The Cougar News
May 24, 2024
Greetings from Principal Bame
Dear AMS Families,
As Memorial Day approaches, our school staff would like to express our deepest gratitude to our veterans and current members of the armed forces. To our veterans: Thank you for your courage and sacrifice in defending our nation's values. To our current service members: Your dedication and resilience are a source of pride. We wish all our school families a safe and relaxing holiday weekend!
End of Grade Testing Begins Soon - Helpful Tips for Parents/ Caregivers
While all middle school students have experienced end of grade testing throughout their school-aged years, assessments are not always comfortable experiences for students. We hope to reduce general test anxiety by offering a few helpful tips:
- Encourage Confidence: Boost your student's confidence by reminding them of their strengths. Encourage a positive attitude towards challenges.
- Set Realistic Expectations: Emphasize the importance of doing their best rather than achieving a certain score. Help your student set realistic goals based on their abilities.
- Teach Stress Management Techniques: Introduce your student to relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, visualization, or mindfulness to help them stay calm during the test.
- Promote Healthy Habits: Ensure your student gets enough sleep, eats nutritious meals, and engages in physical activity. A healthy body supports a healthy mind.
- Get the Day Started Earlier: Arrive on time for test days to ensure your student has enough time to settle in for the assessment.
Lost and Found
Reminder: We have a centralized Lost and Found area in our Electives Building. It is located in the foyer area by Ms. Clark's and Mr. Browning's rooms. Our Lost and Found Trackers collect items weekly from all over the campus. We have jackets, sweatshirts, water bottles, gym shoes, lunch boxes and so much more. These items might have been lost during the school day or left behind at after-school events.
Please encourage your student to check this area if they are missing something. Families are welcome to check it out too for their own lost items. "Found" is so much better than "Lost.
Events for the Week:
No after school events scheduled for the week of 5/27
Kind regards,
Mrs. Raleigh Bame
EOG/ EOC Test Dates 2024
8th Grade Commencement Check Out Process
We are trying something new this year! To minimize waiting times for families after the 8th-grade commencement ceremony, please fill out the checkout form below in advance of the ceremony day.
NOTE: There are NO tickets for the 8th Grade Commencement. The event is a first come, first serve experience. We recommend arriving early. Doors will open at 8:30 am for visitors to begin accessing seating in our gym. Please be prepared for warm conditions. Although we have asked for the county to "pre-cool" our gym overnight, the age of our gym system is a factor during warmer months.
If you have already completed this form before or on June 12th, there is no need to sign out again after the ceremony. NOTE: Students who remain on campus after the commencement will follow a normal school schedule. There are no special activities planned after the event.
If a current AMS sibling will attend the ceremony and leave afterward, please sign them out in advance using this form.
AMS Cougars Achieving PEAK Performance Celebration
We're thrilled to share the exciting news about our upcoming Cougars Achieving PEAK Performance Celebration! This year, we're empowering our students to "Achieve their PEAK".
Date and Time: (students and staff only)
8th Grade CAPP Celebration ~ Friday, June 7th
6th Grade CAPP Celebration ~ Monday, June 10th
7th Grade CAPP Celebration ~ Tuesday, June 11th
Celebrations will occur during each grade level’s elective time.
What to expect:
Students will earn admission to the celebration by putting forth their full effort into completing their end-of-year tests. Qualification is solely based on their participation and effort, regardless of their earned EOG or growth levels.
We are celebrating participation and effort on all end-of-year tests, including Math EOG, Reading EOG, Math I EOC, and 8th Grade Science EOG.
Our aim is to create an enjoyable and rewarding celebration for our Cougars! It's a fantastic opportunity for our students to celebrate their progress and achievements in a fun atmosphere.
To ensure this celebration is unforgettable, we need your support!
Please consider signing up to contribute items via the SIgn Up Genius link below.
AMS End of Year Testing Celebration
We're dedicated to celebrating every student's efforts and achievements, and we're immensely grateful for your support in making this event a success. If you have any questions or need further information, please don't hesitate to reach out.
Please join us on Tuesday, June 4th from 3:30-7:00pm in the AMS Auditorium for an auditorium clean out! We have years of stuff the needs to be sorted and purged, and we need YOUR help to make it happen! Please visit the sign-up genius linked HERE to see how you can help! If you can't volunteer for the entire time...that's OK...help by driving trash items to the dump!
Grade Level Updates
6th Grade Message
Book Return: Please check under seats, in closets, under beds, and other places that books tend to be for any class novels or library books. These need to be returned to school as soon as possible.
Percy Jackson The Lightning Thief
Good Masters, Sweet Ladies
A World Without Fish
Flush
EOG Information: Please leave all wearable smart devices at home during testing dates. Our wonderful office staff and administrators can get any and all needed information to your students during this time if there happens to be an emergency. Before we begin testing, we will check that all phones and watches that happened to be at school are powered off.
Tues, June 4: Reading EOG
Wed, June 5: Math EOG
Computers: We will be checking computers to make sure there are no issues with it and/or the charger so that they are ready for EOG’s. We will also be collecting student computers and chargers before EOG’s and keeping them in the classroom. Please be sure your child brings their charger to school every day!
Important Dates:
Mon, May 27: No School - Memorial Day
Thurs, May 30: WIN Celebration
Tues, June 4: Reading EOG
Wed, June 5: Math EOG
Tues, June 11: Field Day - Wear Homeroom color
Wed, June 12: Last Day - Hawaiian Theme
7th Grade Message
The last day for students to turn in late work is Friday, May 31st. Please encourage your students to take advantage of working lunch.
Computers: Chromebooks will be collected by homeroom teachers on Thursday, May 30th. Please make sure your student brings their Chromebook AND charger to school that day. Leading up to EOGs, it is imperative that students take care of their Chromebooks. We have seen an increase in students throwing bookbags and abusing their devices. We are at a point in the school year where they will likely not be able to receive a replacement device if theirs gets broken.
Next week is Spirit Week! Encourage your student to join in on the fun and dress to each day’s theme.
Mon, May 27 – NO SCHOOL
Tues, May 28 – Teachers Dress Like Students/Students Dress Like Teachers
Wed, May 29 – Twin Day
Thurs, May 30 – Barbie/Ken Day
Fri, May 31 – Favorite Team Day
Message from Math: Please remind your student to complete the EOG review assignment in Delta Math that is due on Thursday. They will not be able to submit it late because they are turning in computers that morning. It is a minor grade and can greatly impact their overall grade.
EOG Information:
May 30th – Math I
June 4th – Reading EOG
June 5th – Math 7+ EOG
For the last week of school, the 7th grade is planning a few activities to celebrate the end of the school year. Please click HERE to check out our SignupGenius if you would like to donate snacks to these activities.
End of Year Important Dates:
Thurs, June 6th – Kickball Tournament (4th core team)
Fri, June 7th – Picnic on Softball Field (during lunch)
Mon, June 10th – Field Day and snacks
Tues, June 11th – CAPP Celebration (during electives), Game Show Day (during core classes)
Wed, June 12th – Choice Day (during core classes)
Fun dinner conversation topic featuring Math: What household items are you able to calculate the volume or area of?
8th Grade Message
As we approach the end of the school year, we are thrilled to celebrate the incredible accomplishments of our 8th graders. We have a lot of exciting activities planned over the next few weeks to honor their hard work and achievements.
Math and Reading EOG Assessments:
This Thursday and Friday, our 8th-grade students will be taking their End-of-Grade assessments in math and reading. Please ensure they get plenty of rest and enjoy a healthy breakfast to help them perform their best. It's normal for students to feel a bit nervous, so let's encourage them to do their best and take pride in their efforts.
Upcoming 8th Grade Activities:
CAPP Celebration, Picnic, and Field Day:
For these events, students may bring:
- Beach Towels
- Sunscreen
- Hats
- Sunglasses
- Water Bottles
-Comfortable Footwear (Closed toe shoes for field day)
8th Grade Dance
Please remember to adhere to the WCPSS dress code. Only students who attend AMS and are 8th graders are eligible to participate in this special day.
Book Return: Please check under seats, in closets, under beds, and other places that books tend to be for any class novels or library books. These need to be returned to school as soon as possible.
Summer of the Mariposas
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
A Mighty Long Way
Little Rock Girl, 1959
Omnivore's Dilemma
Grades: Last day for any late or missing work is May 31st. We will not accept any work after that date so we are able to close out final grades for the year.
Let's make these last few weeks memorable and enjoyable for our 8th graders. Thank you for your support in helping us celebrate their achievements!
Community News
PTA Updates
CARS Summer Camp Flyer
I am the proud principal of Apex Middle School, home of the Cougars!