Gettysburg Area Middle School

MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL As we look toward spring, I would like to celebrate some of the wonderful things going on at GAMS: There are Open Door Writing Days scheduled for all students to work on writing contests in Mrs. Riddlemoser's room. In March, students will be working on the Shippensburg University AuthorSHIP contest. They can enter poetry, fiction, or essays. Students in 6, 7, and 8 can enter. In March, 7th grade female students will be invited write a short essay to be one of 20 females chosen to attend Shippensburg University ESTEEM conference in May. The event focuses on exploring science, technology, engineering, earth science, and mathematics. Essays are due to Mrs. Riddlemoser by March 17th and the conference is May 11th. Mrs. Riddlemoser and Mrs. Clark Cuadrado will be chaperoning this fun all day event. Seventh grade Social Studies students are discovering some of the causes of World War I first hand by participating in a simulation. Students are grouped into European countries, and then are given background information regarding neighboring countries. They must compose letters encouraging the building of alliances or purposely misleading their neighbors. In this way they experience the impact of those actual alliances on the continent of Europe, and how that brought about the first World War. Seventh and Eighth grade Music Enrichment students are learning basic guitar skills and will have the opportunity to play for others in class and maybe even the school. Students will learn basic keyboard/piano skills and advanced students will treat the class to a solo if they choose. The physical education staff would like to give a heart-felt thank you to our students who helped raise money for the American Heart Association in our annual "Dodging Heart Disease" event. Students choosing to raise money participated in this event February 24th and 25th during physical education class. This annual event is dedicated to fighting heart disease, the leading cause of death in the United States, and strokes. All donations will help save and improve lives with research, education, and emergency care. We are extremely grateful for all of the donations the students have received and know the American Heart Association appreciates it as well. Ms. Clark Cuadrado ordered native seedlings (white spruce and greystem dogwood) for all 7th graders to take home. It is through a grant from the PA Game Commission. On February 20th, Mr. Klingler took eleven 8th grade students to the 2020 Middle School K’Nex Design Challenge held at IU12. Students had to work together to plan, design, and build a model of a solution to help conserve energy for the future. All three teams did outstanding work! Congrats for taking home 3rd place overall and Best Teamwork! Our kids are why we all come to school every day! They are the lights that shine bright and we thank you for entrusting us with their care.

Mrs. Nancy Herb Principal

One of the most important factors to achieve academic success is also one of the most basic: GOING TO SCHOOL EVERY DAY! Research has shown that attendance may be the biggest factor influencing academic success. Students who frequently miss days or weeks of school have difficulty passing their courses and keeping up with their peers. Continued attendance problems may also make it very difficult to graduate from high school. As a parent or guardian, it is YOUR responsibility to make school attendance a priority. Get your student to school every day. Babysitting or car trouble are not permissible reasons to miss school. Get them to school on time. Frequently coming to school late makes it difficult for your child to stay caught up. Teach your child how to set an alarm, and keep electronics turned off in the morning, so they can get up, ready, and out the door on time. Missing school for appointments. If possible, avoid scheduling doctor's appointments during the school day. Allow your child to stay home only in the case of contagious or severe illnesses. Send in notes as required. Consider the benefits of good attendance: Students with good attendance are more likely to pass reading and math assessments. Regular school attendance can also help students who are learning English by giving

them the chance to master the skills and information they need more quickly and accurately, even in other subjects!

Being present at school teaches how to be a good citizen by participating in the school community, learning valuable social skills, and developing a broader world view.

Good attendance sends a message that education is important. By making good attendance a priority, you are supporting your child's success! Remember every day counts ! Mr. Noah Stachelek Assistant Principal

EVERY DAY COUNTS 

According to School Board Policy #204, a student is allowed to be absent from school for the following reasons:

Illness (if longer than three days, a doctor excuse is required) Death in the immediate family Impassable roads Religious holidays (specified by the PA Department of Education)

When a student is absent, he or she must return to school with a note signed by the parent or guardian. The note must state the reason for the absence and the dates of absence. The note must be submitted within three (3) school days from the last date of absence. Failure to follow the policies stated above will result in the absence being ruled unexcused. In an effort to encourage attendance, the principal is authorized to require a parent to produce a doctor’s note for any additional absences. A Physician’s Documentation of Student Absence is required for the following reasons:

Students accumulating 10 or more absences in one school year Students who have exhibited poor attendance in previous years and continue

that pattern into the present year When a student has been absent for three (3) days during the current school year without a lawful excuse, district staff shall provide notice to the person in parental relation who resides in the same household as the student within ten (10) school days of the student's third unexcused absence. The notice may include the offer of a School Attendance Improvement Conference. The purpose of the School Attendance Improvement Conference is to examine the student's absences and reasons for the absences in an effort to improve attendance with or without additional services. When a student under fifteen (15) years of age is habitually truant, district staff:

1. Shall refer the student to:

a. A school-based or community-based attendance improvement program; or b. The local children and youth agency.

2. May file a citation in the office of the appropriate judge against the person in parental relation who resides in the same household as the student.

CYBER BULLYING TIPS FOR PARENTS Parents can be one of the keys in preventing cyber bullying. Much of the bullying that occurs happens on the family computer. Children and teens often are unsupervised on the home computer. They know more about technology than their parents and don't follow proper online etiquette. As parents, it is important that you know what your children are doing online. Parents can help prevent cyber bullying:

Supervise the use of the computer.

Get the computers out of the bedrooms and into a family room or common living area.

Learn about and monitor the web sites that your child visits while on the

computer.

Talk to your children about cyber bullying and encourage them to talk to you if they feel threatened while on the Internet.

According to a survey by iSafe.org, 58% of kids did not tell their parents

when someone was abusive to them online.

Be concerned if your child spends an excessive amount of time online and, if necessary, limit his/her time spent on the computer.

Have your child fill out and sign an agreement or pledge, such as the ones on

this website, about safety online.

As a parent it is important that your children are able to trust you and feel comfortable enough to talk to you about bullying and the Internet. SOURCE: https://www.attorneygeneral.gov/Education/Cyber_Bullying/

Mrs. Valerie Swogger Mr. Jason Musser 7th Grade Middle School Counselors 6th Grade

8th Grade (A-K) 8th Grade (L-Z)

MANAGING STUDENT STRESS Often at this time of the school year, we are seeing students' stress amp up about school work, grades, and meeting all the demands of their busy lives. Below are some tips and reminders about concrete Study Skills that would benefit all of our students. Take time to reflect on which of these skills your child is already using, and which ones might be helpful to add as part of a regular routine. The list below is adapted from a publication from the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University. STUDY SKILLS 1. Break a project down into smaller sections. Complete sections one at a time. 2. Set reasonable goals, with specific timelines to keep yourself on track. 3. While you work, be aware of the amount of focus, attention, and understanding

you have. If you notice that you are unfocused or off track, be intentional about getting refocused.

4. Don't multitask! Do one task at a time, and limit distractions (such as electronics). 5. Use mnemonic devices or other memory strategies (such as making a song or

drawing a picture) to help remember important information 6. Use a calendar to keep track of important deadlines. 7. When the assignment is completed, reflect on the things you did well and the

things you want to work on for the next big assignment.

Help Keep Your Child Healthy and Flu Free With flu season upon us, it is important to keep our children healthy. Children are two to three times more likely than adults to get sick with the flu and on average, one in three children in the U.S. is affected by the virus each year. Usually flu is spread from person to person through coughing and sneezing. Occasionally, people get the flu from touching a germ-infested surface. It is important to know the difference between cold and flu. Common symptoms of the flu include high fever, severe headache, muscle and body aches, chills, sore throat, exhaustion and dry cough. Children may also have nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Often cold symptoms come on gradually and they include stuffy nose, sneezing, sore throat and hacking cough. Simple steps for keeping your child healthy: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the best way to

prevent your child from getting the flu is to take him/her to get a flu vaccine. Talk to you child about practicing good health habits, such as:

Washing hands frequently with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds Covering mouth and nose when sneezing or coughing – preferably into the

inside of the elbow or with a tissue and disposing of the tissue immediately into the trash

Avoiding sharing drinks, water bottles, eating utensils and cell phones Avoiding touching their eyes, nose and mouth You can help prevent the flu from spreading at home by disinfecting frequently

touched surfaces, toys and other commonly shared items. You can prevent spreading illness to others by keeping your sick children home

from school until they have been without fever (greater than 100.0) for 24 hours. It is important for your sick child to get rest and drink plenty of fluids.

Some children may benefit from an antiviral medication, which can be prescribed by a doctor to help lessen the number of days that a child is sick with the virus. To be effective, antiviral medication should be taken within 12-48 hours after the flu symptoms begin. A doctor may also prescribe the antiviral to prevent the child from getting the flu; if taken within the first 12-48 hours of exposure to the flu virus there is an 89 percent chance the medication will keep him/her from getting sick.

Jeanette Slimmer, School Nurse extension 35141

NOTES FROM THE NURSE

STUDENT OF THE TERM AWARDS Student Council sponsors the Student of the Term program. Each quarter, team teachers choose one student from their team for this recognition. Students are chosen for a variety of reasons including character, helpfulness, leadership, academic achievements, motivation, effort, and responsibility.

GAMS PRIDE AWARDS The GAMS PRIDE 5 award was established by the School Wide Positive Behavior Support Committee. The award is given to as many as five students per team who exemplify positive attitude, respect, integrity, decision making, and empathy. Examples may include students who work well with and include others, are respectful to staff and other students, tell the truth even in difficult situations, honor commitments, use manners, and are responsible, caring individuals.

TEAM 1  Wyatt Herring 

TEAM 2  Gregory Christian 

TEAM 3  Myles Grossman 

TEAM 4  Bryan Loudermilk 

TEAM 5  Stephanie Green 

TEAM 6  Rebekah Reaver 

TEAM 7  Sophia Thoma 

TEAM 1 Haleigh McKain 

Abigail Hunt 

Sofia Oshunrinade 

Lacey Kahler 

TEAM 2 Allison Satterfield 

Joshua Little 

Alexander Holloway 

Kenzi Kuhn 

TEAM 3 Lucy Watkins 

Logan Schwartz 

TEAM 4 Emily Holtzople 

Sydney Defoe 

Lily Arnold 

Piper Kerney 

Riley Wade 

Brady Heiser 

TEAM 5 Josmar Gomez‐Mateos 

Zoey Haines 

Megan Schultz 

Luke Breighner 

TEAM 6 Grace Adair 

Antonio Corona Jr. 

Eduardo Lopez‐Martinez 

Winter Oaster 

Zachary Sentz 

Tristan Smith 

TEAM 7 Alana Amith 

Wesley Coolbaugh 

Coleby McMullen 

Gracie‐Mae Watkins 

5

Congratulations to the Term 2 Recipients !

Please avoid scheduling appointments for your child

during school hours on these days.

Thank you!

DATES FOR PSSA TESTING AT GAMS

April 21-23 PSSA – English Language Arts – Grades 6,7,8

April 27-28 PSSA – Mathematics – Grades 6,7,8

April 29-30 PSSA – Science – Grade 8 only

May 4-8 PSSA – Make Ups

INFORMATION FOR PARENTS OR GUARDIANS  Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA)

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE PSSA Which schools participate? All school districts and charter schools participate in the assessments. Nonpublic schools may also participate on a voluntary basis. Which students take the assessments? Except for a very few students who meet specific criteria for participation in an alternate assessment, all students are included in the assessments as outlined below: ELA and Mathematics – Grades 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 Science – Grades 4 and 8 Who decided what the assessments should measure? Groups of educators from all levels of education in Pennsyl-vania chose the areas of knowledge and skills upon which the assessments are based. The groups included teachers, supervisors, curriculum directors, and college specialists. They also reviewed, edited, and approved the test items. Who administers the assessments? Each school chooses the person(s) who will administer the assessment. In most cases, these are teachers in the students’ building. How are the results reported? Two copies of the individual student report for all assessments will be sent to all schools and districts that participate for distribution to parents, teachers, school counselors and/or principals. The state will not receive any report with individual names included. School-level reports will be used for curricular and planning purposes. School districts and charter schools may publish the results of PSSA testing for each school. The state will also release school-by-school assessment data. May parents see the assessments? Yes, under one circumstance. School entities are required to have policies to assure that parents or guardians have the right to review a state assessment in the school entity during convenient hours for parents or guardians from the time testing materials are received to the end of the make-up schedule in order to determine whether a state assessment conflicts with their religious belief. This is the only reason allowable under regulation. Confidentiality agreements must be signed, and no copies of the assessments or notes about assessment items will be permitted to leave the school. If after reviewing the test, parents or guardians find the test to be in conflict with their religious belief and wish their student(s) to be excused from the test, the right of the parents or guardians will not be denied upon written request to the school district superintendent, Dr. Jason Perrin. Parents or guardians should contact their child’s school to make arrangements to review the test. Reporting Testing Irregularities Parents/guardians who believe that a testing irregularity may have occurred may email ra-ed-pssa-keystone@pa.gov or call 844-418-1651 to report the incident.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS ASSESSMENTS Grades 3 - 8 How long does the assessment take? The entire English Language Arts assessment takes approximately three to four hours to complete and is scheduled for April 21-23, 2020. What does the assessment include? Each student completes three sections of questions for the English Language Arts assessment. Some portions will be the same for all students, and some will consist of different groups of questions. What types of questions are on the assessment? Students respond to multiple-choice, evidence-based selected response, and constructed-response questions. In a multiple- choice question, the correct answer(s) is chosen from four options. Evidence-based selected-response questions have two parts, and students select one or more answers for each part. Constructed-response questions may include a short-answer (grade 3 only) or text-dependent analysis (grades 4-8 only). Short-answer questions require students to compose a brief response to support their answer. For the text-dependent analysis question, students analyze a text and use evidence from the reading passage to compose an essay. How are written responses to constructed-response items scored? The written responses for English Language Arts are scored by evaluators trained in applying an ELA-specific scoring guideline. For short-answer questions, scores are based on content only. Spelling and punctuation are not included as part of the scoring process. Responses to text-dependent analysis questions are scored based on both content and writing skills. What is assessed in English Language Arts? The English Language Arts assessment addresses six major reporting categories as well as two text types. Students respond to standalone multiple-choice items assessing language. Additionally, students read a number of passages from literature and informational genres and respond to questions about these passages that indicate both comprehension and reading skills and the students’ analysis and interpretation of different types of texts.

ELA Testing April 21-23, 2020 

MATHEMATICS ASSESSMENT / Grades 3‐8 

How long does the assessment take?

The entire mathematics assessment takes approximately two to three hours to complete and is scheduled for April 27-28, 2020.

What does the assessment include?

Each student completes two sections of questions for the mathematics assessment. Some portions will be the same for all students, and some will consist of different groups of questions.

What types of ques ons are on the assessments?

Students respond to two types of questions: multiple-choice and open-ended. In a multiple-choice question, the correct answer is chosen from the four presented options, while open-ended questions require students to compose their responses. Open-ended questions generally require students to provide detail in support of their answers (such as showing or describing the steps performed to complete a calculation).

How are wri en responses to open‐ended items scored?

The written responses for mathematics open-ended items are scored by evaluators trained in applying a mathematics-specific scoring guideline. In mathematics, scores are based on content only. Spelling and punctuation are not included as part of the scoring process.

What is assessed in Mathema cs?

The mathematics assessment addresses five major reporting categories across four clusters. The reporting categories assessed and the proportion of questions in each reporting category vary by grade level. As a part of the assessment of Cluster A, Numbers and Operations, students in grades 4-8 respond to a set of questions without a calculator.

Constructed-response items may require the students to show all of their work (e.g., calculations, graphs, drawings) and/or to explain in writing how they solved the problems.

SCIENCE ASSESSMENT / Grades 4 and 8 

How long does the assessment take?

The entire science assessment takes approximately one to two hours to complete and is scheduled for April 29-30, 2020.

What does the assessment include?

Students in grades 4 and 8 complete two sections of questions for the science assessment. Some portions will be the same for all students, and some will consist of different groups of questions.

What types of ques ons are on the assessment?

Students respond to two types of questions: multiple-choice and open-ended. In a multiple-choice question, the correct answer is chosen from the four presented options, while open-ended questions require students to compose their responses. At grade 8, the science assessment also includes science scenarios.

What is a science scenario?

A science scenario contains text, graphics, charts, and/or tables and uses these elements to describe the results of a class project, an experiment, or other similar research.

Students use the information found in a science scenario to answer multiple-choice questions.

How are the wri en responses to open‐ended items scored?

The written responses for science open-ended items are scored by evaluators trained in applying a science-specific scoring guideline. In science, scores are based on content only. Spelling and punctuation are not included as part of the scoring process.

What is assessed in science?

The science assessment addresses the four major reporting categories: The Nature of Science, Biological Sciences, Physical Sciences, and Earth and Space Sciences. The proportion of items in each reporting category varies by grade level. 

Mathematics Testing April 27-28, 2020 

Science Testing April 29-30, 2020 

INFORMATION FOR PARENTS OR GUARDIANS  Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA)

Pennsylvania Calculator Policy If a student chooses to use a calculator (other than the online options) on the Keystone Exams or PSSA in sections where the calculator is permitted, the student must adhere to the guidelines listed below. It is incumbent upon the School Assessment Coordinator to ensure that all calculator policies are implemented and followed, including making sure calculators have no programs or other data stored in their memory other than those that are factory installed. Please note that if a student wants to restore the deleted programs, the student will need to back up these programs prior to the assessment. In addition, the memory must be cleared on the calculator prior to and following each test session of the assessment. The following are not permitted for the PSSA or Keystone Exams: Devices that have a primary purpose other than

functioning as a calculator such as cell phones, smartphones, smartwatches, PDAs, laptops, tablets, pocket organizers, etc.

Calculators with infrared, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or other beaming or wireless capabilities, unless the beaming or wireless capabilities are disabled

Calculators with built-in Computer Algebra Systems (CAS)

Calculators that make noise, have paper tape, need to be plugged in, or talk; these specific calculators can only be used as a required accommodation as stated in the Accommodations Guidelines

Calculators shared by students during a test session Any and all non-factory (add-on) programs or

information stored in the calculator This calculator policy is intended to be a general description of what is not allowed. It is not meant to be an exhaustive list of specific calculators, devices, or technologies that must not be used on the PSSA or Keystone Exams. Please note that as technology changes, this policy may also change.

Pennsylvania Department of Education Dear Parent/Guardian: In an era of cell phones, smartphones and other electronic devices which can easily photograph and instantly share photographs, confidential and secure test materials can be easily compromised. Not only is it expensive to replace a compromised test item, the material contained in the PSSA and Keystone Exams is copyrighted property of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Copying or duplicating the material from the assessment, including the taking of a photograph of secure assessment material, is a violation of the federal Copyright Act. Penalties for violations of the Copyright Act may include the cost of replacing the compromised test item(s) or fines of no less than $750 up to $30,000 for a single violation (17 U.S.C. § 101 et seq.). In order to ensure reliable test results and to avoid the cost of replacing test items, the Department of Education re-quires schools to set rules and take certain steps to protect test materials. Electronic devices such as but not limited to cell phones, smartphones, smartwatches, E-readers, Nooks, Kindles, iPods, tablets, camera-ready devices, and any other electronic device which can be used to photograph or duplicate test materials, access the internet and/or communicate with others during the administration of the PSSA or Keystone Exams are not permitted in any testing site. Please speak with your child and let him or her know that the possession and/or use of a cell phone or other electronic device during the administration of the PSSA or Keystone Exams will result in consequences. You will be contacted by the school if your child is discovered using and/or having a cell phone or other electronic device in his or her possession during the administration of the PSSA or Keystone Exams. Students who ignore this directive will be subject to the school’s discipline policy and the Department of Education’s requirement that the student’s test will not be scored and the student will be required to retake the entire exam. The electronic device will be held by school staff, and the device’s stored photographs and other functions will be examined with your permission. You may request to be present when the electronic device is examined. If a photograph of the PSSA or Keystone Exam is discovered or if permission to search other functions of the electronic device is refused, the device will be held by the school staff. The Pennsylvania Department of Education holds the copyright to all material contained within the PSSA and Keystone Exams, the Pennsylvania Department of Education will be contacted and further action may be taken. If, after testing is complete and test materials have been returned, it is discovered that a student used and/or had a cell phone or other electronic device in his or her possession during the administration of the test, the school’s discipline policy will be followed and the student’s scores will be invalidated.

Bureau of Assessment and Accountability Department of Education

333 Market Street/Harrisburg, PA 17126 / 717-787-4234 / www.education.state.pa.us

March 2020

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2 3 4 Picture Day 5 6 7

8 9 10 Band/Orch/Chorus Concert 7:00

11

PTO at 7:00

12 13 14

15 16 17 18 19 20

NO SCHOOL

21

22 23 24 25

End of Term 3

26 27 28

29 30 31

Apr i l 2020

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2 3 4

5 6 7 8 9

NO SCHOOL

10

NO SCHOOL

11

12 13

NO SCHOOL

14 15

PTO at 7:00

16 17 18

19 20

21 22 23 24 25

26 27 28 29 30

PSSA   TESTING 

PSSA    TESTING 

GAMS Office Hours

7:00 a.m.— 3:30 p.m.