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Home of the Falcons!
"Fountain Hills Middle School empowers students to learn, to care, and to succeed."
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Principal's Message March 22, 2019
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Dear Parents/Guardians of Current Third and Fourth Grade Students,
I am writing to inform you about a very exciting change to the way students will be placed in fourth and fifth-grade for the 2019-2020 school year. Fountain Hills Middle School will departmentalize all subject areas in grades 4 and 5. This translates into the following:
4th Grade:
· One teacher instructing Mathematics (Ms. Reichler)
· One teacher instructing English Language Arts (Mrs. Violette)
· One teacher instructing Science and Social Studies (Mrs. McDonald)
5th Grade:
· One teacher instructing Mathematics (Mrs. Male)
· One teacher instructing English Language Arts (Mrs. Miller)
· One teacher instructing Science (Mr. Coomaraswamy)
· One teacher instructing Social Studies (Ms. Hare)
Each student will have a homeroom in which she/he will check in at the end of the day, get help organizing, work on SuccessMaker, Reteach & Enrichment opportunities, and generally have a place to call home. Throughout the day, each student will rotate to his or her scheduled classes (including his/her elective options), participate in two scheduled recess periods, and enjoy lunch with the entire grade. Ultimately, this scheduling option will allow us to meet the academic needs of our students more effectively.
As you know, FHMS has been departmentalized in 6th - 8th grade since our inception. What we know is departmentalization allows teachers to teach in areas of specialization while students move from one classroom to another for instruction. There are many advantages to departmentalization, which include but are not limited to:
1. Specialization. Students receive instruction from teachers specialized in particular disciplines. Allowing teachers to focus on and master one or two subjects provides for a greater level of expertise and deeper understanding. Because of this, teachers have a greater ability to differentiate their instruction to meet the needs of all learners.
2. Depth of Instruction. Teachers are able to complete more in-depth lessons in a specific area.
3. Instructional time is dedicated to each subject area, ensuring that all disciplines receive appropriate attention. Additionally, all teachers dedicate time to writing across the curriculum.
4. Instructional teams. Students benefit because they are exposed to the instructional wisdom of more than one teacher. In addition, teachers on the grade level get to know all of the students in the grade. Departmentalization breaks the monotony for students. Students are able to move more frequently during the day, which helps increase attention. It also provides students with an opportunity to be challenged academically by different teachers in different classroom environments.
5. Transition. Departmentalization in 4th and 5th grade aligns with our current practice in grades 6th-8th and creates one transition from elementary school to middle school, instead of two.
6. Continuity. Each student will receive equity of instruction in each of the content areas since it will be delivered and received using the same methodology from the content-area instructors.
The decision to departmentalize grades 4 and 5 was made by Site Council after nearly two years of research and discussion. The guiding question throughout this decision-making process was; "is this transition good for our students and will this change have a positive impact on your child's education?" The FHMS teachers and Site Council believe the answer to both these questions is "Yes." As educators, we strive to continually improve our delivery and instruction for our students and we believe that the decision to departmentalize accomplishes this.
James Carrick
FHMS Principal
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Special Announcements
See what is happening at our schools
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Rummage for Rocco!
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Kiwanis Terrific Kids
Congratulations to Kiwanis Terrific Kids, 4th graders Melody Beckman and Christoph Coffman, and 5th grader Milo Andree. Way to go!
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Third Quarter Honor Roll Assemblies
The Third Quarter Honor Roll Assemblies will take place the week of April 1st. Invitations will be sent home next week for those students who qualified.
Wednesday, April 3, 2019
6th Grade: 10:51 - 11:21 a.m.
7th Grade: 11:21 a.m. - 11:51 a.m.
Friday, April 5, 2019
8th Grade: 11:49 a.m. - 12:19 p.m.
Violette & Leddy: 1:15 pm - 1:35 pm
McDonald & Reichler: 1:40 pm - 2:00 pm
Male & Miller: 2:15 pm - 2: 35 pm
Hare & Coomaraswamy: 2:45 pm - 3:05 pm
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8th Grade Camp Surf Trip
We are very excited about our 8th grade trip to Camp Surf at Imperial Beach, CA, which will take place May 20-22, 2019. For those students who have already paid their $100 deposit, the remaining balance will be due on or before April 30, 2019. Installment payments can be made until that date. As a reminder, the total trip cost is $300 per student. If you are not sure of your balance, please call the office at 480.664.5411 for the amount due.
A parent meeting will be held Wednesday, May 1 at 7:00 pm at Fountain Hills Middle School. At that time, parents will be given important forms and additional information in regards to the trip to the San Diego area.
In the meantime, you can always visit the Camp Surf website for additional information about this wonderful experience:
https://www.ymca.org/camps/camp-surf/outdoor-education-and-leadership-surf
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FHMS Birthday Club
We are excited to offer FHMS families the opportunity to add to their student's birthday celebrations. For only $5, you can add your student's first name and last initial with a "Happy Birthday" message to our marquee. For all submissions, we must have the student's name, birthday date, and $5 (cash or check payable to FHMS) at least two weeks prior to their actual birthday so we are able to program the system accurately. The birthday message will run from 5:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m. on the student's birthday. Request forms are available at the front office, and must be signed by the student's parent/guardian. |
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Looking Ahead
View upcoming events of the week ahead
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| 03/26/2019 |
AIMS Science (4th and 8th grade only; AM testing)
Basketball Game @ FHMS
Girls B 4:00 p.m. |
04/01/2019
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AZMerit Testing (6th, 7th & 8th grades only; AM testing) |
| 04/02/2019 |
AZMerit Testing (all grades 4th - 8th; AM testing)
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04/03/2019
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Basketball Games @ FHMS
Girls B 3:00 p.m.
Boys B 4:00 p.m.
Girls A 5:00 p.m.
Boys A 6:00 p.m.
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04/04/2019 |
Basketball Game @ Gilbert Christian (Agritopia Campus)
Girls B 4:00 p.m. |
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Quick Links
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15414 N. McDowell Mountain Rd., Fountain Hills, AZ 85268 480.664.5400
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