NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED FOR EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION

May Newsletter Granby Memorial Middle School

Issue 8 May 2015

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Principal’s Message As Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) testing begins to wrap up for Grade 8, the

process continues for Grade 7 at GMMS. Grade 8 SBAC Math tests are scheduled to end this first week

of the month. ELA testing for Grade 7 takes place this week as well and will finish up the following

week while our 8th

graders are in Washington, D.C. All of our SBAC testing is scheduled to be

completed before the end of May.

Congratulations and good luck to the following students who won awards in their category at the

regional History Day contest. These students will advance to represent GMMS at the State History Day

competition on May 9th:

Lindsay Gilton - 1st Place Individual Documentary

Kate Hosack - 3rd Place Individual Documentary

Noah Fairchild and Juliana Rodriguez - 1st Place Group Documentary

Andrew Quagliaroli and Dwaritha Ramesh - 1st Place Group Website

Max Morris - 3rd Place Individual Website

A special thank you to Jodi Okenquist their faculty advisor.

Sharing to Learn sponsored an evening on Thursday, April 30th. Sharing to Learn is an international, non-profit organization with whom we have partnered to donate supplies to the Makuleke people of

2 South Africa. As in previous years, we have a pod located at the back of the school which we hope to fill with donations. The evening featured student work on display, table tennis, the annual art show, musical performances, ga-ga, bingo, and a photo booth. We still are in need of donations for younger children - toys and educational materials. They are requesting ride-on toys too since those went over well last year.

This month, after much planning and anticipation, the trip to Washington, D.C. will take place. GMMS

Grade 8 students and their staff chaperones will spend four days exploring a variety of exciting and

historic locations in our nation’s capital, from May 12 through May 15. We’re looking forward to an

exciting and educational experience!

Coming Up: May 6 – PAC Meeting -8:30 am

May 12 – 15 – 8th

Grade Washington D.C. Class Trip

May 21 – 7th

Grade “The Village”

May 25 – Memorial Day – No School

May 26 – Professional Development Day – No School for Students

June 4 – Spring Chorus Concert – 7:00 p.m. at GMHS

June 9 – Spring Band Concert – 7:00 p.m. at GMHS

June 12 – 8th

Grade Block Party – 6:30-8:30pm

June 17 – 8th

Grade Moving Up Ceremony – HS Auditorium – 5pm

June 18 – Last Day of School

Request from High School Nurse

The high school nurse would like some parent volunteers to conduct vision screenings on

the 9th grade students at the beginning of the 2016 school year. The screening day is

usually the same day as picture day. It is quite a simply process and you would be

provided with instruction prior to the screening and the nurse will be available if you have

any questions. If you would like to volunteer or you have any questions please contact

Cindy O’Laughlin directly at 860 844 3019.

Reminder – Washington, DC Trip. Be sure your student has packed the medication that they

are permitted to carry in their carry-on bag and please review with them how and when the

medication is taken. Medication must be in the original containers and only the amount

needed for the trip should be sent. If they are feeling unwell they should speak to the nurse

even if they are self-medicating. Please call the school nurse at 844-3038 if you have any

questions.

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Medications Carried by Students

As allergy season comes upon us, remember not to send your child to school with over the counter

medication for their symptoms without proper written authorization, this includes eye drops and nasal

sprays. The State of Connecticut and the Granby BOE prohibits students from carrying their own

medications while in school without proper written authorization from a physician and parent/guardian

to be on file in the school nurse’s office. These include inhalers and over the counter medications such

as Tylenol, Ibuprofen, cold and allergy medications and even cough suppressants. If your child

absolutely needs decongestants or cough suppressants to ease their symptoms, we suggest trying the long

acting type of cold medication which will provide them with relief throughout the school day if taken

just prior to leaving home in the morning. If your child requires medication in school please obtain a

written order from your physician allowing the dispensing of such medication by self-administration or

by the school nurse. The nurses can help you obtain the proper written authorization or a form can be

downloaded from the GMMS Clinic web site under “downloadable forms” and submitted to your

physician for signature. Students may carry a few over the counter cough drops/throat lozenges to help

with a troublesome tickly cough, or minor sore throat they should be instructed not to share the cough

drops/throat lozenges and reminded not to laugh, talk or play while sucking on cough drops/throat

lozenges.

NEWS FROM THE SCIENCE DEPARTMENT

GRADE 8 SCIENCE .

For the month of May, 8th

grade students will be finishing their electricity unit and beginning their unit

on heat energy and transfer. The heat unit will explore: heat and temperature (how they are

different),heat calculations, phase changes, insulations, thermal expansion, calories of foods, specific

heat and how energy is transferred by conduction, convection and radiation. These concepts will have

activities and labs along with notes and lectures.

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MEDIA CENTER NEWS

We recently received word that Granby Memorial Middle School was a top-performing school in the 2014 Governor’s Summer Reading Challenge! The program identifies the schools with the highest percentage of participating enrollment and the highest number of books read by participating students. GMMS set a personal record with a 97% participation rate! Several top readers will attend a ceremony in early May at the Connecticut State Library to celebrate our achievement.

GMMS recently held Sharing to Learn Night. The night featured student work displays, table tennis, the annual art show, musical performances, ga-ga, bingo, a photo booth, music, and snacks. Students and their families donated money or supplies as admission for the evening’s festivities. The donated materials will be shipped to communities in need in South Africa and Ghana.

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The Student Intervention Team will be focusing on a monthly learning strategy for students

each newsletter. Please share these tips with your child! This month, the focus is on:

Seven Ways to Become Organized:

1. Use checklists to post assignments and reminders. Crossing completed items off a list can give someone a sense of accomplishment.

2. Use a planner!

This will help with organizing and prioritizing homework assignments.

3. Organize homework assignments. Number homework assignments in the order in which they should be completed.

4. Keep organized notebooks or binders.

Use dividers to separate class sections and “to do” and “completed” folders to help organize work.

5. Conduct a weekly cleanup.

Sort through book bags and notebooks on a weekly basis. Old tests and papers should be kept in a file at home.

6. Keep a master calendar at home.

List the family’s commitments, schedules for extracurricular activities, days off from school, major events, and any test dates or due dates for big projects.

7. Prepare for the day ahead.

Before going to bed, pack schoolwork and books in the book bag and lay out the next day’s clothes.

Adapted from: “Tips for Developing Organization Skills in Children” by the Coordinated Campaign for Learning Disabilities

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Social Studies News - May

On Saturday March 28th, thirty GMMS students competed at the regional History Day competition at Manchester High School. During the competition students presented projects in the form of a paper, website,

documentary, or museum exhibit. History Day projects are a culmination of several months of study on a topic related to an annual theme. This year’s theme was Leadership & Legacy in History.

Congratulations to the following students who completed History Day projects represented GMMS at the regional History Day competition: 7th Grade: Sophie Austin Jenna Brown Abigail Cotsonas Noah Fairchild Alex Flanagan Lindsay Gilton Diana Goldman Annabelle Jerman

Rachel Hennessy Evan Hutchinson Mark Jones Angelica Kolakowski Seth LaJoie Ayden Lidestri Mike Lockwood Autumn Munsell Sam O'Neil Andrew Quagliaroli Dwaritha Ramesh Camden Robertson Juliana Rodriguez Meghan Smith Haley Thibault Jillian Thrall Isabella Vargas-Blanchard

8th Grade: Kate Hosack Ashley Longest Max Morris Andrew Olihan Caleb Sears

7 Good luck to the following students who won awards in their categories. They will advance to the Connecticut State History Day competition on May 9th at CCSU.

Noah Fairchild & Juliana Rodriguez - 1st Place Group Documentary Lindsay Gilton - 1st Place Individual Documentary Kate Hosack - 3rd Place Individual Documentary Andrew Quagliaroli & Dwaritha Ramesh - 1st Place Group Website Max Morris - 3rd Place Individual Website

FIND OUT WHAT’S HAPPENING DAILY –

GMMS DAILY BULLETIN

http://dl.dropbox.cm/u/45350526/GMMS%20TE%20Site/MRP/GMMS_Daily_Bulletin.

html

Above is the link to see the Daily Bulletin. This is a good source for daily information

about what is happening each day. You can access this bulletin anytime by going to our

website and clicking on DAILY BULLETIN on the left column.

DON’T FORGET TO PURCHASE GEISSLER’S AND STOP & SHOP GIFT CARDS

AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL OFFICE. For every $100.00 you purchase $2.50 goes

directly to your child’s D.C. account at no cost to you.

Students are responsible to return school issued items (uniforms, media center materials,

textbooks, locks, Chromebook) that they used throughout the year in good condition.

Seventh graders who owe items will not be allowed to participate on the class trip in

June and eighth graders who are not up to date with their responsibilities will not be

allowed to attend the end of the year block party. We encourage you to help us monitor

the return of these items and to review this policy with your child.

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Keep informed!

Don’t forget to check the parent portal anD middle school and district websites.

It is the policy of the Granby Board of Education to forbid acts of discrimination in all matters dealing with employees and students. The right of a student to participate fully in the educational system shall not be abridged or impaired. You may not be denied the right to participate in a publically funded educational setting based on the following protected classes: race, color, religion, gender, gender identification or expression, national origin, age, disability, marital status, pregnancy, and/or genetic information. If you are a student, you may not be discriminated against in the following areas: admission; use of school facilities; vocational education; competitive activities; student rules, regulations and benefits; financial assistance; school-sponsored extracurricular activities; enrollment in courses; counseling and guidance; physical education; graduation requirements; treatment as a married and/or pregnant student health services; and most other aid, benefits or services. For Student/Parent-Guardian/Employee/Applicant Complaints Involving Alleged Discrimination on the Basis of Gender [Title IX], contact the

following Compliance Coordinator:

Sue Vacek Middle School Level Granby Memorial Middle School 860.844.3029 vaceks@granby.k12.ct.us

For Student/Parent-Guardian/Employee/Applicant Incidents Involving Discrimination on the Basis of a Disability [Section 504], contact:

Aimee Martin Director of Pupil Personnel Services Granby Board of Education Central Office 860.844.5255 martinad@granby.k12.ct.us

For additional compliance coordinator contact information, please view our website at www.granby.k12.ct.us under non-discrimination polices, or call 860-844-5250.

Granby Public Schools Integrated Survey

The Granby Public Schools, working in conjunction with professionals from Panorama Surveys, will be administering a new integrated survey to students (grades 2-12), parents, and staff during the month of November. This survey will contain questions that meet survey requirements in the areas of school climate and teacher evaluation, and will also contain general district and board of education questions. Over time, this integrated survey is expected to take the place of single topic surveys that we have used in the past. As in the past, surveys will continue to provide valuable feedback and perspective from our key stakeholders which will assist us in improving educational experiences for our students. Parent surveys will be delivered on-line to an adult member of the household. Student surveys will be administered on-line during the school day, taking minimal time to complete. If you have any questions about this process, please feel free to contact Bob Gilbert, Director of Teaching and Talent Development at gilbertr@granby.k12.ct.us