Canaan Middle School Update

Canaan Families,

I hope everyone had an amazing spring break with your students! We have officially started the 4th quarter and we are off to a great start. As you can see in this newsletter, our students have been taking part in some pretty creative lessons and experiences. It is important for students to finish the final leg of the school year with their best effort. Both 5th and 6th-grade students have stepped up the last few weeks in all areas here at school. I love seeing examples of students being leaders and positively contributing to the overall school culture!

Right before break, our student council hosted the Canaan Middle School Talent Show in front of their peers. We had several students showcase some amazing talents including singing songs, playing the piano, dancing, and skits. It takes a lot of courage to get in front of your peers and I couldn't be more proud of those students!

As we move into April, the Ohio State Tests are just around the corner. We have included the dates of each of the assessments at the bottom of this newsletter. Much like a normal school day, a good night of sleep and breakfast is a great way to prepare students to take these assessments. Please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions regarding state testing.

Mr. Walter, Principal

Canaan Middle School

ELA: .As we prepare for ELA state testing in a few weeks, students will be completing a review packet each week. This week’s packet is due Friday and focuses on nonfiction reading skills. Next week, students will receive a packet to review standards for fiction. Please continue to encourage your child to read for at least 20 minutes each day, and thank you for supporting your child’s reading!

Math: For math, we have been finishing our unit on fractions. Earlier in the quarter, we learned how to add and subtract fractions with common and uncommon denominators. After, we moved into our decimal unit and completed all four operations. Finally, we have wrapped up with our multiplying and dividing fractions standards. For each of these different types of problems (decimals vs. fractions, adding vs. subtracting vs. multiplying vs. dividing), there are specific rules to follow. We will continue reviewing all of these concepts for the remainder of the school year while we also finalize the last set of standards.

Science: We finished our Earth & Space Unit the week before spring break with many “galactical” surprises. Students experienced a special event each day of the week. We visited the Think Big Space at JAHS where students:

• Coded a Mars Rover by using answers from math equations.

• Designed and built rockets using their imagination

• Researched the Solar System using interactive activities with Pear Deck

• Collected data from dropping asteroids at various heights to create craters!

Our Space Scientists continued their adventures at Canaan where they worked collaboratively to crack the codes to decipher alien messages in a “breakout” activity to save the world! Lastly, but not least, students visited the International Space Station, floated in space, and viewed the Earth from outer space using virtual reality goggles.

We began our Physical Science Unit this week learning about the properties of light. It is hard to believe that this will be our last unit for the year!

Social Studies: In Mrs. Smith’s social studies classes we wrapped up our unit on Ancient Civilizations before spring break. We are moving on to Native Americans and how the location of where they decided to settle affected how they lived. There is a lot of information in this unit and we are excited to dig in!

Camp Permission slips went home before Spring Break. They are due next Thursday, April 6th. Click HERE for the form if you need one! Camp fees of $137 AND white t-shirts are due Friday, April 28th. Remember, school fees MUST be paid prior to paying for camp. Be on the lookout for Medical and Emergency forms which will come home on April 14th and will be due back on April 28th!

State Testing for ELA will happen in the morning on Thursday, April 20th and Friday, April 21st!

Miss Bumgarner's 6th-grade science students will be going over to the Think Big Space (high school) on either Monday 4/3 or Tuesday 4/4 depending on when your child has science class. This visit will take place during their science class. Email bumgarau@japioneers.org if you have any questions.

On Friday, March 17th Canaan Student Council representatives coordinated a Spring Talent Show. Nineteen acts, which included 28 students, were performed for the school. Students sang, danced, played the piano, told jokes and the drama club members performed a variety of skits. Students from both grade levels were brave enough to get in front of the entire school to showcase their talents. Thank you to everyone who performed!

Performers:

Alexis Fink - Irish Dance

Virginia Shuping - Piano: “Fantasy”

Melissa Cortes - Singing Only Love Can Hurt Like This

Trista Taylor, Morgan Kirk, Laasya Paruchuri, Elsie Holmes - Not Enough Parachutes skit

Griffin Keene - Singing A Million Dreams

Kendall Hay & Lakeyn Warrick - Cotton Eye Joe Dance

McKenna Dietry - Singing Sunday Sermons

Eva Renner & Lily Schuenke - Singing & Piano Louder

Rose Rauh, Beth Shampel, Morgyn Craney - The Restaurant skit

Sam Hicks - Telling jokes

Cecelia Rose, Adalyn Cromwell, Alexis Fink, & Andra Beatty - The Talent Show Dilemma skit

Morgyn Craney - Piano: “Hedwig’s Theme”

Eva Renner & Makenna Murrell - Broken Finger skit

Brooke Yost, McKenna Dietry, Rose Rauh, Beth Shampel - The Cub Scout Socks skit

Kyndall Lester & McKenna Dietry - Singing I’m so Blessed

Parker Flowers, Kegen Wolf, McKenna Dietry, & Julian Yates - Ghost with One Black Eye skit

Beth Shampel, McKenna Dietry, Rose Rauh, Morgyn Craney, & Brooke Yost - You Need a Dress Mam skit

Kaylee Kimes & Lily Schuenke - The Lost Quarter skit

Trista Taylor, Morgan Kirk, & Elsie Holmes - Breakfast Attacker skit

This week as I continue to interview another member of CMS with Mrs. Smith, our language arts teacher. In my first question, I asked Where did you live before Plain City? she responded, " I have lived in Plain City since I was in 5th grade! I recently bought a house in Milford Center with my husband though!." My next question was, What was your job before you worked at CMS? She said, Last year I was an eighth-grade math and social studies teacher at London Middle School. I was also the building substitute at the Junior High the previous year!." My third question was, "How Many people are in your family?" she answered, ¨I have 3 siblings. One is 23, one is a senior at the high school, and one is currently in the 5th grade. I live with my husband Shawn and we are expecting our first baby girl in June!" My next question was, Do you have any pets? If so, how many she said, "I have one pet, my 4-year-old dog, Dexter.

." My fourth and final question was "Do you like CMS?" she responded, "I love Canaan! I went to school at Canaan for 5th and 6th grade and now some of my former teachers are my coworkers. I love being back in the district I graduated from and being a Pioneer!" That will wrap up this week's interview. Join me in the next couple of weeks as I go and talk and interview the new members of CMS. Next week, I will take a break from the series to talk with the lunch ladies at CMS they're wondering what you want for lunch and what they need to get rid of or add to the menu. I also ask parents and or students, if you have a student that like writing stories I encourage you to reach out to me or Mr. Walter with a story idea or topic you would like to hear about in the newsletter or write about. Have a good rest of your day goodbye.

Griffin Keene

CMS 5th Grade

Commonsense Media

Commonsense Media is an online tool that can help parents and students make informed decisions regarding media use. This tool can be used for many types of media, including books, movies, video games, and apps.

Canvas

Canvas is a Learning Management System that is used in grades 5-12 at Jonathan Alder. You and your student will find a lot of information about the school and your student's classroom through this platform. It is VERY important to stay connected and log on to Canvas. This link should help you log on and explain Canvas.

Families: Please add the following dates to your calendar.

April 7: No School

April 18: 5th Grade ELA State Testing Part 1

April 19: 5th Grade ELA State Testing Part 2

April 20: 6th Grade ELA State Testing Part 1

April 21: 6th Grade ELA State Testing Part 2

April 27: 5th Grade Science State Testing

May 2: 6th Grade Math State Testing Part 1

May 3: 6th Grade Math State Testing Part 2

May 4: 5th Grade Math State Testing Part 1

May 5: 5th Grade Math State Testing Part 2

Newsies tickets are available at our website. www.Jamb-arts.org. Please note the first tier on each level is rows C, F, I, L. If you would like to purchase an ad for the program, (business, personal, or a shout-out to the cast) you can reach out to Mr. Mayes, Tiffany Eudaily, or a cast or crew member for an Ad Form.

Our next music booster meeting will be held Monday, April 24 at 7:00 in the High School Choir room. It’s a great way to meet other music parents and to stay in the know about schedules and information.

The following are changes that be happening to Medicaid.

Email: walterro@japioneers.org
Website: https://www.alder.k12.oh.us/canaanmiddleschool_home.aspx
Location: 7055 U.S. 42, Plain City, OH, USA
Phone: 614-873-5621

Click on the School Flyers icon for updated community activities and events. PCABA ball sign-up has recently been added!