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Dolphin Digest DR. DONNA REDMOND JONES, PRINCIPAL NOVEMBER 2009

A NEWSLETTER OF ROSA M. PARKS MIDDLE SCHOOL

P R I N C I P A L ' S G R E E T I N G DR. DONNA REDMOND JONES

From dances to field trips, assemblies to Red Ribbon Week, students dove right into an exciting first quarter of school. Please look for report cards to be distributed on November 11th so that you can examine the progress your child has made throughout the first quarter, and identify any areas in which he or she needs extra support. Our goal is to have all students eligible to participate in extracurricular activities. This means students must have a grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 or above, with no more than one "E" for the quarter. Our school has experienced twice the typical number of absences this first quarter due to illness, and this has made it challenging for students to catch up on missed work. Please know that the counselors and teachers will work with students to make up their work and get back on track for 2nd quarter. If your child will not be in school, please call Mrs. Fordham, our attendance secretary, to alert her of the absence.

I am excited to announce that our new website has been launched, and that Rosa Parks Middle School is now on Twitter. Be sure to follow us for little tidbits about life at Rosa Parks. A number of exciting events are on tap for November, including our fall play, Who's Dying to Be a Millionaire? on November 5th and 6th. Mrs. Herschler and the students have worked extremely hard, and we hope you can make it out to support them. (continued on Page 2)

P T A P R E S I D E N T ' S U P D A T E MRS. MICHELE SETTON

“Education's purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one.” Malcolm S. Forbes It’s hard to believe that the first quarter is over already. It’s been a very busy, successful beginning to the school year. I’m so happy to report that we’ve gotten fabulous responses to all calls for volunteer help so far and that just about every PTA committee has at least one chair person. We have tremendous PTA support; record numbers of staff are PTA members. Thank you to all who have joined the PTA and donated to the direct appeal campaign. If you haven’t done it yet it’s not too late. Go to http://rpmspta.org/membershipdirect-appeal/ to sign up. The PTA directory should be out soon, thanks to a group of wonderfully dedicated volunteers who took it on this year. Many thanks to Karen Cudd, Jeannie Ervin, Monica Jacobs, Becky Pedneau, and Maureen Feinroth for all their efforts! If you haven’t joined the PTA yet, do it now to get your directory! We will order only a few extra copies so don’t miss out. The book fair is coming up at the end of November thanks to PTA volunteers Leah Keilsohn and Meg Reed. Contact Leah Keilsohn at leahgk@ix.netcom.com if you can help out anytime during the day from Monday

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P r i n c i p a l ’ s G r e e t i n g C o n t ’ d November will also be the kickoff for our student mentoring program, and for the Extended Day Program, which is designed to help students pass the reading and math Maryland School Assessment (MSA). The Sherwood Cluster NAACP Parent Council will also host an evening for parents at Olney Elementary School at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, November 18th. A parent panel will present and take questions about how they navigated the school system to ensure that their children were appropriately challenged and supported in rigorous classes throughout their academic careers. During the week of November 30th - December 4th all 7th graders will be taking the Maryland Measure of Student Technology Literacy. This is the second year of the performance-based online test that is designed to give the state and the district a sense of students' competency with technology.

November promises to be a busy month that will go by quickly. I wish you and your family a very Happy Thanksgiving, and I look forward to seeing you at one of our upcoming school events.

P T A P r e s i d e n t ' s U p d a t e C o n t ’ d

11/30 through Friday 12/4. The Shop Till You Drop night will be coordinated with the book fair evening, stay tuned for more details and plan to come shop at Rosa Parks that night. We have the results of the survey that we took on back to school night about which activities parents would like to see the PTA sponsor at Rosa Parks. The overwhelming favorites were a sports night with kids vs parents/staff and a midnight madness event. We would like to begin working with the school to try to organize one or both of these events. If you have an interest in organizing, co-chairing or just helping out, please send an email to one of our volunteer coordinators: Susan Donskey (donskymom@verizon.net) or Michele Proctor (mspcraftyone@verizon.net). Join us for the next PTA meeting on Tuesday 11/10 at 7:30 p.m. and be part of the magic!

SAVE THE DATES: MSAs Grade 6—March 8, 9, 12, 15th; Grades 7 & 8—March 10, 11, 16, 17th

Rosa Parks Middle School Proudly presents

DATE: November 5th and 6th Tickets: $3.00 – Students $5.00 - Adults

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C o n g r a t u l a t i o n s t o t h e f o l l o w i n g “ S t u d e n t o f t h e M o n t h ” s t u d e n t s f o r t h e m o n t h s o f S e p t e m b e r a n d O c t o b e r . G R E A T J O B ! ! !

S E P T E M B E R

G r a d e 6 G r a d e 7 G r a d e 8

N o l a n N a i k N i c o l e L a d o J o r d a n J a c k s o n C a i t l y n G l o e c k l e r Z a c h a r y S t u b b l e f i e l d H a n n a h M b o n y H a m z a h K h a n I s a i a h W i l l i s C h r i s t i a n F a y A m y O ’ N e i l l A a r o n A u e r b a c k R o b y n B e r n a r d P a t r i c k C o l l i n s T o n y P e r s a u d K e i t h B e r h e i m e r R y a n B r a d f o r d E l l a S a v i o l a E l i z a b e t h M e n d o z a A m a n d a P o r t o W i l l O ’ C o n n e l l C o l l i n C r i l l y K e n d a l l W e l c h M a t t O ’ N e i l l S i n g i t i W e e r a s u r i y a A l e x a n d r a G r e e n b a u m B r i d g e t M a c D o n a l d G r e t a C a d y M e g a n E n r i g h t J e s s i A l p e r i n L e a h M a r q u i s R o s h a n M a t h e w L e o C o r m a n C o l l e e n O ’ N e i l l C h a r l e s L i l l e y W a l t e r G i u s t i E l s a M o e l l e r J a k e H e i s e r m a n O w e n M i l l e r O C T O B E R

G r a d e 6 G r a d e 7 G r a d e 8

A l l i s o n T h r o n J e m e g W a y n e M i k e A b r a h a M i t c h e l l W e l t e r M o a z H a s s a n i n K e v i n K e l l y M i r a n d a J o h n s o n T a t u m H a b e r m a n M e l i s s a C r e e k m o r e J u l i a A b b o t t G r a c e H o f f o r d G r a c e M c D o n a l d J a k e T a s t o E m m a H i e r h o l z e r F r a n c o B u o n o M e g h a n P r o c t o r K a m e y o O k a m o t o N i c o l e t t e Z i l l i c h D a r a W i l l i a m s D a v i d L i p k a T a y l o r F e r n a n d e s J a c o b W i e r s m a I a n P o e - Y a m a g a t a V i v i a n B l a n d B r i a n H a n J a c k D o s i k J a k e K r a m K e n d a l K h a n A n n i e R a f f e r t y N o a h K i e s e r m a n J u s t i n V a n S t e e l a n t K e e g a n B l a c k M a r i a C l a v e r J i l l i a n T u t t l e K a r y n a T o d d J a m i l a h S i l v e r N i c o l e T o v e n P a r k e r O p a r

O u r v e r y o w n s t u d e n t , W i l l i a m G o n i p r o w , h a s w o n a r o l e i n t h e p l a y “ C a m e l o t ” a t t h e O l n e y T h e a t r e ! W e a r e a l l s o p r o u d o f y o u W i l l i a m ! ! !

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S I X T H G R A D E N E W S

In sixth grade the students and staff recently enjoyed a trip to the Olney Theater to view the play “Treeboy.” The play emphasizes the importance of taking care of the environment, taking action for a cause, and teamwork. The play’s environmental focus ties into the science curriculum and the overall goal as a school to be “green.”

In the second quarter the sixth grade will start two programs that reward student effort and student character. First, around interim of the second quarter we will give Sweet Success awards to students who have shown hard work and improvement in their classes. The second program we will start is the “Dolphin Dollars” program. Students can earn the dollars by demonstrating random acts of kindness that relate to the school’s four core values (honesty, perspective, responsibility, respect). Students with Dolphin Dollars can trade in their dollars for prizes with their team leaders. We are excited about recognizing the success of our students!

Math 7 We are currently working in Unit 2: Algebraic Relationships. Students have been working with integers and exponents. We will also cover scientific notation and the laws of exponents here in the early part of the unit. Please take the time with your son or daughter to discuss what they have learned in Math class each day. It provides them opportunities to recall the information and explain what they have learned; thus, working the material into the long term memory bank. Also please remind your son or daughter to come to class on a daily basis prepared with a textbook, pencil, pen, and journal. Thank you for your continued support!

Math 6 We are currently working in Unit 2: Fractions, Decimals, and Percents. Students have covered decimals; how to read and write them, comparing and ordering them, and rounding. We will further move into the four decimal operations, including estimation. Later in the unit we will cover fractions and the connections between decimals and fractions. Please take the time with your son or daughter to discuss what they have learned in Math class each day. It provides them opportunities to recall the information and explain what they have learned; thus, working the material into the long term memory bank. Also please remind your son or daughter to come to class on a daily basis prepared with a textbook, pencil, pen, and journal. Thank you for your continued support!

Social Studies

As we end our first quarter focus on geography, we are excited about opening quarter two. Quarter two in Social Studies focus on the concept of government and the ancient civilizations of Greece and Rome. In quarter two students will learn about role of government, the types of government, and the role of citizens. By studying Greece and Rome students will learn about the birthplace of democracy as well as the changing nature of citizenship and government power.

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Science In science class for the second quarter, sixth graders will be focusing on the Going Green Unit. Going Green has a focus on the environment and the responsibility students have when making earth friendly choices. Throughout the unit the students will explore a variety of environmental issues caused by natural resource use and overuse by humans. During this unit students will have the opportunity to learn about Montgomery County and the resources available within the county. The students will also identify one environmental issue in Montgomery County and design a plan for how to address this environmental issue.

Reading November kicks off the second quarter and with that, a new unit. In reading, we will begin studying Greek Mythology. Students will learn about the major Greek gods and goddesses and the interactions that they have with one another. We will be reading three different types of myths: morality, hero, and nature. Students will also be discussing the purpose of each of the different types of myths. Students will continue to self-select independent reading books and complete independent reading assessments on the books they chose.

English In English, we will begin the “Adventures” unit during the second quarter. Students will study the literary elements that authors use to create adventure stories. We will also study the literary devices of mood and tone and continue our study of figurative language. As a writing focus, students will learn about the differences between compound and complex sentences as well as how to use coordinating and subordinating conjunctions. During the second week of the quarter, students will begin their second novel. Students will read Where the Red Fern Grows or The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle as examples of adventure-themed novels.

S E V E N T H G R A D E N E W S

“There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered.” - Nelson Mandela

English Quarter two is called “A Sense of Place” and focuses on how we, like the characters of books, strive to find out our place in the world. Students will read fiction and nonfiction texts to learn how place (setting) influences behavior. In addition to self-selected novels, students will study either The Great Gilly Hopkins, a contemporary book written by Katherine Paterson, or Jack London’s classic, The Call of the Wild.

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Don’t forget to look at the new Rosa Parks Middle School

Website:

www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/rosaparksms/

Social Studies 7th Grade students will be learning about the following topics:

End of the Middle Ages/Decline of Feudalism

European Kings unifying their nations

The rise of the new Middle Class

Start of the Africa Unit

Science Grade 7 students, by completing the Circulatory Project, traveled the pathway of a red blood cell through the parts of the heart and around the body. The Circulatory Project helped students visualize and understand key concepts of the unit. Prior to the Circulatory Unit, students completed a study of the Respiratory Unit. The next step was for the students to explain how the respiratory and circulatory systems work

together to keep the body functioning. Fun and laughter abounded with the pumping heart lab. One of the main concepts throughout the year is for students to analyze the strengths and weakness of models. The next body system to be studied is digestion.

Math 7 Math 7 students have just begun Unit 2, Algebraic Relationships. Students will be introduced to simplifying expressions, solving algebraic equations, and solving complex word problems. They will be learning the rules for adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing integers and will then learn how to apply these rules to solve one and two-step equations.

IM IM-7 students have started Unit-2, The Real Number System. Students are being introduced to solving multi –step algebraic problems, recognizing and applying negatives to their answers, using powers and exponents, and learning what kind of questions can be answered using proportional reasoning.

Algebra

Algebra students are working in Unit 3, Two Variable Equations and Inequalities. They will be identifying, graphing and applying different forms of linear equations. One way students will demonstrate understanding is through a project. E I G H T H G R A D E N E W S

In November and quarter two, 8th grade English will move into the Community unit. Classes will examine various

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communities both fictional and historical. We will explore how communities reflect the times and the aspirations of a people, what roles individuals play in their communities, how an individual’s beliefs and actions affect a community, as well as the persuasive strategies people use to influence their communities. Novels in this unit include The Giver by Lois Lowry and Animal Farm by George Orwell. Students will be focused on problem-solution thinking and persuasive strategies, as well as propaganda, in the class texts and in their own writing.

Algebra- Prep The students are wrapping up their projects on proving the Pythagorean Theorem. They will be working with rates, unit rates, proportions, and percents in the month November. This is still part of Unit One.

Algebra We will be starting Unit Three – Two variable Linear Equations and Inequalities. The students will learn about direct variation and slope. They will apply these concepts to writing, graphing, and solving both equations and inequalities.

History Unit two of the US History course will open with a detailed discussion of American culture generally and American political culture specifically. Afterward, students will learn about the events, such as Shays’ Rebellion, and the ideas that led from the Articles of Confederation (1781) to the Constitution (1787) and Bill of Rights (1791).

Science We will continue our study of meteorology. The students will be learning about fronts, winds, and air pressure systems. After collecting data, the students will be formulating a two-three day weather forecast.

MATH TEAM

The math team attended their first competition on October 31st in Fort Meade, Maryland. It is called the Maryland Mathalon, and is sponsored by NASA. They compete against other schools throughout the state. Our first county competition will be on November 18th. They are in Region 1, which consists of the middle schools located in Germantown. Great job!!!

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Foreign Language

French 1A Students will complete theme Bienvenue a la classe de francais; begin Dans la salle de classe – vocabulary ; definite and indefinite articles; continue with study of Paris. French 1B Students will complete animals mini-theme; complete review of regular verbs –er; -re; -ir; and faire, etre, pouvoir, avoir. complete geographical locations with prepositions; begin new theme: la famille. Spanish 1A Students will complete theme Bienvenidos a la clase de espanol; begin Nos conocemos – vocabulary – (leisure time activities; me gusta/te gusta) Students will also research a Hispanic person and present in front of the class in Spanish. Spanish I The students are finishing week two of three in the school unit. The students have completed a summative project where they were to design either a locker or a classroom. They did a fabulous job! Week three is focusing on Time and Regular Verbs. They will finish the unit by either a summative unit test or an oral presentation. Spanish IB Students are currently working on the family unit which includes possessive adjectives and the verb tener. They have completed a “Family Tree Project” and look forward to an oral exam within the next two weeks. Immediately following the Family Unit the students will learn about housing. Spanish 2 Students are wrapping up the daily routines and commands unit and will begin the shopping and community units. We will delve into the preterite tense of verbs and continue practice of direct object pronouns and commands. As always, the emphasis is on vocabulary recognition and retention as well as it applicability to sentence production through proper verb conjugation and sentence sequence.

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A R T & P E N E W S

ART Grade 6 Students in sixth grade art classes recently completed a 12” x 18” collage, containing images and elements based on their personal values. As the quarter comes to an end, we are working on watercolor paintings that have a seasonal and landscape theme.

Grade 7 We completed an Optical Art Unit where students used templates, repetition, compression expansion to create movement in their graphic drawings. Next, they will begin our paper mache unit. Grade 8 Photographers are putting their final touches on their Pinhole Photo Portfolios. As 2nd quarter begins we will be moving toward more traditional 35mm camera use.

KEYBOARDING

GRADE 6 Students will continue to improve keyboarding abilities using Turbo Typing software. In addition, they will create a brochure for 5th graders entitled “Everything You Need to Know to Succeed in Middle School. They will also use PowerPoint to convey

information about an original holiday. Grade 7 Students will use a spreadsheet to enter, sort, and graph data (bar graphs, double bar graphs, pie charts and line graphs). Students will then use interactive software

to create original shows containing movement and sounds with characters that interact with one another.

Grade 8

Students will conclude a desktop publishing project in which they create a family calendar. Students will then use desktop publishing software to create an invitation to their own 50th birthday party. Students will then use internet resources to determine their personality type, match possible careers to that type, and create a PowerPoint presentation convincing their parents to pursue that career choice.

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FACS Grade 6

Classes are starting the new rotation this month. The FACS teachers are looking forward to a new set of students. Our curriculum for the month will be getting to know each other and learning to work as a team. This unit helps to build the student’s self-esteem and interpersonal relationships.

Grade 7 Seventh graders are finishing up their financial literacy unit. They have completed many lessons on spending plans, credit and credit cards, debit cards, and terms such as wants, needs and values. We will still cover some lessons on checking accounts. They should be financial wizards when we are finished!!! After financial literacy, our next unit of study will depend on who they have as a teacher. Mrs. Cole’s class will be sewing and Mrs. Rabovsky’s classes will be moving into the foods room. Later in the quarter we will then switch classes.

Grade 8 Eighth grade foods students are continuing to study the American dietary guidelines. We will be working on maintaining a desirable weight, avoid saturated fats, and to eat more fiber. Our food labs to go along with these guidelines will be a salad bar and preparing our own croutons, stir-fry chicken and high fiber baked products. And since it is now November, we cannot forget that the week before Thanksgiving, the students prepare a complete Thanksgiving dinner to share as a class; turkey, cranberry sauce, dinner rolls, potatoes and more. It is always so yummy.

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P h y s i c a l E d u c a t i o n 7 H e a l t h E d u c a t i o n

In physical education and health the students are receiving instruction on basic motor skills. In addition they are learning concepts for moving efficiently as they improve their physical fitness through sport activities.

In Health Education the students are learning about the following topics: mental health; safety & injury prevention; alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs; family life and human sexuality; disease prevention and control; nutrition and fitness; personal and consumer health.

The following instructional units will be taught in physical education and health for the month of November.

Students will continue to receive instruction on invasion games in physical education.

Invasion Unit Instruction, place emphases on strategies and techniques to score a goal in your opponents’ area while defending the goal in your area. The activities are:

o Street Hockey Mr. Foster’s and Mr. Eastham’s classes o Soccer Ms. Eurie’s classes o Football Ms. Hill’s classes

In health education students will receive instruction in the harmful effects of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs; benefits of nutrition and fitness; and information regarding family life and human sexuality; disease prevention and control.

Mr. Miller’s classes will begin instruction in health education on November 3rd and continue through the entire quarter.

Unit topics for the month of November are:

Grade 6 Health Triangle, Mental and Emotional Health, Safety and Injury Prevention

Grade 7 Health Triangle, Mental and Emotional Health, Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drugs

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Monday, November 2 Professional Day for Teachers – No School for Students Tuesday, November 3 2:45 p.m. - Drama – Dress Rehearsal/Mrs. Herschler/Cafeteria 2:45 p.m. - TV/Media Club/REC Extra/Mr. Coffin/Media Center 2:45 p.m. - Yearbook Club/REC Extra/Mr. Hast, 7th Grade Comp Lab 2:45 p.m. - Spanish Homework Club/Ms. Maizel/B207 2:45 p.m. - Tennis/Mrs. King/Tennis Courts 4:10 p.m. - Activity Buses Depart Wednesday, November 4 2:45 p.m. - Drama – Dress Rehearsal/Mrs. Herschler/Cafeteria 2:45 p.m. - 6th Grade Homework Club/Mrs. Overly/B116 2:45 p.m. - 7th Grade Homework Club/Mrs. King/B203 2:45 p.m. - 8th Grade Homework Club/Mrs. Groves/C210 2:45 p.m. - Video Club/Mr. Volz/B120 2:45 p.m. - Math Team/Ms. Weaver/C214 2:45 p.m. - Weight Training/Ms. Eurie/Weight Room 4:10 p.m. - Activity Buses Depart Thursday, November 5 2:45 p.m. - Tennis/Mrs. King/Tennis Courts 2:45 p.m. - Math Homework Club/Mrs. Weaver/C214 2:45 p.m. - Science Club/Mr. Goldman/B225 2:45 p.m. - Sewing Club/REC Extra/Mrs. Rabovsky/C111 2:45 p.m. - Weight Training/Ms. Eurie/Weight Room 2:45 p.m. SGA Meeting/Ms. Rakowiecki/B104 4:10 p.m. - Activity Buses Depart 7:00 p.m. - Drama Production – “Who’s Dying to be a Millionaire” Friday, November 6 6th Grade Locker Cleanout - TAP 3:00 p.m. - Boys “Friday Hoops” – REC Extra/Mr. Volz 3:00 p.m. - Girls Incorporated – REC Extra 7:00 p.m. - Drama Production – “Who’s Dying to be a Millionaire”

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WEEK OF NOVEMBER 9, 2009

Monday, November 9 No Scheduled Activities

Tuesday, November 10 2:45 p.m. - TV/Media Club/REC Extra/Mr. Coffin/Media Center 2:45 p.m. - Yearbook Club/REC Extra/Mr. Hast, 7th Grade Comp Lab 2:45 p.m. - Cross Country/Mr. Eastham 2:45 p.m. - Tennis/Mrs. King/Tennis Courts 2:45 p.m. - Spanish Homework Club/Ms. Maizel/B207 4:10 p.m. - Activity Buses Depart 7:00 p.m. - PTA Meeting/Media Center

Wednesday, November 11 EARLY RELEASE DAY – Students dismissed at 12:10 p.m. REPORT CARDS DISTRIBUTED 9:00 a.m. - Principal’s Advisory Committee Meeting/Media Center

Thursday, November 12 EARLY RELEASE DAY – Students dismissed at 12:10 p.m.

Friday, November 13 7th Grade Locker Cleanout - TAP 3:00 p.m. - Boys “Friday Hoops” – REC Extra/Mr. Volz 3:00 p.m. - Girls Incorporated – REC Extra/Longwood Rec Center

WEEK OF NOVEMBER 16

Monday, November 16 No Scheduled Activities

Tuesday, November 17 2:45 p.m. - TV/Media Club/REC Extra/Mr. Coffin/Media Center 2:45 p.m. - Yearbook Club/REC Extra/Mr. Hast/7th Grade Comp Lab 2:45 p.m. - Spanish Homework Club/Ms. Maizel/B207 2:45 p.m. - Tennis/Mrs. King/Tennis Courts 4:10 p.m. - Activity Buses Depart

Wednesday, November 18 2:45 p.m. - 6th Grade Homework Club/Mrs. Overly/B116 2:45 p.m. - 7th Grade Homework Club/Mrs. King/B203 2:45 p.m. - 8th Grade Homework Club/Mrs. Groves/C210 2:45 p.m. - Math Team/Ms. Weaver/C214 2:45 p.m. - Video Club/Mr. Volz/B120 2:45 p.m. - Weight Training/Ms. Eurie/Weight Room 2:45 p.m. - Art Club/Mr. Edwards/C105 4:10 p.m. - Activity Buses Depart 6:30 p.m. - NAACP Sherwood Cluster Parent Meeting/Olney ES

Thursday, November 19 2:45 p.m. - Tennis/Mrs. King/Tennis Courts 2:45 p.m. - Math Homework Club/Mrs. Weaver/C214 2:45 p.m. - Science Club/Mr. Goldman/B225 2:45 p.m. - Sewing Club/REC Extra/Mrs. Rabovsky/C111 2:45 p.m. - Weight Training/Ms. Eurie/Weight Room 2:45 p.m. - Cross Country/Mr. Eastham 4:10 p.m. - Activity Buses Depart 5:00 p.m. - Extended Day Kickoff Dinner

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Friday, November 20 8th Grade Locker Cleanout – TAP 3:00 p.m. - Boys “Friday Hoops” – REC Extra/Mr. Volz 3:00 p.m. - Girls Incorporated – REC Extra

Week of November 23 - No Activity Buses – All Week!

Monday, November 23 No Scheduled Activities! Tuesday, November 24 8th Grade Field Trip - Smithsonian Wednesday, November 25 EARLY RELEASE DAY – Students dismissed at 12:10 p.m. Thursday, November 26 THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY – No school for students Friday, November 27 THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY – No school for students

WEEK OF NOVEMBER 30 Monday, November 30 Scholastic Book Fair – Media Center 7:00 p.m. - 8th Grade Parent Night/Media Center