vol. 2 no. 5 · early release days next week on wednesday, january 25, and thursday, january 26 ......

RHINO REPORT

January 20th, 2017 Ramsey Middle School Minneapolis, MN Volume 2 No. 6

AnnieJr.CastInterviewsBY:NoraGrant

ThemusicofAnniehasbeenbuzzingallaroundRamseyMiddle.Manystudentshavesteppedforwardshowingtheirmusicalcapability.Astheactualmusicalisstartingeveryoneisfullyawareofthechallengesandexcitementsthatlayaheadofthem.“WellthisisthethirdtimeI'vebeeninit.I’vebeeninitalltheyearsI'vebeenhereatRamseysoIdon'tknowIthinkit'sprettycool”“IamreallyexcitedandIreallyhopetolearnmoreabouttheaterandthings.IjusthopethatIdowhatIknowismybestandthinkIcandothat”“I'msuperexcitedandIthinkwehaveareallytalentedgroupofstudentsthatarehelpingwiththecastwiththesetdesignwiththecostumingandIcouldn'tbemoreenthusiasticaboutmyfirstshowwithRamsey”“IfeelreallygoodImeanthereisalotofupsidestobeinginthemusicalbutthere'salsosomedownsides,likemissingreallyfuneventslikeintersessionandskitripsstufflikethat.ButIamalsoextremelyproudtobeinthemusical”“IreallywanttoimprovemyskillsandprovethatIamcapable!”

EarlyReleaseDaysNextWeek

OnWednesday,January25,andThursday,January26,RamseyMiddleSchoolwillbeclosingat1pm.Buseswillcomeandpickupatthattime.Therewillbenoafterschoolactivities.

Theseearlyclosingsaretoenableessentialprofessionaldevelopmentforstafftoimprovetheworkthatwedowithstudentseachday,aswellastimeforustoworktogetheronourprogrammingforthefuture.

ThesechangesareduringIntersessionweek,sostudentswillnotbemissingregularclass,andwehavecreatedanadjustedschedulesostudentsstillhaveaccesstothevarietyofcoursesIntersessionoffers.

OnlyRamseyMiddleSchoolthathastheearlyclosingonthesedays.

FutureCityStateCompetitionBY:Mr.K. Threeteamsof8thgraderswillbepresentingRamseyandMinneapolisPublicSchoolsatthisyear’sStateofMinnesotaFutureCityCompetition.ThesestudentshavebeenworkingontheirprojectssinceSeptember.TheyfirstplayedtheSimCitycomputergametolearnhowacityisrun.Then,theycomposeda1500wordresearchessayaroundthisyear’sthemeofPublicSpaces.Finally,theyconstructeda3Dmodelusingmostlyrecycledmaterialsandprepareda7-minutepresentationthattheywillpresentinfrontofjudgesatthestatecompetition.Lastyear,RMSnearlywon,sowearelookingtotakehomethe1stplacetrophythisyear!Ifwewin,wewillrepresenttheStateofMinnesotaatheNationalCompetitioninWashington,D.C.inFebruary! StudentTeamsare: TeamBonumorbis:CharlieBoesen*,BenKing*,JackSkogg,AugustButler,DevinKnosalla,andHenryBastian TeamHallowedPlace:FarukBadur*,WillMusser*,AsherTeal*,AlexPeik,NoahSiddiqui TeamShadowsofWisdom:RyanMcChesney*,JoshMaynard*,FredHillmyer*,AlexConverse,IsaiahLeflore*=competitionpresenter/teamleaderBesuretocheckthenextissueoftheRhinoReporttoreadhowwedid!

HelpWanted!TheRhinoReportislookingfor:- Writers(news,sports,

creative)- Critics(food,movies,

music)- Cartoonists/Artists- PhotographersSoundlikeyou?Joinus!SignupintheCommunityEd.Officetoday!

2017HighSchoolTransitionFROM:Ms.CottinghamAllMPShighschoolplacementsaredonethroughtheHighSchoolRequestCenterat

http://highschoolrequest.mpls.k12.mn.us/

Thehighschoolrequestprocessbeginsduringthefallofeighthgrade,whenstudentsandtheirfamiliesresearchschoolsandattendtheiropenhouses.

AllrequestsareduebyFebruary4th.

Makeanappointmenttoseeme(oremailme)ifyouhaveanyquestions.

iPadUpdateFROM:PrincipalErinRathke:

Itisimportantformetosharewithyouthatwearemakingsomemuch-neededadjustmentstoour1:1technologyprogramatRamsey.Iamworkingcloselywithourtechcouncil,staffanddistrictITdepartmentonthebest,mostsustainablemodelforRamseyandourstudents.TechnologyisoneofthefoundingcornerstonesofRamsey.Iwanttosustainourtechnologyforstudentlearning.WearefindingthattravellingbackandforthwithstudentsiscausingsomemorefrequentdamagetotheiPads.Atsemesterendwearemovingtoa1:1cartmodelfornow.StudentswillhaveaccesstoiPadsonadailybasisatschool.StudentswillhandintheiriPadsatsemesterendforreimagingandclean-up.Ourgoalistoworktowardsasustainableplan—wewillbesurveyingstudents,staffandfamilies,wewillbetakingguidancefromthedistrictITdepartment,wewillworkwithSiteCouncilandthetechnologycounciltoinformandimplementamoreeffectiveplan.

HistoryDayis(Almost)Here!BY:Mr.NutterandMs.Peterson7thgradeHistoryDayShowcaseThursday,February2,6:00-8:00pm7thgradestudentswillbeshowcasingtheir2017HistoryDayprojects.Throughoutthepast3monthsstudentshavechosentopics,conductedresearch,andcreatedprojectsbasedonthetheme“TakingaStandinHistory.”Therewillbemorethan175projectsondisplayincludingdocumentaries,websites,exhibits,andperformances.

SecondSemesterSchedulesFROM:Ms.Cottingham

SecondsemesterstartsonTuesday,January31.Studentsareabletoseetheirsecondsemesterscheduleonthestudentportal.Ifstudentswouldliketorequestachangeinanelectiveclass,theyneedtofilloutaschedulechangerequestform.Schedulechangerequestformsareavailabletopickupinthemainoffice.AllrequestformsareduebyThursday,January26-noexceptions.Aparentsignatureisrequiredforallschedulechangerequests.Ifastudentwishestodropayear-longelectivecourse,ateachersignatureisalsorequired.Studentsandparentswillbeemailedwithadecisionabouttheirschedulechangerequest.Studentswillnotbecalleddowntotheofficetogetacopyoftheirnewscheduleiftheirrequestisapproved.

ImportantDates Tue, Jan 24: Intersession (8th grade Ski Trip)

Wed. Jan 25: Intersession and Early Release Day (1 PM)

Thu, Jan 26: Intersession and Early Release Day (1 PM)

Thu, Feb 2: 7th Grade History Day Showcase, 6 - 8 pm

Fri, Feb 10: Ramsey Musical, Annie Jr., 7 pm, Ramsey

Auditorium

Sat, Feb 11: Ramsey Musical, Annie Jr., 7 pm, Ramsey

Auditorium

Thu, Feb 16: Parent-Teacher Conferences (by appointment

only), 4:30 - 8 pm

Fri, Feb 17: Parent-Teacher Drop-In Conferences, 8 am - 12

noon

Thu, Feb 23: Arabic Night, 5 pm, Ramsey Cafeteria

Tue, Feb 28: Somali Tea at Morning Greeters, 8 - 8:30 am

ContributorsNoraGrant

ZoeHuntingtonMs.Cottingham

Mr.NutterMs.PetersonMs.Rathke

Mr.K.

What’sForLunch?

ArabicNight! RandomNotebookDrawingsBY:ZoeHuntington