Owensboro Catholic Middle School Newsletter
November 2007
Dear OCMS Families:
All of a sudden November is upon us! The school year goes by so quickly and so much has taken place. Our first quarter is complete, clubs and organizations are in full swing, basketball season is beginning and Red Ribbon week is behind us. Thanks to everyone for your help and support of everything that happens here at OCMS.
Our PTO catalog fundraiser was a great success. The students and you did a wonderful job. Thanks for your support.
Please take note of our Grandparents’ Mass and reception which will be held on November 15. This is such a special opportunity for our school community.
As Thanksgiving approaches, let each of us offer a prayer of thanksgiving for our Catholic schools.
God bless each of you,
Jim Duffy, Principal
ACADEMIC DEAN’S CORNER
Test Taking Strategies
Test taking skills, study skills, and organization skills are interdependent. These skills must be learned and practiced. If one area is weak, the other two will not balance out that weakness-it must first be addressed in order for the student to be successful.
Test Preparation
Assumptions: you have read the material, you were present in class everyday or have received notes if absent, you have completed all assignments.
1. Gather all materials: study guides, notes, handouts, etc.
2. Begin studying a week before the test: review material daily.
3. Go through notes and highlight critical vocabulary and main ideas.
4. Anticipate test questions: What questions did the teacher ask? What questions were assigned from the book? Try to predict any essay questions.
5. Use index cards to study vocabulary: put words on one side and definitions on the other-use as flashcards.
6. Review the material again before going to bed (While you sleep, it is like a little person walks around your brain and files things for you)
7. Wake up and review briefly again: (you will discover that the little person did a good job!!)
Test Taking
1. Be prepared with all needed materials: pencils/pens, erasers, calculators, etc..
2. Listen to all instructions regarding use of notes, time, points, etc.
3. Read ALL written directions before starting the test.
4. Skim the test quickly and decide which questions should be answered first: usually, the ones you are sure of.
5. Be sure to reread all questions-many times other questions will trigger answers to earlier questions that might have been skipped.
6. Proofread test: be sure all questions have been answered, even if you have to make a reasonable guess.
“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.”…Gandhi
AFTER-SCHOOL STUDY PERIOD
Sometimes, students have a hard time completing their homework after they leave school in the afternoon. Some need quiet, a school setting, or they just need to be motivated.
OCMS has a monitored study period each day after school, Monday through Thursday, from 3:00 until 3:45 p.m., in Ms. Patton’s classroom. This is a time for students to work on school assignments. With parental permission and arrangement for transportation home at 3:45, any student is welcome to take advantage of this opportunity.
STUDENTS OF THE MONTH
Each month, 8th grade students are chosen by the faculty as students of the month.
The criteria used for this recognition includes: good behavior and attitude, respect for teachers and fellow students, good work ethic, and a willingness to put forth effort to accomplish a goal.
The students are featured in the community section of the newspaper. We would like to applaud the students who have been recognized so far this year:
September, 2007 – Nick Krampe and Amanda Gross
October, 2007 – Katelyn Orth and Jordan White
FROM THE GUIDANCE DEPARTMENT
Mrs. Maire H. McCormick
October is the month when our country focuses on drug and alcohol issues. Red Ribbon Week (October24-31) is a time set aside each year to educate our young people about the dangers of making the wrong choices and also to support the many young people who want to live healthy, drug-free lives. I will be visiting all of the classes to address these issues with students. I encourage the parents to convey your feelings to your children about making good choices. It is important to know how your son or daughter feels about drugs and what practical plan they have prepared for themselves in order to avoid pressure and unnecessary temptation. Even though our middle schoolers are growing up, we must still be parents. It is important to know where your children are, who they are with, and if there will be adults present. It is a good idea to call other parents to find out what is going on. This is a great time to network with other parents so you can have a support group all through high school. It helps to know you are not the only “meanest, uncoolest” parent in Owensboro. Communication is key.
DAILY ANNOUNCEMENTS
Owensboro Catholic Middle School sends out DAILY E-MAIL announcements and information. If you are interested in receiving daily e-mail information and have not signed up to receive them, please go to the OCS website and sign up under the “Newsletter” section and sign up.
SPECIAL PROGRAM FOR PARENTS
Mrs. McCormick and Mrs. Clark will collaborate on a special program for our parents at the November PTO meeting. Mrs. Clark will give information on the Explore testing. The results of the Explore test, which all grade 8 students have taken, will be explained. Mrs. McCormick will present information on high school graduation requirements and how this coordinates with block scheduling. This information is important for both seventh and eighth grade students’ future in their freshman year. Students are recommended for ninth grade classes by their eighth grade teachers in January. How students choose to work in middle school will have a definite bearing on what type of schedule they will have in high school.
Mrs. McCormick has visited the eighth grade classes to prepare the students for high school pre-registration in January. Students were given the information they will need in order to pre-register for the classes required and the level of diploma they want to work toward. This information will be available for parents at the PTO meeting.
ACADEMIC TEAM
The academic team is in full swing this fall. The quick recall team is involved in league play once a week with other area middle schools. We have been very successful so far and enjoy traveling around! We will be starting to practice for the Fall 2007 Knowledge Master Open. This international competition using specially programmed computer disks will be held December 5. In addition, practice for written assessment testing will begin Nov. 1.
Practice times for quick recall, Knowledge Master, and written assessment vary, so students need to listen to announcements for dates and times.
BOOK FAIR
The Book Fair was a success! We sold enough merchandise to earn cash profit of $380. This money will be used to buy new books and AR tests for the library. We say thank you for all those parents who sent money with their children so they could purchase a book. A special thank you to the mothers who volunteered their time to help make this a successful Book Fair.
Have you noticed your child reading? Circulation in the library is sky high due to our school-wide Accelerated Reader program. The OCMS “AR List” is available at the Public Library and on the OCMS website. Did your child earned 20 points for this quarter? If they accumulated their points for 1st quarter they were treated to ice cream on October 18.
TOP AR READERS FOR 1ST QUARTER
The top five-7th and 8th graders with the most points for 1st quarter were invited to a pizza party in the library. CONGRATULATIONS to the following 8th grade: Will Bickett, Nathan Lasley, Kaleb Caceres, Elizabeth McNulty, and Chris Hayden; 7th grade: Will Johnson, Kevin Thompson, Rachel Hamilton, Allison Schepers, and Jared McMaster
BAND NEWS
Congratulations to the Marching Aces on placing 11th in the State competition. The show this year was titled 'FireWorks.'
The following OCMS students are members of the Marching Aces: Amanda Storm, Jennifer Phillips, Michael Crowe, Shelby Bennett, Megan Alvey, Hunter Steele, Nathan Lasley, Alex Riccio, Morgan Oller, Martha Hughes, and Tyler Farmer.
The Marching Aces are led by Mr. Ed Hauser and Mrs. Katie Hauser.
Winterguard auditions will be held on November 30 and December 7 from 3:30-6:00 in the OCHS Small Gym. Winterguard is open to any 7th or 8th grader and you do not have to be a current member of the band to try out. Please contact Mr. Hauser if you have any questions."
HEALTH ROOM NEWS
Autumn Blessings- Harvest Time
I find it hard to believe the Fall Season is already here. There is definitely a hint of the weather changing. It is my favorite time of year, next to Christmas. It is the time for harvest as we prepare for the wonderful celebration of Thanksgiving; and we have so much to be thankful for.
With the harvest season also comes the “flu” season. For most of us the flu is a miserable week of fever, chills, headache, sore throat, nasal congestion, and muscle aches. But for some, it could carry a mortal risk. Those of high risk include the very young, the elderly and the chronically ill. The CDC has defined the priority groups for vaccination – those over age 65, children between 6 months and 2 years of age, and any person afflicted with chronic illnesses like asthma or a depressed immune system. Others included would be healthcare workers, pregnant women, and those caring for infants.
The “flu-bug” is air-borne, meaning you inhale the cough or sneeze droplets in the air or transmit the virus to your mouth or nose through your own virus-soiled hands. In order to prevent the transmission, we must be fastidious in keeping our upper-airway secretions to ourselves. Make a habit of HANDWASHING; carry Kleenex and hand sanitizer with you. Do not drink after one another-this is so important, especially for our middle and high school students who think nothing of sharing their drink with their friends. Treatment for the flu is usually self-limiting - plenty of fluids, rest and acetaminophen (not aspirin) to alleviate some of the symptoms of the flu.
As we enter this season of harvest, I hope it finds you and your family well.
School Health
Kathryn Crowe, RN, BSN
Geri Jones, HRA
THANKSGIVING BASKETS
Each students is asked to bring two non-perishable items to school on Monday, November 19, and Tuesday, November 20, to be offered fro our Thanksgiving Baskets.