Maple Avenue Newsletter
October 2019
Student of the Month: Emily Nunemaker
The Aviator Team would like to congratulate Emily Nunemaker as our Student of the Month. Emily is the daughter of Olga and Loney Nunemaker. Emily has an older brother, Misha, who attends the University of South Florida. Even though her brother is away Emily’s two cats Sully and Lucy keep her company.
Emily is a true “Aviator Citizen” due to her hard work, curiosity, genuine interest in learning, and working with others. Emily has a positive attitude, and work effort in all of her classes. Emily participates with verve and takes on all challenges with great pride and helps out in every class with students and teachers. Emily has attended a Littlestown Area School District since Kindergarten and coming up the ranks she exhibited the same great qualities by earning many “Core Value Awards” Emily is continuing in the same vain and has been recognized with the Aviator Team’s CAP (Citizenship, Attitude, Pride) Award. Emily earns High Honors on the Honor Roll and received the Presidential Fitness Award in P.E. class.
Beside being a hardworking academic student Emily is active with the music at MAMS by participating in the chorus and playing flute for the concert band. Last year Emily was in the musical production of “Mary Poppins” and was a singing honey bee. Emily is also involved with student government and is a member of student council. After school Emily enjoys representing MAMS as a forward field hockey player where she has scored 8 goals and has had 4 assists this season. Emily will also be joining the MAMS track team this spring. She likes to run! Before turning her attention to MAMS sports she was an avid swimmer on the Gettysburg YWCA Shark Team winning many top awards.
Outside of school Emily travels with her family and got to see and hear Howler Monkeys in Belize. She would like to continue her travels to Italy and Bora Bora. Emily loves to read fiction, especially fantasy novel series.
Lastly, Emily would like to share her favorite subjects in school are math and ELA. Emily’s future is wide open but for now she aspires to be an orthodontist after high school to help others with wonderful smiles! Congratulations Emily - keep up the great work!
Progress Reports
Please check your Sapphire Portal in order to view the first quarter progress report. Please do not hesitate to reach out to your student's teacher with any questions or concerns you may have.
Parents, if you do not have a Sapphire Portal account, follow the link below to sign up.
Team Bolts: 6th Grade
MATH
Math 6- Mrs. Raubenstine and Mrs. Negley/Koontz’s class have recently completed Unit 1 focusing on geometric skills. Students should be finished completing any test corrections, so parents are encouraged to check grades in Sapphire. We are now moving on to Unit 2 - Introducing Ratios. Students are required to complete 30 minutes of Khan Academy MAPPERS per week practice and review. This time can be completed all at once or split time throughout the week. This practice is to build up weak content areas with the goal being an overall improvement in growth and understanding.
ELA/GEOGRAPHY
Mrs. Crouthamel’s ELA classes are finishing our first novel of the school year. We have gained knowledge on several elements of literature throughout our time reading Wonder. We will continue to work on our elements of literature and RACE writing skills while using Study Sync in class to read excerpts of the novel, Hatchet and Guts. In Geography, students are learning about the regions of the United States and Canada. We are discovering how the land affects the life of its population throughout the region.
Ms. Willet’s ELA classes have begun our first literature unit. Fiction skills will be taught through reading Wonder. The students are learning how to read intentionally, why it is important to be a strong reader and writer, and what strategies they can use to improve their reading comprehension. We are continuing to hone our RACE writing skills and are beginning to learn about proper TDA strategies. In SS the students are learning about the US and Canada. They are learning how location and the environment have influenced life in these countries.
Mr. Baumgardner’s classes have started off the year by reading and writing. We have finished our first novel, and spent time working on writing RACE responses. We are now working through an online resource called Study Sync, so it’s important to bring a charged Chromebook to class. In Geography, the students are studying the United States and Canada. We will continue to use the Five Themes of Geography to help us learn about this unique places!
SCIENCE
Mrs. Becker and Mr. Urey’s science classes have begun their study of Earth in Space. They will be learning about the Sun-Earth-Moon system, the solar system, as well as stars, galaxies, and the universe. Assignments can be found posted in Schoology and they can log into their text book from this link:
https://connected.mcgraw-hill.com/connected/login.do
Team Aviators: 7th Grade
The 2018-19 school year is moving right along, and we already find ourselves in October! Not only is the time approaching to carve Jack-o-Lanterns and stock up on Tootsie Rolls, Blow Pops, and Candy Corn, but it is also time to start thinking about parent-teacher conferences. If you have questions or concerns regarding your learner, November is the time to address those issues by scheduling a conference with the Aviator Team teachers.
Math
In math class this year we are using the Open Up Resources math curriculum. The family link might be helpful as you help your child with math at home. https://access.openupresources.org/curricula/our6-8math/en/ccss/grade-7/family.html#
We are currently on Unit 2 - Introduction to Proportional Relationships and will test the week of October 7th. Students can use the feedback from daily warm ups and complete the practice problems at the end of lessons to help prepare for the upcoming test. Students should also complete the math notes using the lesson summaries. Please contact me with any questions or concerns about math innerstk@lasd.k12.pa.us
Science
Students did EXCELLENT on our first Unit - “Tools of Science”. Way to go!! We are finishing up Foundations of Chemistry - Chapter 10. We will be entering Unit 1 and Cells soon! Students have access to their ebook through the APP on their IPAD and through a link my Schoolgy Science Class. 7th grader students may not always have written homework, but they always have review notes for 15-20 minutes each night. Each day they should come to class prepared with the understanding of their vocabulary and any questions for clarification from the day before. ACE time is an excellent time to work with me if they need help or work with another student on science. Please reach out to me for your student’s success at sanderj@lasd.k12.pa.us
Social Studies
Students did a great job on their first test on Ancient Mesopotamia. Next, we will move to Ancient Egypt. In class, we are working on creating a video depicting the characteristics of the Ancient Egyptian gods. Once we are done with Egypt, we will move to Ancient India and look at some of the major religions which still influence us today. Is you have any questions, please contact me at martinom@lasd.k12.pa.us
English
Students will be finishing our first class novel, “The Outsiders”. We have explored the world of the Greasers and Socs and lost a few precious characters along the way. Please check Sapphire for any missing assignments, they will be marked as zeroes. Your child may make up the assignment up to two weeks after the due date for half credit. Our next unit will get us right into the spooky season as we explore suspense through Edgar Allan Poe and The Chronicles of Harris Burdick. Our first independent novel projects are due October 25th. Please check in with your child and their progress on this assignment. Students completed a reading calendar during the first week of school to plan out their reading. This project is worth 75 points. Please make sure your child has a 3 ring binder for my class. They should also have 6 binder dividers that we labeled in class. 7th grade is a big transition year for many and organization is key. Please encourage your child to keep themselves organized for my class. As always, they may visit me during ACE at any time for assistance.
sabols@lasd.k12.pa.usRed Ribbon Week
Students, Parents and the Power of Talking About Drugs & Alcohol
RED RIBBON Week® (October 23-31), is the oldest and largest drug prevention campaign in the nation, reaching millions of young people during the last week in October. Thousands of schools across the country use this valuable time to engage students in critical dialogues about the importance of making positive life choices and avoiding drug and alcohol abuse. This year’s Red Ribbon Week theme is Send A Message. Stay Drug Free.™ During Health class, students will engage in activities and class discussions that promote a drug free and healthy lifestyle.
With the current teen vaping epidemic and the opioid crisis, these conversations have never been more important.
Did you know that children of parents who talk to their children regularly about making smart choices about drugs are 42% LESS LIKELY to use drugs than those who don’t? Yet only a quarter of teens report having these conversations with adults at home. RED RIBBON Week® is your opportunity to get the ongoing conversation started.
Visit www.redribbon.org to learn more about Red Ribbon Week® and get tips for talking to your students about drugs. This will help you to….
Empower your family by discussing prevention messages at home, at the dinner table, at family outings, and with friends and extended family. Explore the resources at redribbon.org to get started.
Encourage your student to follow the theme on social media using #youonlyliveonce and @redribbonweek.
Team Lightning: 7th & 8th Grades
SCIENCE Mr. Decker and Ms. Enoff
7th Grade:
7th Grade students are exploring the structure and function of cells and beginning to build a foundation as to how cells form tissues, which form organs, organ systems, and eventually organisms. Students will be creating a variety of products that showcase their learning and use of the 4 C’s.
8th Grade:
Students are working on their understanding of Newton’s laws of motion that govern planetary motion. To help students fully understand the concepts that are involved they will be building balloon powered cars that are tasked to carry as many pennies as possible 36 inches. They will also be producing a video that shows their understanding of each of these concepts.
MATHEMATICS Mr. Heller and Ms. Enoff
7th Grade:
Students are moving from review materials in Unit 1 to new concepts and skills. Students are encouraged to put their best effort into classwork and practice. This is the practice and repetition that makes a strong math student! Also, based on PSSA scores, class performance, and MAP diagnostic testing, students will start to be grouped strategically for remediation and support. The goal is for all students to be successful in math!!
8th Grade:
Math 8: We recently finished student MAP conferences, and are in the middle of Chapter 2 which covers simplifying expressions, and combining like-terms using algebra tiles. These manipulatives should give students a more concrete understanding of how like-terms can be combined, and how we keep equations “balanced.” Looking forward, Chapter 3 involves students’ looking at tables to develop equations, and graphing those equations. It is important that students keep up with the homework so they get the practice they need to be successful with the Math 8 content as the concepts become more abstract. Students should be working through their “Khan Academy Mappers” pathway on a weekly basis to keep their math practice sharp (can be found by visiting www.khanacademy.org/mappers)
Algebra: Students are now able to find the inputs and outputs of functions, equations, and are also able to describe a graphed function completely (including intercepts, vertices, and shape). Chapter 2 focuses on linear relationships where students learn about a variety of linear equations including: slope-intercept form, point slope form, and standard form. Students will learn how to graph from each of these forms. We will use the skills of graphing linear relationships throughout the year which makes it a pivotal chapter. Questions are strongly encouraged as the algebraic concepts we are covering are very new to students. So far we are off to a great start!
ENGLISH Mr. Peglow and Mrs. Trout
7th Grade:
Students will finish the novel The Outsiders this month and continue working on the skills needed to write a text dependent analysis. The focus for this month will be on organizing and expanding on paragraphs to ensure there is enough detail for a reader to visualize what he or she is explaining. For grammar we will be working with adjectives and adverbs to assist in helping them with the descriptive aspect of the writing.
MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) scores and goal sheets are coming home this month. Your child’s teacher is dedicated to providing material and lessons that will meet the student’s readiness level. Ask them about their action steps toward meeting their goal. By working together we can all ensure student growth.
8th Grade:
Students will continue reading And Then There Were None and discussing the elements of mystery, suspense, and plot structures. We will continue working on written responses, annotating texts, and our biweekly vocabulary & spelling units. With grammar and writing the focus will be to start moving away from the simple sentences and begin combining sentences to achieve more fluid and diversified writing rather than a simple, robotic style.
SOCIAL STUDIES Mr. Popoff and Mrs. Trout
7th Grade Ancient Civilizations:
Students in Ancient Civilizations are in the process of deciphering one of the most interesting and well-known civilizations in world history: the Egyptians. Upon finishing up our Unit on Ancient Egypt, students will venture to Ancient India where the formation of two well-known religions occurred: Hinduism and Buddhism. Students will compare and contrast several major world religions during the next month or two.
8th Grade U.S. History:
Students in U.S. History are currently in the midst of examining the American Revolution. Over the course of the next month, students will study the trials and tribulations of a new independent nation. Students will scrutinize our nation’s first governments: the Articles of Confederation and the United States Constitution. We will examine the successes and failures of each.
Team Sky Pilots: 8th Grade
Math Students are off to a fantastic start. They’re adapting well to the concept of having a Growth Mindset; we’re focusing on growth and learning this year! Geometry and Core 3 students each completed unit 1 assessments and are working on unit 2.The integration of technology into the math curriculum is having a positive impact on student engagement and learning. Please encourage your child to continue to complete the 5 nightly homework problems.
Science has gotten off to a smooth start. Students started off the year in Physics by describing motion. We have segued into Newton’s Laws of Motion which they are applying by building balloon cars. The balloon cars will be constructed and tested using all the concepts we have learned this school year. Students will then move into work and power and how simple machines are used to make us more efficient. Please call or email Mr. Liberty with any questions or concerns.
English class is analyzing fiction and nonfiction texts using several types of media. For nonfiction texts, students will be able to articulate an author’s position and be able to identify strengths and flaws in an argument and respond by writing a persuasive support or rebuttal argument. In fiction texts, students will be able to identify and analyze an author’s use of mood, tone, and theme. They will also learn to identify literary devices such as figurative language, foreshadowing, cause and effect, and characterization. Students will continue to read books independently and work on their IXL web-based program to improve reading comprehension, vocabulary and reasoning.
A Message from our School Counselor
Help your child develop a sense of responsibility
Boost your middle schooler’s sense of responsibility and you’ll help him succeed in the classroom and out. To instill this quality:
Talk about it. Teach your child that he’s responsible for his attitude and the decisions he makes. If things are going wrong, help him see how his choices might have contributed to the situation. He may be surprised to find out that even little things, like his choice of words, tone or body language, influence the way things will turn out for him.
Enforce it. Insist that your child take responsibility for his actions. That means allowing him to experience the consequences of those actions. For example, don’t take his forgotten homework or lunch to school over and over again.
Advocate for it. Tell your child that you value responsibility-related traits like self-control and persistence. When you see him demonstrating those qualities, praise him.
Model it. Let your child see you taking responsibility for your mistakes. “I left my gardening tools out in the rain, and now they are rusted. I should have been more responsible.” He will learn more by your admission than he’d learn in an hour of lecturing.
Fulfilling responsibilities at home in addition to homework helps your middle schooler see himself as a capable person. This feeling of self-worth will serve him well in school and in life. Some children are ready for certain tasks before others are. Take your child’s development into account, then consider giving him responsibility for:
Scheduling. Have your child track his appointments, social events and extracurricular activities. He can mark them on the family calendar and coordinate with you how to get to and from his activities.
Budgeting. Have your child manage some of his expenses. If he wants to purchase something, encourage him to make a plan. How much allowance will he have to save, or what odd jobs can he do to reach his goal?
Contributing. Expect your child to participate in discussions about things that affect family life. As a parent, you’ll make the final decisions, but ask your child for his opinion and consider it. Asking him to contribute his ideas helps him feel valued and understood.
Reprinted with permission from the October 2019 issue of Parents Still make the difference!® (Middle School Edition) newsletter. Copyright © 2019 The Parent Institute®, a division of PaperClip Media, Inc. Source: M. Josephson and others, Parenting to Build Character in Your Teen, Boys Town Press.
Fitness Day Fundraiser
Fitness Day is our annual and largest fundraiser for our school. Instead of having our children go door to door selling products, Fitness Day allows us to raise funds and reward participating students with a fun-fitness activity!
The Maple Avenue Parent Advisory utilizes the proceeds from Fitness Day to fund class trips and building assemblies/activities, 8th Grade Farewell, Mother's/Father's Day Programs, and our Grandparents’ Day Program.
How does the Fitness Day Fundraiser work? A small commitment of your time will result in a large benefit for our school children. Each student may raise funds by asking sponsors to contribute a tax-deductible gift based on a flat donation. Students will be sending mailers and emails out to family and friends asking for their assistance as a “sponsor.” Any amount of donation can be given.
We are using an online website “99 Pledges” to facilitate online donations. Parents will be receiving an email from 99 Pledges and each student will have a personal page for donations. The link for this page can be emailed and posted to social media as you see fit. Friends and family have the choice of using the secure online payment system or mailing a check to the school.
Students who participate in the Fitness Day fundraiser (by providing 5 mailing addresses and/or raising $25 in online donations) will be rewarded with a skating trip to Magic Elm Skateland on November 25 (no school that afternoon). Transportation and the roller-skate fee will be covered by our PAC as a thank you to students for their fundraising efforts.
Your participation is critical to the success of this program! Your participation is also voluntary. If you have any questions please contact the Maple Avenue Office at 717-359-3238. We are looking forward to a very successful Fitness Day. Thanks in advance for your cooperation and support.
Sincerely,
MAMS Parent Advisory Council
Maple Avenue Glow Dance
5:30 PM to 7:00 PM
Maple Avenue Cafeteria
$5 admission
News from our Nurse
The nurse’s office does not have allergy medicine for students, if your child needs allergy medicine please have them take it before coming to school.
All 6th graders are required by Pennsylvania school health law to have a physical to enter the sixth grade. If you have not already done so please turn in all completed physical forms as well as update immunization records to the school nurse. Also per Pennsylvania department of
health Tdap and MCV immunizations that are due by 7th grade must be given at age 11.
Tdap Immunization Update:
The PA Department of Health has updated the guidelines for the required Tdap dose to be given at 11-12 year of age. If the Tdap was given prior to this age, another dose will need to be given before the 2020-21 school year for your child to risk exclusion from school. Please check with your health care provider to make sure the Tdap was administered at 11-12 years of age.
All 7th graders are required by Pennsylvania school health law to have a dental exam to enter the seventh grade. If you have not already done so please turn in all completed dental forms.
Mobile Dentist will be here the week of January 20th, 2020. Be on the lookout for the form coming out before the holidays if you would like for your student to see the school dentist.
The school district will be offering a flu shot clinic for the students this year. If you would like for your student to receive a flu shot please have the student stop by the office to pick up the form that needs to be returned by Friday November 15th (if not already done so) to be included in the clinic. The flu shot clinic will be held on Wednesday November 20th.
Also be sure that your student is eating breakfast before coming to school so that they are fueled to start the day. Breakfast is available in the cafeteria in the morning before school starts for the students convenience.
The best way to keep your students healthy is to remind them to wash their hands with soap and water or to use the hand sanitizer whenever they enter the classroom or cafeteria.
Mark Your Calendars
Monday, 10-14: No School
Friday, 10-18: MAMS Dance
Monday, 10-28: End of the first Marking Period