Thoreau Middle School Annual Report 2014

Annual Report 2014

M I D D L E S C H O O LTHOREAU

Home of the Golden Eagles

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Thoreau Middle School M I D D L E S C H O O LTHOREAU

Principal’s Message 3

3 Year Enrollment Trend 4

3 Year Demographic Trend 5

Absenteeism 6

2013-2014 SOL Summary Results 7

Afterschool Activities Participation 8

Department Highlights & Achievements 9-21

Traditions and Culture 22

Table of Contents

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AnnualReport2014M I D D L E S C H O O LTHOREAU

Dear Parents, Students, and Community, At Thoreau Middle School, we are committed to cultivating and attaining student success through the philosophy that failure is not an option. We have a strong shared vision that every student is capable of high achievement, and we provide all of our students with a variety of opportunities to thrive academically. Through the collaboration of the entire staff, a safe, nurturing, and conducive atmosphere is created to foster mastery and to promote an appreciation for learning. Thoreau is a results-driven community where teachers are skilled in Best Practices and generate and administer self-created formative and summative assessments which are used to analyze data for student support and enrichment. Thoreau staff members also proudly forge an essential partnership with parents to maintain open and on-going communication to help meet all of our students’ individual needs. Overall, Thoreau has a strong dedication to making sure that all students have the skills needed to ensure life-long learning and enduring achievement throughout their academic career and lives.

At Thoreau Middle School, we pride ourselves on delivering the highest level of instruction to all students and helping them reach their full potential. Through the pages of this report, you will get a glimpse into our school culture and see examples of how the students of Thoreau achieved during the 2013-14 school year.

Sincerely, Gregory S. Hood

Principal

Message from the Principal

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3 Year Enrollment Trend

Number of Students

2013-2014

860

800

840

780

820

760

7402012-20132011-2012

789

843

855

Academic Services

Special Education Services

English Language Services

400

300

250

200

150

100

50

0

450

350

General Education

430

50

124

414

69

113

426

64

109

2011-2012

2012-2013

2013-2014

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3 Year Demographic Trend

Ethnicity

Asian

Hispanic

Black

White

Other

8082

113

8799105

10

553

59

9

584

69

12

557

68

2011-2012

2012-2013

2013-2014

0 100 200 300 400 500 600

Gender

382

418

425

474

381

407

490

470

450

430

410

390

3702013-20142011-2012 2012-2013

Males

Females

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Absenteeism

September

October

November

December

January

February

MarchApril

MayJune

Monthly Percentage

2.83%

3.13%

6.02%

4.63%4.24% 4.21%

4.64%

5.60%

5.15%

8.78%

10%

9%

8%

7%

6%

5%

4%

3%

2%

1%

0%

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2013-2014 SOL Summary Results

Combined 7th and 8th Grade Student Passing PercentageThis data is based on preliminary SOL data as the final results from the Virginia

Department of Education were not available at the time of printing the annual report.

100%

80%

90%

70%

60%

50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

0%Math English Social

StudiesScience

91 90

95 94

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Afterschool Activities Participation

Percentage of Students Attending an Afterschool Club At Least Once

Number of Clubs

2013-2014

2012-2013

2011-2012

2010-2011

2009-2010

80% 82% 84% 86% 88% 90% 92% 94% 96% 98% 100%

96%

97%

96%

97%

99%

50

45

40

35

30

25

202009-2010

47

43

38

43

45

2010-2011 2011-2012 2012-2013 2013-2014

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Department Highlights & Achievements

M I D D L E S C H O O LTHOREAU

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> Thoreau earned first place for non-GT schools in the Northern Virginia Math League Contest. Thoreau’s scores were submitted to the county and judged against all other middle schools. Missy Galus accepted the award on behalf of the school at a ceremony in May.

> From November to February, students practiced Algebra I and Geometry to compete in the county-wide Math Counts competition.

> The Math department conducted a cruise themed SOL review. Each week, activities and review materials were themed to help students “cruise through” the SOL tests.

> Teachers integrated technology into math lessons by using QR codes and flipped lesson videos.

> Students earned math bucks by answering challenge questions and completing extension projects.

> The Thoreau math department was committed to the idea of most 8th graders completing Algebra I and/or Geometry before high school. Students had an SOL pass rate for Geometry of 100% and an Algebra I pass rate of 94%.

Math

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> 7th Grade Science took their annual trip to Scott’s Run Nature Preserve in April. Students spent the day learning to perform water quality tests, identifying organisms living in their local watershed, and training to become environmental stewards.

> 7th grade students worked on Experimental Design projects. Students chose their own experiments and presented their experiment’s findings in a digital format.

> Students participated in the Science Olympiad Competition with two groups of students earning a top 3 ranking.

> The Green Eagles environmental club organized a school-wide clean up on Earth Day and celebrated Earth Week by coordinating daily themes to raise conservation awareness. Students learned about conservation of water, electricity, and paper.

> The Green Eagles worked on Project Clean Air and re-planted over 50 spider plants for teachers to put in their classrooms to clean the air.

> The Green Eagles started a food recycling program in the cafeteria for students to donate their unopened food to the local food bank.

> The Science Department bred snails, guppies, and duckweed to cut down costs for the next ecosystem unit.

Science

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> The brand new Thoreau Writing Center provided 15 trained tutors to help students with their personal and academic writing.

> 16 students published works in the Thoreau newspaper, The Walden.

> 2 students competed in the Optimist Oratorical Contest and placed 3rd in Vienna.

> The Thoreau Literary Arts Magazine, Cabin in the Woods, included writing from over 25 students.

> Students wrote persuasive letters to prominent individuals at companies and received replies from the White House, USDA, and Apple. Students who wrote their letters regarding FCPS policies had an opportunity to meet with school officials to discuss their passions and concerns.

> Students wrote petitions for healthier food options in the cafeteria.

> Teachers introduced a concentrated study on Greek and Latin roots.

> Students participated in a read-in on June 16.

> Students participated in a scary story contest in October.

> Teachers attended the Language & Learning Conference at George Mason University and learned from renowned author Penny Kittle.

English

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> The History Department created a 1920’s speakeasy in the cabins to showcase student projects using art work, music, literature, poetry, biographies, model cars, and airplanes. Parents, faculty, and staff were invited to partake in the event. Mr. Richard Kirkland, a WWII & Korean War Veteran and a Thoreau student’s grandfather, came to speak about his experiences. Students were lucky to have him come for a second year in a row!

> Students participated in a WWII Extension Project and created exceptional research projects to show off their hard work during the WWII History Day at the end of the school year. Parents, faculty, and staff were invited to hear the presentations and walk through the “gallery” of projects. During Time to Soar, students were presented with awards for undertaking the extension project.

> The history department reconfigured the curriculum to allow for more time to teach later units and projects to deepen student understanding of the material. Teachers flipped portions of the Westward Expansion and Cold War Units to allow for student-centered activities in-class. 7th grade students were successfully split up into three large groups to differentiate the 1920’s Unit.

Social Studies

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World Languages

World Language students showcased their understanding and knowledge in a variety of ways:

> Used iPads to record spoken responses

> Creating life-size portraits based on descriptions in the target language

> Scripted and produced fashion shows

> Solved a Thoreau “robbery” mystery

> Wrote and illustrated travel brochures

> Wrote and edited detailed descriptions about their family, friends, school, and personal life in the target language

> Performed skits in the target language

> Asked and answered PALS-based interview questions in target languages

> Created artistic projects to learn new vocabulary

> Invited parents into the classroom for crepe-making and a recipe-fest

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Fine Arts

> Selected student work was published in the holiday issue of Vienna Connections Newspaper.

> Student work was displayed at the highly competitive Scholastic Regional Art Show at Northern Virginia Community College. Students received the highest awards of two Gold Keys, three Silver Keys, and two Certificate of Merits. Gold Key winners were judged in New York City for the National Scholastic show. Both Gold Key and Silver winners were published in FCPS Poster for the Regional Scholastic winners.

> Over 50 students’ work was on display at the Madison Pyramid Art Show in March.

> Over 150 selected students’ art was on display at the Navy Federal Union Art Show. Awards were chosen by the Navy Federal employees.

> 4 large canvases were painted by students for the Merrifield Mosaic Community Center.

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Health and Physical Education

> 7th and 8th grade PE students collected donations and ran laps to raise money to purchase an iPad mobile lab for the school.

> Thoreau completed the second year of the FCPS Living Fit in Fairfax Grant. Teachers and students completed multiple assessments and collected data on health related areas such as sleep, nutrition, and activity levels.

> Using an Electronic Fitness Tracking System, Thoreau students reached 98% pass rate for the Virginia Wellness Testing.

> Thoreau reached the highest level in Health and Fitness among the school community, staff, and students to earn the Golden Binder Award. The school community focused on eating healthy and staying active.

> During the opening stages of the school’s renovation, the PE department maintained a flexible schedule while space was limited. Teachers used creative solutions keep students engaged in physical activity.

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Performing Arts

> WEXL, the daily morning news show, reinvented its look with a new introduction and updated graphics.

> 50 Students attended the New York City field trip in April to see Broadway shows and attend a workshop with a professional actor from Cinderella.

> Introduction to Theatre classes, about 100 students, attended the puppetry show Handspring Puppets present “A Midsummer’s Night Dream” at the Kennedy Center in March. Students were able to meet actors and see how the puppets were made.

> Advanced Theatre Arts performed “Death to the Drama Club,” a comedy about a school drama club that rises up to save it’s struggling program from budget cuts. The performance had over 200 attendees.

> At Mayfest Playfest, Thoreau received a Gold Award for their performance of the original play “Final Flush.”

> After School Theatre produced Seussical the Musical and it was a huge success, with over 200 tickets sold each night.

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> A team of eighth grade students from Thoreau Middle won first place in the statewide School of the Future competition and advanced to the southeast regional competition of the Council of Educational Facility Planners International (CEFPI) in Pine Mountain, Georgia. Students participated in the competition by using a planning process from conception to completion, including problem solving, collaboration, and gaining experience in tactile, hands-on work while developing an eye for beauty and design.

> Students finished in the top ten in the Northern Regional TSA fair in Go-Green Manufacturing and Digital Photography.

Technology Student Association (TSA)

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> The Thoreau Middle Symphonic Band premiered “Dream, Imagine, Live,” created by composer Larry Clark specifically for the band. Clark’s work as a composer has taken him around the world, but family ties drew his talents back to Vienna, as his nephew is a member of the Thoreau band.

> Band, chorus, and orchestra were named best overall at the Music in the Parks Competition held in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Each of the ensembles received superior and excellent ratings and first place trophies, beating several high school ensembles in the competition.

> For a community service project, the Family and Consumer Sciences Department donated 40 “Love Lines” (machine sewn fleece IV line covers) to the Pediatrics Departments of John Hopkins and Fairfax Hospital.

Band, Orchestra, and Chorus

Family and Consumer Sciences

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> The department organized and hosted Hispanic Family Night to celebrate and help our families feel included in the school community. Student services actively engaged Hispanic students in the planning and facilitation of Hispanic Family Night.

> Tracey Albert published her first article “Promoting Educational Resilience Among African American Students at Risk of School Failure: The Role of School Counselors” in the Journal of School Counseling.

> Sarah Elkalban, a pre-licensed therapist at The Women’s Center, ran teen workshops focusing on ways of alleviating stress and building self-compassion and was a member of the “40/40 Initiative,” which focuses on partnering with FCPS to build awareness around mental health and wellbeing.

> Joan Lee co-presented workshops on supporting students with mental health concerns and AAP.

Student Services

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Student Council Administration (SCA)

> The song “Grease Lightning” captured first prize at the annual lip sync competition, which was a another star-studded and exhilarating event.

> The SCA sponsored its annual Pink-Out Day to promote breast cancer awareness and support.

> Students participated in 2 spirit weeks to show their spirit and relax before SOL testing. The 7th graders won the trophy at the spirit week competition.

> The annual student and teacher basketball tournament featured exciting games and impressive skills.

> The SCA hosted a month-long canned food drive and donated more then 600 pounds of food to the local food bank Food For Others.

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> Students took a “Make the Cut” field trip to Marshall High School’s Academy where students in the cosmetology school cut and styled their hair. The project encourages students to grow, cut, and donate healthy hair to create real-hair wigs for women who have lost their hair due to cancer treatment.

> The annual canned food drive and food donation program during lunch supported Food for Others, the largest distributor of free food directly to those in need in Northern Virginia. The goods collected provided vital assistance needed by our unemployed and low-income neighbors.

> On Tuesday, May 6th, students and staff participated in a day of giving—focusing on giving to the school, community, and those in need. The day began with the first Thoreau Runathon; students ran laps around a track while raising funds, via pledges, for iPads for the school. Students and staff ran a total number of 6,649 laps, which equals 1,660 miles.

> The National Wildlife Federation recognized Thoreau’s Courtyard Habitat as part of their certified network of mini-refuges. The Federation recognizes the habitat’s owner’s conscientious planning, landscaping, and sustainable gardening.

> Thoreau students and staff participated in the International Walk to School Day, which galvanizes visibility for walking and bicycling to school.

> 8th grade civics classes participated in the Junior Achievement Finance Park experience. The four-week classroom curriculum culminated with a day at Junior Achievement Finance Park, where students immersed themselves in a reality-based decision-making process addressing aspects of individual and family budgeting.

Traditions and Culture

Friday, May 30 — Reading 7

Tuesday, June 3 — Algebra I Wednesday, June 4 — Math 7 and Math 8

Thursday, June 5— Civics

Friday, June 6— History 7

Tuesday, June 10—Science 8

Parents please assist your children in doing well on these tests by making sure students get a good night’s sleep prior to the testing day and by eating a good breakfast on the day of each test. Please avoid scheduling appointments on days your student will be tested.

Seventh-grade students will take SOL tests in Math, English, and History. Eighth-grade students will take SOL tests in Math, English, Civics and Economics, and Science.

Students enrolled in Algebra and Geometry will take the appropriate end-of-course test. Seventh-grade students enrolled in honors math will take the eighth grade math test in lieu of the seventh grade math test.

The SOL testing schedule will be as follows:

Wednesday, May 28 — Geometry

Thursday,May 29 — Reading 8

NFCU ART SHOW 2

EITHTH-GRADE CELEBRA-

TION 2

ORDER YOUR YEARBOOK 3

BRIDGES PROGRAM 3

END OF YEAR AWARDS 3

NEW AND NOTEWORTHY 4

PTA ANNOUNCEMENTS 4

Inside this issue:

May 22, 2014 Volume 1 Issue 16

Thoreau Matters is published every two weeks by the PTA and the Thoreau administrative staff to inform parents of important information about school life at Thoreau Middle School.

THOREAU MATTERS

2013-2014 Standards of Learning Online Testing Schedule

Make the Cut!

We had 19 students and 1 teacher donate their hair on Friday, May 16th. Students took a field trip to Marshall High School’s Academy where students in the cosmetology

school cut and styled their hair. Each student donated at least 8 inches of hair to the Pantene Beautiful Lengths program, a ma-jority of students donated more than 8 inches, with one student

donating 16 inches! Students returned to Thoreau to show off their new styles with a red car-pet entrance cheered by admin-istration and classmates. This was an extremely successful collaboration between Tho-reau’s SCA and Marshall Acade-my!

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> Mentor Program. Students met weekly with Navy Federal volunteers, who provide guidance, tutelage, and moral support. School counselors carefully matched employees to students to optimize the mentor-mentee relationship—helping to ensure successful and rewarding outcomes.

> Project Neighbors Program. School counselors provided Navy Federal with information about Thoreau families in need. Divisions throughout the credit union “adopted” a family for the holiday season and received the names and ages of family members and their “wish lists.” Employees purchased and wrapped much-needed items. The gifts, along with food baskets, were delivered to the families by Navy Federal employees.

> Recognition Program. Navy Federal recognized Thoreau students who receive all “A”s on their report cards by hosting a pizza party and handing out certificates of academic achievement.

> Donations to the School. Navy Federal provided Thoreau with support services such as printing assignment books, the Student-Parent Handbook, the literary arts magazine, and the programs and posters for musical and drama productions.

> Pen Pal Program. Thoreau’s English Speakers of Other Languages students are paired with Navy Federal volunteers who serve as pen pals. Through correspondence, pen pals kept in touch with each other, which provided students with opportunities to develop their writing and language skills.

> Annual Art Exhibit. Navy Federal honored Thoreau’s young aspiring artists by displaying their work during a month-long art exhibit. Employees voted for their favorite works of art and ribbons are awarded. Employees, visitors, faculty, students, and parents enjoyed and appreciated the students’ artistic talents.

Navy Federal Credit Union

Thank you to our generous business partners for their continued support.

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Principal’s Message


Reprinting courtesy of Navy Federal Credit Union

Thoreau Middle School Annual Report 2014

Education

Transcript of Thoreau Middle School Annual Report 2014