Weekly Announcements for City High Middle School For Friday, February 2, 2018 Email: [email protected]
TESTING The winter testing window ends February 16. Please look for MAP test reports to come home with your student on Thursday, February 22. Please direct any questions around MAP to Mrs. Modzeleski, [email protected].
WELCOME We enthusiastically welcome Crisol Beliz to City High Middle School as the Second Secretary. Cris is a City High Middle School graduate, and more recently, an alumna of Grand Valley State University. We are thrilled to have her as part of our office team. Cris is currently helping with attendance, and is often the voice who greets you on the phone. Please feel free to introduce yourself to Ms. Beliz through email at [email protected], or take a minute to speak with her the next time you stop into City High Middle.
MIDDLE SCHOOL VALENTINE DANCE FOR GRADES 6 - 8 February 8, 2018, at City High Middle School 3 -5 PM Activities Pass or $3. Concessions will be for sale. There will be a photo booth. All CAS hours must be competed to attend.
SWIRL FOR GRADES 9 - 12 HURRY! The last day to purchase tickets for Swirl is Monday, February 5. See flyer below.
BAND CONCERT February 13, 7 PM in the auditorium. Please note this change as the concert was previously posted as February 15.
COUNT DAYS, FEBRUARY 14 & 15 Count Day (February 14) is when all public schools across Michigan tally the number of students attending school. This attendance information is essential to districts because each student translates into state funding. In a school where the day is broken up into class periods, student count is done for each section. Since City has a unique block schedule on Wednesdays and Thursdays, this requires our count day to extend over a two day period so that hours one, three, five and seven are counted on Wednesday, February 14, and hours 2, 4, 6, 8 are captured on Thursday, February 15. When possible, please schedule appointments and other activities around these dates, February 14 & February 15, so that students are able to attend all classes listed on their schedule. If your child is absent due to illness, or some other reason, please call 616-819-2381 to report and excuse the absence, or send a signed and dated note excusing your child from school.
OHHS SPORTS SWIM TEAM INFO Congratulations to the OHHS Men's Swim and Dive team on their wins over both West Catholic and Fremont last night (2/1). Individual event winners were Dawson Eriksen, Caleb Hekman, and Andrew DeBoer. 1st Place relay finishers were Dawson Eriksen, Adam Kuzee, Andrew DeBoer, and Griffin Halloran. The team will be hosting the Ottawa Hills Invitational on Saturday at 11am. Good luck guys!
MIDDLE SCHOOL COUNSELING NEWS from Ms. Tamara Johnston STRESS / ANXIETY GROUP Great news for all students. Lunch groups are starting Mid-February. Students often experience stress and anxiety both at home and at school. Arbor Circle is coming to City to do a group around stress/anxiety to answer student's common questions: How does my body respond to stress? What is the difference between stress and anxiety? How does anxiety affect me? How can I respond to stress and anxiety? Interested students please come down to the counseling office to sign up and pick up a permission slip.
PRE-COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITY Great news 7th grade parents! If your child has mostly A's and can demonstrate financial need, you will want to apply for this scholarship. https://youtu.be/CDO5CXbcDRQ The benefits last 7th through 12th grade. The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Young Scholars Program offers a unique pre-college scholarship and advising program to high-achieving, low-income students. From 8th grade through high school, Cooke Young Scholars join a community of ambitious peers and receive academic and college counseling, financial support for academic and extracurricular enrichment, and a pathway to college success. The application is open to 7th grade students from January 17, 2018 through March 21, 2018: http://bit.ly/2ArI5fk. For help applying, here are some helpful webinars to watch. https://outreach.jkcf.org/webinars/
HIGH SCHOOL COUNSELING NEWS from Ms. Danielle Ralston
PRESIDENT GERALD R. FORD STUDENT ESSAY CHALLENGE Do you know a talented student writer who could use $1,000 for college? Do you know a teacher (maybe yourself!) who could benefit from a $500 gift card for classroom supplies? Read on to learn about the President Gerald R. Ford Student Essay Challenge!
Each year students are invited to reflect on an important part of Gerald R. Ford's character. High school students nationwide are invited to participate in the contest. Finalists are chosen and recognized at a special awards program at the Museum.
Students from Michigan who submit their essay are eligible to receive the following awards: First Place: $1,000 plus a $500 gift card for student's teacher Second Place: $750 plus a $250 gift card for student's teacher Third Place: $500 plus a $100 gift card for student's teacher Up to 4 Honorable Mentions: $250 each * One $500 award will be given to a submitting student living outside of Michigan.
Special thanks to Meijer for providing the teacher gift awards!
CLICK ON THIS LINK TO Submit Your Entry Today ! https://geraldrfordfoundation.org/student-essay-challenge
The writing prompt for the 2018 Essay Challenge is: President Gerald R. Ford lived what many people would define as a life of courage. From overcoming family adversity as a child to standing up for his beliefs in college to becoming President of the United States during a time of deep political divide and social unrest, President Ford demonstrated tremendous courage. Examples of courage can be found all throughout our history as well as in our own, everyday lives. Is there someone in history or in your own personal life that you believe exemplifies this character trait? Reflect on your interpretation of courage and share your thoughts in an essay.
For a Complete list of rules and guidelines and submission information visit: geraldrfordfoundation.org/student-essay-challenge/
Click Here to Download a PDF of Rules and Guidelines
Timeline Essays must be received on or before March 12, 2018.
THERE IS MORE BELOW Including the Swirl flier, PTSA News, and important reminders.
Cordially Invites All High School Students to the Annual
For Students in Grades 9—12,
THE LAST DAY
TO PURCHASE February 10, 2018 TICKETS IS
FEBRUARY 5! 7:00—10:00 PM
The Ballroom at McKay Tower
146 Monroe Center NW
Tickets: $20 or free with Activity Pass.
Tickets will be sold during lunch CAS hours must be up to date to attend
All guest pass applications must be complete and received in the main office by February 8—sorry, no
exceptions.
PTSA ANNOUNCEMENTS (FOR SPANISH, CLICK HERE)
CHILI COOK-‐OFF A WONDERFUL SUCCESS!! Thank you to everyone who cooked, attended or donated to the Chili Cook-‐off Fundraiser!!! With all your help and a portion of sales donated by Tip Top, we raised about $1,000 for the Principal’s Fund and the Guidance Office. We couldn’t have done it without you!
MINUTES FROM LAST PTSA MEETING AND COFFEE WITH PRINCIPAL Did you miss our last PTSA meeting or want to know what was discussed at the coffee with Principal Ryan Huppert last week? Fear not, they are linked below. The next PTSA meeting is February 21. Mark your calendars! ● CLICK HERE to see the draft of minutes from the PTSA meeting. ● CLICK HERE to see the notes from the coffee meeting.
DALE HOVENKAMP $1,000 SCHOLARSHIP ESSAY CONTEST The deadline to submit your application and essay for the $1,000 Dale Hovenkamp Scholarship is April 16. You can find all details and the application on the City PTSA website. The scholarship, which is funded by the PTSA, is open to all college-‐bound seniors who meet the requirements. Applicants are asked to write a two-‐page, MLA-‐format essay on the following prompt: A new student is thinking about transferring to City. The student and her/his family don't understand CAS or its purpose. In your essay, explain why City has CAS and explain its importance in your education, focusing on the effect SERVICE has played in your life. Be specific, detailed and reflective about your most important service activities. An outside group of judges will determine the winner, which will be announced May 16 at Senior Recognition Night.
SENIOR GRAD KICK OFF TO GRADUATION CELEBRATION Secret plans are in the works for a fun, all-‐night Senior Grad Celebration to follow the Senior Recognition Night on May 16. The cost for those who didn’t meet the early bird deadline is $175 and can be paid online by clicking “Donate” at cityptsa.com and selecting “Senior Grad” as the category, or you can pay by check made out to City High Middle PTSA and put “Senior Grad” in the memo line. All payments in full need to be received by April 1. Checks should be left in the PTSA mailbox in the school office. Please send scholarship requests directly to the City office, or our PTSA Treasurer: Donna Justice Van Gessel no later than March 1. No student will be turned away due to financial need. Also, senior parents and guardians (NO STUDENTS— IT’S A SECRET!) please ask to join our CLOSED Facebook group to help with communication: City HS Senior Grad Party (NOTE: This event is different from the all-‐night Six Flags trip being planned by students with Mr. Stachura.)
VOLUNTEER TO SECURE DONATIONS FOR THE MARCH 23 AUCTION We are looking for people to volunteer to secure donations for our silent auction by contacting local businesses. We have a wonderful list of previous donors to work from with all their contact information. Check it out by CLICKING HERE. Even claiming one or two off the list will help tremendously! Just add your name to the “Procurer 2018” so our organizers can keep track. Christine Tober, Ruth Wilson or Gaelle Thibault will be happy to guide you!
MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR SILENT AUCTION: MARCH 23 This year’s auction, Journey to the Stars, will be out of this world! It’s a night of fun, food, music and shopping for a good cause! The Kent County Country Club generously provides their space for free, but this event is not stuffy! Come as you are or dress for the theme.
FROM OUR GRPS PARENT ACTION LEADERS (PALs) “America Divided” was shown and discussed at a recent GRPS Parent Action Leader (PAL) gathering and made available to share with our school families. It’s a TV series covering many areas of inequality in American systems. You can watch the first episode, discussing housing inequality, for free on YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ruui78kpUrM . Find the full series on Amazon Prime, Epix, or Hulu. See link: (https://americadividedseries.com/how-‐to-‐watch/) Contact PALs Paula Foley ([email protected]) or Gaelle Thibault ([email protected]) with any questions.
From the "America Divided" website: "In the run-‐up to the 2016 presidential election, AMERICA DIVIDED, the EPIX Original limited docu-‐series executive produced by Common, Norman Lear, and Shonda Rhimes, features narratives around inequality in education, housing, healthcare, labor, criminal justice and the political system – all woven into an eight-‐story, five-‐part series. The show follows high-‐profile correspondents as they explore aspects of inequality related to their own biographies. Correspondents include: Common, Rosario Dawson, America Ferrera, Zach Galifianakis, Norman Lear, Amy Poehler, Peter Sarsgaard, and Jesse Williams."
WE ARE GR NEWS AVAILABLE ONLINE AT ANY TIME Visit WeAreGR.com/news to check out the latest happenings at Grand Rapids Public Schools!
FREE CLASSES FOR PARENTS, GRANDPARENTS & CAREGIVERS The district offers FREE ongoing classes for parents, grandparents, and caregivers, such as English as a Second Language, Play and Learn Group for those with 1-‐5 year olds, exercises classes such as Yoga, Zumba, Cooking with Kids, Basic Computer Skills, Home Buying 101, DACA Community meetings, and more. Classes offered at multiple locations, multiple dates – find something that works for you! Did I mention the classes are FREE?! Learn more here: https://parents.grps.org/courses/ ALSO: Find grade-‐specific milestones, book ideas, and FREE classes for parents/guardians applicable to all student age ranges (including discussions of sensitive teen topics) at parents.grps.org.
UNIFORM CLOSET Have your kids grown out of uniform clothing that’s still in good shape? Please consider donating outgrown items to the uniform closet in the guidance office—just drop them off. Uniforms can be expensive for some budgets, and the closet is there to help—you can visit the guidance office or send your student to get what they need. If needed sizes are unavailable, let Ms. Ralston know and the PTSA will make it happen.
BOXTOPS FOR EDUCATION Have you been clipping those Boxtop labels off the products you buy regularly? Send them in with your student and raise money for the school. There’s a box in the office to collect them.
SHOP ONLINE? START AT SMILE.AMAZON.COM Another easy way to raise money for City is to start your online shopping at smile.amazon.com. When you start there, Amazon donates a portion of qualifying purchases to the nonprofit of your choice. Choose City High Middle PTSA from the drop-‐down menu underneath the search bar. Thanks!
CAS INFO This is a reminder that City has an IB website with information to answer your questions about the Middle Years Programme, Diploma Programme and CAS. Go to http://www.chmsib.com/. It also now features a calendar that displays upcoming assessments for each grade level. Please check it out and email Charlie VanderVliet with any questions you may have.
PARKING PERMITS High School Students: If you plan on driving to school and utilizing the parking lot, you must fill out the appropriate paperwork with Officer Mosley or Officer Vincent. There is a form that requires a parent/guardian signature. Additionally, a copy of your driver’s license, vehicle registration, car insurance and payment of $15 is required before a permit will be issued. Please bring a check or money order in the exact amount of $15 made out to GR Public Schools, as the security office is unable to make change. Any vehicle parked on the school property without the proper identification is subject to being ticketed or towed. See Officer Mosley or Officer Vincent as soon as possible.
PARKING LOT REMINDERS • Drive slowly at all times. Speed should never exceed 10 miles per hour in the parking area – reckless driving or excessive speed cannot be tolerated • Observe and obey stop signs • Always yield the right of way to busses and pedestrians • Only enter at designated access areas, and exit at marked outlets. • Keep the circle drive clear for buses • Do not park in. or block, driveways and lanes to avoid congestion and maintain the steady flow of traffic • Park your car in a marked parking space when dropping off or picking up a student • Remove keys and lock doors when exiting a car and never leave a child unattended. • Use only one parking space per vehicle – parking across spaces is not permitted and may result in ticketing • Student drivers need a parking permit (available in the school security office) – the cost is 15 dollars and proof of a valid driver’s license, vehicle registration and insurance are required • Student drivers with a valid parking permit should park in the lot on the south end of the gym. Non-registered cars may be ticketed. • Never walk between parked or moving busses • Report any parking lot accident or injury immediately to the school security office or to the main office. • Treat other drivers and pedestrians with consideration – being kind to each other inside and outside the building exemplifies the values of our City School Community.
EMERGENCY CONTACTS Please check ParentVue to ensure emergency contacts are up to date. Remember, office staff are NOT able to release students to any person not listed on the emergency contact list. Nor is release of a student permissible during the school day by way of a phone call, Email or text message, as these tools do not allow staff to identify the caller or communicator. Students must be signed-out in the main office by a parent, guardian or a person listed as an emergency contact. These policies are for the protection of students, so please try to be understanding when staff are upholding district procedure.
CROSSWALKS All students who cross Plainfield, please use-designated crosswalks and look carefully before stepping into traffic lanes. When activating the flashing cross lights, ensure that traffic is clear, or has come to a complete halt, before stepping away from the curb.
INSTRUCTIONAL INTERRUPTIONS As often as possible, we ask all of our City families to help limit interruptions to the classroom by: • Sending a note with your student for appointments, or other events that cause the need for early dismissal, so that we can limit calls to the classroom. • Letting your student know that deliveries (lunches, homework, athletic items, projects, etc) should be picked up in the main office in-between classes or during your student's lunch period. • Talking about after school transportation arrangements with your student prior to the school day. Thank you for helping us make the most of our classroom teaching time.
DISMISSAL TIME This is a reminder that students should be prepared to go home when school is dismissed at 2:41PM each day unless involved in an approved, adult-led club, WorkZone, or athletic team event. For safety reasons, please take time to discuss after-school arrangements with your child so there is a clear plan for travel home, or for involvement in an adult supervised activity at dismissal time. Students will be asked to wait outside once school is dismissed, or during inclement weather, to stay in the sheltered entrance areas, and should dress accordingly. WorkZone will not be held the last school day before an extended break such as winter break or spring break.
REPLACMENT COST Students ID - $5 Lock - $3 Planner - $5 Please stop into the main office if you want to replace these items.