October Columbia Middle School East Columbia Avenue Aurora, Colorado 80013

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1 Cougar News October 2012 Columbia Middle School East Columbia Avenue Aurora, Colorado Steve Hamilton, Principal Phone: Jeffry Hoff, Assistant Principal Attendance: Lisa Valente, Dean of Students Fax: Principal s Message Columbia Community On September 21, students were recognized with a special boy/girl lunch for having 3 s and 4 s on their work habit scores. Work habit scores measure homework completion, participation, and effort. We were excited to be able to recognize these students for their hard work. We even drew the names of one boy and girl per grade level to participate in a special lunch. Student recognition is critical and includes our PRIDE-Day Friday winners, daily PRIDE tickets, student of the month, and the progress report and report card recognitions for our students. The philosophy is straight forward; if students are doing their work and participating in school in a hard-working, positive manner, they can be eligible for all of these various recognitions. We are excited to say that we gave out over $2,500 in student recognition prizes and donations last school year. We have also wrapped up our fall fundraiser and tied the bow with the limousine ride for our top 30 sellers. One of the questions that came up during our Back-to-School night was related to getting extra help for the challenging, new standards that all students are required to learn. There are three specific study practices that should be done daily. First, whether your child does or does not have homework, they should sit down and study one hour/night at home. This, by itself, sets an expectation that students are to develop regular study routines that will help them through middle and high school. Second, engage students in the current events of our time from politics and the economy, sports and music, to nature and science. One of the key factors to student success is their ability to develop a strong set of understandings that will allow them to discuss and debate something more important than their favorite video game or reality show. Finally, read regularly, discuss the content, and develop vocabulary by selecting reading material that actually requires the use of a dictionary (hard copy or online) to find out what a word means that your child does not know. Helpful website: This website has a large number of useful tools to help students and teachers with their work together. These can be accessed from home and could help parents with a variety of supports for their son/daughter. Our push all year will be with the development of reading and writing in all content areas and the new challenging standards that have raised the bar for all classes and grade levels. Please insist that your child strive for 3 s and 4 s in all of the classes and accept nothing less than proficient on report cards and progress reports. Students will have to work harder than they ever have, and this will include consistent, nightly study routines along with staying for extra help on a regular basis. We can do this work together, but it will not be easy. Steve Hamilton, Principal Columbia s website address:

2 Mensaje del director Comunidad de Columbia, El 21 de septiembre, el esfuerzo de los estudiantes fue reconocido por medio de un periodo especial de comida y receso para esos alumnos que recibieron calificaciones de 3 y 4 en el área de hábitos de trabajo, lo cual refleja el terminar su tarea, su participación y esfuerzo. Estuvimos muy contentos de poder reconocer a estos estudiantes por su duro trabajo. También elegimos al azar a un niño y una niña en cada nivel de grado para recibir comida ordenada de un restaurante. El reconocimiento estudiantil es crítico y nosotros logramos esto al seleccionar los ganadores de PRIDE los viernes, asignando boletos PRIDE diarios, eligiendo estudiantes del mes y reconociendo a nuestros estudiantes por sus calificaciones en reportes de progreso y boletas de cada trimestre. La filosofía es muy clara, si los estudiantes están haciendo buen trabajo y participando en la escuela con mucho esfuerzo y de manera positiva, los estudiantes serán reconocidos por sus logros en varios eventos. Estamos emocionados de poder decir que dimos más de $2,500 en premios para reconocimiento de estudiantes y en donaciones el año pasado. También hemos terminado nuestra recaudación de fondos y cerramos con broche de oro al sacar a pasear en limusina a los 30 estudiantes con las ventas más altas. Una de las preguntas mencionadas durante nuestra noche de regreso a clases está relacionada con obtener ayuda adicional para los nuevos y desafiantes estándares de estudio que se espera que los estudiantes aprendan. Existen tres prácticas de estudio específicas que deben de hacerse diariamente. Primero, no importa si su hijo(a) tiene tarea o no, él/ella debe de sentarse a estudiar una hora cada noche en casa. Esto, en sí mismo, establece una expectativa de que los estudiantes deben de desarrollar rutinas de estudios regularmente que les ayudara durante la secundaria y la preparatoria. Segundo, captive a sus estudiantes con los sucesos del momento, tales como política, economía, deportes y música, al igual que la naturaleza y la ciencia. Uno de los factores claves para el éxito de los estudiantes es su habilidad de desarrollar un entendimiento sólido de lo que sucede actualmente que les permitirá hablar y discutir temas más importantes que su juego de video o programa de televisión favoritos. Finalmente, lean regularmente, hablen sobre el contenido y desarrollen vocabulario al seleccionar material de lectura que requiere el uso del diccionario (ya sea un libro impreso o por internet) para buscar palabras que su hijo(a) no conoce. Una página de internet que le puede ayudar es: Esta página de internet tiene un gran número de herramientas que ayudaran a estudiantes y maestro con su trabajo juntos. Estas herramientas pueden ser usadas en casa y pueden ayudar a los padres con una variedad de elementos para apoyar a su hijo(a). Nuestro enfoque todo el año será el desarrollo de la lectura y la escritura en todas las áreas de contenido y los nuevos estándares desafiantes que han levantado el límite para todas clases en todos los niveles de grado. Por favor insista en que su hijo(a) trabaje para merecer calificaciones de 3 y 4 como hábitos de trabajo en todas las clases y acepte nada menos que calificaciones de competente (o sea, P, a nivel de grado) en los reportes de progreso y boletas de calificaciones. Los estudiantes tendrán que trabajar más duro que nunca antes, y con esto viene el tener rutinas de estudios diarias/nocturnas y consistentes, junto con el tener que quedarse a recibir ayuda adicional regularmente. Todos nosotros podremos hacer este trabajo juntos, pero no será fácil. Steve Hamilton, Director SI USTED NECESITA INFORMACIÓN SOBRE CUALQUIER ARTÍCULO EN ESTE BOLETÍN, POR FAVOR COMUNÍQUESE CON MITZI TORRES AL NÚMERO

3 Important Numbers Attendance Line: (24 hours) Main Office Phone: Cafeteria: Main Office Fax: Counseling Office: (Direct Line) Counseling Fax: Columbia s Website: columbia.aurorak12.org New School Office Hours Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday: 8:00 AM 4:30 PM Wednesday: 9:30 AM - 4:30 PM Student Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 1st Bell 8:20 AM 2nd Bell 8:30 AM (Seated in first period classes) Last Bell 3:57 PM (Students dismissed for the day) Campus Cleared 4:07 PM Student Hours: Every Wednesday is a Late Start Day 1st Bell- 9:50 AM 2nd Bell- 10:00 AM (Seated in first period classes) Last Bell- 3:57 PM (Students dismissed for the day) Campus Cleared 4:07 PM Breakfast is served from 8:00 8:15 Except on Wednesdays. Students must come in through the cafeteria doors, on the east entrance of the building. Remember: NO breakfast on Wednesday. Important Dates Coming Up Oct. 8 Last Day Quarter 1 Oct. 9 Teacher Workday (No School) Oct. 12 1st Quarter Report Cards will be sent home Oct. 17 1st Semester Parent/Teacher Conferences, 5:00pm - 8:30pm Oct. 24 1st Semester Parent/Teacher Conferences, 5:00pm - 8:30 pm Oct. 29-Nov. 2 FALL BREAK NO SCHOOL Nov Fall Musical Aladdin, 7:00 pm Nov. 21 Parent Conference Exchange Day (No School) Nov THANKSGIVING BREAK NO SCHOOL Reminder When Withdrawing Students from Columbia When withdrawing your student from Columbia, please let Mrs. Morin in counseling know at least 24 hours in advance of the withdrawal. The parent/guardian needs to sign a withdrawal form in the counseling office. The student is then responsible to take a withdrawal paper around to their classrooms, media center, cafeteria and nurse for signatures on their last day of attendance. They must also clean out their hall locker and PE locker (if applicable) and return all Columbia materials, such as textbooks, library books, etc.

4 Message from the Attendance Office School attendance should be a priority for all students and parents. We would like to remind you how important it is for students to be in school every day. We ask that you speak to your child regarding any missed class time and ensure that your child attends every class, on time, every day. Please contact us for absences such as illness, injury and appointments, as well as other absences which must be approved by both the parent/guardian and the principal to be regarded as excused. If a student s absence is not caused by illness or injury, or approved by the school principal, the absence shall be considered unexcused. Your support and cooperation in this matter are essential. We want to work with you to ensure that your child attends classes, every day, on time. Below please find our policy regarding attendance responsibilities. Students: Practice and maintain Cougar P.R.I.D.E. 1. Attend school for all days of the school year. 2. The first bell at 8:20 AM and you must be in class at 8:30 AM (Wednesday: 9:50 and 10:00 AM), prepared for academic work. 3. Contact teachers immediately upon returning from an absence to receive make-up assignments and deadlines for completing them. 4. Complete work as assigned by the teacher when a pre-arranged absence is required. 5. Follow the proper procedures for arriving at school late or leaving school early. Sign-in at the main office when arriving after 8:40 (Wed: 10:10) AM. Sign-out at the main office only if excused to leave early through the main office or nurse. Students may not excuse themselves. Parents: Support, teach, and model Cougar P.R.I.D.E. 1. Ensure the student is attending school every day. 2. Communicate with the student regarding attendance. 3. For suspensions or extended absences longer than 3 days, request make-up assignments. 4. Monitor school work through: campus/portal/aurora.jsp 5. Provide the school with all current and accurate phone numbers for contact during the school day. This is essential especially in cases of emergency. Students whose parents do not provide accurate information may be asked to not return to school until a working and accurate phone number is given. 6. Be available to come to school when student is sick or disciplinary action requiring student pick-up has occurred. This includes leaving work if necessary. Our 24-hour Attendance Line number is Change of Address Have you moved? Does Aurora Public Schools have a current address on file for you? If not, you will need to visit Centralized Admissions to complete the Student Demographic Change form. You must bring current *** proof of address and a photo ID with you. Centralized Admissions is open Monday Friday 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. No appointment necessary. This office is open year round (including fall, one week in winter, spring and summer breaks) but closed district holidays. Centralized Admissions Office: 1085 Peoria Street, Aurora, CO (SW corner of 11th Avenue and Peoria Street) ***For specific document requirements or to learn more about Centralized Admissions, visit Columbia Middle School PTSO The PTSO would like to remind everyone that Columbia has a dress code policy that must be followed. Please help your children make the appropriate choices. PTSO would like to also say Thank you for your support of the Fall Fundraiser. The PTSO helps support the entire school body with assistance in purchasing additional supplies for the students, teachers, as well as, helping our students to be part of Columbia special programs. SPECIAL THANKS TO COLUMBIA STAFF!!!!!!! SPECIAL THANKS TO VOLUNTEERS INVOLVED IN THE FALL FUNDRAISER!!!! Parents and Teachers do not forget to be involved the PTSO you are all current members and we need your support. Our next meeting is October 4th 2012 at 6:00 PM. HAVE YOU TURNED IN THE FORMS WE SENT YOU IN THE SUMMER PACKET? Believe or not we are still trying to collect all forms we sent home in the summer packet. We are still missing approximately 70 Student Verification Forms and about 40 Health/Emergency Cards. It is imperative that we have accurate contact and health information for your student on file. We recently mailed home another form of each that s missing. Please fill it out, sign it and return to the main office at your earliest convenience. Thank you for your help in this matter.

5 CONGRATULATIONS STUDENTS! Congratulations to the following students for receiving 3s and 4s in all of their classes during the First Quarter progress report! This effort, along with strong, focused in-class behavior is something that will be recognized twice a quarter. Students in this group enjoyed a mixed lunch party and music! Students in 6th Grade rewarded for their Work Habit Scores: Benavente-Santifer, Isaac Burch, Dawson Carter, Bradon Clabaugh, Dylan Clanton, Jordan Cohoon, Naomi Coleman, Andrew Conforti, Faith Crawley, Alexis Cubbison, Chloe Dees, Kaitlyn Denard, Clara Dominguez, Barrios, Joel Dominguez, Vazquez, Mercy Dymek, Aiden Feliz, Keara Garcia Abila, Ariel Gonzalez, Yarely Grimes, Aviance Hardin, Alexander Hurtado, Ricky Iraheta, Kimberly Jilot, Megan Jimenez, Jacqueline Johns, Isabelle Johnson, Raymond Lamas Correa, Melissa Lamas Correa, Samantha Larks, Kayla LaRochelle, Cole Lawler, Janae Lawson, Sasha Lewis, Melissa McGuire, Megan Mesch, Michael Mesfin, Abel Mirpochoev, Behzod Morris, Robert Mulugeta, Beimnet Passmore, Noah Perez Sanchez, Yaritza Rangel Vazquez, Oscar Reali, Cami Reategui, Christian Reinhardt, Riley Reyes, Valeria Reyna, Jose Richards, Bailee Roman Castaneda, Maria Salah, Zaynah Salazar Zubillaga, Grecia Sanchez, Stephanie Sanford, Kyla Schettler, Grayce Serra, Hayem Snowden, Kyzik Stechelin, Aiden Strauss, Kendra Strouse, Donovan Teng, Michael Tensun, Jasmine Terry, Tyrese Tovar, Isaiah Trimble, Karly Truong, Matthew Tyars, Lonnell Varela, Jennifer Velazquez, Kallie Viboolsittiseri, Audric Vullo, Krystal Wasick, James Wasick, Joseph Weston, Daniel Mitchell, Dallas Students in 7th Grade rewarded for their Work Habit Scores: Ames, Madeleine Amon, Patrick Bahena, Hillary Barker, Samanha Baughman, Elijah Beall, Camron Berhe, Heaven Blood-Tauriello, Jeffrey Brown, Daijenai Brown, Jewel Cardona, Genesis Castro Sanchez, Kenia Celedon, Angel Cella, Tyler Chavez-Ramirez, Karla Cook, Johnathon Corral Robles, Cynthia Costigan V, John Ebert, Anna Erly, Melony Fauser, Darrin Fifita, Pryncess Flores Hernandez, Viviana Flynn, Kylee Fuentes, Eduardo Gondek, Jessica Gutierrez, Matthew Hamlet, C ier Hannaman, Connor Hayes, Bridgett Hernandez Medina, Daphne Hill, Nusaybah Hitner, Cierra Hoath-Little, Jessica Hoffman, Fisher Hoisington, Martin Hurtado, Alondra Ingleby, Mckinnly Ivery, Brandi Johnson, Graham Johnson-Moe, Brandon Katscheke, Alexandra Kochman, Grace Kovacs, Savana Larks, Kyra Luna, Angel-Kaye March, Karissa Mayotte, Kathleen Mcgowan, Brian McGowan, Briana Melendez Rodrigue, Brayan Montoya, Amanda Mozes, Zakary Oda, Matthew Olmsted, Morgan Palacios Ginez, Juan Panteleyev, Denys Pasillas, Victoria Pena, Desiree Pena Uc, Jazmin Porras, Jasmin Rangel Leon, Jessica Roca Topete, Frida Shear, Austen Smith, Oumari Sorrell, Dulcinea Soto Echeveste, Yesenia Sounthonephom, Jessica Spain, Destaney Spangler, Gianna Subedi, Supriya Sung, Noah Terry, Jordan Trombly, Allison Uribe, Bianca Vandervere, Kyra Vasquez Lopez, Alexis Viator, Tori Weir, Dakota White, Natalie Wiegand, Gabriella Williams, Brooklynn Williams, Christopher Wilson-Nix, Dixon Wolfe, Jared Xoy, Iris

6 CONGRATULATIONS STUDENTS! (continued) Students in 8th Grade rewarded for their Work Habit Scores: Acevedo, Andrea Adebayo, Aderonke Aguilar, Florencio Akell, Maegan Allah, Sha-Ree Alvarez, Christian Andre, Olivia Askew, Jadyn Baker, William Bates, Sarah Beren, Erikka Berhe, Huldah Bombole-Boimbo, Nina Branch, Emma Bravo, Daphne Burgos, Steve Campbell, Anaja Canty, Markayla Charette, Alexis Clanton, Jared Coleman, Sarah Comet, Sydney Conner, Rhayla Correa Martinez, Karla Cuevas Sayavedra, Kelly Elouadi, Imane Escanuela, Mata Flores Rodriguez, Brenda Garg, Maya Gemelev, Viktor Gochenour, Slena Gonzales, Alexis Gonzalez Gomez, Andrea Gonzalez Gonzalez, Andrea Goree, Brooklyn Granados, Dominic Granados Rocha, Nancy Gunner, Madisen Gwynn, Justice Hanson, Travis Harley, Patricia Harmuth, Austin Helgerson, Belle Hill, Ruqdyya Hopkins, Samantha Hulsey Rathbone, Emily Hunt, Ian Jacobs, Kyle Jacobson-Dunawa, Abigail Kennedy, Natalie Lamas, Diana Leday, Emily Livenshou, Alyona Lopez Castro, Daniela Lucki, Alison Lyster, Cody Maestas, Jordan Matarrese, Briana Menchaca, Antonio Merritt, Jesse Mills, Imani Moreno Martinez, Fernanda Morgan, Coree Mower, Shaelie Moya, Valeria Oladoye, Abel Olson, Kiernan Paproski, Jacob Pavon, Jennifer Perry, Zoe Phillippi, Alexandria Piilola, Hanna Ramirez, Steven Reid, Essence Renderos, Kimberly Renteria, Erik Robles Karr, Priscilla Rose, Chance Schneider, Heather Schumm, Madison Sheptekita, Andrey Smot, Ashley Smith, Zaria Solorzano, Yvette Spero, Lauren Stamm, Ashley Tadesse, Samuel Teeter, Haylee Tingey, Tara Trammer-Holloway, Renna Trammer-Holloway, Shenna Trejo, Jennifer Vo, Ruth Ward, Brittany Wasick, Hailey Whitney, Oscar Woldetatyos, Faven Womack, Shae La Wright, Chloe Mark Your Calendar for Our Fall Musical The school play this year is Aladdin! Evening performances will be at 7:00PM on November 14 and 15. Parent-Teacher Conferences Coming up this month! Mark your calendar and stop by to speak with your child s teachers either Wednesday, Oct. 17 or Oct. 24 between 5 and 8:30 PM, to discuss his/her progress this 1st Semester. Yearbook Reminder Columbia students, parents and staff: don t forget to order your yearbooks! Order forms can be picked up in the main office. This year s book is loaded with color and pictures and only $ Once again Columbia is having a yearbook cover design contest. The winning design not only gets printed on the cover, but the artist also gets a free yearbook. Furthermore, 2nd 5th place winners get their cover designs featured inside the yearbook. The deadline for entries was September 14th. Many students submitted great designs! Students will be voting on their top five favorites during 6th period. Place your order soon so you don t miss out on your student designed yearbook!

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8 Barnes & Noble Bookfair; A Night of Art & Literacy This year our annual Barnes & Noble bookfair will be at the end of November. Mark your calendars because we hope to see everyone there on the evening of Friday, November 30th. The bookfair will run from 4pm-8pm at the Alameda & Abilene Barnes & Noble location in Aurora. Columbia student artwork will be on display at the store through the month of November and the last night to view this artwork will be the evening of our bookfair! Do not miss out, get some of your holiday shopping done at our bookfair and Columbia will receive a percentage of each purchase made. Do you want to help out CMS, but will not be able to make it the store that night or do you have friends and relatives that do not live in town, but also want to support CMS through this bookfair? You re in luck, it is easy to place your B&N orders online and have your total count toward Columbia Middle School s bookfair total. Details will be in November s newsletter and will also go home with your student prior to the bookfair. As usual, there will be family-friendly activities at the store and even though the bookfair starts at 4pm, the activities will not start until 5pm. Come to the store to do some shopping with your family, have a snack in the cafe, view student artwork, and participate in some fun activities on Friday, November 30th from 4-8pm at the Alameda & Abilene Barnes & Noble bookstore! After School Homework Help Available Overtime, Columbia s after school tutoring program has begun! Students who need extra help in their classes or those who would like a quiet place to study are invited to spend some time after school with Columbia s Student Liaisons, Mr. Gonzalez and Ms. Humphrey. Aladdin Mural Complete! Hundreds of brushes, 55 students, 6 gallons of paint, and many preliminary sketches equals one impressive mural! This year, the mural that will be the backdrop of the fall musical, Aladdin was completed in record time. Ms. Novy s 1st hour and 3rd hour Visual Art classes completed the painting in under 2 weeks time. Stencils were designed and cut out by each class of students and these were used to create all of the buildings on the mural. Each building of the town of Agrabah was done as a silhouette and the palace was painted with more detail in order to make the royal palace appear more elaborate. The desert sky at sunset was blended by many of the students and was hands-down, the most difficult part of the mural. Lastly, small details and finishing touches were added on the last couple of days of painting and the artwork is complete. Although the students cannot take this piece of art with them, they really enjoyed this experience and did an amazing job. Please be sure to compliment the artists, as they worked diligently and deserve the accolades! I want to acknowledge and thank all of the 8th and 7th grade students that worked on this mural: Desmond Amador, Deangelo Brown, Misael Castillo Aguilar, Andrea Gartin, Kurstein Krull, Marihya Manuel, Frida Martinez Ferrusca, Savannah Rojas, Mariah Stechelin, Clinton Thomas, Da Zhonna Walton, Shafiqa Zadron, Adam De La Rosa, Cory Dukes, RayJae Fisher, Stephany Gracia Renteria, Dahn Gyavira, Josh Hollins, Mckinnly, Ingleby, Drew Lamarr, Makasini Loloma, Karissa March, Matthew Oda, Victoria Pasillas, Chandler Steeves, Andrew Vanacore, Tori Viator, Gabriella Wiegand, Jasmyn Cella, Audriana CRawford, Matthew Cutshall, Jairo Dominguez Jr., Darrius Ewing, Brenda Flores Rodriguez, Audrea Fryar, Anthony Gatlin, Selene Gonzalez Leal, Nancy Granados Rocha, Travis Hanson, Chloe Hobson, Chandler Johnson, Logan Kennepohl, Diana Lamas, Christian Lara, Emily Leday, Rebecca Lincoln, Alyona Lvenshou, Tejaun McClendon, Antonio Manchaca, Derek Renteria, Chloe Sandoval, Brendan Schneider, Ashley Stamm, Ruth Weatherington, Maureece Wilber. Our program is available to any Columbia student Monday- Friday from 4-5 P.M. Please encourage your child to attend and find out the ways they might benefit from working Overtime! If your student is a bus rider and transportation is an issue, please know that we do have a late bus available on Mondays and Wednesday. The bus leave promptly at 5:05pm and stops at all regular Columbia bus stops (708/709/710). If you have any questions, please contact Mr. Gonzalez or Ms. Humphrey.

9 Lady Cougarfish Season Wraps Up Congratulations at City Championships, Lady Cougarfish!! You all did a fantastic job! Coach Wonder and myself are very proud of your accomplishments this season. The improvements since the first day have been astounding as there was an average of 30 best times per meet as well as 63 best times in the City meet. Your hard work and dedication showed throughout the season. We thank YOU and your parents for making this season a success. We look forward to seeing you again next year. Keep Swimming High with Cougar Pride!! Coach Lynn Schock Here are the results of the 14th Annual City Championship Meet: Event Medley Relay A Genesis Cardona - 1: rd place Sydney Comet B Jadyn Askew - 1: th place Emma Smith C Abby Jacobson-Dunaway - 1: th place Jenna Larson Brittany Ward Pryncess Fifita D E F Kyra Weaver - 1: th place Selena Gochenour Coree Morgan Alyssa Burns Emily Haag - 1: th place Patricia Harley Ruthann Weatherington - 1: th place Lauren Spero Event Freestyle Sydney Comet 1: th place Emily Haag 1: th place Genesis Cardona 1: th place Coree Morgan 1: th place Brittany Ward 1: th place Jasmin Porras 2: th place Event Individual Medley Izraea Honey 1: th place Jenna Larson 1: th place Event 4-25 Freestyle Abby Jacobson-Dunaway th place Emma Smith th place Raena Williams th place Pryncess Fifita th place Jasmin Porras th place Event 5 Diving 3 Dives Selena Gochenour th place Savannah Rojas th place Jadyn Askew th place Lauren Spero th place Daphne Bravo th place Event 6-50 Butterfly Lauren Spero 1: th place Event 7 50 Freestyle Izraea Honey th place Brittany Ward th place Emily Haag th place Raena Williams th place Savannah Rojas th place Coree Morgan th place Event Freestyle Sydney Comet 3: th place Abby Jacobson-Dunaway 3: th place Pryncess Fifita 3: th place Imane Elouadi 4: th place Event Freestyle Relay A Emma Smith 1: nd place Izraea Honey Genesis Cardona B C D E F Raena Williams 1: rd place Abby Jacobson-Dunaway Brittany Ward Selena Gochenhour 1: th place Savannah Rojas Lauren Spero Coree Morgan Jasmin Porras 1: th place Jenna Larson Kyra Weaver Daphne Bravo 1: th place Alyssa Burns Patricia Harley Ruthann Weatherington 1: th place Ashley Bean Event Backstroke Jadyn Askew th place Genesis Cardona th place Kyra Weaver th place Imane Elouadi 1: th place Event Breaststroke Selena Gochenour th place Jenna Larson th place Emma Smith th place Event Freestyle Relay A Izraea Honey 2: rd place Emily Haag Sydney Comet B C D E Raena Williams 2: th place Jadyn Askew Savannah Rojas Pryncess Fifita 3: th place Imane Elouadi Daphne Bravo Jasmin Porras Ashley Bean 3: th place Kyra Weaver Alyssa Burns Patricia Harley 3: th place Ruthann Weatherington

10 7th & 8th Grade Girls Volleyball The girls volleyball season starts Monday, November 12th. All 7th & 8th grade girls must have the following turned in before she is able to practice. 1. Have a current physical exam. 2. Have a parent permission slip signed. 3. Have some type of health and hospitalization insurance. (We must have the company name or ID number if military. Please fill this out on the parent permission form). Insurance may be purchased through the main office. Forms can be found in the office. 4. Return two Aurora Public School forms, Rules of Conduct & Hazing sheets signed by herself and her parents. 5. Return the team letter signed by herself and her parents. 6. Pay a $33.00 athletic fee. Each grade will have a pre-season meeting in October. Listen for the announcements in the coming weeks. Any questions can be directed to Mr. Black (7th Grade) and Mr. Scalf (8th Grade). Whooping Cough Information Our community is experiencing unusually high numbers of Pertussis (whooping cough) cases right now. Maybe you know of someone who has been sick with this illness. It is known as the hundred-day cough and is quite contagious. It causes people to miss school and work for several days. Pertussis is a vaccine-preventable disease, with the primary series of shots being given at 2, 4, and 6 months of age. Children receive the booster at months and again at 4-6 years. Vaccine protection lasts for several years, but not for a lifetime. Another booster shot is needed for students in 6th-12th grade. If your child is not up to date with the Pertussis vaccinations, please obtain this booster shot as soon as possible. Although Pertussis can be a serious illness for people of any age, it is especially dangerous for infants, who cannot receive protection from the disease because of their age. People who are ill with Pertussis can easily spread it to the unvaccinated baby. The booster vaccination is also available for adults. If you have a primary care physician, please call for an appointment to get everyone immunized. Children could also receive vaccines at the following places: Tri-County Health Department Clinics, Serving Children Ages 0-18 Call (303) for information or an appointment. Cost of $14.00 per immunization (no child turned away for inability to pay) Children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult, age 18 or older. Must bring a shot record East 14th Place Aurora, CO Walk-In Clinics Tuesday and Thursday afternoons 1:00-3:00pm or until capacity is reached (1st Floor); appointments also available for other days. Aurora Firefighters Shots for Tots & Teens Clinic Aurora Fire Station #2 - (near Peoria & 6th Ave) Hoffman Blvd Aurora, CO Walk-in clinic no appointment necessary for children s immunizations Must bring a shot record Dates: 2nd Saturday each month 10:00am 1:00pm or until capacity is reached Kids Clinic at Crawford or Laredo Elementary Schools Serving APS elementary school students, and their younger siblings. Call for an appointment. Other precautions to take, which can decrease the chance of becoming ill with an infectious disease: Cover coughs and sneezes with forearm (not your hand) Wash hands frequently Stay home when you are sick Avoid other people who are ill

11 Información de la tos ferina Nuestra comunidad está experimentando inusitadamente, un alto número de casos de tos ferina en estos días. Quizá usted sabe de alguien que ha estado padeciendo esta enfermedad. Es conocida como la tos de los cien días y es totalmente contagiosa. Esta provoca que las personas no asistan a la escuela o al trabajo por varios días. La tos ferina es una enfermedad prevenible por medio de una serie de inyecciones primordiales, aplicadas a los 2, 4 y 6 meses de edad. Los niños reciben un refuerzo entre los 12 ó 15 meses y otra vez entre los 4 y 6 años. La protección de la vacuna dura por varios años, pero no es para toda la vida. Otro refuerzo es necesario para los alumnos entre 6º y 12vo grado. Si su hijo no está al día con las vacunas de tos ferina, por favor obtenga la inyección de refuerzo lo más pronto posible. No obstante la tos ferina puede ser una enfermedad grave para las personas de cualquier edad, es especialmente dañina para los infantes, que no pueden recibir protección en contra de la enfermedad debido a su edad. Las personas enfermas de tos ferina pueden transmitir la enfermedad fácilmente, a un bebé no vacunado. Las vacunas de refuerzo también están disponibles para adultos. Si usted tiene un médico de cabecera, por favor llame para hacer una cita para que todos sean vacunados. Los niños también pueden recibir vacunas en las siguientes localidades: Tri-County Health Department Clinics, atendiendo niños de 0 a 18 años de edad Llame al (303) , para obtener información o hacer una cita. El costo es de $14.00 por vacuna (ningún niño será rechazado por no poder pagar). Los niños menores de 18 años tienen que ir acompañados por un adulto, de 18 años o mayor. Tiene que traer el expediente de vacunas East 14th Place Aurora, CO Las clínicas que atienden sin cita son, los martes y jueves por la tarde, de 1:00 a 3:00p.m.o hasta que se llene la cupo, en el 1er piso. Hay citas disponibles para los otros días. Aurora Firefighters Shots for Tots & Teens Clinic Aurora Fire Station #2 (estación de bomberos # 2), (cerca de Peoria y 6ª avenida) Hoffman Blvd Aurora, CO Clínica sin cita, no es necesario hacer cita para vacunación de niños. Tiene que traer el expediente de vacunas. Fechas para 2012: el 2o sábado de cada mes, de 10:00 a.m. a 1:00 p.m. o hasta que se llene el cupo. Clínicas de niños en las escuelas primarias Crawford Elementary o Laredo Elementary Atienden alumnos de escuelas primarias de las Escuelas Públicas de Aurora y sus hermanos menores. Llame al , para hacer una cita. Otras precauciones que se pueden tomar para reducir la posibilidad de llegar a enfermarse con una enfermedad contagiosa: Cubrirse con el antebrazo al toser o estornudar (no con su mano). Lavarse las manos con frecuencia. Permanecer en casa cuando esté enfermo. Evitar acercarse a personas que estén enfermas.

12 Home&School Working Together for School Success October 2012 CONNECTION OK Program / Hansen Plan ahead for conferences Does your youngster s school have parent-teacher conferences coming up? Try to plan ahead if you need to take time off work (or ask the teacher if she s available before or after hours). If you re concerned about your child s progress, save graded assignments to take along and discuss. Handwriting counts Your youngster might use computers for part of his work, which can leave him (and you) wondering how important handwriting is. Remind him that his teacher needs to be able to easily read his written assignments. Also, learning to print will help a beginning reader recognize letters, while an older student needs legible handwriting for note taking. Healthy snacks If your child takes a snack to school, help her pack a healthy one. Include fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy. For example, one day she might take raw green beans or zucchini sticks, and another time she could pack a wheat wrap with vegetable cream cheese (in an insulated bag). Worth quoting Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy. Thich Nhat Hanh JUST FOR FUN Gina: There are only 11 letters in the alphabet. Teacher: No, there aren t. Gina: Yes, there are: t-h-e a-l-p-h-a-b-e-t. Let me think No matter what your child is studying in school, she needs to be a good thinker! The ability to imagine different possibilities, solve problems, and use logic can always help her do her best. Here are some suggestions for sharpening her thinking skills. Ask questions. When you have conversations with your youngster, try to choose questions that have more than one possible answer. Say you re talking about favorite colors you could ask, How do you think someone picks a favorite color? If she says, I don t know, give her a minute to think, and she s likely to come up with a reply. If not, share an idea to get her going. ( I think colors remind us of happy memories. Light blue makes me think of the sky on a beautiful day. ) Encourage problem solving. Have your child solve everyday problems on her own. When she asks how to build a marble run or why her computer program won t open, avoid rushing to the rescue. Instead, you might say, Hmm, Learning to be patient I wonder what you could try, or, Let s look for something that could help. She might draw a diagram of the marble run or make a checklist of computer troubleshooting tips (make sure cables are connected, reboot). Play thinking games. Your youngster s brain will be sharper if she exercises it regularly. Take turns saying two words that are related to a third word. For instance, if you say piano and lock, your child could say key (a piano has keys, a key opens a lock). Then, she gets to give you a word pair. Other examples: a tree and a car both have trunks, and a ruler and a sock both have a foot. It pays to be patient. Talk to your youngster about these two benefits of learning to wait. 1. Accomplish more. Your child can turn wait time into work time. Say he needs his teacher s help with a worksheet, but she s talking to another student. He can do the parts that he understands and save his questions for when the teacher is available. 2. Enjoy the results. Teach your youngster the saying Good things come to those who wait. Together, brainstorm things that improve with time. For instance, fruit tastes better if you wait for it to ripen. Or the longer it takes to get to the top of a roller coaster, the more fun it is to ride down. How many examples can your child come up with? 2012 Resources for Educators, a division of CCH Incorporated

13 Home & School CONNECTION October 2012 Page 2 Fall rituals for families This fall, consider taking a family field trip near your home. Your youngster will discover what your community has to offer and you might start a new family tradition. Find events With your child, look in the newspaper or online for events like farm tours and fall festivals. Choose one, and encourage him to read more about it. He could learn which varieties of apples an orchard grows or see what activities are going on at a pumpkin patch festival (face painting, hayrides). Take a tour When you arrive at your destination, let your youngster be your tour guide. He can read signs and pick up brochures. Then, he might point out where different kinds of apple trees are located or lead your family through a corn maze. Look back At home, follow up on your field trip. You might have family members taste-test red, yellow, and green apples, and your child could graph your favorites. Or cut open a pumpkin, and estimate the number of seeds inside. Let your youngster count the seeds and announce who came closest. Roll and paint A roll of these dice can help your child paint her next masterpiece. Materials: 3 plain wooden block cubes, fine-tipped permanent markers in several colors, paper, paints, paintbrush Have your youngster decorate the six sides of one cube with different shapes (circle, square, star), another with different colors (red, yellow, blue), and a third with objects (flower, person, cat). Then, she can paint a picture inspired by what she rolls. If she gets a star, yellow, and a flower, she might paint a field of sunflowers under a starry sky. Or if she rolls a circle, green, and a person, she could paint herself wearing a green dress and a pearl necklace. Idea: Join her by rolling the dice and painting your own picture, too. O U R P U R P O S E To provide busy parents with practical ideas that promote school success, parent involvement, and more effective parenting. Resources for Educators, a division of CCH Incorporated 128 N. Royal Avenue Front Royal, VA rfecustomer@wolterskluwer.com ISSN Resources for Educators, a division of CCH Incorporated Participating in class Q: My daughter s teacher says she rarely raises her hand in class. I was surprised to hear that, since she talks so much at home! What should we do? A: It s not unusual for children to feel hesitant about speaking in front of a group. At home, have your daughter practice one or two things she plans to say that day. For example, if the class will be discussing a book, she might tell you about her favorite character. Also, consider asking the teacher if your youngster can share a special interest with her classmates. That might encourage her to open up. If the class is studying Native Americans, for instance, she could take in beads she has collected or arrowheads she has found. Finally, ask the teacher how your child is doing in general. If she doesn t participate because she doesn t know the answers, she might need extra help. What is fair? My kids favorite phrase used to be That s not fair! If my son had a slightly bigger serving of potatoes or my daughter got to sit beside me on the couch, I would hear complaints. Then one day, my son shared something his teacher said during a class meeting: Fairness isn t everyone getting the exact same thing it s each person getting what he needs. That explanation made a lot of sense, so I asked my children if they could think of examples. My son pointed out that if his sister is sick, it s fair for her to get extra attention. And my daughter said it s fair for her brother to go first when we play a game because he s younger. Now when I hear one of them say, That s not fair! I ask, Are you sure? I remind them of the teacher s advice and encourage them to think about why it might be fair after all.

14 AURORA PUBLIC SCHOOLS CONVENTIONAL CALENDAR Re-adopted by BOE 5/1/12 JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER JANUARY FEBRUARY MARCH APRIL MAY B JUNE B IMPORTANT DATES July 27 New Teachers Report (Building) July 30, 31 New Teacher Conferences (District) Aug. 1 All Teachers Report - (Building) Aug. 2 Teacher In-service - (District) Aug. 3 Teacher In-service and Webinar - (Building) Aug. 6 All Teachers Report - (Building) Aug. 7 First Day of School - Grades 6-12 Aug. 7, 8 District Elementary Literacy Testing Days Grades 1-5 Aug. 9 First Full Day of Classes begin for Grades 1-5 Aug. 14 First Day of School - Kindergarten Aug. 21 First Day of School - Preschool Sept. 3 LABOR DAY Sept. TBD K-5 Individual Literacy Plan; Early release Sept. TBD K-5 Individual Literacy Plan; Early release Oct. 8 Last Day - Q1 Oct. 9 Teacher Workday Oct. 29-Nov. 2 Fall Break Nov. 21 Parent Conference Exchange Day Nov THANKSGIVING Dec. 20 Last Day - Q2/First Semester Dec. 21 Teacher Workday Dec. 24-Jan. 4 Winter Break Jan. 21 MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. DAY Feb. 7 Teacher In-service and Webinar Feb. 8 Parent Conference Exchange Day Feb. 18 PRESIDENTS DAY March 14 Last Day - Q3 March 15 Teacher Workday March Spring Break May 17 Last Day of Preschool May 20 In-service No classes for students EXCEPT HHS, RHS, Pickens Technical College Graduation for ACHS, GHS, William Smith May 21 Graduation for HHS, RHS, Pickens Technical College No classes for students attending HHS, RHS, Pickens Technical College May 22 Last Day - Q4/Second Semester May 23 Teacher Workday Fifth Block - A block of 23 additional days of instruction for identified students. May 24 5th Block Teacher Workday May 27 MEMORIAL DAY May 28 -June 27 5th Block Instruction June 28 5th Block Teacher Workday 1st Quarter 44 days 2nd Quarter 44 days 3rd Quarter 45 days 4th Quarter 42 days 5th Block 23 days = Holiday = In-service Day, No Classes = Teacher Workday, No Classes = Parent Conf. Exchange Day, No Classes = Teacher Conference/Report = Graduation = 5th Block Instruction 5B = 5th Block Teacher Workday BOARD OF EDUCATION Mary W. Lewis, President Jeanette S. Carmany, Vice President Jane F. Barber, Secretary JulieMarie Shepherd, Treasurer Matthew L. Cook, Director Dan Jorgensen, Director Cathy Wildman, Director

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