Can you believe that the end of the school year is almost here? With that being said, please encourage your student to keep working hard til the end as there will still be homework, quizzes, projects and tests right up until the end.

Math classes will be ending the year with reviewing math topics to make sure they have them mastered before going to 7th grade. Advanced classes are working on Pre-Algebra concepts using the 7th grade curriculum.

Language Arts classes are reading The Lightning Thief and will have a project due at the end of the book. Instructional L.A. is reading the novel Ghost and working on comprehension, writing skills, and story elements. AT Language will be choosing a novel and working in literature circles to read and discuss the book.

Social Studies classes will focus on the Renaissance. We will discuss famous people of the time and their contributions to the world in art, literature, architecture and knowledge. Then we’ll move on to the Reformation.

Science classes will be wrapping up the year by exploring how the palm oil trade can change the ecosystem of orangutans and the impact on their population.

Our end of the year reward trip will be at Altitude on May 29th. There will be permission slips sent home soon! Students must remain eligible through the day of the trip to attend.

Congratulations to our May Students of the Month: Max Mlot and Valeria Saenz. Keep up the great work!!

+Happy spring everyone!

There are five weeks left of school. We know that spring is a hard time because sports are starting up and the weather is nice. Please be sure to encourage your student to finish out the quarter strong.

If your student is absent, please make sure that he/she is checking Google Classroom and completing the work that is posted. Also, please make sure that your student checks in with their teachers during Study Hall when returning to school. It is important that students stay up to date on their work.

Students should bring a refillable water bottle with them to school to stay hydrated throughout the day. Please note that only water is allowed in the classrooms. Also, please make sure that your student is bringing the necessary supplies to class each day. Pencils are in very short supply. Please check with your student to make sure he/she has enough pencils to finish out the year. It is very important that students charge their Chromebooks every night to be ready for the next school day.

Mrs. Kummer’s science classes are continuing with the Biology unit. We are learning about heredity and Punnett Squares. Next, we will learn about meiosis, DNA, and classifying living things using dichotomous keys.

Mrs. Gudewicz’s science class has begun our unit on Matter Cycling and Photosynthesis. We will examine biology as a system and learn about the inputs and outputs of photosynthesis. To see photosynthesis in action, we will plant some vegetables and grow them hydroponically.

ELA classes are in their final novel, The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick. Students are focusing on vocabulary, plot elements, and writing skills. The unit will end with a poetry project. AT ELA classes are working on the murder mystery, And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie. Students are putting clues together, analyzing witnesses, and working an investigation board to try and solve the mystery. The unit will end with a project that focuses on symbolism and characterization.

In Social Studies, students have been exploring the events of the American Civil War in the 1860s. Along with exploring key battles and the important players, the students have been learning about the causes and impacts of the war. Next we will be trying to put the country back together during the Reconstruction Period and diving into the late 1800s in America.

In the math classes, the students have just started their unit on surface area. We will be learning about 3-D figures, nets of figures, and how to find the surface area of prisms, and pyramids. After we finish up this unit, we will then move on to finding the volume of prisms and composite figures.

In the pre-algebra classes, we just finished up our unit probability and statistics. The students learned how to read and analyze data, along with finding the probability of simple and compound events. We are starting our first of two chapters in geometry. This first chapter is looking at angles, polygons, transformations, congruence, and dilations.

Then we will move on to surface area and volume.

The 7th-grade Students of the Month are Annie Butler and Joel Arriola. Congratulations to you both! Keep up the good work.

8th Grade Newsletter

History: This is it! It is time for the U.S. Constitution Unit! Students have been given a Constitution booklet with all of the information included. On the inside cover, the students are given a strict schedule that we will follow. Daily assignments, quizzes, and the U.S. Constitution test dates are recorded on that page. Absences are no excuse for not finishing the work because all of this can be completed at home. Students need to be prepared each day for class since they will be given a daily grade. We have no doubt that the students will do a great job!

Language Arts: During the month of May, the eighth grade students will continue to learn about the Holocaust. We are reading The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne and The Boy on the Wooden Box by Leon Leyson. To end the year, the students will complete “The Butterfly Project”.

Instructional Language Arts: Now that IAR testing is finished, we are moving into our last novel study, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne. Along with this novel we will be sharpening up our writing skills before transitioning to high school next year.

Math: We are in our Geometry unit working on computing the volume of cylinders, cones, and spheres. We are beginning to look at the net of cylinders and cones and will be calculating the lateral and total surface area of each of these. Finally, to round out this chapter we will be computing changes in measurements. Our next unit in math is statistics and probability. This unit will take us to the end of the year.

Instructional Math: In Instructional Math, we are wrapping up Chapter 5, which included ratios, rates, and proportions, and will be starting a review of some of our most important concepts and topics from the year. This will include solving one- and two-step equations, graphing on the coordinate plane, and most importantly, problem-solving strategies. We will also begin using a web-based math review program, called Get More Math, which will allow us to practice many different skills.

Science: We are continuing our work on our physics unit this month. We will be ending with Newton’s Laws of Motion and a final project on rockets. This year we will learn how to build water rockets using 2-liter soda bottles and then launch them outside the school building. Students will study rockets and rocket building in class but will build their rockets at home and bring them in on launch day. We are planning to launch on one of the last days of class - we will be more clear on the date as we close in on the end of May. Students will be given a packet that describes the construction process with a material list and watch some videos at school. They will definitely need a 2-liter soda bottle, some cardboard to make the fins, some heavy construction paper for a nose cone, a paper towel or toilet paper core to support the nose cone, and some type of adhesive to hold the whole thing together. Many students choose to use duct tape, but hot glue could also be used. Thank you for your help!

Students of the Month--Our 8th Grade Students of the Month are Landen Moss and Vivian Pastion We are so proud of these hardworking students. Not only are they hardworking, but they have great attitudes!

Dear 8th Grade Students and Families:

Eighth Grade Promotion night will take place at the football stadium on Thursday, May 23, at 6:00 p.m. Our current plan is to have all of the 8th grade students together on the football field at Sandwich High School. If we need to relocate due to rain, the ceremony will take place in the Sandwich High School main gym at 6:00 p.m.

All students that do not have to attend summer school to complete promotion requirements are invited to attend. If the weather cooperates and we are allowed to have an outdoor promotion, students should arrive at the SHS by 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 23. We will practice that morning, and students must attend the practice to participate in the ceremony.

The dignity of the occasion can best be observed by refraining from whistling or applauding for each student. Please hold your applause until the entire class has been awarded their certificates of promotion. Also, please silence all cell phones and electronic devices. Dress attire is casual (no blue jeans, t-shirts, shorts, etc.). Since the event will be on rougher terrain, high heels are not allowed. Should you have any questions regarding this, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Sincerely,

Andrew Heilemeier

Principal

Sandwich Middle School is proud to announce our Initial Group of Inductees. The Induction Ceremony will occur on Wednesday, April 17, 2024, at 6:30 pm. Congratulations to Abigail Johnson, Alexandria LaPorte, Allie Ohme, Annie Butler, Ashlyn Behringer, Bailey Brummel, Callie Kesselring, Charlotte Gregory, Chase Ward, Clair Anderson, Claire Keigher, Delaney Gauer, Ella Calvert, Ethan Phouangphidok, Eva Hernandez, Finnegan O’Neill, Gwen Minard, Josh Kotalik, Kendall Denny, Keri Munch, Kherington Killey, Landen Moss, Landon Pennington, Luke Englehart, Marcella Schultz, Monica Resendez, Olivia Holterhaus, Olivia Parisi, Sierra LaPorte, Sophie Halmagyi, and Yexi Arreola.

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.

Medication Pick Up:

Any medication in the health office must be picked up by the last day of school. Any medicine not picked up after the last day must be disposed of. Medication must be picked up by a parent or guardian, students cannot take it home themselves.

Summer Safety Tips from the American Red Cross

Registration for the 24-25 school year is now open. Returning families to the school district can complete the online application process in a few short minutes through their TeacherEase account. This will be a very similar process to last year. Please be sure that all information is entered correctly.

If you have an incoming kindergartener or a new student to the district you will follow a different process in which you verify your residency before registering on TeacherEase.

Student fees for the 24-25 school year are not due at this time. We ask that you complete the registration process by Friday, April 19. Please use the link below which will walk you through the process of registration.

• Registration 24-25 School Year

Since switching over to our new system, TeacherEase, we've been updating attendance codes, etc. needed for the state and we will soon begin sending out attendance letters again. Below you will find an abbreviated attendance policy to hopefully make things a little easier to understand, so if you receive a letter, it will hopefully make more sense. If you do have any questions, we will be happy to address them.

*Students are excused for 7 days per year regardless of why they miss. (This will not count if a student is marked truant from the previous year.) You will receive a letter at 5 excused and 7 excused, just as an update or reminder of your student’s attendance.

*Anything after 7 days needs a doctor note to be excused.

*Any time a doctor note is supplied, it is counted as an excused absence.

*After 3 unexcused absences, a letter will be sent home reminding the parents/guardians about the amount of unexcused absences.

*After 5 unexcused absences, school is required to notify truancy and truancy will usually set up a meeting to discuss needs and/or further actions.

*Parents/guardians must call the office to let school know their student will be absent that day.

Policy Found in the Middle School Handbook

"Students shall be permitted no more than seven (7) excused absences, including vacations, per school year based upon parental/legal guardian confirmation for the reasons of the absence. After the student has been excused seven times in one school year, additional excused absences for illnesses may only be verified through a written medical statement from a physician.

After seven (7) excused absences, the school office will notify the parents/legal guardians by mail. Other excused absences will be limited to death in the family, a family emergency requiring the absence of the student (this must be approved by the administrator at the building level), religious reasons that prohibit attendance for a given time and/or other reasons determined by the administration. The parent/legal guardian must verify the reasons for such absences. If a student is sent home due to illness documented by school personnel or if a student’s absence is verified by a doctor’s excuse before the student has reached the limit of seven days (or classes) of excused absences, that absence will not count towards the seven days permitted by this section. If the student was sent home from school with fever, vomiting, diarrhea or at the nurse/administrator discretion, they will not be penalized with an unexcused absence and will not count toward the seven parent/guardian excused absences. The following day may also be included in instances of fever, vomiting, or diarrhea. All doctor notes must be turned in to the office in a timely manner or the administration has the discretion not to accept the doctor’s note. For extended absences, the administration may ask for updated documentation of the absence.

When a student reaches three (3) unexcused absences, a letter will be sent to the parent/legal guardian warning of future consequences related to attendance. At five (5) unexcused absences, the student will be referred to the DeKalb County Truant Office for intervention.

When counting unexcused absences, the district will count back 180 school days (i.e. unexcused attendance days from the previous year will be counted towards the student’s current school year attendance records). When requested, the student will be required to provide a doctor’s note. Notes and letters will be placed in the student’s temporary file."

Our new Visitor Check-In System has been a welcome addition to our school. As you know, our number one priority is the safety of your students, and this impressive system is a great upgrade for our school. Using a visitor's ID (state ID or Driver's license), this system will complete a quick background check by searching the US sex offender databases & criminal databases. Now that we have a new visitor check-in system, we will no longer ask parents to fill out a volunteer packet.

The Sandwich School District needs your help! Please consider joining us as a substitute teacher. Did you know you can make $120 a day as a substitute teacher? You can create a work schedule that fits your availability through the use of our Frontline app. Earn $120 a day and work when you want to. Please click below for more information.

https://dekalbcounty.org/departments/regional-office-of-education/roe-services/educator-licensure/substitute-teachers/

Please feel free to follow our Sandwich Middle School Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/people/Sandwich-Middle-School/100044267353557/ This is a place where we share celebrations, community information and school reminders for various events. Please note that all important information and announcements will go home to you in our newsletter, classroom newsletters or in your student's backpack. The page is not intended to be your primary source for communication, but instead an extra one. Please avoid sending messages or posting school related questions as the page is only monitored intermittently. Instead, always contact our school office for school related questions or to communicate about your student. We appreciate it!

Last year our District Culture and Climate Committee created a set of district Core Values. These values are designed to be the cultural base of our learning community. We are using these core values as a set of expectations for staff and students. We want to ensure that our learning community not only supports academic growth, but that it embraces a high set of cultural expectations.

These District Core Values were presented to the District Leadership Team and the Board of Education for input. We continue to implement these Core Values with students on a monthly basis. Please take a few moments to familiarize yourself with our core values.

• District Core Values

For those who would like to apply for free/reduced breakfast and lunch (fee waivers), please do so using the following link: https://www.freereducedlunch.com/sandwich430. Families who qualify for free/reduced breakfast and lunch (fee waiver) will also have their registration fees waived or reduced.

Please note that if you are applying for free and reduced breakfast lunch that this will be for the 23-24 school year only.

Applications for the 24-25 school year will not be available until July. We will post this information on our Facebook page and our website once the application process is open fro the 24-25 school year.

PLEASE NOTE: EVERYONE WILL NEED TO REAPPLY IN JULY WHEN THE NEW FORMS ARE RECEIVED FROM THE STATE OF ILLINOIS.

The district calendar for 2024-2025 has been adopted by the Board of Education and accepted by the state. The following link will take you to the district website link for the calendar.

• 24-25 District Calendar

Please make sure you have the following important dates marked on your calendar.

• May 15, 2024 Senior Awards Night

• May 19, 2024 SHS Graduation

• May 23, 2024 8th Grade Promotion

• May 27, 2024 NO SCHOOL

• May 28, 2024 School is IN SESSION

• May 29, 2004 School is IN SESSION

May 30, 2024 School is IN SESSION

• Due to multiple snow/emergency days this Winter, the district has updated the calendar for the remainder of the school year.