Volume I Issue 2 January 30, 2014 ROBERTO CLEMENTE MIDDLE SCHOOL 18808 Waring Station Rd. Germantown, MD 20874 The Clemente Hawk Newsletter Principal Intern s Message Principal: Ms. Khadija Barkley Principal Intern: Mr. Joel Beidleman Assistant Principal: Dr. Tiffany Awkard Assistant School Administrator: Ms. Rose Alvarez Upcounty Center Coordinator: Mr. Douglas Nelson IBMYP Coordinator: Ms. Molly Murray Inside this issue: Principal Intern s Message Updates from the Superintendent s Office Safety First Outstanding Teacher Award Dear Roberto Clemente Middle School Family: On behalf of the Roberto Clemente Middle School faculty and staff, we are excited to welcome you to the second semester of the school year. As we begin this semester, I want to recognize our 755 students who have maintained a 3.0 or higher grade point average during the first semester. The academic accomplishments of our student body would not be possible without the effective partnership between the school and the community. I invite you to join us as we continue to celebrate the achievements of our students, as well as highlight events for our students and staff by visiting our school s home page at www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/ clementems/and clicking the Kudos for Clemente link in the gray box on the left. These messages are also sent out via Connect Ed to the entire community. As our staff continues to focus on checking for understanding and communicating high expectations to all students, we have promoted opportunities for teachers to plan collaboratively in order to increase student achievement. As a result, students have voiced their enthusiasm, levels of engagement, ability to take risk in classes, and opportunity to learn in a variety of modalities. In addition, students and staff continue to learn foundational concepts about the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme (IBMYP) to prepare RCMS for full implementation in the 2016-2017 school year. As a next step, we will provide opportunities to elicit feedback from all stakeholders. To seek input, we will create a parent instructional advisory group as a forum for parents, students and staff regarding IBMYP. I have enjoyed talking with families at various school-wide functions and learning more about the students at RCMS. These informal conversations have helped to ensure students daily experiences are matched with their academic and social needs. Through collaboration, we will continue to nurture a school climate where excellence in teaching and learning is a daily reality for each and every student at Roberto Clemente Middle School. Our goal is,that together, we will meet the academic, social and emotional needs of every child, everyday. Sincerely, IB Middle Years Program Proud Acting Principal Joel Beidleman Published Quarter 3 2014 Creating opportunities for students to think critically. 1
The Clemente Hawk Newsletter Page 2 Updates from Dr. Starr Cyber bullying is a real issue among children and adults. We not only have to teach our kids how to handle new technologies appropriately, but we also have to model that behavior in our own communications on social media and email. We need to talk about cyber civility: how we can help our children grow into responsible and caring adults who interact with one another in a civil, respectful way. I have asked my staff to develop some materials and methods to help schools and families navigate these conversations, so look for more information about this in the near future. In the meantime, I urge you to talk to your children on an ongoing basis about what s appropriate and not appropriate to do online. Also, remember, if your child is under 13, do not allow them to use social media they are not prepared for it and it is a violation of the user agreements or guidelines for nearly all major social media sites. If your child is 13 or older, please consider whether or not they are ready to use social media. Set limits and talk to them about the appropriate use of social media and mobile technology and make sure you are monitoring what they post online. Our website www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org has some resources that you can use to talk to your children now and we will be adding more resources in the near future. Traffic and Transportation MCPS is authorized by the regulations of the State of Maryland to provide safe and efficient transportation to the students residing within Montgomery County. The Montgomery County Board of Education is responsible for establishing the operational expectations and eligibility criteria for its student transportation services. It is the responsibility of the Montgomery County Board of Education to work with other agencies, when needed, and to consider the safety of students when designing school site plans. This includes pedestrian and vehicular traffic patterns, assessing routes for walking to and from school, and school bus stops. Like all Montgomery County Public Schools, Roberto Clemente Middle school prepares for the arrival and dismissal of students everyday. Unlike every other middle school, one-third of our students commute outside of our local area. As a result, there are many students who are car riders. Some of our parents/guardians are still not observing safe student drop-off procedures in the morning, despite numerous efforts to communicate and enforce the current protocols. While none of our students have been injured yet, there have been several close calls. This requires us to take action. Therefore, the school, in collaboration with MCPS staff and the Montgomery County Police Department, implemented a new drop-off procedure for our school. As of Friday, November 15, parents/guardians arriving to the school on Waring Station Road via MiddleBrook Road were instructed to wait in the far right lane for drop off. Students must be released in the drop-off circle, and refrain from passing other vehicles inside of the drop-off circle. Parents are no permitted in the bus loop or staff parking area during arrival or dismissal. The Montgomery County Police Department will be stepping up traffic enforcement around the school during drop-off times. Citations will be issued to drivers who do not follow the new procedures. As a community, we have an obligation to make sure students are safe and we believe these new procedures will do just that. I urge you to drive safely and responsibly at all times, especially around our school community. Joel Beidleman Acting Principal Published Quarter 3 2014 Creating opportunities for students to think critically. 2
RCMS class of 2014 The last year of experiences Volume I Issue 2 Page 3 It s the last year at Clemente for our 8th graders, and it should be their best! The Newspaper club reporters talked to Ms. McKim, one of the 8th grade team leaders, about her plans for the school year. She shared with them the field trips, projects, and many other exciting events the 8th graders will get to participate in. The 8th grade has many exciting field trips planned for this year, including: The Education Forum, science field trip, Artist in Residence, Philadelphia trip, The Civil Warfocused field trip, and poetry slam. The culminating two activities will be the Spirit Cruise and the eighth grade promotion ceremony which will be held at Watkins Mill High School. Sounds like a busy and fun year! During the science field trip that was just held on Tuesday, January 28, students were able to choose one of the science sites to attend. Each site had a fun, hands-on activity for which students could participate. Ms. McKim gave us an example of an activity. At one of the field trips, the Natural History Museum, students were able to break into competitive teams and identify the most efficient way to dig for nonrenewable resources how exciting! Traditionally, 8th grade students have had various opportunities to participate in authentic field trips for which students can apply their learning from class to real-world situations. It is engaging for students to connect what they have learned in each subject to experiences beyond the classroom. It is important to foster this love for learning in students and provide motivating experiences that last a life time. Our mission for our students is to create life-long learners who are armed with the academic and social aptitude to thrive in high school and beyond. We are proud of our 8th grade students growth and maturity over the last three years. Now, as we prepare for the transition to high school, students and parents are informed about the various opportunities available in high school. It is RCMS responsibility to ensure that the last five months of their middle school career are filled with rich learning experiences that strengthen their potential, build their knowledge, and enhance their skills necessary for continued success. Good luck RCMS class of 2014! Published Quarter 3 2014 Creating opportunities for students to think critically. 3
Pursuing Global Connections In April 2014, Roberto Clemente Middle School will apply to become an International Baccalaureate candidate school. In the International Baccalaureate (IB), there are more opportunities for cross curricular connections, international perspective studies and to practice a variety of communication skills. MYP students reported that key IB teaching and learning principles such as collaborative inquiry, discussion and debate helped them to learn, as did feedback from assessment and learning based on real world scenarios. Sizmer & Cunningham, 2012. If you are interested in serving on the newly formed RCMS IB Parent Advisory Committee, please contact Molly Murray, International Baccalaureate Coordinator, at molly_b_murray@mcpsmd.org. Taking Charge On Top of our Game as Life-Long Learners! We are active, compassionate and lifelong learners! The staff at Roberto Clemente Middle School is dedicated to providing rigorous opportunities for students. We understand that these opportunities stem from being open-minded lifelong learners, professional collaborators and careful planners. In the month of January, we were busy planning interdisciplinary instruction. Members of the 6 th grade team were planning an ancient civilization interdisciplinary unit including an exciting culminating event in March! Some staff members will visit Annapolis Middle School, an International Baccalaureate World School, to inquire about best practices for building a solid IB instructional foundation. The Physical Education teachers at Roberto Clemente Middle School will plan with other IB teachers within MCPS, as well as a specialist from Fairfax County, VA. IB Mission The International Baccalaureate aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable, and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect. To this end the organization works with schools, government and international organizations to develop challenging programmes of international education and rigorous assessment. These programmes encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right. Published Quarter 3 2014 Creating opportunities for students to think critically. 4
Page 5 The Clemente Hawk Newsletter Winter/Spring Events 2014 February 3 7, National School Counselors Week February 5, GT/LD Parent & Student Tour February 5, Basketball: MLK MS, Boys Away, Girls Home February 10, PTSA CLUSTER METING February 12, Center acceptance meeting February 13, Upcounty Center PAC meeting February 17, No School-President's Day February 20, Science and Technology Night February 25, Latino Parent Meeting February 26, After-school Tea with English 8 students and families February 28, Early Release (12:10 p.m.) March 7, Quarter 3 Interims distributed March 11, Parent Teachers Student Association March 20, Center Parent Advisory Council Meeting March 21, Twelve Angry Men March 25, Latino Parent Meeting March 28, No School for student Professional Day for Teachers (Grading and Reporting) April 4, 8th Grade Philadelphia field trip April 9, Quarter 3 Report Cards Distributed www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/clementems/ Published Quarter 3 2014 Creating opportunities for students to think critically. 5