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February 1—5 —National School Counseling Week
February 3 — PTA Workshop: How to Help your Middle Schooler Manage Stress
February 15 —President’s Day (No School)
February 19 —Books and Basketball 6 pm
February 22-26 — SGA Sponsored TPMS Spirit Week!
February 26 —Coffee and Conversation with the Principal 8:30 a.m.
February 26 —Early Release - 12:30 PM
Principal’s Newsletter
TA K OMA PA RK MIDD LE S CHO OL
TPMS February Events
Dear Parents and Guardians, It is hard to believe that we are already in the second semes-ter of the school year! After returning from nature’s second winter break, students successfully completed their final exams and are hard at work in their classes this semester. This month students will begin the process of making their online course requests for next year. During the first week of February, 8th graders received information from high school counselors about their course registration for high school. TPMS counselors will be visiting the classes of sixth and seventh graders this month to review and complete the course request process with them. Once students have electronically requested courses, parents will receive a course request list for their child that they will need to re-view. Please take a moment to review it with your child. In an effort to save paper, we have made our course bulletin available in electronic form on our website. We will not be sending hard copies of the bulletin home with students this year. However, hard copies of the course bulletin will be available in the main office. If you have any questions about the course request process please contact the counsel-ing department. Please take a moment to read the counsel-ing department’s monthly newsletter later in this publication for more details on this year’s registration process. During the Blizzard of 2016, also known as Snowzilla, stu-dents from the TPMS Difference Makers club mobilized their efforts in the Takoma Park community to shovel over 75 driveways – sometimes twice! That same week, Differ-ence Makers and TPMS staff participated in the Polar Bear Plunge to raise over $4,000. The Difference Makers are organizing a week of service at TPMS in conjunction with Global Youth Services Day in mid-April.
Three TPMS 8th graders (Sarthak Bhatnagar, Ishaan Oberoi, and Neal Machado) currently participate in the FirstTech Robotics Team. Their team has won awards at two regional competitions and has qualified for the Maryland State Tour-nament where they will compete to qualify for the Eastern Super-Regional Tournament and then the World Champion-ships. We look forward to hearing about how they do in the upcoming competitions. Congratulations students! The PTA has a busy month in February. Books and Basket-ball will be on February 19 at 6 p.m. Please come out to buy books and watch the students play the staff. You may donate books or DVD’s in the main office. No magazines or textbooks please. Also this month, the PTA will continue its Blue Devil Appeal. Books and Basketball and the Blue Devil Appeal are both important fundraising events for the PTA. If you haven’t already done so, please join the PTA. Every little bit makes a difference! Your participation in these initiatives goes a long way to support instruction at TPMS. Thank you!
On February 26 I will host a “Principal’s Coffee” at 8:30 a.m. in the Media Center on the topic of how TPMS sup-ports students’ Social Emotional Learning. Our counseling department will be present for this session as well to talk about how they work on a daily basis to support our stu-dents. I hope you are able to join us!
Please visit the TPMS website (www.tpmsweb.com) for more information on our calendar, events and to view our daily, Wake Up Takoma television production.
Alicia Deeny
Principal
“One kind word can warm three winter months.” - Japanese Proverb
February 2016
COUNSELING SERVICES FEBRUARY 2016 NEWSLETTER
It’s time to think about next year!
Can you believe it? We are already getting ready for the 2016-2017 school
year. Our students will be making course requests online, just like last year.
Teachers have completed recommenda-
tions for next year’s courses online.
The TPMS Course Bulletin will be available
online, at the TPMS website.
Sixth and seventh grade students will make
online course requests, during the weeks of
February 9th and 16th, with the supervi-
sion and assistance of the School Counse-
lors. This will happen during World Studies
classes.
A list of the courses your child has request-
ed for the 2016-2017 school year will go
home in the last week of February, for your
review.
High School Registration
The School Counselors from most of the high schools our students will attend visited us
this week! The 8th grade students took registration cards home and are to complete
them, with your guidance. The registration cards are due back on February 12, 2016.
6th grade Computer Science Students have just completed the Pho-
toshop section of the curriculum. Students en-joyed learning how to manipulate images and apply some creative flair. We are moving on to PowerPoint, where students will improve their graphics presentation skills. Students continue to use Turbo Typing to enhance their word pro-cessing skills. We are in the final stages of all students giving their hardware speech, to con-clude our work for the second marking period.
I can be contacted at [email protected].
6th Grade Magnet Science We will be finishing our Chemistry unit. We will discuss different types of chemi-cal reactions, and will learn to balance chemical equations. Students should be working on their STEM experiments at this time – their data will be due at the end of February! Please encour-age your student to share their Google Class-room account with you to track assignments and find copies of worksheets. I am best con-tacted by e-mail at [email protected] if you have any questions or concerns.
“Veni, vidi, vici”; "I came; I saw; I conquered" is a Latin phrase popularly attributed to Julius and is used to refer to a swift, conclusive victory. The battle against the snow is over and the third quarter has begun. As you can see, in Social Studies classes, our attention will shift from the Greeks to the Romans. We will focus on the rise from a republic to a vast empire stretching across three continents. Students will explore the connections to our modern government and ideals of citizenship. Students will practice their debating skills during the study of Julius Caesar, was he a hero or tyrant; you decide. These topics should provide interesting conversations at the dinner ta-ble! The end of the unit test will occur during the month, we will keep you posted on the exact dates, due winter break 2.0!
Computer Science
I N S I D E
T H I S I S S U E :
Computer
Science
1
Science 1
Social Stud-
ies
1
English 2
Mathematics 2
Social Studies
T A K O M A P A R K
M I D D L E S C H O O L 6TH GRADE NEWS F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 6
Science
6th grade science Students are working their way through the unit titled Ecosystems, Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics. In this unit we explore ecosystems, especially those found within the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. We learn about how all organisms depend on each other as well as the non-living parts of an ecosystem. This unit will be merging with our next unit titled, Human Impacts on the Environment. In this unit we explore how humans can harm and help the environment locally and globally. We will discuss topics such as a carbon footprint. We will also discuss the importance of making changes to save the environments naturally found on Earth. Please check the website, https://sites.google.com/a/mcpsmd.net/mrs-smith-s-science-tpms/ for the most updated sci-ence information.
multiple representations of equivalent expressions. The assessment for this topic will be towards the middle of the month. Finally, we will round out the month of February with the math 6 classes studying equations and inequalities. For more information about the specifics of the topics (including important dates and parent resources) and to check the success of the math 6 students, please continue to check the teacher’s edline page.
Magnet Investigations in Mathematics: Unit 4 is all about Statistics and Probability. Students will use frequency to explore empirical and theoretical proba-bility and will be able to predict probability based on a model. They will differentiate between equally like and not equally likely outcomes for chance events and then move on to compound events. Stu-dents will also experience how to draw inferences from the results of random sampling. Please check Edline for quiz dates and topics. CC6 In math 6, we will start the month of February with our continued examination and introduction of alge-braic expressions. This examination will have stu-dents calculate expressions using correct orders of operations, and write and solve algebraic expres-sions. The assessment for this topic will be towards the beginning of the month. Then we will move to the next topic which covers number properties. This examination will include finding and calculating the factors of multiples, identifying the greatest common factor, using the distributive property, and creating
Mathematics
English
Quarter 3 begins this month! The theme is chal-lenges and barriers, focusing specifically on in-dividuals (or groups) who take on challenges and inspire or encourage others to face their own challenges. Students will be reading such books as Holes by Louis Sachar; Roll of Thun-der, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor; and The Green Glass Sea by Ellen Klages. Addition-ally, during Quarter 3, students will delve into researching topics having to do with school-related issues. Possible research topics include school uniforms, extended school year, and vir-tual classrooms. Students will use their research to write a persuasive essay supporting one side of the issue and then present their argument to the class in the form of speech.
Grade 7 February Newsletter
World Studies
In World Studies students will be finishing their unit on Africa and beginning their unit on Latin America. The focus of the Latin America unit is on the ways in which humans interact with their natural environment (adaptation and modification) and how geography shapes culture. Highlights include a comparison of Aztec and Inca culture and their land use ending with a debate to determine which culture modified and adapted more effectively.
Science
In Science students are finalizing their Nutrition Food Menu Projects that are focused on an ES student meal plan for 5 days. They will also be investigating the Nervous, Digestive , Urinary & Excretory systems via laboratory experiments. By next week, the students will be focusing on “Inheritance and Variation of Traits.” ALL students have been given a STEM EXPO CHECKPOINT TIMELINE. By now, they are to have completed their experiments and will be submitting the week of Feb. 1-9 their Data Collection and Results Draft. Ordering of Backboards has begun and the payment of $ 6.00 will be due when boards come in by the end of the month. We look forward to seeing you and your child on the night of STEM EXPO Friday, April 8 from 5:30-9:00 pm..
In Magnet science class students are completing their study of genetics. The unit culminates with a student debate on cloning and a student project in which they create their own species. The culminating genetics project is due on or before February 16. In March we will begin our study of human body systems. STEM projects should be near completion. Projects are due on March 20.
What’s Happening in Class?
Takoma Park Middle School 7611 Piney Branch Road
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Vol u me 9 , Is s ue 5
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Math
In Math 7/IM students are beginning Unit 3: Expressing Geometric Relationships. Students will draw (freehand, with ruler and protractor, and with technology) geometric shapes with given conditions. They will focus on constructing triangles from three measures of angles or sides, noticing when the conditions determine a unique triangle, more than one triangle, or no triangle. Students will use facts about supplementary, complementary, vertical, and adjacent angles in a multi-step problem to write and solve simple equations for an unknown angle in a figure. In Algebra 2.0, quarter 3 starts out with Unit
4, Quadratic Relationships, which is split into
three topics: Quadratic Functions, Structure of
Quadratic Expressions, and Solving Quadratic
Functions. Topic 1 covers recognizing
quadratic patterns, describing the functional
characteristics of a quadratic function,
comparing and contrasting quadratic and
exponential functions, and calculating and
comparing the average speed over an interval
for quadratic and exponential functions. Topic
2 covers transformations of quadratic
equations, polynomial operations, factoring
quadratic trinomials, and identifying functional
characteristics of quadratic equations. Topic 3
covers solving quadratic equations, the
quadratic formula, the Pythagorean Theorem,
and finding the distance between points on a
coordinate plane.
Grade 7 Team Newsletter Page 2
The DETER Strategy for Taking Tests To do well on a test, you must have good knowledge of the
information that is being tested. But you must also have a
strategy for taking the test that allows you to show what you
know. The DETER strategy can help you do your best on any
test. Each letter in DETER reminds you what to do.
D = Directions Read the test directions very carefully.
Ask your teacher to explain anything about the test
directions you do not understand.
Only by following the directions can you achieve a good
score on the test.
If you do not follow the directions, you will not be able to
demonstrate what you know.
E = Examine Examine the entire test to see how much you have to do.
Only by knowing the entire task can you break it down
into parts that become manageable for you.
T = Time Once you have examined the entire test, decide how
much time you will spend on each item.
If there are different points for items, plan to spend the
most time on the items that count for the most points.
Planning your time is especially important for essay tests
where you must avoid spending so much time on one item
that you have little time left for other test items.
E = Easiest The second E in DETER reminds you to answer the items
you find easiest first.
If you get stuck on a difficult item that comes up early in
the test, you may not get to answer items that test
things you know.
R = Review If you have planned your time correctly, you will have
time to review your answers and make them as complete
and accurate as possible.
Also make sure to review the test directions to be
certain you have answered all items required.
http://www.how-to-study.com
Math (cont.)
In Magnet Algebra students will complete Unit 5 which is all about Abstract Algebra and different mathematical systems like Modular Arithmetic, Groups, Abelian Groups, 2D Symmetry Groups, 3D Permutation Groups, and Fields. The unit will end with a group project based on the system properties as they apply to 3D objects like the Rubik’s Cube. Unit 6 continues the study of polynomials, both simplifying and factoring with numerous applications. English
In English 7 students will begin reading, writing, and speaking about people and events related to our third literary unit, “Perspectives.” The unit focuses on the 1940s and World War II. We will be reading two or more of these titles for class study: The Diary of Anne Frank, Farewell to Manzanar, Friedrich, and The Member of the Wedding, Daniel’s Story, or I Am David. In the second half of the quarter, students will be completing a research project on an issue that interests them. Our study of grammar and sentence structure continues as part of our work with the writing process.
Upcoming Events
February 15: No School – Presidents Day
Have you checked your child’s notebook or student
planner?
Have you checked your child’s academic performance on
Edline? Go to https://www.edline.net/Index.page
What’s Happening in Class?
8th
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February 2016
English
Grade 8 English classes will be starting Unit 1 of 8B, Literature as Craft. Students will be reading The Pearl by John Steinbeck, Animal Farm by George Orwell, or The Hob-bit. The skill focus will be on point of view and characterization. Students will rewrite a passage from a different point of view, and then analyze and explain the significance of one character for the assigned work as a whole. Students will also participate in the Dramatic Arts festival in late February and early March, performing an original or se-lected poem, essay, or short story to their classmates. Students can brush up on the grammar skills that we have reviewed but they still find confusing by doing the mini-lessons on the Purdue Owl website. Check out this valuable resource that many high school and college students use.
U.S. History We are currently covering Unit 3 on Westward Expansion. In this unit we will focus on the concept of manifest destiny and its im-pact on various groups in the United States. Along with Manifest Destiny, the unit focuses on the presidency of Andrew Jackson and the Trail of Tears. The unit ends with a study of the Industrial Revolution and immigration. The skill focus for this unit is work-ing with primary source documents. Students will write an essay
response to a document based question about the presidency of Andrew Jackson. Stu-dents will also analyze political cartoons and create their own for the Jackson presiden-cy.
Algebra-Prep As we begin the new month, we begin a new unit. Unit 4 consists of geometry construc-tions and relationships based on properties of geometric figures. We will be studying angles, sides, lengths, perimeters, areas, and volumes of all types of figures. Geometric figures can change size and/or position while maintaining proportional attributes and we will practice solving equations to prove this relationship. We will also be exploring real world scenarios using geometric properties and congruence.
Algebra 2.0 Quarter 3 starts out with Unit 4, Quadratic Relationships, which is split into three topics: Quadratic Functions, Structure of Quadratic Expressions, and Solving Quadratic Functions. Topic 1 covers recognizing quadratic patterns, describing the functional characteristics of a quadratic function, comparing and contrasting quad-ratic and exponential functions, and calculating and comparing the average speed over an interval for quadratic and exponential functions. Topic 2 covers transformations of quadratic equations, polynomial operations, factoring quadratic trinomials, and identify-ing functional characteristics of quadratic equations. Topic 3 covers solving quadratic equations, the quadratic formula, the Pythagorean Theorem, and finding the distance between points on a coordinate plane.
Honors Geometry
Students will be introduced to the next Unit which extends to the third dimension. Stu-dents’ prior knowledge with two-dimensional and three-dimensional objects is extended to include informal explanations of circumference, area, volume, and density formulas. Additionally, students apply their knowledge of two-dimensional shapes to consider the
shapes of cross-sections and
Continued on next page
8th Grade Homework Club on Thursdays
After School in Room 306 with Ms. Taylor
the result of rotating a two-dimensional object about a line. Tentative dates for exams will be on the 3rd, 11th, and 26th.
Magnet Geometry Semester two begins with a unit on area, volume, and three-dimensional figures. We will derive a variety of area and volume formulas, some familiar and some new ones. The formulas will be applied to composite figures and real-world problems. The unit will finish with a study of polyhedra, including Platonic, Archimedean, and other classes of solids. Magnet Algebra II We will complete the second half of our unit on polynomial & rational functions with a look at what happens when you divide two polynomials - lots of interesting things! We will examine graphs, properties, and appli-cations of this intriguing class of functions, the rational functions.
Science Last month in science, students have finished their STEM projects and they will be displayed at STEM night on April 8th. We are now starting a new unit “Restless Earth”. Throughout the month, students will be explor-ing what lies beneath the Earth’s surface as well as how our world is constantly moving and changing through continental drift, earthquakes, and volcanoes.
Magnet Science
In Magnet Science, students have started the Planetary Systems and the Universe unit. They will be observing and measuring changes in sun spots using a Sunspotter. Students will investi-gate a constellation identifying the major structures within it and build a scale model of it. Stu-dents are continuing work on their Capstone project. They are conducting their experiment in-dividually or with a partner. They will display experimental results on STEM night (8th April 2016). Many students are also entering their Capstone experiment in the County Science Fair see www.sciencemontgomery.org for details.
Counseling News
High School Assignments for students who completed the DCC/NEC choice forms are scheduled to be mailed out to 8th grade students' homes during the week of January 18. This does not include information regarding the Magnet programs. Those letters will be out at a later date.
On February 2, the DCC counselors (Blair, Northwood, Wheaton, Kennedy, and Einstein) will be at Takoma Park Middle School to talk with the students about registration. Students will receive a course booklet and a registration form to complete. Those students who do not attend a DCC school, will be a part of a general in-formation meeting at the same time. If your child does not attend a DCC or NEC school, it is up to you to go
to the home school to register your child.
For DCC/NEC students, all registration cards will be due to the counseling office by Febru-ary 12.
On February 10 at 7pm, each DCC/NEC high school will have a parent/student registration visit. Again, if your child will not attend a DCC/NEC school, it is up to you to find out the date of your home school’s registration night.
World Languages Department February Newsletter Spanish Spanish 1A full year—Ms. Carroll Students are finishing up a unit on Mis Amigos y Yo. We are describing ourselves and others and talking
about what people like to do using infinitive verbs. Students have studied the rules of adjectives, gender
and number and how to use the verb To Be in the singular and plural. In our new unit, students will talk
about life in school. They will be describing their schedule, classes and teachers. Students will talk about what period they have certain classes and what they do in those classes. They will also identify common
classroom objects to use in their descriptions. They will continue to work with the verbs gustar, ser and
tener, but they will also begin conjugating –ar verbs to talk about they actually do in classes. Students should review verb conjugations daily. Parents should check agenda books and EdLine to monitor
homework and student progress. Please pay special attention to due dates that appear on Edline. Students
are responsible for completing work by the due date.
Spanish 1B full year—Ms. Vogel Students are just finishing up the Family Unit and will begin a new unit on The Home. They will
describe the layout of various dwellings. Students will give simple descriptions of furnishings, including color and size of objects. Students will also communicate about household chores and make simple
comparisons. Students will learn the affirmative tú commands and the present progressive (-ing) form of
verbs. The differences between the verbs ser and estar will be further explored. Finally, students will identify and describe typical housing from Spanish-speaking countries and compare them to a typical
home in our area. Parents are encouraged to check agenda books for homework and to monitor grades via
EdLine regularly. If your child needs additional practice with a particular skill, please email me at
[email protected] and I will gladly provide you with some suggestions!
Spanish 1 (Sra. Carroll y Sra. Kim): Students will start a unit on Pastimes. In this unit, students will learn how to discuss where they are going,
what they will be doing there, how often they go, etc. Students will learn about locations in the
community, discuss leisure activities (what they do in their “tiempo libre”), discuss with whom they go and will learn how to structure questions in Spanish. In addition to learning the verb “Ir”—to go, students
will also learn about stem-changing verbs or “boot verbs” in Spanish, such as “Jugar”—to play a sport or
game. Please make sure that your child is regularly checking Edline for due dates and deadlines along with checking their grade. It is essential that students record daily homework in their agenda book in
order to keep up with the pace of the class. Pay special attention to deadlines and dates for quizzes.
Meeting due dates is the best way to stay caught up with class instruction and to be on target with
concepts presented in class.
Spanish 2 (Sra. Kim, Sra. Guevara and Sra. Vogel): In February, students will finish a unit about describing their younger childhood. In this unit, students
will be introduced to a new past verb tense (the imperfect tense) and begin to compare it to the preterit tense we learned last semester. In addition, students will use indirect object pronouns and reciprocal verbs
to express actions done to other people. They will also communicate about family and celebrations.
Students will discuss various aspects of childhood and celebrations in Spanish-speaking countries, and they will compare them to their own experiences in the USA. The pace of the class moves quickly and
students are encouraged to establish a routine of studying every week night for 10-15 minutes in order to
help build vocabulary and ease with structures. There are many resources on Edline for them to practice
such Quizlet, an online flashcard website which allows students to make flashcards for vocabulary but
also verb conjugations as well. Students in Sra. Guevara’s class may also complete the monthly optional
formative assignment, ¿Dónde está Sra. Guevara? which students can find on Edline or posted on the board in the classroom.
Spanish 3— Sra. Guevara In February and March, students will be working on a combined unit about work, service, and professions. Students will continue to refine their ability of the subjunctive voice as well as learning both
the present perfect and future tenses. In addition, students will demonstrate how to use a double object
pronoun and the impersonal “se”. Finally, students are being encouraged to use circumlocution for all vocabulary definition instead of translations from English, a strategy we have been practicing all of
semester 1. The pace of the class moves quickly and students are encouraged to establish a routine of
studying every week night for 10-15 minutes in order to help build vocabulary and ease with
structures. There are many resources on Edline for them to practice such Quizlet, an online flashcard website which allows students to make flashcards for vocabulary but also verb conjugations as
well. Students may also complete the monthly optional formative assignment, ¿Dónde está Sra.
Guevara? which students can find on Edline or posted on the board in the classroom.
French—Mme Finklea French 1 In February, French 1 students will be learning to communicate about pastimes. We’ll also be learning to
describe weather conditions, so bring on the snow, and we’ll tell you about it in French! February is also
the month of La Chandeleur (a French holiday when people eat crêpes)—we will celebrate in class. Your
child may ask to bring something for the occasion. Please check edline or your child’s weekly French grade report to make sure s/he is keeping up to date! If your child has a C or below on a weekly progress
report, please sign it and have your child return it to me!
French 2 In French 2, we’ll be learning to communicate about daily routines (past and present) using reflexive
verbs. Students will also learn to give commands. February is also the month of La Chandeleur (a French holiday when people eat crêpes)—we will celebrate in class. Your child may ask to bring something for
the occasion. Please check edline or your child’s weekly French grade report to make sure s/he is keeping
up to date! Parents should check agenda books for HW and encourage students to study vocabulary at home. Parents should also check Edline and weekly student progress reports. If your child has a C or
below on a weekly progress report, please sign it and have your child return it to me!
French 3 In February, French 3 students will be learning about the French press (news, not coffee!). Also, we will
celebrate La Chandeleur (crêpe day!), and there will be field trip to a French restaurant. Look for a permission slip coming your way. Please check edline or your child’s weekly French grade report to make
sure s/he is keeping up to date!
Arts Department February Newsletter
Art—Ms. Spera
In February, all students will be starting a new art class. The first project for 6th graders will be to create a portfolio to hold their artwork papers. This will be a radial design created using their name. The project is very artistically challenging---and the results are really amazing! Repetition of lines/shapes, choosing color schemes, and making a creative design will be emphasized.
For their new art class, the seventh graders will be
making a portfolio to store their papers. The design
is created using tools and other objects from the art
room. The students use them to create an intriguing
composition ---focusing on positive and negative
space, overlapping, texture, and color.
In February the 8th graders will be creating a portfolio to store their papers. It is a simple assignment; they need to have their first and last name and their period number somewhere in the design. I love to see how they challenge themselves to make it creative.
FACS—Ms. Davis
What is going on in FACS? For those
just entering the class, you already
received the syllabus. This is just a
reminder that the $10 lab fee is due,
enabling us to purchase the sewing
projects and foods consumed in class.
What do we do in class? Your child
learns skills that will help him/her
become more independent. The most
popular unit is food and nutrition. But students also learn about
financial literacy, careers, sewing, interior design and more.
Computer Applications Ms. Galley
6th grade Computer Science students have just completed the Photoshop section of the
curriculum. Students enjoyed learning how to manipulate images and apply some creative
flair. We just completed our test for Photoshop. Classes are moving on to Powerpoint,
where students will improve their graphics presentation skills. Students continue to use
Turbo Typing to enhance their word processing skills. We are in the final stages of all
students giving their hardware speech, to conclude our work for the second marking period.
Dr. Taliff
Intro to Computer Science students have finished their website projects and have begun to
create infographics using Canva software. Learning Google Apps—Docs, Drive, Sites,
Calendar, and Forms—will consume the remaining semester days. Magnet Computer
Science students have been diligently learning how to read, write, and manipulate text files.
The coding learned since the start of this course is now applied to solve programs involving
multiple tasks. At home studying is always helpful.
Ms. Wu In February, 8th grade Computer Science students will continue working on ACSL topics,
Infix-Prefix-Postfix, Boolean Algebra and Graph Theory, and participate 2nd ACSL
contest. They will learn and design basic webpages using HTML, and will learn syntax and
structure of JavaScript; later they will use JavaScript to enhance the functions of their
webpage. They will also continue working on their Final Project at home. The Game
Manual or Website Advertisement is due on 2/12, and the deadline is 2/22.
A new group of students will begin the 8th grade computer applications class. Keyboarding, a critical skill for all computer users, is taught and reinforced throughout the course. Students will become proficient in basic word processing skills and they will create spreadsheets to solve real-world problems. Students will learn and practice some basic programing and coding skills using Scratch. They will use it to design games of their own.
World Beat Music and Chorus —Mr. Liddle
The end of the second semester
brings much change to our General
Music and Chorus class. Students in
Chorus performed a wonderful winter
concert and after a music literacy exam
are now moving into creative
projects and new music. We are
working towards our February 16
Pops and Cabaret concert which
will feature music projects
created by small groups of
students, solo performances, the
“We Will Rock You Club” bands,
and the choirs performing pieces from the pop and musical theatre worlds. This concert is
held after school from 3:00-4:15pm to allow for TPMS students to join us for a concert and
ride the activity bus home. Parents are invited and more than welcome but much of this
music will be performed again at the Spring Concert so if you cannot make it, you’ll be able
to see elements of this concert then. The end of the semester means wrapping up our
individual and band work on instruments and saying goodbye to many General Music
students as they head off to their second semester electives and hello to a whole new group
of incoming music students. The new classes are digging into instruments, getting to know
the technology in the classroom, and about to start their history and exposure elements of
the curriculum. Welcome to you all!
Contemporary Communications and TV Studio
Mr. Wilson
In 6th Grade Contemporary Communications, students are just beginning their trek
into the world of media literacy. First, they learn just what, exactly, “media” is. Then we
begin to discuss all the different forms of media we know and participate in. Then we
discover the different ways media can manipulate us and how to look at media more
critically. We look at some samples of various forms of media and write about them in our
journals. We will soon be quizzed on our “Media Literacy” vocabulary words, so be sure
students are studying!
In 7th Grade Intro to TV studio, students are learning
about the format of video scripts and the different camera shots
as well as when and why to use them. They will be writing their
own scripts and drawing their own storyboards for a video, and
will soon break into production groups to decide which script to
shoot.
In 8th Grade TV Studio, full year students are working on their 3rd quarter ads/PSA’s
which will be a bit longer than a typical advertisement in order to give them some practice
with a longer script for their 4th quarter final production. New semester students are
learning the basics of “Media Literacy”, including Visual Literacy and Technological Literacy
in order to begin making media of their own.
Orchestra & Band — Ms. Pasquale
All instrumental music classes are working on new music. This is a very busy
season. Students in the advanced and intermediate ensembles are choosing music for the
upcoming Band and Orchestra festivals. Parents should look for the letter and permission
slip in hard copy and on Edline in mid-February. This is when students prepare 3 pieces
for adjudication. Music must be chosen from the Maryland State list. Many students are
preparing solos and ensembles for the Montgomery County District II Solo and Ensemble
Festival also at the beginning of March. Mrs. Pasquale is recommending that all section
leaders participate. Music for solo and ensemble may be found at mmea-maryland.org,
choose "music list" from the heading. The deadline for Solo and Ensemble applications is
was January 29th but if you are reading this early in February there may still be time for a
late application. Please check Edline for updated information and registration applications.
6th grade band students are working on new music and many students are making the
switch to “color” instruments to fill out the band sound (bass clarinet, tuba, horn, etc). This
month students who auditioned and were accepted into Montgomery County Honors
Ensembles will be performing in their Gala Concert. Montgomery Junior County Honors
Band and Orchestra will perform at BCC High School on February 9th. The
6th grade Honors Band and Orchestra will perform at Einstein high School
on February 6th. Mrs. Pasquale has the privilege of co-conducting the 6th
grade honors band.
Maker Mondays in the Media Center Every Monday, the Media Center becomes a maker space! A variety of crafting and engineering challenges are made available to students during all lunches. Each Monday features a different maker activity. This year, activities have included—origami, friendship bracelets, pony bead crafts, electronic Snap Circuits, K’Nex, brain games, and fall crafts. Snap Ciruits are one of the most popular activities.
In order to participate, students need to obtain a lunch pass from the Media Center on Monday morning. All are welcome!
In addition to Maker Mondays, the Media Center is also maintaining the TPMS MakerSpace website:
https://sites.google.com/a/mcpsmd.net/tpms-maker-space/
*Students must log in to their MCPS Google accounts in order to view the website.
Important Dates February 15—President’s Day
February 26— Early Release Day
E-books Now Available from the TPMS Media Center!
Thanks to our
Book Fair
Volunteers
Sally Chaupiz
Barb Barrett
Emily Hanford
Susanna Bunzel-
Harris
Marilyn Sklar
Cathy Futrowsky
Shruti Bhatnagar
Lora Dunne
Ann Marie
Staudenmaier
Donna Victoria
Nyree Wannall
Marla Nix
Cindy Zenick
Megan Donohue
Susan Roth
Anne Fothergill
Kristy Sun Cho
Stacy Cardillo
Jenny Wagner
For the first time ever, e-books are available for check-out through the TPMS Media Center! There are several ways to access these e-books. The quickest way is by downloading the Follett BryteWave K-12 Edition app, which is available on handheld devices including Apple, Android, and Kindle. Download the app, choose Takoma Park Middle School as your location, and enter your 6 digit student ID and school computer password to access our online collection. Students can also borrow e-books on computers through the Destiny Library Catalog, which is linked to the TPMS website under the Media Center page. Directions for accessing e-books through Destiny can be found on the Destiny homepage.
**See Ms. Phelan if you have questions.**
Takoma Park Middle School
Media Center News
February 2016
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