Union Middle Weekly Update V5.16!

Hello Union Middle School Families,

Down to the final 10 school days before our lengthy winter break. I want to compliment our leadership students for another fantastic UMS dance this past Friday. There is a lot that goes into making a middle school dance happen: preparing decorations, selling tickets, managing the guest list, adjusting to brand-bew DJ, clean up, and so much more. Under Mrs. Utley's leadership, our 8th grade leadership class put on an inclusive, well-attended, fun-for-everyone dance. Kudos to our 8th grade leadership class!

We have the Leigh Principal joining our January 22nd Home and School Club meeting. We encourage our 8th grade families to attend this event as you'll receive first hand information on what to expect when your student begins high school in the fall. Our HSC meeting starts at 8:45 and the Leigh Principal's presentation begins at 9 am. Both events are held in the UMS library. Hope to see you there.

We just passed the middle part of the second semester a few weeks ago. We call this part of the school year our Mid Quarter Report, or MQR. Here, all teachers are expected to have updated PowerSchool and entered any/all missing grades up to this point in the quarter. This is a great time to schedule a check in with your child and review each of their classes. When we return in January, we have only ONE WEEK until the semester ends. Now is the time to address any academic concerns for your student. Don't wait.

This Wednesday, we celebrate our California League of Educator Teacher of the Year nominee Allison Risso. Over a dozen UMS staff members will travel to Morgan Hill Wednesday evening to support Ms. Risso in her nomination. Congrats to Ms. Risso!

For those of you have spend any sort of time on Taft during drop off or pick up, please read the following, as shared by a concerned staff member.

* As it is a school zone, keep an eye on your speed. Kids could (and will) be coming from any and all directions;

* Please don't honk at the children when they are trying to cross the street; they are just trying to get to class;

* Please don't make u-turns in the middle of Taft. It is not only illegal but also unsafe;

* Please do not stop to drop your student off in the red zone as it is hard to see if cars are coming. This is not a safe practice;

* If you see a student crossing in the crosswalk, please do not proceed to drive; please stop and allow them to cross. (principal note: this one feels rather self-explanatory);

* Students - please keep your eyes on the road and look both ways before you cross! If your eyes are on your cell phone or you are busy talking to your friends when you are crossing the street, you may not see a car coming. Everyone needs to be on alert!

Here are some announcements and reminders...

YEARBOOK LAST CHANCE PURCHASE - Also, for all families, if you had not ordered a yearbook yet, you received a separate message on how to do so, as we have re-added the yearbook (sans the "kit" items) to our student store for the school days between Thanksgiving and the winter break. This will likely be your last chance to order a yearbook for 2024-25 as we are nearing the end of our print run based on yearbooks already sold.

PRIVATE SCHOOL INFO - If you have a student applying to private schools for 9th grade, please do review these suggestions from our counselors' website. Our goal is to make the process as seamless as possible for our 8th grade families as it can get a bit confusing throughout.

INTRO TO USD PRESO (for non-usd families only) - If you know of families who do not currently attend USD schools but are planning on registering to attend UMS in the fall, please let them know that each USD school is holding an "intro to USD" in-person presentation. Union Middle School is holding ours on January 23rd at UMS from 9:00-10:00 am. Please note that this presentation is only for Families who do not attend USD schools. The link for our New to USD families to RSVP for this event is: bit.ly/New-to-USD-Preso. For those families with students already attending USD schools, we will be holding your 5th grade parent night on the third Tuesday of May, the same day of the 5th grade walking field trip. Thank you for your assistance and understanding.

Some quick reminders...

-Looking to show your UMS pride at upcoming sporting events. Check out the new Tiger gear here! Order UMS Spirit Wear Here

-The *NEW* UMS Store is available at bit.ly/umstigers. I am very hopeful that this version of the UMS Store is a bit more seamless for our UMS community. Feedback always welcome.

-Our staff member profile this week is Jen Zangwill, one of our 7th grade Social Studies (& ELL / 6th Grade Debate) teachers at UMS. I hope you enjoy it!

Todd Feinberg, Principal

• December 9, 2024 - Girls Basketball Tryouts Begin
• December 10, 2024 - Special Assembly Tuesday (See Bell Schedule)
• December 10, 2024 - Fire Drill
• December 13, 2024 - Winter Concert/Bands/UMS Gym (6:30-8:00pm)
• December 16, 2024 - USD Board Meeting - UMS Presents!
• January 6, 2024 - Shrek the Musical Rehearsals begin
• January 10, 2024 - UMS Reads - Library (6:00-7:15pm)
• January 13, 2024 - USD Board Meeting
• January 20, 2024 - Martin Luther King Jr Day - No School
• January 22, 2024 - HSC Meeting w/ Leigh Principal (8:30am-10:15am)
• January 23, 2024 - Presentation @ UMS for New-to-USD Families (9:00am-10:00am)
• January 29, 2024 - Fire Drill
• February 7, 2024 - 6th Grade Dance (4-6pm)
• February 14, 2024 - Earthquake Drill
• March 20, 2024 - Fire Drill
• March 28, 2024 - UMS-DMS Spirit Game @ Branham
• April 17, 2024 - Earthquake Drill
• April 25-27, 2024 - Shrek the Musical Performances!
• May 16, 2024 - Fire Drill
• June 2, 2024 - Earthquake Drill

This is Mrs. Jen Zangwill's 21st year at Union Middle School. She currently serves as one of our 7th grade Social Studies teachers. Jen also teaches one class of ELL and one of our 6th grade Debate wheel electives. Enjoy the following Q&A below as we get to meet Jen!

How long have you been at UMS? What do you love about being an educator at UMS? This is my 21st year at UMS! I love the community here, and that includes the amazing people I work with ( I can't imagine a better staff), the students, and the parents. I know how lucky I am to work at such a special place.

If you had three wishes, what would they be? (please briefly explain each wish) - 1) A unlimited plane ticket so I could fly anywhere in the world whenever I wanted. 2) Health and happiness for all of the people that I love. 3) Master cooking classes with the greats around the world! I love cooking and would love to learn from all of them.

What's one thing your students don't know about you that they would be surprised to find out? Students would probably be shocked to know that I was super shy when I was their age! I didn't come out of my shell and truly become comfortable with who I am until I was in college.

What are you most proud of in your career so far? I've gotten a few emails from former students, who are now adults, telling me that they became teachers and that I was a huge inspiration for them. There is nothing better!

What are your words of wisdom? You will make a lot of choices in your life, but the people you choose to surround yourself with might be one of the most important ones. Choose wisely!

What made you want to become a teacher? I always knew I wanted to be a teacher. From an early age, my grandma, Isabelle, told me that being a teacher was the most honorable profession and she had always wished my father (who became a lawyer) had gone into teaching instead!

Explain why your subject is important for your students to learn. How will they use this information in their future / "real world"? It's important for students to understand how the events of the past led to the way things are today, to recognize patterns in history and to make connections to the present. Social studies leads to deeper critical thinking, and a greater understanding of our world, our society, other people, identity and citizenship.

What's one instructional practice that you've adopted for your classroom that you now cannot live without? Having students use a CER format for their Social Studies writing has really helped them use evidence properly.

We are in need of parent volunteers for Art Vistas for Ms. Wilcox's 7th grade Social Studies classes in Room 17. Without your help, these students will miss out on an enriching and fun lesson that ties art into what your child is currently learning in social studies. No experience or artistic ability is required, and you will be trained on what to do.

The lesson on 12/12 involves showing African artifacts with the class. The times needed are:

12/12 Period 1 8:30 am - 9:25 am

12/12 Period 5 1:02 pm - 1:54 pm

12/12 Period 6 1:58 pm - 2:50 pm

The lesson on 12/13 involves teaching the students how to do a simple weaving with yarn on a cardboard loom. The time needed is:

12/13 p.5 1:02pm - 1:54 pm

Please contact Majken Bullard with any questions or for sign up information at majken.bullard@gmail.com.

Do you have a UMS athlete living under your roof? Get your athlete yard sign today!! Show your Tiger pride and support UMS Sports Boosters at the same time. The yard sign will be delivered directly to your home and installed. Order Your UMS Athlete Yard Sign Here

Do you, or someone you know, have a business or organization and would like to support Union Middle School? We invite you to donate to the Union Middle School Home and School Club’s Community Sponsorship program. UMS Home & School Club is a registered charitable trust and a non-profit association under Section 501(c)(3) of the IRS code. Community Sponsors donate ONCE, and in exchange, receive visibility to the Union Middle School community. Sponsors receive recognition on our Home and School Club website, in our multiple Music programs throughout the year, our Drama production, our Dodgeball tournament, as well as our biggest community event, coming up in a few short weeks on October 25th, The Blast. To learn more and donate please go to www.unionhsc.org/community-sponsorships.html

There are many ways to get involved at Union Middle School. From leading Art Vistas lessons or helping at the Scholastic Book Fair to participating in fundraisers or supporting music, drama, or athletics, there’s definitely an opportunity to fit your schedule and interests. Sign up here: www.unionhsc.org/volunteer.html.

This year, our primary way to fundraise will be through the Annual Membership Drive. We rely on your generous donations to hit our fundraising goals. If your employer provides Corporate Matching, this is another way for you to double your donation and help support Union Middle School students, teachers, and school programs. Please follow the steps below and donate online today!

Donate online now: bit.ly/umstigers

Your HSC Membership donations support:

• HSC donates approximately $175 per student each year

• Art Vistas, Athletics, Music, Drama, Technology, and Cheer programs

• All of our teachers, who receive $500 each for teaching and classroom supplies, resources, and online education subscriptions

• Grants made available to faculty to fund one-time expenses

• A wide range of student resources and support programs including orientation for new 6th graders (WEB), mentoring, UMS Reads, and leadership training.

Donate online now: bit.ly/umstigers

Bridge the Gap is a principal discretionary fund that enables the principal and staff to provide the best possible educational experience for the students at Union Middle School. Your Bridge the Gap donations support:

• Teacher development and teacher recognition events

• Existing programs that may have been drastically cut or risk cancellation

• Student clubs and student recognition events.

You can easily double your donation via Corporate Matching. Find more information here: www.unionhsc.org/corporate-matching.html

All are welcome at our monthly HSC meetings. Visit the HSC website for updates and information all year long: www.unionhsc.org.

Our morning clinics have begun!

If your student needs extra support, homework help, and/or test preparation, our UMS clinics can help! Whether they are struggling with the curriculum or just want to sharpen their academic skills, our staff (and high school tutors) are ready to assist them. Please encourage your student to take advantage of these opportunities, available throughout the week. Students should arrive with work to do and/or questions to ask - Clinics aren't necessarily 1:1 tutoring; they're a place where students can get extra help with their academic questions.

Math Clinic: Wednesdays and Fridays from 8:05 am to 8:25 am in Room 3

ELA Clinic: Mondays and Thursdays from 8:05 to 8:25 am in Room 4

Science Clinic: Tuesdays and Fridays from 8:05 to 8:25 am in Room 30

Teacher Team Links included below and are available through Teams & Staff on our homepage (via unionms.unionsd.org). Your student should know which team they're on. And of course, please bookmark the below link for usage throughout the school year.

6th Grade Happy Campers

6th Grade Avengers

7th Grade Otters

7th Grade Firefly

8th Grade Mustangs

8th Grade Penguins

We have a NEW location for UMS Athletics: bit.ly/unionathletics!

As the seasons progress, more information will be added for whatever after-school sports become available. Please visit the website for tryout information and other key topics. Questions: Mrs. Moore is our athletic director and is available to answer any questions not already shared on the UMS Athletics website.

Email: feinbergt@unionsd.org
Website: Unionms.Unionsd.org
Location: 2130 Los Gatos Almaden Road, San Jose, CA, USA
Phone: (408) 371-0366
Twitter: @goteamums