February 1, 2016

The Buzz at Irmo Middle School

Irmo Middle School

6051 Wescott Road
Columbia, SC 29212
(803) 476-3600

Creating successful students for the challenges of tomorrow

www.lexrich5.org/ims
School Hours:
8:20 a.m.3:35 p.m.

rsjackso@lexrich5.org

Inside this issue:

Student Led Conf.
C Team Basketball Tourney
Band Recognitions
IMS Ranking
Art Showcase
Feb. Job Shadow Month
IT/STEM field trip
Project Dream Box
IMS Bowlers
Individual Graduation Plans

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Robert S. Jackson, Ed.S., Principal

https://twitter.com/IMS_Principal

Do you judge a book by its cover? Try a Blind Date

with a Book in the Media Center from February 8
through 19th . Books will be wrapped in brown paper
with the title hidden, and a personal ad on the front
to let you know a little bit about what might be your
perfect match. Students will be asked to fill out a Rate
your Date slip and all completed slips will be placed in a drawing for a prize.

We are excited to announce that our Young Scholars Program application is open.

Dates to Remember:
Tues 2/2
G40 Mtg. 7:45-8:10
Media Center
Wed 2/3
Late Start Day
Classes begin 9:18
Thurs 2/4
C Team Basketball
Tournament Begins
Winter Sports Pep
Rally @ 1:35
Fri 2/5
FCA Mtg. 7:40-8:10
AM Room 904

If you have news for the

Buzz, email Allison Redick
at aredick@lexrich5.org.

The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation is looking for high-achieving seventh grade students
with financial need to apply for our unique pre-college scholarship and advising program. Young Scholars receive high school and college counseling, funding for summer
and extracurricular academic programs, access to internships and study abroad opportunities, and other educational resources including books and technology.
We invite all interested to attend our upcoming webinar to learn more about the
Young Scholars Program benefits, eligibility, selection criteria, & key dates: Feb. 16, 67:00pm EST - https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5452305910201815553 or
contact the organizer for more information: jkcfwebinar@jkcf.org.
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Valentine's Dance - Thursday, Feb 11, after school - 5:30, $5 / Student

There will be a professional DJ lots of food and fun!
Valentine's Court voting during lunches starting Wednesday
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Already Zoned for IMS,
then you do NOT have to complete a
Choice Application for 7th or 8th grade.

At IMS on Choice,
then you DO have to complete a
Choice Application within the window which ends Feb 5th at 5

pm.

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We are pleased to announce that this year we will be facilitating student-led conferences
(SLC's). For those of you who may be new to this procedure, the student-led conference process empowers the student to direct and report on his/her progress at school that specifically
addresses certain learning targets and our school-wide Habits of Scholarship. SLC's are research-based and used in many exemplary middle schools. Our Crew leaders have been
trained to assist, direct, and support our students throughout the preparation process. They
have coached, critiqued, and evaluated their students in order to have them ready to present
to their parents and guardians. In short, the students will be leading the conference while reflecting on their progress and setting goals for advancement.
During the conference process students will report on academic progress, articulate goals,
report on assessment data when appropriate, and share examples of their course work. They will present samples of schoolwork from all of their classes.
The student-led conference process is much different from the traditional parent teacher conference in which the teacher
does most of the talking and the parent does the listening. Often in such conferences, the student is not even present. The
role of the Crew leader in a student-led conference is one of coach, mentor, and advocate. It is likely that there will be several conferences will be taking place at one time within the same room. The Crew leader will circulate and be present for specific questions related to the process and support students as they reflect on their work. If a parent wants a parent teacher
conference with any particular teacher, they may request one at any time.
We believe that the student-led conference process allows students to take ownership of their learning and possess the responsibility for creating goals and identifying support structures needed to achieve their desired level of success. We are
pleased with the learning that is happening at Irmo Middle School's International Academic Magnet and know that our students are eager to present their progress to their parents.
We thank you for working with them in this journey. Below we have included some frequently asked questions and answers.
Why are we doing them at Irmo Middle School? How does it impact student achievement? When students are a vital
component of student-led conferences, they have more ownership in the learning process with opportunities for increased
student success. Students have an opportunity to present their work, reflect on learning, revise goals, and determine specific
strategies for continued growth.
When: Student-led Conferences will take place in March 2016 for all IMS students.
6th Grade March 7-11, 7th Grade March 21-24, 8th Grade March 14-18
Where: Crew leaders classroom, or another location decided upon by the Crew leader.
*Parent/guardian(s) will be given different times (20 minute time slots) during that week that they can sign up to attend.
What Should Parents Expect: Parents will be welcomed, and then invited to sit with their student as their child communicates their progress towards academic learning targets and Habits of Scholarship.
How can parents assist: Please support your child by signing up for a 20 minute time slot the week of their student-led
conference. Your attendance at their student-led conference will mean so much to them! Our goal is for 100% of parents to
attend. Sign up information will be sent home the first week in February.
For a sample of how these work, take a moment to watch the video at the following URL: https://vimeo.com/45140230

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The PAC has released this year's win and advance basketball tournament brackets. Both teams from IMS (girls & boys) will
be playing. Irmo High will host the 2nd round games and beyond. IMS teams start this Thu Feb 5th.

Boys vs Northside Middle at Irmo Middle - 5:30pm

Girls vs Northside Middle at Northside Middle 5:30pm
The remainder of the brackets are below:

BOYS: http://www.scribd.com/doc/297166998/2016-PAC-Boys-Basketball-Tournament
GIRLS: http://www.scribd.com/doc/297167010/2016-PAC-Girls-Basketball-Tournament-1

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Junior All-State Band

performing in concert at Furman University on Sunday, March 13 at 1:00pm
Abby Jones - 1st Chair Trumpet
Claire Henke - 2nd Alternate Horn
Cameron Ciriello - 2nd Chair Percussion
Isaiah Allgeyer - 1st Chair Timpani

Junior All-Region Band

performing in concert at Lexington High School on Saturday, February 27 at 4:00pm
Caiti Boisture - 10th Chair Flute Jr Symphonic Band
Rachel Lofurno - 3rd Chair Oboe Jr Symphonic Band
Prisca Arendash - 4th Chair Oboe Jr Symphonic Band
Mark Sheldon - 12th chair trumpet Jr Symphonic Band
Claire Henke - 1st Chair Horn Jr Symphonic Band
Wyatt Robinson - 6th Chair Tuba Jr Symphonic Band
Akyra Garrett - 8th Chair Tuba Jr Symphonic Band
Margaret Rose Blankenship-Brown 2nd Chair Tuba Jr Concert Band
Ryan Barker - 2nd Chair Percussion Jr Symphonic Band
Matthew Rattray - 7th Chair Percussion Jr Symphonic Band
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Irmo Middle School was again ranked as one of the top middle schools in South Carolina. Four
of the top seven in the state are District Five schools. The website Niche ranks more than
100,000 public and private schools and districts based on dozens of statistics and 27 million
opinions from 300,000 students and parents. To view the full methodology, https://
k12.niche.com/rankings/methodology/.
A high ranking indicates that the school is an exceptional academic institution with a diverse
set of high-achieving students and faculty, and the students are very happy with their experiences. This would not be possible without the collective efforts of all Irmo Middle stakeholders.
Thanks so much for your hard work. It is certainly paying off!
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See the 'i am" International Academic Magnet Visual Arts Students Show which was performed at
The Columbia Museum of Art Saturday January 30th from 10-3 at the below and please feel free to leave
comments. https://voicethread.com/myvoice/#thread/7496256/40347922

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Job Shadowing Month

Job Shadowing is a great time for your student to explore the world of work.
October 23, 2015 April 22, 2016 - Each year, Irmo Middle School students have the opportunity to participate
in Job Shadowing.
Job Shadowing gives students an opportunity to see that the skills they learn in school are related to the skills
they will need in the workplace. Job Shadowing is considered a short-term experience to introduce a student to
a particular job by a one-on-one pairing of a student with an employee in a work environment. The student
shadows the worker up to one day to better understand the requirements of a particular career. All students
are encouraged to participate in this activity.
Important Information about Job Shadowing:

Students and their parents/guardians will make arrangements for the student to shadow a parent/guardian,
friend, relative or another person in a career of interest at the work site to include transportation.

Students are only eligible to have ONE day per school year for this activity.

Job Shadowing can be completed in a couple of hours, an entire day, weekends and/or holidays.

Students provide their own lunch during shadowing, if applicable.

Students should demonstrate punctuality, honesty, good grooming habits, appropriate dress and willingness
to learn.

Students serve as an observer, not a worker.

Students are not permitted to shadow teachers at Irmo Middle school

Any school work missed as a result of being absent for shadowing is the responsibility of the student.

If interested, please have your student contact Allison Redick, Career Specialist to pick up a packet or go to our
IMS Website under the Guidance Department/Career Specialist to print a packet. Also, if you need assistance for
a particular career to job shadow please contact Allison @ 476-3668 or email:
aredick@lexrich5.org

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Are you interested in IT/STEM careers?

We are thrilled to announce IMS students have been selected
by Midlands Education and Business Alliance (MEBA) to participate in an IT/STEM day at Colonial Life.
All IMS students interested in IT/STEM careers are eligible to
attend. 30 IMS students, 10 (6th graders), 10 (7th graders), and
10 (8th graders) will be able to participate in this experience at Colonial Life on March 8th, 2016 from 10 AM-1
PM. Our students will receive hands on experiences with IT/STEM. Some of the activities may include a scavenger hunt, learning about creating apps, and building a simulator.
Lunch will be provided while at Colonial Life. The total expense for each student will be $6 for the bus cost. We
are not being charged for the experience or lunch.
The goal of the event is to promote careers in IT/STEM and share what Colonial Life actually does.
How to reserve your spot: Starting February 1st at 8:30 AM, the first 10 students from each grade that pays their
$6 to the Career Specialist, Allison Redick, in Records across from the School Counselors office, will have their
space reserved to attend. Registration will end on February 8th. At the time the students pay, they will then be
given 2 forms to be signed by a parent/guardian:
A District permission form
A Colonial Life media release form.
Also, we have 2 spaces for parent volunteers. There is no charge for the parent volunteers. Parents, if you are
interested in attending, please contact Allison Redick at 476-3668 or aredick@lexrich5.org.
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Project Dream Box

#DreamBox Project for the

Jefferson Awards Foundation and the LEAD 360 organization

Please help us to collect 36 shoe boxes in 20 days filled with new and gently used school
supplies, journals and letters of encouragement
Please send all items to Mrs. Hilton Room 900

Thanks for your support!

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Bowling Teams
Two Irmo Middle School students were invited to join 2 of District 5's High
School Varsity Bowling Teams. Since Irmo High does not field a team students are able to play for any of the other District 5 schools.
Alana Haynes is bowling for the Dutch Fork High School Girls Team and
Joe Gentry is bowling for the Chapin High School Boys Team.
They Bowl on Wednesday or Thursday evening at 3 lanes in the Columbia
Area.
Thursday 1/28 they will be at Royal Z lanes on Two Notch at 5pm.
Thursday 2/4 they be at Anchor Lanes at 5pm.

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What are Individual

Graduation Plans (IGP)?
The Economic Development Act (EEDA) was passed in 2005. The implementation of this law was designed to
better prepare yourself for what you want to do after high school and to help you and your parents/guardians
make informed decisions about your education and future. The core of this law is the idea of planning. You,
along with your parent, will begin to create an IGP in the 8th grade as you prepare to enter the high school. During this time, you will select a cluster of study as you map out courses to take in high school. A career cluster is a
way of organizing classes around an occupational group. Each year in high school, you will review your IGP with a
guidance counselor and changes can be made based on your interest.
The Guidance Department will be scheduling the IGP meetings for 8th graders. You will receive a letter in the
mail over the next few of months which will have a scheduled appointment time. This meeting will allow your
student to choose a cluster of study. This plan can be changed and will be re-visited each year during registration. If you have a conflict or unable to attend the assigned appointment time, please contact Allison Redick at
803-476-3668 or email at aredick@lexrich5.org.

Tips for Parents

In helping your child
chose a Career path:
Start young. Develop career awareness by discussing career opportunities when reading books and
newspapers, watching television and observing
worksites.
Support you childs efforts to assess his or her own
interests, aptitudes, values and work styles.
Share your job experiences. A child delights in hearing about his or her parents jobs.
Encourage participation in job shadowing and internship opportunities.
Help your child understand the value and importance of his or her academic courses for success in a future
career.
6. Advise your child that there is more than one education pathway to a good job. More than 50% of the fastest growing jobs require an associates degree. There are a variety of routes to success: on the job training,
technical college, four year college, apprenticeships or the military.