Skyridge Newsworthy Notes 1

From the Principal – Aaron J. Smith

Dear Skyhawk Families, To say that May is a busy time of year at Skyridge would be an understatement. In addition to beginning our

state testing, our track season is in full swing, our young actors and musicians are getting ready for our production of “Starmites”, and we are in the midst of our hiring season for the 2015-16 school year. Choosing new teachers to work with our students is one of our paramount duties, of course. This is why we have our candidates teach an entire period to a full classroom, in addition to the traditional interview. As part of the process, students are given the opportunity to weigh in using a rubric to help us find the best fit possible. We have found adding this element of student voice to be very helpful when making hiring decisions. Believe me, we have some very thoughtful, honest, and insightful kids!

Speaking of great kids, I am pleased to share that Skyridge has once again been honored with a Washington Achievement Award. This is the sixth consecutive year that Skyridge has been selected. Specifically, we are being recognized for overall excellence, reading growth, and math growth. This is an extraordinary accomplishment and is a direct reflection of the hard work of our students, the dedication of our teachers, and the support and guidance of our parents. The selection process for the Washington Achievement Award is very rigorous, and all of us take great pride in this accomplishment. While I could go on and on, I hear the hallways brimming with excitement at the moment as we are just about to begin our first session of our Exploratory Flex classes. I’m going to go watch the fun begin! Thank you for your support, feedback, and for sending us such great kids!

http://schools.camas.wednet.edu/skyridge/ May 2015

5220 NW Parker Street, Camas, WA 98607

Phone: 360 833-5800 • Fax: 833-5801 • Attendance: 833-5806

Smarter Balanced Testing Underway! April 27 marked the first day of Smarter Balanced testing here at Skyridge. As expected, our Skyhawks have

done an outstanding job of taking the testing seriously and doing the best that they can. It is truly impressive to walk into a classroom and see everyone diligently working on the questions and making us proud. As a reminder, you can view the testing schedule by clicking on the Smarter Balanced Schedule under quick links on the Skyridge Website. Please make every effort to have your student at school on their testing days. If you know that your student will be gone during one of their assigned testing days, please let us know as soon as possible so that we can make other arrangements.

For 8th grade parents, we also have the Science MSP coming up on May 13. All 8th graders will take the test on this day and do not have any Smarter Balanced testing that week to help them perform at their best. Again, please make every effort to have your student at school on this day and let us know if your student will not be here. If you have any questions regarding any of our testing, please contact our Associate Principal, Clint Williams at 833-5800, ext. 79140 or clint.williams@camas.wednet.edu.

ATTENDANCE CALLS? PRESS 2 The Camas schools installed a new phone system in March allowing you to select the department you wish to speak with from a menu. Press 2 for all attendance concerns including bus notes, absence notifications, emergency requests, and after school dismissal plans.

Skyridge Newsworthy Notes 2

Ch C A L E N D A R O F E V E N T S

Daily calendar review is available on our website: www.http://schools.camas.wednet.edu/skyridge/

May 1 – End of Grading Period – Progress Reports May 2 –“Cinco de Casino” Athletic Booster Fundraiser May 4-8 Teacher Appreciation Week May 4 – Exploratory Flex Begins May 5-7 ASB Campaign Speeches May 8 – ASB Election Day for 2015-16 May 9 – Camas Plant & Garden Fair May 10 – Mother’s Day May 15 – Yearbook 2015-16 Applications Deadline May 15 & 16 – Skyridge musical @ CHS Theatre May 18 – Fall Sports paperwork accepted in Main Office May 19 – Jazz Band concert @ CHS Theatre 7PM May 21 – CHS Athletics/Activities Night 6 PM May 25 – NO SCHOOL – MEMORIAL DAY May 28 - District Track Meet @McKenzie Stadium May 28 –June 5 LMC BOOK FAIR May 30 - ASB Retreat

8th Grade Families:

You are invited to our Skyridge 8th Grade Celebration

Friday, June 12, 2015 8:15 – 9:45 AM Ceremony in Tom Wallenborn Gym; Reception following in Dining Room.

Students will then go to Big Al’s to celebrate from 10:30 AM - 2:15 PM.

SKYRIDGE TRAFFIC FLOW

Safety is our #1 concern. Please support the following practices:

Parents are required to use our drop-off/pick-up loop. DO NOT use staff or visitor parking lots unless you are parking and entering the building. Pull forward as far as possible when you enter the student drop off area. Your student will be able to enter the building through any of the front doorways. Allow adequate time. Classes begin at 8:00 AM. Students can access their classroom hallways and lockers any time after 7:45 AM. Be courteous to others, use safe driving practices including no cell phone use, and be cautious of pedestrians. Do not enter or drop off students on the Leadbetter Drive bus entry road at the rear of our building. This entrance is for buses ONLY.

THANK YOU!

Choir Competition The 8th grade choir participated in the LCRMEA middle school choir festival held Wednesday, April 15. Twelve area choirs participated in this all day event with Skyridge earning the top rating for the festival. This is the highest level earned by Skyridge at this festival.

Solo Ensemble Competition Three Skyridge musicians performed at the solo/ensemble competition on March 14 at Covington Middle School. Gabriel Guo, a 6th grader, played the piano and earned a rating of 1. Athena Tsai, an 8th grader, played trumpet. And Xiang Liu, a 7th grader, also played the piano and earned a 1+, the highest rating a contestant can earn.

Stay informed… Skyridge Network News (SNN) Posted on Facebook and

YouTube. Search for Skyridge Middle School and be sure to click “Like Page”.

Way to go Skyhawks!!

Skyridge Newsworthy Notes 3

New Vaccine Requirements for Fall 2015!

Students in 7th and 8th grade will be required to have two (2) doses of the Varicella (Chicken Pox) vaccine. This year only students in 6th grade were required to have two doses. If you are unsure if your student will need this vaccine, please call the school nurse at 360-833-5800 ext. 78203.

At Skyridge we Dress for Success! With warmer weather on the way, please remember to follow our dress code. The shaded portion of this figure represents those parts of the body that need to be covered up while attending school. Further details can be found in our Student Handbook. What may be considered appropriate at home often differs from what is appropriate at school.

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING OUR DRESS CODE!

Earning its best placement at the state competition yet, Skyridge Middle School’s Science Olympiad team placed 3rd out of 22 teams on April 18 at Highline College in Des Moines, WA. The Skyridge Blue team won 14 medals and ribbons out of 23 events including 3 medals in 3 trial events. Events included Dynamic Planet, Road Scholar, and Game On. Team members participating at the state competition include: Tsering Shola, Maia Kawamura, Yeh Seo Jung, Rahul Ram, Jason Liu, Donna Ferdows, Ben Peterson, Athena Tsai, Lucas Mansfield, Christopher Xia, Samantha Walters, Zaynah Usmani, Devank Shekhar, Shivank Shekhar, Victor Wu, Quan Ho, Daniel DeLeon, Justine Pendergraft, Donla Gyalnub, Efra Ashan, and Diya Lonial. The Skyridge Science Olympiad teams are coached by Brenton Hunting who received the Outstanding Coach award.

Four 6th grade Skyhawks, Akash Prasad, Owen Baenen, Alex Gee and Tyler Gee, competed in the WA State Elementary Chess Championship 2015 on Saturday, April 24. All of the boys had 3 out of 5 wins, for which they each received an individual trophy. In addition, the team achieved a total score of 12 points, which resulted in 17th place out of 149 4th-6th grade teams.

2015 State Finals – Third Place

Skyridge Newsworthy Notes 4

Tickets are available from the Main Office during school hours and at the theatre door. Tickets are $7 for adults and $5 for students. There are only three shows so buy early and enjoy this wonderful show.

As the end of the school year approaches our Skyridge ASB Team is actively seeking new Commissioners and Officers for the 2015-2016 school year. Applications were due at the end of April and campaigning begins May 4 with posters and videotaped speeches. Voting will take place on May 8.

Additionally, the ASB team is providing service to our school and our planet by weeding and caring for our natural garden.

ASB continues our work with the Feed the Hungry project. Students put together as many sack lunches as possible with supplies then distribute these lunches to the hungry citizens in need within our community.

Finally, at the end of the month, there will be a retreat at Camp Currie for the 2015-16 ASB team to begin planning for next year.

Skyridge Newsworthy Notes 5

The Athletic Department will begin accepting paperwork for Fall 2015 sports on May 18

6th, 7th, 8th Girls Cross Country and 8th Football will begin in mid-August, (date to be decided)

All interested athletes need to turn in a Medical/Parent form, a Concussion form and have a current physical. Please indicate all sports your student might be interested in for the entire year. You only need to fill out one form per year.

Forms and information about our Athletic program is on the Skyridge Web Site –Athletics/Activities tab. 9th Grade Athletic Eligibility

The Camas School District provides many opportunities for student-athletes at the high school level. It is

important to understand our district’s scholastic requirements now in order to compete as a 9th grader

next fall.

Fall academic eligibility is determined by the last grading period of the year. So a freshman’s

eligibility will depend on his/her third trimester grades

Student-athletes must end the school year with at least a 2.0 GPA and not fail more than one class

Student-athletes that are academically ineligible will be under academic probation which does not

allow the athlete to participate in competition

The academic probation period can be viewed under “ATHLETICS” in the Camas High School

Student Handbook or the Camas School District Athletic Handbook

The Camas School District is committed to the notion of the scholar-athlete. While we look forward to

having your athlete participate in the high school athletic program, we are equally excited for your

student to experience the excellence of our academic programs.

Cheerleading 101 For 6th -11th Grade May 4-7 @Camas High School – Registration forms can be found in the Main Office

CHS Football Cheer Tryouts May 11-13. Packets are available in the Main Office

SKYRIDGE YEARBOOK APPLICATIONS DUE BY May 15

Interested in being on next year’s Yearbook staff? Applications for 6th and 7th grade students are available Monday, May 4.

The application deadline is Friday, May 15 with interviews scheduled for Friday, May 29. The 2015-16 Yearbook Staff will be posted by June 3.

Skyridge Newsworthy Notes 6

Teacher Grants — The PTO board unanimously approved nearly $2,200 for a huge wave of teacher and staff grants to fund these projects and purchases:

8th grade “To Be a Slave Project” class speaker and raw cotton Art history curriculum materials Building materials for robotics projects Video camera for choir and drama Panels to dim fluorescent lighting in the special education high needs classroom Alarm clocks and checkin/checkout program incentives Faculty appreciation event support for ASB Wheelbarrow for use in greenhouse and Lewis and Clark garden

Staff Cinco De Mayo — May’s Staff Appreciation event will be a Cinco-de-Mayo-themed taco bar. Thanks to parent donations, all the food items are covered! To help set up, serve, or clean up, contact Erika Cox at erikaecox@gmail.com. Pens For All — Did you know? Through your support, the PTO provides every student with a commemorative pen for signing yearbooks and keeping as a memento. PTO Board and Committee Chairs — While students do the lion’s share of fundraisers and activities at Skyridge, the PTO remains a vital source of support and financial backing. For more info on open officer positions for the 2015-16 school year, please contact Lori Tunstall at skypto@yahoo.com. Most positions require 1-2 hours of time per month, including an hour of face time with Principal Smith. Ideas Welcome — PTO board meetings fall on the fourth Tuesday of the month at 12 noon. All are welcome! This month we heard some ideas fabulosas from parents seeking more Spanish at Skyridge and beyond. You are always welcome to attend and share your thoughts! Reach out to Lori Tunstall at skypto@yahoo.com at least one week ahead of time to get on the agenda. Next meeting is May 26.

Stay in the loop by clicking the PTO link off the Skyridge website, viewing our Facebook page, or

adding your name to the PTO email list by sending

us a message at skypto@yahoo.com.

EAST COAST TRIP 2016 INFORMATIONAL MEETING Are you interested in traveling to the East Coast with a group of friends for a week? This 8th grade trip will be June 17-24 2016. On this trip, we will visit Colonial Williamsburg, Washington D.C., Lancaster, PA, Gettysburg, PA, and New York City. To find out more about this trip, you and your parents can attend the East Coast Trip Informational Meeting at 7pm in the Skyridge Library on Monday, May 11. Parents who are unable to attend the meeting, can email Jeanette Romano at camaseastcoasttrip@gmail.com for more information.