March 2013

Erie Middle School Tiger Community, The second semester is off to a great start. The staff is working hard to challenge all students at their appropriate levels. The students are determined and making a commitment to their education. From March 11th-15th, students will be taking the TCAP (previously CSAP) tests. All grades will be tested in Reading, Writing, and Math, and 8th grade will have Science tests as well. We will need to supply over 3000 snacks and drinks throughout our testing period for each student to have one snack and drink per day of testing. If you would like to assist us, please bring your donations of granola bars and juice boxes to the main office by March 8th. Please limit your donations to only granola bars and juice boxes. Please encourage your students get enough rest, eat well, and to try their hardest in preparation for the TCAP assessments. Thanks for your support. The renovation project is moving right along. Most of our seventh grade teachers are moved into their new classrooms and we have been able to remove the portable buildings. Our next renovation update meeting is scheduled for Monday, March 4th at 6:00 pm. Parent/Teacher conferences were a success! A lot of great discussions centered on student progress were held. If you missed these conferences and would still like to meet with teachers, please call the school to arrange a conference. Each year the Education Foundation for the St. Vrain Valley has a tribute to teachers. These awards are called the Encore awards. If you would like to nominate a teacher for the 2013 Encore Awards, please go to www.efsvv.org . On the Foundations Home page go to Programs, Encore Award Program and then click on the nomination form. Fill out the form and click Submit at the end of the form. The deadline to nominate a teacher is March 25th. Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns. Todd Bissell EMS Principal

Todd Bissell - Principal Staci HoopleAssistant Principal Pat Atwood - Secretary Kimberly JacobsCounselor Genaro VillarealCounselor Website http://.ems.svvsd.org Email: last name_first name@svvsd.org Office Hours 7:00 - 3:30 pm
All visitors now need to be buzzed into the building by a school staff member. The camera and door bell are located to the right of the main doors. All visitors will still be required to check in at the front office and show identification. This new system will allow all of the outside doors to be locked during the school day.

During the month of February, students brought in their coins and used 'dollar bombs' to compete between grades. In all, they raised $533 for the Bao Bao Library Project in Ghana! Also, as a school community, we collected 30 boxes of books to fill their shelves, as well as several bags of shoes for their village. Thanks to all who contributed! Check out www.baobaofest.org to watch the progress on the library construction project!

LATE START/PLC DAYS: March 6 April 10 May 21 School will start at 10:30 with doors opening at 10:20. Busses will run 2 1/2 hours later than normal.

THANK YOU EMS STUDENTS, FAMILIES & PTO!

Your support helped us to finish this years book fairs with piles of new books. Thanks to a grant from the PTO, we also have the funds to buy new audio books. To our parent & NJHS volunteers, we couldnt do it without you. Thank you for giving your time to our library. Watch for the new arrivals coming to your library shelves soon and well see you at the next book fair.

Important Dates:
March 4 - Track Enrollment begins March 4 - Art Club - 3:10 - 4:15 March 4 - Tiger Lily Select Womens Choir - 3:15 - 4:00 March 4 - 6th grade Wrestling Meet at Coal Ridge Middle School - 4:00 March 4 - School Advisory Committee and Renovation Update Meeting - 6:00 pm March 4 - PTO Meeting - 7:00 pm March 5 - Academic Assistance - 3:05 - 4:05 March 5 - Student Council - 3:10 - 3:45 March 5 - Wrestling Practice - 3:15 - 5:00 March 5 - Washington DC Parent Meeting - 5:30 - 6:30 March 6 - Late Start/PLC Day March 6 - 7th Grade Cookie Dough Delivery - 3:00 March 6 - Odyssey of the Mind - 3:00 - 4:30 March 6 - MESA Meeting - 3:15 - 4:45 - Room D138 March 6 - Wrestling Match at Home against Trail Ridge & Westview Middle Schools - 3:30 March 7 - Academic Assistance - 3:05 - 4:05 March 7 - FACS Cooking Lab - 3:05 - 4:30 March 7 - Wrestling Practice - 3:15 - 5:00 March 7 - Odyssey of the Mind Practice - 5:45 - 7:30 March 8 - Last day of Quarter 3 March 8 - FACS Bake Sale - before and after school March 8 - Touch Rugby - 3:15 - 4:15 March 8 - Wrestling Practice - 3:15 - 5:00 March 9 - Wrestling Tournament at Mead High School - 8:00 am March 10 - Daylight Savings Time Begins - Move clocks one hour forward March 11 - TCAP TESTING BEGINS March 11 - Last Day of Track Registration - Track Practice - 3:15 - 4:45 March 11 - Art Club - 3:10 - 4:15 March 11 - Tiger Lily Select Womens Choir - 3:15 - 4:00 March 12 - TCAP TESTING March 12 - Track Practice - 3:15 - 4:45 March 12 - Student Council - 3:10 - 3:45 March 13 - TCAP TESTING March 13 - Odyssey of the Mind Practice - 3:00 - 4:30 March 13 - Track Practice - 3:15 - 4:45 March 14 - TCAP TESTING March 14 - Track Practice - 3:15 - 4:45 March 14 - Odyssey of the Mind Practice - 5:45 - 7:30 March 15 - TCAP TESTING March 15 - Touch Rugby - 3:15 - 4:15 March 15 - Track Practice - 3:15 - 4:45 March 18 - Track Practice - 3:15 - 4:45

Important Dates:
March 19 - Student Council - 3:10 - 3:45 March 19 - Track Practice - 3:15 - 4:45 March 20 - Odyssey of the Mind Practice - 3:00 - 4:30 March 20 - Track Practice - 3:15 - 4:45 March 20 - MESA Meeting - 3:15 - 4:45 March 21 - Quarter 3 grades sent home with students March 21 - Academic Assistance - 3:05 - 4:05 March 21 - FACS Cooking Lab - 3:05 - 4:30 March 21 - Track Practice - 3:15 - 4:45 March 21 - Odyssey of the Mind Practice - 5:45 - 7:30 March 22 - WEB Leader Applications due to Counseling March 22 - FACS Bake Sale - before and after school March 22 - Touch Rugby - 3:15 - 4:15 March 22 - Track Practice - 3:15 - 4:45 March 25 - Art Club - 3:10 - 4:15 March 25 - Tiger Lily Select Womens Choir - 3:15 - 4:00 March 25 - Track Practice - 3:15 - 4:45 March 26 - Academic Assistance - 3:05 - 4:05 March 26 - Student Council - 3:10 - 3:45 March 26 - Track Practice - 3:15 - 4:45 March 27 - Odyssey of the Mind Practice - 3:00 - 4:30 March 27 - Track Meet at HOME against Heritage and Twin Peaks 3:30 March 28 - Academic Assistance - 3:05 - 4:05 March 28 - Track Practice - 3:15 - 4:45 March 28 - Odyssey of the Mind Practice - 5:45 - 7:30 March 29 - Track Practice - 3:15 - 4:45 March 29 - Touch Rugby - 3:15 - 4:15 April 1 - April 5 - SPRING BREAK

COUNSELORS CORNER
The counselors have worked with Erie Middle School students to help them register for the 2013-2014 school year. For questions please contact your students counselor.

TCAP testing will begin March 11th. On the next page are some testing strategies to help your student during TCAP. Thank you,

Kimberly Jacobs - Counselor for students whose last names begin with A-K Genaro Villareal - Counselor for students whose last names begin with L-Z

TCAP Testing
The TCAP (Transitional Colorado Assessment Program) is based on the new Colorado Model Content Standards and has replaced CSAP. The TCAP will continue to assess the same content areas and grades as CSAP. Students will be taking the TCAP tests. The tests and schedule for each grade level at EMS are as follows: 6th Grade: Reading, Writing, Math: March 11 - 15 7th Grade: Reading, Writing, Math: March 11 - 15 8th Grade: Reading, Writing, Math, Science: March 11 - 15 Attendance is vital during this time. We wanted to let you know early so that appointments and vacations are not scheduled during these days. Thanks in advance for your understanding and cooperation.

Test Taking Tips for Students

General Read the directions very carefully. Do not spend too much time on one question. Stay calm and focus on doing your best. Use all of the time you are given. Pace yourself. Make sure you answered all of the questions. Check for careless mistakes, such as marking the wrong bubble. Review the problems you thought were the hardest. Be neat when writing answers or filling in answer bubbles. Stray marks may be counted as wrong answers. Draw a simple picture. This strategy may help you solve math word problems. Short Answer Questions Explain your answer, what you did to solve the problem.

Multiple Choice Questions Read the questions first. This is most helpful when you have to answer questions about a reading passage. Read the questions carefully. Read all of your choices before choosing your answer. Try each answer choice.
Use the process of elimination.

Essay Questions Organize your thoughts.

Include a thesis sentence in the introduction, develop the body of the essay by writing and organizing paragraphs that support the main idea, use transitions to connect your points, and write a conclusion. Check grammar and spelling. Write clearly and legibly.

Text Anxiety Tips Talk with your student about thinking positively, believing they will do their best. When they feel tense, they can take a few deep breaths and think about relaxing their muscles. A good nights sleep and healthy breakfast can also help ease their nerves.

2013 Jared Polis Foundation Teacher and School Recognition Awards

The Jared Polis Foundation has been honoring Colorado public school teachers since 2002 through a program initially called Appreciating Educators (2002-2005) and then revised to the Teacher Recognition Awards (2006-ongoing). In 2012, the foundation added an offshoot to the JPF Teacher Recognition Awardsthe JPF School Recognition Awardsand these awards will continue in 2013. The Jared Polis Foundation will honor five Colorado public schools from across the state with school grants in the amount of $5,000 per school to support school programming, professional development, technology needs, and classroom resources focused on effective teaching and learning. The Jared Polis Foundation will continue to honor individual Colorado public school teachers (K-12) in 2013 as well. The foundation will award ten outstanding teachers with $2,500 grants per teacher. The grant will include a $1,000 discretionary award for the teacher and a $1,500 teacher-directed school grant that can be used for school programming, professional development, technology needs, and classroom resources focused on effective teaching and learning. The Jared Polis Foundation is thrilled to invest more than $50,000 in this important program supporting Colorado schools and teachers; we know it will make a significant impact in our schools. School Applications: Principals and their administrative team may apply on behalf of the entire school. Please view the application guidelines and deadlines by clicking here. Teacher Nominations: Colleagues/peers, principals, school staff, parents and students may nominate a teacher to receive a teacher recognition award. Please view the application guidelines and deadlines by clicking here. The Jared Polis Foundation is investing more funding support in schools and teachers this year and has decided to not hold an awards ceremony this year as we have in the past. We will acknowledge all of the school and teacher honorees through our website, their local newspapers, their district and/or district foundations. In other words, we will make certain the school and teacher honorees are recognized in their local communities for the great work they do every day.

NJHS NEWS Candy Gram Thank You

NJHS would like to thank all of the parents and students who graciously donated and purchased candy canes for our Candy Gram fundraiser. We earned over $400 for Operation Santa. We also want to thank Target in Westminster, Walgreens in Erie, and the Wal-Marts in Longmont and Lafayette for also donating candy canes. Our next fundraiser is a volleyball tournament to be held sometime after Spring Break. Thanks again for helping us to make a difference in our community.

How do you become a member of the National Junior Honor Society?

All 6th and 7th graders who have a cumulative GPA of a 3.5 for the first three semester of the year will receive an invite to apply to be in NJHS. Once the application is turned in, a list of all students is given to the teachers, administration and counselors to discuss possible members character, leadership and citizenship. After data is collected, a team of staff members review the comments and decide if an applicant has what it takes to be a member of the EMS chapter of National Junior Honor Society. Application will go home a week after 3rd quarter has ended. If you have any questions about the process or what NJHS is all about, please contact Traci Jensen at Jensen_traci@svvsd.org. MEETINGS COMING UP
7TH GRADE March 28th 8th GRADE March 21st ALL MEETING April 11th

Do you know a child who would love the opportunity to play a sport, participate in the arts or go to camp?
Activities 4 All is dedicated to giving every child a chance to play sports and participate in youth activities. Our mission is to encourage kids in Erie, CO to play youth sports or participate in activities by removing the barrier of registration fees and equipment costs. We provide support for families in need by providing financial assistance to cover these costs. Applications are available for children kindergarten through high school on our website at http://www.a4aerie.org/

Erie Middle School Students and Staff: Thank you so much for supporting Erie Middle School by collecting box tops and recycling! We earned over $1450 for box tops and recycling. Remember, this was all FREE MONEY that we collected this year to go to classrooms. Our class winners were Ms. Blanchard with 1081 Box Tops, Mrs. Jensen with 834 Box Tops, and Mrs. Lienert with 703 Box Tops! Each of these classes will get a pizza party! Ms. Blanchard and Ms. Simms each won a Starbucks Gift Card for having the most students that participated in their first period classes. Congratulations to those teachers for promoting free money! Our individual winners for box tops were: Hunter Rosebrough Daniel Royer John Mirabassi Michael Haren Kaleb Fuhrmann Owen Ingalls Winter Fox Karson Sakalosky Lexi Loveland Elizabeth Rogers Our recyclable winners: Joe Kennedy Kate Knudsen Cole Knudsen Lexi Loveland Tanner David Also, this was our last submission to be counted for this year. I am an 8 th grade parent, so we will need a coordinator to take over. Please contact me at richsgang@yahoo.com . We dont want to slow down the momentum for next year. We need someone to step up and keep collections going.

6th Grade
Haley Hahn is an outstanding 6th grade student. She is respectful to those around her, she always does high quality work, and she is a leader in the classroom. She is often willing to share her own strategies and thinking in the classroom. Congrats Haley! Spencer Brooks is a wonderful student as well as a fine athlete. He is a quiet leader who always works hard and does his best. His questions are inquisitive and well thought out. Spencer ROARS throughout every day. Keep up the good work Spencer!

7th Grade
Mackenzie Delier is a hard working student. She tries her best at everything she does and doesn't settle for second best. Mackenzie is always willing to help others with school work if she can. She is in NJHS and takes pride in everything she has accomplished this year. The seventh grade student of the month is Houston Lair- Houston clearly cares about his learning and his community. He is always prepared for class, asks great questions and contributes to class discussion daily. He is a member of NJHS and is involved in many sports outside school, such as rugby and basketball. He currently shows his leadership spirit by pioneering Erie's first rugby club! Houston also shows his concern for global needs by giving his time as a member of the SOS group. Way to be well-rounded! Keep up the great work, Houston!

8th Grade
Emma Hassman is one of the most polite and respectful students in 8th grade. She is always focused and attentive to what is going on in class. Her strong work ethic and friendliness has been noticed by all of the teachers. Way to go, Emma! Ulisses Guitierrez is a hard working student. He puts forth all of his effort in all environments. Ulisses strives for perfection and doesn't settle for second best. He achieved his goal of high honor roll second quarter, and hopes to accomplish it again 3rd quarter. He has also established great relationships with his peers. Congratulations Ulisses, great job!

Each of these students have been honored with a free pizza for lunch on the last Friday of the month. Please congratulate these students if you see them!

Lunch Secondary - $2.75 Reduced: Grades K-2 - No Charge / Grades 4-12 - $.40