PRINCIPAL
Dr. Stefanie Shames, ext. 2222 stefanie.shames@ocps.net
ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL Jacqueline Bone, ext. 2322 jacqueline.bone@ocps.net
Isolda Fisher, ext. 2251 isolda.antoniofisher@ocps.net
6th GRADE & 7th (A-L) DEAN Kriestine Soto, ext. 2313 kriestine.soto@ocps.net
From the Principal
GUIDANCE COUNSELOR
Excellence in...Academics-Arts-Athletics
Christine Larson, ext. 2315 christine.larson@ocps.net
Dear South Creek Families,
7th (M-Z) & 8th GRADE DEAN Charles Chandler, ext. 2318 charles.chandler@ocps.net
GUIDANCE COUNSELOR Catherine Rochester, ext. 2258 catherine.rochester@ocps.net
STAFFING SPECIALIST Linda Carman, ext. 2239 linda.carman@ocps.net
AVID COORDINATOR & PARENT RESOURCE Vanessa Arrington, ext. 2323 vanessa.arrington@ocps.net
The end of the school year is quickly approaching and this newsletter, funded by your School Advisory Council, contains many important dates of events. To the families of our 8th graders, thank you for sharing your children with us for the past three years. I know we will hear wonderful things about them in the years to come. The end of middle school is just the beginning of a new, exciting and memorable time in their lives. Please make special note of all of the activities that are planned for the end of the year. Have a wonderful summer and be on the lookout for our “Back to School” issue. Sincerely, Dr. Stefanie C. Shames Principal
De la Oficina de la Directora Estimadas familias de la Escuela intermedia South Creek, El final del año escolar se está acercando rápidamente. Este es el boletín informativo de la escuela, el cual está auspiciado por School Advisory Council, y contiene la información sobre la fecha de los próximos eventos, los cuales son muy importantes. A las familias de nuestros estudiantes de 8th grado, queremos darles las gracias por compartir sus hijos l con nosotros por los últimos tres años. Yo sé que oiremos cosas maravillosas de ellos en los años venideros. El final de la escuela intermedia es solo el comienzo de nuevas y excitantes memorias en sus vidas. Por favor anoten en sus agendas todas las actividades que se han planeado para el final del año escolar. Esperamos que tengan un verano fabuloso y que estén a la espera de nuestro boletín de “regreso a la escuela”.
June 2013 VOLUME 4 ISSUE 3
Sinceramente, Dr. Stefanie C. Shames Principal
the wildcat watch
Partners in Education
South Creek Middle School would like to extend a special thank you to everyone who donated their time, money, and effort to making Teacher’s Appreciation a tremendous success!
The Following Companies and Individuals Helped with Donations
Local Businesses: Chick-Fil-A, Glamour Shots, Lush, Ice Cold Auto Air & Muffler, Shiners, Sephora, Toll House Café, Hard Rock – Seminole, Dillards, Art of Hair, S & S Salon, Massage Envy, Dixon Ticonderoga Company, Valic-Michael Stevens, Old Navy, Touchstar Cinemas, Publix, Carl Black Chevrolet-Omar Rodriguez, Mark Hunter-Target, Marco Pizza, Tijuana Flats, Mama Romano’s, Dunkin Donuts, Flippers Pizza, Faris & Foster’s Chocolate Parents: Veronica Evans, Ehrinn Provitola, Aleshia O’Hara, Suzonna Warrenton, Yenys Sanabria, Laura Burgos, Jane Escobar, Tammy Spradley, Holly Porter, Living Word Church-Ms. Adorna, Pamela Lava, Gladys Laboy, Penelope Moreno, Sandy Delgado, Joselly Lozada, Kusuma Muuagla, Ivonne Diaz Colon, Mirian Campos, Beverly Darby, Myrlande Souffrant, and Melanie Bennett Staff: Linda White, Nancy Stentz, Joan Miranda, Raiza Cardenas, Sylvia Birstler
Immunizations
Title 1
This was our first year as a Title 1 school. Some of the benefits to becoming Title 1: • We qualified for all students to receive free breakfast • Field trip costs were reduced • Teaching positions and resources • 54 new computers for science classrooms • Establishment of a Parent Involvement Center
Progress Report/Report Card Schedule • • •
Make sure your child is current on immunizations now. No child will receive a schedule for the 2013-2014 school year without current immunizations on file at the school on an HRS 680 form.
End of Course Exams
South Creek Middle School’s End of Course Exam schedule is as follows: • Algebra - Monday, May 6th through Friday, May, 17th • Geometry - Monday, May 13th through Friday, May 24th • Civics – Monday, May 20th through Friday, May 31st
2nd Progress Report Distribution: May 20, 2013 End of the Marking Period: June 5, 2013 Report Card Distribution: June 13, 2013 between 9am and 4pm
Fox 35 Cool School of the Week Parent Conferences
Parent conferences are scheduled on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday mornings from 8:30am until 9:00am in the cafeteria. If you would like to schedule a conference please contact Ms. Linda Carman at 407-251-2413 ext. 2239. The final day for parent conferences this school year is Friday, May 24th.
AVID News
Thursday, May 9th, was our certification visit. South Creek Middle School scored a Level 2 in ALL areas! This is a reflection of the hard work of everyone in the school because student work samples and lesson plans were reviewed that showed evidence of AVID strategies throughout the school. Thank you to our AVID Site Team PLC for your tireless efforts, chaired by Ms. Arrington, and to all of our staff. The next step is working towards becoming an AVID Demonstration School…which is well within reach!
OCPS EEO Non-Discrimination Statement
The week of Monday, April 29th through Friday, May 3rd, Fox 35 News recognized South Creek Middle School “Cool School of the Week!” The 2 minute live broadcast featured our AVID students, SGA, STEM, Chorus, Choir, Band, Guitar, Orchestra, Dance Team, Track Teams, Fishing, Recycling, PTSA, SAC and award presentation to Dr. Shames. The segment also provided a glimpse of Seussical the Musical. If you missed the broadcast, check the Fox35 News website for the clip.
Yearbook
Yearbooks have finally come in and are still available for $30! Please purchase them soon as we anticipate selling out for the second year in a row! The South Creek Yearbook is something you don’t want to miss — 68 full-color pages of lasting memories and indelible impressions.
Performing Arts Calendar May 14, 2013
Guitar Concert 6:00pm
May 21, 2013
Orchestra Concert 6:00pm
May 23, 2013
Band Concert 6:30pm
May 28, 2013
Piano Recital 6:00pm
The School Board of Orange County, Florida, does not discriminate in admission or access to, or treatment or employment in its programs and activities, on the basis of race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, marital status, disability, genetic information or any other reason prohibited by law. The following individuals at the Ronald Blocker Educational Leadership Center, 445 W. Amelia Street, Orlando, Florida 32801, attend to compliance matters: ADA Coordinator & Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Supervisor: Carianne Reggio; Section 504 Coordinator: Latonia Green; Title IX Coordinator: Gary Preisser. (407.317.3200)
The last day to check out books from the media center was Friday, May 17th. All books were due Monday, May 20th.
Reading Counts
The reward day for Reading Counts will be June 4th. This is the second reward day of the year. All points accumulated after the last reward day may be used for the reward day on the fourth of June. The students will receive one minute for every Reading Counts point. If the student receives 47 points, that is equivalent to one period for the reward day. For the entire day they must have 329 points.
Sunshine State Young Reader’s Award Program Master List of Titles 2013-14 Grades 6-8
Buckingham, Royce. The Dead Boys. Penguin/Putnam, 2010. Cochrane, Mick. The Girl Who Threw Butterflies. Random House/Yearling, 2009. Fagan, Deva. Circus Galacticus. Houghton Mifflin/Harcourt, 2011. Gosselink, John. Free Thaddeus. Amulet Books, 2010. Hiaasen, Carl. Chomp. Random House/Knopf , 2012. Hunt, Lynda. One for the Murphys. Penguin/Nancy Paulsen, 2012. Lu, Marie. Legend. Penguin/Putnam, 2011. Meyer, Marissa. Cinder. Macmillian/Feiwel & Friends, 2012. Nielsen, Jennifer A. The False Prince. Scholastic, 2012. Palacio, R.J. Wonder. Random House/Knopf, 2012. Price, Lissa. Starters. Random House/Delacorte Press, 2012. Schmidt, Gary. Okay For Now. Houghton Mifflin/Clarion Books, 2011. Silberberg, Alan. Milo --Sticky Notes and Brain Freeze. Simon & Schuster/Aladdin, 2011. Sullivan, Laura. Under the Green Hill. Macmillian/Henry Holt, 2010. Yee, Lisa. Warp Speed. Scholastic Press/Arthur A. Levine Books, 2011.
Did you know that your student may be a victim of summer reading loss?
Students can lose up to three months’ worth of reading progress over one summer. And, if you take into consideration all summers combined, students could possibly lose 1.5 years’ worth of reading progress. Summer reading loss can be defeated through time spent reading with your student, providing a variety of reading material, using various Internet resources, and encouraging them to just read for fun and the pleasure of learning! You can protect your child against summer reading loss by: • Encouraging your student to read a variety of different materials • Discussing stories or articles you have both read • Asking your student questions about what was read • Encouraging your student to write in response to what was read • Ensure your student reads widely—at least one book every ten days. The amount of time spent reading outside of school is important. For example, a student who reads 21 minutes per day outside of school reads almost 2 million words per year, whereas a student who reads less than a minute per day outside of school reads only 8,000 to 21,000 words per year.
Every Question Counts!
Part of literacy progress is learning how to think as you read. Asking questions supports learning how to think. Examples of some questions you might ask your student before, during, or after they read might be: • What was the most significant concept from the text? • What do you think will happen next? • Did you learn about anything that impacts your life? • What was your favorite part of the story? • How did the characters change over time? • Does this text remind you of something that you’ve read before? How?
Make Summer Reading Fun!
Summer reading is different from reading during the school year. It should be less structured and much more informal. Summer reading should emphasize: • student interest to keep students motivated to read. • wide-reading to help students learn the meanings of new words. By helping your teen find just the right books, you will: • provide a means for your student to improve his or her reading skills. • harness your students’ needs for excitement, adventure and entertainment. • help your student resolve some of life’s ambiguities and conflicts.
Summer Reading Information
Students may select the reading materials of their choice. Students must complete two Summer Reading Reports and give them to their seventh period teacher on the first day of school (August 19, 2013). For more information, contact Mrs. Camacho, Literacy Coach, at cristina.camacho@ocps.net Students, please visit www.justreadflorida.com and make the Summer Reading Pledge. The State of Florida has published this recommended reading list for students in Grades 6-8: A Long Walk to Water: Based on a True Story, Park, Linda Sue A Long Way from Chicago, Peck, Richard A Single Shard, Park, Linda Sue Any Which Wall, Snyder, Laurel Artemis Fowl: the Arctic Incident, Colfer, Eoin Breaking Stalin’s Nose, Yelchin, Eugene Bridge to Terabithia, Paterson, Katherine Carver, a Life in Poems, Nelson, Marilyn Dead End in Norvelt, Gantos, Jack Dragonwings, Laurence Yep Esperanza Rising, Ryan, Pam Munoz Fire From the Rock, Sharon, Draper Flush, Hiaasen, Carl Freedom Walkers: The Story of the Montgomery Bus Boycott, Freedman, Russell Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village, Schlitz, Laura Amy Heart of a Samurai, Preus, Margi Hugo Cabret, Schnick, Brian Little Women, Louisa May Alcott Lockdown, Myers, Walter Dean Lost in the River of Grass, Rorby, Ginny Magnificent Voyage: An American Adventurer on Captain James Cook’s Final Expedition, Lawlor, Laurie Moon over Manifest, Vanderpool, Clare Newt’s World: Beginnings, Womble, Susan Old Yeller, Gipson, Fred One Crazy Summer, Williams-Garcia, Rita Peter and the Starcatchers, Barry, Dave & Pearson, Ridley Saving the Ghost of the Mountain: An Expedition Among Snow Leopards in Mongolia, Montgomery, Sy and Bishop, Nic Scat, Hiaasen, Carl Tasting the Sky: A Palestinian Childhood, Barakat, Ibtisam The Anybodies, Bode, N.E. The Arrival, Tan, Shawn The Lightning Thief, Riordan, Rick The Man Who Went to the Far Side of the Moon: The Story of Apollo 11 Astronaut Michael Collins, Schyffert, Bea Uusma The Road Not Taken, Robert Frost The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle, Avi The Trumpet of the Swan, White, E.B. The View from Saturday, Konigsburg, E.L. The Wednesday Wars, Schmidt, Gary D. The Wright Sister: Katharine Wright and Her Famous Brothers, Maurer, Richard The Young Man and the Sea, Philbrick, Rodman Treasure Island, Stevenson, Robert Louis Trouble, Schmidt, Gary Twelve Rounds to Glory: The Story of Muhammed Ali, Smith, Charles R. Wangari’s Tree of Peace, Winter, Jeanette When the Wolves Returned: Restoring Nature’s Balance in Yellowstone, Patent, Dorothy Hinshaw Where the Red Fern Grows, Rawls, Wilson Wild Things, Carmichael, Clay
the wildcat watch
Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage Paid Permit No. 885 Orlando, FL
Orange County Public Schools South Creek Middle School P.O. Box 271 Orlando, FL 32802-0201
Boys & Girls Morning Program
Boys & Girls Club will bring “Mega Mornings” to South Creek Middle School next year! Starting Monday, August 19th, the before school program will provide a variety of activities for students, prior to starting the school day. Hours are from 7:30am to 9:00am, Monday through Friday, and the cost is $72 every four weeks. All students who are on campus before 9:00am must be registered for the program.
Boys & Girls Summer Program
South Creek Middle School’s Boys & Girls Club is preparing for our upcoming Summer Zone program and we are currently accepting donations to help support our fundraising initiative to have bus service this summer. Summer Zone runs Monday, June 10th through Thursday, July 18th (Closed the week of July 1st through July 5th) from 8:00am-5:30pm. Early registration has closed, and the total program fee is now $135 for the whole summer. Our program will offer exciting activities like Digital Media (Film Maker’s Crew), Digital Photography (Wildcat Paparazzi), S.T.E.M. (Intro to Engineering), Flocabulary/Reading Counts Club, Positive Sprouts Gardening (Green Team), as well as sports tournaments and selected field trips (Dave & Busters, Wet &Wild, Disney Quest, and more) Please contact Mr. George Masek at george.masek@ocps.net for more details.
Boys and Girls Club After School Zone Closure Dates
The Boys and Girls Club After School Zone will be closed on all school holidays and the following dates: • Friday, May 24th through Wednesday, June 5th 2013 If you have any questions, please contact Boys and Girls Club After School Zone Administration at 407-841-6855.
8th Grade Day
All 8th grade students will receive awards on Wednesday, June 5, 2013. After the awards ceremony, parents may exit the gym directly to the parking lot. Parents wishing to sign their children out must go to the front office and students will be called from class. After the program, students will be escorted to class and then to the cafeteria where they will have a “Fun in the Sun” luncheon, dance and activities until dismissal at 2:50pm. The 8th grade committee is looking for donations of packaged cookies, Hawaiian punch, plastic cups and tropical themed decorations. Please send in any donations to Ms. Outlaw. • 6th Grade Awards Thursday, May 30, 2013 @ 9:45am • 7th Grade Awards Thursday, May 30, 2013 @ 1:30pm
Wildcat Wednesdays
Each Wednesday, South Creek Middle School recognizes our students and staff on morning announcements for their hard work and achievement. Students, who’ve increased their G.P.A by 5% in Quarter 2, are entered into a drawing to win weekly prizes. South Creek Middle School is also implementing the use of “Wildcat Bucks” where students are taught the value of money and are awarded for Citizenship, Character, Academics, and Behavior based on efforts they display. Monday, June 3rd is our Wildcat Wednesday Celebration for G.P.A. increase and 3.5 to 4.0 students. We are in need of parent and community volunteers to assist with the event. If you are interested, please contact Assistant Principal Mrs. Fisher at isolda.antoniofisher@ocps.net and sign up via OCPS ADDitions using the link below: https://www.ocps.net/es/cr/resources/Pages/ADDitions.aspx