Published by the Dumbarton Middle School PTSA

Dumbarton Middle School Susan Harris, Principal March 2019

From the Principal’s Desk….

Dear Parent/Guardian,

I want to commend our Honor Roll students for doing an amazing job second quarter. We posted each of their names in our lobby (see below) which filled up a whole wall. Interim reports will go home Thursday, March 7. Please note with all the weather issues of late there may be fewer grades posted than we had anticipated. Teachers will be happy to work with students as the quarter progresses to ensure they are achieving at a high level. PRIDE time returns this Friday where students will have a chance to work with a DMS staff member and a small group of students who also have that same interest. This allows us to build relationships between students across grade levels and with our English Language Learners. Teachers also enjoy having time to share their expertise on a topic that individual students want to learn more about.

We look forward to seeing you at the school play to be performed on 3/14 and 3/15 which is always fantastic. There is a small admission charge to cover the cost of materials/costumes. Please note that our school calendar of events is updated each month and posted on the last page of this newsletter for your information. Thank you for your continued partnership as we focus on educating your amazing children.

Sincerely,

Susan Harris, Principal

ELA 8- In 8th grade Language Arts classes, Academic students are continuing to read the books Refugee or Seedfolks as they analyze various formats and how they convey ideas. Both texts and in-class readings focus on how people develop a sense of belonging in a culture. In Advanced Academics, students are applying a variety of critical approaches to analyzing literature as they read "A Midsummer Night's Dream" by William Shakespeare, as well a book of their choosing.

Science 8- Students just learned that natural selection influences probability and frequency of traits given changes within the population’s environment. This learning cycle looks at the long-term effects of natural selection and how a species can change over time. The emphasis for this unit is that pressures put on a species may cause the species to evolve over time or to go extinct.

Math- In February, Algebra 1 students finished analyzing the data they gathered about the rate of wheatgrass growth and started a unit on piece-wise functions. Geometry students finished their study of triangles and are now learning how to apply those theorems and properties to quadrilaterals. Math 8 will be tackling solving equations using the distributive property as well as solving systems of linear equations.

American History- 8th Graders in history are training to be awesome citizens. Currently they are learning about the U.S. Constitution, its principles, and the early days under the Washington administration. In other news, the annual Geography Bee was held school-wide in all social studies classes. Last week Mr. Kampes and Mr. Richards hosted the finalists in the auditorium. As of today, we the number of contestants is down to 10. Look for the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners to be published soon. The winner will have an opportunity to represent Dumbarton Middle at the Maryland State Geography Bee this spring.

8th Grade P.R.I.D.E Students The following students were recognized for demonstrating Empathy: The ability to understand and share the feelings of another. Laila L.-W. Thomas B. Noah P. Anna H. Evan C. Ravjot S. Amelia R. Ralph G. Anna H. Joyce I. R. Bidzina V.

Andrea N. Evan B.

Estelle G. Adam D. Jillian McN. Ashleigh L.

Janice Millard, 8th Grade Level Coordinator [email protected]

Attention 8th grade parents:

Applications for the AVID program at Towson High School are now available.

Please contact Dr. Martin at [email protected] in the school counseling office. The application deadline is March 15th. 8th Grade 2019

Here are the exciting 2019 activities coming up for our 8th grade students! You will receive more information about each activity closer to the date. Activity Date

Washington D.C. Field Trip Tuesday Smithsonian Museums & Monuments on the National Mall April 16, 2019

Permission slips & payment due no later than March 13th Note: This is an extended day trip. We return to DMS at 4:30.

Residency Re-verification required for all 8th graders. More information will be provided in the spring newsletters and will be posted on May – June 1, 2018 our website. Parents can send required documents to school with their child or bring it in themselves. th 8 Grade Farewell Dance Friday, Sponsored by the PTSA May 10, 2019

At 7 pm 8th Grade Arts Festival & Spring Concert Wednesday May 22, 2019 At 7 pm

Camden Yards Field Trip Meet with Orioles Groundskeeper & Thursday attend Orioles vs. Yankees Game May 23, 2019 (PENDING) Note: This is an extended day trip. We return to DMS at 4:30.

8th Grade Farewell Assembly at Dumbarton Middle School Wednesday

June 12, 2019 (2 tickets per student for family/friends due At 7 pm to limited seating in our auditorium)

SCIENCE NEWS-Students are learning about human body systems. They will be working on a project involving the interaction of two organ systems and how they perform a task. We will then prepare to move on to Unit 3: The chemistry within us. It focuses on the processes of making sugar in plants and consuming sugar in animals.

MATH NEWS-For March in Algebra 1, exponential functions! We will analyze growth and decay in an exponential theme. (Double a penny a day for a month, anyone?) Pre-Algebra will continue to wrestle with equations and modeling situations that can be represented by equations. We will be extracting data from graphs and learning the importance of accurate data.

WORLD CULTURES NEWS-Students in Social Studies will learn about the various events and forces that ended feudalism. This includes the Crusades, Bubonic Plague, Mongol Horde, and the creation of the nation-state. While the invention of the Printing Press and the Renaissance are not explicitly included in the curriculum, teachers hope to address these times, too. Students are analyzing primary and secondary sources and crafting essays to prepare arguments about them.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS- Language Arts students have begun their third unit of study. In the Academic classes, students are participating in a unit titled Choosing to Appreciate Historical Fiction. We have already read about a few different times in history and compared those non-fiction texts with historical fiction narratives set during the same time. The students should be reading their self-chosen historical fiction books at home that they checked out from the school library. Students in Advanced Academic classes are participating in a unit titled Choosing My Perspective and we spent some time exploring the space race and tracing arguments. Next, the students will be researching a controversial issue relevant to middle school students in order to develop an argument that supports a claim as they read Parallel Journeys and analyze WWII propaganda and speeches given during the war that represent different perspectives.

WORLD LANGUAGES- World Language Classes will be working on the Challenge Accepted chapter of the curriculum. In this unit of study, students will be exploring how technology use has changed daily life for the better and negative effects come of technological progress. Students will also begin to address how global issues in their generation can be solved using technology by choosing a problem to research and address.

7th Grade Contact Information Natalie Zinkham, Grade Level Coordinator, [email protected] Stacy Stathopoulos, Assistant Principal, [email protected]

7th grade counselor CORNER

Executive Functioning Lesson

During the month of February, students in Mr. Atkins and Ms. Lewis’ Health classes learned about Executive Functioning Skills to promote school success. Students took a short self-assessment to identify their strongest and weakest executive functioning skills. They also chose a weakness and created a plan to improve that skill. Ask your student about how they will work to improve their executive function!

Ms. Chesser and Mr. Blockston’s students participated in this lesson during the 2nd quarter.

6 Year Planning is Underway

Students are continuing to meet with Mrs. Murphy to complete their 6 Year Plans. If your student has completed their planning session with Mrs. Murphy, ask them how many Service Learning Hours they need for high school graduation and where to find information about high school magnet programs. If they have not met with Mrs. Murphy to date, feel free to begin exploring high school magnet options here.

[email protected] 410-887-5654

Kudos to the following 6th grade P.R.I.D.E. Stars! They have been recognized by their teachers for their perseverance, respect, intellectual growth, diligence, and empathy.

 Robin U.  Finlay H.  Nia F.  Sophia L.  Yuna I.  Emma B.  Elaina P.  Grace E.  Fatou S.  Tatiana O.  Gilma A.  Rishard T.  Mariah H.  Everett K.

Here’s what our 6th graders have been working on in their classes.

World Cultures--6th graders are learning about Ancient India’s Mauryan and Gupta Empires. They have recently learned about the great Chandragupta Maurya, unifier of India, as well as his grandson Ashoka. They will be analyzing sources to determine whether Ashoka was an evil conqueror or a kind Buddhist. Students will also be exposed to the beliefs of Hinduism and Buddhism. Both systems were largely influential in Ancient Indian society, and Buddhism, specifically has spread to influence many other cultures around the world. Stay tuned for the shift from Ancient India into the Persian and later Greek Empires! 

Language Arts--In all of Mrs. Grandsire and in some of Ms. Ungvarsky's classes, as students read One Crazy Summer at home, in class they are discussing and analyzing how themes in the text correspond to themes in songs related to the time in which the story takes place. Theme continues to be an integral part of all our 6th grade ELA units! In the rest of Ms. Ungvarsky’s classes as well as in Ms. Elliott’s classes, students will soon apply theme to Esperanza Rising. First, though, students will continue their exploration of the historical context in which Esperanza Rising takes place. Students have discussed immigration in the 1930s as well as the effects of the Great Depression. Students too are learning about problems faced by migrant workers, especially migrant worker children, through first person accounts of migrant worker children.

Art--All 6th grade art students will be taking the Baltimore County Visual Arts Midpoint Assessment.

Math--Students are studying the unit “Equivalent Expressions.” This unit addresses important Common Core Standards in the Critical Areas of understanding algebraic expressions and solving equations and inequalities. Domain 6.EE Expressions and Equations Cluster Apply and extend previous understandings of arithmetic to algebraic expressions. The unit also supports additional standards. Domain 6.EE Expressions and Equations Cluster reason about and solve one-variable equations and inequalities.

World Languages--In Latin, students are working on describing Roman careers, their parents’ careers, and their future goals in order to talk about their future. In Spanish and French, students are working on describing what clothes they wear and what clothes others wear (color, material, etc.). They are talking about the activities they do and where they go and how that is reflected in their personal style.

Aiden S. Cristina C. Harry T. Lucy R. Sam S. Anais M. Dorothea W. Helen C. Macy F. Sepideh T. Ava G. Drew C Jack G. Mahlet F. Seth M. Avery Y.W. Dylan D. John K. Miguel C. Sophie Q. Braeyln W. Edson R.C. Jolie V. Molly J. Stella C. Caitlin O. Eric L. Julianna L. Ms. Fontinell Tehya S. Casey T. Faith W. Kendal P. Nora S. Zach S. Charlotte R. Grace L. Leo M. Owen A.W. Claire S. Hable F. Lila S. Patrick O. Cooper G. Hailey S. Lioness W. Rowan C.

For February 2019

Ms. Sharbonda would like to congratulate the students listed above for working especially hard in Algebra & Geometry.

**These students were nominated by their classmates **

Our P.R.I.D.E. is Our Future Perseverance, Respect, Intellectual Growth, Diligence, Empathy

Welcome Spring and Welcome to Allergy Season!! Who knows when our Spring allergy season will arrive with the area’s unpredictable weather patterns. If your students struggle with seasonal allergies, please consider giving them allergy medicine prior to school and start soon. The only medication we can offer for school use with your permission is Benadryl which has the potential to make students sluggish and my supply is limited.

Also, with the onset of warmer weather, especially after Spring Break, comes a wardrobe change as kids switch to shorts and lighter weight clothing. Please remember our dress code and ensure your students come to school in appropriate clothing suitable for our academic setting. Especially for our female students this means shorts of appropriate finger-tip length, and tops properly covering the upper chest, shoulder and midriff areas. Please direct any questions about dress code to the student handbook or contact us at Dumbarton for clarification. Sweatshirts are still needed for chilly mornings.

The 3rd week of March is National Poison Prevention Week sponsored by the Maryland Poison Center to raise awareness of poisoning dangers and help educate all citizens in areas of prevention. Key tips to help keep you and your family poison-safe include: Taking special care with storing of medicines and household cleaners, staying safe outdoors by avoiding plants in wooded areas and snakes and spiders. Encourage your children to always ask or tell an adult if they think a friend has eaten or drank something they shouldn’t have—it could save a life. Be prepared for a poison emergency—enter the poison center phone number in your cell phone so it’s always handy if needed: 1-800-222-1222.

6th grade parents: Keep those updated vaccine forms coming!! I am happy to accept them until the last day of school in June. Feel free to contact me at any time for concerns that popup with your fabulous children. Stay focused as we head down the home stretch. Nurse Donna [email protected] Donna Miedusiewski, RN (Met-a-shes-ski)

Our P.R.I.D.E. is Our Future Perseverance, Respect, Intellectual Growth, Diligence, Empathy

ATTENDANCE: A Key to Your Child’s Success

Schools are responsible for teaching your child. But schools cannot do their jobs if their student is absent or excessively tardy. Learning builds day by day. A child who misses a day of school or comes late, misses a day of learning. Your child’s success in school depends on having a solid educational background- one that can only be gained through regular school attendance. Attendance is the single most important factor in school success! Tips to Improve Your Child’s School attendance: . Talk with your child about the importance of attending school daily and on time. . Do not accept excuses for why your child “must” miss or be late for school. . Lead by example. If children see parents taking off work for no real reason, they may expect to be able to do the same thing. If you have questions or concerns regarding your child’s attendance, please contact their homeroom teacher.

Our P.R.I.D.E. is Our Future Perseverance, Respect, Intellectual Growth, Diligence, Empathy

A special thank-you to the Math Counts competition team!

Gabe F. Evan C. Ethan D. Eric L.

On Saturday, February 2, 2019 the team competed in the Baltimore Chapter Competition held at McDonogh High School, in Owings Mills, MD. I want to recognize and thank them for their dedication and hard-work as they worked through some very difficult mathematics problem-solving questions. Thank you!

Special congratulations to Evan C. whose score was high enough to earn him an individual spot at the State Competition on Saturday March 16, 2019 at Johns Hopkins University.

MathCounts is an after-school club that meets weekly. Students competed for a “spot” on the team, but practice for next year continues throughout the spring season. If you love math and enjoy problem-solving, join us for a practice! Email Mrs. Ninos for questions: kninos@ bcps.org or send her a message in Schoology for more info.

Now’s the Time! To be considered for end of school year recognition for service learning hours, all independent hours must be recorded by the end of the third marking period in March. Who qualifies? The top five 8th graders from your school with 75 or more independent hours. Submit hours to Mrs. Murphy, your Service Learning Coordinator Service Learning Form

Our P.R.I.D.E. is Our Future Perseverance, Respect, Intellectual Growth, Diligence, Empathy

The DMS Comfort closet has been a HUGE success in the first half of the school year. We have provided supplies to Over 25 students and families.

However, the closet is much depleted, and in great need of the following items: Body wash, Shampoo, Lotion, Toothpaste, Brushes/Combs, Deodorant, Laundry Pods, and Maxi Pads.

Thanks so much for your support! *Donations can be dropped off in the DMS front office or in the labeled blue bin in the driveway at 915 Kingston Rd.*

Our P.R.I.D.E. is Our Future Perseverance, Respect, Intellectual Growth, Diligence, Empathy

EMPTY BOWLS & Kindness Club

In February, the Kindness Club worked with Ms. Kathy Fick to paint bowls for the “Empty Bowls” event in March (see below for more details). These bowls were donated to this event to help raise money for St. Vincent de Paul of Baltimore. We would like to give a special thanks to the PTA who sponsored this opportunity for our students. Our students learned about the people in our community whose “bowls” are not filled with the things that we enjoy: friends, family, a warm home, hot meals. You can see the special care that our students took to paint beautiful works of art for this event. Please consider attending “Empty Bowls” this year.

EMPTY BOWLS INFORMATION (More Information @ http://emptybowlsbaltimore.org/) Empty Bowls is St. Vincent de Paul of Baltimore’s signature event that raises funds, friends and awareness of our work to serve those who are hungry and homeless in our community.

Empty Bowls takes place Saturday, March 23rd at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium.

Our P.R.I.D.E. is Our Future Perseverance, Respect, Intellectual Growth, Diligence, Empathy

Information from the BCPS Office of School Climate

Our P.R.I.D.E. is Our Future Perseverance, Respect, Intellectual Growth, Diligence, Empathy

Officer Ballard & Principal Harris spoke to all students via the morning announcements about the dangers of vaping and the importance of making good decisions. They also reviewed the health, school and legal consequences related to underage vaping. Here is some information for parents.

Our P.R.I.D.E. is Our Future Perseverance, Respect, Intellectual Growth, Diligence, Empathy

DUMBARTON

PARENT CALENDAR

2018-2019

This calendar is updated each month to reflect March changes/adjustments made throughout the year. 7 Picture Day – sign up required 8 PRIDE Time at 2pm 11 PTSA Executive Board Meeting: 6 PM 13-14 MISA testing for 8th graders in the morning (MSDE Science Test) 14-15 DMS School Play 7PM 21-28 BCPS Band Assessment at DMS and Chorus Assessment (another location) during school hours 29 PTSA Sponsored Movie Night (Auditorium) 7-9 PM

April 5 PRIDE Time today 5 Third Marking Period Ends: Schools Close 3 hours early 8 – 12 Spring Book Fair in Library 9 Tentative date: PARCC On-line testing window opens for DMS 10 Literacy Afternoon in the Library 3-6PM 10 Math Information Night for Incoming 6th Grade Parents at 7PM 15 PTSA Executive Board Meeting: 6 PM 16 8th Grade Field trip to Washington DC (returns at 4:30 PM) 18 Spring Break begins at the end of the school day 23 Report Cards distributed 26 Educator’s Rising Dance 7PM

May 6 Interims go home (conferences arranged as needed) 6-10 Teacher Appreciation Week 10 PTA Sponsored Eighth Grade Dance in Gym 7 PM 13 PTSA Executive Board Meeting (final meeting for the year): 6 PM 15 Grade 6 Spring Arts Festival and Concert at 7PM 20 7th Grade Spring Arts Festival & Concert 7 PM 22 8th Grade Spring Arts Festival & Concert 7 PM 23 8th Grade Field Trip to Oriole Park at Camden Yards (returns at 4:30 PM) 27 Memorial Day: Schools closed 29 Spring Honors Concert 7 PM

June 3 NJHS Induction Ceremony 7 pm (Monday evening) 5 BCPS Professional Development Day: Schools closed for students 12 8th Grade Farewell Ceremony 7pm 13 Schools Close 3 Hours Early 14 ** Last Day of School: Schools Close 3 Hours Early ** Last day may change due to number of snow days. BCPS makes this decision in April/May.

Our P.R.I.D.E. is Our Future Perseverance, Respect, Intellectual Growth, Diligence, Empathy