Krueger's Monthly Newsletter!
December Edition
Hello Parents and Guardians,
I hope everybody had a restful and enjoyable Thanksgiving Break. We are back at it for the next three weeks before winter break. We have a lot going on during these three weeks from athletic events, after school clubs, various chorus trips, and One City One Sound concert. Once we return from winter break we will only have one week before the end of the first semester which is January 9th. Let's keep ensuring our students are coming to school prepared to be successful!
As you are aware student attendance is a major goal of ours at Krueger Middle School. As a school we are striving for 95% or better in overall student attendance. Currently we are at 90.07%. Let's ensure we are getting our children to school and if they are absent we are providing documentation to excuse them out.
To date we have 40 Students with perfect attendance!!!!!! We also have 145 Students with 95% or higher attendance.
Please continue to support our students for a successful academic year. We want to ensure each of our students grow academically, socially and emotionally. We are providing interventions early and often so our students can receive the support needed to be successful.
Thank you,
Josh Malone
Principal
Krueger Middle School
School wide reminders:
- One City One Sound - December 11
- Winter Semi-Formal Dance (6pm - 8pm) - December 12
- Winter Break December 22nd - January 4th
Parent Volunteers are needed!!!! You must be approved to be a volunteer to help out. Contact Teresa Whitney at twhitney01@mcas.k12.in.us if you are interested in helping with the event.
The Winter Semi-Formal will be on December 12 from 6 to 8. Tickets will go on sale at lunch time on December 1. Parents are needed to help sell tickets, set up on December 11 and to chaperone the dance please contact Mrs. Whitney if you are willing to help with this event.
7th Grade Team News!
Team 7 News: Our second field trip is scheduled for Friday Dec 19, 2025. We will be going to Urban Air! The cost for the trip is $27 and includes lunch. More information and criteria are explained in the permission forms that went home last week. Permission forms and money are due by December 15th.
We would like to welcome Mr. Josh Moran to our team! He will be a long term sub for math in Mrs. Cunningham’s room until she returns in March.
ELA/ELA Lab:
ELA: Students are creating a story about a Lost Boy or Girl of Sudan to finish the unit. Students will move on to Module 2: Researching to Build and Present Knowledge (Science) with a focus on epidemics. They will build background knowledge of medical epidemics. Module 2 is paired with Patient Zero by Marilee Peters.
ELA Lab: Students have completed the first ILearn Checkpoint and we are working hard on the standards that will appear on the second ILearn Checkpoint. This includes making inferences from informational text, determining the author’s perspective, and tracing and evaluating an author’s argument. Vocabulary is also a big focus and we will continue with our root/affix of the week. Please encourage your student to work on the assigned IXL lessons.
Novels 7: Students have just completed their argumentative essays about the insanity of “The Tell-Tale Heart's” narrator. For the month of December, students will examine Israel Horowitz’s drama, A Christmas Carol: Scrooge and Marley. We will begin the novel The Outsiders upon our return from Winter Break. Please encourage students to work on the assigned IXL lessons.
Science: Students have finished learning about Earth’s Surface Systems. They have learned how to keep a lab notebook and are graded on it weekly. We are beginning our unit on Minerals and Rocks after Thanksgiving break.
Parents and students do need to sign the lab safety contract before they are able to participate in a lab. It was sent home with students on 9/5/25.
Social Studies: Students will begin a unit on Australia, New Zealand, and Antarctica. Over the next few weeks, students will explore the geography, cultures, wildlife, and unique environments of these regions. They will also learn about indigenous histories, important landmarks, and the ways people adapt to life in these parts of the world.
Math: Students have completed the first ILearn Checkpoint and we are working hard on the standards that will appear on the second ILearn Checkpoint. We are finishing up percents this week and are starting proportions. We will be doing proportions for the next two weeks. . We will be taking the second iLearn checkpoint in February. Students will be tested on the following: scale factor, proportions, percents, and slope. Please encourage your student to work on the assigned IXL lessons.
Resource: In 7th grade Resource, students are, and will continue working on writing skills (proper grammar mechanics, spelling, etc.) in addition to analyzing how the interaction of individuals, events, and ideas in provided texts impact our scientific and social ideas about disease. They will continue to work on organization of ideas, creating multiple paragraphs on a topic, and citing textual evidence to support their writing. They are also working on reading skills such as identifying themes and main ideas, recalling details from text, making inferences, comprehension, and so much more. For Math Resource, we will be following right along with the math class and reinforcing the skills for percents, percent change, simple interest, and tax, tips, markups and mark downs, etc.
8th Grade Team News!
Team 8 News
Important Reminder: 🌟 Quarter 2 Field Trip on December 19 🌟
We’re excited to announce our Field Trip to Emagine Theater in Portage to see Avatar, Fire and Ash!
Cost is $15 which includes Movie Ticket, Popcorn, and a Drink.
Permission and Money are due on Dec. 16
To help students stay on track, please remember our field trip eligibility guidelines:
No more than 5 white slips total
No out-of-school suspensions
No more than 2 full days of AA (Alternative Assignment)
No failing grades (Fs)
No more than 2 Ds
We began tracking student eligibility on October 20. Thank you for supporting your child in making positive choices and maintaining good academic standing so they can join us for this fun and rewarding experience!
Social Studies: Social Studies classes are starting to watch the movie "The Patriot." Parents have been informed through email, and students received an information sheet to take home.
We have begun a project on the Battles of the Revolution, where students will learn how to research specific aspects of their assigned battle online.
Our upcoming unit will focus on the formation of the United States government.
Math: In math class we are working on finding the slope of a line from a graph, table, or equation. Students will be learning how to use the slope of line to find out how a rate works and how rates are applied.
Biology: Biology students have completed the Photosynthesis and Cellular Respiration Unit. In this unit, we focused on the diversification of stomata and the archaeological and agricultural value of this information. After Thanksgiving break, we will move on to Mitosis and Meiosis. Have a lovely break!
Science: Science students have wrapped up the Weather Unit. In this unit, they worked directly with thermometers, barometers, and hygrometers to document our local weather. Students learned about the shipwreck history of the Great Lakes, focusing on the anniversaries of the White Hurricane of 1913, the 1940 Armistice Day Blizzard, and the losses of the SS Edmund Fitzgerlad and the SS Carl D. Bradley. They learned about the interactions of the air masses that produced these severe storms and how winds drive wave conditions on the Lakes. We will transition to human effect on the environment after Thanksgiving. Have a lovely break!
Language Arts: Students recently finished their compare/contrast essays. They learned how to conduct research using credible sources to back up strong claims with sufficient evidence and sound reasoning. They also learned how to convey similarities and differences of topics with an informative purpose. We currently are working on analyzing how words and tone in dialogue convey meaning, intention and personality traits of various characters in texts. When we come back from Thanksgiving break, we will begin Maus, a graphic novel based on a true story about a man who survived the Holocaust. We will be focused on building background knowledge of World War II and, more specifically, the Holocaust, so students have context for what they are reading. We also will be analyzing various purposes and motives of conveying information through different kinds of media.
Language Arts Lab: Students have completed the first ILearn Checkpoint and are working hard on the standards that will appear on the second ILearn Checkpoint. This includes making inferences from informational text, determining the author’s perspective, and tracing and evaluating an author’s argument. Vocabulary continues to be a main focus and we will continue with our root/affix of the week. Please encourage your student to work on the assigned IXL lessons.
Horizon/Rewards 7 & 8: Students continue to work hard on learning word decoding skills and using those skills to read unfamiliar words and multisyllabic words in and out of context. Vocabulary continues to be a big focus and we will continue with our root/affix of the week. Please encourage your student to work on the assigned IXL lessons.
Support Class: Within the Support class, we are continuing to frontload material to students to help push their performance in their general education classrooms. We have been working on finding slope between two points for math. We have been using Writable to cover compare and contrast content for English. We have been using IXL to fill in gaps for Reading skills, including finding the main idea of a topic, matching quotations with their themes and determining the theme within short stories.
7/8th Grade Team News!
Team ⅞ News: The 7th grade will be going to Urban Air in Merrillville on December 19th permissions slips have been sent home. The cost is $27 and a waiver must be turned in with the permission slip. The 8th grade group will be going to Imagine Movie Theater in Portage on December 19th the cost of their trip is $15. Deadline for permission slips is December 16, 2025.
Eighth grade
Math: We have moved into writing equations in slope intercept and evaluating if a point is on the line. Slope and solving equations will take us through the month of December and into January.
Algebra: The algebra class is just started the unit on functional notation and writing equations to represent a function. This is a great unit and will provide a great deal of practice at solving equations and relating algebra to real world situations. As the second grading period is quickly coming to the end encourage your student to stay on top of the assignments and their grades. Remember students must have a B for the high school credit.
Social Studies:.
8th grade classes will watch the movie "The Patriot." Parents and students received an information sheet to take home.
We have begun a project on the Battles of the Revolution, where students will learn how to research specific aspects of their assigned battle online.
Our upcoming unit will focus on the formation of the United States government.
Science: Our 8th grade scientists are finishing their unit on weather this week. Upon popular demand, we will be moving into a mini-unit on 👽 space 🚀 after Thanksgiving break and before winter break. This should be a fun and engaging unit to get us through those 3 week!!
Seventh Grade:
Math: Students are working on proportions, ratios, and how they are used in the real world. We have been making a lot of connections to how we can use these methods in everyday life. We will move into slope and finding the slope of a line later in the month. Please remind students to work on their ILEARN pathway to complete the 2 skils at 80% per week.
English: ELA 7 has finished reading A Long Walk to Water. They are completing their narrative about a Lost Child of Sudan and then turning the narrative into an eBook using Book Creator. This involved re-reading sections of the book, re-reading informational texts, and doing research since their narrative will be based on a real-life event: The Lost Children of Sudan (due to the Second Sudanese Civil War). Students are also working on Contribute to a Better World - they have empathy for the children of Sudan who have had to endure and survive during the war and also not having access to clean drinking water. They learn about Salva Dut, who after he left the refugee camp in Kenya was sent to America and was able to attend college. As an adult, he wanted to help his people so he created Water for South Sudan and he drills for water pumps in villages around South Sudan. After Thanksgiving, students will begin Module 2: Epidemics.
English - Advanced Literacy 8: Students have finished reading the anchor text Summer of the Mariposas. Students wrote a compare and contrast essay about their modernized monster and now they are working on their performance task: create a “webpage” explaining their additional chapter in Summer of Mariposas, how they modernized their Latin American Folklore monster and why. After Thanksgiving Break, students will be starting Module 3: Voices of the Holocaust.
English 9 Honors (Pre-AP English 1): Students are working on Pre-AP English 1 Framework Unit 2: Pivotal Words and Phrases, and are still enhancing the lessons with activities from Quill.com, vocabulary.com and Khan Academy. They have analyzed a poem in depth and discussed the revision process and word choice and finished with an analytical paragraph. They will soon be working on the importance of word choice.
ELA Lab: Students are reading short stories to determine the theme and analyze how the structural elements contribute to its meaning and plot.
They are also working on main idea and supporting details.
Science: 7th grade scientists starting to learn about rocks! We are starting by learning about the Earth and what it’s made of. Then we will talk about the different types of rocks, how they came to be, and how this relates to plate tectonics.
Social Studies:
7th Grade
The 7th grade students have begun the South Asia unit. Over the next few weeks, students will explore the geography, history, cultures, religions, and modern-day life of countries such as India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, and Sri Lanka. Students will watch the movie Gandhi to wrap up the unit.
Next, we will move to Australia, New Zealand, and Antarctica. Over the next few weeks, students will explore the geography, cultures, wildlife, and unique environments of these regions. They will also learn about indigenous histories, important landmarks, and the ways people adapt to life in these parts of the world
Resource: In 7th grade Resource, the students are working on literary text which includes analyzing explicit and inferred meaning and citing evidence to support findings, analyzing theme development and summarizing, analyzing structural elements of a story and how they influence the characters, and/or the plot, and they are improving communication skills by engaging in collaborative discussions with regard to the book being read in class. Students are also working on determining unfamiliar vocabulary through such things as context clues. With regard to writing, students are working on summarizing and writing narratives, creating topic sentences, using transition words and phrases in their writing, and following the writing process. The students are also being introduced to math concepts that will be taught in the general education math class such as scale drawings, how to determine the scale factor, solving proportions, continued determination of proportional relationships, and graphing. Students in resource will continue to build on and strengthen their 7th grade level skills.
Rotation Team News!
Wellness:
ATTENTION 2ND SEMESTER WELLNESS students/parents...
Please make sure you have completed your registration for this school year. Towards the end of registration process there is a request to mark "Yes" or "No" for Human Body Systems Instruction/Child Abuse Prevention. This indicates your permission preference for several guest speakers in the wellness classroom. This is the link if you need to complete your registration. After clicking on the link, continue to click on "Enrollment & Annual Update" then click on "Returning Student". Again, this appears toward the end of the registration process. Thank you to the parents that have already completed this process.
IMPORTANT: Students MUST dress for the PE portion of Wellness. Students are able to purchase a gym uniform for $15.00 OR can wear their own t-shirt and athletic shorts to PE. They also need correct footwear.
Gateway- Jones:
7th grade just finished their micro:pets and they turned out fantastic! Students were able to share their characters with classmates, demonstrating different emotions/actions using a variety of inputs such as buttons, shaking, and tilting. We have some very creative and talented students at Krueger. We are currently working on using various inputs and sensors with our micro:bits and soon we will work with outputs.
8th grade is currently working on the final unit 1 project: Build-a-Body. The students have to design, build, and test their app which features a drag-and-drop activity that helps students practice placing organ/body systems in the correct location on an outline of the human body. Next we will explore using loops to repeat commands in a program and procedures/functions for reducing redundant code.
CFDA:
Computing Foundation students are currently writing, testing, and refining Python programs. They have learned about variables, working with objects, and functions. They will soon learn about functions with parameters, loops, and conditional statements. Their final exam will be worth 20% of their course grade for the semester and will take place Jan. 8-9. The exam will cover computer systems, the Internet, and Python.
Gateway - Madden:
Our 7th graders have begun learning coding fundamentals in Scratch by building their own side-scrolling video game inspired by Geometry Dash. We’re focusing on how to use code blocks to control movement, timing, and collision detection, all while introducing students to simple animation techniques for their characters. They’re already coming up with creative ideas to make their games uniquely their own!
8th grade has also kicked off a new coding unit using Scratch, but with a deeper emphasis on game design. Students are developing a fast-paced side-scroller and learning how animation, physics, and sprite interactions work together to create smooth gameplay. They’re exploring how to refine mechanics, customize graphics, and bring their creative concepts to life through programming.
Environmental Science:
Seventh Graders will focus on energy for the remainder of the semester. We will discover how fossil fuels were formed and why they are contributing to global warming. After exploring how electricity is produced in unhealthy ways, we will explore clean ways to make power. Students will compare and contrast renewable vs non renewable sources of energy with solar and wind being utilized as a source of clean energy.
8th Graders will begin to study the Great Lakes and Water Quality. Students will work on maps to help locate our five Great Lakes as well as realize what a “water rich” area we live in. The Water Cycle will be reviewed/introduced in an effort to help students understand the need to care for our water systems. The topic of macroinvertebrates will help us understand how certain creatures can live in polluted water and others can only live in healthy sources.These macros become indicators of the healthiness of the water system.
PCC:
Eighth Graders explore individual strengths and weaknesses as they investigate career opportunities after high school. Consider sharing with your student how you planned for your time after high school.
In class good reading strategies are being modeled as reading is a key component to lifelong success.
Band:
The One City, One Sound Band Concert is Thursday, December 11th at 7:00pm. Students need to arrive at 6:15. Students will wear their band polo, black pants, nice shoes, and optional holiday accessories. Please do not buy or provide concessions to your student until after the concert. They are not allowed to have anything except water with them during the concert. Thank you!
Jazz Band auditions are Thursday December 4th after school. We will start practices in January. See emails from Ms. Martin for more details.
Digital Art:
As the semester comes to a close, students are channeling their creativity into a final work of art that showcases their individuality and artistic growth. Using either digital art tools or traditional drawing techniques, each student is crafting a piece that reflects their personal expression, style, and imagination. This project highlights not only the skills they’ve developed throughout the term but also their unique voices as emerging artists.
Chorus:
We are working hard on the music for all of our upcoming concerts. Again, thank you for allowing your Krueger student to participate in chorus class
Here are upcoming events:
1) FRIDAY, DECEMBER 5 - Krueger Advanced Chorus debut concert at Lubeznik Center for the Arts, 5-7 p.m.
2) THURSDAY, DECEMBER 11 - One City, One Sound concert at the MCHS gym, 7:00 p.m.
3) MONDAY, DECEMBER 15 - 7th Grade Chorus field trip to Head Start Niemann and LIttle Wolves, during the school day
4) WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17 - Advanced Chorus/select 8th grade field trip to Imagination Station, Franciscan Hospital, and the MCAS Administration Building, the students need money for lunch, during the school day
5) MONDAY, JANUARY 19 - Advanced Chorus performance, Martin Luther King Day breakfast, Purdue Northwest
***Advanced Chorus parents - please refer to my previous email regarding the purchase of girls black dress shoes, and black dress shoes and socks for the boys
Athletic Information!
Any questions about athletics please reach out to the following individuals:
School Athletic Director: Brandon Williams - bwilliams@mcas.k12.in.us
Middle School City Wide Athletic Director - James Sroge - j.sroge@mcas.k12.in.us
You must get a sports physical completed by a doctor BEFORE team tryouts! The physical is good for all sports for the entire school year. See this link for more information.
Academic Team Information!
The schoolwide Spelling Bee will take place February 17th. Word lists will be available soon in Language Arts classes.
Academic Team Coaches:
Mrs. Jenny Jones - jjones@mcas.k12.in.us
Ms. Kathy Bair - kbair@mcas.k12.in.us
- Please reach out to them if you have any questions or interest for your child!
A note from our amazing school counselor Ms. Karen Hartman!
This month we will be taking the A.K. Smith/La Porte County Career & Technical Student Interest Survey. This short survey is intended to assess student interests across the LaPorte County Career and Technical Education District so we can identify programs to review, expand, or add.
The first week of December, all 8th graders who took the PSAT 8/9 will receive a paper copy of their scores. All 8th grade students will receive another opportunity to take this assessment during their 9th grade year as well.
When vapes were introduced into our society, they were marketed as a way to stop smoking cigarettes and that they were the better option. With more and more research coming out on vapes and vaping, it appears vapes are more addictive than cigarettes at this time and contain many more hazardous chemicals. Right now, 90% of all vapes contain a high amount of nicotine, much more than is in cigarettes. Vaping has increased nationwide within the youth culture by 78% in one year. If you don’t know what a vape can look like the video Hiding in Plain Sight can help you know what to look for in your student’s belongings. If you are a parent like me and want to know all the things, this E-Cigarette, Vaping Products Visual Dictionary is a very comprehensive resource. I will be sharing more information about vapes and vaping in the next few months.
If you are in need of resources for the holidays, you can sign up at the Salvation Army Program.
As a reminder: If your child is struggling with class material, I recommend reaching out to their teacher for guidance. Additionally, the public library in Michigan City offers tutoring resources—more information can be found on their website: Michigan City Public Library Tutoring.
Another excellent resource is the Ask Rose Hotline, a free math and science tutoring service provided by Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. Students can access help via phone, email, or live chat at 877-ASK-ROSE or through their website: askrose.org.
Thank you for your continued support in your child’s education. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions.
Warm regards,
Karen Hartman, M.S. Ed
School Counselor
School safety protocols!
As a school and a district school safety is our number 1 priority! At Krueger Middle School we continuously review and practice our various drills to ensure a safe learning environment. Pictured here is the language we communicate with for our safety drills.
How attendance impacts learning!
Please read the following information on how attendance impacts learning!
Attendance Information for Parents
Did you Know?
Students should miss no more than 9-10 days per year to help them stay on track for graduation
Research shows that missing just 2 days per month negatively impacts academic performance
Excused and unexcused absences have the same negative effect on student academic performance
Poor attendance in Kindergarten and First can influence whether a student can read proficiently by 3rd grade making them 4 times more likely to drop out of high school
By 6th grade, chronic absenteeism becomes a leading indicator that a student will drop out of high school
By 9th grade, attendance is a better predictor of graduation rates than 8th grade test scores
Additionally, Students who are chronically absent (missing more than 10 days per school year) are at increased risk to:
Have lower standardized test scores
Achieve lower GPA’s
Have lower levels of academic achievement
Have greater school discipline histories
Dropout of high school
Experience low earnings as an adult
Have a higher unemployment rate
Have less stable career patterns
A student who is chronically absent between grades 8 and 12 is more than 7 times more likely to dropout
What Can you do?
Help your children maintain daily routines such as finishing homework and getting a good night's sleep
Try no to schedule dental and medical appointments during the school day
If you children must stay home due to illness, make sure they have asked teachers for resources and materials to make up for the missed learning time in the classroom
Work with the school if your child is missing class time due to behavior to develop a plan
Monitor your child's academic progress and seek help from teachers or tutors when necessary
Make sure teachers know how to contact you
Communicate with the school and know the schools attendance policy
Make sure your child arrives on time each day
Michigan City Area Schools Strategic Plan!
How are we at Krueger Middle School supporting and aligning our building to our district strategic plan?!
Please take a look below!!!!
Pillar 1: Culture and Environment
- Botvin in CREW
- Trauma PD
- BAG Reports
- Student incentives for grades and behavior (Field Trips, Free time, & prizes)
- Halloween events
- Movie night
- Winter Dance
- Student of the Month celebrations
- Habit of Character celebrations
- Academic Awards Ceremony
- Facebook posts highlighting positive news and events in our school
- Student-led conferences
- Paw Buck Store
- Music Performances
- Multiple schedules to accommodate the needs of the day
-8th Grade students visit MCHS and AK Smith
- End of year Celebrations - Cook outs and 8th Grade Breakfast event
- Back to School night at beginning of the year
Pillar 2: Student Voice and Opportunities
- Better World Day
- Student Council
- National Junior Honor Society
- Journalism Club
- Academic Team
- Environmental Field Days
- Student-led conferences
- Music Performances
- Student run daily announcements
- Various sports teams
- Visit to Ivy Tech Campus in Valparaiso for 8th graders
- Safe Harbor After School Program
Pillar 3: Meeting the Needs of Diverse Learners
- Assessments administered and scored for review of Modules
- Creation of Common Formative Assessments
- Frequent data meetings
- Gathering student opinions and input on Wolfpack and CREW
- ELL Support
- Touch Math
- Hands on learning activities
- Collaborative learning experiences
- Learning Lab
Pillar 4: Clear and Consistent Communication
- Staff Weekly newsletter
- Daily Announcements at start of day
- Communication with parents about events
- Team leaders communicating with parents and holding team meetings
- Staff feedback
- Facebook posts to communicate with families and community
- PLC and staff meetings
Pillar 5: Educating the Whole Child
- CREW
- Band and chorus recruitment
- Better World Day
- Environmental Field Days
- Naviance Career Assessment
- Ramsey Financial Education
- TRIO Talent Search Program Via Purdue University Northwest - Westville
- Sensory Room
