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Chardon Middle School
Newsletter
February 2015
The Mission of Chardon Middle School: To provide experiences that encourage
responsibility, communication, collaboration and critical thinking while
promoting a tolerance for individual differences.
C M S = WHERE ALL THE PIECES FIT TOGETHER
From the Principal:
We are in our final weeks of preparation for the Performanced Based
Assessment (PBA) portion of the PARCC assessment as well as the 6th grade
social studies and 8th grade science test. On January 28th, CMS administration
hosted a Parent Forum to provide information regarding Ohio’s Next Generation
Assessments. To access the presentation, click --> HERE <-Included in this newsletter is the testing schedule for both March and May. It is
critically important for your child to be in school, on time, on testing days. All
appointments should be scheduled around the testing dates. Make-ups will be
scheduled for absences, but it is always in the best interest of the student to test
within the original testing window.
Our teachers have been collaborating and using best practice instruction and
assessments to prepare our students for higher education. This instruction, at
times, utilizes technology into a blended learning environment which helps
prepare our students for our ever-changing technological world. These practices
also coincide with how to prepare for Ohio’s Next Generation Assessments. We
are confident that the teaching our staff is currently utilizing will enable our
students to experience success in future endeavors as well as state testing.
While our teachers are preparing students at school, we will be asking for your
help at home as well:
• Ensure your child has headphones that they bring to school during testing
• Ensure your child charges their Chromebook fully at home the night before
a test (do not plug other devices into the Chromebook to charge as this
drains the life of the battery)
• Ensure your child has at least 8 hours of sleep
• Ensure your child eats breakfast
•
Ensure your child attends school, ON TIME, on all testing dates-avoid
making appointments during this time
Again, I am confident in the work our teachers do on a daily basis to help prepare
our students for their futures!! For more information regarding the Next
Generation Assessments, please see the information enclosed in this newsletter
from the National PTA.
Mrs. Murphy
Principal, Chardon Middle School
CMS PARCC/AIR testing schedule 2014-2015
Performance-Based Assessments (PBA) (schedule takes into account the
time needed for the high school level math assessments as well as time
needed for instructions)
Date
Subject
Grade Level
Testing
Time
March 3
Math Unit 1
PARCC
ALL (6, 7 8)
8-10 a.m.
March 4
Math Unit 2
PARCC
ALL (6, 7 8)
8-10 a.m.
March 5
Science
AIR
Grade 8 ONLY
8-9:30
a.m.
March 5
Social Studies
AIR
Grade 6 ONLY
8-9:30
a.m.
March 10
ELA Lit. Anaylsis
PARCC
ALL (6, 7, 8)
8-10 a.m.
March 11
ELA Research
Simulation
PARCC
ALL (6, 7, 8)
8-10 a.m.
March 12
Narrative Writing
PARCC
ALL (6, 7, 8)
8-9:30
a.m.
March 4-March
18
Make-ups
ALL (6, 7, 8)
T.B.A.
End-of-Year Exams (EOY) (schedule takes into account the time needed for
the high school level math assessments as well as time needed for
instructions)
Date
Subject
Grade Level Testing Time
April 29
ELA Unit 1
PARCC
ALL (6, 7 8)
8-9:30 a.m.
April 30
ELA Unit 2
PARCC
ALL (6, 7 8)
8-9:30 a.m.
May 5
Math Unit 1
PARCC
ALL (6, 7 8)
8-10 a.m.
May 6
Math Unit 2
PARCC
ALL (6, 7 8)
8-10 a.m.
May 7
Science
AIR
Grade 8 ONLY
8-9:30 a.m.
May 7
Social Studies Grade 6 ONLY
AIR
8-9:30 a.m.
April 30- May 13 Make-ups
ALL (6, 7, 8)
T.B.A.
Students will follow either the 2-hour delay schedule or a modified version of this
schedule on all testing dates. This will ensure no classes are missed during the
testing window. 7th grade students who are not testing on the science/social
studies test date will remain with their team teachers during the testing window.
They will resume the 2-hour delay schedule once testing is complete. Make-ups
will be conducted on non-testing days through March 18th and May 13th.
Other important February dates:
February 10 - Interims grades updated on Infinite Campus
February 16 - No school-President’s Day
February 18 - Special Invite Parent Conferences, 5-8:00 p.m. (These
conferences are being held on an invitation only basis. If you would like to
see the team of teachers or an individual teacher but did not receive an
invitation, please contact a member of the team or the teacher directly to
schedule an appointment.)
From the Assistant Principal’s Desk:
Every School Day Counts in a Child's Academic Life
A missed school day is a lost opportunity for students to learn. In this era of increased
accountability for states, districts, and schools, the connection between student
attendance and learning is being examined more than ever before. Not only does your
child need to be in school, he or she must be here on time ready to go, and seated in
homeroom by 7:30 a.m. sharp.
The cafeteria doors open at 7:05 a.m. allowing students to enter the cafeteria and gym
until dismissed to their lockers at 7:20 a.m. Students may purchase breakfast between
7:05 a.m. and 7:25 a.m. A warning bell sounds at 7:25 a.m. and the tardy bell sounds
at 7:30 a.m. At 7:30 a.m. announcements begin and attendance is taken through
homeroom which is the student’s first class of the day. Traffic can be congested during
morning arrival, so please plan accordingly to ensure your child is not tardy. For
families who have bussing available to them, riding the bus is a great way to ensure
that your child is not marked tardy.
January
Students of the Month
6th Grade
Morgan Debevec
Jared McGill
Jenna Oriani
Dominik Joyal
7th Grade
Halle Parrish
Jonah Zeiger
Natalie Dumm
Jon Sharp
8th Grade
Natalie Kankula
Connor Loza
Caila Maronde
Alex Schragal
Encore: Mitchell Ewaska
Chardon Middle School
Superior/Honor/Merit Roll
2nd Quarter – 2015
Superior Roll – 4.0 GPA
6th Grade: Abigail Atchley, Kate Bradley, Catherine Condon, Nicholas Cusick, Nicholas Fay, Drew
Fetchik, Jeffery Fletcher, Abigail Frania, Ethan Fuerst, Jeremy Goerss, Haydn Haueter, Madison
Hauser, Karen Landies, Brandon Leszynski, Darcy Maas, Olivia Means, Mackenzie Morris, Noah
Munoz, Jenna Oriani, Louisa Piotrkowski, Jake Ryan, Zoe Shive, Emily Sivula, Olivia St. James,
Jacob Stephans, Jack Sweet, Campbell Tierney, Elliott Tyminski, Riley Zelazny, Riley Zugan
7th Grade: Leah Baker, Kirsten Beard, Emma Beil, Sarah Bennett, Whitney Beorn, Nicholas Bross,
Gabriele Cross, Mason Danison, John Dinko, Natalie Dumm, Lauren Dvorak, Elizabeth Evans, Alyssa
Fisher, Natalie Fullerman, Caitlyn Goodrich, Jacob Hamulak, Jorja Hlifka, Kelly Holl, Tucker Keeney,
Elizabeth Love, Cole McHale, Meredith McKeon, Hannah Means, Lucia Muhic, Clare Myeroff, Marisa
Organiscak, Ashley Paterson, Maya Pedersen, Lauren Phillips, Karlie Pirnat, Grace Powell, Cassidy
Robinson, Hannah Rus, Marissa Scerbo, Katarina Schultz, Jonathan Sharp, John Shuman, Allison
Smrdel, Mila Stropkay, Jude Taddie, Casey Wilcox, McKenna Zugan
8th Grade: Dominic Arganti, Autumn Betarie, Natalie Breznai, Parker Carson, Dana Chapin, Kelsey
Cohn, Michael Corsillo, Elizabeth Courtney, Grace Cousens, Emma Drake, Sylvia Fill, Alyssa
Gotliebowski, Julie Granger, Molly Greene, James Gross, Heather Hajjar, Jacob Hougan, Heather
Humbert, Andrew Katz, Liam Kerry, Ethan Kreuz, Isabelle LeMaster, Katherine Lessick, Emily
Loiselle, Caila Maronde, Riley McCormick, Samuel Myers, Lindsey Nichols, Anna Pastor, Calista
Peluso, Cameron Peluso, Dante Perrico, Cole Purchase, Summer Rath, Alexander Schragel, Denali
Selent, Nimue’ Shive, Holly Stegh, Toni Strazinsky, Joseph Sweet, Anna Thompson, Grace Turk,
Andrew White, Sofia Zampino
Honor Roll 3.5 – 3.99
6th Grade: Brittany Adams, Jordan Adams, Madison Arganti, Blake Barker, Emma Beorn, Teagan
Bonin, Abigail Breznai, Christian Bross, Mackenzie Brown, Emily Browne, Shane Callahan, Amanda
Carroll, Alexandra Corrigan, Taylor Cox, Andrew Cusick, Jacob Cutwright, Morgan Debevec, Jesse
Decipeda, Victoria Detweiler, Violet Detweiler, Mary Douglas, Mason Douglass, Liam Downs, Jessica
Drake, Bradley Duchon, Emeril Esquivel, Angelo Ferrante, Vincent Ferrante, Alexis Fishleigh,
Zachary Fronk, Thomas George, Lauren Gessel, Emma Gittins, Katherine Giza, Alaina Goss, James
Granger, Cecillia Gullo, Margaret Hamulak, Bryan Hofacre, Morgan Jaeck, Julia Jeckering, Gabriella
Jeschelnig, Madelynn Johnson, Dominik Joyal, James Kankula, Thomas Kimpton, Maja Lampic,
Samantha Liechty, Emily Lingafelter, Logan Lundblad, Sydney Lynch, Audrey Manary, Laney
McBean, Cade McDevitt, Shannon McFaul, Una Moon-Geosano, Mackenzie Morrison, Sarah Mularo,
Abigail Myers, Matthew Mysyk, Kayla Noerr, Emma Norton, Ivan Orozco, Autumn Reese, Peter
Robie, John Ross, Jarrod Russo, Olivia Sackman, Brendan Sarbach, Anna Schaefer, Brandon
Schreffler, Meghan Solich, Willard Squires, Emma Sternagle, Paige Toot, Braden Toth, Owen
Vokoun, Jewelia Whitehead, Shawn Youdath, Anthony Zampino, Ashley Zmarzly,
7th Grade: Nathan Albers, Sophia Alexandrou, Kayla Allen, Gwendolyn Avery, Madisyn Barry, Ryan
Bluemmel, Chloe Budd, Benjamin Burns, Marcus Chauby, Elise Chollett, Anne Ciszak, Kara
Connolly, Sara Conway, Iris Corral Lujan, Dillon Cox, Emma Davis, Caleigh Dawson, Alexa Eierman,
Carrie Eierman, Aidan Enright, Mitchell Ewaska, Cooper Farrow, Logan Felger, Loganne Foster,
Robert Frank, Flora Frieden, Emma Fulton, Grace Gasper, Molly Goodge, Jena Goodwin, Jacob
Grantham, Reagan Halford, Alexis Hatridge, Hannah Holbert, Madeline Houser, Kaylee Kozlowski,
Sophia Ku, William Kurtz, Halle Landies, Lauren Laudato, Annabelle Liebhardt, Tori Lowe, Aidan
Macaskill, Megan MacCartney, Mackenzie May, Daryann Medvec, Mac Metz, Brigit Morgan, Zachary
Mothersbaugh, John Mullaly, Catherine Parr, Halle Parrish, Isabella Patti, Hailey Richard, Cara
Robbins, Hannah Romanoff, Noel Rozic, Bailey Silvia, Olivia Stern, Cameron Strichko, Elaine Szep,
Matthew Talarcek, Dylan Thomas, Ashley Tice, Nicklas Tilton, Mario Trillo, Izabella Veon, Jocelyn
Williams, Jonah Zeiger, Keaton Ziegenfuss, Joseph Zimmerer
8th Grade: Emily Adamic, Jonathan Adams, Jacklyn Adkins, Lydia Avery, Adam Baran, Alexia
Breedlove, Annika Corcoran, Morgan Danison, Angelina DiLillo, Luke DiPofi, Dominic Dovsek,
Jessica Doyle, Jacob Gaspar, Nicholas Gehrke, Grace Giorgi, Teagan Guerra, Madison Gura, Maria
Evelin Hernandex, Brian Horton, Searra Hough, Laine Hursh, Grace Jackson, Alexsis Jaeck, Amelia
Joliat, Natalie Kankula, Grace Kilfoyle, Taylor Kimpton, Kaitlyn King, Ethan Klepac, Andrew
Kobuszewski, Grace Koppleman, Graham Koppleman, Alicia Larkins, Max Liechty, Jaden Linn, Ethan
Mack, Tamara Makaryan, Abigail Martin, Hayden McBean, Corrine McClintock, Olivia McFarland,
Nina Merlini, Marko Milic, Kathryn Molle, Dominic Mularo, Megan Mullaly, Gillian Murphy, Jenna
Mysyk, Ragen Neely, Breanna Nickels, Mary O’Reilly, Angel Pamonicutt, Kayla Powell, Sydnee
Raines, Haleigh Redmond, Sydney Robertson, Sofia Scarfo, Alexandria Schaffert, Alexis Shanks,
Scott Solar, Lydia Spangler, Zachary St. Jean, Chloe Taddie, Allison Thobe, Jacob Urbic, Nicholas
Vilardo, Jessica Vollman, Allison Wilson, Jordan Wright, Emma Youmans, Zachary Zemanek,
Thomas Zver
Merit Roll 3.0 – 3.49
6th Grade: Bailey Cathan, John Chesnes, Hayden Coe, Dominic Corsillo, Cory Deutsch, Alexis
Diemert, Delayne DiFranco, Vincent DiGeronimo, Kevin Doyle, Sarah Eldridge, Isabella Evans, Risa
Fabian, Jaden Farris, Cristyl Fox, Emily Fuerst, Mason Gamiere, Jacob Garrett, Tristan Goodsite,
McKenna Haack, Ashley Hoenigman, Haley Hoynes, Jocelyn Janda, Travis Johnson, Matthew Kloski,
Molly Kosir, William Kreuz, Alexandra Lanese, Christina Lebedev, Lindsey Leggett, George
LeMaster, Jason Loncar, Brianna McKenzie, William McKnight, Aurora McMasters, Benjamin
Morgan, Zakary Mueller, Malena Muni, Joshua Neece, Bryan Nells, Emma Niksick, Bridget O’Reilly,
Jackson Perry, Ethan Peterson, Anderson Riendeau, Madison Russo, Katarina Schneider, Sidnee
Seredich, Lauren Siktberg, Kyle Simmons, William Sinclair, Emily Spangler, Joseph Spoljaric, John
Stegh, Angela Stupi, Anne Sweet, Ian Temple, Nathaniel Vilardo, Owen Vucetic, Alexander Zaccarine
7th Grade: Olivia Adkins, Nicholas Becker, Hannah Berman, Alexandra Bojec, Dimitri Brenick, Gracie
Bright, Ethan Buehner, Joshua Campbell, Mitchell Cormiea, Dillon Dwyer, John Ellington, Nolan Ellis,
Layne Fierman, Chloe’ Geiss, Dylan Grieb, Mia Gumpf, Mikhail Hall, Samantha Hess, Steven
Jackson, Thomas Jahnke, David Kapis, Caleb Kelly, Joshua Kernc, Justin Koluder, Alexandria Lavo,
Isabelle Marinchick, Robert Mason, William Mazurek, John Meleski, Elliot Miller, Kyle Nelson,
Christen Niedzielski, Brian Parker, Cooper Pason, Matthew Pickup, Cameron Rypel, Sarah
Schmauder, Kierstin Schreiber, Nikolaus Spotz, Allison Sutton, Makaila Tepley, Joesph Trivisonno,
Jacob Vatty, Maxamus Vujaklija, Bradley Warburton, Katie Whiting, Bradley Yoger
8th Grade: Ronan Baker, Ryan Brown, Victoria Butala, Victoria Collins, Olivia D’Amico, Bridget
Dague, Ellis Dillen, Evan Fairbanks, Sydney Feller, Devin Good, Cameron Holt, Emily Johnson,
Hunter Jones, William Kidd, Brooke Kinkopf, Justin Kunzi, Adrianna Lakatos, Matthew Lane, Alexis
Leggett, Connor Loza, Jonathan McKnight, Andrew McNaughton, Jennifer Megger, Hallie Mezerkor,
Scott Mullett, Summer Musgrave, Wade Novak, John Paglio, William Piotrkowski, Kayla Preziuso,
Allison Restly, John Riendeau, Victoria Samardzija, Kayla Schikowski, Bryce Schinness, Rachel
Siefert, John Sinclair, Jacob Skilton, Austin Smith, Bailey Spear, Brent Stewart, Benjamin Sulka,
Patrick Toothman, Christopher Uhland, Jonathan Vaji, Parker Waclawski, Joel Watson, Matthew
Watson
From Lori Strickland RN, School Nurse:
______
Meningitis Vaccination
Did you know that you can protect your child from the most common bacteria that cause bacterial
meningitis? Meningococcal vaccine is now available and recommended for ALL children 11-12 years
of age. Older adolescents who missed getting this vaccine can also get vaccinated. It is
recommended that college freshman living in dormitories receive the vaccine. The vaccine is given in
one dose. Geauga County General Health District will vaccinate your child at one of their Children’s
Immunization Clinics. For more information contact Geauga County General Health District
at 279-1950.
ATTENTION SIXTH GRADE PARENTS:
STATE IMMUNIZATION REQUIREMENT FOR SEVENTH GRADE
By the start of next school year, your child is required to have a booster shot in the diphtheria,
tetanus, pertussis series. You must provide the school with written verification of Tdap (tetanus,
diphtheria, acelluar pertussis, adult and adolescent formulation) vaccination from your healthcare
provider. Failure to do so will result in exclusion from school until the requirement is met. This
requirement is a state law. Please contact your child’s physician now to see if your child has already
had this shot or to make arrangements to receive it. We have already begun accepting written
verification of this vaccination for next year. This vaccination can be obtained through the Geauga Co.
General Health District. The health district holds monthly walk-in immunization clinics.
It's Monday morning at 6:30 a.m. Your child is holding his (her)
belly and pleading with you to allow him (her) to stay home from school today. What should you do?
As a parent myself, I know that this can be a difficult decision to make.
I recently came across a great on-line article at Web M.D. titled "Is Your Kid Sick or Just Faking It?"
It was full of helpful information that I would like to share with you.
You can access this article by clicking on the link below.
http://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/features/is-your-kid-sick-just-faking-it
News from the Art Dept: ______________________________
Welcome second semester students! We are going to have a great semester. We
look forward to creating many exciting art projects. 6th grade will focus on color
theory. 7th grade art will focus on the elements and principles of art, and the 8th
graders will focus on different techniques and value. We will have all of our hard
work on display in the spring art show. More details to come.
~Mrs. Heron & Miss Cataldo
TEAM NEWS
6th Grade
3rd quarter slide? Please encourage your child stay on top of homework, projects, assignments,
etc. Often this is the quarter that we see grades start to slide a bit.
Please continue to remind your child to come prepared to every class every day and to come on
time. This is also the time of year that school supplies might need to be “refreshed.”
REMINDERS:
• HOMEWORK- Students should be writing down ALL their homework in their assignment
notebook- it is their responsibility. Teacher websites should be the back-up in case a
student is absent or forgets their planner.
•
ABSENT? - If a student is absent, it is his/her responsibility to check teacher websites
for missing work. It is the student’s responsibility to make up the work in a timely
manner (1 day out, 1 day to make up work; 2 days out, 2 days, etc). ICE is the perfect
time for students to visit teachers for make-up work.
• MATERIALS – many students are coming unprepared to class.
Students need some basic materials for ALL classes and are expected to bring them: paper,
pencils, pens, red pen, textbooks, independent reading book, calculator (MATH)
Team 7A
Conferences will be run differently this time and specific invitations have been sent.
If you have any concerns about your child, please don’t hesitate to contact the team.
Write on! During the month of February, students will be working in centers that continue our
studies of the patterns of organization and will include reading and writing activities. Be sure to check
the team website and the screen casts for grammar
lessons (found in the grammar bits section). Grammar will revolve around
varied sentences and dependent clauses.
We’re studying the European Middle Ages, and students will be taking
on roles of people in the Middle Ages. They will be creating an on-line journal and documenting their
character’s role that would have existed during this time period.
In math, students will be learning a new method for solving word problems.
Keep a lookout for their chapter five vocabulary project being assigned.
In science, students are finishing up ocean currents and beginning
climates and biomes.
Team 8A
The teachers on Team 8A are happy to recognize Caila Maronde and Alex Schragal as our
Students of the Month. Keep up the great work
Team 8A is thrilled to invite you to join us on
February 18, 2015 for our Celebration of Scholarship poster exhibit.
During their ICE time, every one of our students has created a poster displaying work that they
are proud of. This “drop in” style exhibit will provide our parents, siblings etc., an opportunity to
view the wide variety of work that our students have excelled at. We hope that you will show
your support of their hard work by joining us at our Celebration of Scholarship poster exhibit.
The exhibit runs from 5:00pm to 7:45pm and typically takes about 20 minutes to view. We
encourage families to begin in Room 205 where cookies and coffee will be served.
Team 8A reminds parents to visit our website: www.team8a.com regularly to stay aware of what
is happening in our classrooms. The CALENDAR page is particularly helpful, as it offers parents
one location to quickly glimpse all of the major assignments, projects, tests etc coming up in all
of the academic subjects.
Mr. Heintz encourages all parents and students to register to receive periodic text message
updates. These updates will remind recipients of approaching due dates for tests and forms as
well as school events. To register, send the message: @cmsteam8 to the number: 256-7246004.
In February, Social Studies students will be learning about the westward expansion and the
different cultures that began to develop in the different regions.
SCIENCE - students are finishing a chapter on the rock and fossil record and will be starting a
unit on force and motion.
LANGUAGE ARTS 8 Students in language arts are sharpening their argument writing skills this
week and will begin reading The Diary of Anne Frank. Students will also begin a self-directed
punctuation unit in grammar.
ENGLISH 1 The tragedy of Romeo and Juliet will be explored throughout the next month of
English One. Students are currently researching the life and times of Shakespeare and his
works to create background knowledge before diving into reading the play. Students will also
begin a self-directed punctuation unit in grammar.
Math 8 students are finishing up their unit on Transformations. The individual unit assessment will
be at the end of the first week in February. Regular study sessions are now available every Monday,
Wednesday and Friday after school until 3:15. Students are able to use that extra time to get help
with homework or study for upcoming assessments. Our next unit will focus on a more in-depth study
of Linear Functions and Slope and we will then be moving into Exponents.
The Chardon Board of Education will meet on February 9th, at 6:30 pm in the Board Conference
room. The meetings are open to the public and all are welcomed to attend!
Team 8B
Mrs. Debevec’s math classes will be working with transformations -translating, reflecting,
rotation and dilating figures with multi-step problems. Algebra students will be solving systems
of linear equations. Lastly, the Honors Geometry students will be investigating similarity.
English I students have written argument essays in their literary analysis of Lord of the Flies.
They are now studying Shakespeare and the Elizabethan Age as they read Romeo and Juliet.
They will continue grammar by practicing punctuation and usage rules.
Language Arts students will begin to study the Holocaust and World War II as a background to
reading the play The Diary of Anne Frank. They will also complete a Photo Project in which they
will make connections between Jewish life pre-WW II and our lives today. These students will
also study and write argument essays as well as practice punctuation and capitalization rules.
In Science, Mr. Farrow will be finishing our look into the physical sciences. We will be doing
some experimentation that will need to be designed by the students. We will be looking at the
new AIR test the state is asking us to take, the kids will be exploring the process of taking this
new format of testing.
In American History, the United States will begin to reach from coast to coast. Soon, the map
of the nation will take the shape with which we are all familiar. Even as the country begins to
take this shape, serious problems will occur. The tug-of-war over slavery will begin to rip the
nation apart.
The Counselor’s Corner
February 2015
Mrs. Donna Weir (A-L) and Ms. Amber Zemek (M-Z)
Standardized tests play a major role in today’s schooling. Odds are your child will take two or more standardized
tests each year and it is important that he/she do his/her best.
The state tests your student takes in middle school really do matter — they’re an important way to monitor how your
child’s learning is progressing. When students perform well on the state tests of reading, writing and math skills in
middle school, and stay on track developing skills in these areas, they are more likely to also perform well a few
years later on the assessments they need to earn a diploma. When students don’t meet achievement standards on
one or more of these middle school assessments, it’s a sign that they may need targeted assistance and extra effort
to ensure their skill development is on target to succeed in high school.
How you can help your child prepare: Successful test-takers tend to be students with good attendance,
homework, and study habits; therefore, your daily assistance with homework and attitude toward school has the
biggest impact on your child’s performance.
Optimize brain power. Teachers say the students who struggle the most on testing days are the ones who didn’t
have enough sleep or a good breakfast the day of the test. Make sure that your child is in school during the
testing sessions. Do not plan any doctor or dental appointments on test dates.
Encourage good study habits and challenge critical thinking skills. Good reading skills factor heavily in a
timed test, so encourage reading as much as possible. Testing also measures critical-thinking ability, so ask
him/her to discuss ideas or voice his/her opinion often to stimulate these thought processes.
Look at your child’s past performance. If your student scored low in a particular area, you may want to provide
exercises which reinforce that subject. Aim for activities that simulate the testing experience, such as multiple
choice math questions or vocabulary practice that asks him/her to identify antonyms or synonyms. Avoid areas
where your child excels; you run the risk of boring him/her and losing patience with testing.
Provide practice opportunities. You can access the “PARCC Practice Test” online at http://parcconline.org/takethe-test. Be sure to time any practice tests so he/she is not surprised by time constraints on test day. Start
practicing several weeks before the date and keep study sessions short. Setting small goals will help your child
measure their progress and boost their confidence. Make sure your child takes the night off before the test –
cramming may increase their stress level.
Review test-taking strategies. Encourage your child to listen carefully to all test-taking directions given and to ask
questions about any directions that are unclear. Advise your child to go through the test question by question.
When answering multiple choice questions, look for key words such as “always” or “never,” which often indicate that
the question or a potential answer is false or incorrect.
Relax and remain positive. The best test-takers are confident, committed, and at ease. Even if you are nervous
about their performance, be wary of transferring that concern to your child. When parents provide proper support
and help them adequately prepare, they can create a positive test-taking experience.
**Parents of an 8th grade student: Mark your calendars for the Parent Meeting Night being held on Tuesday,
February 24 at 6:30 p.m. in the LGIR at CMS. This will be an opportunity to hear about classes available at
CHS and the scheduling process for their freshman year. More information will be communicated as the
date gets closer. Stay tuned! **
BAND NOTES
~Our next concert is on March 5 and features the 7th and 8th grade bands. It is at 7 PM in
the CMS gym.
~Silverscreen Spectacular, our annual jazz concert will be on March 20 at 7:30 PM in the
CMS LGIR. This is a ticketed event, and all are welcome! You do not need to have a child in
Jazz Band to attend. Please email Ms. Paroubek with ticket inquiries.
~Congratulations to our students who were selected for OMEA and OSU honor bands
happening this month! Great job!
~OMEA Solo and Ensemble contest is March 28. Please consult with your private lesson
instructors immediately to choose songs. Forms are due to me by February 16.
**** CMS DRAMA CLUB *****
CMS Drama Club is sponsored by Geauga Lyric Theater Guild of Chardon, but the
weekly meetings are held after school at Chardon Middle School. This semester we
will usually meet in the band room to give us more room to move and plot out the
show. Meetings will be on TUESDAYS~STARTING FEB. 10 WITH PICK UP AT 4:45
IN FRONT OF THE BUILDING.
*Co-Directors will be Julie Douglass and Karen Porter with several of the high school interns
returning from 1st semester. Forms are available on the table outside the CMS office.
Health Class News
Grades 6th, 7th, & 8th
Mrs. Whiteman & Mrs. Caldwell
Website: www.cmshealth.weebly.com
Health is a semester class and is offered to all students at CMS, providing it fits in their
schedules. The course aligns to the National Health Education Standards in addition to
the Chardon Local Schools Health Education Objectives
6th Grade Health
We concluded our introduction to health lessons and our studies of the health triangle.
The three parts of the health triangle include social, physical, and mental/emotional.
Our focus turns to the Body Systems. We will begin with the nervous system. TPP
(Teen Pregnancy Prevention) will be the third week in February. Please watch for
information and a permission slip for your child to participate.
7th Grade Health
We began the semester with our attention on mental and emotional health. Some of
the topics include: anxiety, stress, suicide, traits of good mental and emotional health,
and coping with loss. We will discuss at length how to identify when someone might
need additional help and where to turn to get the necessary support.
8th Grade Health
We started the semester with a review of health concepts and are now
learning about Communicable Diseases.
PTO NEWS
We will be collecting Box Tops for Education in a fun & friendly competition. Simply collect your box
tops in a Ziploc bag and bring them to school labeled with your homeroom teacher’s name. The
competition will begin January 6, 2014 and end February 28, 2014.
The top 3 winning homerooms will receive a cafeteria voucher for a lunch treat. To add to the fun, the
top classroom teacher will win a prize too! Come on students, show your CMS spirit and send in your
Box Tops.
As always, thank you for helping CMS earn CASH through the Box Tops for Education program.
Last school year we were able to raise over $1,000 with your participation☺!
More Opportunities to Help CMS:
Check out the great opportunities available to help Chardon Middle School. Your participation is
easy and very valuable!
Please help by clipping “Box Tops” coupons from product packages and sending them into school
with your student’s homeroom teacher’s name.
Also, save ONLY the UPC symbol from the label of Campbell’s product and send them too.
You may like to visit the follow websites for a complete list of participating products and more
information about the programs.
Log onto Boxtops4education.com and labelsforeducation.com
Also, don’t forget to register with Giant Eagle for “Apples for the Students” by either calling 1-800474-4777 or email www.gianteagle.com with your Advantage Card number and- our school code of
0180. What a great way to earn points toward technology items. It is easy, you can support more
than one school on your card and it takes less than 2 minutes to register!
Additionally, Heinen’s offers a similar program which benefits the Chardon Schools Foundation.
***Spread the word to your family, friends and neighbors to
designate their Giant Eagle and Heinens purchases to benefit CMS.***
Thank you very much for your support. Together we can build a better school for our
children!
Heinen’s ABC School Donation Program
Heinen’s will donate up to 1% of qualified purchases from any customer that has selected our school
and uses their Heinen’s preferred shopper card when they shop.
Heinen’s customers may select their school of choice anytime between September and April by logging
into their Tasteful Rewards profile page at www.heinensrewards.com. Customers needing assistance
may contact Heinen’s Customer Relations department at 855-475-2300 Ext.2337
Support Chardon Middle School when you purchase on Amazon.
Please use our school link to access Amazon.com at www.amazon.com/?tag=charmiddscho-20
This unique school rewards link takes you directly to Amazon.com, where you can browse and shop
just as you normally would. Each month, Amazon pays CMS up to 10% of all purchases made by
shoppers who reached Amazon through our link. We don’t know who shopped, or what they bought,
we simply get a check.
Please bookmark this link in your Internet browser and share it with friends and family.
You will see the regular Amazon homepage and there is not a welcome to CMS message. All of the
bookkeeping takes place behind the scenes. If you have questions, call or text Melissa Raines
at 440.463.4260.
Get ready to play HS lacrosse for the Hilltoppers!!!
Boys - Spring 2015 and Girls - Spring 2016
Registration now open for 3rd-8th graders
For information about playing the “fastest game on two feet”
this Spring:
Visit www.chardonlacrosse.com and click on the Youth & MS
Lacrosse tab or contact Stephen Webster at
lake.co.lax@sbcglobal.net “