MIDDLE GROUND October 2015 MIDDLE GROUND - ehhs.orgehhs.org/documents/middle/October2015.pdf · MIDDLE GROUND October 2015 ... MIDDLE GROUND Teaching and learning with young adolescents

Website—www.easthamptonps.org Contact us: [email protected]

MIDDLE GROUND October 2015

East Hampton Middle School Page 1 October

MIDDLE GROUND Teaching and learning with young adolescents

Principal’s Message

Dear EHMS Family:

It is amazing to think that we are already one month in! We have had a fantastic

start to the school year and everyone is starting to settle into a groove. This next

month is gearing up to be a busy one with many activities and athletics in full swing.

Our new format for Open House seemed to be a huge success with many

positive comments and feedback. It was exciting to see what a fantastic turn out we

had and we appreciate all of you that were able to attend. Panther Fest as our

hallmark fall athletics event was second to none. Students, volunteers and spectators

all enjoyed an amazing day. The weather we called in, came in even better than

expected and the events went off without a hitch thanks to all the hard work of our

PTO, Athletics department, Interact club and countless volunteers. A big THANK YOU

to all!

October is National Anti-Bullying month and EHMS student council members

are planning many exciting and educational activities to help raise awareness and

contest mean behavior. October 21st is National Unity day, we are asking that all

students wear orange in support of this day dedicated to bringing us all together.

As always, we appreciate all of your ongoing support and are always here if you

need anything!

Jason Lehmann




OCTOBER CALENDAR OF EVENTS Please check website for updates to the

calendar!

1-31 National Book Month and Anti-Bullying Prevention Month

daily Edline/Grade Quick Update

2-16 Student Council to sell pink bracelets during lunch waves in support of the American Cancer Society

7 -Vo-Ag presentation in Commons beginning at 8:30 a.m. -Chatham Health Flu Clinic @EHHS Café from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

7 and 21 Spanish Club in Room 35 @2:35 p.m.

9 Stop & Shop A+ Rewards Be-gins today

12 No School—Columbus Day

13 Late arrival day for students—school begins at 9:45 a.m.

14 7 p.m. PTO Meeting in LMC

16 -Wear pink to school today in support of our breast cancer awareness campaign -Bike Fest @4 p.m. till 5:30 p.m. at Cranberry Bog parking lot

21 -Gr. 8 Permission Slips due for Hartford Wolf Pack field trip on 11/4 -Student Council field trip to Empower Leadership Sports and Adventure Center. Wear orange in support of this.

23 Permission slips due for 6th & 7th grade band/chorus field trip to Coast Guard on 11/6

27 -Diversity Conference in Middletown for selected 7th graders

30 Halloween Bash for Grade 6 students. All students can wear costumes that day.-no full face paint or weapon facsimiles allowed.

Some Upcoming November Events -November 4 Wolfpack field trip gr. 8. Gr. 8 band/chorus students are playing at the game. -November 6 Coast Guard field trip for 6th and 7th grade band/chorus students -November 6 Gr. 7/8 dance from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. in Commons

Stop & Shop A+ School Rewards

During the period of October 9, 2015 through March 17, 2016 your Stop & Shop card can earn points for our school. These points become cash for our school to use for any of our educational needs. If you would like to participate, please register your card by calling 1-877-275-2758, or going on-line at www.StopandShop.com/aplus. Our school ID code is 11133. We will post monthly year-to-date totals in this newsletter. Thank you for your support.

HEALTH NOTES—6th Grade Physical

By Beth Kelpen, R.N.

Reminder Sixth grade parents/guardians: State of Connecticut requires that a physical be done during the 6th grade year. State guidelines now requires a second dose of varicella, Tdap and a menactra immunization for 7th grade entry. Please have your physician complete the blue form and then return it to me. Blue forms can be downloaded from the school site or are avail-able in the main office. If you have any questions please contact me at [email protected] or call 860-365-4060. Thanks!

October 21st

Wear the color orange to school on October

21, in support of

National Unity Day

National Unity Day is a day that everyone can come together to send a message of support, hope, unity, respect and kindness. Students,

look for special, fun activities that day!




EAST HAMPTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS NEWS FROM THE CAFETERIA

The Cafeteria serves Breakfast before school for all students for $2.00! If you are a free lunch* student you also qualify for free breakfast. If you pay a reduced lunch price, your price for breakfast will be 30¢.

The Middle School Cafeteria Manager, Mrs. Colburn, and her staff are serving a menu of healthy food. They are hustling to make fresh food for each lunch line. Along with the scheduled hot lunch, there is a “Grab ‘N Go” cart located in the cafeteria with fresh made sandwiches and salads. Just grab ‘n go without having to wait in the hot lunch line! With every meal your student has the option to choose a tossed salad loaded with fresh vegetables or select from a rainbow tray of assorted vegetables with hummus. Fresh fruit or fruit cups are also offered every day with the meals. The Cafeteria also sells snacks & desserts which are all on the Connecticut approved healthy food list.

The East Hampton School District continues to use a software program which eliminates the manual checkout process for school meals and cafeteria purchases. Students enter their pin number at the cashier to access account balances and purchase items, thus making the lunch line move faster as students use the money from their account.

With your child’s student id number (obtained from the cafeteria office), you can create a free on-line account to view your child’s purchases and monitor the account balance through mypaymentsplus.com. Applying payments through this service is subject to a fee. You may also call the mypaymentsplus.com support center 1-877-237-0946 should you have any questions.

You may send a check in with your student to the school office to fund any cafeteria purchases your child will make. You choose the amount, one month’s purchases is suggested. The full amount of your check will be applied directly to your child’s individual account. Cash is still accepted but not preferred as handling takes additional time and checks provide a more traceable record.

This year’s prices are: Breakfast $2.00 Reduced Breakfast 30¢ Hot Lunch $3.00 Reduced Lunch 40¢ Snacks/desserts $ .50 to $1.50 Milk 50¢

*If you believe your student(s) would qualify for free or reduced meals please complete an ap-plication which is available in the school office.

EHMS-POSITIVE BEHAVIOR INTERVENTION AND SUPPORT (PBIS) MISSING HOMEWORK POLICY

Homework Policy: During a quarter:

3 missing homework assignments = a phone call home

4 missing homework assignments = a teacher detention and parents/guardians will be contacted by the teacher (Please give pink copy of detention form to office).

5 missing homework assignments = referral to administrators, parents/guardians will be called by administrators, and a 2 hour office detention will be given by administrators.

An additional incentive 2 hour detention will be given if work continues to be miss-ing. Communication between teachers and administrators will occur to deter-mine need.




EHMS Music Department News

All Band, Jazz Band and Chorus students will have their concerts at EHMS this year. Students need to dress in black dress pants and a white dress shirt or a polo shirt with a collar for all performances.

6th and 7th grade band and chorus students will be attending the United States Coast Guard Academy on

Friday November 6th, 2015 to watch a special Coast Guard Band Concert This performance will highlight

the music of John Cage, Richard Strauss, Mason Bates, and other composers.

Upcoming Concerts

Wednesday, November 4, 2015 10:30 a.m. the 8th grade band/chorus will be playing and singing

at the Hartford Wolfpack Educational School Day Game held at the XL Center in Hartford, CT. Permis-

sion slips are due to homeroom teachers by Friday, October 2nd

.

Wednesday, January 13th

2016 Winter Concert for Band, Chorus and Jazz Band in the EHMS gym at 1:20pm and 6:30pm

Thursday, January 14th 2016 Snow date for Winter Concert, EHMS gym, 1:20pm and 6:30pm

Thursday, May 12th 2016 : Spring Concert for Band, Chorus and Jazz Band in EHMS gym at

1:20pm and 6:30pm

*Dates are subject to change. See our website at www.easthamptonps.org for updates.

STUDENT COUNCIL NEWS By Neil Shilansky, Advisor

Student Council has been very busy this past September. We are meeting every Friday morning at 7 a.m. in the EHMS Commons. The following are upcoming activities:

1) In recognition of October Breast Cancer Awareness Month, from Friday, October 2 to Friday October 16 during lunch waves, EHMS Student Council will be selling pink and white ribbon bracelets for $1 each. All proceeds will be donated to the American Cancer Society.

2) Students & Staff: on the final day of our Student Council pink and white ribbon bracelets’ sale, Friday, October 16, is Wear Pink to school day 3) Friday, October 30 from 2:35 to 4 p.m. is the 6

th grade Halloween bash. Cost is $4 or $3

with a food bank donation. All students can wear costumes that day. The rule is no masks or full face paint and no weapons, weapon facsimiles or dangerous accessories. Please keep costumes safe and appropriate for school.

4) During the month of November, the EHMS Student Council will be sponsoring a new EHMS Food Bank project called Cake for Kids – May No Child Go Uncelebrated. Collections of birthday party items such as cake mixes, frosting, paper goods and candles are made and then sorted into birth-day bags and given to the food bank. Throughout the month of November, donation boxes will be locat-ed in student’s homerooms, and also in the commons. Donations will also be accepted at the October 30

th 6

th grade Halloween Bash, and the November 6

th → grade 7/8 dance

5) Our first student council dance is coming up on Friday, November 6th—grade 7 and 8 dance from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. in the Commons. Cost is $5 or $4 with food bank donation. Parents should drop off students in the front circle and students will enter the dance through the side hallway doors leading into the Commons. All coats, purses and hats will be stored in the music room during the dance. Students that bring cell phones to the dance are required to leave them in the music room turned off, secured safely in their coats until the end of the dance. Students will not be al-lowed to enter the dance after 7:30 p.m., unless they have received prior permission from administra-tion. Students may not leave the dance early without prior notice to administration and parent pick-up. Only EHMS students are eligible to attend.

http://www.easthamptonps.org/




SPANISH CLUB

El Club de español se reunirá una vez al mes hasta el mes de junio. Si quieres jugar juegos, mirar películas, hacer artesanías y preparar comida; ven al Club de español. Para más detalles contactar a la Señora Mannino. Muchas gracias.

(This club will meet once a month through June. If you like playing games, watching movies, making arts and crafts and preparing delicious Spanish food join the club. Contact Señora Mannino for details.).

October meetings are on the 7th and 21st. Permission slips are available in the Commons during lunch waves, or in the office.

Emergency Information It is very important that we have complete

and up-to-date information in case an

emergency situation arises and we must

reach a parent/guardian. Please keep us

updated should information change during

DAILY ABSENCES FROM SCHOOL

THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT!

Please remember to call the school during office hours at 860-365-4060 when your child is absent. Office hours are from 7:30 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. Also, students who need

National Unity Day – October 21, 2015

The EHMS Student Council will join students, parents, neighbors, and colleagues from Middlesex County in a show of unity for bully-free communities at the Campaign for Bully-Free Communities Rally at EMPOWER Leadership Sports & Adventure Center. The fun begins at 9:00 a.m. with team building activities and demonstrations by our partners EMPOWER and Rushford.




BIKE FEST—October 16 By Mrs. Kuck

There is an Airline Trail bike ride scheduled for Friday, October 16th. The EHMS Air-line Trail bike ride will once again be sponsored by East Hampton’s Local Prevention Council as part of their Biking Builds Better Breathers campaign, to get kids and families healthy alternative activities in the great outdoors, and away from boredom that can lead to experimentation with tobacco, drugs and alcohol. Join us on Friday, October 16th, for a 6-mile bike ride for our 6th, 7th and 8th graders and their families, and school staff. The route will be entirely on the Airline Trail from Cranberry Bog to Bull Hill and back. The ride will begin at 4:00 p.m. and should conclude around 5:30 p.m. We start and end at the Cranberry Bog parking lot. Helmets are required, and a water bottle is a good idea! Snacks and drinks will be provided. Permission slips/handout for the bike ride will be available at the office and during lunch waves towards the beginning of October. Announcements will be made during the lunch waves. Please turn in your required, completed and signed permission slip in the office. I hope to see you on the trail!

East Hampton Middle School Basketball and Cheerleading

Permission Slips

Those students interested in participating in boys’ and girls’ basketball and cheer, forms are in the Commons on the wall files. Please pickup up your permission slip during lunch waves. November 2 is the deadline to hand these in.

East Hampton Middle School

Fall Sports Awards East Hampton Middle School will host its Fall awards night on November 4, 2014 @ 6:00 p.m. in its’ school gymnasium. Female athletes and or parents of female ath-letes on our Cross Country and Girls Soccer teams are asked to bring in some type of baked good, finger food or munchies. They rotate who brings items each season. For additional information contact EHMS Athletic Director Michael Mercaldi at (860) 463-6837.

Attendance Policy

At East Hampton Middle School, we believe that attendance in class is an inte-gral part of a student’s total educational experience. We urge you to stress the im-portance of good attendance.




Attendance Policy Cont’d. Absences that are not for illness, religious celebration, legal business, and deaths/funerals are considered to be unexcused. The State of Connecticut requires school administrators to report 4 unexcused absences in one month or 10 unexcused absences in a school year as truant. Please call the school before 8:30 a.m. to report an absence. There may be sit-uations when a medical note is requested. If you have any questions about this policy, you may call Mrs. Briere or Mr. Lehmann.

PANTHER FALL FEST—SEPTEMBER 18, 2015

East Hampton Middle School Athletic Director, Mike Mercaldi, would like to thank a few people who helped make this year’s Panther Fall Fest a very special one. Thank you Donna Roberts, all of the members of the East Hampton PTO, especially Dena Botsacos and Cyndi Buchan. The Junior Football Association, East Hampton Parks and Recreation staff and the East Hampton Custodial staff for their assistance. The Admin-istration at East Hampton Middle School for their constant support.

A special thank you goes out to our sponsors: Coca Cola from New London, K. LeMays in Cobalt and ADL imaging. All those in East Hampton: Paul's and Sandy's Too, Stop and Shop, Rossini's Pizza. Lucky Goat and McDonalds. Another special thank you to Coach Wilkie and the East Hampton High School's boys and girls cross country team, the East Hampton High School's interact club, the East Hampton police department, Coastal Valley Soccer association of soccer officials, all of the parents from East Hampton who volunteered their time. Special thanks to our EMT, Terri "Bubbles" Beniot from Portland, who donated her entire day in helping us, thank you! Last but not least, thank you to the residents who live on Child's Road, who for one day every year support this function, thank you!

Junior Varsity Panthers by Rebecca Parkos

The Lady JV Panthers battled to a 0-0 tie against Bolton on a hot afternoon at Panther Fest. They dominated the game, thanks to superior play by Katie Whitney and Kyla Norton, supported by Caitlin Boyd and Kaitlin Tassmer. Cassi Zimmerman played big minutes to help her team and Gabby Keller was superb in goal to keep the score even. Maddie Yorker was a force on the defense with her big kicks and Bella Searles played well, creating some chances with her midfield moves. The whole JV team had lots to be proud about that afternoon. Varsity Girls’ Soccer by Tom St. Louis The East Hampton Middle School girls' varsity soccer team faced two very tough match-ups under the lights to keep their "we've never lost at Panther Fest" streak alive. In the first game against Portland, both teams slugged it out for the full 25 minutes. Each team had great chances to score, including great midfield feeds from Emily Balda, Emma Wolfram, and Maggie Donahue leading to shot attempts by Meryl Curtin, Mya Field, and Lauren Klemonski that just missed the mark. The closest chance for the Pan-thers was a sprint dribble and shot by Hannah Barrientos that just sailed over the top crossbar, to the groans of the Panther faithful assembled in the stands. Both defenses were more than equal to the task all night. Late in the game, Portland was awarded a




penalty kick, and as the Portland player lined up for the kick, the tension in the air was palpable. But luck and the magic of Panther Fest helped the PK sail wide left, and a few minutes later Makenzie Grant made a huge save in goal to preserve a scoreless tie. In the last game of this year's Panther Fest, the varsity girls faced a Lebanon team that looked fired-up from the opening whistle. Lebanon went ahead early after a phantom foul resulted in a penalty kick being awarded to the visiting Lebanon team. Un-like in the first game though, this time the magic of Panther Fest was nowhere to be found and the PK was buried in the back of the net. At halftime, the Panthers faced a 1-0 deficit and were looking nervous. That's when Ally Williams and Sarina Michaud decided to pump up the team with some "spirited" words that served to wake up the echoes of Panther Fest! In the second half, Sarah Balda was a brick wall in goal, shutting Lebanon down for the rest of the game, aided by the great defensive speed of Taryn Potter, Ame-lia Dill, and Whitney Dixon. The raucous crowd lifted the offense as well, and allowed second-half goals by Danielle Adams and Kaitlyn Curylo to secure a great win for East Hampton, and keep the streak alive for another year!

Cross Country by Joanna Mercaldi September 18, the cross country teams participated in the Panther Fest and ran against 14 other schools. There were 6 races in total, and the Panthers had a great representation of runners earning ribbons for finishing in the top ten. For the 6th grade girls, Elizabeth MacDonald earned a 2nd place ribbon. For the 6th grade boys, Hunter Peszynski earned a 7th place ribbon. For the 7th grade girls, Angela Mercaldi earned a 7th place ribbon. For the 7th grade boys, Alexandre McMillian earned a 6th place ribbon and Julien Minnick earned a 9th place ribbon. For the 8th grade girls, Liv DiStefano earned a 3rd place ribbon and Jessica Cohen earned a 4th place ribbon. Although none of the 8th grade boys earned a ribbon, Jake Ireland still had a great race and finished in 14th place. Congratulations to all the 8th graders on the cross country teams for an awesome race. Panther Fest was a great way to kick off the rest of the season. Thank you to the students and staff who came to support the cross country teams and soccer teams. It was a great event had by all.




PICTURE RETAKE DAY

School pictures were taken on September 18. Picture retake day is tentatively scheduled for the end of October, actual date to be determined, between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. in the Commons. A handout will be sent home with the students once we have the date confirmed. For retakes there is a $5 charge, unless there was a technical diffi-culty. Retake forms are in the picture packet and must be signed by the parent/guardian. Use this retake form as a pass for the student to leave class. The picture packet must be returned in its entirety to Schoolgraphics, if retakes are done. Should you have questions, please call Schoolgraphics at 860-859-1482. Students who are taking pictures for the first time, please use the original order form or get an order form at the main office before-hand. Remember, say “cheese”!

SKI & Snowboard Club News

EHMS is once again planning to offer a Ski Club in January/February 2016. We are looking at Tuesdays or Wednesdays, depending on availability at Mount Southington. A bus will depart EHMS around 2:45 and return around 8:45 pm. Mount Southington offers everything from just lift tickets, to lift, rental, and/or lesson packages, so there is something for everyone. There will be an initial interest sign-up sheet for Ski Club in October. All students that are interested in skiing or snowboarding at Mt. Southington this winter should sign up. More information, includ-ing fees, will follow at the beginning of November. Many local ski areas hold ski swaps within the next few months. This is a much cheaper way to get great equipment and not have to rent. Ski Sundown (New Hartford) Ski Swap is Fri. 11/6 4 pm - 9 pm, Sat 11/7 10-8, Sun 11/8 10-4. Powder Ridge (Middlefield) Ski Swap is Saturday, 11/7, 10-4 and Sunday, 11/8 at 10-1. Powder Ridge also offers seasonal used ski equipment rental ($99 ski swap discount, or $119 ), which allows you to take your equipment with you to use at any ski area you may visit throughout the season. Mohawk Mountain (Cornwall) also offers seasonal rentals $129-$149 for used equipment or $249 for new. Please visit the ski area websites for more infor-mation. Other area ski shops may also offer season rentals. If parents have any questions, please call 860-365-4060 x389 or contact Mrs. Irene Kuck by email at [email protected]. Thank you.

PTO Update

The PTO would like to thank the Middle School parents who completed new membership forms

& made donations to the PTO! We would also like to thank the many parents who recently volunteered

and helped out at this year's Panther Fest! Be on the lookout for upcoming fundraisers to include school

spirit wear just in time for the holidays. Please "LIKE" the EHMS PTO on Facebook, and check the

school website for updates to our calendar. Upcoming meeting dates are: 10/14, 11/11, 12/9, 1/13, 2/10,

3/9, 4/13, 5/11, 6/8.

https://webmail.easthamptonct.org/owa/redir.aspx?C=aa4cf054050d4dad81fab350995f1906&URL=mailto%3aikuck%40easthamptonct.org










East Hampton MS Boys/Girls Soccer 2015-2016

DATE: OPPON. HOME/AWAY BUS DIS

Sept. 15 Tuesday Woodrow Wilson @ EH (boys at EHHS) SEPT. 18 Friday PANTHER FALL FEST at EHMS Sept. 21 Monday RHAM @ EH (girls at EHHS) Sept. 23 Wed. Rocky Hill @ EH (boys at EHHS) Sept. 28 Monday EH @ Durham 2:30 2:20 Oct. 6 Tuesday Berlin @ EH (boys at EHHS) Oct. 8 Thursday EH @ Rocky Hill 2:30 2:20 (Boys at Sunnycrest/Girls at Griswold) Oct. 14 Wed. Durham @ EH (girls at EHHS) Oct. 16 Friday Sports & Medical Sciences @ EH (boys @ EHHS) 4:00 pm start Oct. 19 Monday EH @ Cromwell 2:30 2:20

Oct. 20 Tuesday EH @ Berlin 2:30 2:20

Oct. 22 Thursday Sports & Medical Sciences @ EH (girls at EHHS) 4:00 pm start Oct. 23 Friday EH @ RHAM (Boys at Veterans/Girls at RHAM) 2:30 2:20 Oct. 26 Monday Cromwell @ EH (girls at EHHS) Oct. 27 Tuesday EH @ Woodrow Wilson 2:30 2:20

Oct. 30 Friday Hale Ray @ EH (girls 5:30 start/boys 7:00 start) at EHMS…No JV! Home games start at 3:30 pm, unless noted: @ EHMS Middle School

@ EHHS High School (North Field or Main Field) Practice sites @ EHMS 2:35 pm until 5:00 pm.

Boys Head Coach- Julian Davis Girls Head Coach-Tom St. Louis

Assistant Coach-Julien Milcent Assistant Coach-Rebecca Parkos Athletic Director-Michael Mercaldi (860) 463-6837

As 10-2-15 (subject to change)

BOYS and GIRLS XC 2015-16

DATE: SITE: BUS DISMISSAL Sept. 15 Tuesday EH @ Durham (B) 2:30 2:20 Sept. 18 Friday PANTHER FEST @ EH

Sept. 22 Tuesday Durham @ EH (G)

Sept. 24 Thursday Rocky Hill/Colchester @ EH (B)

Sept. 29 Tuesday EH @ Berlin (B) 2:30 2:20 (Pistol Creek)

Oct. 1 Thursday Woodrow Wilson @ EH (G) Oct. 6 Tuesday EH @ Cromwell (G) 2:30 2:20 Oct. 8 Thursday RHAM @ EH (B)

Oct. 13 Tuesday Thomas Edison @ EH (B) Oct. 15 Thursday EH @ Thomas Edison (G) 2:30 2:20

Oct. 20 Tuesday EH @ Rocky Hill (G) 2:30 2:20

(Sunny Crest Park) Oct. 22 Thursday Berlin @ EH (B)

Oct. 26 Monday EH @ Woodrow Wilson (G) 2:30 2:20 (Veteran’s Park)

Oct. 29 Thursday MMSL INVITATIONAL @ East Hampton MS (Girls 3:45/Boys 4:45) (Rain Date: 10/30)

(B) Boys run first. (G) Girls run first.

Head Coach-Joanna Mercaldi Assistant Coach-Elaine Sullivan

Athletic Director-Michael Mercaldi (860)463-6837 As of 7-15-15 (subject to change)

Documents

MIDDLE GROUND October 2015 MIDDLE GROUND - ehhs.orgehhs.org/documents/middle/October2015.pdf · MIDDLE GROUND October 2015 ... MIDDLE GROUND Teaching and learning with young adolescents