Union Middle Weekly Update V5.25!

Week 25.

Welcome to the month of March. As you are aware, we are now halfway through third quarter. Historically, and I've shared this last year, third quarter is when some students take their foot off the gas pedal. It is not uncommon for the average student GPA to drop a little (or maybe a lot) during 3rd quarter. If I were a middle school parent, I would be spending at least one night a week with my student, sitting down with them and reviewing all of their classes in PowerSchool. I would double check any and all missing assignments, review each of my student's teachers' daily slides for upcoming assessments and projects, and reinforce common behavioral expectations (such as do not go to the Safeway shopping center before or after school), all of which will ensure positive choice making for the remainder of the school year. Please do not assume that your student has everything school-related under their control. Even if they are one of those students who are completely focused on their studies, third quarter is the perfect time to reinforce great decision making for the next 60 school days and beyond.

SBAC SCHEDULE: I'm including our 2025 SBAC schedule HERE, and yes, this is a bit earlier than usual. For those of you who are new to public education, we have yearly state standardized tests that all students take at the end of April / early weeks of May. We utilize a block schedule for some of these days to allow our students to better focus on the longer state tests. While state tests are untimed, we allot a good amount of class time for our students to complete the assessments. You'll hear more about SBAC testing as we get closer, as while I don't to give too much attention to a test that is just a small moment of their school year and absolutely doesn't define nor highlight the individual our students might be, we do want to encourage an edu-community where students try their best on whatever activity they're presented with.

DODGEBALL: We have one of the best events of the year coming up: the Dodgeball Tournament. On March 7th, students, parents/adults, and high school alumni will face off (in age brackets, don't worry) for the UMS Dodgeball Championship. It's a fun time for everyone involved. Please check out the link above to learn how to sign up, volunteer, and participate in this fun event. I hope you can join us!

E-SPORTS: We have a few spots left for our UMS E-Sports team. No experience necessary. Here are some important links (sign up form & 2025 schedule). Our students who participated last semester raved about being able to be a part of this team; please consider having your student sign up for this opportunity!

We do have a video this week. It's with Bryant. Nothing in the video is UMS information that isn't included elsewhere in the newsletter... meaning it is whatever the opposite of essential viewing is, that's what the video is.

I hope everyone has a wonderful week.

Best,

Todd Feinberg, Principal

(Our staff member profile this week is Jennifer Reynolds, one of our IM1 teachers. Enjoy!)

This is Jennifer Reynolds' 11th year at Union Middle School. She currently serves as one of our 8th grade IM1 teachers. Mrs. Reynolds also teaches a period of coding. Enjoy the following Q&A below as we get to meet Mrs. Reynolds!

What is your current role at UMS? I teach IM1, Computer Science, AMPC, Math Clinic, and Competitive Math Team.

How long have you been at UMS? What do you love about being an educator at UMS?I have been at UMS for eleven years (and as a parent volunteer three years before that). What I love about UMS is the fantastic educators that are my colleagues. There is so much innovation in teaching here, and it is inspiring to see what other teachers are doing in their classes.

What, if anything, are you currently binge-watching? Or reading? I really like The Bear, Reservation Dogs, Only Murders in the Building, and Umbrella Academy.

What are your words of wisdom? Family before everything else.

What's one thing your students don't know about you that they would be surprised to find out? I think my students would be surprised to know that I was so shy in middle school I wouldn't talk at all in class if I could help it. It makes me laugh that literally all I do all day is talk in class now.

What are you most proud of in your career so far? I'm most proud of the connections I've been able to make over the years with my students. It's such a joy watching them become more confident students. If I have even had a tiny part in that growth, that means everything to me.

What is your favorite lesson/curriculum to teach each year? Why? I love teaching the Desmos Coat of Arms project. First, it's really awesome to see what cool ideas students think of each year, and second, it really gets students to understand how lines behave. Through trial and error, students get really good at graphing lines, parabolas, circles.

What made you want to become a teacher? I kept finding myself volunteering in school and always loved it. Finally I just gave in and went back to school for my credential and master's.

What is the most challenging topic/lesson to teach? Why? Actually triangle proofs are hard to teach. For some reason, students have decided they hate triangles and dig in to have a bad time, saying they "are bad at geometry", or they "don't understand proofs". Let me clarify that they are often saying this on the first day we even see the title "triangle congruency", not after they have had a chance to learn any proofs. This mindset makes it really hard to get student buy in, and that is a challenge.

What's one instructional practice that you've adopted for your classroom that you now cannot live without? Asking students to give instructions before we start an activity. Honestly, they can predict almost all my rules and consequences. It makes something that they would normally tune out something they have a chance to use their reasoning skills with.

If you had to describe your classroom in just a few words/sentences, what would you say? A tiny bit of chaos, but a lot of learning

• March 3, 2025 - Festival Band Concert @ UMS Gym (6:30 pm - 8:00 pm)
• March 4, 2025 - ICanHelp Assembly day for students
• March 5, 2025 - Festival Clubs Concert @ UMS Gym (6:30 pm - 8:00 pm)
• March 7, 2025 - UMS Dodgeball
• March 10, 2025 - USD Board Meeting @ District Office (6:00 pm - 8:00 pm)
• March 17, 2025 - Staff Professional Development Day - NO SCHOOL (for students)
• March 20, 2025 - Fire Drill
• March 21, 2025 - End of Quarter 3
• March 21, 2025 - UMS Reads @ UMS Library (6:00 pm - 7:15 pm)
• March 27, 2025 - Spring Picture Day during PE Classes
• March 27, 2025 - UMS HSC Meeting @ UMS (6:00 pm - 7 pm) - NEW DATE & TIME
• March 28, 2025 - UMS-DMS Spirit Game @ Branham
• March 31, 2025 - 8th Grade Leadership Applications due for 7th Graders
• April 3, 2025 - ASB Election Speeches Due
• April 7-11, 2025 - USD Spring Break - NO SCHOOL
• April 14, 2025 - UMS Track begins
• April 15, 2025 - ASB Officer Interviews
• April 17, 2025 - Earthquake Drill
• April 17, 2025 - Multi-Cultural Night @ UMS (5:30 pm - 7 pm)
• April 18, 2025 - 8th Grade Portfolio Presentations @ UMS
• April 23, 2025 - UMS Open House @ UMS (5:30 pm - 7 pm)
• April 25-27, 2025 - Shrek the Musical Performances!
• May 2, 2025 - All-School UMS Dance @ UMS (Time TBD)
• May 12, 2025 - USD Board Meeting @ District Office (6:00 pm - 8:00 pm)
• May 14, 2025 - UMS Band Concert @ UMS Gym (6:30 pm - 8:00 pm)
• May 15, 2025 - UMS Band Concert (Clubs) @ UMS Gym (6:30 pm - 8:00 pm)
• May 16, 2025 - Fire Drill
• May 19, 2025 - UMS HSC Meeting @ UMS (6:30 pm - 8 pm)
• May 22-25, 2025 - UMS Band Disneyland Performance
• May 26, 2025 - Memorial Day - NO SCHOOL
• May 30, 2025 - 8th Grade Great America trip
• June 2, 2025 - Earthquake Drill
• June 2, 2025 - USD Board Meeting @ District Office (6:00 pm - 8:00 pm)
• June 5, 2025 - Minimum day - 12:04 pm Dismissal
• June 5, 2025 - 8th Grade Party @ UMS Quad (12:30 pm - 2:30 pm)
• June 6, 2025 - 8th Grade Promotion @ Leigh (8 am for students, 10 am for guests)
• June 6, 2025 - Minimum day - 12:04 pm Dismissal

At UMS, we take pride in fostering a positive school culture through our Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports (PBIS). This program reinforces the values of ROAR—Responsibility, Organization, [Positive] Attitude, and Respect—helping our students grow into responsible and respectful members of our community.

Each week, we randomly select 3 Tiger Bites per grade level (students that demonstrate ROAR) to recognize students who exemplify these qualities, This week, we’re excited to celebrate the students listed in the accompanying picture. Congratulations to these students and thank you for your positive behaviors at UMS! Together, we create a school environment where all students can thrive.

Our 7th grade students will be participating in Teen Talk Middle School, a ten-lesson sexual health education course developed by Health Connected. Lessons have been developed in accordance with the California Health Education Content Standards for “Growth, Development and Sexual Health” and the California Healthy Youth Act (CA Education Code §§ 51930–51939). All 7th graders will attend these seminars through their science classes. 7th grade middle school sessions are set to begin on March 18 and end on March 28, 2024.

More information is available via THIS LINK.

Union Middle School is collecting hygiene items for the unhoused in our San Jose communities. Please drop off any of the following items (travel size also okay!) to the office the week of March 3-7: toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, and/or feminine products. Your donations are much appreciated by the less fortunate in our community.

All are welcome at our monthly HSC meetings. Visit the HSC website for updates and information all year long: www.unionhsc.org.

Did you know that kids who eat School Breakfast are more likely to start their day with whole grains and fruits? Join us in celebrating national school breakfast week, March 3rd –7th, by enjoying nutritious breakfast options that fuel minds and bodies for a great day of learning.

We still have room in our upcoming Beginner and Advanced Adult English Classes. The beginner class starts next week! Classes are free and all materials will be provided.

Beginner English Class

Sign up for our Beginner English Classes to improve your conversational speaking and reading skills.

Dates: Tuesdays & Thursdays, March 6 - April 22

Time: 3:45 PM - 5:00 PM

Location: District Office Board Room

Click Here to Register

Advanced Adult English Class Book Club

Intermediate/Advanced Adult English Learners have a chance to improve their conversational reading and speaking skills by reading a novel and having in-depth conversations about the book. The novel will be provided to all participants.

Dates: Wednesdays, March 19 - May 7

Time: 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM

Location: Noddin Elementary School Library

Click Here to Register

Seeking parent volunteers who speak a second or third language! We would love for you to join our Language Ambassadors program.

Our Language Ambassadors are paired throughout the year with other parents new to the country who speak the same home language. It’s a great way to welcome new families to our district and community! For more information, check out our Language Ambassadors flyer!

Blessings in a Backpack is a nationally recognized program that provides weekend meals for school-aged children who are facing food insecurity at home. Union School District has been proudly operating its own Blessings in a Backpack program for the past three years and has seen the numbers of students served increase from twelve to over fifty. These numbers only promise to keep rising. We encourage our community to help meet this demand by being a part of USD’s fight on hunger.

USD Blessings in a Backpack has been completely funded through the loving donations of our school community from the very start. Please help us continue this amazing student outreach program by donating today. Your loving support will help make hunger-free weekends a reality.

The USD Clothing Closet @ Dartmouth supports our district families in need by providing free access to wide varieties of new and gently loved clothing, backpacks and school supplies, pillows and warm blankets, hygiene items, and valuable resource materials and connections.

Please consider donating new or gently loved clothing. We welcome contributions for individuals of all ages, shapes, and sizes. Financial donations are always needed and will be used to purchase new socks, underwear, and hygiene items. Your generosity will directly support local families, spreading warmth and care throughout our community.

If you would benefit from visiting the Clothing Closet or by receiving another type of support, please complete this brief USD Community Support Form or contact our front office directly - we would be glad to help.

The Los Gatos Youth Commission, in partnership with the Los Gatos-Monte Sereno Safe Routes to School organization, is conducting a survey to solicit input on what pedestrian improvements will encourage students to walk and bike to school.

Our last survey in 2022 provided a large amount of useful data that helped the Town compete in grant funding and design better projects. Please complete one survey per student by the expiration date on March 1st. We encourage you to fill out multiple surveys if you have more than one student in the public school(s) in Los Gatos. Thank you in advance for your time.

Please see the above flyer for information about four upcoming parent informational nights for TUPE - Tobacco Use Prevention Education.

USD's annual Health & Wellness Fair is scheduled for Saturday, March 29th. Held at Union Middle Schook, our Health & Wellness Fair has activities and fun exhibits for all ages, community health & wellness providers, and musical and cultural performances. More information available HERE.

2025 USD Extended Care Summer Camp is offered to entering TK through entering 6th grade students. Space is limited and on a first-come, first-served basis. Visit the Extended Care Website for more details and registration.

Our morning clinics have begun!

If your student needs extra support, homework help, and/or test preparation, our UMS clinics can help! Whether they are struggling with the curriculum or just want to sharpen their academic skills, our staff (and high school tutors) are ready to assist them. Please encourage your student to take advantage of these opportunities, available throughout the week. Students should arrive with work to do and/or questions to ask - Clinics aren't necessarily 1:1 tutoring; they're a place where students can get extra help with their academic questions.

Math Clinic: Wednesdays and Fridays from 8:05 am to 8:25 am in Room 3

ELA Clinic: Mondays and Thursdays from 8:05 to 8:25 am in Room 4

Science Clinic: Tuesdays and Fridays from 8:05 to 8:25 am in Room 30

Teacher Team Links included below and are available through Teams & Staff on our homepage (via unionms.unionsd.org). Your student should know which team they're on. And of course, please bookmark the below link for usage throughout the school year.

6th Grade Happy Campers

6th Grade Avengers

7th Grade Otters

7th Grade Firefly

8th Grade Mustangs

8th Grade Penguins

As the seasons progress, more information will be added for whatever after-school sports become available. Please visit the website for tryout information and other key topics. Questions: Mrs. Moore is our athletic director and is available to answer any questions not already shared on the UMS Athletics website.

Email: feinbergt@unionsd.org
Website: Unionms.Unionsd.org
Location: 2130 Los Gatos Almaden Road, San Jose, CA, USA
Phone: (408) 371-0366
Twitter: @goteamums