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WHAT’S UP, WARHAWK?

Principally Speaking By Erin Anderson, Principal of MJHS

MAY 2015

Academic Team Updates: Find out what’s happening with your student’s grade level team. 2

Art Room News: creative achievements by Madison students 3

A note from Madison Home & School President, Bonnie Ranieri, plus It is so cliché to say, but “I just that learning takes many information about our FaceBook page. can’t believe it is already the end shapes and forms. You may 4 of the year!” just comes so hear students come home quickly! While the freezing cold and talk about “Genius Hour” Science Fair Drumline Performance of January is but a bitter memory, and wonder what that might Literary Magazine so many experiences have be. This is a loosely Parents Power of Choice Newsletter transpired since that time! structured research Jeanine Nicarico Memorial Literacy Fund G.L.O.W. 5K Run/Walk opportunity in which 5 This spring our students engaged students are engaged in in the first round of standardized exploring a question of testing known as the PARCC inquiry that they develop on assessments, in which online their own based upon an tests aligned to the common core interest or curiosity. The variety of content areas in an authentic will not only provide benchmark range of topics is vast. The experience. data on individual student growth commitment and passion the and progress, but will inform our As we step into summer, it is critical that students are displaying as students stay mentally fit and as parents, curricular development as well. they invest hours in pursuing This year, our students you can guide your child with support and the answers to their inquiries expectations just as you do during the participated in a March session is inspiring. This teaching and a May session. school year. This will not only provide the and learning strategy allows structure that adolescents crave, but it will We recognize that students are for students to apply many ease the challenges that often come in much more than test scores and skills they have learned in a Continued on page 4

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What’s Up, Warhawk? May 2015

Academic Team Updates

th Team Flyers (6 Grade) th depicting what they learned. Team Soar (6 Grade) At the May 5th, half-day institute, Topics range from birth order to `Team Soar piloted the Asus tablets Madison teachers learned about black holes to how color affects our during the 2014-2015 school year. Genius Hour. Genius Hour is an lives. Teachers & students transitioned innovative opportunity that allows from & pen to online & students to explore their own A few students shared their blended learning opportunities. passions. Through language arts thoughts on Genius Hour: By using the Asus tablets, we have classes, sixth grade students are I am self-directed & focused on my topic engaged in online interactive participating in Genius Hour for because it is something that I love. activities & programs in the their final research project. After classroom. Our knowledge about choosing a topic they are interested Genius Hour is a fun & exciting way for computers & technology has in learning more about, students us to learn about something we are increased as we have interacted & developed a compelling question passionate about, rather than being told communicated daily through which they wanted answer through what to research. It gives a lot of Canvas, discussion boards, virtual their research. freedom, but educates us at the same discovery, media presentations, time! project-based learning, etc. When their research is completed, You can show people what they don’t sixth grade students will create a The tablets have given us really know about you. Show what you independence by allowing students final product of their choice know & like. Continued on page 3

Team United (7th Grade) Synergy (8th Grade) Team United has been hard at work In language arts, Synergy students, exponential functions, in all our classrooms. We’re sure have worn many different quadratic equations, and your students have shared the joys hats. Investigative journalism statistics. All of the students of their recent end to their study of enriched their narrative skills through have been exposed to high diversity, adaptations, & natural crafting newscasts and news stories. school algebra. selection….the much anticipated An author's craft essay allowed them frog dissection. to analyze the effects of craft moves In science, students used purposefully made by authors. physics to design a propeller In Math, students are discussing Currently students are learning how to and rubber band powered car. interpreting different graphs, effectively stake a claim/position, Pairs of students used simple followed by Probability & Statistics. support it with the strong evidence, machines and their We just wrapped up total cost, create a counterargument, and understanding of Newton's sales price, commission, gratuity, conclude their reasoning. laws to create a self-propelled & percents for various real life car, measuring how far their car In math, students covered topics situations. So next time you’re traveled. including: solving linear equations, figuring out that tip at a restaurant, line slope, the Pythagorean Theorem, In social studies, students ask your child to help! and the distance formula. Honors covered a variety of topics from math topics include solving, graphing, learning about the earliest In Honors math we are finishing and writing linear systems, Americans to the "Duck and slope & systems of equations & Cover Drills" of the Cold War. moving on to Statistics. Continued on page 3 Continued on page 3

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What’s Up, Warhawk? May 2015

Art Room News

Municipal Center Art Show Madison students proudly displayed their artwork at the Municipal Center Art Show this past February. We had 52 AWESOME pieces of art displayed! Artwork consisted of Amate Bark Paintings, Chinese Brush Paintings, Surreal Hand Drawings and several different pieces of Conceptual Art inspired by Tom Phillips, Jenny Holzer, Barbara Kruger, Keith Haring and Jaune Youth Art Month Quick-To-See Smith. In March, during Youth Art Month, Madison th Some sample work included: was represented by an 8 Grader who created a powerful piece titled, Disabled Not Dumb.

Team Soar (continued) Team United (continued) Synergy (continued) to work on their own with guided Heading out of town? Perhaps your For skill development, we support. Major benefits included student’s Europe Travel focused on learning a note taking taking quizzes & tests more Presentations for Social Science style used at Naperville Central effectively, increased collaboration could tip the scales for a trip High School:Cornell Notes, along with peers, & immediate feedback overseas. Students are collecting with effective test taking from peers.. information on a European country, strategies. Finally, weekly preparing visuals, & current events helped students A few students shared their thoughts keep a connection between the about DLI this year: creating/performing speeches designed to attract visitors. If you’re past, present, and future. I found the DLI to make basic tasks like still on the fence on where you’re writing or taking tests much more simple & going to travel, ask your student to efficient. It has made everything much debate the pros & cons of a smoother. particular location. DLI has made our school year more Congratulations to effective & fun. I hope that we can use In Language Arts, we are studying these tablets in the future. the art of argument, including our Eighth Graders researching a controversial topic & as they move on to “It has helped us because most of the debating the affirmative & negative modern world is surrounded by sides for it. In addition, students will Naperville Central! technology, so it makes school more fun & relevant .” be writing a paper on their findings. We’ve also finished up our study, Gym Candy.

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What’s Up, Warhawk? May 2015

Madison Home & School "Like" Us on FaceBook A as you plan for summer, Home & H &S will be ready to go again in School volunteers are working August with school supply Did you know that Madison Home & hard. In addition to year-end work distribution & magazine drive. School has its own FaceBook page? in the LRC, the 8th Grade Moving Please consider volunteering at There you can find out the latest On Ceremony prep is in full swing. Madison. Whether you have one information on opportunities & hour to spare or ten, whether you happenings within our school I want to take this opportunity to want to be in the school or work thank all the chairs & volunteers for community, such as the link to from home, there is an purchase school supply kits the wonderful work they did this opportunity for you at Madison th year. School supplies, magazine (deadline was May 15 ) and a call H&S. It is a wonderful way to for donations to the Madison drive, LRC, staff appreciation, and show your child how much you all the other jobs we have done Closet, which provides dress clothes value our Madison community. for eighth graders needing outfits could not happen without the You can find more information in tireless volunteers that make our for special events like the boat trip the summer mailer or on the H&S and Moving On ceremony. Don't Madison Community great. A page on the Madison website. miss other timely announcements. special thank you to my executive Our first H&S meeting of the "Like" Madison Junior High Home & board, Linda Hansen, Lori Halldow, 2016-16 school year on Thursday School. and Jeanne Mason for not only all August 27th at 8:45 am. the time and effort they put in to making H&S run smoothly, but also I wish you a summer filled with for the grace, humor, patience family, friends, and fun! (with me) they showed through out the year. Bonnie Ranieri President Madison Home & School.

Principally Speaking (Continued) August as the angst of a new • Seek out a way to help school year looms. someone in the Try to learn something neighborhood by mowing the Some helpful ideas include: lawn, pulling weeds, reading about everything and to them, watching little • Enroll your child in a everything about children or helping for an summer reading program something. hour once a week

• Develop a physical activity th I wish all of the best to our 8 Thomas Huxley routine “walk, run, bike or graders who are moving on. We are swim” time each day proud of you and we know you will • Have them use their math continue to do well. See you next skills with some aspect of year Warhawks! the budget Ms. Erin K. Anderson

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What’s Up, Warhawk? May 2015

2015 Science Fair Jeanine Nicarico On February 12, Madison Junior included elaborate sets of arms, Memorial Literacy Fund High’s cafeteria was buzzing with wheels, gears, handles, cups, G.L.O.W. 5K Run/Walk! over 40 young scientists. The balloons, and rods. Overall, the students displayed their quality of projects was amazing and investigations and Rube Goldberg impressed the judges and Madison Saturday, June 6 inventions during Open House. The community members alike! 8 p.m. experiments ranged in topics from facial beauty and the golden ratio Doing the science fair is really fun. You Cross-town junior high get to learn new things, build, create, to determining quality insulation. school competition: and present your creative work! Students’ Rube Goldberg machines ~Shae Yendrek the school with the greatest participation wins an author visit. Drumline Representatives Celebrate the Earth Each participant receives a t-shirt with Five members of the Madison Drumline recently performed at the Green sign-up. Don’t forget to choose Madison Earth Fair at McDonald Farm. They led a parade around the farm grounds as your school group! There is a cap of while playing their signature cadences Nosidam & Groove Cadence 2,000 participants, so register soon #1. Young elementary students joined the procession by playing home- using the link below! made instruments created at the fair. The fair also featured several tables Email questions to Mrs. Pop and tents advertising ecologically friendly products, sustainable energy, ([email protected]) organic foods, and awareness for environmental causes. or Mrs. Munroe ([email protected]) The percussionists were especially appreciated by former art teacher & activist Carolyn Finzer, AKA Monah the Monarch Butterfly, who http://nicaricoliteracyfund.org/glow/registration.cfm contacted Madison to ask the group to perform.

Social Media: A Parent’s Responsibility Literary Magazine Congratulations to the many Copies of the Literary Tweeting, posting & Madison students whose Magazine will be sold during sharing every thought poetry, stories, and artwork lunch periods for only 50 & action are a fact of were featured in our school’s cents apiece! All proceeds life for adolescents. annual Literary Magazine! will benefit the Jeanine Connecting and interacting with their Once again, our talented Nicarico Memorial Literacy friends on line is how student body has submitted Fund. Please contact Mrs. they communicate. creative and extraordinary Pop if you have any work for all to enjoy. questions. Our job as parents is to understand the technology our children are using so that we can parent them effectively and keep them children. Use this activity to have your children educate the safe. Find tips to get you started in this newly landed alien (you) about technology and social media. month’s Parents Use Your Power newsletter. Power of Choice 6-8th Grade Parent Survey Electronic Media Awareness We would love to get your feedback about our Aliens have landed! Sometimes it feels like campaign. Your input can make our campaign even more we live on a different planet than our effective. Please take a few minutes to complete our survey!

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