February 2018 Heath Middle School Newsletter Page 1

Heath Middle School ~ 2223 16th Street ~ Greeley, CO ~ 80631

Front Office 970-348-3400

Principal

Dr. Blakley Wallace bwallace@greeleyschools.org

Assistant Principal/

Athletic Director Troy Rivera

trivera3@greeleyschools.org

Assistant Principal Dave Baker

dbaker3@greeleyschools.org

Heath Middle School

Panther Press

Heath Middle School: The Place to Be

February 2018

School Website: Click HERE

District 6 Strives to Make

Every School Safe

Continued...

Dear District 6 Families:

All of us in Greeley-Evans School

District 6 are mourning with the

community and families of Stoneman

Douglas High School in Parkland,

Florida. We are deeply saddened by

this horrific act of violence, that

makes no sense to any of us.

The safety of our students and staff is

and will always be our highest

priority. We are vigilante about

school safety. We continue to

evaluate and adjust our safety plans

and procedures to maintain the

highest level of safety and security.

We work closely

with local law

enforcement,

mental health agencies and other

safety partners on a daily basis.

I know that a significant violent

incident like the one in Florida can

cause students and family members

to feel anxious and worried. This is

completely normal. Please contact

your school if your student needs

additional support.

I have attached an article on the

Colorado Department of Education

website with information from the

National School Psychologists

February 2018 Heath Middle School Newsletter Page 2

Association about how to talk to your

children about violence and threats.

Each of us in our community is the best

defense against acts of violence at

school. It is important that family members

and students know that if they ever hear or

see anything that they believe is a potential

threat to a school or students, they should

call 9-1-1. Students can also go to

www.Safe2Tell.org or call 877-542-7233 to

anonymously report anything that concerns

or threatens them, their friends, family or

school community. And, students and

parents should talk to a teacher, school

counselor or administrator about any

safety concern or anything makes them feel

unsafe.

We must continue to work together to

ensure the safety of our students. I am

grateful to live and work in such a caring

community. Let’s continue to take care of

each other and our precious children.

Sincerely,

Superintendent Deirdre Pilch, EdD

Students celebrate Chinese New Year

from page 1...

Happy Chinese New Year of the dog! Ms. Dambreville’s ELA class has been working with Ms. Gilbert’s Social Studies class on her unit on China.

Students have been reading various articles and conducting research on the Chinese New Year: the history behind it, the symbols attached to it, the Chinese Zodiac, and the family feast.

Students also had the opportunity to try Chinese calligraphy and cut paper lanterns. The week finished with each student receiving a famous red envelope filled with Panther Bucks, wise words, and a lucky charm.

February 2018 Heath Middle School Newsletter Page 3

Creation Corner

Well folks, it’s the bottom of the 9th inning and

righty, Evan Thompson, with a batting average of

300, which is good for a pitcher, is up to bat. It’s

going to be an interesting game. The first pitch is

going to be a one-two, and strike one! That was a

nasty curve-ball! And here comes a one-one

straight down the middle. Strike two! Well folks,

we’ll be right back, so don’t go anywhere!

Hey! Did you know that Geiko can save you 15% or

more on car insurance? Well folks, we’re back. It

looks like a two-three pitch. Foul ball! It’s going to

be the same pitch. Wait, no, it’s going to be a one-

one, very risky, and here comes the pitch, and

Strike three. He must have put a little extra on that

because that was clocked at 102 miles per hour!

Now that’s a fast ball!

Well, it looks like we’re going to have to go into a

10th inning. We will be right back. Don’t go

anywhere.

Hey ladies and gentlemen, come down to Sally’s

car dealership and get 40% off any of our cars.

We’re back! It’s the tenth inning of the play-offs.

Evan Thompson is pitching, and it seems Batista’s

up to bat. . His batting average is 400. If he hits a

homer, this will be Game Over!

A one, three is the pitch, and Strike one was a

nasty knuckleball, and the next pitch is a two, one

and a fast ball straight down the middle of the

field. It looks like he put some salt and pepper on

that ball because it was clocked at 104 miles per

hour! Now that’s a fast ball!

Next, a two-two, and strike three! He’s out! And

now it’s going into the 11th inning! What a game,

folks!

We’re having some technical difficulties; give us a

second folks. Don’t leave; this is getting exciting!

We’re back; the bottom of the 11th inning! There

are two outs, two strikes, and one ball. It seems to

be a one, two slider. He’s out!

We are going into a 12th inning! Unbelievable!

The first batter is Josh Emerson. His batting

average is over 400! The first pitch is a three- one,

and it’s a curve; he swings, and it’s a deep ball into

left field, and it’s gone! The crowd goes wild! It’s

over! And the Rockies win the World Series!

Panther Press loves to feature outstanding written work by students. If you have something you’d like to share in Panther Press, please send to Mrs. Pomponio at mpomponio@greeleyschools.org. The following short story is by 7th-grade student Evan Thompson.

Evan Thompson Wins the Game

February 2018 Heath Middle School Newsletter Page 4

Utilizing Instructional

Strategies that Work with

Students with Disabilities

Continued...

Hello from the English Language Development (ELD) department. This semester has gotten off to a busy start. All of our ELD students completed their WIDA testing in about seven days. That is 128 students taking four tests each! Wow! Great job to everyone that helped to support this in happening.

In the Oral Language classroom, students have just completed their individual “Bucket List” posters. This was challenging for them to conceptualize as they are thankful everyday for what they have, and rarely wanting more. This stretched their minds by using an imaginary scenario, and they really did very well. Feel free to stop by Room 43 to see what dreams some of our global students have.

The English Language Development department is also grateful to host two UNC Practicum students. We have Miss Tia and Miss Laynee both joining Mrs. Sandoff throughout the week. These two students bring enrichment to the classrooms they are scheduled in, and are really working hard to understand how language acquisition happens. Both students will be a part of the Oral Language and co-taught classrooms for the semester alongside Mrs. Sandhoff. Please help to make them feel welcome as they provide another layer of diversity to our population.

By: Kelly Kennedy, 2016 SHAPE® America Adapted Physical Education Teacher of the Year, Greeley-Evans School District 6

My favorite lessons include instructional strategies that provide targeted physical education instruction with a high level of interaction and physical activity that will meet the varied ability levels of students with disabilities. My students are provided a continuum of adapted physical education services from general physical education with support to one on one adapted physical education services based on their priority educational need and the impact of their disability. Therefore, my lessons are filled with accommodations, modifications and differentiation approaches to meet the varied ability levels of my students so that they can succeed in their physical education class. One approach that I used to differentiate instruction is to integrate technology into my lessons.

When collaborating with a special education teacher who works with students with autism, I noticed that students were printing out superheroes after they had finished their work. I took that idea and incorporated into a physical education activity using technology. I wanted to utilize my students’ interests, learning styles, and prior learning to master the concepts of the physical education curriculum. Students identified their favorite superhero and chose Superman, Hulk, Wonder Woman, Ant Man, Iron Man, Batman, Spiderman, Thor, Cyborg, Flash, and Venom. Using the Aurasma Studio website (https://studio.aurasma.com/register) and app on my IPAD, superheroes were linked to a variety of exercises and the activity was named Superhero Tag, a version of Everybody’s It tag.

ELD Corner

February 2018 Heath Middle School Newsletter Page 5

Sponsorship space in this newsletter is

extremely affordable!

Reach parents in your local community & a significant portion of your investment goes back to the school!

Businesses that want to sponsor this school, please contact TSCA

at info@tscaschools.com

or 970-239-1641.

Advertising in this newsletter does not imply endorsement by the school or school district.

Superhero Tag Set Up:

1. Register to set up an account on the Aurasma Studio website (https://studio.aurasma.com/register).

2. Locate superheroes that are of an interest to your students.

3. Locate pictures of exercises that can be linked to superheroes.

4. Follow the instructions within Aurasma to upload and link pictures.

5. Download the Aurasma app to IPADs.

6. Place printed copies of superheroes in a designated area.

7. Open Aurasma app on the IPAD to scan superhero pictures.

Superhero Tag (Variation of Everybody’s It):

1. Have students find an open space in the gym.

2. Give a designated start signal and have students tag each other as everybody is it.

3. When a student is tagged, have them come to the designated area to pick up an IPAD and scan their favorite superhero.

4. Student will then perform the exercise that pops up on the screen.

5. Student returns to game and continues to tag other students.

My students love this activity! They were very motivated and highly engaged in the activity because

it was developed on their interests and technology was utilized.

February 2018 Heath Middle School Newsletter Page 6

Quick Briefs

Music to our ears! It is spring concert season and Mr. Wilkinson and Ms. Berry, along with their students, have some great shows in store. Mark your calendars. The band will perform on March 6, orchestra on March 7 and choir on March 8.

Resources for 6th grade students. There are several ways students can work on their skills at home. By simply going to the Heath website and clicking on the Clever icon, students can access Reading Plus (reading comprehension and fluency for grades 1-12), Moby Max (assists in all subjects K-8), Scoot Pad and Typing.com. These resources can help fill in gaps and work as an extended learning opportunity.

T-shirt design contest. Heath is trying something new this year to build school pride and showcase the many talented artists in our school. Next year, each class of students will have their own, uniquely designed t-shirts. Eighth-grade students will be designing shirts for the incoming 6th-grade class, leaving behind a legacy of Panther Pride. Designs for these shirts are due Friday, March 2. Seventh-grade students may create designs for shirts with the theme “top of the school.” Designs can represent what the class stands for and how they will lead the school next year. Designs for these shirts are due April 6. Sixth-grade students may create designs that show your resilience as a team and how cool it is to be in the middle. These designs are also due April 6. Three finalist designs will be chosen at each grade level and students will choose the winning design for their shirts. Submissions may be sent to Mrs. Sandhoff at esandhoff@greeleyschools.org.

Random Acts of Kindness Week coming up. Heath will celebrate RAK Week March 5-9 with the theme “What does kindness mean to me?” Students in the Panther Pride Club have been working hard to create events for the week and invite all CoreX classrooms to design and decorate doors to celebrate this annual tradition at Heath.

LULAC loves Heath. LULAC worked for three weeks creating handmade valentines for each student and staff member in the school. They made more than 700 valentines and delivered them on Valentine's Day morning. The project required a huge amount of organization and teamwork on the part of our student's, but it was rewarding for them to see the valentines in the hands of all their peers.

Spring Break coming up. Students and staff will not have school March 12-16 for spring break. Heath encourages all students to attend school on March 9, which is the last day of Quarter 3 and March 19, which is the first day of Quarter 4. Your attendance is important because common assessments and other end-of-the-quarter assessments may be given up to and including March 9. Additionally, students should be present March 19 to start off the new quarter with success!

February 2018 Heath Middle School Newsletter Page 7