Shark TalkQuarter 2, 2010

PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE

Dave Rogers, Principal

SHARK TALK is a publication of Albemarle County Public Schools. It is published quarterly and distributed to all Sutherland Middle School families.

Albemarle County Public Schools does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, age, sex, disability, national origin, pregnancy, or marital status.

Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972, 20 U.S.C. §§1691 et seq., prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in educational programs or activities receiving federal funds, including discrimination in employment and student admissions.  All Albemarle County Public Schools students, applicants and employees are covered by this law.

Questions or concerns regarding compliance with the School Division’s nondiscrimination policies may be directed to: Director of Human Resources, 401 McIntire Road, Charlottesville, VA 22901, 434-296-5827)

Our Vision:All learners believe in their power to embrace learning, to excel, and to own their future.

Our Mission:The core purpose of Albemarle County Public Schools is to establish a community of learners and learning, through rigor, relevance, and relationships, one student at a time.

www.k12albemarle.org

Excellence. Young People. Community. Respect.

Dear Sutherland Families,

Happy New Year! As we are preparing to close out the first semester, I am reflecting on the hard work our students have done. Their projects and performances have been excellent. Their discussions have been lively and insightful. The band, chorus, orchestra, and drama students have given wonderful performances. Highly expressive and artistic self-portraits and representational masks line the hallways. First semester exams and SOL tests in history and eighth grade science are behind us. I am very proud of the effort your children have made.

On January 20, when the new semester begins, students’ science and social studies classes will change and some students will begin new exploratory classes. Though these changes can be exciting, many students can lose focus and intensity during the winter. Please double check your children’s assignment books and make sure they are doing things well and on time. Ask about what they are learning in class. In order to get good information, you may need to ask very specific questions. For example, “What did you do in science today?” If the answer is something like, “Oh, just read some stuff,” you should follow up with a more specific question like, “What was the reading about? What was the most interesting (surprising) thing you read?” “What can you tell me about that topic?”

There will be many new events during the second semester as well. Academic challenges will increase and there will be exciting events including the student talent show, chorus, band and orchestra concerts, our annual cultural celebration, an academic fair, the school carnival, field day, and dances galore! 8th graders will take the state writing test in early March. Teachers will make academic course recommendations for 2009-10 in a few weeks. You will then receive a notification of those recommendations. Once you receive that notice, please make sure to contact the recommending teacher if you have any questions.

As always, we are interested in your suggestions, questions, and concerns. We can promote the best possible results when we work together to support learning. Thank you so much for your generous treats and your constant support! You are key partners in making us the best school we can be. Your involvement is critical.

Sincerely,

Dave Rogers, Principal

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MRS. PARMITER’S 6 TH GRADE SHINES

Mrs. Parmiter’s 6th Grade Language Arts Class is beginning a Historical Fiction Unit using the Novel Charley Skedaddle. This is an award-winning novel that gives students a look at what it was like to be a drummer for the troops during the Civil War. This book was chosen because it directly relates to the 6th grade History Curriculum.

In addition, we continue to work with fluency, word study, writing, and grammar. We will once again take a reading assessment at the end of the second nine weeks. This information will be used to inform instruction for the third and fourth nine weeks that lead to the SOL at the end of the year.

6 TH GRADE SCIENCE

6th Grade Science has finished the weather unit. We were studying the atmosphere and severe weather including hurricanes, tornados and northeasters. The kids had a chance to witness a northeaster and two feet of snow as winter break started.

The kids have also been studying alternative energy sources. They each designed an environmentally friendly house, which included but was not limited to some of the following - solar panels, geothermal heat pumps, windmills, recycled building materials, straw and cob building materials etc.

6 TH GRADE MATH

In our Computation and Estimation strand, fractions have been the primary focus of our work. During this second quarter, students have learned and implemented a variety of strategies to solve multi-step practical problems involving proper and improper fractions, as well as mixed numbers. Our next strand will be Measurement and Geometry. Students will estimate, compare, and convert various units in U.S. and metric systems. We will also apply area and perimeter formulas with polygons.

6 th GRADE LANGUAGE ARTS

The sixth grade Language Arts students have been very busy this 2nd nine weeks. We started the quarter with a cross curricular unit having to do with the Civil War. In Mrs. Haan’s classes they finished reading Abraham Lincoln: A Photobiography and Charley Skedaddle. They explored new facets of Lincoln’s life through photos and stories.

Ms. Desimini’s students read the historical fiction novel Across Five Aprils. Youngsters were asked to utilize their prior knowledge of story elements as well as identify factual aspects of the story. Both classes researched biographies specifically focusing on main idea and supporting details. We look forward to 3rd quarter where figurative language and poetry will be emphasized.

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HAPPENINGS IN MISS LEE’S LANGUAGE ARTS

First of all, I would like to thank all those who contributed to the medieval festival. The students labored and collaborated to recreate the Middle Ages. In doing so, they not only practiced what they learned in the classroom but also helped to raise about $600 for the 8th grade DC trip. Again, the success of the event would not have been possible without the support of the Sutherland community.

In my 8th grade classes, we have finished reading John Steinbeck’s The Pearl and are working to finish Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol. Although the winter break is over, the students have proposed to portray their own version of A Christmas Carol. They will work in small groups to create a movie clip of a scene from the story. The final product will include all the scenes, and we will analyze the interpretation of each scene. From this project, the students will practice critical thinking skills and the application of various literary elements, which I believe they will use during the upcoming writing and reading SOLs.

In my 6th grade class, we practiced research skills through reading nonfictional books about medieval times. The students presented what they learned to other 6th graders in Mrs. Desimini’s and Mrs. Haan’s classes, whose gracious receptions we greatly appreciated. Presently, we are reading Karen Cushman’s Catherine, Called Birdy, which is written as a diary of a young girl living in 13th century England. We have also begun our poetry unit, in which the class has creatively constructed lines of alliteration.

7 th GRADE LANGUAGE ARTS CLASSES ROCK!

The Devil’s Arithmetic, by Jane Yolen, is a book read by the 7th grade students. This book tells the story of a modern day teenage girl who is transported to the Holocaust and experiences life, and death, in a concentration camp. Other students have read the exciting book, The Lightning Thief, written by Rick Riordan.

7th grade language arts students have been deeply involved in group and class activities such as: predictions, research, citing sources (regarding WWII and the Holocaust), vocabulary in context, character traits and analysis, prioritizing data, timeline projects, theme projects, klezmer dance, deducing and evaluating through rigor, relevance, and relationships. This was a sophisticated and successful second nine weeks for the 7th grade language arts classes.

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7 th GRADE SCIENCE

Frog legs, clams, mussels, and flowers; sounds like either a nice night out or what's been on the dissection tray last nine weeks in science class. 7 th grade science just finished slicing our way through the entire animal kingdom. Students were able to experience each phylum through hands-on activities such as testing the regenerative properties of planarians, examining and identifying the carcasses inside of owl pellets, shuck musselsto explore their anatomy, view hydra reproduction under a microscope, and the perennial favorite frog dissection! Ms. Gum and Mr. Schwalm are looking forward to the next semester with new kids and new exciting activities.

7 TH GRADE SOCIAL STUDIES

During the second nine weeks, students studied the causes of the Great Depression and its widespread impact on Americans, which led to economic control and reforms by the government. Students analyzed the causes of World War II and what led to American involvement in the war, including the attack on Pearl Harbor. The Cold War period led to the study of a divided Germany, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and yes...more wars - the Korean War and the Vietnam War. We finished the semester by learning about the actions taken to gain civil rights in the U.S. We look forward to meeting our new classes and going back to the Wild West as we study westward expansion.

ALGEBRA I

The Algebra students finished a successful semester with impressive scores on their midterm assessment. Hats off to all the supporting and encouraging parents and to the hardworking students. It pays to work hard and put Sutherland on the top of the list. The students have been watching interactive unitedstreaming.com videos on applicable math topics such as slopes, linear equations, data analysis etc. They also produced stellar quality interactive notebooks while learning new computer applications such as excel. Measuring their height and arm span and creating charts, graphs, and equations cemented their knowledge of the concepts.

Currently, the students are working on systems of equations.  We often have students complain about the level of difficulty of the class around the winter break.  Please remember, the first four chapters had many review ideas that we just explored in depth. The material we will be covering for the remainder of the year is strictly new material. Please encourage your child to stay focused and to complete all assignments.  They may need to step up their work ethic to be successful this semester.  

This semester, the students will run hard toward the SOL finish line while producing more mini-projects on topics such as systems of linear equations and inequalities and quadratic equations (toy cars and rocket speed paths). Finish hard! Finish Strong!

GEOMETRY

The Geometry students are doing a great job.  We have finished the first six chapters of our text.  Our midterm scores were well above the county average.  We have begun work in Chapter 7.  This quarter will included material on transformations, tessellations, area, and the Pythagorean Theorem.  We will take our third quarter assessment the last week of March.  I cannot believe how quickly the year is passing.   

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8 TH GRADE CIVICS/ECONOMICS

In eighth grade civics/economics class, the students were focused on a project called Get A Life. In this project, the students were given a job with a salary, a spouse that may or may not work, and children if married. With this information, the students had to pay taxes, medical insurance, student’s loans; buy a house and make mortgage payments; pay utilities; and if they could afford it, buy a car among other adult expenses. The studentswere given a sample of real life and all of the things their parents do for them on a monthly basis. At the end of the project, most students said they gained a greater appreciation for all their parents do for them. Mission accomplished!

8 TH LANGUAGE ARTS

Mrs. Kennedy’s Advanced/Honors Language Arts classes wrapped up the first semester with a study of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.  Now that the holiday season is behind us we are going to begin our “Do the Right Thing” multicultural unit.  In this unit students will explore the causes behind the Civil Rights Movement by reading Why We Can’t Wait by Martin Luther King, Jr.  Additionally, as an extension of the ideas studied, students will have an opportunity to read their choice of Chinese Cinderella by Adeline Yen Mah, Farewell to Manzanar, by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston, Having Our Say, by Sadie & Bessie Delaney, or The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman, by Ernest J. Gaines.  Concurrently, the students will focus on vocabulary, grammar, and writing in preparation for the upcoming (March 2010) Writing SOL examination.

8 TH GRADE HEALTH – ENVIRONMENTAL

8th grade students worked on a monthly calendar with environmental tips.  The best were selected to make 2 calendars to be printed and displayed at the curriculum fair. Calendars will also be used in several of their 8th grade classrooms. Congratulations to the Following students - Anais Oglesby, Samira Hussaini, Derek Kaschak, Elizabeth Thorne, Kaci Kennedy, Mallory Densmore, Makenna Allan, Rachel Braden, Abby Smith, Jesse Smyth, Sydney Daniel, Taylor Lonjin, Abby Wild, Courtney Long, Sammi Rocker, Paul Bovarnick, Caroline Hazlett, Michaela Malboeuf, Victoria Smith, Brooke Sherman, Ryann Murray, Nina Lacome, Savannah Maxwell, and Sarah Woods.

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8 th GRADE DESIGN, WRITE, AND PUBLISH CLASS

In the 8th grade Design, Write, and Publish class last semester, we developed our skills in Microsoft Word and Excel.  Using those skills we were able to generate flyers (like the ones advertising the Medieval Festival), create spreadsheets for the analysis of data, insert tables in our writing to help explain information, and draw conclusions from the data we produced.  Some of our research and data analysis using Excel included the 20 tallest buildings in the world, the past 20 years of ACC football, and a topic of each student's choice.  For this last topic, each student chose a research topic (such as the most profitable blockbusters of all time or the NHL's most prolific scorers), analyzed the raw data using a formula, then discussed the results in a report created with Microsoft Word. This project required students to think like a research scientist and to make inferences based on statistical analysis.  Some great examples were produced, as well as some interesting results.  Next semester we look to continue our work by delving into the wonderful world of PowerPoint.

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

All grades competed in Archery and Speed Stacking Competitions before Winter Break and the 6th graders are enjoying rollerblading during PE during the month of January. Several parents donated extra money for the skating program for students that may have needed financial assistance.  Thank you to those parents for your generosity.

   All 7th grades learned bicycle safety and skills on mountain bikes in the fall.   Ms. Davis Teal class still needs to get back out on the bikes in the spring.  It seemed to rain a lot on teal days this fall, but we will get out again as Spring rolls around.

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SEMIANNUAL CURRICULUM FAIR WAS A HIT!

On Thursday, January 14, Sutherland students proudly displayed all sorts of academic projects at the semiannual Curriculum Fair.  Visitors could read examples of Language Arts work, such as “Wanted” posters, book covers, and personal letters.  Spanish language menus and writing samples were on display.  One could read over a calendar full of ways to protect the environment from Health classes as well.  

S MS LEARNING EXPEDITION

The first-ever Learning Expedition from Sutherland’s 8th Grade was on display. Students addressed voter apathy issues with the project slogan: “Y Vote?”  Surveys collected voter data from last November’s election and students studied the results and created Public Service Announcements encouraging citizens to vote.  They even had voter registration forms available at the Curriculum Fair!  

SCIENCE FAIR PROJECTS

By far dominating the fair were science experiment projects from all three-grade levels. Sixth grade students: examined alternative energy via wind turbines in a collaborative project between science and technology classes, and students created their own experimental design projects on topics as varied as plant health, acid rain effects, and rolling friction.  Seventh grade students displayed their results from testing the variables that affect the efficiency of popping popcorn as well as the results from a few Punnett Squares. Eighth grade student projects covered the gamut of science, from life science to chemistry and physics.  Hydrogen fuel cells, celery diffusion, efficacy of various cleaning products, influence of color, caffeine, and music were among the many topics studied.

Look for the work of some of Sutherland’s young scientists to be entered in the Piedmont Regional Science Fair in March!

SUTHERLAND PARKS AND REC PROGRAMS

  Over 80 girls will be representing Sutherland on 8 teams for volleyball.  Each team will have 2 home games and 2 away games against the other middle schools.   The game schedule will be posted soon, so check the Sutherland web page under "Athletics" for the schedule and updated information for all sports. 19 boys are playing flag football after school through Parks and Rec.  Mr. Norman is leading the group and says they are having a lot of fun, especially with the snow still on the ground. Sutherland Track will begin after Spring Break. There will be one big track meet against the other middle schools in May.  Look for registration forms to come out in mid March if you are interested in running track for Sutherland.

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CULTURAL CELEBRATION

The 3rd Annual Cultural Celebration will be held at Sutherland on Friday, February 19, from 6:30 – 8:30!

The diversity committee comprised of central staff, parents and staff at Baker-Butler, Hollymead, and Sutherland, with assistance from other schools in the Northern Feeder Pattern, would like to invite you, your family, your business or any international/cultural group to come and join us in the celebration. Activities will be centered around culinary, performing and visual arts and would include various activities such as, but not limited to, international food tasting, dance, music performance and art, all with a multi-cultural flair!

Please join us if you can!Want to make a presentation or share an exhibit? Go to the

Sutherland Web Page: http://schoolcenter.k12albemarle.org/education/school/school.php?sectionid=2665

SPANISH

The Spanish I 8th grade classes will have their work on display at the Curriculum Fair on Thursday, January 14 in the evening.  The work to be displayed includes creative stories they have written and menu projects they have created all in Spanish!

The 7th grade Spanish students completed their introductory and first units this semester. They have also created a personal poster project using descriptive adjectives they have learned in Spanish.

The 6th grade Spanish Conversation class learned about Spain, México, Costa Rica and Argentina this semester.  They learned about the geography and the cultures of these

countries while listening to and speaking in Spanish!  They have extended what they learned in elementary school.

ORCHESTRA

Congratulations to the orchestra members that were selected to represent Sutherland at the Junior Regional Orchestra event.Allison MooreJisoo HanJoshua LingMia Brunal

District Festival March 13Junior Regional Orchestra March 26-27

8th grade trip to NY April 22-25Spring Concert May 6

Thank you for another successful poinsettia sale.  Look for our first FRUIT sale in February!

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CHORAL, MUSIC, DRAMA, AND LIVING SKILLS

Ms. Hollins' Choral, Music, Drama, and Living Skills classes had a full and successful first semester. The 6th, 7th and 8th grade Choirs presented their vocal skills in a Holiday concert in December. The 6th grade Music Class completed a semester of varied lessons and activities that enabled them to understand more about reading, performing and appreciating music. The Living Skills classes learned about many skills needed in everyday life which included communication, making a difference in communities, childdevelopment, simple sewing and cooking. And, the Drama classes ended their semester with a wonderfully successful performance of one-act plays that utilized the techniques presented to them in the daily theater lessons.

ROBOTICS TEAM

The Sutherland Robotics Team, Robosharks, participated in the Regional competition in Lynchburg this past November. They won first place in the Teamwork round and did well enough overall to earn a spot at the state level competition in Harrisonburg. The students worked further on their research, managed to finish programming all the missions, and completed their project by presenting their ideas to Albemarle County’s Department of Transportation. We spent Saturday and Sunday in the snow in Harrisonburg at the state competition. The students came away with a Judge’s Award for team spirit at the table round. These students dedicated a good number of outside school hours to this event, and we are proud of their accomplishments.

MATHCOUNTS

We recently held our school MathCounts competition. Eighteen students did an outstanding job after practicing all year. Unfortunately we are only able to take eight students to the regional competition in February. Congratulations to all the MathCounts students working toward this goal. We wish our eight representatives the best of luck.

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SPELLING BEE

We also held our first round of the Spelling Bee at the beginning of January. Over 100 students came to the cafeteria to participate in the elimination round. The top 25 spellers have been announced in the Language Arts classrooms and will participate in the Sutherland Spelling Bee to be held on February 5th in the cafeteria at 9:10. Congratulations to these students.

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NATIONAL HISTORY DAY

Sutherland students involved in National History Day, Science Fair, Destination Imagination, and Stock Market Game continue to work towards their respective events. In addition to these upcoming competitions, we look forward this spring to publishing a Sutherland online literary magazine and forming a 6th grade robotics team. As always, the students here at Sutherland are willing to work hard as they take on these academic challenges.

17TH ANNUAL CARNIVAL NEWS !

The annual school carnival will be held this year on Friday, February 26th, from 6 to 10 pm. For those of you new to our community, the carnival is a unique opportunity for our students to participate in an evening of fun and games with their SMS peers and friends from other middle schools. The evening begins with a variety of carnival events for the students’ enjoyment and ends with a dance in the Gathering Area. Sample activities include traditional favorites such as the Haunted House, Photo Booth, Pie Throwing, and inflatable rides in the gym. Pizza and concessions are available throughout the evening. The admission price includes all activities and rides with the exceptions of the Pie Throwing event that has a nominal fee, along with concession prices for food.

An event of this scale takes an enormous amount of adult volunteers in a variety of settings. The continued success of this event every year is ALWAYS due to our parents’ generous donation of their time and talents to this event!

There are many volunteer opportunities that evening that include selling tickets, helping with games and concessions, door monitors and more! If you have already volunteered for this event via the flyer that went home in the first day packets, MANY THANKS! Someone will be in touch with you in the coming weeks about how you can help us. IF you haven’t volunteered yet and want to be put on the list PLEASE contact Gayle Rainey who will pass your name onto our parent volunteer coordinator, Michelle Caldwell, who will contact you regarding volunteer opportunities for this event.

Email: grainey@k12albemarle.org.Phone: 975-0599, ext#302)