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STAFF INFORMATION
TEACHERS
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ü Upcoming Events ü 5/13 6p.m. Band Boosters ü 5/20 8th Grade DSTP Science Testing ü 5/21 8th DSTP Social Studies Testing ü 5/22 7 p.m. Spring Choral Concert ü 5/26 Memorial Day—NO SCHOOL ü 5/28 7 p.m. Spring Band Concert ü 6/2 7 p.m. PTO meeting ü 6/10 Last Student Day of School ü 6/17 7 p.m. IR Board of Ed at Sussex Central High ü 6/24 Summer Bridges begins located at Sussex Central High ü 7/22 Last Day Summer Bridges
From the Principal’s Round Table Vincent Catania
I will be retiring on June 30th of this year.
I want to thank the parents for all of their support and entrusting your sons and daughters to me these last five years. I have thoroughly enjoyed being the principal at Sussex Central Middle School. The students have been wonderful, the staff extremely cooperative and it has been a pleasure working with the administrative team. The Indian River Central Office and the Board of Education have been very supportive in the initiatives and best practices that we have instituted over the last five years at Sussex Central Middle School. My final hope is that LouAnn Hudson, Principal of Millsboro Middle, and David Doherty, Principal of Georgetown Middle, be given the same support and cooperation from the teachers, parents and students. Thank you again for a positively memorable experience as the last principal of Sussex Central Middle School.
Sussex Central Middle School will also be closing its doors for the last time on June 30, 2008, and will give birth to two new middle schools, Georgetown Middle and Millsboro Middle. This will be the last publication of the Sussex Central Middle School yearbook. We are looking forward to this final edition.
The Board of Education took action on the make up days at the end of the year. Students will attend: June 9th full day June 10th full day Teachers will attend in-service: June 11th June 12th June 13th June 16th
Report cards for the last marking period can be picked up at school on June 17th. Report Cards that are not picked up will be mailed on June 18th. You will also receive a bi-weekly Progress Report on May 22nd. Please be looking for those updates on your son/daughter’s academic progress. Please call 856-1900 if you have any questions.
This is a reminder that this is the last year for Sussex Central Middle. Georgetown Middle School and Millsboro Middle School will officially begin on July 1, 2008. The phone number for Georgetown Middle School is 302-856-1900 and for Millsboro Middle 302-934-3200.
I want to thank all the teachers and support staff for the hard work in having a successful preparation for the DSTP tests in Science and Social Studies. Parent support was extremely important in 99% percent of our students taking the tests for the two days. I want to thank Michelle Erskine and Michael League for their continued efforts in setting out the daily DSTP awards for the two days. Our focus in May is on the results for the DSTP Math, Reading and Writing and the DSTP Science and Social Studies.
Moving-Up Day for Georgetown Elementary and North Georgetown Elementary is May 28th from 9:15 – 10:15. Moving-Up Day for Longneck Elementary and Millsboro Elementary is May 30th- 8:15 – 9:15 for East Millsboro and 9:15 – 10:15 for Longneck Elementary. Our sixth grade teachers will conference with each elementary feeder school for Georgetown Middle and Millsboro Middle in May.
The Junior Honor Society had the scheduled induction ceremony on April 29, 2008, at 7:00 pm in our auditorium. I want to thank all of the parents who supported their sons/daughters that evening. I want to express a special thank you to Mrs. Denham for all the hard work, practice and professional presentation of this ceremony.
The 7th Grade Bids Adieu
For those teachers who have been at Sussex Central Middle School for several years, the end of an era is almost here. We have watched our middle school grow both in population and academic success. As the state standards became law, we planned our curriculum to help our students understand those standards and become successful on the DSTP. Our daily schedule evolved from its early years to help all students reach their goals of becoming successful students and eventually, productive citizens. Staff have come and gone, but the essence of who we are has not changed. Sussex Central Middle School will be remembered as the school that always put the children first. The statement that we hope will ring in the ears of all those who have passed through these halls is, “Reach for the moon, and if you miss, you are still surrounded by the stars.”
Cindy Baker, Tracy Clark, Jenna Oliva, Gloria Bold, Renee Jerns, Jennifer Lougheed, Jaime Masters, Betsy Dupont, Tracy Revel, Jon Casto, Mary Katherine Messick, Vaughn Hogans, Matt Jones, Tara Gates, Erica Coulbourn, and Damon Pieri.
SIXTH GRADE In ELA students are finishing their novel study. Academics are reading The Egypt Game and the honors class is reading Mara, Daughter of the Nile. Students are also studying grammar. Students are looking forward to starting poetry. Students can’t wait to start writing poetry such as free verse, quatrain and haiku. Before the end of the year students will study drama and perform a small play for their team.
In Social Studies, sixth grade students have been building a framework for an understanding of Ancient Greece. The city-state of Athens was where some of the first ever ideas about democracy developed. Many ancient Greek city-state were ruled by aristocrats and tyrants. A few city-states eventually moved to a form of democracy. Male citizens in Athens, for example, were able to have a say in debating important laws and were allowed to participate in the government. Meanwhile, in another ancient Greek city-state, Sparta, things were much different. The Spartans were mostly concerned with building military power. The Spartan army would play an integral role in Greek wars against the Persians, a people who lived across the Aegean Sea, east of Greece.
In math, sixth grade students are refining their knowledge of fractions, decimals, and percents. They have started a new book Bits & Pieces III that gives them experience calculating tips, discounts, and tax. The students love learning about the 10% rule that enables them to calculate these skills without the use of a calculator!
TO OUR SIXTH GRADERS—HAVE A WONDERFUL AND SAFE SUMMER! Sheryl Blackford, Shea Radish, Cristina Palmer, Ray Butler, Carla Zeigler, Mark Throm, Kevin Cash, Dan Young, Sharon Fagan, Michelle Truitt, Lance Keeler, Betsy Pounsberry, Kim Lekites, Liz Marcozzi, Judy Schlegel
PARENT CORNER
SNAP
FAMILIES WHO HAVE CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL HEALTH CARE NEEDS CAN REGISTER WITH Emergency Medical Service staff. If you need to call 911 for any emergency, they will already know your family has a child with special medical needs living there. Call 302-744-5429 to get more information. Ask for Beth MacDonald. EIGHTH GRADE
Where in the world do we find symmetry? The Quest students can tell you that we find it at the beach, in architecture, and in the faces that we see each day. Math classes just completed the geometry unit “Kaleidoscopes, Hubcaps, and Mirrors” in which they studied reflectional, rotational, and translational symmetry. Students explored how geometric transformations of polygons produce congruent figures and explored the conditions necessary for triangles to be congruent. The Honors Algebra students have left the linear world and moved into the quadratic world! They have mastered the rules of exponents necessary to be successful as we move into quadratics.
8th grade Science is wrapping up our study of space and beginning our investigations in ecology. All students will have the opportunity to do field work in ecology at the IRSD Outdoor Education Center at Ingram Pond and at the CIB Ecological Preserve at the James Farm in Ocean View, DE. The focus of 8th grade ecology study is the incorporation our understanding of energy, developed through out this year into our understanding of ecosystems. With the help of our math teachers, we are also reviewing grade 6-8 science content for the upcoming DSTP. Social Studies classes have finished out the content part of the school year by studying the Civil War Era (Antebellum, War, & Reconstruction).
Language Arts classes are currently examining how authors craft quality literature through students’ independent novel study. The projects in this unit help students examine characters, settings, plot events, and language construction. Honors ELA students are delving into the world of Middle Earth through their study of The Hobbit. We will spend the last few weeks of school reading another novel (yes, there’s one more book to go!), Monster, by Walter Dean Myers. This realistic fiction novel provides some great opportunities for discussion of real-life issues such as crime, honesty, social justice, etc. As the year comes to a close, the eighth grade teachers would like to thank their students for a wonderful year and wish them a restful summer as they prepare to move on to the high school.
Farewell from the SCMS 8th Grade Teachers!
Bill Pepper, Carrie Rauer, Phil Hartman, Sue Boving, Shelly Erskine, Kim Cooper, Mike League, Susan Enkiri, Amy Denham, Jane Mahoney, Ryan Revel, Clarissa Stevenson, Jennie Novak, Peggy Mullane, Diana Lilley, Melissa Ricker, Tyler Dickerson, Sue Benke
CELEBRATE!
Thank you to
everyone who participated in the after- school program this year. We
had a great time. Many came to celebrate with us on
May 15,
from 6pm to 7pm.
They had a chance to view all of the wonderful projects that children
created this year. The drama club even had a special presentation! All
of the treats were created by our cooking club.
Erica Coulbourn SCMS BAND NEWS
The Instrumental Music Department at Sussex Central Middle School has been keeping itself very busy this spring. We had several students make the All-Sussex County Honors Band, a successful trip to the 6th annual University of Delaware Jazz Festival, and still have a school concert to perform, a trip to “Music in the Parks” at Six Flags Great Adventure, and a possible performance at the Delmarva Shorebirds. On February 14th we had 9 students represent SCMS at the All- Sussex County Jr. High Honors Band. This is a group that the students must audition for and be accepted into. The following students made the group and had the opportunity to perform in this very special band : Angelica Perez on Flute, Kourtney Bastianelli and Sierra West on Clarinet, Dylan Long on Bass Clarinet, Frank Roberts on Bari Sax, Doug Myers on Trumpet, Lucas Turpin on Trombone, Josh Baker on Baritone, and Alex Robb on Tympani. These students worked extremely hard at rehearsals to put on an outstanding concert and represented the school with dignity and class. On April 11th The SCMS Jazz Ensemble traveled to the University of Delaware to perform in the IAJE Jazz Festival. This was not a competition but rather a showcase of bands with the opportunity to get feedback on our performance by members of the UD music faculty. The students performed well and had a great time both performing and listening to the other jazz bands. There were three players that did receive Bravo awards for their individual solos: Frank Roberts on Tenor Sax, Doug Myers on Trumpet, and Josh Baker on Baritone. This was our sixth year participating in this festival ,and it is a great way for the students to gain a greater appreciation for the art of Jazz. Sussex Central Middle School’s very last spring concert is scheduled for Wednesday, May 28,th at 7:00pm. The concert will consist of three performing groups. First will be the 6th grade band made up of 30 players. They will be performing pieces such as “Dance Celebration” and “Take me out to the Ballgame.” The 6th Grade performance will be followed by the Jazz Ensemble. The Jazz Band will be playing the old Jazz standard “Moonglow” as well as several other charts. The final group performing will be the 7th/8th Grade Concert Band. The concert band will be playing a plethora of tunes concluding with the Theme to the Muppet Show. It should make for a wonderful evening and a great way to celebrate the school we called Sussex Central Middle. Two days later on May 30th both the Concert Band and the Jazz Ensemble will be traveling to Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, N.J., to perform in a “Music in the Parks” festival. While there the group will perform for a group of judges and receive a score or grade. With this we will be competing against bands from New Jersey to Rhode Island. After the performances the students will get to enjoy themselves at the park and then have a picnic meal before the awards ceremony. The last performance of the year may be taking place at Arthur W. Perdue Stadium on either June 2nd or June 4th. The entire 6th-8th grade band members have the opportunity to perform the Nation Anthem for the opening of a Delmarva Shorebirds game. As you can see, the band students at SCMS have been very busy learning, preparing, and performing a variety of music. Most importantly they are learning how to create art and having fun while doing it.
By: Christopher B Reavis, Band Director SCMS Keyboarding Mrs. May
This year in the Keyboarding exploratory, students learned basic keyboarding skills. These skills will help them throughout their education and beyond to the business world.
This exploratory is taught to 6th – 8th; grade students; therefore, the curriculum varies slightly with each grade. The 6th grade students learned the proper format for business letters and memos. Using Microsoft Word, they practiced writing letters to other students as well as writing a letter to a teacher or administrator.
In addition to keyboarding, our 7th graders have learned about managing personal finances. They covered topics such as savings, using credit wisely, managing checking accounts, and budgeting.
Since our 8th graders will soon be reaching a milestone in their life as they transition from middle school to high school, they explored different career paths and the process of finding a career which may lead to a satisfying and rewarding life. Our students also practiced job-seeking skills such as, completing job applications and participating THE ILC REPORT-MAY
May is upon us and bright, sunny days are ahead! ILC students are continuing to work hard in Math, Language Arts, Science and Social Studies, as well as in their Exploratory classes. Please continue to look for bi-weekly progress reports until the end of the school year, and call if you have questions or concerns. Even though warmer weather and longer day light hours are here, we will continue to set goals to strive toward until the end of the school year. Please help us help your child reach their 2007-2008 school year goals!
Whitney Price Denise Cuthill Mike Grabowski Linda Spiezio Brian Hitchens FAREWELL
After many, many years of being teacher, coach, athletic director, and administrator, it is time for me to step down. I have only worn the blue and gold and will always be a loyal supporter. The past six years have flown by, and I still say our kids are the best and this staff is beyond compare. I will miss them tremendously. So good-bye and good luck to everyone.
R.W. “Woody” Long Thanks to the following for their help in making this newsletter possible: Erica Coulbourn, Tracy Revel, Vince Catania, Melissa Rust , Wanda Calvert, Sharon Thomas, our custodians, and the Georgetown Day Program. Carol Perrington Sussex Central A Couplet Poem By Cody Collins and Chris Bailey 6th Grade Eagles
Blue and yellow like the Blue Hens As they’re trapped in their pens Knights on a winning streak As the other teams go “shriek”! Hard as Clay While others pay The Knights say, “YAY”! The others say, “NAY.” From The District OfficeIndian River Educational Complex, 31 Hosier St., Selbyville, De. 19975 Phone: 436-1000 • Fax: 436-1034
May 2008News and NotesReferendum Scheduled: The district will host a current expense referendum on Thursday, May 22, for the purpose of generating additional local funding for operating expenses, salaries and the implementation of full-day kindergarten. Voting is from 10:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. District residents who are at least 18 years of age are eligible to vote at the following local polling places: Georgetown Elementary School, Indian River High School, Long Neck Elementary School, Lord Baltimore Elementary School, Millsboro Middle School and Selbyville Middle School. For more information, contact the district’s Referendum Hotline at 436-1079 or visit the district web site at www.irsd.net.
DSTP Testing: DSTP science and social studies testing for Grades 8 and 11 will be held on May 20 and 21. Please make note of these important dates and make sure your children are well-rested and well-nourished when they arrive at school.
No School: There will be no school on Monday, May 26, in observance of the Memorial Day holiday. Calendar Changes: The Board of Education has approved a series of calendar changes related to the weather cancellations of January 25 and February 22. The last day of school for students is Tuesday, June 10, and will be a full day of school. In addition, Monday, June 9, which was originally listed as a half day, will now be a full day for students.
Teacher of the Year: Congratulations to Mike Lingenfelter of Selbyville Middle School who was named the district’s 2008-2009 Teacher of the Year at a special banquet on April 16 at Sussex Pines Country Club. Mr. Lingenfelter will now compete for the state Teacher of Year Award, which will be announced in October. He was chosen as the overall district winner from a pool of candidates representing each school. This year’s school winners were Margie Booth of Sussex Central High School, Gemma Cabrera of North Georgetown Elementary School, Jill Collins of Phillip C. Showell Elementary School, Michelle Erskine of Georgetown Middle School, Shannon Gallo of Long Neck Elementary School, Kim Kleinstuber of Frankford Elementary School, Mary Kreger of Lord Baltimore Elementary School, Tanya Mock of East Millsboro Elementary School, Dawn Moore of Georgetown Elementary School, Margot Newbold of Richard Allen School, Ryan Revel of Millsboro Middle School, Margie Showard of Howard T. Ennis School, Kassie Wells of Southern Delaware School of the Arts and Carla Yngve of Indian River High School. Congratulations to all of these talented teachers!
Teacher Week: May 5-9 was National Teacher Appreciation Week. Please take time to recognize your children’s teachers for their hard work and dedication.
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