Union Middle Weekly Update V5.18!

Week 18.

Welcome back everyone to Union Middle for the 2025 year. Just like last year, it was another winter break of driving to San Diego and then back home just a few days later. Oddly, it was a wonderful drive with my daughters as they slept most of the way in each direction (I leave depart in the AM around 4 am... less traffic and quiet kids).

It feels like it's been at least two months since we were last at Union Middle School. I am very excited to see everyone tomorrow (Monday, January 6th) for the first day of the 2025 school year. We begin this special week with "smart re-start" activities in our classrooms, as students adjusted back to school after a long two week winter break. Some of the annual activities include an Amazing Race challenge for some of our 6th graders and Paracord Creating with our 8th grade students in their social studies classes. It's one of the best days of the school year as everyone is excited to be back (with their friends) at school.

As always, every holiday season results in a few of our students receiving their first cell phone or e-bike. This would be a great time to review school expectations around those two (and other) items. For instances, cell phones are kept in a student's backpack from the start of 1st period to the end of 6th period, preferably off but at least on silent mode. If there is ever a phone emergency, students can use the office phone or simply approach an administrator/counselor for help. Regarding e-bikes, these vehicles are not permitted on the UMS campus at any point or time. We are running a "pilot program" for a limited number of students who ride a class 1 e-bike to school. If any student who isn't part of the pilot program brings an e-bike to school for whatever reason, we will gladly hold it for parent pick-up later that day/week. Thanks for your support in keeping our students and campus safe.

Our first semester comes to a close in just 5 school days on January 10th. We are essentially at the halfway point of the school year with our 8th graders closing in on just 15% of their middle school experience left. Our 8th grade families will be receiving information via an alternate ParentSquare ping about the end of the year activities (i.e. Great America, Promotion, Gowns, etc) - please be on the lookout for this communication. We look forward to holding our 8th grade promotion ceremony at Leigh High School on Friday, June 6th at 10 am. We will provide plenty of information about the event in the upcoming weeks; just add that date/time to your calendar now. :)

Below are some reminders for the next few weeks. Enjoy!

Todd Feinberg, Principal

REMINDERS:

8th Grade Families - don't forget that we have the Leigh Principal joining our January 22nd Home and School Club meeting. We encourage our 8th grade families to attend this event as you'll receive first hand information on what to expect when your student begins high school in the fall. Our HSC meeting starts at 8:30-ish and the Leigh Principal's presentation begins at 9 am. Both events are held in the UMS library. Hope to see you there.

8th grade families - there is a Leigh High School Incoming 9th Grade Info Night on Thursday, February 4th @ Leigh, starting at 6 pm. Please see the flyer below for more information. If you have any questions about this event, please contact Leigh directly.

Also this January, Leigh counselors will be visiting our 8th grade ELA classrooms during the school day. The Leigh counselors will share what a day at Leigh looks like for our future Longhorns. Thereafter, families will receive, via email, a link to register their student for their classes and electives at Leigh. if you do not receive this email by the end of January, please contact Leigh directly for assistance.

(I'll detour for a moment here to share that it is not uncommon for 8th grade families to ask UMS about 9th grade Leigh questions. As indicated above, we do ask that you contact the Leigh counselors for all Leigh-related questions. You can also call Leigh directly if you need assistance with anything Leigh-related. They have the answers you seek and are the right people to speak with about all things Leigh.)

-Looking to show your UMS pride at upcoming sporting events. Check out the new Tiger gear here! Order UMS Spirit Wear Here

-The *NEW* UMS Store is available at bit.ly/umstigers. I am very hopeful that this version of the UMS Store is a bit more seamless for our UMS community. Feedback always welcome.

We have now begun the mad dash to June 6th These 5 months are going to feel semi-instantaneous upon reflection on the last day of the school year. Enjoy these moments and memories.

All the best,

Todd

(Our staff member profile this week is Jeff Argabright, one of our PE teachers at UMS. I hope you enjoy it!)

• January 6, 2024 - Shrek the Musical Rehearsals begin
• January 13, 2024 - USD Board Meeting
• January 13, 2024 - Multi-Cultural Night Info Meeting (see below)
• January 20, 2024 - Martin Luther King Jr Day - No School
• January 22, 2024 - HSC Meeting w/ Leigh Principal (8:30am-10:15am)
• January 23, 2024 - Presentation @ UMS for New-to-USD Families (9:00am-10:00am)
• January 24, 2024 - UMS Reads - Library (6:00-7:15pm)
• January 29, 2024 - Fire Drill
• February 7, 2024 - 6th Grade Dance (4-6pm)
• February 14, 2024 - Earthquake Drill
• March 20, 2024 - Fire Drill
• March 28, 2024 - UMS-DMS Spirit Game @ Branham
• April 17, 2024 - Earthquake Drill
• April 17, 2024 - Multi-Cultural Night @ UMS (5:30 pm - 7 pm)
• April 18, 2024 - 8th Grade Portfolio Presentations @ UMS
• April 25-27, 2024 - Shrek the Musical Performances!
• May 16, 2024 - Fire Drill
• June 2, 2024 - Earthquake Drill

This is Jeff Argabright's 25th year at Union Middle School. He currently serves as one of our PE teachers and a self-considered "sports coach". Enjoy the following Q&A below as we get to meet Mr. Argabright!

How long have you been at UMS? What do you love about being an educator at UMS? I've been at Union Middle School for the past 25 years. What I love about being at UMS is the culture and the location. (Todd Note: Mr. Argabright lives in the community - it's a short commute)

What's one thing your students don't know about you that they would be surprised to find out? That I have been at Union twice as long as they have been alive.

What’s one thing on your bucket list? I would like to live full time on a tropical island.

What makes you proud to be a UMS tiger? The students are usually kind and understanding to each other.

What are your words of wisdom? The principle of treating others as one would want to be treated by them.

What is your favorite lesson/curriculum to teach each year? Why? I like the games unit because I can pick and choose a new fun game or activity everyday.

What made you want to become a teacher? I had played sports my whole life and wanted to get into coaching after college. That led me to major in PE.

What is the most challenging topic/lesson to teach? Why? Dance is the most challenging because it's out of many student's comfort zone.

Explain why your subject is important for your students to learn. How will they use this information in their future / "real world"? They need to know exercise is fun and necessary to have a healthy life. Plus PE is social and they will learn valuable social skills and team work skills that translate into life.

What's one instructional practice that you've adopted for your classroom that you now cannot live without? Respecting students and being flexible will make everyone happier. Understanding that some students are easy to teach and some are difficult but both need to be taught is pretty important as well.

Attention all students, parents, and guardians! We are excited to announce the upcoming Multicultural Night at our school. If you are interested in participating or learning more, please join us for the Information Meeting on January 13th at 6:00 PM in the staff lounge. Please fill out THIS form to let us know you’re attending the meeting.

This event is a wonderful opportunity for students to celebrate and share their cultural heritage through performances, food, music, and displays. Whether you want to showcase your culture or just be part of the celebration, this meeting will provide all the details you need! Questions? Email Mrs. Utley (utleyk@unionsd.org) and Ms. Wilcox (wilcoxc@unionsd.org)

We hope to see you there!

If you know of families who do not currently attend USD schools but are planning on registering to attend UMS in the fall, please let them know that each USD school is holding two "intro to USD" in-person presentations. Union Middle School will be hoiding our second such presentation on January 23rd at UMS from 9:00-10:00 am. Please note that this presentation is ONLY for families who do not attend USD schools.

The link for our New to USD families to RSVP for this event is: bit.ly/New-to-USD-Preso. For those families with students already attending USD schools, we will be holding your 5th grade parent night on the third Tuesday of May, the same day of the 5th grade walking field trip. The January presentation is for our new-to-USD or thinking about becoming new-to-USD families only. Thank you for your assistance and understanding.

Do you have a UMS athlete living under your roof? Get your athlete yard sign today!! Show your Tiger pride and support UMS Sports Boosters at the same time. The yard sign will be delivered directly to your home and installed. Order Your UMS Athlete Yard Sign Here

Do you, or someone you know, have a business or organization and would like to support Union Middle School? We invite you to donate to the Union Middle School Home and School Club’s Community Sponsorship program. UMS Home & School Club is a registered charitable trust and a non-profit association under Section 501(c)(3) of the IRS code. Community Sponsors donate ONCE, and in exchange, receive visibility to the Union Middle School community. Sponsors receive recognition on our Home and School Club website, in our multiple Music programs throughout the year, our Drama production, our Dodgeball tournament, as well as our biggest community event, coming up in a few short weeks on October 25th, The Blast. To learn more and donate please go to www.unionhsc.org/community-sponsorships.html

There are many ways to get involved at Union Middle School. From leading Art Vistas lessons or helping at the Scholastic Book Fair to participating in fundraisers or supporting music, drama, or athletics, there’s definitely an opportunity to fit your schedule and interests. Sign up here: www.unionhsc.org/volunteer.html.

This year, our primary way to fundraise will be through the Annual Membership Drive. We rely on your generous donations to hit our fundraising goals. If your employer provides Corporate Matching, this is another way for you to double your donation and help support Union Middle School students, teachers, and school programs. Please follow the steps below and donate online today!

Donate online now: bit.ly/umstigers

Your HSC Membership donations support:

• HSC donates approximately $175 per student each year

• Art Vistas, Athletics, Music, Drama, Technology, and Cheer programs

• All of our teachers, who receive $500 each for teaching and classroom supplies, resources, and online education subscriptions

• Grants made available to faculty to fund one-time expenses

• A wide range of student resources and support programs including orientation for new 6th graders (WEB), mentoring, UMS Reads, and leadership training.

Donate online now: bit.ly/umstigers

Bridge the Gap is a principal discretionary fund that enables the principal and staff to provide the best possible educational experience for the students at Union Middle School. Your Bridge the Gap donations support:

• Teacher development and teacher recognition events

• Existing programs that may have been drastically cut or risk cancellation

• Student clubs and student recognition events.

You can easily double your donation via Corporate Matching. Find more information here: www.unionhsc.org/corporate-matching.html

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

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

We have a NEW location for UMS Athletics: bit.ly/unionathletics!

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