ELKHORN RIDGE MIDDLE SCHOOL 17880 Marcy Street Omaha, NE 68118

(402) 334 -9302

October 2016

PROGRESS REPORTS The first mid-quarter reports were sent home with stu-dents on September 14th. Any concerns you have re-garding your child’s progress can be clarified by contact-ing your child’s teachers.

POWERSCHOOL Parents have the ability to view their child’s academic progress through the internet. If you have not requested a username and password to track homework completion and current grade status, you may still do so This tool is provided to parents to engage in healthy discussions with their children about their academic progress and respon-sibilities.

END OF 1ST QUARTER The first quarter of the 2016 / 2017 school year officially ends on Thursday, October 13th. Conferences are scheduled for Tuesday, October 18th and Wednesday, October 19th from 4:30 - 8:30 p.m. Both of these days will also be one hour early dismissal days.

SCHEDULING YOUR STUDENT LED CONFERENCES TIME You can sign up for conferences online. To sign up go to: 8th grade http://www.signupgenius.com/go/70a0d45abaa292-fall12 7th grade http://www.signupgenius.com/go/70a0d45abaa292-fall11 6th grade http://www.signupgenius.com/go/70a0d45abaa292-fall10

You will be scheduled for a fifteen minute conference within the time slot you have chosen. Please log on and select the date and time that is most convenient for you and your stu-dent. Following the date in each slot is a number in parenthe-ses. This number indicates the total number of spots availa-ble at that particular time. Spots will fill on a first come basis. If you need to change your conference time after you have scheduled you may use the edit and delete buttons and re-schedule. If you have any questions please contact the Elkhorn Ridge Middle School Office at 402-334-9302.

NO SCHOOL

Friday, October 14 Teacher In-Service and

Friday, October 21

FAMILY FUN NIGHT – OCTOBER 12

Our October Family Fun Night will be on October 12 from 5:00-8:00 pm at Dairy Queen at 17101Lakeside Hills Plaza. When you place your or-der just tell them you are from ERMS. Enjoy some dinner or go for dessert! Either way it’s going to be a fun night for ERMS students and their families.

PARENT / TEACHER CONFERENCES FORMAT CHANGE

We will continue to use a student led conference format for all grade levels during the fall conference times. However, due to teachers teaching across grade levels, we are mov-ing the conferences to a central location, the lunchroom and gym. Student led conferences provide a stronger sense of accountability among students, a stronger sense of pride in achievement among students, more productive student - teacher relationships, improved student - parent relationships, and develops leadership skills among stu-dents. All grade level student portfolios will be in the lunch room and gym, arranged by grade levels. When you arrive for your scheduled conference time, we encourage you to follow this order: 1. Find your child’s portfolio and go to an open table where your child will share his or her educational goals and examples of their work in the portfolio. You will also find your child’s most recent MAP results, report card, and last spring’s NESA testing results in the port-folio. We want students to analyze their strengths and weaknesses, and to reflect on their educational pro-gress during this time. 2. After your child has shared his/her portfolio, you will then go to the teachers you want to visit. They will be located at tables in the lunchroom and gym. If this format does not meet your needs, please notify your child’s teacher to schedule a conference with them.

NeSA UPDATE The district has received NeSA (Nebraska State Ac-countability) Individual Student Reports from the spring of 2016. These individual reports will be available to parents at Parent-Teacher Conferences on October 18th and 19th. It is certainly also an option for parents to contact the school office and pick up the report prior to conferences. Elkhorn students once again demon-strated very strong performance, and the district is thankful for its hard-working students, dedicated staff, caring parents, and supportive community.

6th Grade News Mrs. Bradford, Mr.Ebers,

Ms. Niebaum, Ms. Oberembt, Mr. Phelps, Ms. Stromgren, Mr. Weber, and Ms. Kohler

PRE-CONCEPTS—Ms. Niebaum and Mr. Weber

Pre-con started the year off with reviewing how to solve word problems. We broadened this to involve real world solutions to problems. Chapter 1 on ratios and propor-tional reasoning taught students to look at the relation-ships between two quantities and see if they are proportional. For example, as you bake cookies and need flour, how many cups of flour would you need f you dou-bled or tripled the recipe. Graphing proportional relation-ships led to a discussion of the coordinate plane and re-membering doing “dot to dot” pictures as a child! I had a few pre-

con “dot to dot”, finding ordered pairs on coordinate for theme to enjoy. Stu-dents learned about solving proportions with the cross product method. Ask your child to explain this method to you. We had a re-view of decimal opera-tions before starting Chapter 2 on per cents. This chapter discusses and shows how to compute sales tax and tips, and sale prices.

The student’s textbook, along with other online resources, can be found at connectED.mcgraw-hill.com

LANGUAGE EXPERIENCE - Ms. Thomas and Mrs. Espinoza We hope that you have heard your student practice Japa-nese greetings around the house or sing a few Japanese songs that they have learned. Students have great notes in their single subject spiral for Japanese class. These notes consist of greetings, culture, numbers and a few other top-ics. Many of their assignments require them to present to you what they are learning and then have you sign the homework. The goal is to get the students to practice and for you to understand what they are doing in the class. We will continue with Japanese through the first quarter by working on a very basic writing system, learning colors and creating haikus.

MATH - Ms. Niebaum

We are off to a great start in Math! Our math books started with 7 mini lessons in the mathematical practices hand-book. This was a great review and helped get the students ready for the year. These lessons will continue to be dis-cussed throughout the chapters in the book. Chapter 1 started with a review of prime and composite numbers, prime factorizations, greatest common factor and least common multiple. Along with making lists and using factor trees to find these numbers, I showed the students the ladder or factor stacks method. This method will greatly help them with fractions. Ask them how it works. Next, we learned about ratios, rates and unit rates. Your child may ask to go to the grocery store with you to prove that the best buy really is the larger bag of Doritos based on the unit price! This first chapter ended with solving proportions and finding equivalent ratios. Three methods were used, finding the unit rate, cross products, or solving as an alge-braic equation. They appeared to enjoy solving “the alge-bra way”. Chapter 2 is on decimals, fractions and per-cents. I will be teaching the students how to use all three types of numbers to represent one number and when it is better to use a fraction, a decimal, or a percent.

The student’s textbook along with other online resources can be found at connectED.mcgraw-hill.com

READING - Ms. Oberembt and Mrs. Bradford During the month of October, all stu-dents will be reading a verse novel and completing a figurative language flip book. Then students will read the novel Tuck Everlasting. The first quarter AR

goal is due on October 13th.

SCIENCE - Mr. Phelps and Ms. Kohler We will continue to put to use the scientific method in vari-ous experiments. We are laying the foundation for problem solving that students will use throughout their lives. We will then move on to other science basics such as us-ing the metric system and instruments used in a typical laboratory. For the next two weeks, we will work on learn-ing metric measurements for weight, volume, and distance. Students will learn how to use various scales such as tri-ple-beam balances and digital scales, how to use a meter stick and ruler, and how to measure volume using beakers and gradu-ated cylinders. We’ll conduct two labs for students to apply their new skills: the salt/egg density lab and water bottle rockets.

LANGUAGE ARTS - Mrs. Bradford, Mr. Ebers, Ms. Stromgren We are off to a fun start in Language Arts this year. We have just finished our study of subjects and predicates and types of sentences and will begin our study of some differ-ent types of writing (narrative,descriptive, and persuasive.) Keep calm and write on!

SPANISH—Ms. Thomas and Mrs. Espinoza

¡Hola! This group is doing their best to speak Spanish, write Spanish, listen to Spanish and read Spanish every time we meet. We began the year with a review of last year’s vocabulary. Each student should have a single sub-ject spiral for Spanish only. In this spiral there are review questions and current notes. Your student should be stud-ying/reviewing everything in their spiral a little bit every night. The point of the flashcards in the envelope is to have a visual of the vocabulary and then for students to put the flashcards in sentence order for practice. When studying these flashcards, students do need to learn the spelling with the accents.

An important tool that we have practiced using in class is

the on-line textbook activities. On the bottom of the parent

letter which students brought home in August, are instruc-

tions to access this tool. The students also have a copy,

plus it is on Moodle. By accessing the on-line text, stu-

dents will be able to study using interactive games, print off

the vocabulary list, take practice tests, listen to songs that

utilize the vocabulary and do the audio activities so their

listening skills improve. If you feel your student needs

more study time, please have them access this tool at

home.

Also, on Moodle, there are links to quizlet and quia on-line

practice activities.

SOCIAL STUDIES– Mr. Ebers and Mr. Phelps In October Social Studies students will continue their gov-ernment unit by exploring the Executive and Judicial branches. Next, students will learn about the history of the political parties and the current parties of today. Also, stu-dents will take part in discussions and activities related to the voting and election process. Just a reminder as you prepare to send out your Travel Mates you can buy the travel bags from Mr. Ebers for $2.00. We look forward to hearing about where the travel mates go in the future!

7th Grade News

Mr. Bischof, Mr. Breitkreutz, Mrs. Randall, Mrs. Nelson,

Mr. Weber, Mrs. Klein, Mrs. Bradford and Ms. Kohler

WORLD HISTORY - Mr. Bischof and Mr. Breitkreutz

In October the students will explore the cultures of the Greeks and Romans!

LANGUAGE ARTS - Mrs. Nelson and Mrs. Randall In October, students will be working on descriptive writing, grammar aspects, proofreading skills, vocabu-lary enrichment, and spelling. Creative writing is focused on descriptions of a memory when we write a mem-oir. Your child should be practicing spelling, grammar, and writing weekly. Encourage your child to use both the Google calendar and the quia web site.

READING – Mrs. Randall, Mrs. Nelson, and Mrs. Bradford

Seventh grade reading students have had a productive start to the quarter. We have been reviewing the elements of fiction with several short stories while studying vocabu-lary words. Students are just completing literature circles where they read an AR book together with a small group. Students created book trailers using Windows Me-dia Maker as their culminating project for the book. October 8th will be the last day students can quiz for the first quarter AR goal. We will continue with short stories through the month of October and then gear up for a class novel in November, The Westing Game.

MATH 7– Mrs. Klein It has been a great start to the school year! We began with the always-important Order of Operations, followed by operations with fractions and finding unit rates. Students got acquainted with ConnectED and ALEKS, our online math resources. Next we will be working with a review of decimal operations and spending time converting between fractions, decimals and percents. Ask your child to show you how ConnectED and ALEKS work; he/she will have weekly tasks to complete (i.e., homework assignments or time working on the pie chart).

PRE-ALGEBRA- Mr. Weber and Mrs. Klein The year started off with some review; then we dove right in to get back in the school groove. Chapter 1 covered the necessary tools for this year. For example, the order of operations, algebraic properties, and plugging numbers in for variables. Chapter 2 started with some excitement: INTEGERS! Students are quickly picking up this infor-mation, which will allow us to spend some extra time solv-ing equations in the next couple of weeks. Students also got acquainted with ConnectED and ALEKS (our online resources) and will have weekly tasks to complete online.

SCIENCE– Mr. Breitkreutz and Ms. Kohler

September ended with 7th grade Science students wrap-ping up our unit on a scientific method. Applying these sci-ence and thinking skills will occur throughout the remainder of the school year. We then began our transition into one of our Earth Science Units. During October (and into Novem-ber) students will be exploring the layers of Earth and what cause them, Plate Tectonics, Earthquakes, and Volca-noes.

MATH - Mrs. Semin (Algebra and Pre-Algebra) and Mr. Weber (Pre-Algebra)

Pre-Algebra: This year has been great so far in Pre-

Algebra. We have been working on many different concepts over the past 6 weeks. We started with integers, fractions, and decimals. We also focused on classifying numbers and mean, median, mode, and range. We are starting into the next part of our Number Sense unit which involves order of operations, substitution, and algebraic expressions.

Algebra: Algebra is off to a great start! We started in Chap-ter 1 with expressions, equations, and functions. We are now into Chapter 2 which focuses mostly on equations with some ratios, proportions, and percents. I am very proud of how hard the students have all been working and adjusting to a very difficult high-school level course. Please do not hesitate to contact us you have questions or concerns at jsemin@epsne.org (Mrs. Semin) or jweber@epsne.org (Mr. Weber).

READING—Ms. Christie and Ms. Stromgren

In the coming weeks, we will be focusing on literary ele-ments of a fictional text, specifically focusing on textual analy-sis of short stories and the fiction novel. In addition, we will be continuing to build vocabulary through units of Greek and Latin roots as well as literary terms.

Our DCA over Comprehension and Analysis of Fiction will be October 10. And, our second quarter AR due date is Decem-ber 14.

We look forward to another great month of reading!

AMERICAN HISTORY – Mrs. Hultman and Mrs. Semin

Wow! What great start to the school year! We began the year with a short unit on United States geography. There was test over locating the 50 states. After the geography "mini unit", we reviewed English colonization and the Ameri-can Revolution. We will then explore the duties and respon-sibilities American citizens have and the creation of our Con-stitution being our "living" governmental document. If you ever have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to e-mail or call.

SPANISH – Ms. Thomas and Ms. Espinoza

¡Hola! This group of students is off and running with Spanish. We began the year with a review of last year’s grammar and they filled out a sheet that we call their “best friend” because they will be using it all year. Also, they should have a single subject spiral for Spanish only. In this spiral there are review questions and current notes. The point of the flashcards in the envelope is to have a visual of the vocabulary and then for students to put the flashcards in sentence order for practice. When studying these flashcards, students do need to learn the spelling with the ac-cents. Along with that skill, students can access spelling and testing of the vocabulary on quizlet.com, which can be found on the Moodle site.

An important tool that we have practiced using in class is the on-line textbook activities. On the bottom of the parent letter which students brought home in August are instructions to access this tool. The students can access it through Moodle, too. By accessing the on-

line text, students will be able to study using interac-tive games, print off the vocabulary list, take practice tests, listen to songs that utilize the vocabulary and do the audio activities so their listening skills improve. If you feel your student needs more study time, please have them access this tool at home as well as other online resources found on Moodle.

8th Grade Mrs. Klein, Mrs. Kammerer, Ms. Christie, Mrs. Hultman,

Mr. Schutt, Mrs. Semin, Ms. Stromgren, Mr. Weber,

and Mr. Breitkreutz

LANGUAGE ARTS — Mr. Schutt and Ms. Stromgren

As the leaves begin to change color, so too does our direction in Language Arts. We have been very fo-cused on polishing our skills with writing and gram-mar. We have covered different sentence structures, the components of a paragraph and essay, and how to use text specific evidence to help answer a prompt or prove a theory. Also, the following grammar skills were worked on, too: nouns, pronouns, adjectives, and prepositions. In October, we will focus mainly on writing. The main genre of writing taking place in October will be persua-sive writing. Students will have the chance to per-suade the reader to either agree or disagree with year round school. A big focus will be on the trait of “Organization”. Students will focus on a topic and logi-cally put together their ideas so that the reader will be able to read through the paper without being con-fused.

SCIENCE - Mrs. Kammerer and Mr. Breitkreutz

Through most of September, we practiced scientific method/Inquiry Skills (Nebraska Science Standard 8.1.1), and will be taking the Inquiry DCA in early October. The students will be introduced to their individual science project in which students will demonstrate their knowledge and application of the scientific method. Students will receive a checklist of the requirements and will get to choose their own topic. More information on specific due dates will be found on Moodle under the science fair project heading. Presentations of the projects will be completed in class at the end of October.

HEALTH SCREENING - ALL 7TH GRADERS AND STUDENTS NEW TO THE DISTRICT School health screening is not diagnostic nor is it intended to replace regular preventative health care. The goal is to assist parents in the identification of potential health problems so they may seek appropriate medical evaluation. The annual health screening will include: height, weight, BMI, vision (near & far), hearing and dental for all 7th grade students and new students to the district. If these screenings were performed at a 7th grade physical or annual physical, your student will NOT be rescreened. Students may be screened upon the request of a parent or teacher at any time. Students with abnormal results at the initial screening will be rescreened by the school nurse and a parent will be notified of abnormal rescreening results. Our annual screening this year is set for Tuesday, November 8. Please be sure to wear any corrective lenses on the date of the screening in order to avoid re-screening at a later date.

MESSAGE FROM THE BOOSTER CLUB

Our first Booster Club meeting for the 2016-2017 school year was held on September 13, 2016. Thank you to everyone who attended. We are looking forward to a great year ahead!

We are off to a very busy start to the school year. The 7th and 8th

grade football and volleyball games are in full swing and I want to thank everyone who has already helped out with concessions at our home sporting events. Remember, we all enjoy having the concession stands at our events and the visiting teams appreciate it as well. So, please watch your email for additional con-cession volunteer requests. If your child is involved in sports, please sign up for at least one volunteer slot for our concession stands. Even if your child is not involved in sports please feel free to sign up and volunteer too. Did you know that the ERMS Booster Club splits half of the profits at 8th grade games with the 8th grade class? This money is used for the 8th grade celebration at the end of the year. So even if your child is not playing a school sport any and all help is needed and eventually benefits all students!

I would also like to thank everyone who donated to our NO SELL fundraiser! At the time of this newslet-ter there are only a few collection days left and we are hopeful that we will meet our goal of $7,500. Thank you ERMS families! We hope to have student rewards deliv-ered to the High Five classrooms by mid October, win-ning Home Teams will be announced around then too. It’s never too late to donate! If your family has not yet donated and would still like to please send your do-nation to school with your students or pay via Pay-Palhttps://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-

xclick&hosted_button_id=CUX6E7BWXYK8U

Our next Booster Club meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, October 11that 1:30 p.m. All parents/guardians of ERMS students are welcome. The Booster Club is a great way to stay connected with the school. See you on the 11th.

Tina Dunham

ERMS Booster President

PARENT COMMUNICATION / BOOSTER MEETING

Our next Parent Communication/Booster meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, October 11th at 1:30 p.m. We believe parent involvement is critical to the success of our children’s education and invite all middle school parents to become involved. These meetings are designed to provide you with information and for you to ask questions about our programs. If you are not able to make any of these meetings, please call to discuss your con-cerns.

ATHLETIC NEWS Following are our October event dates: Home games are in bold and start at 4:15 unless noted.

Monday, October 3: 8th VB vs. Elkhorn Middle

Monday, October 3: 7th VB @ Elkhorn Middle

Tuesday, October 4: 7th FB vs Blair @ Valley View

Tuesday, October 4: 8th FB @ Blair

Thursday, October 6: 7th VB vs Fremont

Thursday, October 6: 8th VB @ Blair

Thursday, October 6: 8th FB @ Waverly 4 pm

Monday, October 10: 8th FB vs EVVMS @ Valley View

Tuesday, October 11: 7th FB @ EVVMS

All games can be found by going to www.easternmidconference.org and searching for Elkhorn Ridge Middle School

PE REMINDERS:

Every student needs to have a change of clothes to wear during class. A T-shirt, shorts and tennis shoes is all they need. They are issued a locker in the gym to put their clothes in. If your student misses a day of PE you will see a “0” in Powerschool. All they need to do is come get a PE Homework slip from me, complete the exercises and turn the form back into me within 7 school days of the absence and they will get their full points. I talked to the students at the beginning of school and they know where the slips are locat-ed.

BOYS BASKETBALL The Boys Basketball season will be upon us before we know it. The season will start October 24h and coaches will post meeting times the week before around the school. Please make sure your student has all of their paperwork completed (sports physical, activity contract and fee) before the first day of practice.

YEARBOOK - Mr. Phelps We’re expanding again! More pages, special sections for each grade level, more videos attached to photos, and we’re dreaming up the 3D animation for our front cover. Don’t miss out on a fabulous yearbook of pictures, videos, and memo-ries. Last spring we ran out of all the yearbooks we ordered because kids saw how special we made our yearbook. There were many disappointed kids. How special? Last year’s yearbook is being used at workshops nationwide to demo our unique ideas. If you have not purchased a year-book yet, now is the time! The cost will be $40 after 2nd quarter. If you want to order a book contact Mr. Phelps at rphelps@epsne.org .

ERMS VOCAL MUSIC—Mrs. Ballou and Mrs. Foley, Accompaniast

The 6th, 7th and 8th grade choirs are working hard on multi-cultural music for our first 'Around the World' concert on Tuesday, Nov. 15th at 7 PM in the ERMS gym. This concert will feature songs from various cultures, and is sure to be an entertaining event! Singers are expected to wear their concert attire (ERMS music polo, black pants, black shoes and black socks) for all ERMS performances. An order form for the ERMS music polo has been sent home.

We are also excited to welcome Miss Alma Ramos to the choir room. Miss Ramos is a Senior Music Education and Perfor-mance Major at UNO and will be student-teaching in the choir room for the first 8 weeks of the school year.

HALE—Mrs. Thoreen

Hale has been off to a great start! During several lunches, all grade levels have been coming in for Quiz Bowl Team practices, book groups, and mental lunch crunch. The Quiz Bowl teams will continue practicing for their first com-petition in November at ESU #3 against over 24 teams from across the city. The hot lunch reads this quarter are: 6th grade, Red Queen; 7th grade, Court of Fives; and 8th grade The Trage-dy Paper.

The mental lunch crunch teams are off and running solving logic puzzles, math perplexes, and brain teasers. All great stuff to keep the mind sharp! Several HALE kids took a geology trip to Schramn Park with the UNL professor, David Harwood. They learned all about the earth and why its layers tell not only se-crets of the past, but are important maps for our future. A group of interested animal lovers, took a tour at the Humane Society and got to see surgeries being done on several animals. Lastly, a large group attended the new African Safari at the zoo and went back behind the scenes and took a class all about Africa and what makes its make-up so unique to our eco-system.

Elkhorn Swim and Dive Team Tailgate

Friday, October 7, 2015

5:30—7:00 pm

Before the annual Elkhorn Antlers vs. Elkhorn South Storm Football Game

Catered by HyVee

$6 for: Sandwich, Chips , Cookie , and Drink

Tickets available at the Door

CAREER DAY - Mrs. J. Klein Middle school parents interested in speaking at our 8th grade Career Day in January, please contact Mrs. Klein, Guidance Counselor (jklein@epsne.org). The career session is 30 minutes in length with 15-20 students. Date and time in January TBD.

BE A MENTOR Elkhorn Public Schools Partners in Education Mentoring Program in seeking adult volunteers to mentor students in grades K-12. Mentors are asked to volunteer for at least one hour each week during the school year, and may indi-cate preferred grade levels and times. Orientation will be provided, and a building facilitator available to answer questions. Please call Jodi Klein at 334-9302 more infor-mation. You may also access the Elkhorn Public School web site at: www.elkhornweb.org for additional information under the Programs link. You can be the difference in a student’s life!! If you are interested in learning more about a Grief Support Camp, for children who have experi-enced the death of someone close to them, please call Mrs. Klein, Guidance Counselor.

STUDENT COUNCIL - Mrs. Bradford

Congratulations to all of the students who have joined the council for this year! We are looking forward to a new year and new ideas and activities to reach out to our school and our community! Go Storm! I will send out the meeting dates in a school messenger as soon as possible!

BAND NEWS - Mr. Dreessen

Welcome 6, 7, and 8 grade band students to the ERMS Instrumental Music Program! You are an important part of our groups and I am excited to be working with each of you. This year in band promises to be full of new opportu-nities and musical experiences for you.

Band meets 2-3 times a week. This year we will focus on improving our instrumental technique while studying a va-riety of musical styles and pieces. Each student will be tested throughout the year to track improvement in skill and range. This helps everyone to be successful in every piece. The band members will share all of their new knowledge at various concerts throughout the year.

Student participation at all concerts is vital to the success of the band; therefore concert participation is mandatory and graded. Also, there is required concert attire for each musician including black pants, black shoes, black socks and an ERMS Music Shirt. Information about purchasing a shirt will come home soon.

Jazz Band Information was sent out in Mid-September. If your student is interested in Jazz Busters (our Friday Morning Jazz Band) please contact Mr. Dreessen. There are plenty of spots in Jazz Busters.

Our first concert is October 27th at ERMS.

Thank you for your support of instrumental music at ERMS. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns throughout the year at ERMS.

SAVE THOSE HY-VEE RECEIPTS

Each year, ERMS participates in the Hy-Vee "Cash for Stu-dents" program. With this program, Elkhorn Ridge Middle School earns $1 for every $200 spent. Here's how it works: Shop at any HyVee Store Keep your receipts Drop your receipt in the designated ERMS box near the exit doors at the HyVee located at 178th and Pacific OR send re-ceipts to school with your student to give to their HomeTeam teacher. A few notesU.. Please make sure receipts are dated between September 1, 2015 – December 31, 2015 Anyone can submit their receipts to our school - please en-courage friends, family and neighbors to drop their receipts in the ERMS box On-line shopping receipts count, too! Please print and submit! Even small receipts add upUplease submit them all!!!

Last year we raised just over $500 with this program! Thanks for your support of our school!

Questions? Contact Julie Madott at jjmadott@yahoo.ca or 402-214-9428

ELKHORN RIDGE MIDDLE SCHOOL ONLINE DIRECTORY

Hello Elkhorn Ridge Parents—the ERMS directory is officially online! For those of you who purchased access you should have received an email with login instructions. The email would have come from Elkhorn Ridge Middle School. Please be sure to check your junk/spam folders if you cannot initially find the email. If you did not purchase access and would still like to, please send $5 in an envelope to the office with your name and "school directory" noted and the committee will get you set up. Please take a few minutes to familiarize yourself with the new directory. There are many great features at your finger-tips. Feel free to customize your entry as you wish--you can add/update or remove/hide data whenever you find conven-ient. And remember, this information is accessible ONLY to ERMS families who paid to have directory access. Each family has a unique login and password, to protect your infor-mation from the general public. If you have questions please first utilize the help feature pro-vided on the website. If you are unable to find the answer to your question, don't hesitate to con-tact us. Lastly, please also be sure to check out our sponsor ads--we are grateful for their support!

The Elkhorn Ridge Booster Club

TECH SAVVY PARENT TIPS

Elkhorn Public Schools Policy 507.13—Internet Safety Policy was wri�en in compliance with the Children’s

Internet Protec$on Act. Tech Savvy Parent $ps are intended to inform and educate parents of technology

that may be available to their students. Tips may feature apps that are educa$onal as well as those that may

be a cause for concern to parents.

SchoolMessenger—Are you up-to-date?

EPS uses a parent messaging system called SchoolMessenger to send emails and phone calls

to parents. To ensure you are receiving important messages from your school, be sure to let

the office know of any changes to your email addresses or phone numbers.

Popular Apps—Photo Vaults and Secret Folders

Several free (or low-cost) apps allow users to hide informa$on, photos and videos on elec-

tronic devices. Apps such as KYMS (Keep Your Media Safe), Vaulty, PhotoVault, Private Photo

Vault and Gallery Lock store media in password protected folders, which can even be dis-

guised as other applica$ons, such as a calculator. Similar applica$ons, like Secret Folder, allow

users to store apps and media under a folder labeled as My U�li�es.

PowerSchool—the app

PowerSchool is portable! The PowerSchool for Parents app is available for download from the Apple App Store and Google Play. Parents can easily view each child’s pro-gress in a single feed to check grades, review assignments and more. After down-loading the app, enter 68118 for the zip code and choose search. Select Elkhorn Public Schools and then log in using your PowerSchool parent access login. This app is only available for parents of students in grades 4-12.

Elkhorn Ridge Middle School Booster Club Meeting

September 13, 2016

President Tina Dunham called the meeting to order at 1:33 p.m. The May 2016 minutes were approved as distributed.

Treasurer Report: Treasurer Lynn VanDenBroeke presented a summary of the 2016-2017 Booster Club budget for approval. She also presented the current financials. A motion to approve the budget was made by Nikki Kirshen-baum and seconded by Teresa Svoboda.

Old Business: Check reimbursement forms are located in the Booster Club mailbox. Lynn will also email an electronic copy to the committee chairs. They can be returned, with receipt attached, to either the Booster Club mail-box, during a Booster Club meeting, or directly to Lynn. All Elkhorn Public middle schools are now charging for athletic events. People ages 65 years and older can receive a grandparent pass at the District Office for free. If a parent vol-unteers in the concession stand, they do not have to pay for the event.

New Business: Vice President Jenny Haase reported that the land was purchased for the 11th EPS elementary school at 216th and F streets. ACT scores were 1/10 higher than last year for the entire school district. Mr. Baker is retiring at the end of this school year. The EPS Foundation is trying to organize an alumni program. They will be hav-ing a community event on October 7th, when ESHS vs. EHS in football. Womenade representative Nikki Kirshenbaum explained Womenade’s purpose and events. The group will host a coat/clothing drive on October 22nd. If you would like to assist with donation gathering or organization, call Theresa Johnson at 402-290-9293. The group will also facili-tate the annual Celebration of Giving project in November/December.

Parent Communication: Mr. Riggert stated ERMS welcomed 7 new staff members and 510 students this school year. He addressed concerns regarding lunch selection and availability and parent/teacher conferences. MAP testing reports will be given once the testing is completed. Mr. Riggert encouraged parental use of Power School. Currently, he is composing a “cheat sheet” for parents that will explain how to use Moodle, Power School, and electronically find-ing a student’s homework assignments.

Committee Reports: Apparel-Tina Dunham reported the apparel orders are in and should be delivered next week. $1678.90 was raised.

Box Tops-Teresa Svoboda and Lucy Newman will start collecting Box Tops the week of September 20th-October 20th from all High Five class rooms. The will be a Box Tops counting party sometime during the last week of October. The High Five class with the most will be given a drink or treat and the teacher will receive a $20 gift card.

HyVee Receipts-Tina Dunham reported that all HyVee receipts dated September 1st – December 31st can be turned in to the ERMS office, High Five teachers, or the box labeled ERMS at HyVee. This includes grocery, pharmacy, liquor and gas receipts.

Directory-Mindy Foral has collected money from 4 advertisers sponsoring the directory. The electronic version will be live soon.

Concessions-Nikki Kirshenbaum stated there is a strong need for volunteers at the concession stand or it will not be open during events.

Family Fun Nights-Tina Dunahm said the next event is Spetember 22nd at Orange Leaf for the entire day. They will donate $1 for every $4 spent. October 12th is Dairy Queen from 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. and November 1st, is Oscar’s from 5:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Kindness-Melanie Nielsen will ask for $5 donations to pay for staff meals during parent/teacher conferences. The $5 will go towards both fall and spring conferences.

Fundraiser-Tina Dunham reported that the forms asking for family donations have been distributed and are asking for at least a $20 donation per family. It is a no-sell fundraiser aiming to raise $7,500. Incentives will be given out to stu-dents who bring in a donation. Parents can donate using the PayPal link given on the form or via the attached return envelope.

The September meeting of the ERMS Booster Club was adjourned at 2:45 p.m. The next Booster Club meeting will be held October 6th, at 1:30 p.m.

Respectfully submitted by Ricci Nisley, Secretary.

We hope you will join us for our 22nd Annual Hall of Fame Reception on Sunday, October 23rd at Elkhorn South High School. Hors d'oeuvres and assorted desserts will be served from 2:00-2:45pm with the awards ceremony from 2:45-4pm. The event is free to attend, but we request that you rsvp using the button below. Seating is limited. Please make your reservation by October 7th on our website at http://www.elkhornfoundation.org/hall-of-fame-rsvp/.

Please join us for a tailgate party with the Stormin’ Antler

Swim Team on October 7th, prior to the EHS/ESHS

football game. For ticket information, please contact

Stacey Selk at sselk1@epsne.org. If you are an EPS

alumni, don’t forget to fill out your alumni profile at

www.elkhornfoundation.org/alumni and encourage your

fellow classmates to do the same. To further stay

connected, follow us on our Facebook or Twitter pages!

Elkhorn Kids Campus is hiring! Are you bright, energetic and creative? Do you like working with children? Then EKC is for you! Stop in to the foundation office for an application, or download it online at http://www.elkhornfoundation.org/kids-campus-and-ace/ekc-application/. Email your completed application to awhorlow@epsne.org

Over $119,000 was awarded to Elkhorn Public Schools

classrooms through the Classroom Grants Program

this year, which represents a total of 92 wishes

granted! Please consider supporting our classroom

grant program so we can continue to grant more

wishes for grants like new technology, robotics, books,

schools plays, and more! You can even designate your school or specific grant for your donation. See

the listing of your school’s grants on our website at http://www.elkhornfoundation.org/sample-

page/classroom-grants-2/.

School Issue—September 2010

October/November 2011

October/November 2016

Consider Simplified Holidays

When did we decide the holidays needed to be a big

production, with lots of gifts and over the-top decora-

tions? Wouldn’t it be nice to just enjoy the season, and

our family, without breaking the bank? There’s no rea-

son we can’t, really. Maybe it’s

time we let go of the pressures

of commercialism and trying to

“keep up with the Joneses.”

For weeks leading up to the fall

and winter holidays, the stress

starts to build. It can make us

cranky and tired, which may

make us feel like not celebrating

the holidays at all. Making things

simpler and less stressful takes

a little bit of planning, but it may

be worth it.

Filling the house with store-

bought decorations (however

beautiful they may be) sometimes lacks the sentiment of

the holidays. Instead of searching for the latest trend in

holiday decorations, take a break and make homemade

decorations with your kids. Making paper snowflakes,

gingerbread men, wreaths, and other holiday-inspired

décor that covers your walls puts a smile on your kids’

faces, and adds a bit of charm to your home.

String your tree (or anything else) with popcorn garlands

and do-it-yourself (DIY) bulbs. There are so many online

sites that can show you step-by-step instructions to

make your own cute and inexpensive decorations. Cre-

ate your own holiday wreath and hang it on your front

door. Cover it in the things your kids love—mini base-

balls, tiny dancers, or anything else your family loves to

do.

Who doesn’t love holiday treats? Making cookies,

breads, and other treats with your kids will become fond

memories that they can share with their own children.

You can then deliver the treats to

neighbors in the spirit of the holi-

day season! Follow that up with

some warm cocoa, and you’ve

created a new holiday tradition.

Homemade gifts from kids to par-

ents are treasured. There is no

reason adults can’t make gifts too.

A photo album, a blanket, a covet-

ed recipe—whatever you’re good

at, make it—and give it to your

loved ones. The time and love you

put into a gift will shine through.

Holidays are about spending time

with loved ones, and sometimes

that gets lost within our own expectations. By making

everything simple, you’d be surprised at how much more

enjoyment the holidays can bring you.

You can give with-

out loving, but you

can never love

without giving.

Robert Lewis Stevenson

Pessimism—may take over the individual’s thought process. Of-

ten the abused individual feels there is no hope, and no matter

what he/she does, it will never be good enough. Be supportive and

encouraging. You can be the anchor to point the person in a direc-

tion of help.

Depression—can manifest itself as feelings of hopelessness and

helplessness invade the individual’s self-confidence. As depres-

sion sets in, some or all of the behaviors of isolation, fearfulness,

and aggression may manifest themselves. Be kind and encourag-

ing of the victim. Allow him/her to work through things in his/her

time. However, if you are in a position that you can encourage

and listen, do so, and avoid making any judgments.

Low Self-esteem—is a product of abuse, and it is intensified by

any and all of the other signs. Encourage your family member or

co-worker to seek help. A referral to the EAP at 402-330-0960 is

a good first step. This is a confidential contact, and it is a step in

the right direction.

The Toll of Domestic Violence

Domestic violence is an overall term which includes mis-

treatment of persons in relationships. Although it is primarily

considered an attack on females by male partners, it is also

the subject of abuse toward males by females, as well as

individuals in same-sex relationships. Besides the obvious

trauma faced by the abused partner, the extended communi-

ty is also affected. This includes children, family/friends, and

the work community. Some signs family members and/or co-

workers can be aware of to assist those in abusive relation-

ships include:

Isolation—whether from family/friends, or in the workplace,

victims often seclude themselves. This is a “protection” for

them so they do not feel the necessity to discuss problems

with others. We should be aware of this and not aggressive-

ly push them for input. On the other hand, it is necessary to

let them know we are there for them if they want to talk.

Fearfulness—is a sign of serious problems. Frequently vic-

tims of domestic violence place themselves in a physical

position where they can directly observe the comings and

goings of others. This is a tactic to prepare themselves for a

possible confrontation if the abuser approaches. They fear

for themselves and others, particularly about the well-being

of children and people with whom they work. If you observe

such behavior, be aware it may be a protective ploy. Like

those in isolation, the fearful person needs the option of

sharing or not. Again, be there for them—but do not push as

the isolated person needs our patience.

Aggression—may manifest itself physically or verbally. If

the person did not exhibit this behavior in the past, take

note, and pay attention to when the outbursts occur. You

may want to be a friend, and elicit if there is something you

can do to relieve the underlying situation. Allow him/her the

opportunity to ask for help by being a friend.

OCTOBER 2016

ELKHORN RIDGE M IDDLE SCHOOL

17880 MARCY STREET

OMAHA, NE 68118

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1

2 3

8 VB vs. EMS 4:15 pm

7 VB@EMS 4:15 pm 8 FB @Blair Otte MS

7 FB vs Blair @ EVVMS

4

5

6

8 VB @ Blair Otte MS 4:15 pm

7 VB vs Fremont 4:15 pm

8 FB @ Waverly 4 pm

7

8

9 10

SCHOOL BOARD MEETING 6:30 PM

8 FB vs EVVMS @ EVVMS 4:15 pm

11

7 FB @ EVVMS 4:15 pm

Booster Meeting 1:30 pm

Special Speaker -Steve Baker

12

District Spelling Bee @ ERMS 9 AM

Family Fun Night-Dairy Queen 17101 Lakeside Hills Plaza 5-8 pm

13

End of 1st Quarter

14

NO SCHOOL TEACHER IN SERVICE

15

16

23

EPSF Hall of Fame Banquet 2 PM

30

17 Start of 2nd Quarter

ERMS BOOK FAIR

24 Start Boys BB

Practice

31

18

ERMS BOOK FAIR

STUDENT LED CONFERENCES

4:30-8:30 PM

Early Dismissal 2:20 pm

25

19

ERMS BOOK FAIR

STUDENT LED CONFERENCES

4:30-8:30 PM

Early Dismissal 2:20 pm

26

20

ERMS BOOK FAIR

27

6/7/8 Band Concert 7 pm

21

NO SCHOOL

28

22

29