M i d d l e S c h o o l C o n n e c t i o n s

Page 1

January, 2018 Ripon Area School District www.ripon.k12.wi.us

School Closing Plan

Does your middle school

student know who to

contact if school is

closing early due to the

weather? If students

have memorized the

numbers, or have it with

them in their planner,

they will be able to use

the classroom phone

without having to wait

for office staff to look up

the needed number.

On days when the

weather is doubtful,

please review your plan

before your child leaves

for school.

Upcoming Events!

7th Grade to MPTC January 9th

8th Grade to MPTC January 11th

No School January 15th

End of Semester January 19th

(report cards mailed Jan 26th)

Yearbook Deadline

If you haven’t ordered a 17-18

yearbook yet, now is the time!

The cost of the yearbook is

$17.50 and orders will be

taken until January 12th.

Payment is due upon ordering

and checks can be made out

to Ripon Middle School. Any

student wishing to order a

yearbook should see Mrs.

Voight or Mrs. Perr in the

office.

Brrrrr…….

Just a reminder that

supervision begins, and the

doors unlock, at 7:15am each

morning (except for 8:15am on

Wednesdays). Students will

need to wait outside if they

arrive prior to that time.

BRAVE NEWS

The BRAVE program will

resume after school

homework help and

tutoring on Tuesday,

January 2nd.

Programming will run from

3pm-5:15pm as usual.

M i d d l e S c h o o l C o n n e c t i o n s

Page 2

Dear Students, Parents and Staff,

One way to increase the likelihood of

increased student success is to make sure your

child is in school as often as possible. The state

allows 10 excused absences per year, which

include things like appointments, vacations, and

sick days (when accompanied by a note or phone call). Once the

10 days are used, those same reasons for being absent are

unexcused (yes, even sick days, unless excused by a doctor). After

five unexcused absences, the student is considered habitually truant,

which is a violation of state statutes. So, please make sure your child

is present as often as possible. Statistics show students who regularly

attend school are much more academically successful than those

that don’t.

We will also be looking at scheduling in January for all 8th

graders as they look ahead to their freshmen year. Grades 6-7 will

start to schedule in February. Please look for these items as they will

be coming home.

Mr. Rick Bunge

Principal’s Page

M i d d l e S c h o o l C o n n e c t i o n s

Page 3

Edible Science

Friday, January 26th

6:30-8:00pm

Science you can eat! If your child likes to cook,

ask questions, and explore the world around them,

what better way to do so than in the kitchen? Not

only will Middle School students learn about

different areas of science, they will get a yummy

educational treat, too. This is a total win-win event!

Keep an eye out for Edible Science registration

forms coming home with your child on Monday,

January 8th.

Questions can be directed to:

Ashley O’Kon

MS BRAVE Site Coordinator

920-748-4638, ext 2204

okona@ripon.k12.wi.us

Extracurricular News

Math Meet

Congratulations to the Ripon Middle

School/Catalyst Math team for the

incredible performance at the

Rosendale/Brandon Math Meet on

December 18th! In individual awards,

three fifth graders placed in the top

6, Brock Stollfuss took 2nd place

among all 6th graders at the

tournament, Eva Baker earned 1st

place and Nessa Grant received 5th

place among all 7th graders. In

addition, two Ripon teams earned

team awards. The 6th grade team of

Brock Stollfuss, Aletheia Riley, and

Colin Rieder took 6th place. The 8th

grade team of Celina Lopez, Isabelle

Osheim, Adam Banerjee, and Liam

Gilfillan earned 4th place. Way to go,

Ripon Math Team!

Empty Bowls

The Empty Bowl Fundraiser was a hit this year!

Thanks again to all who participated! The event

was held in the High School Commons this year

with 4 delicious soups and 8 tables of ceramic

bowls on display. The fundraiser took in just under

$500.00 to donate to the local food pantry. Thanks

again to all that participated!

M i d d l e S c h o o l C o n n e c t i o n s

Page 4

School News

Comfort for Crisis

During the month of December, Mrs. Bork’s class

has been focusing on different holiday traditions.

The "Comfort for Crisis" fit perfectly into one

custom inspired by "St. Nicholas" - giving to others

in need. The class made new tie blankets to

donate to the cause and have made two

blankets so far.

7th Grade

RMS 7th Grade ELA classes celebrated

their historical fiction stories with a

Pancakes and Publishing Party.

Students enjoyed pancakes and

shared their writing with each other.

They also shared via Skype with

students of former Ripon teacher,

Jacqueline Schommer (Charapata) in

New London.

8th Grade

8th grade RMS students are learning

about "survival of the fittest." Students

have investigated physical and

behavioral adaption’s that allow

species to flourish in their environment.

As part of this investigation, students

dissected earthworms. Students

investigated their structures to identify

what features that are important to

survival underground.

8th Grade

Can you roll your tongue? Are you

right-handed or left handed? 7th grade

RMS students are investigating the

genetics behind the many traits they

display. During our new unit, we will be

learning about Mendel's work,

investigating DNA structure, and

discovering what really makes us 'us'.

8th Grade

How can an idea be transformed into a product

or service that could make millions?" 8th grade

Catalyst students worked on answering this

question in the project called "Shark Tank".

Students pitched their individual product they

designed to a Shark Tank judge’s panel. Students

also used our 3D Makerbot printer to create a

mini original prototype or logo of their individual

product using the program Tinkercad.

M i d d l e S c h o o l C o n n e c t i o n s

Page 5

6th Grade

RMS 6th grade scientists have learned about

distance, speed, velocity, and acceleration

in their study of Physics. They are now

learning about force and how to calculate

the net force being exerted on an object

and used a simulation to explore how

forces work.

School News

7th Grade

RMS 7th grade students ended their Diversity

of Life unit with Madagascar hissing

cockroaches. Students identified

cockroach structures and then determined

the function of those structures. They also

observed the behavior of the insects. When

the observations and learning were done,

students got to hold them. The feeling of

the cockroach's feet on the students' hands

helped them realize why the cockroaches

are able to climb up the sides of their

smooth plastic containers.

Caroling

The choir students spread some holiday

cheer by singing and playing tone chimes

around the Middle School and High School

the week before Winter Break. Staff and

students all enjoyed the show.

M i d d l e S c h o o l C o n n e c t i o n s

Page 6

It’s Hour of Code Week! Not sure what that

is? It is a global movement reaching tens of

millions of students in 180+ countries that

encourages students to try coding. One

hour tutorials are available and no

experience is necessary. Getting students to

try coding isn't just about them learning

to code. Coding helps them to think

critically and logically.

STEM Exploration Days is a one-day

conference for girls in grades 7 & 8 to

encourage exploration in science,

technology, engineering and

mathematics (STEM). The conference

includes exhibit exploration, a keynote

speaker, and three one-hour hands on

workshops. Information was sent home

with female students in early December

and all registration paperwork and fees

are due back to the office by

Wednesday, January 3rd. If your child

would like to participate and hasn’t

received a packet, please contact the

school office for a copy.

WEB Activity

8th grade WEB leaders got together

with their 6th grade partners for a fun

game of Hungry Hungry Hippos. All of

the students had a great time and are

looking forward to the next event

being held.

M i d d l e S c h o o l C o n n e c t i o n s

Page 7

A Little Music

The RMS/Catalyst band and choir students

performed for family and friends at two concerts in

December. There weren’t many empty seats in

the auditorium and the students were able to

impress the people who came to listen. Thank you

to everyone for supporting our students and

allowing them to perform for you.

M i d d l e S c h o o l C o n n e c t i o n s

Page 8

Ripon Area School District Bylaws & Policies

3122 – NONDISCRIMINATION AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITY

The Board of Education does not discriminate on the basis of the Protected Classes. Protected Classes include: race; color; national origin; age;

sex (including transgender status, change of sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity); pregnancy; creed of religion; genetic information;

handicap or disability (in accordance with Policy 1623, AG 1623A, and 1623B); marital status; citizenship status; veteran status; military service (as

defined in 111.32, Wis. St at s.); national origin; ancestry; arrest record; conviction record (In accordance with Policy 4121); use or non-use of

lawful products off the District’s premises during non-working hours; declining to attend an employer-sponsored meeting or to participate in any

communication with the employer about religious matters or political matters; or any other characteristic protected by law in its employment

practices. The district encourages informal resolution of com plaints under this policy. If any person believes that the Ripon Area School District or

any part of the school organization has failed to follow the law and rules of S.188.13 Wis. Stats., or in some way discriminates on the basis listed

above, s/he may bring or send a complaint to the Administration Office at 1120 Metomen St., P.O. Box 991, Ripon, WI 54971

Parent News

Parent Pointers

Coping with Tests

Help your child to be calm, focused, and rested

on test day. This begins with a good night’s sleep.

Prepare any needed materials ahead of schedule,

and take time for a good breakfast before the

exam.

Remind your children that you support their effort

and that daily performance is a much better

indicator of aptitude than a single test.

Plan a post-exam activity your child enjoys as a

reward for his or her hard work.

www.educationworld.com

School Delays & Cancellations

The posting of any school delays and/or

cancellations will be located on the Ripon

Area School District website and posted

on the school district Facebook page.

School District Website:

www.ripon.k12.wi.us

In addition, messages will also be aired

over the following stations:

Radio:

WRPN (AM) AM1600

www.wrpnam.com

WPKR (FM) FM 99.5

TV:

Green Bay Channel 2 (WBAY)

Green Bay Channel 5 (WFRV)

Green Bay Channel 11 (WLUK)

Green Bay Channel 26 (WGBA) Who Needs It?

Everyone needs breakfast to start off the day with

some energy! You don’t have to pig out on a full

course meal, but do give your body a boost with

some foods to get you going. Here are some

easy breakfast-on-the-go ideas:

Fresh fruit

Cereal bar

Cereal without milk in a bag

Toast with peanut butter

Hardboiled egg (cook a few once a week)

Crackers & string cheese

Muffin

Check Out Our Website!

Our website is full of useful information for

parents. You’ll find info about:

School calendar

School staff

Special events

Lunch menus

Link to the Parent Portal

www.ripon.k12.wi.us