The Mane Scoop

From the Principal’s Desk…

Dear Parents and Guardians,

The year is going by quickly, and we are already winding down quarter three! Here are some important dates that we would like to remind you about:

• Parent Teacher Conferences are Thursday, March 5th from 1-7pm

• No School on Friday, March 6th

• Our SHMS 8th Grade Volleyball Tournament is Friday, March 13th

• Spreak Break is Monday, March 23rd - Friday, March 27th

Our staff and students are still getting ready for our MAP test that is just around the corner. We have been working very hard this year to help our students and we hope it’s reflected in their MAP scores. As always, we appreciate your support.

Go Lions!

Anthony Mauricio

Middle School Principal

Breakfast Ideas

First, the traditional ones:

• eggs
• French toast, waffles, or pancakes (try wheat or whole-grain varieties)
• cold cereal and milk
• hot cereal, such as oatmeal or cream of wheat (try some dried fruit or nuts on top)
• whole-grain toast, bagel, or English muffin with cheese
• yogurt with fruit or nuts
• fruit smoothie, such as a strawberry smoothie

And now some weird (but yummy) ones:

• banana dog (peanut butter, a banana, and raisins in a long whole-grain bun)
• breakfast taco (scrambled eggs and shredded cheese on a tortilla, topped with salsa)
• country cottage cheese (apple butter mixed with cottage cheese)
• fruit and cream cheese sandwich (use strawberries or other fresh fruit)
• sandwich — grilled cheese, peanut butter and jelly, or another favorite

Article posted on KidsHealth.org by Nemours

Remember to wear GREEN on March 17.

Best Exercise for:

• Chest: The push-up.
• Glutes: The squat.
• Abs: The bicycle manoeuvre.
• Back: Pull-up.
• Hamstrings: Swiss ball hamstring curl.
• Upper arms: Triceps dips.
• Thighs: The lunge.
• Waist: The side bridge.
• Hips: The Single-leg squat
• Shoulders: The Lateral shoulder raise

2 Timothy 2:15: Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.

Teachers were asked, "What is your 'go-to' song for the drive to school?"

• Semi-Charmed Life- Third Eye Blind
• Lord, please get me through this day.
• Low by Flo-Rida
• I love all types of music...but I have to say "Not Today" by Hillsong UNITED is one that puts me in a great frame of mind!
• Nobody by Casting Crowns
• Hall of Fame by The Script is hands down my go-to song. Especially on Mondays!
• Silence
• Hall of Fame by Gabby Barrett
• The "Hometown News"
• Dancing Queen By ABBA
• Grace Got You - Mercy Me (for now, it changes regularly!)
• I usually listen to Lindsey Stirling or an audiobook on the drive to school. The Lindsey Stirling song I listen to most on my drive would probably be "The Upside" version with Elle King.
• My go-go song for the drive to school is usually something by Bruno Mars.
• Thunder by Imagine Dragons

Helping Your Student Prepare for MAP Testing

MAP assessments don’t have any impact on grades, but because the results can be a valuable tool for parents and educators, it’s important to ensure that students are adequately prepared. Here’s how you can make sure that your kids are ready to do their best on the test:

Know the testing schedule. Pay attention to communications from your child’s school and be aware of when the assessments will take place. If you can, avoid scheduling appointments at these times, so your child won’t have to take make-up tests upon returning to class. We will also be an incentive for all students who have perfect attendance during MAP testing.

Prioritize bedtime. According to WebMD, 5-12-year-old children need 10-11 hours of sleep per day, while 12-18-year olds need at least 8 ½. Ensure that your kids are well-rested on testing day by making sure they head to bed early the night before. It’s also a good idea to eliminate screen time before bed, as this can stimulate young brains and make it harder for kids to fall asleep.

Get them moving. Test-taking is mentally taxing, and – for little bodies especially – so is sitting still. So if you can sneak in a few extra trips to the park for the fresh air and physical activity that kids desperately need it will be very beneficial to your child.

Encourage your child to eat breakfast. Breakfast is served every day to all kids for free, but not all of them eat breakfast. Kids who are distracted by hunger will not test as well.

Maintain a positive attitude. Students, especially those who struggle with learning disabilities or test-taking anxiety, need to recognize that MAP assessments are only a small snapshot of their overall progress in school. And since most children take their cues from their parents, one of the best things we can do for them is to model a calm, upbeat attitude about the entire process. Remind your kids that, while it's important to perform to the best of their ability, it's even more important to realize that their standardized test scores can in no way define who they really are.

The schedule is as follows.

Monday, April 20th Math Session 1

Tuesday, April 21st Math Sessions 2 and 3

Wednesday, April 22nd Science Session 1 (5th and 8th grade only)

Thursday, April 23rd Science Session 2 (5th and 8th grade only)

Friday will be a make-up test day

Tuesday Language Arts Session 1

Wednesday Language Arts Session 2

Thursday Language Arts Session 3 and 4

Friday is a test make-up day.

Grade 5-Students will be focused on revising their writing this month and reviewing and preparing for MAP review.

Grade 6-Students have been focusing on the elements of writing including relevant sources, task, purpose, audience, organization, revising, and editing. We will use these skills to write an argumentative paper. We will also begin MAP review this month.

Grade 7-Students have finished up adjectives and adverbs this month and will be working on lots of review work in March. We will be doing some practice for the MAP as well.

Grade 8-Students are working on an argumentative essay right now that they will be finishing up soon. They will begin MAP practice and review heading into the final quarter.

Grade 5-Students are reviewing elements of literature. Third-quarter AR goal is March 5. Spring book reports are due April 1.

Grade 6-Students will continue to analyze both fiction and nonfiction text. We will begin MAP review this month. The last day for students to take AR quizzes for Quarter 3 will be Thursday, March 5th. Reminder the Cheeseburger Book Reports are due Thursday, March 26.

Grade 7-Students will be reading our second class novel, The Hunger Games, during the month of March. We have started the novel in February and we will work on finishing it at the end of the month or the beginning of April.

Grade 8-Students will be reading our second class novel, The Giver, during the month of March. We will be reading this novel throughout this month.

Grade 5-Students just finished up fractions. Next, they will start learning about geometry and measurement.

Grade 6-Students have been working on expressions and equations. They will continue working on inequalities using graphs and word problems.

Grade 7-Students are finishing up on their final lessons for the year. We will soon begin reviewing for MAP Testing.

Grade 8-Students are finishing up on their final lessons for the year. We will soon begin reviewing for MAP Testing.

Grade 5--Students will be learning about World War I and World War II and the effects of each. They will also be learning about our country during different decades.

Grade 6--Students will continue learning about world history by concentrating on Japan and Middle America.

Grade 7-The students will describe the different types of climates in Europe, discuss its various economies, and explain what groups make up the people of Europe.

Grade 8-The students will detail the struggles of the new nation, such as the development of political parties and another war with Great Britain. Plus, analyze the expansion of the U.S. with the Louisiana Purchase and the information gained from the Lewis and Clark expedition.

Grade 5-Students will be learning about properties and forms of matter, elements, and metals, nonmetals and metalloids.

Grade 6-Students will be learning about forms and properties of matter, elements and compounds, and mixtures and solutions.

Grade 7-Students will be learning about different kinds of energy transfer. They will learn about when two different objects interact and what changes might occur with the energy.

Grade 8-Students will begin learning about Earth’s resources. They will learn about natural resources and minerals, and the human impact on them. We will also be trying to incorporate some review for MAP testing.

PE-Students will be learning the importance of teamwork and communication with each other. They will also be learning the rules of different games each day.

Art-Students will work on their Shamrock Character by using Elements of Art and Principles of Design. Students will learn about Shape( free form/ organic) Placement, horizon line, background, middle ground, foreground, perspective, overlapping, size, detail, color/ value and converging lines.

Choir-Students will continue to work on the Spring drama production of Aladdin.

FACS 2-Students will be learning about health education (puberty) and caring for children.

Keyboarding 1-Students are learning the basics of typing using the home row.

Keyboarding 2-Students are learning how to use Google to complete projects.

Yearbook-Students are finishing the yearbook.

Library Skills-Students will be reading and answering questions over a novel.

ESL-Students are learning various strategies to help them in the classroom. Also, students are taking the ACCESS test.

8th Grade-Mia Manrique

7th Grade-Alondra Manrique

6th Grade-Victor Luna

5th Grade-Oaklyn Bibbs