Goodbye, January…Hello, February….This month, our 6th graders will stay very busy in their core classes, learning even more amazing skills and content in all our subjects!

In Language Arts, we will finish working on analyzing informational text and begin the process of writing a personal narrative. Mrs. Kern’s class will begin our novel study of Ghost. AT Language will start the novel Freak the Mighty and will be reviewing elements of fiction.

Instructional Language Arts class is learning text structure and feature strategies that focus on how to read non-fiction pieces. The class will be analyzing lots of nonfiction text, and begin to write a narrative piece about a personal experience they choose to write about.

In Social Studies, we will be “Roaming with the Romans” as we study Ancient Rome!

Science will begin their life science section, exploring Ecosystems and Biomes. We will investigate how living things survive in their environments, adapt to changes, and interact with other living things.

Regular math will be working with percents, fractions, and decimals. They will also be practicing how to find tax, tip and discount. (Real world situations using percents!) Advanced math will be finishing up the 6th grade book with statistics. Also, please ask your child if they need a new supply of pencils and a calculator. Many students have used all their pencils up and need a new calculator as we are using them daily. Remember, a calculator is just basic functions so an inexpensive calculator will work just fine.

Our Students of the Month for 6th grade are Max LaBolle and Jackson Miller! Awesome work, guys!

In Mrs. Kummer’s science class, we will continue with our Astronomy unit. We will learn about the moon and do several activities, including labs, over the moon. After the moon, we will learn about the technology that helps us learn about space. We will end our astronomy unit with an in-class group project focusing on the planets.

Mrs. Gudewicz’s science class will be discovering the solar system, creating a solar system model, and learning about the Earth-Sun-Moon System. We will wrap up our Astronomy unit with a research project on our solar system planets.

Mrs. Gudewicz’s and Mrs. Enerson’s math classes will soon wrap up our unit on expressions and equations. We will then move on to our unit on inequalities. Mrs. Enerson’s pre-algebra classes are just finishing up their unit on linear expressions. We will then be moving on to equations and inequalities in our next unit.

Mrs. Morgan’s math just finished expressions and are moving to equations as we finish out the Expressions and Equations Unit. Next, we will be moving to inequalities.

In language arts, we are just getting started on The Outsiders unit. Students will be analyzing literary elements with a focus on characterization. This unit culminates with a body biography on the student’s chosen character. Mrs. Nelle’s AT class will be writing an argumentative essay and performing a mock murder trial.

In social studies, students have been exploring the Jeffersonian Period and the presidencies of Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and James Monroe. We have seen the nation double in size thanks to the Louisiana Purchase, journeyed with Lewis & Clark, and fought the War of 1812 against the British Empire. Next up we shift gears to the presidency of Andrew Jackson and the era of westward expansion in the mid-1800s.

Congratulations to the 7th grade Students of the Month, Brooke Somlock and Logan Hook. Keep up the good work!

Over the last couple of months, 8th graders have met with the high school guidance counselors and students should have their freshman plan all mapped out. Please contact the high school if you have any questions about freshman registration or class selection. Soon we will be participating in state testing. Students will take the IAR (Illinois Assessment of Readiness) and the ISA (Illinois Science Assessment) in April. We know they will do great. Please make sure that your child has earbuds for testing.

Please encourage your child to check Google Classroom everyday and complete the assigned work. Also, please ask your child to check TeacherEase everyday. We find that is the best way for students to stay on top of their academic progress.

History: We will be finishing our study of World War II late January and early February. Students learned the causes and effects of the war, major battles, war mobilization on the homefront, and the Holocaust. We will be moving into our study of the Cold War Era. We will discuss causes and effects of the hostilities, life after WW2, and the Korean War.

Language Arts: In February, we will begin our African American Literature Unit. First, we will be reading The Cay by Theodore Taylor. Throughout this unit, we will continue to learn about the different elements of fiction. We will also be studying influential African Americans throughout history and their impact on today’s world.

Instructional Language Arts:

Instructional LA students are half way through our novel study, The Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dust Bowling. We are continuing to work on reading skills, characterization and reflective writing. After that we will move right into our next novel study The Cay by Theodore Taylor. Throughout this unit, we will continue to learn about the different elements of fiction.

Math: We just finished up with Chapter 4 on Functions and are well into Chapter 5 on Pythagorean Theorem which is the first chapter in our Geometry Unit. We will be covering relationships of angles formed by two parallel lines cut by a transversal, geometric proofs, finding missing angle measures of triangles, finding the sum of the angle measures of a polygon, Pythagorean Theorem, and how to solve problems using Pythagorean Theorem. Please ensure that your student has pencils and a calculator as they will be needed in this chapter.

Instructional Math: In Instructional Math, we have begun work on our basic algebra unit, which includes using the order of operations to evaluate expressions and solve equations, with a special focus on how to write equations from word problems. As always, we continue to work on our basic math skills through daily practice on the online program iXL. A reminder: the weekly iXL assignment (50 correct problems per week) MUST come from the “starred list” of recommended skills in order to count toward the weekly total, since these are skills that support and enhance what we are working on in our lessons.

Science: Students will be continuing their work on the oceanography unit including study of waves, tides, currents, the ocean floor, and the ocean zones. They will transition to a short unit on marine animal adaptations and habitats that includes a research project. Please make sure your students have colored pencils and rulers to be successful in their work.

Students of the Month: The 8th grade Students of the Month are Clair Keigher and Hunter Whitecotton. These are two kind, hard working students who take pride in their work. We are lucky to have them in our classes!

The next Band/Choir Concert will be on Thursday February 29th, at SHS. The SMS Jazz Band will also be performing at this concert. Please watch your emails for more details.

Sandwich Community School District #430 will soon begin the process of reviewing the

handbooks for each of the school buildings. This is an annual series of meetings to review the

policies and procedures in the handbooks to ensure that all users of the handbook have a clear

understanding of the contents. Please consider this great opportunity to become involved with the

district. The dates and the times of the meetings will be given out at a later date. All of the

meetings would be conducted at Sandwich High School and last approximately 60-90 minutes. If

you would like to serve on this committee, please contact your building principal.

Sincerely,

Michael S. Herzog

Michael S. Herzog

SHS Assistant Principal

Reminder: Completed Proof of School Dental Exam forms are required for current sixth grade students by May 15, 2023. If you are unable to obtain the required dental exam, please complete the Dental Exam Waiver Form.

Health Requirement packets were distributed to 8th graders at Information Night for incoming freshmen. Any school physicals or additional requirements that are completed from now through the end of this school year can be submitted to SMS and will be entered for next year.

February is American Heart Month!

Here are some links to ways your family can increase their daily heart-healthy activities:

Motivating Kids to be Physically Active

From KidsHealth.org - Tips for motivating school-age kids to be physically active.

Move Your Way

From U.S. Dept of Health and Human Services - An interactive way to meet the goal of 60 minutes of daily activity for kids ages 6-17.

The Heart Truth

National Institutes of Health - Heart-healthy lifestyle ideas.

If you have any questions, please contact the nurse’s office and I will be happy to assist!

Shannon Joiner, MSN-RN

Sandwich Middle School RN

sjoiner@sandwich430.org

(815) 786-2138

Since switching over to our new system, TeacherEase, we've been updating attendance codes, etc. needed for the state and we will soon begin sending out attendance letters again. Below you will find an abbreviated attendance policy to hopefully make things a little easier to understand, so if you receive a letter, it will hopefully make more sense. If you do have any questions, we will be happy to address them.

*Students are excused for 7 days per year regardless of why they miss. (This will not count if a student is marked truant from the previous year.) You will receive a letter at 5 excused and 7 excused, just as an update or reminder of your student’s attendance.

*Anything after 7 days needs a doctor note to be excused.

*Any time a doctor note is supplied, it is counted as an excused absence.

*After 3 unexcused absences, a letter will be sent home reminding the parents/guardians about the amount of unexcused absences.

*After 5 unexcused absences, school is required to notify truancy and truancy will usually set up a meeting to discuss needs and/or further actions.

*Parents/guardians must call the office to let school know their student will be absent that day.

Policy Found in the Middle School Handbook

"Students shall be permitted no more than seven (7) excused absences, including vacations, per school year based upon parental/legal guardian confirmation for the reasons of the absence. After the student has been excused seven times in one school year, additional excused absences for illnesses may only be verified through a written medical statement from a physician.

After seven (7) excused absences, the school office will notify the parents/legal guardians by mail. Other excused absences will be limited to death in the family, a family emergency requiring the absence of the student (this must be approved by the administrator at the building level), religious reasons that prohibit attendance for a given time and/or other reasons determined by the administration. The parent/legal guardian must verify the reasons for such absences. If a student is sent home due to illness documented by school personnel or if a student’s absence is verified by a doctor’s excuse before the student has reached the limit of seven days (or classes) of excused absences, that absence will not count towards the seven days permitted by this section. If the student was sent home from school with fever, vomiting, diarrhea or at the nurse/administrator discretion, they will not be penalized with an unexcused absence and will not count toward the seven parent/guardian excused absences. The following day may also be included in instances of fever, vomiting, or diarrhea. All doctor notes must be turned in to the office in a timely manner or the administration has the discretion not to accept the doctor’s note. For extended absences, the administration may ask for updated documentation of the absence.

When a student reaches three (3) unexcused absences, a letter will be sent to the parent/legal guardian warning of future consequences related to attendance. At five (5) unexcused absences, the student will be referred to the DeKalb County Truant Office for intervention.

When counting unexcused absences, the district will count back 180 school days (i.e. unexcused attendance days from the previous year will be counted towards the student’s current school year attendance records). When requested, the student will be required to provide a doctor’s note. Notes and letters will be placed in the student’s temporary file."

Our new Visitor Check-In System has been a welcome addition to our school. As you know, our number one priority is the safety of your students, and this impressive system is a great upgrade for our school. Using a visitor's ID (state ID or Driver's license), this system will complete a quick background check by searching the US sex offender databases & criminal databases. Now that we have a new visitor check-in system, we will no longer ask parents to fill out a volunteer packet.

The Sandwich School District needs your help! Please consider joining us as a substitute teacher. Did you know you can make $120 a day as a substitute teacher? You can create a work schedule that fits your availability through the use of our Frontline app. Earn $120 a day and work when you want to. Please click below for more information.

https://dekalbcounty.org/departments/regional-office-of-education/roe-services/educator-licensure/substitute-teachers/

Please feel free to follow our Sandwich Middle School Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/people/Sandwich-Middle-School/100044267353557/ This is a place where we share celebrations, community information and school reminders for various events. Please note that all important information and announcements will go home to you in our newsletter, classroom newsletters or in your student's backpack. The page is not intended to be your primary source for communication, but instead an extra one. Please avoid sending messages or posting school related questions as the page is only monitored intermittently. Instead, always contact our school office for school related questions or to communicate about your student. We appreciate it!

Compassion is a feeling of deep sympathy for another who is stricken with misfortune. We need to have compassion not only for others but also for ourselves. Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them, humanity cannot survive. ~Dahli Lama

The carry over period for students who were receiving free/reduced lunch for the 2022-2023 school year ended on September 27, 2023. If a new 2023-2024 application was not received your child was automatically put on paid breakfast and lunch effective September 28, 2023.

Please click on the link below to apply for free/reduced breakfast and lunch:

https://www.freereducedlunch.com/sandwich430

In accordance with Federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability. To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, and Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272 or (202) 720-6382 (TTY). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

FEBRUARY:

2/1: Black History Month

2/9: Progress Reports

2/16: 11:10 Early Dismissal, School Improvement

2/19: No School, President’s Day

MARCH:

3/1: National Reading Month

3/4: National School Social Worker Week

3/8: 11:10 Dismissal, School Improvement

3/15 End of 3rd Quarter

3/25-3/31: Spring Break

APRIL:

4/2: World Autism Day

4/3: Paraprofessional Appreciation Day

4/4: National School Librarian Day

4/19: 11:10 Dismissal SIP Day, National Volunteer Appreciation Week

4/24: Secretaries Day

4/26 Progress Reports

MAY:

5/1: Bicycle Safety Month

5/3: School Lunch Hero Day

5/6: Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week

5/8: School Nurse Day