ELKHORN RIDGE MIDDLE SCHOOL 17880 Marcy Street

Omaha, NE 68118

(402) 334 -9302 November 2016

CONFERENCE DINNERS

The middle school staff would like to thank all of the parents

who put together the dinners for our

parent/teacher conferences. The meals

were great! We appreciate all you do!

PARENT COMMUNICATION/BOOSTER MEETING

Our next Parent Communication/Booster meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, November 8h at 1:30 PM. Time is set aside dur-ing these meetings for parents to address concerns and ask questions about our programs. If this time does not work into your schedule and you have questions or concerns, please call Mr. Riggert to discuss those issues. The Parent Booster group is open to all middle school parents. We believe parent involvment is critical to the success of our children’s education and invite all of you to become involved.

WEATHER ANNOUNCEMENTS When weather conditions exist that would jeopardize the safe-

ty of students traveling to or from school, information about

closing will be broadcast over stations KFAB (AM 1110),

KETV, KMTV, WOWT, and KPTM. If school is to have a de-

layed start or be cancelled, announcements will begin on

those stations at approximately 6:00 a.m. regarding early dis-

missals due to bad weather. The district has adopted the Alert

Now Notification Service which will also be used to notify par-

ents of school closings and cancellations.

PARENT/TEACHER CONFERENCES

Parent/Teacher conferences were held on Tuesday,

October 18th and Wednesday, October 19th. We had a

great turnout. Thanks for being involved in your child’s edu-

ATTENDANCE BY GRADE

6th Grade 97%

7th Grade 94%

8th Grade 91%

Need financial assistance with holiday season? Do you need financial assistance with the holiday season approaching? Have you encountered medical or financial hardship recently? If so, please contact Jodi Klein (Guidance Counselor) or Kevin Riggert (Principal) at 334-9302. We have organizations that would like to help families in need.

MAKE UP DAYS FOR MISSED SCHOOL DAYS (SNOW DAYS) As we approach the winter months, it is important to note a change to the EPS calendar from past years. The Elkhorn Board of Education has built in two makeup days to the calen-dar in the event that school is canceled due to inclement weather (snow days). Those two days are May 24 and 25.

If there are two or more missed school days prior to April 1, students will have school on these two days making the last day of school May 25. If no snow days the last day of school is May 23.

The first two missed days will be made up; in the event of three or more snow days the administration will reevaluate the calendar at that time.

EARLY DISMISSAL WEDNESDAY, 11/23

School will be dismissed one hour early at all Elkhorn Schools on Wednesday, November 23. This is an update

from the printed District calendars.

OSCAR’S FAMILY NIGHT

Tuesday, November 1 Family Fun Night at Oscars (17330 Lakeside Hills Plaza) from 5:00 -10:00. Dine in or take out, but don’t forget to tell them you are with ERMS!

CAREER DAY -

Mrs. J. Klein

Middle school parents interested in speaking at our 8th grade Career Day on the afternoon of January 27, please contact Mrs. Klein, Guidance Counselor (jklein@epsne.org).

The career session is 30 minutes in length with 15-20 students.

6th Grade News

Mrs. Bradford, Mr. Ebers, Ms. Niebaum, Ms.Oberembt,

Ms. Stromgren, Mr. Weber and

Mr. Phelps

READING - Ms. Oberembt and Mrs. Bradford

In Reading during the month of November, students will be wrapping up the novel Tuck Everlasting. They will continue studying Greek and Latin roots with vocabulary word lists. At the end of the month, students will choose a book to read as part of a literature circle during the month of De-cember. The second quarter AR goal will be due on December 22nd.

SCIENCE - Mr. Phelps and Ms. Kohler Who eats whom? We'll soon find out! Sixth graders will exam-ine how organisms are connected to each other and to the en-vironment. They will discuss the way the environment is orga-nized, how energy moves through an ecosystem, and how an ecosystem is changed by the disappearance of organisms. Each student will be working on a long range project on an ecosystem that want to find out more about. We will also be getting ready for our first video conference with the Great Barri-er Reef Aquarium in Australia, which will be held on a school night because of the time difference. Stay tuned for more infor-mation on the conference because parents are invited.

LANGUAGE EXPERIENCE - Mrs. Espinoza and Ms. Thomas Students are learning French as the second quarter be-gins. They will focus on basic greetings and questions, numbers and colors. Many of their assignments will require a signature from home that has the students practicing vocabulary or dia-logues. Please double check that your student has a single sub-ject notebook and a folder for use in Language Experience on-ly. Mrs. Espinoza’s class, please reread the absence policy on the front of your syllabus. Highlight the absence date on your syllabus and speak with Mrs. Espinoza the day you return at 8:00 or during home team. This will help you stay on track.

PRE-CONCEPTS - Ms. Niebaum and Mr. Weber

We were happy to share in your conferences with your child. They are eager to learn and continue to work hard! We fin-ished the unit on converting between fractions, decimals, and per cents. The students can also tell you what an item on sale, with a certain percentage off, will cost. Calculating a tip on your dinner out can also be done by your child. We had a lively discussion on financial literacy while calculating simple interest and learning about principal and mortgage. Next, we will dive into integers. The students will use and justified the rules for adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing inte-gers.

7th Grade News

Mr. Bischof, Mr. Breitkreutz, Mrs. Randall, Mrs. Nelson, Mrs. Klein, Mrs. Bradford, Ms. Kohler, and Mr. Weber

MATH - Ms. Niebaum .

It was a pleasure getting to meet parents at student led conferences and see the great support the students have at home! In math, we have completed Chapter 1 and the unit on number theory. We are well on our way with Chapter 2.The students are working on converting between frac-tions, decimals, and percents. They can tell you how much an item on sale at the store will cost. Next, we reviewed finding least common multiple with a set of whole num-bers. The whole numbers then changed to fractions and we learned to find thel east common denominator so we could then compare and order the fractions. Comparing and ordering decimals was found to be easier for the stu-dents to do. Now they can compare fractions, decimals, and percents. We are now working with all the operations with decimals. A review of adding and subtracting fractions was done before multiplying and dividing. Next, students will use integers, absolute value, and graphing on the coor-dinate plane to solve real-world problems.

SOCIAL STUDIES - Mr. Ebers and Mr. Phelps

Social Studies students have been learning about the 3 branches of the fFederal government as well as how the gov-ernment works at the state and local levels. In November, we will start an intro to economics unit where we will focus on needs/wants, supply/demand, and economic decisions in our society.

LANGUAGE ARTS - Mrs. Nelson and

Mrs. Randall

The month of November will have students finishing a maga-zine on a topic of their choice. Creativity with the magazine topic allowed students to experiment with different types of writ-ing and makes the magazine a lasting piece to treasure and discuss. The district writing assessment will take place in No-vember. Parts of speech will continue to be reviewed and prac-ticed throughout the quarter. Encourage your child to work on proofreading, applications of grammar, and studying for tests and quizzes. Please remind your child to utilize the quia web

site: www.quia.com/pages/cathynelson.html

LANGUAGE ARTS - Mrs. Bradford, Mr. Ebers, and Ms. Stromgren Sixth grade Language Arts students will continue working on paragraph writing, covering descriptive, narrative and persuasive genres. We will also be preparing to take a dis-trict assessment over these three genres of writing and their key components. We will continue working on key vo-cabulary and grammar .

SCIENCE- Mr. Breitkreutz and Ms. Kohler

During the first half of November students will be wrapping up the Earth Science unit on layers of Earth, plate tectonics, earthquakes, and volcanoes. This Inside the Earth unit will conclude with a district common assessment (DCA). We will then transition into our Life Science unit of Human Body Systems. In this unit students will explore all the various systems that make up the complex human body and how they interact to maintain our health and balance. This unit may not conclude until after Winter Break.

During the Human Body Systems unit, students will com-plete a STEM lab designing casting systems for broken bones. I need your help collecting chicken wing bones. Please send the bones (preferably clean) in a baggie with your student any time before December.

PRE- ALGEBRA - Mr. Weber and Mrs. Klein

We are starting Chapter 2, which involves percents, propor-tions, and writing and solving equations. The students will be able to solve these in their sleep! We will continue to build our equation-solving skills with multiple-step equations and word problems.

SPANISH 1 - Ms. Thomas and Mrs. Espinoza

Students are currently studying chapter 4B which includes sports and accepting/refusing invitations. Students will work with the irregular verbs called boot verbs this chapter. Your student should be studying his/her flashcards about 10 minutes each night. Also, please have them study their ques-tions in their spirals. You can ask these questions to your student because they should have the question, translation and how to answer it in their notes. How to Improve Spanish Grade: Flashcards: Students should know how to pronounce the word, spell it correctly and practice putting the cards together to make sentences. On-line book: There is a quick link on Moodle. If your student is struggling, he/she needs to listen to the au-dio activities and do the practice vocab work. Moodle: There is a folder that has more computer activities for students to do to practice the current Spanish material. Manila envelopes: Students have had this envelope signed each chapter. There is also an area to write the quizlet score. The object is for the parents to sign the envelope once they know their student knows the vocab.

Homework is constantly updated in PowerSchool.

Notebook and syllabus packet: Students should have a single subject notebook in which they take notes and have review questions from last year. Again, students should study these notes a little bit each night.

MATH - Mrs. Semin (Algebra and Pre-Algebra) and Mr. Weber (Pre-Algebra)

Algebra: Students have been doing a great job of showing all their work and producing their best work. We just finished up Chapter 2 over solving linear equations. Students took a DCA over solving linear equations and did a fantastic job. The chapter we are currently in covers linear functions. Stu-dents are learning how graph equations using the slope-

intercept equation. We are discussing the relationships that can come from equations which create the rate of change and how certain sequences and proportional relationships create linear equations. We will wrap this unit up with a DCA over graphing linear equations and then move into functions. Feel free to email us with any questions!

Pre-Algebra: Students are continuing to learn about Num-ber Sense as we are currently discussing exponents, scien-tific notation, and converting between fractions, decimals, and percent. We will then continue with discussing ratios, proportions, and square roots. The students are doing a great job of making sure to show their work and discussing how to relate what we are learning to their lives outside of school. Feel free to email us with any questions!

WORLD HISTORY - Mr. Bischof

and Mr. Breitkreutz

In 7th grade World History, we will be studying the Roman Empire and the European Middle Ages.

MATH 7- Mrs. Klein We just completed the Ch. 2 test which covered solving per-cents, tips, tax and discount. Please ask your students to cal-culate how much the tax and tip are next time you go out! Next we will be calculating with integers. Please ask your students about integers. After computing with integers, we will be working with rational numbers (fractions). Integers and rational numbers are the basis of the numbers your student will be using for the rest of their lives.

8th Grade News Mrs. Klein, Mrs. Kammerer,

Ms. Christie, Mrs. Hultman, Mr. Schutt, Mrs. Semin,

Ms. Stromgren, Mr. Weber, and Mr. Breitkreutz

READING - Mrs. Randall, Mrs. Nelson, Mrs. Bradford Seventh grade students will be diving into The Westing Game in November as we begin our class novel mystery unit. There will be reading assignments both in and out of class time. It is very important to keep up on reading with the class, so that the dis-cussion can be meaningful. Students usually really enjoy this unit as they try to make sense of the clues and figure out just who will win the Westing game. Our vocabulary words will be from the book as well, so there will be a slight change in our vo-cabulary format for the month. I would encourage you to find a copy and read along with your child. You will enjoy it!

SCIENCE - Mrs. Kammerer and Mr. Breitkreutz The students have just completed and presented their Sci-ence Inquiry projects and we are starting our next unit, Rocks and Earth's History. In this unit students will be ex-ploring how to use rock layers and fossils to play history detective and figure out what happened to Earth's surface millions of years ago. This unit will end with a district com-mon assessment by the end of the month.

READING - Ms. Christie and Ms. Stromgren During November, we will be reading our whole class post apocalyptic dystopian science fiction novel, The City of Em-ber, through Literature Circles and in-class reads. During this unit, students will practice using the elements of fiction, introduced during the first quarter, for literary and sociopo-litical analysis. We will also continue our study of Greek and Latin roots. The vocabulary final for all 8th grade stu-dents in the district is cumulative, so please remember to take advantage of Quizlet (found in Moodle) to reinforce former units and practice current units of study. Finally, in AR this quarter, students will be required to read a nonfic-tion text. The AR deadline for this quarter is December 14th.

SPANISH 1- Ms. Thomas and Mrs. Espinoza

Students are currently studying chapter 1B which includes adjectives that describe people. They are creating sen-tences about themselves and other people. Your student should be able to complete these sentences:

Yo soy ____ y _____. No soy ni ______ ni _______. Mi amiga es ________ y mi amigo es _________ Please have them study their questions in their spirals. You can ask these questions to your student because they should have the question, translation and how to answer it in their notes.

How to Improve Spanish Grade: Flashcards: Students should know how to pronounce the word, spell it correctly and practice putting the cards togeth-er to make sentences. On-line book: There is a quick link on Moodle. If your student is struggling, he/she needs to listen to the audio activities and do the practice vocab work. Moodle: There is a folder that has more computer activities for students to do to practice the current Spanish material. Manila envelopes: Students have had this envelope signed each chapter. There is also an area to write the quizlet score. The object is for the parents to sign the envelope once they know their student knows the vocab.

Homework is constantly updated in PowerSchool.

Notebook and syllabus packet:

Students should have a single subject notebook in which they take notes and have review questions from last year. Again, students should study these notes a little bit each night.

YEARBOOK - Mr. Phelps Taking photos this year? At the game, the musical? Share them by using Community Upload! When you submit your amazing photos to the yearbook staff via Community Upload, your pictures have a chance to be featured in the yearbook. Submit your photos now with Community Upload: Go to yearbookforever.com. or download the Yearbook Snap mobile app from the App Store or Google Play.

Enter our school’s name (it will populate), select our school.

Under Community Upload, enter access code storm) and click Enter.

Click Upload Photo to begin uploading your photos.

We are also accepting videos that you’d like us to attach to your student’s portrait. Compile a video movie shorter than 100 MB and we will attach it to their class photo. Email us your video using elkhornridgeyb@gmail.com and we will view it to make sure it is appropriate. Remember, everyone can view your video. As an adult, you know how important school memories be-come. Don’t let your student’s memories fade; make sure they get a yearbook! For only $37, your student will have a book that will be enjoyed now and 20, 30 or even 50 years from now. Contact Mr. Phelps at rphelps@epsne.org to or-der a book. If you are not sure if you ordered a book let me know so I can check my list and get back to you.

LANGUAGE ARTS- Mr. Schutt and

Ms. Stromgren

The month of November will be a nice change of pace. We will begin focusing, once again, on becoming better writers. The District Wide Writing Assessment will take place this month as well. Please check the homework calendar for dates, and be sure to ask your student when he or she will be taking it. To prepare for the assessment, we will be using cre-ative ways to help sharpen our skills with using sensory de-tails. Also, students will begin gaining more knowledge about verbs, adverbs, conjunctions, and interjections.

AMERICAN HISTORY - Mrs. Hultman and Mrs. Semin This month in 8th grade American History, we will continue studying different aspects of the U.S. Constitution. We will finish up a unit on the Duties & Responsibilities of American Citizens. There will be a district common assessment over this material. We'll then focus on the different branches of government, checks and balances, the Bill of Rights, other amendments, and the amending process. Next, we'll begin looking at the first three presidents and their accomplish-ments and struggles as well as how the U.S. gained differ-ent land portions of what we call the U.S.A.today! As al-ways, don't hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.

H.A.L.E. - Mrs. Thoreen

It’s hard to believe that the winter winds are upon us and the skies are turning gray. However, the gray skies don’t seem to interfere with all the colorful learning the HALE kids have been a part of this month. The books completed this month by HALE reading lunch groups are plentiful; The Raft, We Were Liars, and All the Bright Places. The kids have been covering a wide range of subject matters by attending several seminars and workshops such as: Engineering Day at UNL, African Safari study at the Henry Doorly Zoo, DNA Seminar through UNL, and Vet skills at the Humane Society. Two interesting trips to men-tion were the Douglas County Courthouse and Youth Detention Center day. Several 8th graders interested in law and correc-tions attended an open court session and then went on to dis-cuss the judicial system with Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine and Assistant Attorney Brenda Beadle after they com-pleted a pull out reading unit after reading the classic book, The Outsiders. A different group, made up of 6th—8th graders, in-terested in the fine arts attended a day at the Joslyn while they Celebrated Creativity with schools from all over the metro. Kids took drama, art, Tae Kwon Do, music, and several other clas-ses to complete a colorful day of the arts. Finally, lunches are brimming with weekly Quiz Bowl, Mental Lunch Crunch, and Random Knows contests. The ERMS HALE kids are simply not letting any gray clouds affect their learning.

POWERSCHOOL/HOMEWORK ACCESS

Parents have the ability to view child’s academic progress through the internet. Parents/guardians have a username and password for each child which allows you to track homework completion and see current grade status. Teacher expectations are to keep Powerschool updated generally every two weeks. If you do not have Powerschool access and would like it, please call the office and we will be happy to get you set up.

Another way of accessing your child's homework is to go to the district web page www.elkhornweb.org, under the the Schools tab find ERMS and then click on Homework on the left side of the page. You will then see all teachers and their homework. If you have questions please call us at 402-334-9302.

STUDENT COUNCIL - Mrs. Bradford

Student council has been working hard selling pastry puffins. We will also celebrate an ERMS spirit week in November. Keep tuned in to school messenger and posters around the building for the details.

P.E. - Mr. Everingham

Every student needs to have a change of clothes to wear during class. A T-shirt, shorts and tennis shoes are all they need. They are issued a locker in the gym to put their clothes in. If your student misses a day of PE you will see a “0” in PowerSchool. All they need to do is come get a PE Homework slip from me, complete the exercises, turn the form back into me within 7 school days of the absence, and they will get their full points. I talked to the students at the beginning of school and they know where the slips are lo-cated.

ERMS ATHLETIC NEWS:

Following are our event dates for November.

Wednesday, November 2- Team Pictures after school

Thursday, November 3- 7th

Grade Boys Basketball

(BBB) vs. Bennington

Thursday, November 3- 8th Grade BBB @ Bennington

Monday, November 7- 7th Grade BBB vs. Platteview

Monday, November 7- 8th

h Grade BBB @ Platteview

Thursday, November 10- 8th Grade BBB @ Grandview

Thursday, November 10- 7th

Grade BBB vs. Grandview

Monday, November 14- 8th

Grade BBB vs. Gretna

Monday, November 14- 7th Grade BBB @ Gretna

Thursday, November 17- 7th

Grade BBB vs. NE City

Thursday, November 17- 8th Grade BBB @ NE City

Monday, November 21- 7th Grade BBB @ Norris

Monday, November 21- 8th

Grade BBB vs. Norris

Tuesday, November 29- 8th Grade BBB vs EVVMS

Tuesday, November 29-7th Grade BBB @ EVVMS

Home games are in bold and all games start at 4:15

Schedules can also be found at www.easternmidconference.org

CHORUS-Mrs. Ballou, ERMS Vocal Music Instructor and Mrs. Foley, Accompanist The choir concert is Nov. 15th at 7 PM in the ERMS gym. All students need to be in their assigned seat by 6:50 PM, dressed in their concert attire (ERMS music polo, black pants, black shoes, black socks). This concert will feature music from around the world. Concerts are mandatory and a large portion of our students' grades. Join us for this fun night! Choir students are also working on reading and notating rhythm patterns. 6th grade is focusing on quarter notes/rest, half notes/rests, whole notes/rests, eighth notes/ rests and a dotted half note. 7th grade is adding sixteenth notes/rests, dotted eighth notes and single eighth notes/ rests. 8th grade is adding eight-sixteenth patterns and syncopated rhythm patterns. We will have a rhythm DCA in December.

Show Choir News:

All three groups are off to a strong start. You should have received an email from me about show choir dates/ costume costs. If you have not received one, please let me know. All show choir info is sent out via email.

Bravo kids will have choreography sessions on Friday, Nov. 4th and Friday, Nov. 11th from 4:00 - 8:30 PM with Melanie Walters. Come ready to dance!

INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC - Mr. Dreessen Congratulations to all of our 8th

Graders who auditioned for the 8th Grade All-State Band. They all put together very strong auditions. We should know results by mid-

November. Congratulations, and respect earned!

Jazz Band has started for Traditional, and Contemporary. Traditional Jazz En-semble is set, Contemporary is still set-ting numbers so please ask Mr. D for a contract and we can get your student signed up! We hope you enjoyed our first concert.

SCIENCE BOWL

Who? any 6th, 7th, or 8th grade student at Elkhorn Ridge

What? Science Bowl is a fun, fast-paced, tournament-style academic competition that challenges and recognizes students’ knowledge of science and mathematics, open to all students. ERMS will most likely have 2 teams competing at the 14th Annual Nebraska Middle School Science Bowl competition on Saturday, February 4th , 2016 at Wayne State College. Each team will consist of 5 members (most likely 1 team of 8th graders only and 1 team of various grades combined) who will earn a spot on a team based on performance and participation. Those not earning a spot on the two teams will still be allowed to attend the state tournament for support.

Where? Mr. Breitkreutz’s Science room (#710)

When? Before school (7:30-8:00am) and after school (3:20-4:00pm) on Tuesdays and Wednesdays (Nov.-Dec.). Each prac-tice session will have different questions, so try to attend as many practices as possible. Mr. Breitkreutz will be teaching a little Science and a lot of buzzer strategy along the way. If you cannot attend any of the practices, please talk to Mr. Breitkreutz. Team will be determined in December via online quiz questions and participation (tie breaker).

Why? Compete for Elkhorn Ridge in Nebraska’s only science quiz competition.

TECH SAVVY PARENT TIPS

Elkhorn Public Schools Policy 507.13—Internet Safety Policy was written in compliance with the Children’s Internet Protec-tion Act. Tech Savvy Parent tips are intended to inform and educate parents of technology that may be available to their students. Tips may feature apps that are educational as well as those that may be a cause for concern to parents.

Tech Vocabulary—Understanding “The Cloud”

“The cloud” refers to any type of service or software that runs on the Internet instead of your device. This means users can store videos, photos, documents, games and software in a cyber warehouse that can be accessed from anywhere. Dropbox, iCloud, Netflix and Google Drive are all popular cloud services.

Popular Apps—Venmo and Other Money Sharing Apps

Some young people are trading in cash for money sharing apps like Venmo. In general, money sharing and payment apps link a credit or debit card to an electronic account that can be used to pay for goods and services—or in the case of Venmo—transfer money amongst friends or split a dinner check. Users can ensure their personal and financial infor-mation is safe by following a few general guidelines: logout after every use, check your privacy and security settings of-ten, link a card instead of your bank account, transfers aren’t instant—treat it like a check, only use payment apps with close friends and family. It’s also worth noting that most mon-ey sharing apps have guidelines that require users to be 18 years old.

An Educational App—SkoolBo Core Skills HD

SkoolBo Core Skills is a literacy and numeracy game for stu-dents grades K-5. Students practice their skills as they race opponents through a course. By correctly answering spelling and math problems, users are able maneuver and move for-ward through the course. As the course continues, the ques-tions become more difficult. This is a free app available through the Apple App Store and through Google Play.

BOX TOPS AND HYVEE

RECEIPTS

1. Save your BOX TOPS (spring

contest begins in February 2016)

2. Save your HYVEE RECEIPTS

These are easy ways for us to fundraise

for our school.

HYVEE RECEIPTS

The Hyvee "Cash for Students" Program continues until December 31. Please save those Hyvee receipts - grocery, gas, pharmacy, coffee - and submit in the box at the 180th and Pacific location.

Forgot to drop it on your way out? Please send to school with your student. They can submit to their High 5 teacher or drop at the office.

We have already earned over $250 for our school! Thank you for your continued support.

Questions? Contact Julie Madott at jjmadott@yahoo.ca.

Elkhorn Ridge Middle School Booster Club Meeting

October 13, 2016

President Tina Dunham called the meeting to order at 1:30 p.m. Guest Speaker: Elkhorn Public Schools Superintendent Steve Baker reported on the state of the school district. EPS is the 7th largest district in Nebraska with just under 8,400 students. The 2016-2017 school year has the largest Kindergarten class in Elkhorn history with 754 students. The 11th elementary school will open in the Fall of 2018 near the Blue Sage Creek subdivision. Any questions or concerns regarding EPS can be emailed to info@epsne.org. Minutes: The September 2016 minutes were approved as distributed. Treasurer Report: Treasurer Lynn VanDenBroeke presented a revised summary of the 2016-2017 Booster Club budget for approval. She also presented the current financials. A motion to approve the budget was made by Jenny Haase and seconded by Laura Sartore. Old Business: President Tina Dunham reported that the no-sell fundraiser raised $7,319.31, and it was determined that the 2017-2018 fundraiser would be no-sell as well. New Business: Vice President Jenny Haase reported that the Hall of Fame banquet would be October 23, 2016. Tina Dunham stated the Booster Club will sponsor the Respect Group to do an anti-bully presentation on October 24th. The presentation will be at 9:00 a.m. and parents are welcome to attend. Parent Communication: Mr. Riggert noted that Mr. Everingham requested signs for the gymnasium for a total of $492.88 that would be taken from the fundraising account. Also taken from the fundraising account is $836 for the 8th grade tie-dye activity. Teacher requests included a document camera for approximately $750 and a smart board for ap-proximately $2,000. The Booster Club passed a majority vote to purchase these items from the Money Market Account. Mr. Riggert encouraged parents to monitor their child’s social media accounts. The 6th grade field trip will be October 20th to the SAC Museum. October 27th will be the band concert. Health screenings will be November 8th and well as ERMS being utilized as a polling location. Committee Reports: Apparel-Tina Dunham-There will be a second apparel sale with orders being completed in time for the holidays. Watch for more information arriving soon. Box Tops-Teresa Svoboda and Lucy Newman-Collection will continue through October 20th. Reminder emails will be sent. Directory-Tina Dunham-It is currently active. Concessions-Tina Dunham-Basketball concession sign-up links will be in the November newsletter. Family Fun Nights-Tina Dunham-October 12th is Dairy Queen from 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. and November 1st, is Oscar’s from 5:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. HyVee Receipts-Tina Dunham-All HyVee receipts dated September 1st – December 31st can be turned in to the ERMS office, High Five teachers, or the box labeled ERMS at HyVee. This includes grocery, pharmacy, liquor and gas re-ceipts. Kindness-Tina Dunham-Melanie Nielsen asked for $5 donations to pay for staff meals during parent/teacher confer-ences. The $5 will go towards both fall and spring conferences. The fall conference meals will be purchased from Qdoba and Sgt. Peffer’s. Staff members with October birthdays received a $10 gift card to Panera.

The October meeting of the ERMS Booster Club was adjourned at 2:58 p.m. The next Booster Club meeting will be held November 8th, at 1:30 p.m.

Respectfully submitted by Ricci Nisley, Secretary.

BOOSTER CLUB

We held our second Booster Club meeting on October 11 at 1:30 pm. Steve Baker, Elkhorn Public Schools Superintendent, was our guest speaker. Even though Mr. Baker is retiring next year he continues to plan for the growth of our district. Thanks to Mr. Baker for taking time out of his busy schedule to talk to the ERMS Booster Club. Here are some interesting facts Mr. Baker shared with us:

Elkhorn is the 7th largest district in the state (out of 245) with 8,392 students,

754 are kindergartners.

The Elkhorn district makes up 48 square miles and is geographically larger that

Millard.

In 7 years we have opened 7 new schools. We will open our 11th elementary

school in 2018.

It is projected, with the number of houses being built, that the enrollment at EHS will be larger than that of ESHS. EHS will eventually exceed capacity and a third high school will need to be built north of Maple. Mr. Baker said those stu-

dents who will attend the new high school are currently in the pipeline.

It’s hard to believe but Thanksgiving is right around the corner and there is no better time to thank the many generous volunteers. Thank you to all of the families that do-nated to the ERMS “NO SELL” fundraiser. Because of your generosity we exceeded our goal of $7,500 by $183. I would also like to thank the many volunteers that have helped us with their time and hard work. Thank you Kim Lehl and Mindy Foral for your work on the ERMS directory. Thanks to Jen Goble and Deb Schuiteman for working on the fall apparel sale. Thanks to the Booster Club Executive Board for all of your efforts this year; Jenny Haase, Lynn VanDenBroeke, and Ricci Nisley. A huge thank you to our kindness committee, Melanie Nielsen and Christy Croom, I know the staff really appreciates the food provided on conference evenings. Of course we would like to thank the teachers, administrators and all of the ERMS staff for all of the work you put in each and every day, for our children! We are fortunate to have such a great staff at ERMS! Thank you to all of the volunteers that stepped up to help with the volleyball concessions. Basketball is around the corner and we will continue to need volunteers. You do not need to have a basketball player in your family to volun-teer. Remember, the booster club shares the profits from the concession stand with the 8th grade class for their 8th grade celebration at the end of the year. We need eve-ryone’s help to make sure that we can operate a concession stand at each of the home basketball games. Our next meeting is Tuesday, November 8th at 1:30 pm. Hope to see you there!

Tina Dunham

Booster Club President

School Issue—September 2010

October/November 2011

October/November 2016

Consider Simplified Holidays

When did we decide the holidays needed to be a big

production, with lots of gifts and over the-top decora-

tions? Wouldn’t it be nice to just enjoy the season, and

our family, without breaking the bank? There’s no rea-

son we can’t, really. Maybe it’s

time we let go of the pressures

of commercialism and trying to

“keep up with the Joneses.”

For weeks leading up to the fall

and winter holidays, the stress

starts to build. It can make us

cranky and tired, which may

make us feel like not celebrating

the holidays at all. Making things

simpler and less stressful takes

a little bit of planning, but it may

be worth it.

Filling the house with store-

bought decorations (however

beautiful they may be) sometimes lacks the sentiment of

the holidays. Instead of searching for the latest trend in

holiday decorations, take a break and make homemade

decorations with your kids. Making paper snowflakes,

gingerbread men, wreaths, and other holiday-inspired

décor that covers your walls puts a smile on your kids’

faces, and adds a bit of charm to your home.

String your tree (or anything else) with popcorn garlands

and do-it-yourself (DIY) bulbs. There are so many online

sites that can show you step-by-step instructions to

make your own cute and inexpensive decorations. Cre-

ate your own holiday wreath and hang it on your front

door. Cover it in the things your kids love—mini base-

balls, tiny dancers, or anything else your family loves to

do.

Who doesn’t love holiday treats? Making cookies,

breads, and other treats with your kids will become fond

memories that they can share with their own children.

You can then deliver the treats to

neighbors in the spirit of the holi-

day season! Follow that up with

some warm cocoa, and you’ve

created a new holiday tradition.

Homemade gifts from kids to par-

ents are treasured. There is no

reason adults can’t make gifts too.

A photo album, a blanket, a covet-

ed recipe—whatever you’re good

at, make it—and give it to your

loved ones. The time and love you

put into a gift will shine through.

Holidays are about spending time

with loved ones, and sometimes

that gets lost within our own expectations. By making

everything simple, you’d be surprised at how much more

enjoyment the holidays can bring you.

You can give with-

out loving, but you

can never love

without giving.

Robert Lewis Stevenson

Pessimism—may take over the individual’s thought process. Of-

ten the abused individual feels there is no hope, and no matter

what he/she does, it will never be good enough. Be supportive and

encouraging. You can be the anchor to point the person in a direc-

tion of help.

Depression—can manifest itself as feelings of hopelessness and

helplessness invade the individual’s self-confidence. As depres-

sion sets in, some or all of the behaviors of isolation, fearfulness,

and aggression may manifest themselves. Be kind and encourag-

ing of the victim. Allow him/her to work through things in his/her

time. However, if you are in a position that you can encourage

and listen, do so, and avoid making any judgments.

Low Self-esteem—is a product of abuse, and it is intensified by

any and all of the other signs. Encourage your family member or

co-worker to seek help. A referral to the EAP at 402-330-0960 is

a good first step. This is a confidential contact, and it is a step in

the right direction.

The Toll of Domestic Violence

Domestic violence is an overall term which includes mis-

treatment of persons in relationships. Although it is primarily

considered an attack on females by male partners, it is also

the subject of abuse toward males by females, as well as

individuals in same-sex relationships. Besides the obvious

trauma faced by the abused partner, the extended communi-

ty is also affected. This includes children, family/friends, and

the work community. Some signs family members and/or co-

workers can be aware of to assist those in abusive relation-

ships include:

Isolation—whether from family/friends, or in the workplace,

victims often seclude themselves. This is a “protection” for

them so they do not feel the necessity to discuss problems

with others. We should be aware of this and not aggressive-

ly push them for input. On the other hand, it is necessary to

let them know we are there for them if they want to talk.

Fearfulness—is a sign of serious problems. Frequently vic-

tims of domestic violence place themselves in a physical

position where they can directly observe the comings and

goings of others. This is a tactic to prepare themselves for a

possible confrontation if the abuser approaches. They fear

for themselves and others, particularly about the well-being

of children and people with whom they work. If you observe

such behavior, be aware it may be a protective ploy. Like

those in isolation, the fearful person needs the option of

sharing or not. Again, be there for them—but do not push as

the isolated person needs our patience.

Aggression—may manifest itself physically or verbally. If

the person did not exhibit this behavior in the past, take

note, and pay attention to when the outbursts occur. You

may want to be a friend, and elicit if there is something you

can do to relieve the underlying situation. Allow him/her the

opportunity to ask for help by being a friend.

NOVEMBER 2016 ELKHORN RIDGE MIDDLE SCHOOL

17880 MARCY STREET

OMAHA, NE 68118

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2

1

Oscar’s Family Fun Night 5-9 pm

2

3

8th BBB @ Bennington 4:00 pm

7th BBB vs

Bennington 4:15 pm

4

5

6 7

8th BBB @ Platteview 4:15 pm

7th BBB vs. Platteview 4:15 pm

8

Polling Place

Parent Booster Meeting 1:30 pm

Health Screening PM - 7th and new 6th / 8th Grade

9

10

End of Rotation #2

7th BBB @ EGVMS 4:15 pm

8th BBB vs. EGVMS 4:15 pm

11

Start Rotation #3

12

13 14

8th BBB vs Gretna 4:15 pm

7th BBB @ Gretna MS 4:15 pm School Board Meeting 6:30 pm

15

6th – 8th Choir Concert 7 pm

16

Mid-Quarter Reports Sent Home

17

8th BBB @ Neb City 4:15 pm

7th BBB vs Neb City 4:15 pm

18

Boys Basketball Sports Pictures

19

20

27

21

8th BBB vs Norris

4:15 pm

7th BBB @Norris 4:15 pm 28

22

29 7th BBB @ EVV 4:15 PM 8th BBB vs EVV 4:15 PM

23

Early Dismissal 2:20 pm

30

24 NO SCHOOL

25

NO SCHOOL

26

ELKHORN RIDGE MIDDLE SCHOOL