Union Middle Weekly Update V5.20!

Week 20.

I hope everyone had a wonderful three day weekend. I'm excited for another fun yet busy week.

Sometimes, parents will ask how I balance having four children (and all of the responsibilities therein) with being a middle school principal. Truthfully, most of the time, it's pretty easy. My wife handles most of the kid stuff and I just parent from a distance during the school day. It's only the rare occasions when everything happens at once, at work and at home, where things get challenging. Friday was one of those afternoons.

Friday started off well. It was just before lunch where I got a frantic call from my daughter's (non-public) school (for students with significant special needs). They told me that my daughter (Kenna) had just suffered a seizure. She had been sitting, stood up, had a blank stare, and then collapsed, hitting her head on the floor on the way down. They said that Kenna was awake and aware. I said that someone, my wife or I, would be there momentarily to pick her up and take her to urgent care.

As many of you know, having more than one child makes scheduling challenging. With my wife handling Kenna's pick-up and MD visit, we needed someone to pick up our sons from school. My sister, who lives nearby, offered to help out. I told her that I was planning on leaving work early to be with Kenna. At least... that was the plan.

Friday lunch was a typical Friday middle school lunch. Busy, challenging, fun. However, some of the events from lunch led to some significant student-principal (and eventually parent) conversations. This investigation was urgent and needed both Mrs. Mantell's and my attention. There wasn't a way for me to leave to be with my Kenna with everything happening at school. On top of it all, there was a student medical emergency at UMS happening at the same time. This was on top of most of the office being out for the day for a variety of reasons. Just a perfect storm of chaos.

I ended up staying at UMS until 4 pm, meeting with parents. My drive home included a 20 minute phone call with one of the student's parents as well. Friday's lunch events took the full three hours to properly address and support the involved students. Even with the challenging details of the stiuation that afternoon, all of the students' parents were supportive and collaborative. Headway was made on how to best support the students moving forward. With teenagers, it's often three steps forward, two steps back. Friday began with two steps back but ended with a full three steps forward. I'm hopeful those positive conversations provide some momentum moving forward. That's the goal.

While all of this was happening at UMS, I was receiving constant text updates from my wife on Kenna's progress. The MD ended up saying that perhaps it wasn't a seizure and that she just got dizzy when she stood up too fast. Either way, when I got home, she gave me a big hug and told me that she was okay. Whereas Kenna's sister Molly is somewhat of a challenge, Kenna's always been the heart of the duo - kind, sweet, and brave. The hug was a good one and by Monday (today), she's back to her normal self.

Somehow, despite a crisis at home and challenging events at work, it was through the support of my family and my colleagues that everything worked out swimmingly well. Yes, it can be a challenge at times, but in the end, everything usually ends up okay. It was a busy start to the three day weekend.

Thanks for listening. As always, we appreciate your support at Union Middle School. I can speak for our entire staff when I say that we truly want the best for our students, often to the sacrifice of our own familial needs. If you have a moment this week to thank a staff member who has gone above and beyond for your student, please consider doing so. it's always appreciated.

As shared earlier, it's a busy week. Please read below for reminders of everything that's happening at Union Middle School.

Best,

Todd Feinberg, Principal

REMINDERS

8th grade families - you received information via an alternate ParentSquare ping (and available here) about the end of the year activities (i.e. Great America, Promotion, Gowns, etc) last week. 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. :)

6th Grade Parents - The 6th grade dance (Friday, February 7th) is almost upon us. Don't worry, you haven't missed ticket sales or anything yet. We are just letting you know in advance to save the date for your 6th grade student. You will likely have questions - and that's okay - so we have created the 6th grade dance FAQ. If you have any additional questions, just reach out. Here to help.

🚩🚩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 Rama Nemani, one of our 7th & 8th grade Math teachers. I hope you enjoy it!)

This is Rama Nemani's 6th year at Union Middle School. She currently serves as one of our 7th grade and 8th grade Math teachers. Enjoy the following Q&A below as we get to meet Mrs. Nemani!

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 6 years now. I love the sense of community and belonging within the teachers and students. There is a lot of intentionality and respect.

If you had three wishes, what would they be? (please briefly explain each wish) I wish I could learn and speak new languages easily because they connect you to people so quickly and deeply. 2) I wish I had eidetic memory so I can recall things 3) I wish that I would do good in the world and improve it for the better.

What's one thing your students don't know about you that they would be surprised to find out? I was a rebellious teenager and a handful to my mom.

What are you most proud of in your career so far? The improvements I've made and the relationships I am building with students and parents.

What’s one thing on your bucket list? Climb to the base camp of the Himalayas

What makes you proud to be a UMS tiger? I am proud of being part of an intentional community dedicated to the education and well being of our students. I love coming to work each day and sharing the enthusiasm in education. There is something about the energy of our school!

What is the most challenging topic/lesson to teach? Why? Proportional relationships because it transitions numbers to an equation. It's a big shift and I hope to teach it better each year. It's hard to look at numbers and slow down to express it as a proportional relationship with input, output, and the constant of proportionality.

Explain why your subject is important for your students to learn. How will they use this information in their future / "real world"? Numbers are everywhere and being comfortable with numbers means they can be masters of their life - financially and in their personal lives. I think it's foundational for them to understand how to use income and spending as positive and negative numbers, credit cards and interest rates, investing and the impact they can have on their financial security. There is a lot of power there.

What are your words of wisdom? Choose how you view your life and the rest will follow.

• January 20, 2025 - Martin Luther King Jr Day - No School
• January 22, 2025 - HSC Meeting w/ Leigh Principal (8:30am-10:15am)
• January 23, 2025 - Presentation @ UMS for New-to-USD Families (9:00am-10:00am)
• January 24, 2025 - UMS Reads - Library (6:00-7:15pm)
• January 29, 2025 - Fire Drill
• February 7, 2025- 6th Grade Dance (4-6pm)
• February 14, 2025 - Earthquake Drill
• March 20, 2025 - Fire Drill
• March 28, 2025 - UMS-DMS Spirit Game @ Branham
• 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 25-27, 2025 - Shrek the Musical Performances!
• May 16, 2025 - Fire Drill
• June 2, 2025 - Earthquake Drill
• June 6, 2025 - 8th Grade Promotion @ Leigh (8 am for students, 10 am for guests)

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.

We will also be hosting an evening online presentation for any families who were unable to attend in person that morning. Again, this presentation (co-led with the DMS admin team) is for families who do not have students attending our UMS schools. It is not tailored for families who have students in our local feeder elementary schools - your presentation will be held in May. These January presentations explain how to register an out-of-district student at UMS/DMS, reviews the various requirements therein, and briefly discusses the inter/intra district process as well.

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.

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

As a reminder, your student has had their USD Google Account Password changed. Please check your email for the Parent Square communication on the evening of Friday the 17th for the new credentials and information regarding password activation. We will be working with students tomorrow during the school day who were not able to change their password this weekend.

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