The Cougar News

March 7, 2025

A Note from Principal Bame

Dear AMS Families,

Thank you for your continued support of your students. As we transition from the third to the fourth quarter, it's important to recognize that this time can be especially challenging for students. The coursework is becoming more rigorous, and we appreciate your efforts to keep them motivated and engaged. Your involvement in their learning makes a big difference!

Upcoming Events & Updates:

Battle of the Books: Join me in wishing Ms. McAlonen and the Battle of the Books team the best of luck as they compete in the Wake County District BOB Championship tomorrow! We are so proud of their hard work and dedication.
8th Grade Chorus Musical Assessment: Congratulations to Mr. Browning and his students for earning a superior rating in their musical assessment! Whoo hoo!
Book Fair: The Book Fair opens on Monday, 3/10. Students will check out new book titles with their ELA class, so be sure to encourage your child to explore and find new reading materials!
Daylight Savings Time: Don’t forget that Daylight Savings Time begins on Sunday, 3/9. Please remember to set your clocks forward one hour!

Next Week’s Events:

Monday, 3/10 –
- Book Fair opens! Students will check out new book titles with their ELA class.
- Softball home game vs Pine Hollow
Tuesday, 3/11 –
- 7th Grade Registration Sessions in the Auditorium (school day, students only)
- Soccer away game vs Pine Hollow
- London and Paris Trip Interest Meeting (not school-sponsored, for summer 2026) in the Media Center from 7-8 PM
Wednesday, 3/12 –
- General PTA Membership Meeting (virtual) from 6:30-7:15 PM
Thursday, 3/13 –
- 6th Grade Field Trip
- Softball home game vs Herbert Akins
Friday, 3/14 –
- Snow make-up day – School is in session
- Spirit Day! Sport your favorite College Basketball team in honor of the ACC Tournament and March Madness!

Thank you for your continued support of Apex Middle School. Should you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to us.

Mrs. Raleigh Bame
Principal, Apex Middle School

Dear Parents and Guardians,

We want to remind you of our cell phone policy, which states that students are not permitted to use cell phones between the hours of 7:45 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Recently, we have noticed an increase in students using cell phones inappropriately during the school day, including recording TikTok videos in restrooms, texting friends, and sending pictures. We ask for your partnership in reinforcing this policy by discussing the importance of following school expectations with your student. Our goal is to create a safe and focused learning environment for all students. Thank you for your support and cooperation. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out. ~ AMS Admin Team

Upcoming Events at The PEAK

AMS Culture Night - Call for Presenters

If you and your family are interested in presenting at Culture Night, please complete this survey.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSder2_pMDg7YdqV-L7flvxyW4gH_z2vGSkQll_5r7-smkjwbg/viewform?usp=preview

Safety Note from Officer Alex Cossifos, AMS SRO

Dear Apex Families,

As your School Resource Officer, I want to take a moment to remind everyone about the potential dangers associated with middle school students having access to smartphones and social media. Recent events, including the alarming case of two 15-year-old girls who were taken for trafficking purposes last week, serve as a stark reminder of the risks our children can face when unsupervised online.

While smartphones can offer many benefits, they also come with dangers such as exposure to inappropriate content, online predators, and potential exploitation. I encourage all parents to carefully consider the devices and apps your children are using and ensure they have appropriate protections in place.

To help mitigate these risks, there are two phone options available that can give your child the ability to call and text you, but also allow you to maintain control over their device usage. These phones are designed to limit access to apps, social media, and other features that can expose them to harm:

Gabb Phone: A basic phone that allows calling and texting without access to apps or the internet.
Bark Phone: A more advanced option that allows calling and texting but includes monitoring and control features to ensure your child’s safety online.

Both of these options provide peace of mind, knowing you have control over what your child can access while still being able to communicate with them.

Please take a moment to think about your child’s safety and consider these alternatives to smartphones with unrestricted access to social media. If you have any questions or need further guidance, feel free to reach out to me.

Stay safe,

Alex Cossifos
School Resource Officer
Apex Middle School

AMS Book Fair March 10th - 14th

Thank you for your support! Here is the link to Book Fair information and ewallet directions.

https://www.scholastic.com/bf/apexmiddleschool

📚 Volunteers Needed for the AMS Book Fair! 📚 We are looking for volunteers to help make the AMS Book Fair a success from March 10th to March 14th! This is a great opportunity to get involved in the school community and share your love of reading with students. Whether you can help assist students during shopping hours, or help with pack-up at the end of the event, we would love to have you!

To sign up and choose your preferred volunteer times, please click the link below:

👉 https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C094CAEAD2CABF4C52-55069303-amsbookfair#/

Thank you for your support! Let’s make this Book Fair an unforgettable experience for all the students at AMS! 📖✨

PEAK Celebration March 28

We are thrilled to announce that our final P.E.A.K. Celebration for this school year will take place on March 28th during elective classes on the football field! As part of the celebration, we have a special treat for everyone—Kona Ice and Bruster’s Real Ice Cream vendors will be on campus, offering delicious treats to our students that day. This celebration is all about recognizing and honoring the hard work and achievements of our students during the 3rd Quarter. These students have demonstrated the values of P.E.A.K.—Prepared, Engaged, Ambitious, and Kind—throughout their time here at Apex Middle School, both in and outside the classroom. We encourage all students and teachers to join in celebrating the dedication, effort, and positive spirit that make our school community so unique. Let’s continue to live our P.E.A.K. values and finish the year strong! Thank you for your ongoing support. We look forward to celebrating with everyone on March 28th! ~Submitted to by Mrs. L. Bailey ~ AMS Peak Chair and the PEAK Team

Wake Up and Read

It is time for the Wake Up and Read Book Drive. AMS is a drop off location for anyone interested in donating books to children up to 12 years. We will be collecting books until March 21st. Please send books that are in good condition and appropriate for middle school kids and younger. Thank you for giving the gift of reading and imagination to the children in our community.

Food Pantry Donations Needed

Hello from the AMS Student Services Office,
Our snack/food pantry is running low, and we are kindly asking for your assistance if you are looking for a way to help out. We would greatly appreciate donations of individually wrapped snacks and individually portioned breakfast items or lunch items - mac & cheese, ramen, or ravioli as examples. Please drop off your donations in the Student Services office. Thank you in advance for your assistance!

Single Subject Acceleration

Single Subject Acceleration (SSA) is an acceleration opportunity provided for enrolled and attending Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) students in grades K-8. Students who meet specific criteria in Mathematics or English Language Arts (ELA) have the opportunity to accelerate in one subject area.

To find out more about SSA, check out this SSA Parent One-Pager and this SSA Parent Information Presentation. Test request dates for the traditional calendar are March 10 - 28, 2025. Use the district form to submit your test request: https://bit.ly/WCPSS-SSA. Questions can be directed to our SSA coordinator, Dana Pilkington, at dpilkington@wcpss.net.

Lost and Found

Please come by the lost and found if you are missing any items! We have sneakers, lunch boxes, hats, coats, sweatshirts and more. Don't wait until it's too late! If it's not at home, it could be right here waiting to be claimed! Thank you.

London and Paris 2026

Would you like to join a once-in-a-lifetime educational adventure to London and Paris in Summer 2026? This exciting trip offers AMS students and their families the chance to experience history and culture firsthand—think Big Ben, afternoon tea, the Eiffel Tower, and a hands-on Parisian art workshop! To learn more, attend our interest meeting on Tuesday, March 11th at 7:00 PM in the Apex Middle School Auditorium. RSVP here: https://bit.ly/40uZVsz. Please reach out to Ms. Hayes with questions. (Note: this trip is school supported, NOT school or district sponsored.)

REMINDER - 2025 AMS Yearbook Now Available for Purchase!

Ensure your child receives a copy of this year’s memories! Order the AMS yearbook online by March 28, 2025, to secure your copy. Visit the Varsity Online Yearbook Center (www.yearbookordercenter.com) and enter school code 10708. Each yearbook is $40 (plus shipping and handling), and ordering online is the only way to guarantee your copy. Don’t miss out—order today!

LAST CALL 8th Grade Yearbook Ads – Celebrate Your Student!

Make your 8th grader’s year extra special with a personal ad in the 2025 AMS Yearbook! The deadline to design and submit your 8th Grade ad or memory page is March 14, 2025. The online design center is now open, so you can start creating a unique dedication for your child’s accomplishments. These personal ads, reserved for 8th graders, appear at the end of the yearbook.

Visit the Varsity Online Yearbook Center and enter school code 10708 to get started. Choose from 1/4-page ads for $30 or 1/8-page ads for $30, with a variety of font and image layouts available. For any questions, please contact Ms. Dabagian at hdabagian@wcpss.net.

Grade Level Updates

6th Grade Reminders

Field Trip Student Expectation Meeting: On Monday, we will be meeting with the entire 6th grade class to discuss expectations for our upcoming field trip. We will go over behavior guidelines, logistics, and important reminders to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for everyone. Please remind your child to be attentive during this discussion and to follow all expectations leading up to and during the trip.

Field Trip Parent Information: Please review the field trip itinerary with your child and ensure they arrive at school on time on Thursday, March 13th. The charter buses will NOT wait for late students, so punctuality is crucial. Upon our return to AMS, students must be picked up in the CARPOOL LOOP ONLY for safety and efficiency. Thank you for your support and cooperation!

6th Grade Wish List: Tissues and Pencils. Please and thank you!

6th Grade Updates

ELA UPDATES:

Students were given a reading pacing guide for FLUSH. Please use this as a reference for when chapters are being read in class and when they are assigned for HW. As a reminder, it is not necessary to purchase FLUSH, however, if your child likes having their own copy on hand so they can annotate and mark things in the book, here are the links:

FLUSH: English Spanish

Students should also have an independent reading book with them at all times in class.
We will be visiting the book fair on Monday March 10th!

Upcoming Major and Minor Assessments:

Mon Mar 10: Chap 1-3 Check In (Skills)
Tues Mar 18: Mid Unit Assessment (Minor)
Thurs Mar 20: Chap 6-10 Quiz (Minor)
Mon Mar 24: Chap 13-14 Check In (Skills)
Thurs Mar 27: End of Unit Assessment Part 1 (Major)
Fri Mar 28: FLUSH Final Assessment Part 2 (Major)

MATH UPDATES:

All 6th grade students should be completing their assignments in DeltaMath and at least 5 lessons in Dreambox each week.

Math 6: Students will continue working on Unit 6: Expressions & Equations, completing lessons 10-11 in their student workbooks. Students will receive a study guide and review on Tuesday before taking the Mid-Unit 6 Assessment (MAJOR) on Wednesday.

Math 6+: We will continue working in Unit 10: Rational Numbers. Students will complete lessons 11-15 in their student workbooks. Students will take a Mid-Unit 10 assessment(MINOR) on Thursday. This will NOT be a major grade.

Upcoming Major and Minor Assessments:

Math 6: Wednesday 3/12 Mid Unit 6 Assessment (MAJOR)

Math 6+: Wednesday 3/12 Mid Unit 10 (MINOR)

SCIENCE UPDATES:

This week in science students will be focused on creating a super plant which will compete in a Hunger Games type arena to determine what traits might benefit a plant to survive. Students will need to create their plant from a series of traits, draw and label their plant and then analyze their results for their project. This will be a major grade.

Upcoming Major and Minor Assessments:

Plant Hunger Games week of March 10th. Plant Test week of March 17th.

SOCIAL STUDIES UPDATES:

This week students will begin our new unit on Economics. This unit will look at the evolution of economic systems from bartering to currency. It will also explore the types of economies from various countries around the world, the Silk Road, and the Gold Salt trade. This is a short unit, only 3 weeks long and will have the Unit Test March 28th for quarter 3.

Upcoming Major and Minor Assessments:

None this week

Registration for 2025-26

Hello, 7th Grade Cougar Families!

This is a friendly reminder that I will be registering your 7th grader for electives for the 2025-2026 school year on Tuesday. To help your student make informed choices, please review our elective course offerings together and discuss their options in advance. Having a list of preferred classes ready will make the process smoother. You can find all elective options on our website (Students Tab → AMS Elective Registration Information). If you have any questions, please email me at akazi@wcpss.net. Thank you!

7th Grade Updates

Grade Level News:

Elective Registration: Registration season is here! Ms. Kazi will be meeting with all 7th graders during their Science classes on Tuesday, March 11th. During this time, they will register for electives next year. Students can make as many changes as they want until the registration window closes on Friday, March 28th. If you or your student have questions about registration, please contact Ms. Kazi at akazi@wcpss.net.

Fun Dinner Conversation Topic Featuring Science: If you could get genetic testing done and find out what, if anything, you are predisposed to, would you? Why or why not?

ELA UPDATES

Upcoming Minor/ Major Assessments:

ELA classes are going to the Book Fair on Tuesday, 03/11. If you want to purchase a book, please bring money!

Literary Analysis Paragraph DUE midnight 03/12 (Major)

MATH UPDATES

Upcoming Minor/ Major Assessments:

Math 7:

Quiz 3/10 (Minor)
Mid Unit 6 Assessment 3/14 (Major)

Math 7+:

End of Unit 6 Assessment 3/14 - (Major)

SCIENCE UPDATES

Upcoming Minor/ Major Assessments:

This week we will be starting XEPA; our action packed adventure that lasts throughout the whole Human Body Unit. Students will be working in teams and earn points for completing work on time, working well together, and behaving in class.

SOCIAL STUDIES UPDATES

Upcoming Minor/ Major Assessments:

Interwar Quiz (open notes) 3/12 (Minor Grade)

Rising 9th Grade World Language Registration Note

We wanted to inform you about an important change regarding World Languages courses. The county has decided that honors courses will be offered for all World Languages Levels 1 & 2. This decision was communicated to schools last week.

Apex High School Note to Rising 9th Grade Families:

As we are currently in the midst of registration, students will continue to register for their World Language courses under the existing course codes. Once registration is complete and we receive the updated honors course codes, we will automatically move all students who have registered for a World Language course into the honors section. AHS will only offer honors World Language Sections.

ELA UPDATES

Students will read chapter 6 of A Mighty Long Way. Students will also read excerpts of the Brown v Board of Education. Finally, students will begin Unit 2 focused on different types of mediums, beginning with the “Montgomery Bus Boycott” speech given by Martin Luther King Jr