October 2019

Important Dates September 20 MS Dance-Grade 5-6 3:05-5:00 pm and Grade 7-8 6:00-8:00 pm 23 Hanson Foods Cookie Dough Order Forms due in MS office 24 Elementary Rightsizing Listening Session at 3:30, MHS LMC 26 MS/HS Rightsizing Listening Session at 3:30, MHS LMC 27 Professional Development Day (No School for students) October 9 Picture Retakes 23 Hanson Foods Cookie Dough Fundraiser pick up (2:30-5:00) Small Gym 31 Early Release (Dismissal at 11:30) November 1 No School 6-13 MMS Scholastic Book Fair

RIGHTSIZING THE SCHOOL DISTRICT Join Us to Continue the Conversation: Gather. Listen. Share. Gather with other community members at any one of the scheduled community conversations. Learn about the Marinette School District facilities study and recommendations for the future of our community’s schools. Share your feedback, questions, and facility priorities with district representatives. When: October 29, 9:30 am at the District Office; October 29, 6:30 pm at Marinette High School, or October 30, 4:00 pm at Marinette High School For more detailed information: Rightsizing the District

The first dance of the year is... Friday, September 20 5th & 6th grade is from 3:05-5:00pm 7th and 8th grade is from 6:00- 8:00pm . Cost $5.00 Wristbands for all 5th and 6th graders will be sold during lunch. The 7th & 8th graders will pay admission on the night of the dance. This is only for students who attend Marinette Middle School.

Coming to Marinette October 17 and 18 , is the Young Americans Performing Arts Workshop. All students are invited to be a part of this amazing experience. The Young Americans is a performing arts group that travels the world presenting workshops at schools and other venues. Their mission is to give young people an incredible experience in the performing arts that they will be inspired by and remember for the rest of their lives. The workshop covers areas of singing, dancing and acting for 2 days. On the third day a public performance is held at Marinette Middle School to show everyone what the students have accomplished. For registration and the schedule. Click on the link . NO STUDENT IS TURNED AWAY IF THEY ARE UNABLE TO PAY FOR THE WORKSHOP! If you follow the registration link there are scholarships available OR you can contact Mr. Okray, [email protected]. For any questions or concerns also contact Mr. Okray by email or at 715-587-2455.

Parent/Guardian Involvement It is more important than ever for you to be involved in your student’s schooling. There are many ways to get involved at Marinette Middle School. Everything from volunteering in the classroom, supporting the Parent/Teacher Organization, or reading to your student at home. Please be on the lookout for new options and ideas for parent/guardian involvement as we enter into the new school year. Click on Background Check to fill out background check.

Homework Help Does your student need extra support with completing homework? Maybe your student just need a quiet place to get it done. MMS is offering a supervised Homework Help experience for middle school student's Tuesday through Thursdays from 3:15pm - 4:15pm. If you feel this may benefit your student, please contact Mr. Whisler at [email protected].

Hanson Foods Cookie Dough FUNDRAISER information was sent home with your student (s) on Monday, September 9th. Forms and money are due back in the office by Monday, September 23. Cookie dough orders can be pick up on October 23 in the small gym from 2:30-5:00pm. This is our only fundraiser and helps us fund may fun activities at MMS.

How do we assess students? Just last week, families received their students’ 2019 Forward Exam scores. Please know that the state-wide Forward Exam is only one way that our students are assessed. At MMS we do focus on the social/emotional development of our students as well as the academic growth of our students. This means that one state-wide (academic) exam score should not be the only tool used to determine a student’s progress. Other ways that we assess the well-being of our students include a student engagement survey, behavior referrals, attendance monitoring, and classroom observations.

Annual MMS Schoolwide Title 1 Meeting Who: ALL parents and guardians of students are invited When: Tues., Sept 24 at 6:30 pm Where : MMS LMC Why You Should Attend: To understand our school's participation in Title 1, and learn about your right to be informed and ways to participate in its programs

On October 2nd the entire 8th grade class will be going on a field trip to Camp Bird west of Crivitz. Please look for a permission slip next week, and return as soon as possible to help with planning. Students will need a bag lunch for this trip. THERE IS NO LUNCH PROVIDED FOR THIS TRIP. If a student wishes to get a bag lunch from the cafeteria please have them notify their homebase teacher.

Marinette Middle School flu shot clinic will be held October 16th Flu consent forms are available here

5th grade attended Camp Bird on Friday, September 13. They were able to participate in several different activities

Middle Years Check out this month’s edition of Middle Years . Topics covered include: active studying strategies, setting expectations, and the importance of integrity. Middle Years - October 201 9 Scholastic Book Fair When :Nov. 6th- 13th Where: 7th grade Collaboration Room Times: TBD. Times will be posted on website and facebook notifications will be sent out. If you are able to help with book fair please contact MMS office.

Please click on the Peach Jar link were you will find all the latest and greatest flyers from Marinette Middle School. Internet Safety When I was growing up, one of the most difficult talks for a parent to have with their child was about the “birds and the bees.” Today, since kids access the Internet and connect with peers through more devices and apps than ever before, Internet safety has become the new “talk” that parents must have with their children. Not sure where or when to start having the talk?  Click here to learn more.

A Message from Mrs. Martin, Literacy Specialist QAS “Is my child a fluent reader?” What is fluency? Fluency is defined as the ability to read with speed, accuracy, and proper expression. Why is fluency important? As readers head into upper grades, fluency becomes increasingly important. Students whose reading is slow or labored will have trouble meeting the increased reading demands of their grade level. How do I know if my child is fluent? Your child should be able to read 95% or more of the words on a page without struggling. If your child’s reading sounds like natural speech and hits the following median words read in one minute, they are likely fluent readers. Beginning Grade 5-- 110 words correct per minute Beginning Grade 6-- 127 words correct per minute Beginning Grade 7-- 128 words correct per minute Beginning Grade 8-- 133 words correct per minute How can I help my child at home? If your child is struggling, Continue to read aloud to your student so they hear what fluent reading sounds like. Try reading aloud and have your child read along, matching his voice with yours. Have your child reread the same poem or short passage over and over until he is reading smoothly and successfully. Read and reread lists of words. Ask your child to follow along with text while listening to a recorded book. Work diligently to help your child find materials they want to read-- a special genre of book, a magazine, a book series, or whatever gets her excited about practicing.

7th & 8th Grade Alternative Literacy Class/Mrs. Kelly Francour: Why community service is good for students?  This year the 7th & 8th grade Alternative Literacy class is partnering up with the Luther Home in Marinette as part of a community service project. The students will attend the Luther Home once a month, plan activities for the residents and work on building life-long relationships. The research on participating in community service is outstanding. Here are some reasons for participating in a community service project. Engaging in community service will allow students the opportunity to become active members of our community. It will enable the students to acquire life skills and knowledge, as well as provide a service to those who need it most. As students become young adults they will have a greater sense of social responsibility which will more likely get them to volunteer throughout their lives.  They will develop a compassion as they learn the value of giving to others. It will also enhance their emotional development and improve socialization and communication skills.

Message from Mr. Whisler Time to Get Involved! Every year I say this...middle schoolers need their parents/guardians the most. It may not seem like it at times, especially with the tweener and teenager social and emotional changes that come during the middle school years. But the research stands behind this, a trusted adult at home is the #1 factor to help a young person’s healthy development. There are lots of ways to get involved at MMS. Always be on the lookout. I know already we are looking to start our Parent/Teacher Organization meetings for the year, we will need volunteers for our upcoming Scholastic © Book Fair, supervisors for sporting events, classroom volunteers, and much, much more. If you have an idea, let me know...and we’ll see what we can do. If you have questions about this or would like to get involved with the middle school, please feel free to contact me at (715)735-1500 or [email protected] .

Message from Mr. Hanson Hello MMS families, We are almost a full month in! It’s been a great start. I’d like to update you on a few items and share some data with you.

Vaping: Unfortunately, to date, 7 deaths in the U.S. have been confirmed as directly connected to vaping. Teens do not assess risk as well as adults, and many teens do not see vaping as a health risk. The link here has info on risks, prevalence, and trends. Many of the new e-cigarettes are small and don’t look like a vaping instrument at first glance. E-cigarettes, whether containing nicotine or not, are viewed as tobacco products at Marinette School District.

Dress Code: Holy jeans, Batman! . .. We’ve had some questions about ripped pants. The rule of thumb is that holes should not reveal undergarments or approach “bathing suit” areas. Students may be asked to change if this is the case, or if rips are “excessive” as deemed by MMS administration. See this link for the complete, board approved MMS Dress Code.

Attendance: As has been past practice, Attendance Team meetings meetings are occurring weekly at MMS. It is important to note that any absences past five in a semester are considered for truancy unless arrangements have been made with MMS administration or absences are accompanied by a doctor’s note. The Marinette County District Attorney has asked that we follow through more consistently with truancy protocols. Please call with any questions on this. Behavior Data Update:   We have had 19 major referrals thus far, and 21 minor referrals. Two areas of concern are in the classroom and on the playground. About half of the referrals have been observed between 11:00 and 12:15. For information on behavior policy, feel free to contact me directly at (715) 735-1504. I feel very blessed to work with a great group of parents in our community that support the school and work with me to hold students accountable when they make mistakes.

Marinette Middle School 1011 Water Street Marinette, WI 54143

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