FAMILY TIGER VIBE

APRIL

1 - No School

9 - Parent Teacher Conferences - Quarter 4

16 - 18 MCA Reading Testing

19 - MCA Reading Make Up Testing

22 - MCA Reading Make Up Testing

23-25 - MCA Math Testing

26 - MCA Math Make Up Testing

29 - MCA Math Make Up Testing

30 - MCA Science Testing (5th & 8th grade only)

MAY

1-2 - MCA Science Testing (5th & 8th grade only)

3 - MCA Science Make Up Testing (5th & 8th grade only)

6 - MCA Science Make Up Testing

7 - Science and Nature Conference

7-8 - NWEA Reading Testing

9-10 - NWEA Reading Make Up Testing

14 - Choir Concert 7 & 8 - 7:30 pm

14-15 - NWEA Math Testing

16 - Band Concert - 5/7 at 6 pm; 6/8 at 7:30pm

16-17 - NWEA Math Make Up Testing

21 - 7th Grade Ecology Bus

21 - 6th Grade Field Trip

21 - 8th Grade Field Trip

23 - 5th Grade Field Trip

23 - 7th Grade Ecology Bus

23 - All District Orchestra Concert 4 -12 - 7:00 p.m. HS Theater

24 - 7th Grade Ecology Bus

27 - NO SCHOOL - Memorial Day Holiday

29 - LAST DAY OF SCHOOL - NOON RELEASE

• From about 1:00-3:00 on Monday April 8th, people in Minnesota will be able to view a partial solar eclipse. The staff at the Middle School have been trained in eclipse viewing safety, and we have eclipse glasses for everyone to participate in this event! For more information on the eclipse visit 2024 Total Eclipse (nasa.gov).
• The best way to be well-informed with the most up to date information is to visit the website Marshall MN Public Schools | Home, download the MPS Tigers App, or follow us on Facebook: Marshall Public Schools, Instagram: @marshallpublicschools, and Twitter: @mpstigers.

We will be holding our Quarter 4 Parent Teacher Conferences on April 9th, from 3:45p to 7:45p. A parent-teacher meeting is for highlighting the strengths and good qualities of students, as well as informing parents of areas that could be worked on. Please take a moment to review your child's courses to schedule a time that works best for you, to meet with your child's teacher. The link below automatically brings up 7th Grade sign ups. Please use the tabs located on the top of the page to find the appropriate grade/class. Please note that any spring activity coaches may not be available until 6:00 pm the night of the conference. Also, if you come for a conference during open house, you may have to wait for the teacher to be available.

April 9th from 3:45 pm to 7:45 pm.

· Scheduled Conference: 3:45 pm to 5:30 (schedule with SignUp Genius)

· Staff Dinner Break: 5:30 pm to 6:00 pm

· Open House Format: 6:00 pm to 7:45 pm (come when it works best for you)

SIGNUP TABS: 5th Grade; 6th Grade; 7th Grade; 8th Grade; Ag/Art/Music/Spanish/FACS; and Counselor/Social Worker/Nurse

This month from the health office, we would like to bring your attention to a frequently asked question this time of year: Is it a cold or is it allergies? This is not very easy to sort out sometimes. Definitely good to discuss, though, given that the common cold can be quite contagious versus allergies which are not contagious at all. Below is an article I would like to share with you from Web MD that I have found to be quite useful.

If you have further questions, please reach out to our office or contact your primary medical provider. Happy Spring!

Danielle Brandt, RN BAN PHN LSN

p.507.537.6938 x4073 f.507-537-6942

Danielle.brandt@marshall.k12.mn.us

Erin Moline, CMA (AAMA)

p.507.537.6938 x4073 f.507-537-6942

erin.moline@marshall.k12.mn.us

Avera and Marshall Schools are happy to partner to support student athletes’ training and health. We want all students to stay safe and healthy so they can compete at the top of their game.

In the past we have also offered sports physicals onsite at Marshall High School. Medical professionals at Avera and Marshall Public Schools believe students would receive a more complete physical in a medical facility than is possible in the school setting. Going forward, sports physicals will not be offered at the school. Instead, individuals should schedule an appointment with their medical provider for a well-child visit including a sports physical. Please click on the link below for more information.

April is Stress Awareness Month. This has been recognized every month since 1992. This month was created to remind us to pay attention to our health and to inform people about the impacts of stress as well as coping strategies. Learning ways to cope with our stress and finding healthy ways to manage stressful situations can be impactful to living a healthy life.

Everyone experiences stress from time to time. The American Psychological Association found the most common factors associated with stress are money, work, family, economic outlook, and relationships. Stress can cause people to prepare or perform better in certain situations. However, it can also cause physical, mental, and emotional strain or tension in other situations. For some people stress can be debilitating. It can cause headaches, fatigue, muscle tension, insomnia, and even high blood pressure and heart disease. It’s important to find ways to help you cope and manage stressful situations rather than allowing it to burden you. Here are some helpful ways to cope with stress:

– Identify what is triggering your stress. Ask yourself these questions: What is causing you to react to a situation? How do you react during stressful situations? If it is something in your control, see if there is an alternative solution to avoiding that stress. For instance, feeling overwhelmed at work. Write down what you need to accomplish and allow yourself breaks after you finish a task.

– Practice breathing. Slow and deep breathing can decrease tension you may be experiencing from stress. Try the Power 10. Focus on your feelings of anxiety and stress while inhaling and exhaling for 6 seconds.

– Eat a healthy diet. Food provides many nutrients that can help manage and decrease stress. From boosting serotonin to lowering blood pressure, our diets can play a major role in decreasing stress.

– Take a digital detox. Our phones and emails can bring us joy, but they can also bring a lot of stress. Choose a day of the week to take a break from being on your phone and email.

– Incorporate dry brushing into your routine. Dry brushing has many benefits. It can be an effective strategy for reducing stress because it is a way to check in daily with your body and identify areas where you hold stress. It also can promote a deeper sleep.

– Chew gum. A study was done in Melbourne, Australia, that found chewing gum can reduce a cortisol in saliva by 16 percent during mild stress and 12 percent during moderate stress situations.

– Practice Gratitude. Gratitude is a great way to make you feel good. By practicing gratitude daily, it can help you build emotional resilience and stay grounded and accepting of certain situations.

– Declutter your space. Clutter can be stressful and distracting. Set aside 15 to 20 minutes each day to straighten up your place. Or plan a day each month to clean out certain spaces in your home.

– Wake up earlier. Although this isn’t for everyone, but it can be very beneficial having an extra hour to yourself in the morning. Whether that be less traffic on your commute, uninterrupted time to work at home, or just time for yourself to enjoy the morning before starting your day.

-Exercise. Any form of exercise can act as a stress reliever. It can provide you with energy, release tension, and improve your self-image as well. Whether it be taking a 10-minute walk, doing 30 minutes of cardio, yoga, or lifting weights, you can find many benefits in moving your body.

Take time this month to talk with friends and family about self-care and coping strategies they use to manage stress. I encourage you to pay attention to different stressors in your life and practice a couple of these strategies to help you cope and manage your stress.

Sources:

https://www.behavioralhealth.nd.gov/sites/www/files/documents/Gratitude.pdf
https://blog.swedish.org/swedish-blog/how-decluttering-can-improve-physical-and-mental-health#:~:text=Decluttering%20can%20reduce%20stress&text=Set%20aside%2015%20minutes%20per,order%20as%20you%20go%20along.
https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/exercising-to-relax
https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/stress/2014/stress-report.pdf

Ms. VanMoer, 7/8 Grade Social Worker

margo.vanmoer@marshall.k12.mn.us

Ms. Sheppard, 5/6 Grade Counselor

melissa.sheppard@marshall.k12.mn.us

As we enter the final quarter of the school year, parents are beginning to plan for the summer months. One essential element to incorporate into children's summer schedules is dedicated reading time. Enrolling in or establishing a reading program can greatly influence students' success. To find more information about programs, visit your local library or check out this link.

Research indicates the profound impact of reading on students, including its long-term benefits. This infographic shows the difference in reading times for students who struggle with reading and those who meet grade-level expectations.

Did you know, “starting in kindergarten, if a student reads 20 minutes a day at home, they will hear 1.8 million words per year. They will have read for 851 hours by 6th grade and on standardized tests, they will likely score better than 90% of their peers.” That is a great reason to create a reading environment in your home. (From KidsKonnect)

How can parents help?

The Impact of Reading Outside of School

1. Preventing Learning Loss: Reading outside of school during the summer can help prevent learning loss and maintain or improve reading skills. Encouraging children to read regularly exposes them to new vocabulary, ideas, and concepts, keeping their minds active and engaged.

2. Building Literacy Skills: Regular reading outside of school can enhance students' literacy skills, including comprehension, fluency, and critical thinking. Exposure to a variety of texts can broaden children’s perspectives and deepen their understanding of different subjects.

3. Fostering a Love for Learning: By promoting reading as an enjoyable activity outside of school, parents can help instill a love for learning in children that transcends beyond the classroom. Encouraging independent reading habits can nurture a lifelong passion for literature and knowledge.

Strategies to Encourage Reading Outside of School

1. Summer Reading Programs: Implementing summer reading programs or challenges can incentivize children to continue reading during the break. Offering rewards or recognition for completing reading goals can motivate students to stay engaged. Let children know of the opportunities and programs offered through the local library. Check the online incentives in the first paragraph.

2. Access to Books: Providing access to a variety of books, whether through school libraries, community resources, or digital platforms, ensures that children have ample opportunities to explore different genres and topics. Get a free library card. Look for Free Little Libraries in communities and explain how they work. Ask teachers if children can use their online EPIC account.

3. Family Involvement: Encouraging family involvement in summer reading activities can create a supportive environment for children. Recommending books for family reading or hosting book clubs can foster a culture of literacy at home. Encourage your students and children to form book exchanges and meet to read together in the summer.

By emphasizing the importance of reading outside of school and implementing strategies to combat the summer slide, parents and educators can help students maintain their academic skills and continue to grow as learners even during the break. Promoting literacy benefits our students, our school, and our community.

April showers bring May flowers… and… state assessments in public schools. 😊 Interestingly, test taking also seems to increase the anxiety level in students. Why does this happen? Is there anything which can be done to help students feel better prepared to take tests? According to Nemours TeensHealth, “it’s natural to feel some stress about taking tests,” especially when “a lot of people (adults included) get freaked out when it’s time to take a test.”

Thankfully, Nemours TeensHealth and other reputable sources provide a variety of tips which can be used to help reduce the level of stress felt by students when taking tests. Some of the many guidelines posted on the Nemours TeensHealth page of the KidsHealth.org website [Test-Taking Tips (for Teens) - Nemours KidsHealth] include the following:

Test Taking Tips and Strategies:

1. Go into the test with confidence by making sure enough studying is done in advance to feel confident about knowing the material.

2. Get enough sleep the night before the test. Memory recall is much better when well rested.

3. Do not frantically review before a test. Instead, put away all study materials and go into the test with a clear, relaxed mind.

4. Listen closely to instructions to fully understand what is expected.

5. Read through the test first (including all directions) to see how long it is so you can better estimate how much time is needed to finish each section.

6. Answer the questions in any order. If you don’t know an answer right away, skip it and come back to it later.

7. Relax. Quietly wiggle your fingers and toes if necessary. (Be careful not to distract others.)

8. If you feel you are running out of time, do your best to answer as many questions as you can. Guess if needed.

9. If you finish early, go over your work one more time to check your answers.

For more information about test taking tips or to better dig into the content posted on the Nemours KidsHealth website, you can open the following hyperlink: Test-Taking Tips (for Teens) - Nemours KidsHealth and the information will be readily available.

Note: The Test-Taking Tips (for Teens) - Nemours KidsHealth hyperlink also offers the option to listen to the text as it is read out loud in a variety of languages so feel free to play around with that feature as well. It’s worth the visit!

Ms. Klimek

5/6 Reading Interventionist

joni.klimek@marshall.k12.mn.us

Integers are crucial in mathematics because they represent whole numbers, including both positive and negative numbers. Understanding integers helps students develop number sense and problem-solving skills. They are used in various real-life scenarios such as tracking temperature changes, calculating distances, managing finances, and even playing sports where game scores involve positive and negative values.

By emphasizing the importance of integers and providing practical examples, we can help students see the value in learning about them. While integers are incredibly useful, they can be challenging for students as they require careful attention to rules, especially when dealing with negative signs.

In class we went over a few different techniques from drawing pictures, to matching different colored game pieces, and playing “integer war” with playing cards. Each of the methods showed students another way to “see” the problem. This emphasizes one of the points I try to make to the students; one of the lessons they should be mindful of is discovering what method works best for them, to explore how they learn math. Then use what works best or makes more sense for them and then problem on which they are working.

Mr. Schmitt

7/8 Math Interventionist

joseph.schmitt@marshall.k12.mn.us

As our school year starts to wrap up, teachers are completing their final Second-Step lessons for Social-Emotional Learning. Our final step will be having our students complete a post-assessment on Schoology, which will cover everything they have talked about this year in regard to our Second-Step curriculum.

The final subjects that each grade will be discussing is:

• 5th grade: With Second-Step lessons now complete, students and teachers have begun to implement the BARR Program in 5th grade. Part of this program includes students partaking in lessons once a week called I-Times. Classrooms teachers use these fun and interactive lessons to help build relationships, build a sense of family and culture in their classrooms/grade/school, and to help learn more about each other. This is something that both the staff and students are very excited about!
• 6th Grade: Students will discuss and learn about conflicts – what makes them escalate, looking at perspectives, being able to effectively communicate, working towards a resolution and then ultimately being able to move on from the conflict/issue.
• 7th Grade: Much like 6th grade, our students will be working on the abilities to understand how a conflict comes about, how to look at something from someone else’s point of view and being able to calm the situation by learning and discussing different conflict resolution strategies.
• 8th Grade: Their final lessons will be revolving around relationships – what makes a healthy/unhealthy relationship, how can we make things right, others’ perspectives, knowing our own values and those of others. The final lesson will involve conversations about moving onto high school and what some of those challenges could look like – who can help with these challenges.

Ethan Hoppe

SEL Teacher

ethan.hoppe@marshall.k12.mn.us

Join the Marshall Public Schools PTA on Saturday, April 15th for a 5K fun run/walk! Registration at 8:00 am. Race Begins at 8:30 am. The race starts at the Marshall Middle School front parking lot and is open to EVERYONE! Participants can run, walk, or jog and strollers or bikes are encouraged for young children. **VIRTUAL OPTION: Out of town? Other plans? Join us virtually!!

https://app.memberhub.gives/3f5dab

All funds raised by the Marshall PTA go directly back to students and staff at the Marshall Public Schools.

Officer Willson from the Marshall Police Department visited Mr. Schmitt’s 8th Grade Guided Learning classroom March 8, 2024. He talked with the students about appropriate use of social media, new driver responsibilities, how to interact with police, and other topics important to making a safe and healthy transition from adolescence to being a young adult. These topics will be important as these students will be high school students who spend more and more time outside of the home while they are with friends, driving, or starting a job in the next few years. Marshall Middle School is using opportunities like this to help these students understand how to engage positively with the community and make good choices as they leave our school and head into the rest of their lives.

Sophomores and Seniors from Marshall High School visited Mr. Schmitt’s eighth-grade guided learning to speak with the students about making the transition to high school. The high school students talked about having a good work ethic, grades, homework completion, and how to mature socially. They shared what surprised them about high school and things they wished they knew when they went to high school.

Marshall Middle School had five students advance to the State MathCounts Competition in Plymouth, Minnesota, by being the top team/individuals at the Southwest Chapter competition in February.

On Friday, March 8th, Nathan L., Katelyn M., Clara P., Lauren P., and Emily R. traveled to the Crowne Plaza to compete. The students were greeted with smiles, a state T-shirt, and a fun photobooth. We had a great pasta supper with all 128 state qualifiers and learned about engineering and the 2023 National MathCounts trip. Students had a chance to mingle with other math students. After dinner, the students were divided into teams from other schools. They participated in a bridge building STEM competition using only spaghetti noodles and marshmallows. The competition tested the team’s bridge tension and suspension in order to see which bridge could hold the most weight in pennies.

On Saturday, the competition began bright and early. Our MMS mathletes competed with 27 of the top MN teams in three different rounds of competition: Sprint Round, Target Round, and Team Round. The final round of the day was the Countdown Round. We witnessed the top 16 students go through math problems with great ease and was fun to see the top finalists who will travel to the MathCounts National competition.

The experience at State MathCounts was fantastic! Between all of the math conversations we enjoyed the company of other mathletes from MN. The memories from Saturday's competition, the van ride, the card games, and everything in-between, state was great! We are extremely proud of the hard work these students accomplished during the 2023-2024 season.

Ms. Vikter, MMS Advisor

sorcha.vikter@marshall.k12.mn.us

The Conservation Crew welcomed Marshall Assistant City Engineer Eric Hanson to our March 21st meeting. He shared the future plans for a walking path behind the school that will eventually connect to Independence Park and the new pool. This path will be very close to the pollinator garden boxes the Crew has set up. We talked about the timing of the construction and ideas for how the Crew and City could work together to make the pollinator garden even better. Mr. Hanson showed the students how to read the topographic maps and blueprints, and the students showed Mr. Hanson how to use a SMART Board. We look forward to more meetings together in the future!

The Crew has started many seeds in the Ag classroom for the garden. In just a few weeks we will direct sow some seeds outside and add our bug hotel. We are also getting ready for our end-of -the-year celebration at the Science Museum of Minnesota where we can share our project and see what other schools across the state are doing.

Mrs. Wendt, MMS Advisor

barbara.wendt@marshall.k12.mn.us

Did you know that the school offers free resources for your kids? The Middle School hosts a room called the "Kindness Closet" where your student can go to get items they need during school hours. All items are donated by other families and staff. The room is open during all conferences if your family wants to utilize this space.

Students are allowed to have water at school. They cannot bring Starbucks, caffeinated beverages or other drinks into the school or have them during the day. No outside fast food that is brought in school will be eaten in the cafeteria with the other students. If a student has outside food due to missing lunch because of an appt, the student will eat the lunch in the student area located by the main entry way. Door Dash is not allowed for students.

All middle school students have the ability to access the district's online Infinite Campus portal to view Grades, Assignments, Schedules and more. We would like all our students to have the resources they need to be successful in school and this includes regularly using their student portal account. Instructions for setting up, accessing and using the student portal are attached. Your child's advisor assisted them with these steps, but we also ask for your involvement in ensuring your child has access.

Since schedules and report cards are not mailed to families, this is the avenue to access that information.

If you have not set up your parent portal account, please see the information listed below to do that. Your parent portal provides you with this information as well, plus the opportunity to pay any online fees (technology, food service, etc).

Ms. Londgren, Digital Learning Coach

karen.londgren@marshall.k12.mn.us