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October 20, 2024 - Issue 4

Hello Anthony Community!

As we near the end of the quarter, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to each and everyone of you for entrusting us with the privilege of educating and working with your student. We take this responsibility very seriously and are committed to providing a safe, inclusive, and positive learning experience.

Thank you to all who were able to attend student parent teacher conferences last week. We understand that the conference times may not have worked for everyone; therefore, we encourage families to reach out to their child's teachers anytime throughout the school year.

Lastly, thank you for either donating or sharing information about the pledge drive with family and friends. We are 62% of the way towards reaching our goal of $50,000. All funds raised go directly to support student learning, teacher instruction, social emotional learning, events, programming, and supplies and materials.

Appreciate your support and partnership,

Principal Vue

Attention 7th and 8th grade families:

Your child will be switching their rotation class on Monday, October 28. See the graphic below to

identify where they will go next based on their current class. All 7th/8th grade students will take all 5 rotation classes (Design, P.E., Exploratory Art, Robotics, and Explore) unless they are enrolled in AVID or a pull-out support class.

You may contact your child’s current rotation teacher or megan.gustafson@mpls.k12.mn.us if you have questions.

7th Grade Language and Literature: A Feast for the Mind

As we approach the end of the quarter, our 7th grade Language and Literature class has been abuzz with creativity and intellectual growth. From savoring new vocabulary to time-traveling through medieval literature, our students have embarked on a journey that has both challenged and delighted their minds.

A Menu of Sophisticated Words

Our culinary-inspired vocabulary project saw students crafting menus using an array of newly acquired, sophisticated words. This exercise not only expanded their lexicons but also allowed them to serve up their creativity on a silver platter.

Swiping Right in the Middle Ages

In a delightful twist on character analysis, our class created "Ye Olde Dating Scrolls" based on Geoffrey Chaucer's "The Canterbury Tales." Students made inferences about the pilgrims' personalities, crafting witty and insightful profiles.

The Great Spelling Debate

Our budding rhetoricians flexed their persuasive muscles with essays arguing for or against the importance of spelling in the modern world. Our students demonstrated their ability to construct logical arguments and articulate their views effectively through structured writing and citing evidence. Great practice for History Day!

Podcasting: The Grand Finale

As we wrap up the quarter, students are preparing for their summative assessment: creating a podcast that weaves together elements from all we've learned. This project will challenge them to synthesize their knowledge, apply their new vocabulary, and showcase their analytical and persuasive skills in an engaging audio format. Our 7th graders have truly embraced the power of language this semester, proving that literature is not just words on a page, but a living, breathing entity that can inform, persuade, and entertain. We can't wait to hear the final podcasts and celebrate the growth and achievements of our talented young wordsmiths!

Why do we tell stories?

This year, our sixth graders will be exploring a brand new unit exploring Myths and Folktales. We are looking at what these stories have in common and how they connect with our human experience. We are starting with a couple of Indigenous origin stories, and then continuing with a variety of stories from around the world.

We will be exploring the “Hero’s Journey” and looking for patterns found in adventure stories across time and place.

Finally, we will be concluding later this year by writing our own myth, legend, folktale, or fable.

Check in with your 6th grader and find how they are progressing on this epic journey of literature!

Is your student interested in joining the high school downhill ski team?

Minneapolis Alpine Ski Team (aka MAST) is for all 7th-12th graders.

Registration is now open!

For more information visit www.mplsalpineski.org

Our pledge drive fundraiser goal is $50,000. Can you help us make it to $40,000 by the end of the week? Thank you to everyone who has made a donation or helped shared with families and friends. Anything helps. We are currently at $31,000 so far.

Donate via SQUARE: https://anthony-middle-school-pta.square.site/ams-pledge-drive

Or, donate via VENMO: https://venmo.com/code?user_id=3877313418626541465

Check donation is also an option. Write check out to " Anthony PTA "

Family members gathered at Anthony Middle School for the 6th Grade Band Informance on October 14th. Audience members learned more about playing position, music learning sequence, performance technique, rehearsal routine, and how to practice more effectively at home. The 6th grade band is already performing together with balance and blend and great rhythm after just four weeks of full band rehearsals! Hats off to the members of this awesome ensemble!

Latin music fills the air all around Minneapolis and St. Paul. We are very fortunate to have so many talented musicians in our community. Two of the most adored Latin musicians in Minneapolis performed along with our own 8th grade band for the 6th and 7th grade students at Anthony Middle School. José James and C. Harris first met playing in Shangoya many decades ago. C. Harris is an inductee into the Mid America Music Hall of Fame and has played with Taj Mahal and many well known bands. José James was voted Best Brass/Reed Artist at the Minnesota Music Awards in 1994 and is a member of the MN Music Hall of Fame. Both musicians have toured internationally and recorded on top selling Billboard albums. We hope to have them both back to work more with our Anthony instrumental music students. Mr. James and Mr. Harris was so impressed with our students attentiveness and interest during the assembly and the 8th grade band performance. Hopefully, our students will seek out more Latin style music!

We do not have access to COVID tests this year to distribute from the health office. We recommend that you request your free tests now from https://www.covidtests.gov/ to have on hand in your household.

If your student contacts you directly about feeling unwell and wanting to go home, please encourage them to go to the health office. We need to assess them and will reach out directly to parents and guardians if they need to go home. Thanks!

What’s new? Student Voting Day sign-up

On Nov 4th students will participate in a mock election - come be an election judge for a period or two of the day.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E0B49A8A62CA0F49-52174132-student

Featured position: PTA Web Master

We are looking for someone who can help with the PTA section of the school website. We have examples of what we would like but we need someone to implement it! In general it will involve updates of PTA news & meeting minutes, photos, and upcoming events. Please reach out if interested!

Check here for other available opportunities: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E0B49A8A62CA0F49-50803392-anthony

Any questions about volunteering can be directed to Kelsey Tritabaugh at ktritabaugh@gmail.com

October

• 17-18 - NO SCHOOL - MEA: State Professional Development
• 21 - After School Program begins
• 31 - 6th Grade Project Success Northrop Field Trip

November

• 3 - Daylight Savings - fall back 1 hour
• 4 - Quarter 1 Ends
• 4 - Student Mock Election Day in Individuals & Societies Class
• 5 - No School - Record Keeping Day for Teachers
• 5 - General Election Day - Make sure to get out and vote!!
• 6 - Quarter 2 Starts
• 6 - Dining for Dollars
• 7 - Picture Retake Day
• 27-29 Holiday Break - No School

Click to view full calendar of events

Note: This is not a complete list of events at Anthony. Subject to change.

Please make sure the following forms are filled out and turned into the main office. Forms can be downloaded or picked up in the main office.

• Emergency Contact Form -- (required)

• Media Release Form -- (required)

• Student Behavior Acknowledgement Form -- (required)

• Technology/Bus/Cell Phone Form -- (required)

• Technology Use Pledge -- (required)

• Health Form -- (required)

• Medication Authorization Form -- (only applicable if student takes medication at school)

• Family Activity Form -- (only if student will be absent more than 3 days in a row during school year)

Attendance Line: (612) 668-3271

District Transportation: (612) 668-2300

Secretary: Annie Smith

Principal: Mai Chang Vue

Associate Principal/Athletic Director: Dempsey Miller

Website: anthony.mpschools.org/

Address: 5757 Irving Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55419

Phone: (612) 668-3240
Facebook: facebook.com/AnthonyMiddleSchool/
Instagram: @mps.anthonymiddle