SMS Newsletter

This year we will be focusing on Sandwich 430’s Core Values: Growth Mindset, Responsibility, Respect, Collaboration, Empathy, Integrity and Citizenship. Each month we will emphasize a different value throughout the school year. The month of October we will be highlighting Growth Mindset. Having a growth mindset means that you can learn and grow through ambition, perseverance, determination, and guidance. We will be encouraging the students to build resilience and create manageable goals.

We can’t believe September is already over! This year has already been full of new skills and routines.

Is your student struggling? Here are some tips to stay on top of classwork!

• Check your e-mail daily

• Check TeacherEase daily

• Check your agenda for each class daily.

• Use your assignment notebook to write down what you have to work on for every class

• E-mail or talk to teachers if you need help outside of class time.

• Stay after school T or Th for BUGS to work and get help from 3-3:45.

We have been very busy in all our classes! In science students are finishing up Tectonic plates and will be learning about volcanoes and earthquakes next!

In Math, students have started the year off with reviewing the basic operations of whole numbers and decimals as well as multiplying and dividing fractions. Now classes are working with integers (positive and negative numbers). Hope no one thinks “negatively” about the topic. :) Later in the month students will be working hard on Order of Operations and solving equations.

In Language Arts, we have been reading fiction and learning all about the story elements and parts of a plot. We also are looking at figurative language and how it is used to enhance fiction writing. We are setting up our LA binders to organize our notes to use for reference throughout the year.

In Social Studies we will continue our study of ancient people by learning about the Phoenicians. After that, we will be heading into exploring the Egyptians and their amazing processes of pyramid building and mummification!

Congratulations to our first students of the month for this school year: Mason Russell and Jayleen Ortega! Keep up the great work!

Just a few reminders from the 7th-grade team: Please ensure that Chromebooks are charged nightly

and brought to school with the charger. Please check Google Classroom and TeacherEase for work

and grades. The TeacherEase program has complications with Google Classroom in terms of

comments. If you are seeing an assignment marked as “missing” but it has a grade, please go to

Google Classroom and hit “turn in” or “mark as done.” This should take care of the “missing” label.

The 7th-grade team implemented the BUGS (Bringing Up Grades Successfully) program which

began on September 9th. Students have the opportunity to stay after school on Tuesdays and

Thursdays until 3:45. During this time, students can get the extra help that may be needed in their

classes. Students should look for the BUGS sign that will be located outside of the classroom where

BUGS is taking place each day.

ELA classes have entered their Starry Home Unit. Students will be reading short stories and

informational articles related to the colonization of space. This unit includes two large writing

assignments including a five-paragraph literary analysis on Ray Bradbury’s use of figurative language

to enhance his literary elements.

In science, we continue with our chemistry unit. We are finishing up on measurement, physical and

chemical properties, and their changes. Next, we will be focusing on Elements, Compounds, and

Mixtures. Then, we will be concentrating on atoms and the periodic table.

In social studies, students have been exploring the events surrounding the creation of the Thirteen

Colonies and the beginnings of the American Revolution. In the coming weeks, we will be focused on

the events of the Revolutionary War and the birth of the United States.

In the math classes, the students are learning about proportional relationships involving graphs,

tables, and ordered pairs. They are learning about the constant rate of change and constant of

proportionality. Next, we will be focusing on percents. During this chapter the students will learn about

the percent proportion, equation, percent of change and how to calculate sales tax, markups, and

discounts. In pre-algebra, we are finishing up our chapter on inequalities. The students learned how

to solve one- and two-step inequalities and how to write their own inequalities. Next, we will be

moving onto data and statistics.

The Students of the Month for September are Mackenzie Corneils and Bryson Ferguson. They are

exceptionally polite students who go above and beyond to help their fellow classmates.

8th Grade Newsletter

It has been a pretty good start to the school year and I think we are all finally getting the

hang of things! Organization is certainly the key. It is important that students understand

they need to check into their Google Classroom every day. Assignments are posted in

their “Classwork” tab and important announcements are posted on their “Stream.” Also,

most teachers will post the weekly agenda so students can stay informed, especially

when they are absent. Students are encouraged to check Teacherease at least once a

day to stay on top of their assignments and their grades. Please email us if you have

any questions. Below you will find a brief synopsis of what is happening in each of their

core classes.

Language Arts: The language arts students are reading short stories to work on

expanding their knowledge of fictional elements. We will also be working on studying

the concepts of characterization as we write a Literary Analysis Essay, which will

discuss the traits of a character from one of the short stories that we have read.

Math: In math we are working our way through Chapter 2 Equations in One Variable.

We are solving equations with rational coefficients, solving two-step equations, writing

two-step equations, solving equations with variables on each side, and solving

multi-step equations. By mid month we will be going into Chapter 3 Equations in Two

Variables. We will cover the constant rate of change, slope, and linear equations. It is

important that all students bring their calculator and math workbooks daily to class as

they will be needed.

Science: We will be working on the periodic table unit. Students will learn about

elements and how to use the periodic table to gather information. This will give

students a good foundation for our chemistry unit to follow.

History: We will be finishing up our study of the Progressive Era. Students will learn

about the progressive movement, reforms, women’s rights and suffrage, and

progressive presidents. We will move into chapter 22 - Overseas Expansion. This will

include information on imperialism, expansionism, Spanish-American War, Philippine

War, Panama Canal, and the Cuban Rebellion. We will begin our unit on World War I

during the second half of the month.

Students of the Month: Our 8th grade Students of the Month are Tanya Hinman and

Lucas Meyer. These are two hard working students who have great attitudes and are

kind to others. They are great role models!

All medication, including cough drops and over-the-counter products, require a Medication Authorization Form to be completed and signed by a student’s healthcare provider and their parent/guardian.

Flu season is around the corner! Protect yourself and your family this season with an annual flu vaccine for everyone who is 6 months and older. Seasonal flu activity can begin as early as October and last as late as May. Visit www.flu.gov or talk to your healthcare provider for more information.

Dental Exam Reminder: A completed dental examination form is due by May 15 for current 6th grade students. Exams completed within 18 months of the May 15th deadline can be accepted.

If your student has a health concern that we have not already discussed this year, please call (815-786-2138) or email me at sjoiner@sandwich430.org that we can set up a time to discuss your student’s needs.

Speech & Drama Classes

Speech & Drama class is part of the Explore rotation. Students spend the nine weeks

both presenting speeches and reading plays. In 6th grade, the emphasis is on

getting up in front of the class to overcome stage fright and working on vocal

variety. Plot Diagrams are studied using the play Arsenic & Old Lace. In 7th grade,

students study the effective use of introductions and conclusions, present a how-to

speech, and read the play Steel Magnolias. 8th grade will delve into the musical

Annie, give speeches using Google Slides, and will analyze effective speeches. All

students are invited to attend the SMS annual theatre trip. This year we are seeing

The Little Mermaid at Drury Lane Theatre. More information about the show can be

found in this newsletter.

Math classes have a Pasta for Pi fundraiser happening through October 7th. There are all sorts of pasta selection flavors and shapes that are available. You can find holidays, animals, sports, everyday products, mac ‘n cheese, soups, chilli, organic and gift set options. We will use money raised to help fund math activities throughout the year including pi week in March. All orders can be made online by going to https://my.funpastafundraising.com/2024-fall-sandwich-middle-school/kris-sellers/. See Mrs. Sellers for more information.

On September 25th, Sandwich Middle School had their first Culvers fundraising night from 5-8pm. Staff members were the servers for the night bringing food to tables, cleaning tables and chairs as well as meeting everyone with a smile. It was super successful! The school earned $543. Be on the lookout for a couple more nights later in the school year.

From the district office

Free and Reduced Breakfast/Lunch

The carry over period for students who were receiving free/reduced lunch for the 2023-2024 school year ended on September 27, 2024. If a new 2024-2025 application was not submitted your child was automatically put on paid breakfast and lunch beginning September 30, 2024.

Please click on the link below to apply for free/reduced breakfast and lunch:

https://www.freereducedlunch.com/sandwich430 In accordance with Federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or

disability. To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, and Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272 or (202) 720-6382 (TTY). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. English Spanish