http://rallsr2.k12.mo.us

Fourth Quarter Newsletter Librarian Update Mrs. Evans, Library As we approach the end of the year, please make sure students are turning in their library books. Any books not returned at the end of the school year will need to be returned or paid for before grade cards are distributed. Don't forget to take advantage of the local public libraries and get some books in your kid's hands over the summer! P.S. Did you know, students who read 15 minutes or less a day beginning in first grade will have encountered 1.5 million words by the 12th grade? Motivating students to read is powerful and research shows increasing that reading time to 30 minutes or more a day drastically increases words encountered to 13.7 million words by the 12 th grade.

Counselor’s Corner Mrs. Palmer, School Counselor This quarter, junior high students will be completing interest inventories and researching a variety of careers in life skills. I would like to address the topic of gender stereotyping related to career choice. As middle school students begin to seriously consider career opportunities after high school, it is essential for parents to be involved in the conversation. Parent influence is a huge factor in a student’s chosen career path, and it is important to be supportive of your child’s interests and talents. While many occupations have been labeled as “male” or “female” jobs in the past, we are working to erase those stereotypes. There are several ways that you can support your child’s career goals and being openminded is key. We encourage all of our students to consider careers in areas such as math, science, nursing, and teaching to name a few. Whatever career your child chooses to pursue, we hope it fuels a passion and a love for learning. As always, please let me know if you or your child needs assistance throughout the year. You can reach me at [email protected] or 573-267-3397.

Important 8th Grade News   

There will be an 8th grade parent meeting at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 23, 2017 in the cafeteria. At this meeting, Mr. Gatson will talk with parents about high school scheduling and four-year planning. Parents and students are encouraged to attend. The 8th grade promotion will be Friday, May 12 at 6:30 p.m. in the junior high gym. After a short ceremony, cake and punch will be served. After parents and guests leave, there will be a 7th and 8th grade dance until 9:30 p.m. There will be a video of students at the promotion. Please send 3 pictures of 8th grader as soon as possible. Emailed pictures are preferred (send to [email protected]), but you may also send images to school that will be scanned and returned. Most students will send a baby/toddler picture, an elementary picture, and a current picture, but the picture choice is totally up to you and your student.

March 2017 MONDAY

TUESDAY

6

7

13

14  Third Quarter Ends

20

21  Bird Appreciation Day 28

27

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

1 8

2 9 

15  Emergency Drills, 8:30am  Sharpen the Saw Night 22  Signed Grade Cards Due 29

16  Board Meeting, 7pm

23  8th Grade Parent Meeting, 7pm 30

FRIDAY 3 10  Early Dismissal, 12:30pm 17  Grade Cards Issued

24  3rd Quarter Bengal Bash 31

April 2017 MONDAY 3 

TUESDAY 4

WEDNESDAY 5 

JH Track @ Centralia, 4pm

FRIDAY

6

7

13  12:30 dismissal (Makeup day #1)  JH Track @ Montgomery County, 4pm  Board Meeting, 7pm 20

14  Spring Break, No School

JH Track @ Monroe City, 3:30pm

10  JH Track @ Monroe City, 3:30pm

11

12  Progress Reports Issued

17  Spring Break, No School  JH Track @ Monroe City, 3:30pm

18

19

21

MAP Testing, April 18-May 5  

24

THURSDAY

25  JH Track @ Centralia, 4pm

Signed progress reports due Sharpen the Saw Night

26



JH Track @ Culver-Stockton, 3pm

27



Choir to Lion King at The Fox

28

May 2017 MONDAY 1 

JH Track @ Montgomery County, 4pm

TUESDAY 2 

WEDNESDAY 3

THURSDAY 4

JH Track @ Paris, 5pm

8

9

10

11  Board Meeting, 7pm

15

16

17  JH Academic Fair

18  JH Sports Banquet Program, 6pm  Meal, 6:45pm

FRIDAY 5 

MT Artsfest, 6:30pm

12  8th Grade Promotion, 6:30 pm (Dance to follow until 9:30pm) 19  Last Day of School, 11:30 dismissal

Nurse Update Robyn Leake, RN, School Nurse Kid Sight Vision Screens Saving Sight will be providing FREE vision screens at school on Thursday, March 23. The program is available to all Ralls County children six months to six years of age, free of charge. At school, they will be screening all Preschool, Kindergarten and 1st grade students who are age 6 years and younger. ANY Ralls County child, age 6 months to 6 years, may receive this screening – please call the school to set an appointment time for any child not in school. More information about Saving Sight and the KidSight program can be found on their website at https://www.saving-sight.org/node/68. Medication If your child has medication at school, and is NOT attending summer school, please make arrangements to pick it up from the school office. An adult must bring and pick up student medication provided to the school. All medication that remains after Monday, May 22, will be discarded. If your child IS attending summer school, please review the student/parent handbook regarding medications. Sun Safety The sun can damage your skin in as little as 15 minutes. Below are steps to reduce the risk from sun exposure. You can also visit the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website at http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/skin/basic_info/sun-safety.htm.  Apply sunscreen and lip balm of at least 15 SPF that blocks both UVA and UVB rays.  Reapply sunscreen every 2 hrs when outdoors, even on cloudy days.  Wear protective, tightly woven clothing such as a long sleeved shirt and pants for prolonged exposure  Wear sunglasses (block both UVA and UVB rays) and a hat  Stay in the shade whenever possible Wellness Committee The School Wellness Committee will meet in May. Information about the wellness policy and procedures is located on the district home page under School Wellness. For information, including how you can get involved with school wellness, please call or email me.

Summer Events Schedule:  

Summer Journey (summer school) will be held June 1-23, 2017. Return the registration packet to enroll your student. Several sports camps will be offered. Current information is below. Additional information will be sent home with students as dates, times, and fees as established. o There will be a softball camp this summer. Information regarding this will be sent home with students the last week of April. o Junior high football camp will be July 17-20. Times will be announced at a later time. o 7 on 7 football dates are June 5, 12, 19, 26. These usually start at 6 pm in Palmyra. These can be attended by 8th graders that will be freshman next school year. o The weight room will be open every Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday throughout the summer beginning at 7 am and going to 9 am. o There will probably be a baseball camp. More information will be sent home as information becomes available.

March 12, 2017 Dear Parent or Guardian: The Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) Grade-Level Assessments evaluate students’ progress toward the Missouri Learning Standards. Grade-Level Assessments provide important information that contributes to decisions concerning individual students, groups of students, and educational programs. Assessments are given in the subject areas of Communication Arts (grades 3-8), Mathematics (grades 3-8) and Science (grades 5 and 8). A policy statement, adopted by the Missouri State Board of Education, designated the purposes of the Missouri Assessment Program as:

   

Improving students’ acquisition of important knowledge, skills and competencies; Monitoring the performance of Missouri’s education system; Empowering students and their families to improve their educational prospects; and Supporting the teaching and learning process. The effectiveness of an assessment program depends on the wise choice of assessment methods, appropriate administration procedures and accurate interpretation of results. The Grade-Level Assessments include multiple types of questions or items:

  

Selected Response (also known as multiple choice) items are composed of a question followed by a series of possible responses. Students must select the correct response or responses. Constructed Response or Short Text items require students to supply an appropriate response rather than making a selection from a list of choices. Performance Tasks/Events allow students to work through more complicated items using real-world scenarios. Technology Enhanced items make use of technology in the presentation of the item, the ways in which students respond, or both. For example, students might listen to a story and then drag and drop labels into a diagram, or click on specific parts of a text to provide a response. Students at Ralls County Elementary and Mark Twain Junior High School will be participating in the MAP assessment on various days between April 25 and May 12. When results arrive, which is generally in the fall, parents will receive their child's Individual Student Report (ISR), which includes an Achievement Level, which is a description of your child’s performance as Below Basic, Basic, Proficient, or Advanced. The report will also include a short description of the knowledge and skills that are typically demonstrated by students in each Achievement Level.

Mark Twain Junior High School Tiger Card Requirements

Reading & Writing: Mrs. Kite In reading we will continue to read literature books and we will be doing a book report project on the next book we read. In writing we will be doing some bigger writing pieces and a research project towards the end of the year. Please ask your child if they are in need of any art supplies. We do a lot of foldables and they are starting to run out of glue and crayons or have misplaced their scissors.

Math: Mrs. Moss It is so hard to believe that it is already that time of year for the 4th quarter newsletter. I have so enjoyed this group of students and will be sad to see them leave. We have lots left to do in math for this last quarter. We will finish up our unit on Rates and Ratios and dive into our last 2 topics/units which are Geometry and Statistics and Probability. Students have worked so hard this year, and I am so impressed by their efforts they have put in for me.

Social Studies: Mrs. Moss Our last 2 units this quarter in Social Studies are Ancient China and Ancient Greece. While, the best were not saved for last, these 2 ancient civilizations prove to be some of the favorites of past 6th grade students. I hope my students have enjoyed Social Studies this year as much as I have enjoyed teaching it.

Science: Mrs. Epperson Students have finished up learning about sedimentary rocks, fossils, and plate tectonics. We are currently learning about air masses and fronts and how they relate to our weather. We will continue to discuss weather and the factors that affect weather such as altitude, land forms, and bodies of water. Students will be completing projects that illustrate one of the factors that affect weather and will be entered into a class competition. Prizes will be awarded to first, second, and third place winners. Students will also be learning about Celestial Bodies in our solar system which include the sun, stars, planets, the moon, asteroids, meteors, and comets. Students will have the opportunity to research one of the areas more and create a PowerPoint presentation. Before MAP testing begins, students will review the scientific method and will use the method to create and conduct their own science experiment. Students will be provided with supplies for their experiment but will be required to write their own problem, hypothesis, experiment, results and conclusion. The focus of the experiment will be on soil and seed growth. Students will create a document that summarizes all parts of the experiment as well as the experiment results.

PE: Coach Hudson Students have completed/are wrapping up their third round of Physical Fitness Testing. One more round to go towards the latter part of 4th quarter. The 7th and 8th grade girls’ classes have just completed a Fitness Unit where they created their own workout videos for their respective classes to perform. Students will begin their Basketball Unit soon for March Madness. I would also like to have time have them do units in some net wall sports and a kickball or softball unit. Through these units students will have opportunities to work on conflict resolution, analyzing problems and identifying solutions throughout various game play. They will also be able to apply critical elements of movement to these various activities, apply terminology, scoring, play etiquette, and work to demonstrate competence in skill technique. Students will also gain practice in utilizing and manipulating different implements as well as working on spatial awareness.

English: Mrs. Jones Seventh grade English students and I have worked very hard this year, but we need to keep it up through the end of the year. We will be doing several short readings, vocabulary, grammar, and response writings over the next several weeks. Then we will begin our countdown to MAP and do quite a bit of reviewing. After MAP we will begin our Academic Fair projects. I hope you have a terrific spring.

Math: Mr. Asbury We will continue to review and get ready for the MAP. The students will display and analyze data. They will also learn about probability. The students will also learn about patterns, functions, simple interest and compound interest. These skills will help them with the MAP and for the upcoming years in math.

Science: Mrs. Mack-Moss We are currently studying the concept of biodiversity. Students learn why tropical rain forests have such a high biodiversity compared to other environments. The concept of adaptation and how species change over time in order to adapt to the changing conditions around them will be discussed. Students will learn how the process of natural selection accounts for the diversity and adaptations. In this section, students will identify resource materials while finding out how captive-breeding programs are one way endangered species are being preserved. Students will also be introduced to the geologic time scale as they learn how the fossil record provides scientists with information about the history of life on Earth. Extinction will also be discussed. Students will learn how a mass extinction today is leading to the loss of biodiversity in many parts of the world. After studying Diversity and Adaptations, 7th grade will move into Ecology and Earth's Natural Resources. Students are introduced to ecosystems and their dynamic parts, including biotic and abiotic factors. Characteristics of populations and how populations interact within a community will be discussed. We will also discuss the impact of humans on the environment and explore the flow of energy through an ecosystem and the cycling of matter through the biosphere. Learning about ecosystem processes and the interactions among populations, communities, and their environment will enable students to better understand the interconnectedness of all living things. From there, we will move into the use of Earth's resources. Students will classify Earth's resources as renewable or non-renewable. The impact of humans on land use, on water, and on air is presented. Ways to reduce solid waste will be discussed. Reducing, reusing, and recycling resources are also introduced. The interaction of human use of resources with the environment supports this entire lesson. At the conclusion of this lesson, students will identify how living things respond to changes in the availability of natural resources.

Social Studies: Mr. Brandenburg At the end of the 3rd quarter we were talking about the creation of our 13 colonies in America. In the beginning of the 4th quarter we are starting to talk about when these colonies began to fight for their independence. Students will learn about the reasons why the British colonies wanted to gain their freedom and to create their own nation. Toward the end of the school year we will finish with a project about the Revolutionary War. In this project students will be presenting the news but they will be presenting news from the Revolutionary War. This has been a favorite project over the last years in 7th grade social studies.

Boys PE: Coach Hatton As the rest of the school year winds down, students in middle school PE will be finishing up fitness testing. Weather permitting, we will hopefully be back outside on a regular basis to revisit units from the fall that include softball, kickball, and variations of football. Students have made significant strides in fitness test scores as well as skill efficiency during activities. The rest of the school year promises to be a positive learning experience for PE students.

Girls PE: Coach Hudson Students have completed/are wrapping up their third round of Physical Fitness Testing. One more round to go towards the latter part of 4th quarter. The 7th and 8th grade girls’ classes have just completed a Fitness Unit where they created their own workout videos for their respective classes to perform. Students will begin their Basketball Unit soon for March Madness. I would also like to have time have them do units in some net wall sports and a kickball or softball unit. Through these units students will have opportunities to work on conflict resolution, analyzing problems and identifying solutions throughout various game play. They will also be able to apply critical elements of movement to these various activities, apply terminology, scoring, play etiquette, and work to demonstrate competence in skill technique. Students will also gain practice in utilizing and manipulating different implements as well as working on spatial awareness.

Art: Mr. McCurdy For 4th quarter, 7th and 8th grade students will be glazing their current clay work. Students will also be learning about different shading methods while doing scratchboard drawings and different types of landscape drawings once warmer weather arrives.

Choir: Mrs. Mobley Our spring arts fest will be May 7th. This concert will feature Art projects from all grades, as well as performances from the junior high and high school bands. Students need to be dressed in nice clothes that are school appropriate. Concert starts at 6:30, Choir students need to be in the choir room at 6:00 pm. If you are going to The Fox to see The Lion King a few things to remember are: We are leaving after school on April 21st, the show starts 7:30. We will stop for dinner in Troy before the show. If you have any questions please email me at [email protected]

English: Mrs. Lugena Students have finished “To Kill A Mockingbird” by Harper Lee! We watched the movie and students wrote book reviews, and I put them on my wall. Come take a look sometime! I really enjoyed teaching this book to my eighth grade English classes! We are starting Unit 2: Point of View and Characterization. I am excited to read many of the short stories that the book has to offer! We will also start Daily Grammar Practice again. If you have any questions, please let me know! While students are given AR reading time at school every day, it is also very important for them to be reading at least 30 minutes at home each evening. This will ensure that students are spending enough time reading to reach their goal each quarter.

Career Development: Mrs. Lugena We are starting to research careers! This is a very exciting time for students in my class right now. They are learning a lot about themselves and what they want in the future. We will soon be presenting our first presentation on their career choice! I am always looking for guest speakers to invite into the classroom. If you are interested coming in to talk to the eighth graders about your career, contact Brittany Lugena by emailing her at [email protected] or texting her at 573-470-2380.

Math: Mr. Asbury The students will continue to review and get ready to take the MAP test. They will also display frequency, use stem-and-leaf plots, make predictions from plots, make circle graphs, and work with probability. These skills will help them with the MAP and for the upcoming years in math.

Science: Mrs. Mack-Moss After concluding our Physical Science Unit with Energy, Electricity, and Magnetism, we will move into our Earth Science Unit. The first chapter, The Solar System and Beyond, connects the immensity, composition, and relationships of objects in the solar system. This chapter describes the position and movement of Earth and the moon in relation to the sun and each other. Earth’s axis as the determining factor in the seasons is discussed. Both lunar and solar eclipses are explained. The objects that make up our solar system are described and descriptions of comets, planets and their moons, and asteroids are given in sequence. Students are also introduced to different sizes, temperatures, and lives of stars. Constellations, galaxies, and a look at the universe as a whole complete the chapter. As we continue to look at our Earth Science Unit. The next chapter will look at Earth’s materials. We will describe minerals – how they form and how their properties are used to identify them. Igneous and sedimentary rocks are described. The classification of these two types of rocks is also presented. We will talk more about fossil fuels, their uses, and predict the consequences of continued use. Metamorphic rocks and how they are classified is described. And we will conclude with an overview of the rock cycle. From there we move into studying Earth’s structure. This chapter explains how Earth’s moving plates generate forces inside Earth causing earthquakes and volcanoes. The different types of volcanoes are illustrated. The layered structure inside Earth will also be described along with evidence in support of continental drift. Plate tectonics, the movement of Earth’s plates, and how these forces change the surface of the Earth will be discussed. Along with the formation of new crust and mountain building being described.

Social Studies: Mrs. Simmons In fourth quarter, Eighth Grade American History students will begin learning about the Civil War. We will be exploring causes of the Civil War, battles that shaped the war, life on the home front, political changes, and the consequences that occurred at the end of the war. Near the end of the quarter, we will be learning about Reconstruction and the state of the nation moving onward past the Civil War. Students will be utilizing primary source documents, historical artifacts, maps, photos, and technology to discover the Civil War in a fun and engaging way! We are looking forward to a fun quarter of learning!

Boys PE: Coach Hatton As the rest of the school year winds down, students in middle school PE will be finishing up fitness testing. Weather permitting, we will hopefully be back outside on a regular basis to revisit units from the fall that include softball, kickball, and variations of football. Students have made significant strides in fitness test scores as well as skill efficiency during activities. The rest of the school year promises to be a positive learning experience for PE students.

Girls PE: Coach Hudson Students have completed/are wrapping up their third round of Physical Fitness Testing. One more round to go towards the latter part of 4th quarter. The 7th and 8th grade girls’ classes have just completed a Fitness Unit where they created their own workout videos for their respective classes to perform. Students will begin their Basketball Unit soon for March Madness. I would also like to have time have them do units in some net wall sports and a kickball or softball unit. Through these units students will have opportunities to work on conflict resolution, analyzing problems and identifying solutions throughout various game play. They will also be able to apply critical elements of movement to these various activities, apply terminology, scoring, play etiquette, and work to demonstrate competence in skill technique. Students will also gain practice in utilizing and manipulating different implements as well as working on spatial awareness.

Art: Mr. McCurdy For 4th quarter, 7th and 8th grade students will be glazing their current clay work. Students will also be learning about different shading methods while doing scratchboard drawings and different types of landscape drawings once warmer weather arrives.

Choir: Mrs. Mobley Our spring arts fest will be May 7th. This concert will feature Art projects from all grades, as well as performances from the junior high and high school bands. Students need to be dressed in nice clothes that are school appropriate. Concert starts at 6:30, Choir students need to be in the choir room at 6:00 pm. If you are going to The Fox to see The Lion King a few things to remember are: We are leaving after school on April 21st, the show starts 7:30. We will stop for dinner in Troy before the show. If you have any questions please email me at [email protected]

January Students of the Month Abby Wilson, 6th Grade; Elizabeth Northcutt, 7th Grade; Sydnee Brothers, 8th Grade

6th Grade Summer Miller

February Students of the Month 7th Grade Krayleigh Power

8th Grade Dawson Leake

BOX TOPS Hate those dreaded fund raiser pamphlets that are sent home throughout the year? Dread the thought of selling one more thing? Have you considered saving BOX TOPS?? Saving BOX TOPS could not be an easier, almost hassle free way of earning money for your school. Please continue to save your Box Tops this last quarter as well as throughout the summer. It would be awesome to be able to round out the year with many more BOX TOPS before I send them in to earn a check for our school. Wouldn't it be a great start to 2017-2018 also with a jar of overflowing BOX TOPS in August as well. Please consider setting up a little "station" in your pantry or kitchen as a designated BOX TOPS area. Then, simply send them with your student to be dropped off in Mrs. Moss' room and we will do the rest!!