Volume 9 Issue 4

April 2016“Hawk Tales”

April 2016Published Five Times Per Year

Duval County School Board1701 Prudential Drive6th Floor | Room 642

Jacksonville, FL 32207Issue #4

Administrative StaffPrincipal

Mr. Dean LedfordAssistant Principal

Mrs. Michelle BellAssistant PrincipalMs. Lori WestberryPTSA President

Ms. Rita CasanovaSAC Chair

Mr. Bill WintonRegion Chief

Mr. Anthony AndersonSchool Board Member

The Honorable Mr. Jason Fischer

Office: (904) 292-0555FAX: (904) 260-5414

School Hours: 9:30 A.M. – 4:15 P.M.

Mandarin Middle School Websitehttp://dcps.duvalschools.org/mandarin

Principal’s Letter

Dear Parents, As we move into April and May we will begin taking the Florida State Assessments. The calendar below will give you a brief time frame of when the different grade level assessments will be administered.

� Language Arts/Reading (2 sections) – 6th through 8th grade – April 11, 12, 14, 15 � Mathematics (2 sections) – 6th through 8th grade – April 19, 20, 21, 22 � Science – 8th Grade – April 26 � Geometry (2 sections) – 8th Grade (taking Geometry) – May 3 and 4 � Algebra (2 sections) – 7th and 8th Grade (taking Algebra) – May 10 and 11 � Civics – 7th Grade – May 17

We are currently offering assistance for students who need extra help preparing for the FSA as well as general classwork. We are holding tutoring sessions for students every Monday and Thursday from 4:30 P.M. to 6:00 P.M. in the media center. Students can receive assistance with their classwork as well as remediation on specific standards that will be assessed on the FSA. The activity bus is available for students participating in after school tutoring. Please see Mr. Powell for an activity bus schedule. We will begin building our master schedule for the 2016 – 2017 school year very soon. One of the most important components of building the master schedule is to have our students make their course selections. Students will have the opportunity to choose 4 elective courses for next year. They will be asked to rank them in order of what they want the most by placing 1, 2, 3 and 4 next to each choice they make. Letters will go home with the students to share the selections with their parents. These choices may be adjusted and resubmitted to the Guidance Office. Please know that we try very hard to give students the electives they want, but we are not always able to give them everything they desire due to staff availability as well as keeping our numbers below room size limits. We continue to hold high expectations for attendance at Mandarin Middle School. The full potential for academic growth is only possible when students are in class as often as possible (when they are not ill). We really need all of our Hawks to attend class every day! Making up work independently at home is no substitute for real classroom learning and interaction. As we move into the last grading period, please continue to monitor your student’s academic progress through the parent portal. Taking advantage of class time and resources will help ensure your student’s success.

Thank you for all that you do! And as always, Go Hawks!!!

Dean LedfordPrincipal

2 Policies and ProceduresMoving?

If you and your child(ren) have moved we need proof of your new address. Even if you are attending Mandarin Middle on special assignment we need to have your correct address. We do NOT accept P.O. Boxes. Please refer to the lists below as to what documentation you will need to turn in. You will need 1 item from list A and 1 item from list B or C. *If you have a private lease agreement it must be notarized and you will need 2 addition items from list B and 2 additional items from list C.• List A: Jacksonville Electric Authority (JEA) or TECO bill, mortgage

agreement (or closing statement), lease agreement (from a company, *or private individual), driver’s license or state ID

• List B: automobile insurance, credit card statement, bank account statement, US Postal Service confirmation of address change

• List C: current bank account statement (may block out account number), payroll statement, current non-cellular phone bill, vehicle registration

Lunch Information There are two ways to put money in your child’s lunch account so they don’t have to carry cash on them. 1.) Log into www.myschoolBucks.com and submit your student’s ID# (this can be found on the student’s ID card) along with our school id number #259. 2.) The Chartwell cafeteria accepts cash, money orders, or checks made payable to MMS Cafeteria. Lunch is available for $2.20, Breakfast $1.25. They also have a la carte items for $.40 to $2.50 each. For more information call 260-5410. The student’s MMS ID card is required when going through the lunch lines.

No Deliveries or Drop Offs Parents, please help your child develop good organizational skills by checking that they leave home with completed homework, PE uniform, lunch and books. We cannot guarantee delivery if you drop them off. We do not interrupt instructional time by calling into classrooms for any deliveries or telephone calls. We do not accept delivery of items such as gifts, balloons, flowers, etc. for students at anytime.

Lockers Each student will be assigned lockers for their books and P.E. clothes for a fee; however, the lockers remain the property of the school. Book bags will not be allowed in the classrooms or in the P.E. areas. Book bags will be kept in their upstairs locker upon arriving to school. In accepting the lockers, the student understands that the administration may search the lockers. FURTHER, THE SCHOOL ASSUMES NO LIABILITY FOR BOOKS OR ANY OTHER MATERIAL PLACED IN THE LOCKERS.

Medicine Students are not allowed to carry any form of medication on their person. Student medication is kept with Mrs. Thompson in the Student Services office (Room 211). Written permission given by the parent/guardian is required for staff members to administer medications. Permission forms are located in the front office.

Check-Out Policy If a student needs to be checked out of school early, the parent/guardian must come into the main office to request student for check-out then sign the appropriate sign-out clipboard. Students are not allowed to wait in the main office for their parent/guardian to pick them up. Only those people listed on the student’s emergency card are allowed to pick up the requested student. It is important to keep this card updated at all times throughout the school year. Also, students cannot be checked out during testing times. Parents, please be aware of your child’s team schedule. Students cannot be checked out after 3:45 P.M. on regular dismissal days and after 2:30 P.M. on early dismissal days.

Car Riders Morning drop off: The front parking lot and side circle drive, NOT the back parking lot. The back parking lot is strictly for buses and faculty parking.

Early Access Students must have a pass to enter the building for meetings or other activities prior to 9:15am. Students cannot use the main entrance on Hood Road. Students will need to enter through the circle drive area located on Hornets Nest Road and show their pass. This is a reminder that students are NOT ALLOWED on campus prior to 9:15am.

Afternoon Pick-Up The front parking lot and side circle drive, NOT the back parking lot. The back parking lot is strictly for buses and faculty parking.

Check-In Policy Students arriving to school late or returning to school after an absence must bring a signed note from their parent or guardian and submit it to Mrs. Thompson in Student Services (Room 211).

Prohibited On Campus Permanent markers and “white-out” (correction fluid) are prohibited on campus. If students bring a cell phone, pager, or other electronic devices to school, it must be turned off and out-of-sight. If any electronic device is found on the student, it will be confiscated. The device will be released only to the parent between 8:00AM – 4:00PM. Unsupervised activities are prohibited at MMS. Please leave all ball equipment, skateboards, skates, etc. at home. Students CANNOT be on campus prior to 9:15AM or after 4:15PM and 3:00PM on early dismissal days. These rules are for the safety of your child.TELEPHONE USE AND MESSAGES:We do not have personnel to deliver telephone messages.1. Use of school telephone is provided in STUDENT ILLNESS EMERGENCY cases only. Students may secure

permission and use of the phone in the administrator’s offices. The administrator will determine the emergency. Emergencies include but are not limited to: death, hospitalization, unexpected doctor’s appointments, or things of similar nature. All calls will be limited to two minutes for illness and getting picked up. Students are NOT permitted to use teacher telephones or personal cell phones to contact parent/guardian.

2. We will not be able to deliver messages to students, except in cases of EMERGENCY.3. The nature of the emergency MUST be specified to a school official in order for the message to be delivered.4. Arrangements for routine matters such as rides to and from school, car and house key delivery and

pick-up, meeting places, etc. should be made before students arrive at school.

DR. TIFFANY MOSLEY

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PTSA Needs You Next Year We know it is early to start thinking about this; however, before you know it, we will all be in Summer Mode as the days are going by so fast. We have many board members who are leaving us at the end of the year to adventure on to High School, which means there are many positions that will be open. PTSA at the Middle School level is not as hands-on as Elementary School. There are a few times a year we get together to plan an event, but for the most part, we allow the position representatives to manage themselves with only updates being given to the President. We have a meeting once a month where everyone gets together and goes over what needs to be done in the coming months, and that is it. It is really pretty easy. If you were on the fence this year because you had just started Middle School and you really wanted to take things slowly, we completely understand. Are you creative? Do you like to get parents together? Do you like to plan parties? Are you a person who likes to know what is happening within the education system? Do you enjoy showing teachers how important they are? Then we have something for you. We are looking for:• President • 1st Vice President - Programs • 2nd Vice President - Ways & Means • 3rd Vice President - Membership • Secretary • Treasurer We also appreciate those that have stepped up to be committee chairs:• Spirit Wear/Apparel • Dances • Awards • Historian • Volunteers • Technology/Web Design• SAC • Business Partners • Reflections If you are interested in any of the positions above, please contact mandarinmiddleptsa@gmail.com and request more information. We look forward to hearing from you!!!

Scholastic Book Fair The Scholastic Book Fair recently came to Mandarin Middle School. Students were given the opportunity to browse the collection of books and purchase items for themselves and their classes. Proceeds will be used to purchase books for classroom libraries. Thank you for supporting literacy at our school!

Hawk Pride Mandarin Middle School’s Hawk Pride Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) has won the JASYMN grant again this year! The Jasmyn Student Support Coordinator, Ace Canessa, recently announced the Mandarin Middle GSA as one of ten recipients of the Jasmyn GSA $250 mini-grants. Congratulations to club members and their sponsor, Mrs. Raper, for the great work they do in promoting acceptance within in our school and throughout the community!

Creative Classes Help in Our Community The Aero Hawks Living Skills classes will be collecting for two charities during the month of March. Collection boxes for Daniel Kids and The Jacksonville Humane Society will be placed around the school. Please feel free to encourage your students to bring in new or slightly used socks (of all sizes) for Daniel Kids. Students are also collecting food and treats for the Humane Society.

MMS Stars Will Shine Try-Outs for the talent show were held on March 31st, morning and afternoon, in the auditorium. Students selected to participate in the talent show will perform on May 20th at 7:00 P.M. in the school auditorium. Hope we see you there!

Student Council Spring Project MMS Student Council is one of the school’s most active service clubs. It frequently promotes school and community spirit through a variety of service projects. The club recently treated teachers and staff to a sack of candy to finish off February. The upcoming March project will have members coloring pictures of birds, optical illusions, and geometric shapes to “add a little color” to some areas of MMS. This project is ongoing throughout March.

European Tour It’s not too late to sign up your 8th or 7th grader for the yearly EF Tours trip to Europe. The deadline to sign up a student and/or parent for the July 2016 tour to London, Paris & Madrid is fast approaching. The 2017 tour to Berlin, Prague, the Swiss Alps and Paris for current 7th graders will take place in June of 2017 and still has space available. The summer 2018 European tour for students who are currently in 6th grade will be determined by May. Please contact Mr. Lyles with any interests of questions: lylesc@duvalschools.org.

Scholar Bowl The Mandarin Middle Scholar Bowl team is once again Southern Division Champion for Duval County Public Schools Middle School Scholar Bowl. This year there weren’t playoffs with the five division champions to decide a Scholar Bowl Champion for the county. Last season, our team came in 2nd place for the county. Mandarin Middle has been invited to an elite level academic quiz bowl competition on Saturday, April 2nd, at James Weldon Johnson College Prep Middle School. Middle schools from throughout the First Coast as well as schools from out of town will compete in a tournament sanctioned by the National Association of Quizbowl Tournaments (NAQT). The name of this tournament is called the Northeast Florida Middle School Invitational. Since schools may send more than one team, Mandarin will have four teams competing, including one of our most elite scholars. The top two teams at this tournament will get an invite to the NAQT Middle School National Championship which will take place over a weekend in Atlanta in May. 128 teams will get an invite. This is Mandarin Middle’s first year competing at NAQT level academic competitions.

$100 OFFFOR MANDARIN

STUDENTS

Math, ReadingStudy Skills, Homework Help

1:1 SAT/ACT PrepSkills, Confidence, MotivationScience, HistoryWriting, FSA Prep

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DCPS Technology Support Extends Service Hours Parents, Guardians & Students can get help with technology issues.For assistance with DCPS Blended Learning Platforms and the Focus Grade Portal:• Call 904-348-5150

• Monday – Friday: 7:00 AM - 10:00 PM• Saturday and Sunday: 7:30 AM - 4:30 PM

Our CTE/TV Production Program Wins Big in Regional Poison Control PSA Video Contest

The Florida/USVI Poison Info Center is proud to announce the winners of the 2016 PSA Contest in honor of National Poison Control week endorsed by President Obama. The themes were “Children act fast, so do poisons and “Poisonings span a lifetime.” Each of the Public Service announcements had to illustrate one of the themes echoing that poisonings can happen at any time to people of any age. Winners were selected by a review of experts, poison center control center partners and staff. Congratulations to our top CTE/TV producers:FIRST PLACE IN THE 30 SECOND CATEGORYDon’t get rattled by Florida’s Poisonous SnakesStudent Producers: Bryn Dowdell, LJ Griffin, Troy Garcia and Nick TomesFIRST PLACE IN THE 60 SECOND CATEGORYCuriosity killed the cat, or did it?Student Producers: Alex McClure, Patricia Stage and Garrett TowerSECOND PLACE IN THE 60 SECOND CATEGORYAccidental poisonings: A hard pill to swallowStudent Producers: Olivia Altman, Isabella Thomas and Ty JacksonTHIRD PLACE IN THE 60 SECOND CATEGORYDon’t get caught up in the partyStudent Producers: Anna Ceballos, Lexi Erb and Sarah Powell Congratulations to Student Producers and Mrs. Prescott for impressive accomplishments!

Career and Technical Education/Television Production The following article appeared in TV NewsCheck, a national broadcasting publication. It is reprinted here with their permission. To read more, visit the website: http://www.tvnewscheck.com/marketshare/2016/02/29/wjxt-airs-winning-psa-entries-by-students/WJXT Airs Winning PSA Entries by Students Feb 29, 2016, 8:11 AM by Paul Greeley WJXT Jacksonville, Fla., asked students in grades 6 through 12 to create storyboards for a 30-second PSA on an issue important to them. The annual contest is part of the Graham Media independent’s Positively Jax campaign that celebrates and recognizes people and organizations making a difference in the Jacksonville community. Local schools submitted 48 entries on topics including teen suicide, bullying, testing and driving, body image and peer pressure. Judges looked for creativity, effectiveness of message, relevance to the teen audience and overall presentation. The two winning entries were then professionally produced by WJXT and are currently airing on the station and its ThisTVJacksonville subchannel.Sticky Situation by Lilith ColadoMandarin High SchoolTeacher: Jennifer Prescott

SAT Testing Attention college-bound students, both middle and high school: Take your SAT at Mandarin Middle School. Registration closes approximately one month prior to the Saturday administration dates:

May 7 June 4 For more information contact Mrs. Hager at hagerk1@duvalschools.org.

Counselor’s CornerWe want to welcome Marie Farjian

totheCounselingOffice! Mrs. Farjian received her degree in Psychology from Rochester Institute of Technology in NY and her Masters in Science from the University of Rochester. She also earned her National Board Certification in Counseling. She is experienced in middle and high school counseling and has extra experience working with students with disabilities in day treatment. She is currently working on her doctorate at the University of North Florida. Mrs. Farjian is married and has a dog named Roofus. How to pronounce her last name: Think of something FAR way. Say the boy’s name John and rhyme with John, but begin with Z. (Far-Zjohn). The counselors have implemented Child Safety Matters in the 6th grade. This is a safety program to teach students about different kinds of child abuse and how to keep safe. Students are taught tips about recognizing “red flags,” finding a safe place, and telling a trusted adult. Students are reminded that they should never feel ashamed to speak up. Retention warning letters have been mailed home. If students need help with grades, they should see their counselors. Students should act now to improve their grades! Parents, if you are moving and will be withdrawing your student PLEASE notify guidance by coming in and officially withdrawing your student. They are officially enrolled and marked absent if their names are not removed from the rosters. Thank you for your help with this! Tutoring is offered on Mondays and Thursdays after school. There is no cost. Report to the Media Center! Tutoring begins at 4:30 and ends promptly at 6:00 P.M. Activity bus transportation is available.

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2016 Spring Sports ScheduleBaseball/SoftballMonday April 4 Jw Johnson AWAY 5:30PMWednesday April 6 Twin Lakes HOME 5:30PMMonday April 11 Dupont HOME 5:30PMWednesday April 13 Southside AWAY 5:30PMWednesday April 20 D. Cookman HOME 5:30PMMonday April 25 Landon AWAY 5:30PMWednesday April 27 Jw Johnson HOME 5:30PMMonday May 2 Twin Lakes AWAY 5:30PMWednesday May 4 Dupont AWAY 5:30PMMonday May 9 Southside HOME 5:30PMWednesday May 11 D. Cookman AWAY 5:30PMMonday May 16 Landon HOME 5:30PMTrackMonday April 4 Stilwell/Butler HOME 5PMWednesday April 6 D. Cookman AWAY 5PMWednesday April 13 Baldwin AWAY 5PMMonday April 18 Jeff Davis AWAY 5PMWednesday April 20 Stuart/Cookman HOME 5PMWednesday April 27 Twin Lakes AWAY 5PMSwimmingTuesday April 19 Oceanway AWAY 5PMThursday April 21 Ribault AWAY 5PMTuesday April 26 Northwestern/Stilwell HOME 5PMThursday April 28 Dupont AWAY 5PMTuesday May 3 Fletcher AWAY 5PMThursday May 5 Johnson/Highlands HOME 5PM

Sports For updates on the latest schedules for games and other team sporting event information, you can visit the following website: www.planeths.com.

News from AVID AVID students recently attended a career day assembly. Speakers included State Attorney Angela Corey, Sheriff Mike Williams, and other guests for Law Career Day on campus. A former Mandarin Middle School student who now works for the Jacksonville Police Department was also in attendance. It is always a special treat to welcome back our former students. AVID Parent Night was held on March 15th. AVID families enjoyed a great night of games, food, and loads of fun!!

Softball RosterPlayer NameBrianna ArsenaultCassie BaileyMerissa CasanovaSophia DavisAlexis FrazierEmily HedrickMontana HuntEleanor KingKarley MaronAlexis SearsAnastasia SuhetskisAshley WiebengaKayleigh WilliamsPeyton WolfManagers:Aubrey BrentEmma ClayCaroline Skinner

Baseball TeamGavin AdamsCameron BrownChris DouglasJackson DurantTyler GravesKayden HarrisDalton HollandChristian HullickKaden HullickTy JacksonRyan OnkstAndrew RyanAyden SciandraAnthony Taylor

Soccer Finals The Girls Soccer Team finished second in the Southern Division. Lady Hawks Soar! The Boys Soccer Team defeated Oceanway 3-0 to advance to their third straight City Championship game. They won their division and finished as the city runner-up team. Go Hawks!

Mandarin Middle School5100 Hood Rd.Jacksonville, FL 32257

Non-Profit OrganizationU.S. Postage PaidJacksonville, FL

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April 2016April 5 Tue Band Concert 5-9pmApril 8 Fri Teacher Planning DayApril 11 Mon FSA Reading Session 1April 12 Tue FSA Reading Session 1April 13 Wed Early Dismissal- Make-Ups

Session 1 FSA Reading April 14 Thu FSA Reading Session 2April 15 Fri FSA Reading Session 2April 18 Mon Make-Ups ELA Session 2April 19 Tue FSA Math Session 1April 20 Wed FSA Math Session 1April 21 Thu FSA Math Session 2April 22 Fri FSA Math Session 2 April 25 Mon Make-Ups MathApril 26 Tue 8th grade only FCAT ScienceApril 27 Wed Early DismissalApril 29 Fri School Closed

May 2016May 3 Tue Algebra 1 Session 1May 4 Wed Algebra 1 Session 2May 5 Thu Algebra 1 Make-UpsMay 6 Fri Algebra 1 Make-UpsMay 7 Sat SATMay 9 Mon Geometry Session 1May 10 Tue Geometry Session 2May 16 Mon FSA Make-UpsMay 17 Tue FSA Make-UpsMay 18 Wed Early DismissalMay 19 Thu FSA Make-UpsMay 20 Fri FSA Make-Ups/Talent Show 7pmMay 30 Mon Memorial Day - No School

June 2016June 4 Sat SATJune 10 Fri Last Day of StudentsJune 13 Mon Teachers Post PlanningJune 14 Tue Teachers Post Planning

ChorusChoir Music Performance Assessment Results• Concert Choir – Excellent• Advanced Women – ExcellentWe are starting two choirs before school:• Glee Club--Tuesdays and Fridays 8-9am (starting March

15)• Men’s Choir--Thursdays 8am-9am (starting March 31)• Check with Ms. Laursen for more information.Congratulations to Chorus Members—Ensemble and Solo!• MMS Ensemble-Superior Sara Curry Jody Harkrider Isabelle DelosReyes Britney Bombaj Anna Ceballos Lilianna Martinez Lily Le