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Save the Date!

Mandeville Middle

Thank You!

Thank you For all that you do for

Mandeville Middle School.

Volunteers of the Month

• Laura Zambiasi • Mary Glaviano • Lynn Carter

Top Overall Fundraiser Winner

Mikayla Hawkins

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Dear Parents and Students,

It’s hard to believe this is the final newsletter of the year. The school year is flying past! Sixth graders are eagerly anticipating their special end-of-the year-activities, and our fifth grade students can’t wait to take their places as the leaders of the school. Fourth graders and their parents are waiting for LEAP to conclude before breathing that final sigh of relief that they have survived the transition to middle school.

Bank Day [April 15]

Relay For Life [May 3]

Fontainebleau High School. Stop by anytime between 2:00pm-midnight.

Last Bank Day of the year.

Construction Zone: Building Community, Friendships and Futures

A Message From Our Assistant Principal, Sherri Barton

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Art Fest [April 17]

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SPRING 2014 MANDEVILLE MIDDLE

6th Grade In addition to preparing for the upcoming ILEAP in April, sixth grade students at MMS are busy perfecting new concepts and

creating projects that inspire learning. Whether it's working on Algebraic equations or finding volume in math, the classes are

working diligently to prepare for junior high. Students are learning about Rome in Social Studies and then applying that

knowledge to creative original Roman coins with the child's silhouette in art. Some classes are studying world religions in

Social Studies and are creating lessons and activities to teach their peers. Language arts classes wrapped up Across Five Aprils and

some are creating parodies in the writing class, focusing on MMS memories. Whatever the students are doing in any class, you can

be assured that's it's fun, rigorous, and unique...just like our kids!

BE THE CHANGE YOU WISH TO SEE IN THE WORLD.

The 5th grade classes have been busy this 9 weeks. In Mrs. Holloway’s class, the students became

“iResearch Explorers” and created “apps” on kid inspired iPads. They also have “poetry fever” and

have been memorizing several Shel Silverstein poems for a poetry unit. In Ms. Becker’s class, the students

have been studying Literary Devices and created their own comic book version wall with different

Onomatopoeia words. Ms.Arledge’s class has been busy working with cells. They made analogies about

cells comparing some to movies, the United States, and military bases. The students brought in edible cells made

from cookies, pancakes, cakes, and jello.

Classroom Updates

5th Grade

We have been working very hard in the fourth grade! Besides gearing up for the phase I of the LEAP, we have been enjoying collecting our bottle caps and beads for STARC!

There are plenty of interesting things going on in the fourth grade right now! In math, our classes are tackling multiple step constructive response questions that cover a variety of concepts…including fractions! The science classes are discovering and experimenting with electricity. Some of the classes are also working on weather and earth science including the study of planets as well as rocks and minerals found on Earth. In our ELA classes, we have just finished our favorite novel thus far, Freedom Train by Dorothy Sterling! Many of us have enjoyed learning about the heroes of our past who have helped pave the way for the freedom we enjoy today! Subsequently, our social studies classes were enthused about diving deeper into how our government works. We have been studying the three branches and levels of government. As we work hard in all of our classes, we have enjoyed the “Aaah Haa” moments that come with such rigorous learning!

4th Grade

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We will need lots of volunteers to make this day an enjoyable, educational experience for all students. Please mark your calendars and plan to join us for all or part of the day. If you are interested in being part of the Art Fest planning committee, please email Gail Owens at gsowens@bellsouth.net. A notice for volunteer sign-ups for the day of the event will come home in March.

Thursday, April 17

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7:45am – 2:15pm

MMS-Samaritan Center Food Drive

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students received a popsicle party.

The classes that bring in the most items for the 4th quarter will receive a popsicle party. The classes that bring in the most items for the 2nd semester will receive a snowball party at the end of the year!

Let’s keep those donations coming!

Thank you for all that you do to help those in need in our community!

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Since our last newsletter was published, we have collected another 1,893 items for the 3rd quarter (1,005 items in January and 888 items in February). We also collected 789 items in March. We are now at 7,994 items year-to-date. Our goal is to reach 10,000 items, so we only have 2,006 more items to go! We will have two more food drives before the end of school.

The classes that brought in the most items for the 3rd quarter were Mrs. Schoen, Mrs. Wolff, and Mrs. Reed. Congratulations! Their

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Over the last four months, the FOR Club has focused on an idea that originated with one of the student members -- to place kind, uplifting notes on the desks of each student and staff at MMS. Teachers told us how excited students were to arrive in their classrooms and find these special notes on their desks. At the March after-school meeting FOR Club members created and placed notes to office staff, custodians, cafeteria staff, enrichment teachers and paraeducators. FOR Club members have also been busy adding links to the “kindness chain” hanging in our hallway. We are excited to watch it grow, hoping the chain will fill the length of both sides of the hallway and beyond before the end of the school year. As part of our FOR Club meetings, students continue to share acts of kindness they have witnessed here at MMS:

• “My lunch box spilled and someone helped me pick up everything.”

• When I was in 4th grade and my mom had cancer, Mrs. Clement asked me each day how my mom was doing.

• A group of girls who saw another girl walking alone at morning recess went to her and walked and talked with her.

• “I was walking down the hallway with a stack of papers and I tripped. Another student helped me pick them up.”

• A fifth grade girl reports that a sixth grade girl regularly gives her a hug and calls her, “special one,” which makes her feel very special, indeed.

Thank you FOR members for setting a great example for other students at MMS!

PTA President Letter Amanda Lee

The year is almost over!! Summer will be here before we know it! The PTA has been working very hard this school year to make the students’ school year exciting. We have many volunteer opportunities for all Parents, Grandparents, and other family members. We are still in need of volunteers.

Positions for next year are open. On the Executive Board we are in need of a Co-President and a 2nd Vice President. On the PTA Board we have two spots open for Community Builders of the Month Breakfast and positions open for the PTA Reflections Contest, Membership, Red Ribbon Week, and Health and Safety Committee.

If anyone is interested in volunteering or filling a PTA chair, please contact me (Amanda Lee) via email alee73@ymail.com.

FOR Friends of Rachel

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Reflections Contest The National PTA Reflections contest is still going very strong for MMS! Eleven (11) students were

awarded at the District level, 6 students received awards at the state level of judging and, currently, we have 3 students whose art submissionsare being judged at the national level. This is a thrilling achievement. Four students won awards for the District Safety Poster contest. They are Gabriel Hooter who won a Merit award, Victoria Vinet who won Excellence, Nicole Kiefer won Merit and Cade Vagnier received an Excellence award. Cade and Victoria's submissions have moved to the final level of the state contest. Congratulations! Many of these students attended the Children's banquet on March 21st to recognize their achievements. Also attending the banquet was Ms. Hart, Mrs. Barton, Mrs. Haggard and Mr. and Mrs. Hartman. Mr. Hartman received the Educator of Distinction award for MMS.

2013 Reflections contest St. Tammany District MMS winners

District Place State Student Arts-Category Division Artwork-Title

Excellence Merit Ben Montgomery Photography Middle Growth

Merit Shaw Corcoran Photography Middle The Endless Track of Dreams

Excellence Merit Lucas Dupuy Photography Intermediate I'll Always Be By Your Side

Excellence Merit Amelia McGill Photography Intermediate Sidewalk Chalk

Merit Sarah Hossain Photography Intermediate Believe, Dream, Inspire

Excellence Outstanding* Madison Parr Film Production Middle Believe in Yourself

Merit Elizabeth Pelto Film Production Middle Believe in your Dreams

Merit Josh Schaffer Film Production Intermediate Dream Big

Excellence Excellence* Elaina Bachman Music Comp Intermediate Ask

Excellence Excellence* John-Michael Nagle Literature Middle Still Inspiring

Excellence Devyn Mulkey Literature Middle Flowers

Excellence Merit Benv Montgomery Literature Middle The Color of Ideas

* - proceeded to national level of judging Middle – Grades 6-8

Intermediate – Grades 3-5

MANDEVILLE MIDDLE SPRING 2014

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We certainly wish to thank everyone who continues to partner with us in the MMS Construction Zone, making this year such a success. Students celebrated their growth in “building community” as they participated in the

third PBIS Hats Off celebration last Thursday. We are grateful to PTA for their support of PBIS, especially the wonderful array of great prizes available for students to win in the drawings. Thanks to Ms. Judy for

coordinating this each nine weeks and to Student Council for providing their assistance to the teachers.

On Saturday, March 18th, our MMS Fitness Team participated in the Middle School Fitness Meet held at

Lakeshore High School. Megan Gettys, Brandon McCullum, and Landon Ibieta placed in the top three in

several events. In addition, Landon placed first boy overall, and he will be going to the state level of competition in May to represent St. Tammany. Congratulations to these students and to Coach Gaines!

Talented Art students are recent recipients of special recognition. Sara Pertuit, Kelly Shirer, Emile Durio,

and Cassie Tveit all placed in the in the Top Nine in the Keep Mandeville Beautiful Litter Monster contest.

In addition, Kate Hankins, Madison Pittman, Sarah Hossain, and Kelly Shirer have their works published

in the 2013 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for STPSB. Congratulations to these students and their

teacher, Ms. Robyn Kennedy! In addition to these honorees, MMS had numerous students (far too many to

name in this letter) place in the PTA Reflections Contest. How proud Ms. Hart and I were to join these students and their parents at the annual banquet recognizing them for their unique, creative abilities.

We also appreciate the efforts of our PTA in building community through new events this year, such as Pizza with Dad and Meatballs with Mom. Both were huge hits with everyone involved. It was wonderful to see our

students and their parents enjoying food and fun together. In addition, there are the many activities PTA has long supported which continue to make MMS such a great community. Whether it is Community Builder of

the Month breakfasts, AR Cart, TCBY sales, office volunteers, Food Drive, Fall Hullabaloo, class sitters, Art Fest, Abilities Awareness, Square 1 Art, Reflections, bulletin boards, fundraisers, and many more, you are

invaluable to MMS.

Ms. Hart and I and our wonderful faculty and staff could not provide all we do for your children without the

tireless, gracious assistance of our parents. Not only are you generous in support of our students, but the

recent Teacher Appreciation Week made each of us feel pampered and appreciated. We are grateful to the many volunteers who gave of their creativity, time, energy and talent to make this an amazing and special week.

Ms. Hart and I know how fortunate we are to work with the special people who comprise the MMS Family. Thank you for building community with us each day and for entrusting your children to us. We are all eager

for spring to arrive, and we look forward to your joining us for the many activities that conclude our school year. As always, please feel free to contact us at any time with your ideas and concerns.

Sincerely,

Sherri Barton

Assistant Principal

Continued from page 1 Sherri Barton’s Message