Upper Merion Area Middle School

VIKING NEWS Upper Merion Area Middle School

NewsletterAUGUST 2013 Dr. Karen Geller Principal (610) 205-8801

Dear Parents and Students,

I hope that your summer has been an exciting one, and that you are looking forward to the 2013-2014 school year. This year promises to be filled with challenges and excitement for all our students.

Listed below for your information are procedures for the opening of school. If you have any questions prior to the first day of school, please contact your child’s counselor.

Enjoy the remaining days of summer.

Sincerely,

Dr. Karen Geller Principal

FIRST DAY the district to come and tour the school and find their The first day of school for all middle school students classrooms. will be Tuesday, September 3. Students should report to school at 7:45 AM. Fifth grade students are GYM SUITS to report to the auditorium and sixth grade students All middle school students are required to wear gym are to report to the cafeteria. Seventh and eighth uniforms. Gym suits may be purchased at the school grade students are to report to the small and large store. The store is open every morning before the gymnasium respectively. Tuesday is a full day for all start of class. The store will also be open on August middle school students with dismissal at 2:55 PM. 21, the night of the 5th grade transition meeting.

BUS SCHEDULES INFORMATION: Bus information is included with this mailing. If Data sheets are included with this mailing. Please there is any problem with the bus information, please look over the data sheet and make any corrections. call transportation at 610 205-6485. Also remember to fill out the medical information on the back of the data sheet. Please have your child STUDENT SCHEDULES return the data sheet to their homeroom teacher on Enclosed you will find a copy of your child’s the first day of school. Other forms (school schedule for the 2013-2014 school year. If you have insurance, free lunch applications, etc.) will be any questions, please contact your child’s guidance distributed to your child the first day of school. counselor as follows: Grade 5 – Kara Howell – 610-205-8835 MARK YOUR CALENDAR Grade 6 – Mandi Donohue – 610-205-8836 Our Annual Fall Open House will be held on Grade 7 – David Burns – 610-205-8837 Thursday, September 19th at 6:30 PM. Mark your Grade 8 – Kim Corbi – 610-205-8838 calendar now and plan to come out and meet your . child’s teachers. 5TH GRADE TRANSITION MEETING A 5th grade transition meeting will be held on August DATES TO REMEMBER 21st starting at 6:30 pm in the auditorium. This is a 9/2/13 Holiday chance for 5th grade students and any student new to 9/3/13 First Student Day VIKING NEWS – MAY/JUNE 1998 2

9/5/13 Holiday – Schools Closed Responsibility: People who care are willing to be 9/18/13 PTC Meeting – 7:00 pm accountable for their actions, enjoying praise when 9/19/13 Open House – 6:30 pm things go well and willing to accept responsibility 9/19/13 Middle School Picture Day when things go wrong. 9/26/13 Middle School Petrucci’s Night Trust: Trust requires knowledge and understanding 6:00 pm of others. It means being able to count on and 10/16/13 PTC Meeting – 7:00 pm depend on others. 10/23/13 Study Skills Workshop 6:30 pm Family: We take family stability, responsibility of 11/1/13 Middle School Picture Retake Day family members to one another, mutual respect, and 11/5/13 Teacher In-Service care among family members to be essential to the 11/13/13 Report Cards Issued health of our students and society.Through an 11/14/13 ESL Family Night – 6:00 pm orchestrated school, home, and community approach, 11/20/13 PTC Meeting – 7:00 pm Community of Caring attempts to create a caring and 11/21/13 Conferences – 11:10 am Dismissal respectful school environment that supports students 11/25/13 7/8 Band Patriot’s Concert 7:00 pm as they develop positive character traits and to grow 11/26/13 Conferences – 11:10 am Dismissal in citizenship. 11/27/13 90 Minute Early Dismissal Volunteer Tutors 11/28-11/29 Holidays – Schools Closed Upper Merion Area Middle School has been 12/3/13 5-8 Orchestra Concert 7:00 pm fortunate to have community members and parent 12/12/13 MS Music Concert – 7:00 pm volunteers to tutor our students. This year we are in 12/23-1/1/14 Winter Break – Schools Closed need of tutors for Reading/Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies, and Foreign Language. If COMMUNITY OF CARING AT UPPER you are considering volunteering your time (even 45 MERION AREA MIDDLE SCHOOL minutes per week would be helpful) kindly e-mail Upper Merion Area Middle School is a Community [email protected] with your availability and you of Caring! We welcome our students, parents and will be scheduled with students in need of assistance guardians into our school family where we teach, live in your area(s) of expertise. and model caring, respect, responsibility, trust and family. We build a strong partnership with our Upper Merion Middle School TSA Awarded parents and guardians and work as a team to bring NASA Summer of Innovation Grant about academic success. Upper Merion Middle School Technology Student Teachers work diligently with students to establish Association Design and Engineering STEM Program a respectful classroom in which students are kind and has been awarded a NASA ‘Summer of Innovation’ respectful to all members of their school family. We grant for the 2013-14 school year. Matthew Cullen, are proud of our diversity and we celebrate it through TSA Advisor successfully completed the online grant our literature readings, our clubs and our classroom application for this program. This is the third year lessons. the UMAMS Technology and Engineering Teachers teach students responsibility for their Department has received a NASA grant to support learning. They integrate all of these qualities the Science, Technology, Engineering, and throughout the curriculum and all of our activities. Mathematics initiative. Upper Merion Area Middle School is a National School of Character! We weave citizenship and The TSA program will be run as an extra-curricular compassion through our service learning. academic team. Student applications will be Please support us by having high expectations for provided the first week of school. The program will your child academically and behaviorally and by be open to all students in grades 5-8 in our public, utilizing and reinforcing the vocabulary and actions home schooled, and charter school programs within below: the school district. Community of Caring Upper Merion Area Middle School strives to provide The students will have the opportunity to participate an educational environment that is safe for students in local, regional, and state TSA leadership and staff. We are proud to be a true Community of conferences. Design, Engineering, Aerospace, and Caring. The basic tenets of the Community of Caring Robotics competitive events will be used to drive concept include the following: activities and design challenges. Caring: People in the school community demonstrate that they care about each other and about The TSA, Science Olympiad Team, and Viking important issues. Robotics Team are ongoing organizations that Respect: To respect others means to see them as students may participate in throughout their middle valuable in their own right. school career. Concepts, activities, project samples, and event photographs will be showcased on display VIKING NEWS – MAY/JUNE 1998 2

in the Design and Engineering Lab to reinforce topics covered in regular course offerings.