December Newsletter 2024-2025

Seasons Greetings!

At our school we have been focusing on increasing our attendance percentages to help students with a consistent positive education at Farmington. As a fun motivator for coming to school, advisories have been competing this month in the Turkey Trot! The potential winning advisory with the highest percentage of attendance gave a pie in the face to their teacher at the Thanksgiving assembly.

Here's our Nurse Anderson and our counselor Ms. Bays dressed up for the holidays as we remind students of our Turkey Trot attendance incentive. As forward to the upcoming December month and the end of the 2024 year, we want to send everyone a positive message of warmth and togetherness here from our FMS Family and wish everyone Happy Holidays!

Mr. Jenkerson, Principal & Mrs. Sutherland, Asst. Principal

Mr. & Mrs. Grindstaff came to visit FMS for the 7th grade social studies classes as they study environment and human interaction. Mrs. Redmond and Mr. Cummings classes read the Chapter book A Long Walk to Water, by Linda Sue Park in class and learned about water shortages and the struggles in South Sudan. The book is based on the true story of Salva Dut, the main character, who was one of the "Lost Boys of Sudan" who went on to found Water for South Sudan.

Mr. and Mrs. Grindstaff regularly visit Africa and travel to Kenya and have founded a non-profit organization, The Living Well Project. The students learned about the culture and people of Kenya about how their organization is raising funds to drill wells for clean water in rural Kenya. We are very grateful for their time, energy and passion shared with us during the day they spent presenting to all of our 7th graders. We are thankful not only for their sharing of experiences and culture in Kenya, but for the message of caring and empathy they share with us as well. Thank you!

We appreciated learning the internet safety and safeguards from MSHP of Drug and Crime Control at our assembly. Thank you to Ms. Whaley for helping arrange these expert speakers to help enhance our Digital Literacy and Citizenship course!

To enjoy some of the holiday spirit and celebrate togetherness, we will be having some optional Spirit Week fun at FMS. Check out the schedule below that Character Council has created for us!

🎣🎥📸School Events🎹🎵🎼

NO SCHOOL DAYS

Winter Break begins Monday, December 23rd to Tuesday, January 7th.

Teachers have Professional Development Monday, January 6th

Students are off school Monday, January 6th.

Students return to school on Tuesday, January 7th

Important Events:

Choir Concert

Thursday, 12/19, Truman Auditorium 7:00 PM

Hour of Code Week

Board Meeting

Tuesday, 12/17 Board Meeting, @Truman Auditorium, 5pm

CLUBS

FHS Theatre Guild - Middle School may audition

The Addams Family Musical Auditions - Dec 2nd, 3:10 in FHS Choir Room

Game Knights Guild Gaming Clubs after school Tuesdays

Students can come to the library to get permission slips to join.

Fishing Club has began - Contact Mr. Winick for more information

mwinick@farmington.k12.mo.us

🏀🤼Sports Events🤼🏀

Basketball

Girls

7th Grade is at 4:00 and 8th Grade is at 5:00

Monday, December 2nd- MS Girls Basketball @ AV- 4 pm and 5 pm

Tuesday, December 3rd- MS Girls Basketball vs. Ste. Gen. at Home- 4 pm and 5 pm

Thursday, December 5th- MS Girls Basketball vs. North County at Home- 4 pm and 5 pm

Wednesday, December 11th @ Valley Caledonia B Team 8th only - 4pm

Monday, December 16th @Potosi 4pm and 5 pm

Tuesday, December 17th @Festus 5:00pm start

Thursday, December 19th vs. West County @Home 4pm & 5pm

Friday, December 20th Windsor Shoot Out - Away

Boys

7th Grade is at 4:00 and 8th Grade is at 5:00

Monday, December 2nd- A Team vs. AV at Home- 4 pm and 5 pm

Monday, December 2nd- B Team (8th only) @ St. Joe- 4 pm

Tuesday, December 3rd- A Team @ Ste. Gen- 4 pm and 5 pm

Tuesday, December 3rd- B Team (8th only) @ St. Paul- 4 pm

Thursday, December 5th- A Team @ North County- 4 pm and 5 pm

Wednesday, December 11th- B Team (7th & 8th) vs. Valley of Caledonia @Home

Wrestling

Tuesday, December 3rd- MS Wrestling @ Park Hills Central Quad- 4 pm

Saturday, December 7th- MS Wrestling- Farmington MS Invite @FHS Field House

Tuesday, December 10th MS Wrestling @Home 4:30

Saturday, December 14th, @Jackson

Mr. Naes and Ms. Porter did a great job leading our students at the band concert at the Centene Center, and our students really came together and performed some fantastic music. Band allows so many students to express themselves in a new way at middle school. We are so grateful for such a vibrant band program at Farmington.

Mr. Naes and Mr. Cummings have been working with some organizations to help get our Trading Card club full of cards and supplies for gaming! This club allows students to learn strategy card games together afterschool and socialize. These organizations below have provided us with things that help kids play games that foster learning, engagement, and creativity.

First, Mr. Naes helped us facilitate some Pokemon gaming supplies. We appreciate the support we have received from Tabletop Village in Seattle providing us with a large donation of Pokemon cards and gaming supplies for our club. Our students have begun to learn or gain advanced rules for Pokemon battling and they have been a very giving gaming online store. Site: tabletopvillage.com

Next, Mr. Cummings has reached out to MagiKids and received a grant to support our club. They donated a massive amount of Magic the Gathering cards and additional gaming supplies that has allowed us to fully create dozens of Magic decks for our players. Their charitable organization helps take unused cards and turn them into accessible kits for teachers and mentors with instructional materials and gear. Site: https://magikids.org/

Then, Ms. Dillon has worked with FirstBook who has partnered with Pokemon Company International to donate Battle Academy boxes filled with battle decks, gaming boards, instructional booklets, and more. FirstBook helps eliminate barriers in accessibility to help all students and communities have books and resources to help enrich the lives of children.

Site: https://firstbook.org/partner/the-pokemon-company-international/

As an FMS Service Learning Opportunity, advisories are creating goals to help locally our families in need and support families by collecting donations for Season of Hope.

Schoolwide Goal:

$1800 - WE CURRENTLY HAVE COLLECTED OVER $1100!

13 Advisories have reached their individual class goals, too.

The last day of collection will be December 13th.

Advisory Goal: $10 for every 3 students in the advisory.

Service Learning:

Students have completed research about poverty in our county and how Season of Hope helps our community and written 4-6 facts they learned from the research about Seasons of Hope and added these to their ornaments. These ornaments are displayed outside of the classrooms on the walls or the doors. Advisories will also received a goal meter that students have been adding to and some are close to their goal!

Here are some of our advisories with their ornaments and goal meters.

Incentives:

The first advisory to reach their goal in each grade level will get donuts!

On Fridays, students will be able to pay $1 to wear a hat. Funds will go to Seasons of Hope but won’t count towards the Advisory goal.

If we meet the schoolwide goal, we will have a Social before Winter break.

• Social Details

• Takes place during the school day for around 2 hours

• Concessions would be sold in the cafeteria.

• Dance takes place in the gym and teachers will supervise.

• Activities will be available for those that don’t like to dance.

December:

1.Cold weather tips: Remember to wear your winter coat/gloves/sock hat to school; Keep exposure to cold to a minimum;Watch outdoor temperatures!

2. Extreme weather and recess reminders:Children will have indoor recess if/when the windchill is 27 degrees or lower, so please dress your child appropriately.

2. Cold and Flu Season reminders: Proper Handwashing; Do not share cups/utensils with others; Get plenty of rest at night; cover your mouth/nose with coughing and sneezing; Use Hand Sanitizer; Keep your hands away from your eyes/nose/mouth areas to prevent the spread of germs!

3. Dry air brings dry skin! Remember to moisturize the skin and apply chapstick for chapped lips!

-Nurse Anderson

Students will need their ID# and money deposited in their account to purchase from the A La Carte Line at Middle School.

We will be having our special Winter Break Meal on Thursday, December 19th for lunch!

Tech 2 Will begin working on their “Cookie Delivery Challenge” this month. (They must create a drop proof delivery box to deliver cookies to their favorite teacher without breaking any cookies!)

Tech 1 will be introduced to 3D printing and the software used for that to begin to learn how to create 3D models and print them!

-Ms. Little

Students have begun projects using their science skills with circuitry to make projects using Makey Makeys! Fun creative things are in the works. Students are creating adaptive game controllers for people with disabilities, interactive posters for younger students to engage in learning in new ways, musical instruments that are created from nature, and interactive sculptures and works of art!

Wow have we really increased our total number of books being checked out and read from our total numbers last year!

I think Beanstack's book logging, the incentives, the goals and motivation the platform is providing has helped so many more kids become excited about reading!

Check out the challenges we have going on in November & December.

We have a special Winter Break Challenge, and then in January we will begin a Read Away Your Fines Challenge!

-Ms. Dillon,

FMS Librarian

Throughout November and December, reflect on the year you've had and get excited for a fresh start! Log your reading to earn badges throughout the challenge and earn prizes.

100- Candy

200- Popcorn

300- Free Cafe Drink

Put in your raffle tickets too! Raffle tickets earned during the challenge are ONLY good to use on this challenge, so spend them all! The more you read the more chances your name will be drawn at the end of the month.

Over Winter Break, cozy up with a book in your favorite nook!

Read one book and write a book review to earn a special wintry badge and a candy cane.

This challenge and reward are ONLY available for a book read over Winter Break.

Book Review Requirements:

Hook: Start with an engaging hook.

Audience: Write as if your audience has not read the book and needs a quick recap.

Summary: Provide a summary of the book's plot and main themes.

Conclusion: Conclude with your overall assessment of the book and any recommendations for readers. ...but don't give away any big secrets or spoilers!

:) Happy Reading!

For 100 minutes read, you can delete up to $10 book fine.

For 200 minutes read, you can increase to a $20 book fine.

For 300 minutes read, you can increase up to a $30 book fine.

What a great way to clear your account in Destiny!

All students still will earn tickets for a drawing at the end of January for cool prizes like new books, fun school supplies and treats!

Our counselors wish you a happy and safe winter break.

Here are some ideas for your time off to do together with your family!

Email: djenkerson@farmington.k12.mo.us
Website: http://www.fsdknights.com/o/ms
Location: Farmington Middle School, 506 South Fleming Street, Farmington, MO, USA
Phone: 573-701-1330
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Farmington-R-7-Middle-School-1915146375398227/