WARRIOR’S WORLD

Dear Parents and Guardians-

Superintendent Folse has asked us to get the word out on the St.

Tammany Parish School Board’s social media links that you may

be interested in visiting. Recently, the school board has rolled out

an official Facebook page, as well as a Twitter account and an

online “newspaper” showcasing all of the events across the parish.

These are excellent ways for you to know what is happening with

Abita Springs Middle, as well as the other schools in our system.

You can access these accounts using the following links…

www.stpsb.org/news (Online Newspaper)

www.facebook.com/stppschools (Official Facebook Page)

www.twitter.com/stppschools (Official Twitter Account)

Check them out, and stay informed! J You may still access the

school’s website and teacher webpages for more specific happen-

ings around Abita Springs Middle School.

I guess we can call February the calm before it gets really busy for

our students in March and April with standardized testing. The

weeks following the Mardi Gras holidays will be very work-

intensive weeks for our students, so please make sure students

are on time and present each day.

We wish you all a very happy Valentine’s Day and Mardi Gras.

Thank you all for your support of Abita Springs Middle School,

and know how much you are appreciated.

Sincerely,

Donna Forrest and Rhonda Meyers

72709 Maple Street, Abita Springs, LA 70420 Office: (985) 892-2070 Cafeteria: (985) 892-3569

Principal’s Post

Important Dates

February 8th

Class Picture Day

February 13th

Dr. Steve, DDS Visit to 4th grade

February 20th-24th

Mardi Gras

Holidays

February 29th

Free Dress

Perfect Attendance

February 2012

Donna Forrest, Principal Rhonda Meyers, Assistant Principal

Abita Springs Middle School PTA Newsletter

From the President

I don’t know about you, but it seems Spring Fever may have set in a bit early here at Abita Springs Middle School! I keep waiting for things to slow down, but they never do. We all lead such busy lives these days, and sometimes we need to put on the brakes and savor the moment. I enjoyed one of these great moments with my son at the Sci-ence and Technology Night that was put on by the 5th Grade Teachers on January 26th. It was very informative and fun, and just the ticket for some much-needed family time. Thank you to all parents, teachers, administration, and students who came out to the event! Congratulations to all students who participated in the Science and Social Stud-ies Fair, and especially those who placed at the school level!

I hope you all received the flier that went home about the Box Tops and Community Coffee contest. There will be no sheet to attach the labels to this go-round; simply send in all labels in a Ziploc bag marked with your teacher’s name. I can’t wait to see who will win the King Cake party this time! There was some very stiff competition in the Oc-tober contest! Send in all you have, as this is the last contest of the school year.

Special thanks to Jeff Ruth, Julie Ingrassia, and Janet Dufrene for coming out to pop popcorn for those students who received the movie reward for 1st Semester No-Discipline! You always come through for our students! I never want to eat popcorn again, as I had to taste-test all of the batches. Ugh!

The nominating committee letter is attached to this month’s newsletter. Please consider volunteering to serve on next year’s Executive Board. This will be my second and final year serving as your president, and I will most certainly miss it. It has been a most re-warding experience, and I walk away with many leadership skills I never knew I had. I have met and served with some very special and talented people during these two years, and I will miss them all dearly! Please contact any officer or nominating committee member for more details.

There will be no PTA General Meeting in February, so I wish you all a successful month and a very safe and happy Mardi Gras break! Until next time…

Sincerely,

Emily Achee, ASMS PTA President

For Your Information

We understand that many children are enjoying reading books on Kindle

and other such products. We encourage reading through any means, but

please know if your child brings such a device to school, and it is lost,

damaged or stolen, the school is not responsible for replacement of the

item. Please be sure to take every precaution to protect these devices if you

choose to send it to school. Happy reading!

Financially Speaking There were only a few financial transactions on our PTA's books during January. Fifth grade teachers spent $244 of the $1,000 budgeted by the PTA for their use this school year. Remaining for use by fifth grade teachers is $643, along with $550 for fourth grade and $501 for sixth grade. None of the funds approved by the PTA's membership for use by the music pro-grams, P. E. program, A. R. rewards, or special education have been spent yet, and budgeted funds remain available for reimbursement to teachers upon receipt of documentation. An April deadline will be set by the PTA board, after which unspent funds will be rolled over into next year's PTA general fund. Other transactions in January included weekly deposits of Spirit Cart sales proceeds, as well as $430 for gift certificates at Artigue's Abita Market to reward teachers who gave strong support to the Reflections and Safety Poster contests. Reports summarizing the PTA's financial results for the school year to date will be available at the PTA's next general meeting on March 26, along with copies of the PTA's check register listing checks and deposits since the last meeting. Thank you for your support of the Abita Springs Middle School PTA.

Cultural Arts Corner In January our PTA Contest entries were judged. We had 8 winners in Reflections and 1 Safety Poster Winner! That is an impressive number and we are so proud of our stu-dents! Andrew Bryant, Timothy Snow, Brittney Smith, Emile Durio, David LeBlanc, Lucy Fonseca, Alexandra Dupre, Hailey Diaz and Jasmine Brown are invited to receive their trophies, be photographed for the newspaper (again!) and enjoy a meal while rep-resenting our school at the District Awards Dinner on March 9! Letters of congratula-tion went out, and RSVP’s are due by February 9th. As a thank you to the teachers, PTA awarded 19 gift certificates to the participating teachers in these programs. We appreciate their support! Fourth grade teachers include Ms. Hernandez, Ms. Morlier, Ms. Weigand, Ms. Molina, and Ms. Nicosia. 5th grade teachers include Ms. Barr, Ms. Blades, Ms. Bond, Ms. Magnuson, and Ms. Rose-berry. 6th grade teachers include Ms. Demick, Ms. Rivet, Ms. Shubert, Ms. Spitznagel, and Ms. Stewart. Essential to the contests this year were Ms. Young-Bridges, Mr. Bu-ras, Ms. Winters, and Ms. Adcox. THANK YOU! We are so proud of the hundreds of entries that were turned in. There were so many ex-ceptional pieces that really showed what “Diversity is…” through the eyes of Abita Springs Middle. Be on the lookout around campus for some of these pieces being show-cased. You can still visit the Abita Springs Trailhead Museum and check out the Abita Springs Middle School Student Artwork on display. Mrs. Blades and Mrs. Magnuson led students in creating a display about the future of Abita for the St. Tammany Parish Fair Booth, and some of the work is up for viewing on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 10-5 in the yellow building next to ASMS. Three Students turned in Safety Drawing Theme Search ideas from Ms. Hernandez’s class. We will be watching to see if any of their ideas are chosen- Miranda Gendusa, Emile Durio, and Ja ‘Mya Williams, good luck. If theirs is picked they will win a $25 prize! MARK YOUR CALENDAR for Abita Springs Middle School ARTS NIGHT- the theme is “A Night At the Movies.” An elegant evening of Live Music and a display of Art Portfolios, MONDAY MARCH 26th. Helpers are needed to organize artwork and bind portfolios (training pro-vided!). Please join us from 10:30-2:30 MONDAYS MARCH 5, 12, 19 and 26 and FRIDAYS MARCH 16 and 23rd to prepare for this big night!!!

Please contact Rachel Lambert at bigmamalambert@bellsouth.net or 373-

7922 for more information about our PTA Cultural Arts Committee .

Safety Poster Contest Winners

Parental Involvement

Research shows that family involvement promotes student success. Students with in-volved parents are more likely to • Earn higher grades and pass their classes, • Attend school regularly and have better social skills, • Go on to postsecondary education. When families, schools, and communities work together, • Student achievement improves, • Teacher morale rises, • Communication increases, • Family, school, and community connections multiply. It is crucial that families are involved in the education of children. What are some of the ways that you can become involved? The most important means is through open com-munication with your child’s teacher. Check planners and folders for notes each night. Read newsletters and check teacher’s websites weekly to see what is happening in class and what will be expected of your child. Review all homework for accuracy and under-standing. Review all test papers and discuss any issues with the teacher and the stu-dent. Check the STI website weekly to monitor your student’s grades so that you can help with problem areas before it is too late to prevent a bad report card. These are all things that can be done in all families by working and non-working parents. Additional ways to get involved require some time commitments but will show your child the importance you place on their education. Attend PTA meetings. These meetings are held every other month and are a great way to connect to teachers, administrators and other parents. They provide important information and updates, recognize achievements in the school and community and carry out PTA business. Be aware of volunteer opportunities at the school. Communicate with teachers to find out what their needs are. A child who sees their family involved in their school is more secure, more likely to be respectful and well behaved because they see that their parents respect the school and its leaders. Volunteer opportunities could include helping with in class projects, reading to classes, PTA sponsored events, reward parties and events. Use every opportunity provided to spend time on campus with your child, their teachers and the administration. Provide constructive feedback and suggestions to help make the school community better. Keep yourself aware and involved in legislative happenings that effect education and your children. Being aware is the first step in getting involved!

Portions reprinted from the National PTA Website at http://www.pta.org/family_school_partnerships.asp

Out and About at ASMS

The new year always brings about a renewed sense of family, priorities and a long list of

things to accomplish. ASMS is always a busy and bustling campus but especially so

now.

Custodian Mr. Al has been hard at work making some updates to the campus. We love

seeing the fresh paint and beautifully tended gardens. He has been adding new borders

to the playground area, trimming and pruning the gardens and applying fresh paint to

interior and exterior walls and doors.

THANK YOU Mr. Al for working so hard to keep our campus beautiful!

Mr. Al takes a break from painting doors to

chat with some of the students.

Mr. Al posing with some of the

beautiful landscaping he has been

tending.

Ms. Jackson gets a visit from

two of her grown up children

showing you’re never too old

to spend time with Mom!

Abita Springs Middle PTA Nominating Committee

Kasey Hosch, Wendy Spindler, and Pam Cornu

The Nominating Committee is seeking nominations for officers to serve on the 2012-2013 Executive Board of the ASMS PTA. Duties will begin officially on July 1, 2012 and will con-tinue through June 30, 2013. The slate of nominated officers will be presented and ap-proved at the PTA General Meeting on March 26, 2012, and will be inducted at the final PTA meeting in May. Please read carefully the job descriptions of the officers, and consider serving on next year’s board. It is a very fulfilling job that takes responsibility, honesty, and love for all children and staff of ASMS.

Duties of the Executive Board Members:

President: The president is elected to direct the affairs of the PTA in cooperation with the other Executive Board members and committee chairs.

Vice-President: The vice-president serves as the ASMS PTA Membership chair, and is re-sponsible for working with all committees to promote membership. Also, acts as an aide to the president.

Secretary: The secretary is responsible for keeping accurate records of the proceedings of the association and is also the custodian of the PTA records.

Treasurer: The treasurer, as the authorized custodian of the PTA funds, receives and dis-burses all money as prescribed in the bylaws or authorized by the action of the associa-tion.

Nominations for the Executive Board 2012-2013

Name of nominee:_______________________________________________________________________

Executive Board Position:_______________________________________________________________

Contact Info for Nominee:_______________________________________________________________

Name of Nominating Person: ____________________________________________________________

We are currently taking nominations for a two-week period to run from Monday, January 30, 2012 until Monday, February 13, 2012. All nominations will be kept confidential, as an honor code is required for this committee. You may nominate yourself, if you are inter-ested. Serving as a board member is both a privilege and a responsibility. Please return completed nomination form below to the office in a sealed envelope marked “NOMINATING COMMITTEE”. Thank you!

PTA Corporate Sponsors

The PTA would like to thank the following Corporate Sponsors for their support of Abita

Springs Middle School. Please consider patronizing them when you are looking for

goods or services. Corporate Memberships are $25 and include 5 memberships and

your business information in our monthly newsletter.

Fisher

Cabinets & Flooring

70454 Highway 59

Abita Springs, LA 70420

871-0035

Bryan Ingrassia Sr.

Licensed Master Plumber

Residential, Commercial

Repairs & Renovations

985-635-1278 bjaeb@bellsouth.net

Dependable Siding Inc.

Mark Hosch

Owner

985-966-0628 New Construction, Repairs & Additions

Vinyl Siding, Windows, Patio Covers,

Gutters & Hardie Siding

*Insured * Free Estimates

Northshore Tire

Repair & Sales

1990 Highway 190 West

Slidell, LA 70460

(985) 645-8747

Achee’s Signs and

Graphic Arts

71377 St. Mary Street

Abita Springs, LA 70420

985-892-7226

Mac’s Electric, LLC

28330 Pine Cone Rd.

Abita Springs, LA 70420

A Pro

Vic Gustafson, CHI/PHI

Certified Home Inspector

70380 Highway 21, Suite 2-280

Covington, LA 70433

985-718-4786

Www.a-pro.net/vic

Jefferson Auto Service North

Steve Fank, Sr./Owner

General Auto & Truck Repairs

All Major Brands of Tires

1429 N. Collins Blvd., Covington

985-809-1890

MondayMondayMondayMonday TuesdayTuesdayTuesdayTuesday WednesdayWednesdayWednesdayWednesday ThursdayThursdayThursdayThursday FridayFridayFridayFriday 1 2 3

Beignets

Gumbo w. Rice

Carrot Sticks

Fruit Choice

Texas Toast

Muffins

Spaghetti w. Meat Sauce

Green Beans & Salad

Fruit Choice

French Bread

Pancakes

Grilled Cheese

Celery Sticks

Fruit Choice

Oatmeal Cookie

6 7 8 9 10

Banana Bread

Salisbury Steak

Potatoes w. Gravy

Broccoli & Fruit Choice

Vanilla Cookie

Beignets

Beef Taco w. Shell

Cheese, Beans, Salsa

Corn & Fruit

Cinnamon Roll

Biscuits

Chicken Poppers

Macaroni & Cheese

Salad

Fruit Choice

Fruit Danish

Hamburger w. Bun

Tater Tots

Carrot Sticks

Fruit Choice

Breakfast Pizza

Chicken Quesadilla

Cheese, Lettuce

Corn & Fruit

Cinnamon Stick

13 14 15 16 17

Cinnamon Rolls

Macaroni Wiggle

Salad

Green Beans

Fruit Choice

Biscuits

Chicken Tenders

Potatoes w. Gravy

Broccoli & Fruit Choice

Cheese Stick

Beignets

Pigs-in-a-Blanket

Baked Beans

Fruit Choice

Brownie

Churros

Baked Chicken

Rice w. Gravy

Carrot Sticks

Fruit Choice

Muffins

Pizza

Corn

Fruit Choice

Cinnamon Stick

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MARDI GRAS HOLIDAY

MARDI GRAS HOLIDAY

MARDI GRAS HOLIDAY

MARDI GRAS HOLIDAY

MARDI GRAS HOLIDAY

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Banana Bread

Chili w. Beans

Corn Chips

Broccoli & Fruit

Frozen Yogurt

Beignets

Beef Taco w. Shell

Cheese, Lettuce, Salsa

Corn & Fruit

Cinnamon Roll

Breakfast Pizza

Fish Patty

Potatoes w. Cheese

Fruit Choice

Roll