ELLSWORTH ELEMENTARY-MIDDLE SCHOOL 20 Forrest Avenue, Ellsworth, Maine 04605

Phone 667-6241 Fax 667-6246

FALCON NEWS – DECEMBER 2014 Grades 5-8

CALENDAR

School Board Workshop on Facilities Policy – Public Input Desired Tuesday, December 2, 6:30 p.m., at EEMS cafeteria. The policy will impact those people and groups who use the building for non-school functions. Building use fees, custodial fees, and insurance requirements will be discussed. Chess Meet – Wednesday, December 3 from 3-5PM in the EEMS cafeteria Proficiency Based Education Parent Meeting – Thursday, December 4, 6:30-7:30PM at EHS. Target audience is 7th-9th grade parents and staff members. Learn what EHS is doing to prepare for our current 8th graders as the high school graduation standards will be shifting to a proficiency based diploma starting next year. Gold Wing Award Assembly – Friday, December 5. Two students from each grade level will be recognized for consistently living up to our school values. Holiday Parade – Saturday, December 6. Meet at EEMS at 10:00 AM. Bus will take us to Maine Community Foundation Parking lot (next to Angelos Pizzeria). Parade starts at 11. We will walk back to EEMS for drinks and cookies. Pick up is by 12 noon. Permission form to attend will be handed out at school. Report Cards Sent Home – Monday, December 8 is the day report cards go home. Family Movie Night – Friday, December 12 , 5:30-6:15 pm(bake sale) 6:15 PM for movie in the cafeteria. The PTF is sponsoring the free showing of Polar Express . There will be free popcorn. Drinks will be on sale. P.J. Spirit Day – December 12. Student are encouraged to wear pajamas on this day. PTF Meeting – Tuesday, December 16, 4:15-5:15PM in the middle school

library. Parent Volunteer Training – Tuesday, December 16, 5:15PM following the PTF meeting. Training goes no more than an hour for parents who would like to help out in the school. Talent Show – Tuesday, December 23 in the afternoon. Students will perform their talent for 5th-8th graders. Holiday Vacation – There is no school Wednesday, December 24 through Sunday, January 4. School resumes on Monday, January 5. Home Basketball Game Schedule – Students are welcome to stay and cheer for our Falcon basketball teams. Students are expected to be in the gym and not wandering the halls. Students can’t leave the building and come back into the game. Students certainly may bring money to purchase food items at the concession stand. This first game starts at 3:30 and the second game will end at approximately 6:15 PM. Wednesday, Dec. 3 - JV and V boys vs. Brewer Thursday, Dec. 4 – V and JV boys vs. Bucksport Thursday, Dec. 11 – JV and V girls vs. Hampden Monday, Dec. 15 – JV and V girls vs. Cohen Wednesday, Dec. 17 – V girls and V boys vs. Old Town Monday, Jan. 5 – JV boys and JV girls vs. Dedham Thursday, Jan. 8 – JV and V boys vs. Hampden Tuesday, Jan. 13 – JV and V boys vs. Emerson Tuesday, Jan. 20 – JV and V girls vs. Bucksport Tuesday, Jan. 27 – V and JV girls vs. Emerson Thursday, Jan. 29 – JV girls and JV boys vs. Surry Home Chess Meet Schedule Wednesday, December 3 Snow date is Thursday, December 11 Tuesday, January 20 Snow date is Thursday, January 29 Thursday, February 5 Snow date is Wednesday, February 11

FROM THE OFFICE – Mr. Newett

Proficiency Based Diploma Update – Across the State of Maine, students in 8th grade and below will need to demonstrate proficiency of Maine Learning Standards in order to graduate from high school. This is a big change from the traditional 0-100 numeric scale we have used for decades, with a 70% considered a passing grade. The Maine Department of Education originally expected all current 9th graders to demonstrate proficiency of standards to graduate in 2018, however, many high schools throughout Maine were not prepared to make the shift beginning with this school year. Ellsworth school administration and staff recognized that EHS was not

totally ready for the shift, so we applied for a one year waiver to give us additional time to get ready. That’s exactly what administration and staff at EHS is doing. They are piloting proficiency based learning and grading practices in anticipation of the group of 8th graders we will be sending them next September. To keep parents and students “in the loop” about these changes, a meeting is being held at EHS on Thursday, December 4 at 6:30 PM. Administration and teacher representatives will be present to explain what’s going on and to answer questions and gather input from parents. I strongly encourage parents of 7th and 8th graders to attend this meeting, as your children will be directly impacted first. While a lot of emphasis is placed on what EHS doing, EEMS is also moving in the direction of proficiency based learning (PBL). We have done school visits where PBL is in place, have attended PBL conferences, and have begun to align our standards with the high school standards at EHS. As we move forward in this shift, we will certainly be having our own meetings so you can see what changes will be taking place at EEMS. We want our students well prepared to succeed when they attend EHS. Show Choir The stage is empty now. The sets have been stored away. The last pieces of paper have been thrown away and props returned to their rightful owners. Nothing is stirring, not even a mouse. Yet, wandering around the stage, one can almost hear the notes of “I’m Alive” wafting through the otherwise empty air. Hold it! Those are the notes of “I’m Alive” And they’re not just a figment of the imagination; they sound real! And they are coming from the door backstage, leading to the Elementary Music Room. A quick turn of the door handle, and visions of the GrLeek Chorus come to life! Xanadu lives! But the show is over. What is happening? Show Choir! Ladies and gentlemen, it’s that time of year that the performing arts at EEMS turn from musicals to competitive singing and dancing: show choir. And as you may have guessed, we are doing songs from the Broadway show Xanadu. 80’s favorites like “Evil Woman”, “Strange Magic”, Don’t Walk Away”, “Dancin’” and “I’m Alive” will highlight the show. Even though we performed the musical this fall, show choir competition is a different beast with different requirements. In a musical, for example, the focus is on the story: the singing and dancing help tell the tale. In show choir, the story goes to the back burner: it’s the quality of the singing and dancing that take center stage. The choreography must look

very tight and smiles must be on every face. The singing? Xanadu can be a very complicated show, with multi-part harmonies and counter part melodies. Barber Shop Quartet anyone? And whereas the choreography in the musical occurs only during songs. In show choir you dance from the first song to the last note. We will be starting the show choir season the first week after the Thanksgiving break. Auditions will take place on Thursday, December 4th from 3-4:30 in the Elementary Music room. Who needs to audition? If you were in show choir last year, you don’t have to audition. If you were a member of the Xanadu cast, you do not have to audition. If you do not fall into these two groups, we will see on Thursday, December 4th! Prepare to sing and dance. See you there!

Drama – Mr. Stephenson and Mrs. Cox [This article was written before our musical’s performance. Tune in next month for the write up of Xanadu!] We are all ready to put on our performance of Xanadu Jr. before the Thanksgiving break. The actors have been working very hard to learn their lines, their songs and their dance steps. And they are not appearing on stage in jeans and t-shirts.

Thanks to the efforts of Suzanne Bessette, Alta Gross and Nancy Alston-Stacey, we have awesome costumes for every actor. The evil ones are dressed to an evil “T”. The Cyclops, Centaur and Medusa headpieces are simply stunning! It is always a pleasure to have a true artist design a show’s set. We are incredibly lucky to have an artist in residence at EEMS: Ms. Jennifer Cowen. A self-described theater geek, she has given much time and talent to create our sets. And it is stunning! And there are others, working in the background, who are helping theater at EEMS get better and better every year. One of these people is Ashley Callan, who loves theater in general (she was a great addition to The Grand’s production of Spamalot). She graciously volunteers to run our donation only bake sale at every show. Thanks to the money the bake sale brings in, we have been able to put on a spring play for the past three years. Another helper is Bob Terwilliger, a man of electric ability. No, really! He knows how to deal with electricity and sound. Because of his efforts, our actors are able to be heard with microphones that he spent many hours hanging and optimizing.

We hope to have a great run. Enjoy the Thanksgiving break and check back next month for an unbiased look at Xanadu Jr,

Grade Level News

Grade 5 News Ms. Jordan-Carter - 5 Math~ for the month of December we will be working in Unit 5 DIVISION. It is important that everyone practices their multiplication facts. Our 90’s club is growing each week. Reading ~ we continue to work on Figurative Language each week. Each week students work in stations where the topics change each week depending on the needs of the students. We cover many standards in our stations. Social Studies ~ we are working through Unit 1 ~ The Peoples of the Americas and will be heading into Unit 2 ~ Different Worlds Meet. Students are responsible for all vocabulary covered within a unit. We will be using many different literacy strategies to help us “navigate” our way through the information text. In class it is set up for student centered learning where the students are doing the research and are

working on finding the answers to the questions posed by me. Mrs. Violette - 5 Math: During the month of December we will be focusing on division. We will review multiplication and division facts and apply basic facts to division with one digit divisors. Another learning target will be providing practice solving division number stories and interpreting remainders. Science: In fifth grade science we will be finishing up our matter unit and then toward the end of the month we will be learning about the human body and talking about specific body systems. We will also incorporate the program The Great Body Shop into our study. Reading: We will be finishing up our first round of book club mid December. Literacy stations for the month of December will focus on word work and fluency. If your child is not close to finishing his/her seventh independent reading book of the year he/she is falling a bit behind, and will want to increase nightly reading and document it on the Reading Response Log Sheet. Don't forget it is encouraged for students to read

for a few minutes over the weekend as well. Ms. Jordan – 5 All students have completed I-Ready testing in Reading and Math. We will be analyzing and sharing the data soon. Students are enjoying meeting twice a month with their mentoring buddies from 1st grade. Both grades look forward to their get-togethers. Math We will continue with Activity 4 ~ multiplying and dividing fractions and mixed numbers as we prepare for Embedded Assessment # 3. Please remind your student to study their math facts nightly. Timed tests are now at 4 minutes and 30 seconds. Knowing these facts will make working with fractions easier. Science

Students will be creating a 3-D model of an atom, using their Atom Sketch assignment as a guide. We will then move on to the unit on Mixtures. We

will learn about the characteristics of mixtures and how to classify them. Students are not only learning about Science, but are also learning effective note-taking and organizational skills. Writing Students have completed the Narrative Writing unit and will be transitioning to the Informational unit writing research reports. They will have many roles to practice in this unit. They will be writers, organizers, researchers, and historians. They will have to keep in

mind the qualities of good writing as well as the qualities of good history. djordan@ellsworthschools.org Ms. Small - 5 Writing- We begin the exciting world of INFORMATION writing in December. We start this writing genre by writing "FLASH DRAFTS" These are written quickly with all a student knows about a topic. From there, students will sort, organize, research, and write from the flash draft. Social Studies- We begin UNIT 2 called "Different Worlds Meet". It introduces us to the early civilizations of Africa, Asia, and Europe. Famous places- Timbuktu, famous people-Marco Polo, famous time of inspiration-Renaissance make this a wondrous time in history. Math- A TESSELLATION project will be due December 5. After testing on UNIT 3, we leap into Division in UNIT 4. Division is the inverse of multiplication, so students who know their multiplication facts can focus on the steps of division and not be slowed by the times tables facts. *If holiday shopping, we would love pencils, tissues, & small hand held pencil sharpeners for the classroom.

Grade 6 News Mr. Stackpole - 6 Math: The students are working with fractions in this unit. They will work on solving problems involving fractions. Social Studies: We are learning about the people of Canada and their culture. Language Arts: The students are getting ready to write their own narratives. They will continue to have vocabulary and spelling tests on Fridays.

Mrs. Anderson’s language arts classes are diving into our first class novel, A Season of Gifts by Richard Peck. This is a hilarious book about life in Illinois in 1958. It’s told from a twelve-year-old boy’s

perspective during the holidays. He and his family are trying to adjust and survive in their new home, located next to crafty, feisty, superstitious Mrs. Dowdel. Please expect to see your student’s book at home nightly, along with comprehension quizzes. They do not need to read an additional 30 minutes. This is their reading for the month of December. Our spelling words will come from the book and we will continue with vocabulary and the parts of speech (nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs). Her math students are multiplying and dividing fractions. Our next assessment will require them to use those operations/strategies in order to construct a bookcase on paper with correct and precise dimensions. Knowing their multiplication facts continues to be very important. Thank you for your support at home. Enjoy the holiday season!

Miss Pelletier - 6 Language Arts: Students completed their first writing embedded assessment the end of November. Their personal narratives were about an incident in their lives that has had an impact on them, and which they will always remember. Next, students learned about the Acadian Expulsion, which occurred in 1755 Nova Scotia. We read portions of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s Evangeline, then students began their own fictional narrative, depicting what it would have been like for them to have been deported during this sad time in history. Students continue to practice grammar, vocabulary, and spelling. Please make sure your child gets his/her spelling homework done by Tuesday of each week, as the list is given out every Friday. There should be no one with late homework. Students should also be studying the spelling and definitions throughout the week, and having a parent drill them is great! The weekly quiz is every Wednesday, and the weekly test is on Friday. Our vocabulary centers around Greek and Latin roots. We will be starting a new class novel during December called A Season of Gifts. Springboard ELA continues throughout the year. Science: Students are right in the middle of Unit C of our SEPUP curriculum. This unit focuses on cell biology and disease. So far, in this unit students have learned about infectious diseases and how quickly they can spread through a populous. In early December students will be completing a research project on an assigned disease, and will present their findings to the class in a comic strip. Throughout this unit we

will be learning about carriers and vectors, and how epidemiologists investigate the spread of infectious diseases throughout a community. We will also be learning the importance of washing hands frequently and not sharing drinks and food in order to limit the spread of diseases like colds and flu. Math: We are working through the Springboard curriculum, learning to add, subtract, multiply, and divide fractions. Please drill your child in multiplication facts when you have time. They can also access my Portaportal from home if they have the internet, and can do math practice on the websites I have set up there. Two great ones for multiplication practice are Free Rice and Rapid Fire Math Drills. Homeroom: Some students have brought in boxes of tissues to share with the class during this season of colds and influenza. Thank you very much for your contribution. We can always use more! Happy Holidays!!! I hope that you and your family have a wonderful Christmas season together. Mrs. Morse - 6 Science classes are exploring how infectious diseases affect people . In the current unit, Cell Biology and Disease, students will focus on cell size, structure, function, permeability and the different systems of classification. Students will also learn how to use a microscope, and then use it to gather data, building on their ability to conduct experiments. Students will explore the function of the immune system and the growth of antibiotic-resistant organisms through a series of laboratory activities and simulations. Students are continuing to work hard at

neatly recording their lab observations and answering analysis questions in their lab packets. Students are also responsible for keeping their science binder organized by four different sections. Please continue to encourage your child to keep their binder organized. Since it is the second trimester, retakes on tests will no longer be provided. Therefore, it is crucial for students to continue to work hard and properly prepare for exams. Any assignments are written in your child’s assignment book and checked by the teacher with a red star stamp. Please ask to view your child’s assignment book nightly.

Social Studies: Students are continuing their study of Canada and will learn about several different explorers. Since it is the second

trimester, retakes on quizzes and tests will no longer be provided. Math: Students are currently learning how to write and solve two-step equations and write, solve and graph two-step inequalities. It is important for students to study nightly and to review the concepts and problems we completed in class. I have also asked my students to ask for help when needed. I encourage my students to ask questions in class and have also explained that I can help them after school as well. I will continue to offer a study group before the embedded assessments to help review all the concepts they will be assessed on. Please continue to work on multiplication times tables. It is crucial that students learn and master multiplication facts in order to make math easier and more

enjoyable. Students will have timed multiplication tests every Friday and the time limit will continuously decrease once half the class can complete the test with a 90% (or greater) in the given time limit. Now that the second trimester has started the multiplication quizzes will now count as part of their math average. Students will have2:45 to complete 100 facts on December 5th. Students were informed about this transition at the beginning of the school year and were reminded before the Thanksgiving break. All students have the opportunity to earn up to 12 points of extra credit if they complete a multiplication packet. This will allow them an opportunity to study, while also earning extra points on their quiz. Please also remember to bring your calculator to class every day. If you do not have a calculator that can be left at school... please contact me! J (kmorse@ellsworthschools.org)

Grade 7 New Mr. Libby - 7 Wow! Hard to believe that 1/3 of the school year has already gone by! Please remember that if you ever have any questions to call, email, or drop by. Language Arts: The second trimester will feature more writing pieces. Most of those will be done right in the classroom. We will continue to work on increasing students' vocabulary and to focus on grammar lessons that will improve their writing. Students again are expected to complete four (4) Scholastic Reading Counts tests, so remind your students to keep up with their outside reading.

Social Studies: We are about 1/3 of our way thru the study of ancient Egypt. By now most of the students have dramatically increased their knowledge of the fifty states of our nation, and most can also locate the major cities of our country! Math: We are now tackling inequalities and two-step equations. They are gaining experience at expanding and simplifying! After that it will be on to Unit 3: Ratio and proportion. Varsity Girls' Basketball This year's team has a short roster! Not in height, but in numbers. We only have seven, but those seven are working hard to prepare for the start of the season. Team members are Kaitlin McCullough, Larissa Richards, Addreanna Seavey, Olivia Dyer, Lydia Paul, Mykayla Seavey, and Sara Shea. During Thanksgiving break we will be going up to Bangor to see the Black Bears play in their holiday tournament. Mrs. Cochrane - 7 One of the things I am thankful for this fall is the opportunity to be working with your children.. They are wonderful. I wish you and yours a very Happy Thanksgiving. We have finished reading THE BREADWINNER in Language Arts. It is a story of an eleven -year old girl who lives in Kabul, Afghanistan. This book opened our eyes as to what life is like in that country. We've read some tales from Greek Mythology and seen how symbolism is used to represent

gods. We will be reading some of Aesop's Fables and myths from "around the globe". The final assignment in this unit will be to create an original illustrated myth. Stay tuned. Equations, equations, equations! We have ALMOST mastered them in math class. We will soon be moving on to Unit 3,which is Ratio and Proportion. Our science class is finishing up with our Rock Unit. Next on the agenda is Erosion and Deposition. In this unit we will be exploring the earth processes that move rocks and soil from one place to another. Just a reminder that everyone should be reading 20 minutes a night. Again, have a wonderful Thanksgiving. Mrs. Stackpole - 7 Science We are continuing to look at weathering

and erosion in the community of Boomtown to help students to make decisions on where to build their new housing

project. Math Students are learning how to find slope in the context of a real life problem. It is amazing to watch and listen to student’s thinking as they work through their problem sets. Language Arts We are finishing up our mythology and narrative writing unit in Springboard. Next up is looking at advertising and consumerism as it relates

to children. Students will look at informational text and use strategies to help them with understanding. We will continue to work on our writing skills.

Grade 8 News Mrs. Fraser and Mr. Ford Remember that 8th grade homework is posted on Facebook. You can like our page by searching EEMS 8th Grade Parents Page. Geometry: Geometry students will be finishing up Unit 2 in the Springboard text. Students will be working on properties of Triangles and Quadrilaterals for this month and be taking two Embedded Assessments and then a Unit Test for Unit2. It is very important that students are practicing their skills at home by either doing problems on IXL, extra practice problems from their book, or by studying the definitions, theorems, and postulates we are learning in class. Students will especially want to study for the unit test, as there has been a lot of content in Unit 2. Science: Students will be finishing up their Chemistry unit by investigating various ways to dispose of chemical waste. In class students will be make circuit boards, and then trying to find ways to dispose of the waste, such as incineration, reclaiming the copper waste, diluting, and precipitation by adding cheaper metals. Students will also be completing their second science writing prompt where they will need to make a recommendation to a school about which "green" computer should be purchased.

Algebra Dec Newsletter Items Students in Algebra have been studying key features of graphs. Specifically, they’ve been looking at domain, range, variables, and extrema. Students have had to apply their knowledge of these features to real world scenarios and graphs of actual situations. As we move forward, students will be learning how to complete tables using a function and graph the data shown on a table. They will then interpret their own graph and analyze the key features. The graphs and tables that students generate will be based off of experimental data from activities they actually perform in class. Once students are comfortable graphing, we will begin discussing parent functions and transformations of graphs. Mrs. James and Mrs. Johnston - 8 Language Arts After Thanksgiving break, we will continue to work on the expository writing skill of comparing and contrasting. We will be reading a class novel, The Giver as the basis for an expository essay.

Ms. Cowen – Art Students in middle school art have been painting and printmaking with sheer brilliance these days. Dozens of individual works of student art have been selected to be hung up in the lobby at the Grand Theater in Ellsworth. They will be there on display until New Years, so go and check out how our students are representing the talent this season! Remember to check out our new art website at www.emsartclass.weebly.com for news, photos, and information about what magic is going on in the art room

Get inspired! Mr. McDonald – Physical Education

GOOD NEWS! I was able to go to

Hancock and assist their PE teacher, Marci Billings in the sorting process of nearly 200 pairs of rollerblades. Without any exaggeration, was a huge task. Hence, our grade 5-8 students can expect to rollerblade in our gym when they get back from break. With this colder weather upon us, it is time to remind students that if we get good conditions for snowshoeing, we will be going outside to enjoy the healthy winter wonderland. Student are often reminded to dress warm in layers with gloves and hats as well. Students will be receiving thei8r trimester grades soon. I took a lot of time putting comments on the 300+ reports that were sent out at progress report time. Please check for any updates. If you have any questions, my e-mail address is: jmcdonald@ellsworthschools.org Health Education Newsletter Mr. Ormsby In health, trimester 1 classes are moving quickly and students are already into their first grading term. Students are studying the human body and the body systems. The 6th grade is starting a unit on cells of the body and are working on group projects. These groups will present information on cells to the class. The 7th

grade is also working on the human body and have been randomly assigned different ways to present information about the system they have been assigned. In the 8th grade we are looking deeper into genetics and how genetics can affect the body and how heredity plays a role in disorders and disease. Ask your student what body system they are working on and what information they can tell you about it. Happy holidays from EEMS health

EEMS Gardens Corner Update A new sign has “grown” in the Alphabet / Life Cycles Garden. A few touches are missing, but now this garden has its

own title! Thanks goes to Viking for the materials, Jeffrey Gagne for his artistic hand, and the Ellsworth Garden Club for sponsorship and guidance. Shed news : Our garden shed is beautifully organized and functional thanks for the work of parent volunteers Wayne Simmons and Toby Stephenson. Please give us feedback or share your ideas of how to improve it for using as part of an Outdoor Classroom. Composting at EEMS: Our school will now be composting and making the basic block of life for our garden: soil! Marjorie Peronto from the University of Maine Extension Office in Ellsworth has offered an in-site workshop to the students of Mrs. Morse and Mrs. Anderson in 6th grade. This will put into practice much of what they learned during their fieldtrip at Woodlawn. Wayne Simmons played an important role troubleshooting and thinking through options, and the parents of Edith Salzig

brought us two heavy bags of seaweed on a last minute request. The Kitchen Staff is also happy to see that some veggie waste will end up serving to grow more veggies for learning. Isabel Neal, our Food Corp Service Member was key at coordinating all of these. Please thank each and all of these team for making this happen at EEMS. If you want to be part of composting, please do not hesitate to contact any of us. How many tulips? The big first storm in which many lost power and were digging themselves out of the snow did not impede the massive Pink Tulip Project happening in our school grounds. Mr. Jay Barnes of the Ellsworth Garden Club was instrumental at getting the ground prepared (and shoveled!)so that each and all the students and their teachers could plant a tulip to bring awareness for breast cancer. Six other volunteer gardeners from the EGC guided the students during this all-day coordinated event. Mr. Newett’s and Mrs. Peterson-Roper’s vision of hope is now growing its roots in the soil to bloom in 900 blossoms this Spring! This year our school hosted several events that touched the school gardens: The Flower Show, which resulted on many ribbons and Best of Show award for the 2013 class of 6th graders Art Club with their butterfly entries using dried materials, and other ribbons for single entries including a Best of Show award to First Grade class of Mrs. Pinkham whom planted Borage in the Life Cycles Garden. The school also hosted the Ellsworth Garden Club Annual Harvest Potluck. Superintendent, Mr. Higgins and School Board members Andrea Perry and Brenda Thomas attended the gardens tour lead by Mrs. Peterson-Roper and teacher Sherry Young. After a great supper Christa Little-Siebold

gave a summary of the school garden developments, Isabel Neal introduced us to her role as a Food Corps Member, and Margaret Bixby, Librarian from the Sedgewick School shared her experience of the gardens in that school. Finally, our school hosted the State wide Farm to School Conference. Special thanks goes to Sunshine Barret, parent volunteer, for the great front exhibit during the month of October celebrating our school garden harvest, and the many achievements of our students and their teachers. It was a joy to see many people in the lobby making guesses on the weight of the giant pumpkin as we approached our celebration of Maine Harvest Lunch. Also, not all the ribbons earned from the Flower Show in Ellsworth, the Blue Hill Fair and the Common Ground Fair were in the exhibit! We hope to get more and earn a wall to permanently place them :). Last but not least, a big thanks to Mrs. Beekman who watered the garden during the Summer, and for Mr. Turnbull who kept the grass tidy. Thanks goes as well to the many people that are part of our School Garden in their own secret way!

This month, Learning Community and Mrs. Backman's second and third graders learned about the legend of the Three Sisters (corn, squash and beans) from the Iroquois Native American tradition. We grew all three foods in our garden this summer and fall, and the harvest traveled to classrooms to accompany the story!

Why are corn, squash and beans called "The Three Sisters," you ask? As one student put it: "they're a DYNAMIC TRIO!" These crops help each other: Corn grows tall and strong, providing a

structure for bean plants to climb and get more sunlight. Beans add lots of nitrogen to the soil, which is a necessary ingredient for plant growth. And the leaves of the squash plant make a shady, weed-resistant microclimate for all three to succeed.

These foods ALSO help each other on our plates and in our bellies! Corn + beans = a complete "protein complement." Squash is full of antioxidants, Vitamin A and Vitamin C. We talked about harvest season foods (like baked beans, cornbread, and squash soup, yum!) that we like to eat during the fall, including at Thanksgiving. Did you know that the pumpkin in your pumpkin pie is actually part of the squash family, too? Thanks, three sisters! Isabel Neal FoodCorps Service Member University of Maine Cooperative Extension and Healthy Acadia 207 667-7171 // isabel.neal@foodcorps.org Library/Mrs. Beekman: The fifth grade students are finishing up learning how the Dewey Classification is organized and where five of the ten genres needed for their classroom language arts requirements are located in the library.

After the November break, the students will learn about the State and National Book awards that are awarded annually. If your child is seeking a list of excellent books to read check out the following websites: ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/newberymedal or msba.umeedu.maine.edu Both websites provide a brief book summary to help determine the book’s genre. Best wishes for the holiday season and remember a book, whether print or ebook, is a gift that can be opened again and again. Music/Ms. Tracy Music ~ December Newsletter :

Grade 5 - We continue to work on reading music of the treble and bass clef and rhythm notation. We are adding singing and reading multiple parts. Grade 6 - We are now working on the PENTATONIC scale, reading the treble clef and learning to use the frets on our ukuleles. Grade 7 - We are working on Chords C Major, G7, F, D Major in songs like Clementine, Polly Wolly and This Old Man. The chord finger movement is difficult to master especially just doing it once a week. Grade 8 - the Word is CREATE for our grade 8 students. We have just completed out final composition, using our name as the basis for the melody. Song topics were decided by each homeroom and students created their own lyrics. FUN! Beginner Band - We are now working on pages 9 and 10 in our Standard of Excellence Band books. Students should know all exercises up to # 35 and play 9 Medals. Advanced Band - Our Winter

Concert for grades 6,7,8 band and chorus is December 16,6:3pm in the EEMS Large Gym. Warm up is6:10 in the EMS Music room and the attire is all black for band and black and white for chorus. Jazz Band -Gr 6,7,8 instrumentalists have begun Jazz Band. We rehearse Wednesdays and Fridays @ 7:30-8:15am as a group and then we start after school sectionals when we come back from the Thanksgiving break. The sectional days will be determined ASAP. Jazz Band -Gr 6,7,8 instrumentalists have begun Jazz Band. We rehearse Wednesdays and Fridays @ 7:30-8:15am as a group and then we start after school sectionals when we come back from the Thanksgiving break. The sectional days will be determined ASAP. Honor Music Festival -We had 34 students participate in the District 6 Honor Music Festival . Standing Ovations for all! All our students were Great! BRAVO EVERYONE!!! EMS HONOR MUSICIANS:

Band Riley King 6 Tuba

Band MaKayla Seavey

7 Trumpet

Band Eden Salzig 7 Trombone

Band Alec Leathers 7 Percussion

Band Deyan Rich 7 Percussion

Chorus Aurora Haslam

7 Alto

Chorus Desiree Leighton

7 Soprano

Chorus Katelyn Brady 7 Soprano

Chorus Seneca Maddocks-Wilbur

7 Soprano

Band Kaitlin McCollough

8 Flute

Band Mackenzie Chipman

8 Flute

Band Beckett Markosian

8 Alto Saxophone

Band Isaac Wardwell

8 Alto Saxophone

Band Matt Burnett 8 Alto Saxophone

Band Colby Patton 8 Tenor Saxophone

Band Sam Pelletier 8 Tenor Saxophone

Band Justin Allen 8 Baritone Saxophone

Band Will Doty 8 French Horn

Band Larissa Richards

8 Trumpet

Band Dawson Bishoff

8 Trumpet

Band Carter Frank 8 Trombone

Band Will Morin 8 Trombone

Band Atticus Deeny 8 Electric Bass

Band Bettina Bresinsky

8 Percussion

Band Emma Henry 8 Percussion

Band Isaiah Albert 8 Percussion

Band Mark Berry 8 Percussion

Chorus Alexis Stover 8 Alto

Chorus Ashlee Gidney-Stark

8 Alto

Chorus Erin Reed 8 Soprano

Chorus Grace High 8 Soprano

Chorus Kendra Bryant 8 Soprano

Chorus Kiana Maddocks-Wilbur

8 Soprano

Chorus Victoria Smith 8 Soprano