Spartan News

Friday, January 12

No School~Teacher Work Day

Monday, January 15

Strong Foundations Honor Band @ North High~6:00 pm

Wednesday, January 17

End of 1st Semester

Thursday, January 18

2nd Semester Begins

Monday, January 22

PAC meeting @ EMS~6:00 pm

Thursday, January 25

NWIA Honor Orchestra @ Dordt College

Tuesday, January 30

EMS PAC Family Bingo Night @ EMS (lunchroom)~6:00 pm

Hello East Middle School students and families,

I hope that you and your family had a wonderful holiday and a wonderful start to the new year. We are almost finished with our first semester, and it seems like it has gone very quickly. Students will not have school on Friday, January 12. With the snow days this week, the end of the 1st semester will now be Wednesday, January 17. We will start 2nd semester on Thursday, January 18. Core classes will stay the same; but we will change exploratory classes. Students will get their new schedule on Wednesday, January 17 in advisory and it will start on Thursday, January 18. We will recognize students for Honor Roll at the end of the month.

On a different note, our hearts go out to the Perry High School Community. As I shared with students and staff last week, we make safety a priority and have procedures and processes in place. However, each person in our building has a vital role in continuing this safety and we want to hear from students, staff, and families; so if you hear or see something, please say something to any adult at EMS so that we can address it. Our partnership means a lot to us!

I also want to take a moment and say, “Thank You” for the part you play as a parent. It is a tough job some days, but one of the most rewarding jobs in the world. Being and advocate, a sounding board, a positive influencer, and an encourager makes all the difference for the life of a child. One day, your child will grow up to make a difference in the lives of their children, our community, and that day will come quicker than you think.

8th grade students have completed the registration process for 9th grade. EHS counselors have visited classrooms and assisted our students on choosing classes for their first year at EHS. We have prepared 8th graders for registration by exploring career pathways, mapping out a Four Year plan, understanding high school “credits” and requirements and taking a field trip to our Harry Hopkins Center and Career Academy. In the spring, 8th grade parents and guardians will look and sign their student’s list of courses chosen. Please note that any changes to courses for 2024-25 need to be made before the end of this school year. Talk to your student about what they have learned about high school and from their visits to the Career Academies. They had a great time!

6th and 7th graders will complete registration in Advisory. For most, it will consist of choosing to participate in Band/Choir or Orchestra and then prioritizing the other exploratory classes.

All counselors will be going to the elementary school’s 5th grade classrooms to register our incoming 6th grade. Peer Helpers can sign up to assist with this process. They will go into classrooms and answer questions about what middle school is like, explain types of classes and share tips for success. More information will be sent to Peer Helpers if they would like to participate.

5th to 6th Registration Visits to Elementary Schools:

Morningside: January 16th (PM)

Spalding Park: January 19th (AM)

Unity: January 24th (AM)

Irving: January 26th (AM)

Sunnyside: February 1st (AM)

Every day we are looking for students who exhibit strong character and learning habits in the classroom. Each month we will select a boy and a girl from each team from each grade who demonstrate these traits. We are looking for students who are reliable, hardworking, kind and respectful to staff and students. In the month of December we acknowledged the following students:

6th grade white selected - Graci Brown Pinkelman, Andrew Hopkins (not pictured) and Azael Ibarra

6th grade black selected- Amy Blankenburg and Truman Weitzel

6th grade orange selected- Rylee Blades and Landon Donner

7th grade white selected - Aliyah Aguayo and Nahom Dereje

7th grade black selected- Breanna Walstad and Chase Jensen

7th grade orange selected- Eden Steensen and Kaelen Paul

8th grade white selected - Ana Alvarado and Lucas Day

8th grade black selected- Brinley Winklepleck and Zephyr Beckwith

8th grade orange selected- Zoe Vazquez-Rodriguez and Jonathan Wittman

These students are leaders in the classroom and exemplify what East Middle School stands for! Congratulations .

Our December Staff Member of the Month is: Anely Munoz Ruiz

Mrs. Munoz Ruiz always has a positive and friendly demeaner whenever you interact with her . She does a great job of building relationships with our ELL students and parents by being personal but professional. As our EL Para, she is such a huge asset to East Middle. She is incredibly helpful with translating during conferences as well as on a daily basis whenever we may need her. We are lucky to have Mrs. Munoz Ruiz here at EMS!

🥧Students enjoyed cooking in FACS class with Mr. Henn! 🍽️

Iowa Immunization Law requires all 7th grade students to receive 2 vaccines before entering 7th grade. www.idph.state.ia.us

1. Tdap (Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis)
2. Meningococcal

Please call the School Nurse with any questions.

Tdap vaccine can prevent tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis

Diphtheria and pertussis spread from person to person. Tetanus enters the body through cuts or wounds.

• TETANUS (T) causes painful stiffening of the muscles. Tetanus can lead to serious health problems, including being unable to open the mouth, having trouble swallowing and breathing, or death.
• DIPHTHERIA (D) can lead to difficulty breathing, heart failure, paralysis, or death.
• PERTUSSIS (aP), also known as “whooping cough,” can cause uncontrollable, violent coughing that makes it hard to breathe, eat, or drink. Pertussis can be extremely serious especially in babies and young children, causing pneumonia, convulsions, brain damage, or death. In teens and adults, it can cause weight loss, loss of bladder control, passing out, and rib fractures from severe coughing.

https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/hcp/vis/vis-statements/tdap.html

Meningococcal Disease

o Meningococcal disease can cause meningitis
(infection of the lining of the brain and spinal cord)
and infections of the blood. Even when it is treated,
meningococcal disease kills 10 to 15 infected people
out of 100. And of those who survive, about 10 to
20 out of every 100 will suffer disabilities such as
hearing loss, brain damage, kidney damage, loss
of limbs, nervous system problems, or severe scars
from skin grafts.

o https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/hcp/vis/vis-statements/mening.html

Influenza (also known as flu) is a contagious respiratory illness caused by flu viruses that infect the nose, throat, and lungs. Influenza is not a stomach bug. The flu is different from a cold. The flu usually comes on suddenly.

Flu symptoms

• Fever* or feeling feverish/chills * Not everyone with flu will have a fever

• Cough

• Sore throat

• Runny or stuffy nose

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

The Flu Is Contagious

• Flu symptoms start 1 to 4 days after the virus enters the body

• Call your medical provider if your child has symptoms

• The school recommends staying home for 24 hours after fever is gone without the use of medicine

Keep others well by keeping your child home when sick. For your child’s health, stay home if:

1. A fever of 100.4 degrees or higher
2. Vomiting or diarrhea
3. Symptoms that keep your child from participating in school, such as:

• Cough that he or she cannot control
• Headache, body aches, or earache

• Sore Throat—a little sore throat may be ok for school, but a bad sore throat is not.

24 hour rule is good:

1. Fever: Keep your child home until fever has been gone with no medicine for 24 hours.
2. Vomiting or diarrhea: Keep your child home for 24 hours after the last time he or she vomited or had diarrhea.
3. Antibiotics: Keep your child home for 24 hours after the FIRST dose of antibiotic.

Frostbite is a condition in which skin or part of the body becomes partially frozen due to exposure to cold. Body parts most likely to be frostbitten are the fingers, toes, ears, nose and cheeks. In the beginning stages of frostbite, the skin becomes very red and then pale.

DO:

• Do bring the child indoors.
• Do warm the area with a pan of lukewarm water.
• If hands or feet are affected, elevate them above the heart level.
• Keep exposed areas dry to help prevent more frostbite.

DO NOT:

• Do not rub or massage the area.
• Do not warm with a heating pad.
• Do not break blisters that have formed.

CALL THE DOCTOR IF:

• The skin blisters.
• The area feels numb after 15 minutes of warming.
• The skin is cold, white, hard and waxy feeling. This usually means the frostbite is severe.

PREVENTION:

• Protect children from cold, wind and moisture.
• Dress them in proper clothing.
• Dress your child in several layers of light, loose clothing rather than one heavy garment.
• Protect the child's head and neck with a hat and scarf and his/her face with a mask.
• For outdoor play, boots high enough to cover the ankles, two pairs of socks and mittens or gloves should be worn.
• Try to make arrangements for you child's transportation to and from school, instead of walking on extremely cold days.

Reference:

Iowa Emergency Guildlines For Schools. 2012 Edition

www.educateiowa.gov/documents/school-nurse/2013/08/iowa-emergency-guidlines-schools-2012

Mark your calendars! School will not be in session on Friday, January 12 due to a teacher workday.

The District has cell phone protocols in place to ensure an engaging and distraction-free environment for our students. The protocols restrict the use of electronic devices during the school day. For more information, please review the 2023-2024 Parent/Guardian & Student Handbook on the District website.