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Dear San Benancio Community,
With the holiday break behind us, the 2nd half of the school year
has kicked into high gear. Students are working hard in this busy
time at SBMS. Next week is Spirt Week leading up to the exciting
Dance 2.0. I have included the theme days on Page 5 of the
newsletter. Remember, the dance is a privilege and students
must be in good academic and behavioral standing to attend.
On February 8th, the School Spelling Bee will take place! In each
grade level, classes have been competing to choose their
contestants to be a part of the competition. It is an exciting event
for our students to show off their spelling skills! Parents are
welcome to attend. The event will take place in the MPR from
2:00-3:10pm
In other exciting news, San Benancio has been awarded a grant
through The Monterey Peninsula Foundation in the amount of
$30,000!! This money was spent on 108 new Chromebooks, 3
JANUARY HIGHLIGHTS WiFi access points, and 3 rolling Chromebooks carts. Our goal
at the beginning of this year was to be a 1 to 1 school, which
means we would have 300 Chromebooks on our campus for the
300 students we have. We stand at approximately 250
Chromebooks, therefore we are looking for funds to buy about
50 more. We will get there!!
We have many things going on for 8th grade students and
families. Salinas High School will be hosting a parent night on
February 8th (See Pg. 7). SBMS will be holding our Graduation
Planning meeting on February 15th (See Pg. 2), and Salinas High
School counselors will be visiting SBMS for pre-registration on
February 20th and 22nd (See Pg. 3).
Looking forward to all of our upcoming events at SBMS!
Joe Carnazzo
Special Points of
Interest:
The San Benancio Oak Leaf is
published monthly. It is avail-
able on our website at:
http://
www.washingtonusd.org
Please call the attendance line at
484-0972 when your student is
absent.
Thank you!
In this issue:
Welcome Message 1
Music/Student Council 2
Art/Athletics 3
WUEF 4
Parents Club 5
Yearbook 6
Salinas High School 7
Model United Nations 8
Community News 9
Upcoming Dates 10
Issue 5 February 1, 2018
San Benancio Middle School
The Oak Leaf
San Benancio Middle School has be chosen as a California
School to Watch by the California Department of
Education (CDE)!! Only 22 middle schools across the state
were honored with this award. On March 3rd, we will be
presented with an award in Sacramento and we will also be
honored in Washington D.C. this summer at the National
Schools to Watch Conference. In addition, we will have a
school assembly in the coming months, which we will be
presented with a banner to hang in our gym. I hope to
have media outlets there to publicize our great accomplishment!
The CDE states, “Each year, the program identifies
middle schools that are academically excellent, developmentally
responsive, socially equitable, and structured for success. In the words
of State Superintendent Tom Torlakson, ‘These middle schools teach
deeply to standards, assess ongoing student progress, and use data to
make decisions. They develop confident and capable adolescent citizens,
differentiate instruction for all learners, and provide effective
interventions to struggling students and English learners.’"
CONGRATULATIONS SBMS!!!
SAN BENANCIO-A CALIFORNIA SCHOOL TO WATCH
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NEWS FROM THE MUSIC ROOM Hello,
We’ve been staying very busy in the music room here at SBMS. All
of our music ensembles are sounding great and are only getting bet-
ter! A fellow teacher asked me which of our students are really tal-
ented and the answer was simple: All of Them!
The Concert Band has been putting in some good work as we prac-
tice some very challenging music. Some of the music we play would
be difficult for high school bands but our students are totally rocking
it. One challenging piece we are learning is a compilation of Disney
music which is fun for the students because they recognize the songs
from movies they watched as kids. This piece is also getting us
pumped up for our trip to Disneyland in May which will be here be-
fore we know it!
The Jazz Band will also be going to Disneyland but they have a lot of
work to do before we get there. Jazz Band is one of our hardest
working groups because we have a lot of performances on the calen-
dar. Look out for us at the WUEF Dinner-Dance Party (March 3rd),
The Next Generation Jazz Festival in Monterey (March 10th), the Big
Sur Marathon (April 28th), and more!
The Choir is doing an awesome job of growing in their musicianship
and understanding what it means to be a vocalist. Our songs and
exercises are becoming more and more advanced and the group is up
for all the challenges they are presented. We’ve been learning some
fun and exciting new music that has been very inspiring for the
group. We are looking forward to taking a trip in the month of May
to Great America where we will sing at a music competition.
Our school wide Spring Concert will be on May 1st so put that on
your calendar. You don’t want to miss another great performance
from our super star students!
Thanks for reading
Mr. Barry Capiaux
STUDENT COUNCIL NEWS
Calling All 8th Grade Parents!!
On Thursday, February 15, we will hold our annual organiza-
tional meeting to begin planning for this year’s 8th grade grad-
uation festivities. We will need to form committees for the
following events: Graduation Ceremony, Graduation
Dance, and Graduation Barbecue and Swim Party. If you
are interested in helping to plan the activities for this year,
please plan on attending the meeting:
Thursday, February 15,2018
6:00 p.m.
San Benancio Middle School, Room 10
Washington DC Trip Meeting
On Wednesday, February 7th, Miss Robinson will be
hosting a Washington DC meeting in her classroom
(Room 8), for all interested 7th grade students. The
meeting will take place from 6:00-6:30.
Come prepared with questions for Miss Robinson and
Mr. Carnazzo!
February 14th is Valentine’s Day. We are selling
Candy Grams for $1.00 each. Candy grams are
sold out of room 10 during lunch. Last day to
purchase candy grams will be Friday, February 9th.
Dance 2.0 is just around the corner. ASB is sell-
ing advance tickets in room 10 for $15.00 during
lunch. Last opportunity to purchase advance tick-
ets will be on Wednesday, February 7th. Tickets
at the door will be $20.00 each.
Please check the student handbook for dance
rules.
Spirit week is from February 5 – 9th. Will your
class be the one to steal the Spirit Trophy from Mrs. Reineking’s sixth grade class? Monday is Pro
Sports Day, Tuesday is Decades Day, Wednesday
is Crazy Sock Day and Donate a Sock Day, Thurs-
day is Superhero VS Villain Day and Friday is For-
mal Friday. Flyer will be sent out with details to-
day, Thursday.
Thanks for your support!
http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=images+of+musical+instruments&view=detail&id=D51D812938C10106FE69AE56273929D72EE1F6B8&first=91&FORM=IDFRIR
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ART NEWS FOR FEBRUARY
February is Clay, Portrait Drawing Month and
Boston Buildings
Modeling with clay is one of the ancient processes used by civilization
to make useful and decorative objects. Clay is a responsive natural
material that students can easily manipulate and explore its tactile quali-
ties. Our clay projects encourage our students to create three dimen-
sionally. The students use the same techniques that clay artists have
used for centuries: rolling coils, pinching, and pulling.
Grade 6: Students will observe photographs of Classic Greek and
Roman sculptures and creating their own clay sculpture of a head.
They learn how our standards of realistic sculpture derive from the
classic civilizations. By measuring and marking proportion, our stu-
dents learn how the structure of the human face is related to the oval
shape of the skull.
Grade 7: Students in their History classes just did finished a five-day
project creating paper maché African masks and they were amazing!
Grade 8: Students have 2 projects this month. First in their Gram-
mar classes they will be creating Boston historical buildings and in their
American History class they will be drawing a portrait of a U.S. presi-
dent.
Picture of the Month
In February, the Picture of the Month selections we move into
Cubism, Fauvism and Surrealism.
Cubism was a highly influential visual art style of the 20th century
that was created principally by the painters Pablo Picasso and
Georges Braque in Paris between 1907 & 1914. The Cubist
style emphasized the flat, two-dimensional surface of the picture
plane, rejecting the traditional techniques of perspective. Cubist
painters were not bound to copying form, texture, color, and
space. Instead, they presented a new reality in paintings that
depicted radically fragmented objects.
Fauvism was a 20th century art movement that was begun by a
group of French artists that included Henri Matisse and Paul
Gauguin. This art movement revolutionized the concept of col-
or and was marked by bold distorted forms and vivid colors.
Surrealism was an artist movement that brought together art-
ists, thinkers and researchers in hunt of sense of expression of
the unconscious. They were searching for the definition of new
aesthetic, new humankind and a new social order. Some famous
artists during this art period were Marc Chagall, Joan Miro, and
Salvador Dali.
Reminder!
On Saturday, March 3, WUEF is having their Annual Fundraiser,
which is their largest fundraising event. WUEF provides the
funding needed to make our Art Docent Program possible for
your students. Please come out and support this wonderful
event. We hope you will participate and we look forward to
seeing you there!
ATHLETICS
It seems that the month of January
has just flown by and our 7th/8th
Grade Basketball Season will be
coming to and end on February 14. All
teams are doing well and improving game
by game. Our 8th Grade Girls as of 1/18
are undefeated. San Benancio will be host-
ing Championship Games on February 14
at 4:30pm/5:30pm. More information to
follow as we get closer.
Coming up in sports starting in March will
be Track, Tennis and Golf. I will be putting
sign ups in the locker room starting the 1st
week in February. All grades are encour-
aged to sign up and all teams are coed. If
you have any questions please feel free to
email me at
HIGH SCHOOL PRE-REGISTRATION
On February 20th and February 22nd, counselors from
Salinas High School will be here to meet our 8th grade
students and help them to complete the pre-
registration process for 9th grade. All students living
in the Salinas High attendance area are asked to com-
plete the paperwork whether they plan on attending
Salinas High or not. If your student is planning on at-
tending a private school, it is always good to pre-
register at the high school just in case your situation
changes and your child decides to go to Salinas High.
mailto:[email protected]
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WUEF UPDATE
Hello WUSD Families! It’s hard to believe it’s already February and WUEF’s 34th Annual Dinner
Dance Fundraiser is just a month away! This is the largest fundraising event of the year, and your support
is critical to make this year’s event a great success!
WUEF has conducted three fundraisers so far this school year: the Fill the Dish Campaign (ongoing),
Taco ‘Bout A Party, and See’s Candy and Yankee Candle sales. As reported last month, WUEF has col-
lected just over $100,000 toward the annual goal. The great news is that’s more than half of
what is needed to fund art and music in the district! But the reality is, with just half the school
year left, there is still nearly $90,000 needed to fully fund art and music, and that doesn’t even
address any technology needs.
What can you do to help? Attend the event and spend! Featuring exciting new items you won’t
want to miss, like sports packages and vacations, and of course all the district favorites!
Where and When? March 3, 2018 at the newly remodeled Embassy Suites Monterey Bay. Invita-
tions have been sent home in folders—see them for more information. Register online: https://
wuef.ejoinme.org/fundraiser
Want to make it a staycation? Room blocks are available at the Embassy Suites. Contact Melody Rico
([email protected]) and reference ‘WUEF.’
Can’t attend the event? You can 1) make a donation in lieu of ticket purchase, or 2) contribute items
or services to be sold at the auction on March 3rd. Contact Jenny McAfee [email protected] or
Jenn McVay [email protected] to donate. Donation forms available in the three school offic-
es.
Also, sponsorship opportunities are still available. Advertising to fellow district families is great for busi-
ness and for WUEF’s fundraising efforts! Contact Carli Chasen [email protected] or Allie Szaszy
[email protected] to become a sponsor or for more information.
On behalf of the WUEF Board, I’d like to extend a sincere thank you to all those who have contributed
to the fundraising success thus far. You have proven your commitment to your children’s comprehen-
sive educational experience. With this amazing community’s continued generous support, I am confident
this year’s goal will be met.
Please feel free to contact me with any questions about WUEF’s fundraisers or if you would like to vol-
unteer!
Carli Chasen, WUEF Board President 2017-2018
https://wuef.ejoinme.org/fundraiserhttps://wuef.ejoinme.org/fundraisermailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]
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PARENTS’ CLUB UPDATE
Monday
February 5
Tuesday
February 6
Wednesday
February 7
Thursday
February 8
Friday
February 9
Pro Sports Day
Decades Day
Crazy Sock Day
Superhero vs.
Villains Day
Formal Friday
Parents Club News
Hello San Benancio Families!! We have a few fun events coming up in the Spring, so be on the lookout for more
information to come! We will be selling green bagel lunches for $5 for St. Patrick’s Day on Friday, March
16th. And mark your calendars for this year’s Color Run which will be held at Toro Park School on Saturday,
March 24th. We will definitely be needing help for this event and depend on your participation, so feel free to con-
tact us if you are able to lend a helping hand!
Be on the lookout for the Kona Ice Truck! He is scheduled to come on the following Tuesdays- 2/13, 2/27 and
3/13 at lunch time. Kona cups range from $3-$6 and 20% of the proceeds come back to our schools. They are also
smart snack approved!
WUSD Spirit Wear: Does your child want to show some school spirit? Would you like to support Washington
Union School District? Then head on over to the Spirit Wear Website! It’s up and running with items shipping di-
rectly to you within 3-4 days and proceeds benefit Parents’ Club! Click on the link below to get shopping!
https://wusdparentsclub.com/
Our next Parents’ Club Meeting will be held on Thursday, February 8th at 6pm in Room 10 at San Benancio Middle
School. All are invited and encouraged to attend! There should be a Parents’ Club Representative from each class
present at the meeting. Please check out Parents’ Club on the district website for more info, and make sure to like
us on Facebook for updates, reminders, information, and more!
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YEARBOOK UPDATE
Attention 8th
Grade parents!
LAST CALL
Don’t miss your opportunity to buy
an 8th grade recognition ad!
Yearbook Sponsorships are Still available!!
Show Your Support for San Benancio Middle School
We are offering the chance to sponsor the SBMS yearbook. Your sponsorship will include your name, family
name or business name on the sponsorship page in the back of the yearbook. Your name will be listed under the
sponsorship level. Sponsorships $500 and above can include their company logo next to their name.
There are 3 levels of sponsorship
Platinum Gold Silver
$500 $250 $100
Sponsorships must be received by March 1st
Email [email protected] for more information
There is less than 1 page left to sell.
We have added an additional page for 8th grade recognition ads and it is almost sold out
There are only 2 ad spaces left
1 – ¼ page
1 – ½ page
All ads must be purchased through Mrs. Yee, online sales have ended. Email [email protected] to order
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MODEL UNITED NATIONS
Dear Parents/Guardians of Middle Schoolers,
Model United Nations (MUN) is part of the California YMCA’s Youth & Government
(Y&G) program. It is designed specifically for middle schoolers from grades 6th - 8th. This leadership program is designed to help students think critically while
developing public speaking and research skills. Students are given opportunities to make new friends and advance their collaboration abilities.
Middle school students, called delegates, from local YMCA’s around the state
come together in a structure that models the actual United Nations. Delegates
are divided into program areas which include: Security Council (SecCon), Gen-eral Assembly (GA), Council on Economic & Social Issues (EcoSoc), International
Court of Justice (ICJ), Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO’s), and Media. Each program area has smaller groups of delegates who tackle issues with global
effects. We have two weekend trips scheduled where students from around the state come together for fun and skill development.
Our local Salinas Family YMCA is pleased to have Buena Vista Middle School as
home to the Central Coast YMCA’s Model United Nations Program for the 2018 season. Weekly delegation meetings are held on Thursdays from 3:15-4:30 in
Room A-3. Students who have conflicts with other activities (basketball, dance,
tennis, etc...) are still encouraged to check us out as attendance at every meet-ing for the full time allotted is not required. As of now, we have participating
students from Buena Vista Middle School, San Benancio Middle School, Palma Junior High School, and students who are homeschooled.
This program is ideal for students who are interested in current events, students
who are interested in improving their leadership skills, students who are interest-ed in developing their public speaking and debate skills, and students who are
interested in working with others (old friends and new) on important topics of global significance.
If you’d like to learn more about the program, please contact teacher/lead advi-sor, Lori Caldeira at [email protected] for more information. There is a
parent information seminar scheduled for next Thursday, January 25th at 3:15 in Room A-3 of Buena Vista Middle School. We look forward to sharing information
with you about this transformational program.
Sincerely,
Lori Caldeira
Central Coast YMCA Youth & Government Program
Lead Advisor
mailto:[email protected]
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COMMUNITY NEWS
Inc.
2460 Garden Road, Suite C Telephone: 831-277-3387 / 831-224-0742
Monterey, CA 93940 Facsimile: 831-649-8007
Email: [email protected] [email protected]
COMING ON FEBRUARY 10, 2018
THE MOST MEANINGFUL WORKSHOP YOU’LL EVER HAVE!
STUDY SKILLS
FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS
A HANDS-ON, “HOW TO” ADVENTURE
“The teachers showed me how to develop a plan … a simple system, I started
to understand what I was doing. When I realized the importance of organiza-
tion and a method, I found I could succeed!”
֎ Understanding what you’re learning = better grades
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Our Workshop has a proven record of success and will
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IMPORTANT DATES
Upcoming Events
February
7-Collaboration Day
7–Washington DC Meeting-Current 7th
Graders
8-School Spelling Bee
8-Salinas High School Parent Night
14-School Board Meeting
15–Graduation Planning Meeting
19–Presidents Day-NO SCHOOL
20-Salinas High Pre Registration
21-Collaboration Day
22-Salinas High Pre Registration
22-School Site Council