTAL PROGRAM
Provides Dental Care to Children 0-20 years
Dental Care includes Evaluation & Treatment
HOW TO QUALIFY:
You do not have a dental home
You have not seen a dentist in 2 years or
more in the Aberdeen area
NEW LOCATION:
Avera St. Luke’s Education Center
709 7th Ave SE
Aberdeen, SD 57401
No child is turned away for inability to pay.
SET UP AN APPOINTMENT NOW:
CALL: 622-5722
PROGRAM COORDINATOR: VICKI HOLLEY
The Aberdeen School District neither endorses nor sponsors the organization or activity represented in this document. The distribution of this material is provided as a community service.
South Dakota Common Core Standards: Frequently Asked Questions
What are South Dakota’s Common Core Standards?
South Dakota’s Common Core Standards refer to a set of standards in the core subject areas of English-language arts and
math. The standards provide a clear and rigorous set of expectations for what South Dakota students (grades K-12) should
know and be able to do in each of these two critical subject areas. The standards are shared by a number of states.
How are they different from previous standards?
South Dakota has had standards in various subject areas, including English-language arts and math, for many years. The
new standards in English and math are different in that they promote:
• Deeper understanding of the key concepts students need to succeed as independent thinkers;
• Students’ ability to apply knowledge to real-world situations;
• Instruction that places more emphasis on understanding and application, as opposed to memorization and test-taking
• Richer, more authentic types of assessment
How were the new standards developed?
The idea to develop a shared set of standards among the states began as a conversation among the nation’s governors and
chief education leaders. A group of 45 states banded together to set consistent, high quality expectations. The standards
were developed by teams of teachers, researchers and leading education experts from across the United States. Each partner
-state chose whether or not to adopt the standards.
When did South Dakota adopt the new standards?
The South Dakota Board of Education voted to adopt the new standards in English-language arts and math on Nov. 29,
2010.
When will implementation of the new standards take place?
Teachers across the state have begun training on how to foster the deeper levels of understanding and higher-order thinking
skills needed of students under the new standards. The standards should be fully implemented in school year 2013-14, with
a new assessment to follow in 2014-15.
What will the new assessment look like?
The new assessment, based on the new standards, will replace the current Dakota STEP test. The new test will incorporate
more short answer and constructed response questions, as opposed to the current status quo of mostly multiple choice questions. It is also important to note that the new assessment will be delivered solely online, and districts are already preparing
for this transition.
Do students still need to memorize math facts?
Yes. While the new math standards emphasize thorough understanding, (meaning students will know how and why concepts work) they will still require students to perform simple calculations quickly and easily.
Does classic literature have a place under the new English standards?
Yes. While the new English-language arts standards infuse more informational text into student reading, teachers will continue to teach literary classics as they always have. The English-language arts standards do not limit reading to non-fiction
but suggest a balance between literature and non-fiction texts (for example, the Gettysburg Address), so students can build
knowledge and broaden their perspectives. This exposure to informational text will help students be prepared for the type of
reading they will encounter in the workforce.
Is there federal money attached to the adoption of Common Core?
The Common Core is not federally mandated, and South Dakota did not receive any federal money tied to adoption of the
new standards.
I’ve heard that the Common Core dictates curriculum for local school districts. Is that true?
No. The new standards in English-language arts and math are not curriculum. School districts still set their own curriculum,
as they always have. It’s important to understand the difference between standards and curriculum; the two terms should not
be used interchangeably. Standards provide the framework of expectations for student knowledge and skills. Curriculum
details how the standards should be taught and includes resources, materials and instruction.
In South Dakota, the state Board of Education is charged with adopting standards. Local school districts have the authority
to decide how to teach and implement the standards, including the selection of instructional materials and practices.
Are there Common Core standards for history and social studies, or any other content areas?
There were no Common Core standards developed for social studies, only English language arts (ELA) and math. Teachers
may choose to use some ELA concepts, such as identifying an author’s point of view and questioning that which is presented as fact in a text, as part of their writing assignments in a history class; however, the new standards do not attempt to
outline what is taught in social studies classes.
Holgate Middle School
Students of the Month
September 2013
Art
Computer
Directed Study
FACS
6th
7th
8th
Jesse Jensen
Shanae Wagemann
Zoey Gab
Amijo Schaunaman
Miranda Grismer
Braxton Larson
Bailey Schaeffer
Caitlin Hauck
Zane Spellman
Teagan Gillis
Health
Industrial Tech
Diana Hochhalter
Brandon Fauth
Lydia Kline
Daniel Orr
Peyton Miller-Dalberg
Music
(Vocal)
Taylor Speidel
(Orchestra)
Mikal Hoenke
(Band)
Lachelle Opp
P.E.
Jennifer Appl
Jada Hirsch
Directed Reading
Andrew Hartze
Spanish
Dillon Swanson
Study Skills
Auryanna Stickland
Math
Logen Snell
Language Arts/
Reading
Josh Hellwig
Jacob Tobin
Science
Avery Aman
Social Studies
7th & 8th Grade
Core Classes (overall
in Science, Math, Social
Studies, Language Arts &
7th Reading)
Jordan Black
Halina Johnson
Scott Albrecht
Nick Nilson
Sydney Hepperle
Abby Brennan
Briana Stewart
Laura Babcock
Robert Conn
Trey Cothran
Brandon Kusler
Kelly Stadel
Sydney Wirebaugh
Quarters for the PTA
Have you ever wondered what a stack of 8,000 U.S. quarters
would look and feel like??? Well, we are about to find out as the HMS eighth grade team and
our Student Senate lead an effort to demonstrate what normal atmospheric pressure is actually like. Our goal is to collect at least 7,923 quarters (that’s $1,980.75!) to stack in one
tall column. This will represent the force that the atmosphere exerts on an area the size of
your fingernail! (If you are wondering why we do not get crushed by all this weight of the
air around us, ask any eighth grade student. He or she will be able to tell you why.)
Beginning Monday, Oct. 7, students in all three grade levels are invited to bring U.S.
quarters to school. Students will bring their money to lunch, where they will be dropped in
long collection tubes. The entire school will then be able to watch our collection of quarters
grow. Once all the money has been collected, we will stack all the collection tubes together
to complete our model of air pressure. That will be a stack of quarters over 13 meters (43
ft) high! If you have coins other than quarters, or paper money, there will be a “bank” open
where you can change your donation into quarters. Your homeroom teachers and student
senate members will have the details on the collection process.
As an incentive for students to bring in as many quarters as possible, there will be
prizes for the homerooms and grade level which collect the most amount of money. The
homeroom in each grade that donates the highest amount will be the representative homeroom team for the annual staff vs. students pinguard game, held just before Christmas vacation. In addition, the grade level that collects the highest total will receive an ice cream
party for all its members! The grade-level totals will be calculated on an average per person
basis, so each grade will have an equal chance of winning, regardless of the number of students in each grade. BUT WAIT! That’s not all…. For each dollar
a student donates, he/she will have their name entered into a
drawing for a brand-new Apple iPad 2, with both Wi-Fi and
3G capability!!!
Of course, the big winner will be our Holgate PTA, which
will receive all the proceeds from this activity. We were fortunate to have the PTA fund our Natural High Day on Sept. 20,
which was a grand success again this year. Through our efforts
with this quarter fundraiser, the PTA will be assured to have
the funds to sponsor future school-wide activities here at Holgate.
So, let’s start collecting those quarters and bring them in
beginning Monday, Oct. 7. The “pressure” will be on as we see which homerooms will
“stack” up to the competition and rally around this worthy cause! Please see Mr. Kringen or
your homeroom teacher for specific details.