s ch ool d is t ri ct of v olu si a cou nt y february...
TRANSCRIPT
Message From the Principal
Tiger Times
S C H O O L D I S T R I C T O F V O L U S I A C O U N T Y
February 2016
Volume 4 Issue 4
Dear Southwestern Middle Families:
It’s hard to believe, but testing season is upon us. Our first state test FSA Writing Grades 6-8 is Tuesday, March 1. Grades 6 and 7 will be given the test in paper format and Grade 8 -computer base testing. The test is 120 minutes.
Results from these tests demonstrate the academic abilities of individual students, as well as, the progress of the entire school. Therefore, it is extremely important that all students do their absolute best on each and every section of the tests. Please encourage your student(s) to get plenty of sleep and eat a good breakfast each morning so they are alert and focused during the exams. Free Breakfast will be served on designated testing days. With your continued support, we are confident that our students will exceed last year’s testing scores.
TITLE I SUPPORTING YOUR CHILD ACADEMICALLY
Students benefit in many areas when they have a significant adult in their life--parent, guardian, grandparent, etc. -- that
is involved in their education. Many years of research, conducted by numerous researchers, tells that benefits include
higher student achievement, better attendance, and more positive behavior. This is true for all ages and types of stu-
dents, and for all family income and social status levels. The following* are examples of ways that parents and guardi-
ans can be involved with their children's education. Even one thing can contribute to positively impacting a child's
academic progress!
Read with your child and talk about the books and stories you read
Help your child with homework assignments
Organize and monitor your child's time
Attend and actively support school activities
Volunteer in classrooms, on fieldtrips, or for special events
Attend parent-teacher meetings
Talk with your child about school on a daily basis
Be an advocate for your child to make sure that their needs are being met
If a problem arises, address it quickly by requesting a meeting with the teacher
Advise the teacher of any issues at home that may affect the child's school performance
Vote in school board elections
Encourage your child on successes and support them on poor performances
Participate in school-offerings for parents, such a parent informational meetings, the PTA, school advisory councils and other committees
Mamie N. Oatis, Principal
Southwestern Middle School
Yearbook News! Yearbooks are now being sold for $30! Don’t miss the opportunity to get your copy of the “Reel Times at SMS” year-book. It’s sure to be full of awesome memories from this school year! See Mrs. Heaberlin in bldg. 8, room 6. Do you own your own business or know someone who does? Consider supporting the SMS yearbook by purchasing an ad to be placed in the yearbook. Ad sizes and prices are as follows: Business card ad-$25, Quarter page ad-$30, Half page ad-$50 and a Full page ad-$100. See Mrs. Heaberlin if interest-ed or email at [email protected]. Parents of 8
th graders don’t miss the chance to send a special message to your child in the year book. Your ad can be
professionally customized and sent to me print ready or you can send me the picture(s) you’d like for me to use along with your message and I’ll create your ad. The sizes and prices are as follows: quarter page ad-$30, half page ad-$50 and full page ad-$100. Please have all ads to Mrs. Heaberlin by Feb. 16th You can email me ([email protected]) or drop them off in the office.
Spelling Bee Winners
Congratulations to:
Meagan Glase-winner
Paul Castro-runner up
Band Fundraiser
See a SMS band member if you wish to purchase a $10
Discount Card!
City of Deland's Super Star Student of the Month
Congratulations to Duane (DJ) Headley—6th Grade for January and Ayja Cusack- 6th Grade for February . DJ and Ayja
are the City of Deland's Super Star Students of the Month. Under this program, one SMS student each month will receive a Super Star Student of the Month certificate from the City of DeLand.
DREAM News
The members of D.R.E.A.M. (Dynamic, Responsible, Educated, Achieving Men) are meeting several guest speakers from different professions. Mr. Cameron Robinson, Southwestern Middle School’s Assistant Principal, came to speak about his journey into education and proper attire for a gentleman in today’s world. The DeLand Police also came to speak about careers in law enforcement. D.R.E.A.M. will continue to feature new speakers, stepping practice and at least one upcoming field trip this year.
If you are interested in joining D.R.E.A.M., you may contact Mr. D’Orto, the faculty sponsor, at 386-822-6700 or at:
Picture This! Winners
January 28th Winners
When the wind blew, trees swung left and right, snow fell down, my umbrella flew south as my hat went north, and I
shivered like fish out of water. – Kenyonte’ Grimes
My teeth are chattering, my nose and ears are bright red, and freezing chills run up and down my spine. – Martin Perry
Shivering, trying to gain heat from what we hped to be a nice, toasty warm fire, our family roasted marshmallows as the
freezing wind blew. – Trinity Loeffler
The wind struck my face like freezer burnt razors and the ice cold snow shocked by body more and more after every step
until finally, the warm the sun rose after the long night. – Samantha Parsons
Southwestern Announces our Volunteers of the Year! Silver Volunteer Category: Dr. Janet Raney
Youth Volunteer Category: Zachary Flomerfelt
Annual VIPS recognition day...Volunteers Add Light to Learning
When: Thursday, February 10, 2016
Where: Seabreeze High School
Buffet Breakfast will be in the Cafeteria at 8.30 AM served by
Entertainment and Awards Program will be located in the auditorium.
Tiger Times Volume 4 Issue 4
Page 4
Congratulations
6th Grade Star Students
Trinnyce Williams- Heath
Kai Vedder
Sulmarie Carmona
Natalia Arico
Ben Mazak
Landry Tindal
Ayja Cusack
Jacob Zielinski
Morgan Schoolcraft
Computer 1st Place Why Gamble with Your Life? Logan Mull
Behavioral 1st Place Just Keep Swimming Sara Monette
Environmental Honorable Mention The 7 Deadly Salts Annabelle Long 3rd Place Termites Cole Tennihill 2nd Place Dissolving Limestone Skylar Gipson 1st Place Benches and Boats, From Trash That Floats Michael Pertler
Chemistry Honorable Mention The Science of Cookie Baking Amari Jackson 3rd Place Which Metal Oxidizes The Most? Brody Peterson 3rd Place Which Metal Rusts The Fastest In Salinated Water? Jade Gordon 2nd Place The Chemistry of Cookies David Jolliffe 1st Place Milk: Destination Expiration Ty Moses
Southwestern Middle School
Science Fair 2015-2016
Tiger Times Volume 4 Issue 4
Page 5
Southwestern Middle School
Science Fair 2015-2016
Microbiology 2nd Place Let’s Get Crackin’ Lorelei Clifton 1st Place Which Produce Surface has the Propensity to Retain Pathogenic Agents After Washing? Alexandra Blinn
Physics Honorable Mention Potential Energy & Water Displacement India Sapp 3rd Place Which Device Emits the Most Electromagnetic Waves? Devin Dorton 2nd Place Soccer Sorcery: Does Air Pressure Affect the Bounce of a Soccer Ball? Valen Siddhartha Shankar Brown 1st Place How Does Temperature Affect Battery Voltage? Josh Buscher
Medicine & Health 2nd Place Which Liquid Stains Your Teeth The Most? Courtney Martin 1st Place OJ vs. Gatorade Madelon Enneking
Animal Science 2nd Place Cat Digestion Tanis Hickman 1st Place Defense Against The Blood Suckers Alexandria Cogswell
Earth/Space Science 2nd Place Tsunami Terror
Cole Mannebach 1st Place Can You Tell Time Without A Clock? Andrew Pacheco
Engineering 3rd Place Leaf Blower Hovercraft Connor McKenna 3rd Place Computer 2 Lazer John Clark 2nd Place Recyclable Raft Julissa George 1st Place and Best of Show Bring On The Wind Abigail Walrath
Botany
Honorable Mention Popping Poppies Sophia Hopkins 3rd Place Can Different Types of Tea Effect Plant Growth? Mckenzie Lyons 2nd Place The Liquid of Life Trinity Loeffler 1st Place Leaf Stomata Alexa Tracey
Family Weekend Pass
A Family Weekend Pass to the Museum of Arts & Sciences in Daytona Beach is available for check out in the Media Center. This is available on a first come first serve basis. The pass may be checked out on Thursday or Friday and must be returned on the following Monday.
This is a wonderful opportunity to spend time with your family and enjoy Collections, Arts, Exhibits and Artifacts.
Museum Hours Monday-Saturday: 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday: 11:00 AM-5:00 PM
Note: Galleries are cleared 10 minutes prior to closing the Museum. When planning your visit, it may be helpful to check our Planetarium and Laser show schedules which can be found by going on their website.
Free First Tuesdays - The first Tuesday of each month, MOAS offers free admission (planetarium not included) to Volusia County
Residents with proof of residency, such as driver's license, library card or utility bill.
Odyssey Lab News
Common Questions About Odyssey Lab (Compass Online Learning) Answered!
There are many questions that students and parents ask about Odyssey Lab, which is where students go to retake a nine weeks of a course that they did not pass. Here are some of the most common questions, with answers, to help par-ents/guardians and students:
How do I access the Odyssey Lab program (Online Learning)? The program can be accessed one of two ways: 1. Go to www.myvolusiaschools.org and click on the VPortal box on the right of the homepage. A new screen will appear: the username is 1 plus the student’s alpha code (Example: 1ABCD), the password is their two digit month, two digit day, and four digit year that they were born (Example: 01012016). When this is entered, it will take you into VPortal. Click “Student Tools” at the bottom and then click the baby blue box titled “Online Learn-ing”; OR 2. Go to www.thelearningodyssey.com and enter the student’s username and password. In the third box, make sure it has “Southwestern” in it. Log in directly to Compass Odyssey Lab.
May I work on Odyssey Lab work outside of class? Yes! Any computer or tablet with Internet access will allow you to work on Compass Online Odyssey Lab work. The program works best on the Google Chrome browser (which is free), but can work on other browsers such as Safari.
Are there any times to access the Odyssey Lab computers outside of school? Yes! In the Odyssey Lab, there are open media nights from 4pm-5:30pm on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Any Southwestern Middle School student may attend to work on Compass Online Odyssey Lab or any other assignments from other classes.
If I use an Apple device, why am I having trouble working on Odyssey? Apple devices, other than the lap-top/desktop computers, need an app called “Puffin Academy” to run the “Compass Online” (Odyssey Lab) pro-gram. This app can be downloaded for free by entering “Puffin Academy” into the App Store Search bar. When you open Puffin Academy, click on the multicolored square, then go to Search and enter “Compass Online.” It will take you to Odyssey Lab!
If you would like to contact Mr. D’Orto, who runs the Odyssey Lab at Southwestern Middle School, you may email him at:
[email protected] or leave him a message at 386-822-6700.
Picture This! Winner—Special Edition
The winner of the Special Sports-Themed Literacy Night Contest: It was an action-packed game.
Word picture: The player hit the ball so hard, it was on fire, and the pitcher froze as the batter zoomed into home base! –
Serena Hill
Southwestern Middle School 2016 -Winter Wonderland Social ( Royal Court and Winners )
Boys Demitrus Presley Chris Wise Jahiem Engram Jaden Thompson Kaiden Uccello Nathan Diaz Ethan Burgess Arden Myers Prince and Princess Loren Lane & Demitrus Presley
Student Transportation Services is HIRING for School Bus Operators. If you
know of a parent, spouse, friend, etc. looking for a job, please have them call us at 386-258-4677 at ext. 50500.
No Commercial Driver License needed to start, we will train them for it!
Must have a completed application online with Volusia County School Board (www.myvolusiaschools.org) along with the FRS form com-pleted, references, and scanned social security card, driver license and high school diploma/GED. (If they don’t have a high school diploma/GED, they must successfully pass the assessment test with Human Resources).
Must be a licensed driver for a minimum of five (5) years.
Must have a clean driving record.
Must be able to obtain permits for a Class B license and the Passenger and School Bus Operator Endorsements.
Must be able to obtain a D.O.E. Physical and Dexterity Test.
Wages:
Paid Training: $8.05 per hour
Sub/Contracted Operator: $11.11 per hour
Contracted Operators will be eligible for the following benefits:
Medical
Dental
Vision
Life Insurance
Sick Leave
Free Annual Physical for contracted Operators
Florida State Retirement
Nicole Miller, Administrator
Training/Development & Safety Compliance
Student Transportation Services
O – 386-258-4677 Ext. 50500
Girls Timindia Williams Chausnia Ashford Chelsie Reeves Ryleigh Feliciano Arricka Adams Loren Lane Cheyenne Pugh
Media Memo The Media Center is open in the mornings at 8:20AM and after school until 4:00PM. Students may go on the following website to check if a
book is a Reading Counts book: http://src.scholastic.com/bookexpert/
Southwestern Middle School
605 W. New Hampshire Ave.
DeLand FL 32720-7228
We’re on the Web!
http://schools.volusia.k12.fl.us/southwest/index.htm
Phone: 386-822-6815 or 6700
Fax: 386-626-0060
E-mail: [email protected]
S C H O O L D I S T R I C T O F V O L U S I A C O U N T Y
After School Clubs meet from 3:35-4:45pm Monday-Thursday….unless otherwise notified.
Open Media Night: Monday and Thursday 3:45-5:30….unless otherwise notified. Tutoring Every Wednesday
2:45pm –3:45pm...Mr. Manning: Open Lab Tutoring Mon-Wed-Fri 7:20am….STAR Tutoring Monday and Thurs-
day 4pm-5:05pm.
February Happenings Wednesday, February 3……………………………….…..Early Release
Thursday, February 4……………………………..……….Family Science Night in Gym 5pm
Monday, February 8……………………..………....….….SAC/PTSO 6PM-7PM
Tuesday, February 9……………………………….……...6th Grade Student Celebration in Auditorium 9am-10:30am
Wednesday, February 10………………………….……...VIPS Recognition Day at Seabreeze High School 8:30am
Wednesday, February 10…………………………..……..7th/8th Grade Student Celebration in Auditorium 3pm-4:30pm
Wednesday, February 10……………………………..…...Early Release
Thursday, February 11……………………………..……...Student Written One Act Showcase in Auditorium 7-8:30pm
Saturday, February 12………………………………..…...Teacher of the Year Banquet
Monday, February 15………………………………..……..Presidents’ Day Holiday
Wednesday, February 17……………………………….….Early Release
Friday, February 19………………………………………….Band Lock In 7:00pm-11:00pm
Saturday, February 20…………………………….……….CEC Charity Luncheon at Debary Golf & Country Club 12pm
Wednesday, February 24………………………..………..Early Release
Thursday, February 25…………………………………….DC Parent Meeting in Auditorium 6-7pm
LOOKING AHEAD
Tuesday, March 1……………………………………FSA Writing Test
Monday, Tuesday March 7,8……………………………...Portable Planetarium 9am-3:30pm
Monday, March 14…………………………………..……..SAC/PTSO 6PM-7PM
Monday, March 14-Friday, March 18………………..…...Washington DC Trip
Tuesday, March 15………………………………………....Last Day for STAR Tutoring
Thursday, March 17…………………………………...…...Grading Period Ends
Friday, March 18…………………………………..……….Teacher Duty Day/Student Holiday
Spring Holiday Saturday, March 19-Sunday, March 27
Monday, March 28………………………………………….Classes Resume
Check out a great feature on our Southwestern website...click on the bottom right area for “Show calendar” This will give an up to date calendar for our school.