The Monarch Thursday Sept 27

The Monarch
September 27, 2007

From Mrs. Bryant’s class...

I was very encouraged by the effort that the students gave in completing their I-Step tests.
All grade levels are studying atomic structure and will create sketches tomorrow to demonstrate their new knowledge. Seventh and eighth grade student groups will present the theories of scientists such as Dalton and Thompson, whose ideas on atomic structure preceded those of today.
Seventh grade students will be given an opportunity to retake their sound and wave quiz. This score will replace their earlier one. We will review beforehand in class tomorrow.

From Mrs. Groves’s class...

The middle school students have started “Sports Connections”, our math program that uses sports to heighten the interest and enthusiasm for mathematics. In “Sports Connections” students will learn mathematical concepts while using statistics from various athletic teams. This week students gathered statistics about the Colts using our new computers in the Math Center. They then created bar graphs and histograms of the heights and weights of the Indianapolis Colts players. We will then compare these statistics with those of other teams and see how the Colts stack up size-wise.

Volunteers from the Actuarial Foundation and others from the community are mentors for our students. Working in groups of four or five, the mentors were able to help them determine the best way to display and analyze their data.

From Mr. Heneghan’s class...

8th graders will be on their way to Brown County on Monday morning. Thank you to Mrs. Poe, Mr. Edge, and Susan Tsangaris for accompanying us on this overnight retreat. Permission slips and release forms must be returned BY TOMORROW.
Students took their first novel tests today.
Pictures are next Wednesday.
Students may come in Spirit Wear tomorrow for a buck. Proceeds go to HETO, which supports schools in Honduras.
8th graders will have a special meal and presentation tomorrow, courtesy of Mrs. Jeatran and the good folks at Mama Carolla’s. They’ll be learning about manners.

From Mrs. Burnside...
Students will no longer be able to purchase school lunches if they forget theirs. If your child forgets their lunch, a parent will be called.

The Monarch for Thursday September 20

The Monarch
September 20, 2007
From Mr. Heneghan...

Students are busy taking their ISTEP this week. We will finish up Wednesday of next week. All students who pass the English portion will be treated to fine dining from Mr. Heneghan!
All students are reading every night, whether it’s from To Kill a Mockingbird, And Then There Were None, The River Between Us, or 7 Habits Of Highly Effective Teens.
Ask your kids questions about what they’re reading, for example, “What is your favorite part?” or “Describe the main character”.

IMPORTANT: We must get another male volunteer for our retreat on October 1 & 2. If you know someone, please contact me. We don’t want to have to cancel such a great trip.

ACTIVITY FEES ARE DUE.

A great story!
I was playing basketball with a guy the other day. His name is Larry and he’s probably in his late forties. He has a son who is a junior in high school. He told me whenever they have to buy the next book for his son to read for a class, they buy two: one for his son, one for him. So, they both read the books and are able to have discussions around the dinner table. What a great idea! I say go for it, parents!

From Mrs. Sherri Bryant...
Students should log onto my website: bryantscience.com and click on the Eighth Grade Quia link, then go to the last link under useful links entitled: "Students Try this Quiz." They should take the 20 question, 8th grade science quiz. They were introduced to this in class last week, so students should know how to do this.
Students can earn up to 20 extra bonus points (one point for each correct answer) by completing the quiz and printing off the grade sheet. They may take the quiz as often as they like. Parents please try to encourage your son or daughter to take time for these extra points. This extra credit is due Friday.
If a student does not have internet and a printer access at home, ask them to make arrangements with me to come in early, work during lunch, or stay after school if they would like to take advantage of this opportunity.

The Monarch for Thursday Sept. 13

The Monarch
Thursday, September 13, 2007


Dates to remember:
• Oct. 1 & 2 is the 8th grade Retreat in Brown County. We need a male and female adult chaperone to make this happen.
• Sept. 15 is the French Market. Come on out to the school and church celebration. Thank you for all your fundraising efforts!
• Sept. 17-27 is ISTEP Testing. Please be EXTRA sure your child gets a good night’s rest and healthy meals. Curtail absences as much as possible. Homework assignments will be lighter during this time.



Questions Adults Should Be Asking Students, Every Week

Some good questions that I ask my students BEFORE and FOLLOWING a given homework assignment or test:

1. How did you prepare?
2. Did you do your best?
3. Do you think the grade is an accurate reflection of your preparation and effort?
4. How did you study? (I ask this one in place of the terrible question, “Did you study?” It is just too easy to say, “Yes” to that one and never really know what a student has done. Make THEM explain exactly what they do to prepare/study)
5. Did the way you prepared work? If not, what are you going to do differently the next time?
6. If you didn’t understand something in class or for homework, did you seek out someone to clarify the confusion? If so, who? Were they helpful?

Thursday's Newsletter 9/6/07

The Monarch
Thursday, September 06, 2007
French Market is just a week away! Many students are signing up to volunteer, so be sure to write down the times so they can be sure to be prompt.

In Mr. Heneghan’s class...

• Looking for adult male and female chaperones for 8th grade two day retreat to Rancho Framasa on Oct. 1-2. Contact Mr. Heneghan for details.
• Middle schoolers are “sharpening the saw” on their writing. We are practicing color-coded “Stoplight Writing”. This helps students organize their ideas before they write expository essays.

In Mrs. Bryant’s class...

• We are continuing to review in grades seven and eight for I-Step. I met individually with seventh and eighth grade students to review their progress in science. Several students are off to a great start giving excellent work and effort in science. I especially appreciate the questions that I get from students in class.
• I was disappointed by a few students who are not working to their potential, as all student scores –except one-- has come from homework assignments where they are encouraged to use their text as a reference.
• Sixth grade students are learning about scientific method, and why scientists use models. They will have a quiz on Friday. Students may verify their notes taken in class or review by going to bryantscience.com and clicking on the Sixth Grade Quia link. When they get to the Sixth Grade Quia home page, students should click on the red tool bar.

From the office...
• Please sell your French Market raffle tickets. Your efforts help our school financially. St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church provides us with financial assistance to help our school meet our budget. Selling your tickets is a great way to say thank you for supporting our school.
• New Dispensing of Medicine Procedure: Please do not send in medicine with a blanket statement saying “student’s name” needs to take this as needed or on a daily basis. We are no longer allowed to dispense medicine with directions as this. We must have a written statement or e-mail giving us permission to dispense on specific days. Also, to dispense ibuprofen to your child, will require a phone call to you and then a follow up e-mail or written note. If you have any questions concerning this new procedure, please call the school office.
• To all school families enrolled in the free/reduced meal program: Our hot lunch program began 2 weeks ago. If you have not returned the necessary items (application and current copy of pay stub) to re-qualify for the program, you must submit them immediately. If we don’t receive them tomorrow, you will no longer be eligible for the program. Please call the school office to be sure your have been re-qualified.