2015-04 mtn ridge v.2

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APRIL 2015

Main Office

303-387-1800

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A note from the principal . . .

Is this really the last column of the year? Wow!!! What a great year at Mountain Ridge. I hope that you and your student felt the same. We are wrapping up the year with some great activities and great learning for the students.

I saw many of you at the iLab Symposium. I was absolutely blown away by the passion and drive that the students showed. It was so fun looking at the huge variety of areas that students chose to focus on. Every conversation that I had was one that came from a place of true passion and commitment. Who says that 7th graders cant make a difference? Not this group of students and teachers, thats for sure!!!

I just came back in my office after walking through the Commotion in Motion projects that Team 8-4 created. This is, again, another example of students finding a passion area to connect to their learning. Students picked a physical activity that they wanted to improve on and then researched and experimented. Students connected their activities to Newtons laws, created graphs, etc. They even had to write a commentary about some aspect of their activity that is controversial or needs to be evaluated. What a great way to connect their learning to their interests!

P A G E 2

Mountain Ridge Middle School

A note from the principal . . . continued

This time of year is so exciting. Classes are beginning to wrap up and students are creating projects that apply their learning. Teachers are frantically trying to make sure that students have learned all that they need to transition to next year, all the while trying to manage the spring time behaviors that can sometimes be a little challenging J I know that toward the end of each year, every educator reflects on what has gone well and what needs to be adjusted for next year. I am no different. I know that we always have room to grow and improve as a school, although I also know that we do many amazing things! If there are areas that you would like me to consider adjusting or looking at for next year, please feel free to reach out. I can never stop looking for ways to continue moving Mountain Ridge forward!

Thank you for all of the support that you have given the school, our teachers, and your students. It truly does take a village, and what a great village to be a part of! I hope you all have a fantastic end to the school year and summer break. August will be here before we know it, and we will again commit to doing the best job we can every day for your students!

Shannon Clarke, Principal


Counseling

P A G E 3


Student and Family Resources for Summer 2015

Academic: Brain Ingenuity's Summer Learning Adventures Camp

Working Memory, Executive Function Skills, Reading and Math

Here at Mountain Ridge!

Sign up: www.brainingenuity.com

S.O.A.R. Program

Brush up on specific math or reading skills

Take art, cooking, guitar, archery, CPR classes, Red Cross Babysitting classes

Location: Rocky Height Middle- will accept MRMS students!

Sign up: https://sites.google.com/a/dcsdk12.org/rocky-heights-middle-school-soar/home

Social Emotional: Colorado Crisis and Support Line: (844)-493-8255

Operated locally by Rocky Mountain Crisis Partners 24/7

Common calls: suicidal thoughts, depression, grief of loss, anxiety, self-harm, substance abuse, worries for a friend or family member

Walk in location: 6509 S. Santa Fe Drive Littleton, CO


Counseling continued

P A G E 4

Social groups:

Summer groups sponsored by Whole Hearts Family Center

Sign up: http://wholeheartsfamilycenter.com/kids-social-groups-colorado/

Post Secondary/ Career Planning: Volunteer opportunities:

Douglas County Libraries- opportunities for teens!

http://douglascountylibraries.org/aboutus/volunteer/teen-opportunities

Dumb Friends league- opportunities for teens to volunteer!

http://www.ddfl.org/volunteer

Use your Naviance Account:

Take a look at Road Trip Nation and learn more about college opportunities!

Every MRMS student has an account!

Log on: www.naviance.com

Username: student gmail

Password Dcsd followed by lunch #


General Announcements

P A G E 5

Do You Really Want to Make a Difference?

Do you feel like taking on a new project-something that would actually have a lasting positive impact? Think about hosting a foreign exchange student affiliated with the Youth for Understanding program. The global YFU network, consists of partners in more than 50 different countries, and is committed to the belief that full cultural immersion is the most effective means to gain the skills needed to thrive in an increasingly multicultural, interconnected and competitive global society.

Currently, a student from Germany is living in Highlands Ranch and he is finding his experience invaluable. Not only is he learning about living with a typical American family, but he has also become an incredible asset to the MVHS foreign language program.

Terri Elms, the YFU Highlands Ranch Coordinator, is seeking families who are willing to open their hearts and homes to exchange students coming to Highlands Ranch.

If you would be interested in hosting a student, or you would just like more information, please contact Terri Elms at 703-973-4501 or [email protected].



P A G E 6

Parents can now view and request updates/changes to information on their household, family relationships, contact information and emergency contacts for their student(s) from their Infinite Campus portal account. This would also include any family members that no longer reside in the same household. Secondary households will be able to request updates/changes to their information also.

Address changes will still require a new proof of residency (a warranty deed or a lease agreement) before any changes can be made in Infinite Campus.

We encourage parents to update their information so we will have the correct contact information for their student(s). This is extremely important in case of emergencies.

Log into your parent portal.

On the left hand side select Household Information

NEW


P A G E 7


Whats Happening in the Library?

During the remaining weeks of school, the MRMS library will be having plenty of serious fun. Activities will include our Battle of the Books team defending their district championship during the all out literature smack down being held at Cresthill Middle School on Wednesday, April 29th. Also, coming soon, will be our annual library parade featuring floats created by teachers and students. Each float will be based on activities completed in the library this year such as our Genetics Fest, the Mapping Skills Activity, Reading Road Trip and more. Watching the parade will be a review of many of the key concepts students learned this year. Finally, Mr. Vincelette and Mrs. Meyer are excited about all the new books that have arrived in the past few weeks. We hope students are getting gearing up for plenty of summertime reading. Remember, reading for pleasure is a powerful learning experience. We hope that you will be encouraging your student to spend plenty of time reading this summer.

You can find out about many of the activities going on in the MRMS library by visiting our wiki



P A G E 8


SHOWTIME! MAY 15TH

DOORS OPEN 8PM

SHOWTIME AT 8:30

Phenomenal. Every aspect of this movie kept me

intrigued. The plot? Spot on.

-Alie Smith, MRJ junior member

The epitome of quality work.

-Lauren Gano, MRJ senior member

I gripped my seat the entire time until the truth was

revealed.

-Daniel Beckman, MRJ senior member

It will leave you wanting more

-Angela Lam, MRJ senior member

Flawless, seamless. Everything you could want

from a middle school first time production.

-Tessa Murphy, MRJ senior member

On April 21, 2015, The Mountain Ridge Journalist Team was called to

review the FIRST EVER full-length feature film called 21 Ridge Street. Cast

and crew has set the bar high for future middle school movie makers as the

actors captivated the storyline through engaging tone and emotion. The

characters didnt even break! The crew pieced together an absolutely remarkable piece of art, which embedded every aspect of film: Inventive

angles, use of lighting, mind-blowing sound effects. RaMedia has taken its

first steps to the next level of filming. Who know whats coming next?

-Marisa Perez, MRJ Senior member


Its time for the first ever Mountain Ridge Middle School full-length feature film (actually it is an hour long) starring

students and staff from MRMS.

In the Multimedia II class, we have completed the filming process of 21 Ridge Street and have already moved into the editing process, which is also almost complete. In the editing process, we had to work on the volume, the music, the lighting, and much, much more. During this lengthy post-production stage, we all have been thinking about and planning the upcoming premiere night on May 15th.

For the premiere night of our movie, we have planned intensively so everything on that night works swimmingly and we dont have any malfunctions. In case we forgot to mention it, the premiere night will be held on May 15th, 2015 at Mountain Ridge Middle School. At the premiere, we will have a red carpet event and VIP seating including free popcorn (for VIP ticket holders), paparazzi, interviews, concessions, a photographer, and more for you to look forward to. After the movie premiere, we will even have a talk back with some of the actors and crew. The cast and crew are expected to dress up for this event, so feel free to do the same. There has even been talk of limousine rentals amongst the cast and crew (Who knows?? :). Have your students keep an ear out for announcements for ticket sales on Revtrack! Ticket prices will be $10 for VIP (limited number) and $5 for General Admission. We hope to see you there!

The Multimedia II class, on top of learning and participating in the movie making process, have also learned about public relations, marketing, and financially planning an event. It has been a wonderful experience to see students spend an entire school year on one project. We have done smaller projects along the way, but this one taught the students (and me) about collaboration, planning, problem solving at its finest, and above all, perseverance. We know that all of their hard work has paid off, and we hope you will come to the premiere on May 15th to celebrate their accomplishments.


P A G E 9


SHOWTIME!

In Multimedia I, students have just finished their first collaborative movie project, a 5-10 minute movie where they have taken all they learned in the first quarter of the class, and applied it to create a movie that focuses on eliciting emotion from an audience. They have been learning camera angles, scene composition, blocking, soundtrack creation, editing, and even a little bit of acting. This week we have had class discussions about how collaborative efforts make or break a movie, what has been difficult, what needs to be improved, and personal goals for their final movie. The amount of thinking that students have done is amazing.

That being said, there is also a district film festival at the end of April through the first week of May that any students in DCSD middle or high schools may compete in. Click here for the information on the festival. I just might ask students if I may contribute a movie they have created in class. So dont be surprised if they bring home a consent form to have work submitted to the festival. :)

Thank you very much. Well see you at the movies.

We have shown the movie to a select group of Electronic Publishing students, and here are some of the things they had do say


P A G E 10


SHOWTIME!

P A G E 11


Athletics

This was an amazing year of athletics and activities. At our last assembly over 90 percent of our students stood to be recognized for participating in school athletics and activities!

The only new news to report is it is track season. So dont remove your snow tires just yet! Our district track meet will be at Sports Authority Stadium in Parker on Friday, May 15, 2015.

The Night of Champions is May 12, 2015, 5:30-8:00 pm in the MVHS main gym. This year we will have a dodge ball tournament! We will have performances from our Thespians, Advanced Choir, Jazz Band, and Unified basketball team. This year we are raising money to send care packages to troops deployed overseas. Please join us of a night of fun!

Our year in review:

Fall:

Wow! MRMS students are participating is numerous sports and activities! Aside from winning the district championship, our students show their resiliency, sportsmanship, and pride wherever we go. Thank you parents and guardians who have supported and encouraged your students to get involved and surround themselves with positive influences!

Congratulations to our cross country team and 8th girls volleyball team for taking home the District Championship! Our 8th football team is hitting hard and will finish their season on October 9th. 7th grade volleyball and 7th grade flag football started September 15 and will end their season October 25th. 7th and 8th grade wrestling will start right after fall break on October 20th and end with a tournament on December 17th.



P A G E 12


Athletics continued

If your student is still playing volleyball or flag football, and they want to wrestle, please have them finish their season and then join the wrestling team. 8th grade girls basketball starts October 27th and ends December 6th. Our Unified soccer team started off with a tie against Mesa Middle School and there are more games to come. Unified Basketball will start in December.

Thank you for all your support and making MRMS a positive and safe environment where students can explore, take risks, have fun, pursue their passion, and be apart of something special.

We have just wrapped up 7th grade flag football, 7th grade volleyball, and have started 7th/8th grade wrestling and 8th grade girls basketball. We are having a very successful year so far with our athletic programs. Our parents are very supportive, our coaches are working hard, and our athletes embody sportsmanship!

Thank you to everyone who filled out our survey. The responses were overwhelmingly positive! 88% of the responses indicated that your athletes experience was either a 4 or 5 with 59% being a 5 on a scale of 1-5! 6% rated the experience a 3. 3% (4 responses) rated the experience a 2. 2% (3 responses) rated the experience a 1.

Thank you also for your comments and feedback; I read them all. There were two responses regarding bussing back to school after a competition. This was something we decided to cut 3 years ago in order to keep more money in each sports budget. The return busses were only being utilized by a very small percentage of students. Our return trips busses would return home with less than 10 students and most times less than 5. I remember returning home on the bus after all the wrestling meets with only two athletes. I will communicate to my coaches that we need to provide a list of parents who are willing to carpool.

P A G E 13


Athletics continued

Winter:

Eighth grade girls basketball and 7th/8th grade wrestling are in season. The girls basketball tournament will be Friday, December 5th at Douglas County High School. The wrestling tournament will be Wednesday, December 17th , 4pm 8pm, at Mountain Vista High School. Please come out and support our student athletes.

We have four more seasons and four more opportunities for students to try something new or continue to pursue their athletic passion. 7th grade girls basketball starts December 8th. 8th grade boys basketball starts January 26th. 7th grade boys basketball starts March 2. 7th and 8th grade track starts April 13th.

Our clubs and activities are still going strong. Thespian troop is working towards their competition on December 4th. Jazz band, Advanced Choir, and Womens Choir are still in session and we cant wait for our Winter Concerts! We are still trying to generate interest and get enough students to start a Technology Student Association (TSA) club and Archery club.

Spring:

Eighth grade boys basketball ended their season February 28, 2015. This season the boys worked very hard and grew in their sportsmanship, skill level, and collaboration. Thank you to all the parents and athletes. Also, thanks to Steve Lopez, Mike Kelly, and Craig Harvey for an amazing job coaching our athletes! Our team had a lot of support from the MRMS student body. They cheered, chanted, danced and even raised money for Childrens Hospital. Our 7th grade boys basketball season started March 2, 2015. Our coaches, Mike Kelly, Lucas Reeves, and Pete Mazula predict success and lots of fun! Good luck boys on your upcoming season! The season ending tournament will be April 11, 2015 at

Highlands Ranch High School.

Health: Marijuana- how it makes you feel and how it can affect you Tobacco- learning about how it affects you and forms that you can do

tobacco Alcohol- learning how it affects your body and affect other people. Good and bad choices- what choices are going to hurt you and what

choices are going to help you in life Eating disorders- signs to know if someone has an eating disorder, the

effects it has on your body Peer pressure- your peers can pressure you into doing drugs or making bad

choices Health triangle- At the very beginning of school we learned about the

health triangle. This is a triangle and each of the 3 sides stand for physical, mental, and social.

Body image- the way you see your body, you can have a positive or negative effect

Emphysema- an effect of tobacco use and how it feels to breathe Nutrition- what vitamins are in foods, which foods are good for you, why

are they good for you? Tobacco abuse- We learned what tobaccos long term effects were, and

how they can be fatal.

P A G E 14


Health And P.E.

P.E:

Stretching - We stretch before we exercise in P.E. 6 laps-jogging, basketball slides, karaoke, high knees, skips, high skips and final lap

Lifting weights- we learned to how to lift weights properly and not get hurt.

How to push yourself- knowing when we cant do anymore and how to keep going if we cant stop; example: running, having to run for a certain amount of time and not being allowed to stop

Before doing anything else we do the 6 lap warm-up.

Learning how to pace yourself

Mr. Lemons taught us how to play lots of games like Pillow Polo, Fastball, Team handball,

We are playing fun sports

Mr. Lemons taught us to do in the weight room so we can get better and better at weight equipment. We also learned how to work together in team games.

Also in PE, we learned the responsibilities of team work with communication and hard effort

We have fitness partners for the sit-ups, pushups, and the mile so we can record each others scores.

We have squad lines so we walk together and exercise in a group and talk to each other more about how we can do stuff together

We play team games so we can learn to collaborate

We do our six stretches and then get right to games or run.

We also do 6 six laps with different runs like karaoke, skipping, etc...


Activities - iLab Symposium

P A G E 15


Does Education Get Any Better Than This? Inspired me to improve my ability to change the world. Cool to see how many different ideas we had on how we could change the things for the better. Neat to go check out our friends ideas for creating change. Raised our awareness of global issues. It made us realize that with our projects we had just scratched the surface. Underneath, there is still so much work to be done.

FAIL - First Attempt In Learning. A small change can make a big difference. Each one of our booths was an

example of something small-the symposium was an example of something big.

7th Grade iLab students

April 17, the seventh graders at Mountain Ridge presented a culmination of over 6 weeks of intensive work: their Capstone Projects. These projects provided clear evidence of their ability to utilize design thinking to solve a problem. In its most effective form, design thinking is a process, an action, a verb not a noun-a protocol for solving problems and discovering new opportunities. Initially, students selected a personal passion and identified an issue or problem associated with that passion. From there they did extensive research in order to surface viable a solution. They tested their solution and revised it as many times as they needed to, in order to complete the Capstone. A truly amazing display of the power of passion as it relates to student learning.

Putting on the finishing touches

before the big event.


Activities - iLab Symposium continued

P A G E 16

Let the games begin!

Air pollution is becoming extremely dangerous for both the environment and humanity, but scientists have come up with an idea we can end this situation with: Algae, which produces oxygen and takes carbon dioxide out of our atmosphere. This Project was an attempt to explore those ideas.

An attempt to solve the traffic problem at MRMS. The Deputy Commissioner of

Education for the state of Colorado testing his

ballet skills.

After a successful Capstone Symposium, students now plan how to implement their proposed solutions (brainstorming in groups) and reflect individually on their experiences.

P A G E 17


Team 7-2

Here we are at the end of the school year. Believe it or not, your child will be an 8th grader very soon. This year is a huge transition from elementary to middle school and next year they will really grow into their own. As we near the end of the year, things become very busy and learning does not slow down around here. You may have heard about the different projects/ assignments that are happening throughout the pod. If not, make sure to ask your child.

Science/Savage:

Students have been diligently working on geologic timelines. This will be finished quickly and they will move on to explore evolution.

Math/Krumreich:

Math 7 students are exploring classification of triangles and quadrilaterals.

Math 7 Accelerated students are focused on geometry skills at this time. This includes surface area and volume.

Algebra is finishing the year with exponential functions and compound interest.

SS/Graham-H:

Students have been working on World Cultures in the Middle East and getting ready for their field trip next week.

iLab/Fox-G:

Students have been working on their capstone projects and they presented their material at the symposium on April 17. What an inspiring night that was! Hopefully you were able to attend and visit a wide variety of projects.

LA/Wilde:

Recently, classes finished an Asian novel study in which they had to show growth and learning through a project. Now they are moving into Shakespeare plays.

P A G E 18


Team 8-1

What a year! The students did so many amazing things and are dedicated to finishing strong. They have two great field trips coming up; Finance Park and a trip to the Sky Sox baseball game. These trips are going to be very educational, have real world applications and create lots of fun along the way. It is very important that our students go into these field trips with a positive attitude.

On behalf of all the teachers and admin, I would like to say how proud I am of your students for working so hard. We pride ourselves at MRMS for our academic rigor and how we build community. Students helped to build a positive community by embracing the RAM philosophy: Respect, Attitude, and Motivation. We are confident that your student will be successful in high school and grow to be positive contributors to society!

P A G E 19


Team 8-3

This is the final newsletter for the 2014-2015 school year and it is always a very happy and sad time as the end of the year approaches. The teachers are so grateful for the opportunity to be a huge part of all of our students lives this year and we marvel in the changes that have taken place. Our goal is for all of our students to leave Mountain Ridge with a little more grit, perseverance, and communication skills in order to thrive at high school. Even though it is sad to see them go across the parking lot, we are so very excited to see each of our students develop into successful and intelligent members of society, who will each help to change the world for the better.

As we wrap up the year, many exciting things will be happening. Hopefully, after numerous emails, everyone knows that we will be going to Cherokee Ranch May 11-14. Everyone will be attending two out of the four days and will be able to participate in a wide variety of activities from hiking to archery to drawing or photography. This is one of the most memorable trips for all of our former students. Not long after Cherokee, one of the least favorite days will take place. Yes, the dreaded FINAL in math class. It sounds so intimidating, especially if they havent ever had to take one before. Dont dread, though, we will study, study, and study some more before the actual test. As of right now, the Algebra and Geometry finals are scheduled for May 20th and the Math 8 final is on May 21st.

Our teams philosophy is to work hard until the end of the year and we plan on squeezing every last bit of time out of our classes. There will be another large interdisciplinary unit at the end and we will be sending more information about that through the weekly emails. Once again, thank you from team 83 for such a fantastic and challenging year!

P A G E 20


Team 8-4 News

All The News Thats Swagworthy!

Did you see the Commotion in Motion symposium? It was incredible! There have been such amazing things going on this year; it was amazing! The teachers and students will be working hard until the end. Please encourage a strong finish.

On behalf of all the teachers and admin I would like to say how proud I am of your students for working so hard this year. We pride ourselves at MRMS for our academic rigor and how we build community. Students helped to build a positive community by embracing the RAM philosophy: Respect, Attitude, and Motivation. We are confident that your student will be successful in high school and grow to be positive contributors to society!

continued on next page

P A G E 21


ElectivesART

Art students have been busy creating and building plaster molds and using tools and techniques for subtractive carving. Many added extra carved details and/or color with acrylic and watercolor paints. Photos 1, 2, 3.

P A G E 22


ElectivesART continued

Art students are also working on independent projects before and after school; recycling old sculptures into sturdy plaster organic forms that we will "plant" outside next to the one already planted by the digital sign at the traffic lights. More will begin to appear, as some may begin to decay, just as in nature. Students have been studying artist Steven Siegel who is famous for his outdoor sculptures which he designs to eventually become part of the earth through years of decay. Most of his (and our) materials used in the sculpture armatures are recycled materials. Photos 4, 5, 6

P A G E 23



A few students were also working on independent spray paint planets projects before and after school. One student brought in his old skis and did a nice job of spray painting (all done outside with proper ventilation and supervision, of course!).Photos 7, 8,9

P A G E 24



Currently students are finishing their creation of a wire form which we filled with colorful window-cling plastic based paint. These are stuck on windows around the school. Students sketched mainly insects, fish, and other animal forms, some were abstract organic shapes. Photos 10,11,12

P A G E 25



Students created and handbuilt ceramic heads with clay and kiln fored glazes at the beginning of the semester. Photo 13

1,2,3 Plaster poured into student created molds, then carved and painted.

4,5,6 Outdoor sculpture MRMS project in process. Artist Steven Seigel outdoor sculpture study.

7,8,9. Spray paint planets project

10,11,12,. Window cling project

13 Ceramic Head project