Husky Herald

Principal’s MessageDear Avalon Family:

The 2015-16 school year has already proven to be a great year. As I review the year, I have seen so many wonderful accomplishments from both students and staff. Our students have received recognition for achievement in the areas of academics, athletics and citizenship. I attribute these accomplishments to our responsible students, supportive community and dedicated faculty and staff.

Amazingly, the end of the school year is almost here. The excitement of the summer is in the air and it is tempting for students to start shutting down; however, we need our students to finish the year strong. My staff is working hard to insure that your children continue to learn, but we need your help in emphasizing the importance of staying focused. Finishing the year with good grades helps our counselors and the high school counselors make the best decisions possible about students’ placement into various programs for next year. In addition, testing season begins in April with FSA and EOC testing in math, reading and civics as well as the 8th grade FCAT Science exam followed by Common Final Exams at the end of May in science, social studies and elective courses. We are confident that our students will do well as long as they stay the course.

Not only do our students have a lot to do in their classes these remaining weeks, but they also have a wide variety of activities in which we hope that they, and you, will participate. These events include the eighth grade Gradventure, track meets, numerous music concerts, a drama production, and our annual Evening of Excellence. Please refer to our school’s website calendar section or our weekly email newsbrief for additional information on all of these events and activities.

As we reflect upon this year’s successes, we have to thank our parents and community for their support. As always, our AMS PTSO has been very helpful through sponsorship of the welcome back dance, school supply drive, spirit nights and so many other activities. Whether planning a student event or raising money to help a Husky in need, our PTSO works tirelessly to make Avalon the best it can be. In addition, we are very appreciative of our PIE businesses and community members for their ongoing support of Avalon Middle School. We could not do it without you. Thank you for being a part of the team and working

to help make this a fabulous school year.

As we approach the end of this year, we wish our 8th grade students well as they move on to high school. They have bright futures ahead of them, and we appreciate all of their hard work as students at Avalon. Know that they have the skills and habits that they need in order to be successful at the next level. At the same time, we look forward to the 2016-2017 school year with our incoming sixth graders and our upcoming seventh and eighth graders.

Thank you for all of your support this year. I look forward to your continued involvement in your child’s education.

Sincerely,

Karen Furno

13914 Mailer BlvdOrlando, FL 32828

Phone: 407-207-7839

AdministrationKaren Furno, Principal

Assistant PrincipalsLatasha Ferguson Bibiana GavillanMatthew Rebholz

Administrative DeansMichelle Anderson

Leann King

Home of the Huskies!Avalon Middle School

Issue 3April 2016

2Counselors’ CornerWe frequently field questions about our Evening of Excellence recognition program. The criteria for this evening is listed below.1. All students who have earned a 3.5 or

higher cumulative GPA for the school year.2. Quarter 4 is not used in the current

year as the ceremony is BEFORE final grades are in.

3. All high school honors classes in which a B/C was earned will receive the grade higher (weighted) FOR THAT CLASS ONLY. For example, a B in Algebra I Honors is counted as an A, but an A in Algebra I Honors WILL NOT override a B in 7th/8th grade advanced language arts class. D/F’s will not be counted as C/D’s.

4. High school classes that are not honors level (i.e. Spanish) are not weighted (i.e. a B in Spanish is still only a B).

5. For the 8th grade 4.0 GPA for 3 years designation, a student must earn:a. A for the FINAL GRADE in EACH

6th and 7th grade class. A B as a final grade in a high school honors class will be calculated as an A.

ANDb. A’s for EVERY (counting weights

for honors classes) quarter during their 8th grade year.

Notes: n Any core/required academic class

(including reading, if it was required) taken through any virtual school WILL be taken into account for EOE purposes.

n Classes taken at any high school will NOT be taken into account UNLESS it is a core academic class (example: Algebra II DOES count; Italian DOES NOT).

n Any additional elective classes (example: student takes 7 classes at Avalon but chooses to take computers through FLVS) will NOT be counted.

n The student MUST have grades for ALL quarters to be considered so that we can verify each quarterly GPA.

AssessmentAs we approach our testing season, it is important to review the following policies with your student before testing:

n Electronic Devices—Students are not permitted to have any electronic devices, at any time during testing OR during breaks even if they are turned off or students do not use them. If your student is found with an electronic device, his or her test will be invalidated.

n Testing Rules Acknowledgment—All FCAT 2.0 and NGSSS tests include a Testing Rules Acknowledgment that reads, “I understand the testing rules that were just read to me. If I do not follow these rules, my test score may be invalidated.”

n Discussing Test Content after Testing—Please make sure your student understands that “discussing” test content includes any kind of electronic communication, such as texting, emailing, or posting to blogs or social media websites. While students may not share information about secure test content after testing, this policy is not intended to prevent students from discussing their testing experiences with their parents/families.

n Working Independently—Students are responsible for doing their own work during the test and for protecting their answers from being seen by others.

n Leaving Campus— If your student begins a test session and leaves campus before completing it, he or she WILL NOT be allowed to complete that test session. If your student does not feel well on the day of testing, it may be best for him or her to wait and be tested on a make-up day.

Testing SchedulePlease be aware that we may need to make adjustments to the schedule provided below; therefore, student attendance during the entire testing window is important.

FSA ELA & Math – Testing Window – April 11 to May 6• April 11 – 8th grade reading Pt. 1• April 12 – 8th grade reading Pt. 2• April 14 – 6th grade reading Pt. 1• April 15 – 6th grade reading Pt. 2• April 18 – 7th grade reading Pt. 1• April 19 – 7th grade reading Pt. 2• April 21 – 6th grade math Pt. 1 • April 22 – 6th grade math Pt. 2 and 3• April 25 – 7th grade math Pt. 1 • April 26 – 7th grade math – Pt. 2 and 3• April 28 – 8th grade math Pt. 1 • April 29 – 8th grade math Pt. 2 and 3

FCAT 2.0 Science• April 26 – 8th grade science – Pt. 1 and 2

You can get more information about as well as training tests for the FSA ELA and Math assessments at the FSA Portal - http://fsassessments.org/students-and-families/. Information about the Science Assessment can be found at http://fldoe.org/accountability/assessments/k-12-student-assessment/science.stml.

End of Course Assessments for Algebra 1 and Geometry – Testing Window – April 18-May 13• May 5 – Algebra Pt. 1• May 6 – Algebra Pt. 2• May 9 – Geometry Pt. 1• May 10 – Geometry Pt. 2

NGSSS Assessments for Civics – Testing Window – April 18 – May 20• May 16

Information about these assessments can be found at http://fldoe.org/accountability/assessments/k-12-student-assessment/end-of-course-eoc-assessments.

Common Final ExamsOur students will take district exams in the following subjects: 6th and 8th grade social studies, science 6-8, foreign language, and electives. These assessments are 20% of the course grade. Teachers will set student grades on the Common Final Exam at the school level. These tests will be given on May 31, June 1, June 2, and June 3. Make up exams will be given on June 6th and 7th. No exams may be given early.

3CalendarApril 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3rd quarter report cardsApril 9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . “Alive Inside” eventApril 18 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SAC / PTSO mtgs. – 6 p.m.April 20 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Track meet v. DMS / UPMS (HOME)April 21 and 22 . . . . . . . . . . Spring Musical – 6:30 – CafeteriaApril 23 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Avalon Jazz Fest – AMS Jazz BandApril 26 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Spring PicturesApril 27 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Track meet v. LMS / ARMS (HOME)May 4. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Track meet v. Corner Lake (AWAY)May 6. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gradventure – 8th gradeMay 11. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Husky Hero CelebrationMay 12. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . National Junior Honor Society Induction – 6 p.m.May 17. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Orchestra Spring Concert – 6:30 p.m. – TCHS PACMay 19. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Band Spring Concert – 6 p.m. - GymMay 24. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . AMS Evening of ExcellenceMay 25. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Track Banquet – GymMay 25. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chorus Spring Concert – 6:30 p.m. – TCHS PACMay 30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Memorial Day HolidayMay 31-June 3 . . . . . . . . . . . Common Final Exams – Science, Social Studies, ElectivesJune 8. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Last Day of SchoolJune 24 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4th Quarter Report Cards (available on Progress Book 6/20)

Summer ReadingReading is the most critical skill a student can develop, and summer is a perfect time to dive into a good book – or two. Sixth and seventh grade students will be bringing home information in May about our summer reading program. In addition, eighth grade students will receive information about Timber Creek’s summer reading. Please encourage your child to read as much as possible.

ImmunizationsAll students entering the 7th grade must have the following immunizations on record with the school before beginning classes. Please contact our registrar, Ms. Haas, if you have any questions.• DTaP Series• 1 dose of Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis (T dap)• Polio Series• Hepatitis B Series• 2 doses of Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR)• 2 does of Varicella (Chickenpox)

WOMEN’S FAMILY LAW FIRM

Putting Your Family First

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8th Grade CelebrationOur parent committee has begun work on our 8th grade end of the year celebration which is scheduled for Friday, May 20, from 1:30 to 3:45. We are excited about the variety of activities for the students to explore including games, a dance, food, a photo booth, a movie, and a chance to sign yearbooks and autograph books. We think the kids will love going through the candy bar! To make this event happen, we need your help in directing students and handing out food. Parents who want to volunteer must be ADDitions approved. If you are not ADDitions approved go to https://www.ocps.net/ES/CR/RESOURCES/Pages/default.aspx. The process has changed from previous years so if you have not signed up this school year you must do it again. Please email Kristin at krdeckert@gmail.com if you would like to volunteer. If you would like to help, but are unable to attend the party you can sign up to send in food or candy at http://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e0845ada62c7-avalon. All donations need to be dropped off at the school by Friday, May 13. Please note that all food products must be peanut free but may be processed in a factory that makes peanut products. Thank you for your support!

Extracurricular CodeStudent achievement and proper behavior are vital in creating a school environment conducive to learning. Expectations and consequences are established for students to practice self-discipline and responsibility. Students are expected to make good choices and earn the right to participate in extra-curricular activities. As a result, next year we will be implementing the following AMS Extra-Curricular Activity Code. Student participation in extra-curricular activities is a privilege. In order to keep this privilege students must maintain a 2.0 GPA, have no serious discipline infractions (to be determined by administration), and must maintain passing grades in language arts, mathematics, science, social studies and reading (if applicable) for the current marking period. Examples of extra-curricular activities include, but are not limited to the following: sporting events, concerts and shows, movie nights, after school events, celebratory events, etc. Students who fail to meet the criteria outlines above will not be eligible to attend or participate in extra-curricular activities.

Dress CodeAs you take advantage of all of the back-to-school shopping sales, please keep in mind the OCPS Dress Code for students. Student dress should reflect a neat and student-like appearance to provide a safe and orderly environment.• Clothes shall be worn as they are designed—suspenders over the shoulders, pants secured

at the waist, belts buckled, no underwear as outerwear, no undergarments exposed. • Clothing with holes, tears or inappropriate patches will not be allowed if considered

obscene or distracting. Holes in pants above the knees are not allowed.• Bare midriffs and bare sides should not show even when arms are extended above the head. • Clothing that is too tight or revealing is unacceptable. This includes but is not

limited to leggings, jeggings and spandex pants. • Garments and/or jewelry that display or suggest sexual, vulgar, drug, alcohol or

tobacco related wording/graphics or may tend to provoke violence or disruption in school shall not be worn.

• Gang paraphernalia, jewelry, tattoos or other insignias that display, suggest, provoke or may tend to provoke violence or disruptions are not permitted.

• Hemlines of shorts, dresses, skirts, and skorts shall be no shorter than mid-thigh. • Clothing must follow the four finger wide rule at the shoulders. Sheer shirts are also

not allowed on campus unless the shirt under is in dress code.• Shoes shall be worn at all times. The following are not acceptable:

○ Flip flops, thong sandals, slides ○ Backless shoes ○ Cleated shoes ○ Slippers or any kind ○ Healeys (shoes with wheels)

• The following items have the potential to cause disruptions and/or threaten our safe and positive school environment and are therefore not allowed:

○ Hats, sweatshirt hoodies, caps, visors, sunglasses, or bandanas. Students may wear winter caps and gloves on cold days but must remove them when entering buildings/classrooms.

○ Pants worn below the waist. ○ Sleepwear or pajama pants. ○ Chains hanging from the neck, belt, pocket, or attached to a wallet. ○ Jewelry that contains any type of sharp object. Body piercing(s) – including but not limited to: eyebrows, nose, lips.

A copy of the Orange County Public Schools dress code is available on the OCPS web site: www.ocps.net.

5

“Husky Herald”April 2016 • Issue #3

Published Four Times Per YearOrange County Public Schools

Avalon Middle SchoolP.O. Box 271

Orlando, FL 32806

DramaOur spring musical is “Bye, Bye, Birdie”. Our students are working hard to create the sets, learn their lines and the songs, and get all of the technical issues involved with stagecraft resolved. We know that it will be a great performance, and we hope to play to sold-out crowds on April 21 and 22.

BandOur Band program has had a VERY busy spring! We had twelve outstanding students selected to perform with the OCPS All-County Band in January – a school record! Also, for the first time ever, we had eight students selected to perform with the OCPS JAZZ All-County Band in February! We set a school record with the number of students who participated in the OCPS Solo & Ensemble Festival in February with over 130 students performing solos and small-group pieces. In addition to this outstanding level of participation, these students received a record-breaking 101 Superior medals!!

Our two advanced bands participated in the annual OCPS Music Performance Assessment in mid-March, where they are required to perform prepared music in front of adjudication panel to receive a series of scores. They also perform two pieces of “sight-reading” music where they asked to perform music for the first time from sight alone. We are proud to announce that these two groups did an outstanding job and represented our school exceptionally well. Our Symphonic Band received all ‘Excellent’ ratings and the Wind Ensemble received all ‘Superior’ ratings. We are so proud of the hard work of these young musicians!

We hope that you’ll be able to join us on May 19th in the AMS Gym for our annual Spring Concert of the school year! Also, you won’t want to miss our award-winning Jazz Band perform at the 2nd annual ‘Avalon Jazz Fest’ in downtown Avalon on April 23!

ChorusThe Chorus Pre-MPA Concert had a great turnout and even greater support on our donations. For every Chorus performance, instead of admission tickets we have a donation box to different organizations that need support. This time we contributed to “Just1Book” and we got over 450 books donated! Thank you, incredible chorus families!! Our annual spring concert will be held on May 25. We hope that you will join us.

In other awesome chorus news, the Men’s Chorus sang the National Anthem at the Atlanta Braves game at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex in March. Great job, Men! What a great way to showcase our talents and our Chorus program!

Finally, twenty of our Chorus students are taking part in an incredible pilot program called “Alive Inside: Building Bridges.” Every Wednesday, the students go to Encore Assisted Living of Avalon Park and bring nostalgic music to residents with varying forms of dementia. The music helps to bring back memories for the residents and sparks incredible moments of clarity and music-making (the residents LOVE to sing!!). If you are interested in supporting this amazing endeavor, please consider joining us on Saturday, April 9th at Avalon Church at 3:00pm for a special fundraising and awareness event. Tickets can be purchased at the following link for $15: www.aliveinside.org/orlando. We hope to see you there!

OrchestraOur orchestra students performed well at our MPAs. The Chamber Orchestra received Excellent ratings and our Sinfonia Orchestra received straight-Superior ratings! Our Beginning Orchestra classes put on mini-concerts for our Art, Band, and Chorus classes in which they performed some classic fiddle tunes! Currently we are getting ready for our AMS Orchestra Night with the Orlando Magic. Our Sinfonia and Chamber Orchestras will put on a pre-game performance and our younger orchestra students and their families will attend the game to watch! We will end the year our Spring Concert on May 17. Please join us for a wonderful night of music.

AMS Orchestra students preparing for their MPAs.

AMS Jazz Band performing at a ground breaking ceremony for the new school.

6 Curriculum

Science Department NewsCongratulations to all of our science fair participants and winners. Special congratulations to Grand Award – Best in Show winner Monet Jowers. Her project will be judged at the State Level competition. We also want to congratulate the forty teams of students who participated in the ExploraVision competition. Eight of our teams were recognized as Toshiba/NSTA Honorable Mention winners.

Language ArtsIn 6th grade language arts, students have been working on their reading skills in preparation for the upcoming FSA Reading Exam. They are reading a variety of genres and working on analyzing literary and informational text. During the 3rd quarter, 7th grade students focused on author’s purpose and argumentative writing. They read various non-fiction articles and identified claims and evidence. Students also practiced identifying and analyzing the credibility of sources, and wrote several argumentative pieces with their own claims and counter claims. During the upcoming 4th quarter, students will practice identifying and analyzing text structures. In 8th grade language arts, the students studied a unit on the Holocaust during the 3rd quarter. Within the unit they read a variety of stories and answered questions on a variety of standards while concentrating on theme and vocabulary. They also perfected their FSA reading skills by doing practice passages on Fridays. During the 4th nine weeks students will delve into a unit on dystopian societies while studying “The Giver”. The students will be doing independent reading on both the Holocaust and Dystopian societies.

ReadingThe reading department is continuing to focus on key reading skills and strategies to improve on and enrich our reading comprehension and fluency. As we push ahead into the last quarter of the school year, we will continue to readdress the skills that students are struggling with and continue to make growth. With a targeted emphasis on the rotational model with a teacher-led small group, we hope to differentiate instruction to best meet the needs of all of our students.

The FSA Reading test is fast approaching and we continue to reinforce strategies to be successful on these assessments. FSA Boot Camp for reading students will continue every other Wednesday until the middle of April. During Boot Camp, students practice strategies to help them achieve success on the FSA Assessments. Of course the most important strategy is to think positively. Encouraging your child to think positively during testing time has proven to be an effective strategy and we highly encourage you to help us in creating that positive attitude. Thinking positively before and during any testing has been proven to have a positive effect on student outcomes.

Small group instruction in Ms. Fernandes’ class.

AMS reading students work on individualized programs. Analyzing text and providing evidence for answers.

7CurriculumScienceThe sixth grade life science team of teachers has planned many interesting and educational culminating activities that utilize all of the learning styles for a successful end of the year. Students will be given hands-on learning in laboratory activities, dissections, computer simulations, and additional exercises. Units that will be covered include the remaining body systems, photosynthesis, cellular respiration, evolution, ecology, and ecosystems. These will add to our year benchmarks to prepare students to master the district Common Final Exam. Students will be provided multiple opportunities to demonstrate mastery of the science content in performance and summative assessments. We look forward to ending the year successfully and sending our students off to seventh grade with a high level of understanding and ability to apply that knowledge.

In the second semester in 7th grade science, we shifted from space science to the earth science curriculum. So far we have learned about the rock cycle, how the Earth’s surface changes through weathering and erosion, and plate tectonics. We will continue into the 4th quarter by studying energy in the earth systems, including the water cycle, convection, conduction and radiation, ending with weather and climate. Students will receive a study guide for the Common Final Exam (CFE) and we will spend a portion of the 4th quarter reviewing for the exam through games, lab activities, and class discussions.

In 8th grade honors physical science, students are starting their unit on chemistry. They will cover the following topics: types of changes, types of reactions, acids and base, reaction rates, atoms, electrons and interactions, gas laws, and chemical energy. Our advanced and regular physical science students will also be studying properties of matter and chemistry. In addition, we are also preparing for the 8th Grade Science FCAT. Students have been given an at-home review project that is due April 18th. This project is to ensure that the students will have ample time to review all of the content from Life Science, Earth/Space Science, and Physical Science that will be covered on the 8th Grade Science FCAT. Please ensure that your student is working on this assignment. If you have questions, please contact your child’s science teacher for more details.

Upcoming 7th and 8th Graders - Students who are selected for the Earth /Space Honors or the Physical Science Honors classes are advised to select their science fair topic before the start of the 2016-17 school year. Talk to your science teachers for more information.

MathOur 6th Grade math teachers encourage students to prep for the upcoming FSA by:

n Practicing tests online, such as: http://www.fsassessments.org/students-and-families/practice-tests/

n Completing Learnbop.com lessons n Reviewing Big 20 skills and the FSA “Cheat Sheet” n Attending lunch bunch, homework help provided by YMCA Afterschool

Zone, or a scheduled time before/after school with your teacher

Reminders: n Complete missing assignments during lunch bunch prior to the end of the

marking period n Use launch.ocps.net for resources, tutorials, and math videos n As we prepare for FSA, please be in attendance.

In 7th grade math, students have been practicing their algebra skills by solving equations and inequalities. We will soon begin our geometry unit which includes finding circumference, area, volume and surface area. Classes have begun preparing for the upcoming Math FSA by doing scavenger hunts focusing on different FSA strands each week. In advanced 7th grade math, students have been working with proportional and nonproportional relationships and functions. During the 4th quarter, advanced classes will be solving equations and systems of equations which will prepare them for Algebra 1 Honors next year. Advanced students are also prepping for the FSA as well.

Our eighth grade pre-algebra classes concluded the third quarter with geometric transformations and the volume of cylinders, cones, and spheres. During the last quarter, they will focus on “Angle Relationships in Parallel Lines and Triangles” and “Pythagorean Theorem” as well as reviewing and practicing FSA test prep through group station rotations, packets, and class activities.

Algebra students wrapped up the third quarter by learning how to factor quadratics. During the fourth quarter, students will be graphing quadratics, radical expressions and equations, rational expressions and equations. In addition, they are using a variety of systems to continuously study and review for the End of Course Exam, including homework packets, LearnBop.com, and Algebra Nation.

In geometry, students ended the third quarter by studying trigonometry. Their focus during the fourth quarter will be on the area of polygons, surface area and volume and circles. They will also be using a variety of resources to review for their End of Course Exam in May.

Home of the Huskies!Avalon Middle School13914 Mailer BlvdOrlando, FL 32828

Non Profit OrganizationUS Postage PAID

Permit #2346Orlando, FL

FitnessOur physical education department is prepping students for the Fitnessgram. The Fitnessgram is our physical fitness test for middle school students. It consists of a Pacer running test, abdominal crunches, sit and reach, and push-ups. We are proud of our students and know they will do their best.

Social StudiesOur sixth graders have studied most of the ancient cultures. During the fourth quarter, we will cover Greece, Rome, and the spread of Christianity prior to the district Common Final Exam. We have been planning activities for the different types of government and wars. We are excited to continue with our rigorous instruction and dive into the units from which the United States draws so much of its governmental style. Our newest addition, Mr. Berzon, has been adjusting well and brings lots of excitement to the learning process. Seventh grade civics students focused on analyzing the U.S. Constitution with an emphasis on the Bill of Rights during the third quarter. During the fourth quarter, we will conduct a quick overview of the three branches of government, campaigns and elections, and foreign policy. In addition, we will begin our review for the End-of-Course Exam. Eighth grade social studies classes are focusing on American history and career exploration. Mrs. Davila, the 8th grade counselor, will be going around to each of the 8th grade social studies classes to introduce them to an amazing online career planning tool. For our final quarter, we are going to be concentrating on the 1800’s. Our focus will be on sectionalism and the growing economic, political, and social divisions between the North, South, and the West. These events will lead to an in-depth unit about the Civil War and its effects. Students have been working on preparing for the End of Course Exam by completing the EOC study guide in phases. Once the whole study guide is complete, there will be several review sessions.

AthleticsCongratulations to both of our basketball teams for being Cluster Champions. Our Huskies made it into the OCPS Middle School tournament of champions as the #6 seed. They got a bye in the first round, beat Bridgewater (58-50) in the second round and then lost to Carver (49-25) in the quarter finals. Our Lady Huskies made it into the tournament of champions as the #4 seed. They also got a bye in the first round, beat Carver (35-14) in the second round, beat Sun Ridge (51-17) in the quarter finals, and then lost to Lockhart in the semi-finals. Both of our teams should be congratulated and celebrated. They both played so hard and with such passion. Congratulations to Coach Lockshin, Coach Fekany and Coach Ware.

Our track and field teams have begun practicing and we are looking forward to seeing some amazing runs, jumps and throws from our student-athletes.

Please continue to check the AMS website (www.avalonmiddle.ocps.net) under athletics for up-to-date information regarding Avalon athletics. We will always schedule a parent meeting and usually physicals approximately two weeks prior to the start of the upcoming season. Middle school athletic seasons are specific to a nine-week period with soccer in the first nine weeks, volleyball in the second, basketball in the third and track and field in the fourth.

Students must have and maintain a 2.0 GPA (C average) or above to be eligible to participate in athletic programs. In order for athletes to participate in daily practices and/or games, they must be present for at least four consecutive periods that day. Students must also complete a satisfactory medical examination during each academic school year in which they plan to participate. Avalon’s athletic programs stress academic success, physical fitness, character development, discipline, and good sportsmanship. Our athletes represent our school and community and are expected to be student leaders with positive behavior.

For more information about any of our athletic programs at AMS, please email Carolyn Deeb (Athletic Director) at carolyn.deeb@ocps.net.

8Curriculum