Edition 15

We would like to Spotlight these teachers for incorporating wonderful Instructional Strategies within their classrooms.

Looking for fun and trendy OMS merch? Otwell’s very own DECA DAWG-MART has you covered!

https://www.customink.com/fundraising/OMSDECADAWGMART

Otwell Marketing students and DECA members were tasked with designing OMS merch based on their own personal style + what their target audience (other OMS students & staff) would want to wear. Otwell students then voted on their favorites and the winning designs are now available for purchase through our online pop-up DAWG-MART site. As always, all proceeds earned through DAWG-MART will go towards OMS DECA initiatives, including competitions, field trips, and chapter events.

The online pop-up store will be open now through December 20. Upon checkout, you can choose to have your order shipped directly to you for a small fee or have your order delivered to OMS and distributed the 2nd week in January by DECA members.

Thank you for your support! Please reach out with any questions.

EB

Bowen Photography is offering Family Mini Sessions this Holiday Season. We are located on HWY 9 at 416 Dahlonega Street Cumming, GA 30040. We have two options of scenery for you to choose from: an indoor Christmas scene or various spots In our 3-acre yard with the oak trees or swing scene! Bring pets, props, and whoever you'd like. Check out our available dates and book right on our website: www.bpiphotography.net --> "Book In-Studio Session"

$75 15-Minute Session Fee to book your time that will be credited back towards prints/products in your personalized gallery to share with friends and family members. We will offer products such as various print sizes, magnets, canvases, ornaments, puzzles, cups, and more!

We look forward to meeting your Family! Call us if you have any questions: (770) 887-3080

We are also selling Chick Fil A Biscuits on December 19th. We need two volunteers. You can sign up here.

Last year we introduced Dawg Talk to you, the first and only student led podcast in any middle school in Forsyth County. This year, Sic ‘Em Studios is proud to announce another first. Dawg Talk is the first and only student led video podcast in all of Forsyth County Schools! We are very proud of these students for their hard work and dedication to this podcast. Check out the first episode!

Youtube: https://youtu.be/-xtcQcKvXGw?si=bfJHuT0kTszY75vE

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2X4Okujm1YkMAS8bPMprJL...

Buzzsprout: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2119366/episodes/16113582

Check out Season II/Episode 10 of Bulldog Bites! Bulldog Bites will keep you informed of the highlights happening each week at Otwell Middle School. In this episode, for the week of 12/02/24, we talk about:

· Hanukkah Celebration

· Book Fair loli pop sales

· OMS Winter Chorus Concert tonight!

· Lambert High School Invitational this Friday!

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2119366/episodes/16215504

Parents Responsibilities: It is the responsibility of the parent / guardian to notify the school in writing of the date and reason for the absence within 5 school days of the absence. The parent / guardian must note the student’s name, the date(s) of absence(s), and the reason for the absence. If a student is being checked-in or checked-out for a doctor’s appointment, a physician’s note or appointment card is required to be considered excused. Students with excessive absences may be required to present a note from a doctor or the Health Department to be considered excused.

Fill out this form if your child is absent

Llene este formulario si su hijo esta ausente

https://forms.office.com/r/wBSD2ypALk

• Please remember that NO outside food or drinks are allowed to be brought to the school

• Por favor recuerde que NO se permite traer a la escuela comida o bebidas del exterior

8th grade students:

High School Registration is just around the corner. The registration portal on Infinite Campus will be open from January 23rd to January 30th. Instructions will be linked on the “8th to 9th grade transition website. Course waivers will be open at the same time. We will be helping all Otwell students to register during their Synergy class on January 24th. Mrs. Clark will be going back in to classrooms at the beginning of January to help students make a course request plan for registration and to walk students through how to register for couses. Make sure to stay up to date by checking the high school websites and the Otwell Middle School Counseling webpage under “8th to 9th grade transition”. Please reach out to Desiree Clark, our 8th grade school counselor, at declark@forsyth.k12.ga.us if you have any questions. I am here to help!

All OMS parents:

Please join us for our first Coffee With the Counselors at Otwell Middle School on December 13th at 8:30 am in the Media Center. We will be discussing “How to Connect to Your Middle Schooler”. Come join the counselors and other parents for coffee, donuts, and conversation. Please RSVP to let us know you are coming. https://forms.gle/CKkJzHYtQnSRJi5T9

Science: We will be taking our final summative for first semester next week on Geology Part 1. This will include layers of the Earth and plate tectonics. Students have notes and they will receive a study guide next week. Please encourage your student to review and prepare for their last summative of the semester. Check Infinite Campus for missing work. All work needs to be turned in by Friday, December 13th.

Advanced Science: Now that we have wrapped up our latest unit on geology, we will spend the next couple weeks working on our science fair projects. We will be researching the background for projects and creating our experimental design plan. We will not set up projects until after the holiday break. You can see this checklist for a timeline of completion. Please remember students cannot experiment on humans or with bacteria. The topic needs to be something they test and collect data on, not just research. Please let me know if you have any questions- I look forward to seeing what they can do!

Social Studies: In Social Studies, we are wrapping up Unit 4 which is all about European History. Students will be working on a choice board to review for the unit. The unit 4 test is on 12/17.

Advanced Social Studies: Students will finish their DBQ response on the Soviet Union on Monday. We will have a KSU guest teacher on Tuesday, and Wednesday-Friday we will be reviewing for our Unit 4 History of Europe Test. The test is on December 17th.

Make sure all missing work is turned in by December 13th.

Math: We will be working on combining like terms and evaluating expressions. Students will start reviewing on Friday for their test. Unit 4B test will be next Tuesday, 12/17 over translating expressions, combining like terms, and evaluating expressions.

Advanced Math: - We will continue our expressions unit. We will have a quiz over translating expressions, combining like terms, and evaluating expressions on December 11. Then we will have our Expressions test on Tuesday, December 17.

Accelerated Math: Next week we will have our review of the expressions unit. The current plan is to test on Wednesday. After the test, we will begin our next unit over equations.

Enrichment: This week our executive functioning skill is self-control. We have continued examining book reviews & evaluating their quality. Students have also been taught where & how to find quality book reviews.

ELA: Students have been learning about argumentative texts. We continue to identify the claim of a text, explain how the reasons connect to the claim, and determine if the claim is substantiated by evidence. We are also exploring the author's purpose and perspective of texts. Ask your child how they can identify the purpose of a specific text. They might surprise you! Continue to encourage Membean completion. We will have 1 more reading skills summative prior to the December break.

Advanced ELA: Advanced ELA students will continue analyzing elements of argumentative texts while also exploring the topic of recess in middle school. Students will read two articles and trace the author’s argument, claims, and evidence. They will also practice analyzing author’s purpose and perspective in these texts to prepare for the reading skills summative on December 18th-19th. In addition, students should continue their weekly Membean training. They will have a Membean semester one summative on Tuesday 12/17. The only way to prepare is to continue training!

We kindly ask that you check in with your student to ensure they have all the necessary materials for class. Many students are missing pencils and paper when they come to class. Having the right supplies helps them stay organized and prepared for learning.

Science with Mrs. Joseph, Mrs. Pennington, & Mrs. Roth

Students will continue the unit on the human body. After Thanksgiving break, we will begin a medical diagnosis project where the students will research different illnesses and run labs to diagnose patients. Students will be able to construct an argument that the systems of the body interact with each other to carry out life processes as a CER. Advanced students will turn their CER in for a summative grade.

Advanced students should be working on their science fair experiments at home. Data is due January 13, 2025.

Math with Mrs. Coley, Mrs. Kittrell, Mrs. Moore, & Mrs. Smallwood

Continue working on Inequalities with a summative before Christmas Break.

Advanced Math with Mr. Bruce

Next week we will be working on the second half of our unit over exponents. We will be converting numbers into scientific notation and performing all operations with numbers in scientific notation. The quiz over scientific notation will be Thursday or Friday, depending on student readiness.

Accelerated Math with Ms. Moore

We are working on our Exponents unit which will be short and sweet. We will test next Friday and then learn about Scientific Notation before the break!!

Social Studies with Ms. Foley, Mrs. Perkins, & Mrs. Jaeger

This week we will continue our study of the Geography of Africa. We will learn about the four major ethnic groups on the continent and then begin reviewing for our final summative of the year. Our Unit 5 Test will be on Thursday, December 12th. Review materials will be available on Canvas. Please be sure to monitor Canvas for important formative and summative updates.

ELA with Mrs.Lazaro, Mrs. Jaeger, Mrs. Wolff, & Mrs. Sturtevant

We’re kicking off Unit 3: Drama, exploring the essential question, "How do writers use drama as a medium for telling powerful stories?" Students will be reading and analyzing A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, using relevant vocabulary and background knowledge. With one week left until the independent novel project is due on December 6th, please encourage your child to stay focused and continue working on their project at home.

Science:

In science students will be wrapping up their last unit of nuclear chemistry. Students will have a formative check of their research on Monday 12/9 at the end of class. The summative debate will be on Wednesday 12/11 in class. Students will then have a midterm on 12/16 and 12/18. Students will recieve a study guide.

Spanish 1:

We are working on review activities to prepare for our midterm on 12/13.

Advance Math:

Midterms for Algebra will be on Dec. 9th and 10th. Review guides will be on Delta Math and Worksheets. Then from Dec. 11 – Dec. 20, we will be working on a Quadratic Project which will require the students to bring in art supplies.

Accel Math:

They will have their Mid-Term on Monday, December 9th and Tuesday, December 10th. We will then review solving quadratic equations and learn about the graphs of quadratics.

On-Level Math:

They will be learning about Scatter Plots and taking their Unit 5 Test on Friday, December 13th.

Language Acquisition:

Next week we will continue with the theme of "travel". We have read the book - "Mis zapatos y yo/ My shoes and I I" by René Colato.

Students will write a narrative about their own experiences.

For grammar we are studying the present tense. And we are studying vocabulary and language for talking about public transportation.

ELA:

Next week, students will explore a portion of Alice in Wonderland to complete our study of the art of language. They will complete their final song analysis on Friday, and that analysis will be a summative grade.

Advanced ELA:

Next week, students will complete their song playlist and analysis. Their work will be primarily done in class, and the assignment is their final summative grade of the semester.

Georgia Studies:

Next week in Georgia Studies, the students will start the week by finishing their group presentations. They will then present them to and teach the material to each other and learn about the important events of the Civil War in Georgia. Wednesday they will be doing a summary activity that will be graded as a formative. We will spend Thursday and Friday reviewing for the Civil War summative that will be on Tuesday December 17th.

Advanced Georgia Studies:

Students will review the Civil War, complete a formative on Tuesday, a debate on Sherman on Wednesday, and then prepare for the test on 12/16 and the midterm on 12/18.

https://www.forsyth.k12.ga.us/domain/1752

Georgia Highlands Medical Center is excited to announce their partnership with Otwell Middle School!! see attachment below for more information.