502 Pflaum Road, Madison, Wisconsin 53716 Tremayne Clardy Ed

502 Pflaum Road, Madison, Wisconsin 53716
Tremayne Clardy Ed.D., Principal
June 2015
Mark Dax, Asst. Principal
tlclardy@madison.k12.wi.us
204-1923
Main Office
1951
Safe Arrival
4029
mrdax@madison.k12.wi.us
204-1942
204-1920
Nurse
204-1928
Spanish BRS Office
204-
204-4020
FAX
204-0495
MSCR After School Office 204-
Sennett's Website Address: http://sennettweb.madison.k12.wi.us
Dear Sennett Families:
As you read this newsletter we are preparing for the final days of the 2014-15 school year. There is a lot
of excitement in the air as our 8th grade students prepare for Promotion! Parents of 8th grade students,
please enter LaFollette High at the activities entrance between noon and 12:25 pm on Tuesday, June 9th.
High school students will be completing their finals until noon so we don’t want to disrupt that process.
The Promotion Ceremony will begin promptly at 12:25.
Summer will go very quickly. Please ensure your child reads for at least 30 minutes each day. There are
wonderful programs at our public libraries if you need books or assistance finding appropriate reading
materials.
Not to wish summer away, but we will be back in school before you know it. Enrollment days will look
similar in the fall as there are 2 dates offered with both day and evening hours. Parents are able to enroll
their children at either session. Please be aware of these dates as you make your summer plans:
 Enrollment dates include:
Wednesday, August 19th from 9:00—11:30 and 3:30—6:30 pm
Thursday, August 20th from 9:00—11:30 and 3:30—6:30 pm
 First day of school for incoming 6th grade students ONLY will be Tuesday, September 1st; students
in grades 6, 7, and 8 attend on Wednesday, September 2nd.
Sennett and the Madison Metropolitan School District as a whole continue to make adjustments to
instructional programing to best service our student population. We want to make you aware of some
important information regarding the District English Language Learner Program. Please click on the
link below to view.
https://multilingual.madison.k12.wi.us/english-language-learner-plan
Thank you for all you have done to support our students. Have a wonderful summer!
Sincerely,
Tremayne Clardy
Principal
What the Sennett PAT (parent-action team) did This Year (Sept. 2014-June 2015)
At the PAT meetings, we hear from Principal Clardy on what is going on at the school. We discussed
the changes to the future of Sennett Middle School and engaged in conversations around how to support
this transition. In addition, we were able to provide feedback from the parent perspective and we even
had an evening of pizza and pop to get to know each other.
This year, PAT held our annual fall fundraiser raising $7881. We also held a Culver’s night at the
Cottage Grove Road store and made $500.
NOTE: Each year the two houses that go to Upham Woods do their own in-house fundraising specifically to reduce
the cost of the trip. This includes the Christmas wreaths, concessions at Kohl and Alliant Center events and other restaurant
nights. The PAT supports these efforts but is separate from them.
This year the PAT continued to support the Upham Woods trip by contributing $300 per homeroom in
order to lower the cost per student. Houses 1 & 2 (nine homerooms) went to Upham. PAT provided
$2700.
The PAT also supported two different opportunities for staff to participate in Technology training to
support our G1 efforts next school year. Our support allowed more Sennett staff to receive the crucial
training this year.
The PAT supported Sennett staff on several occasions this year with sustenance. For the first morning
of school, parent/teacher conference lunch and dinner, and the day staff returned to school after the
death of Tony Robinson (a former student). In addition, the PAT catered a special Staff Appreciation
Luncheon from the Olive Garden in May in honor of Teacher Appreciation Week.
The PAT also supports students by providing incentives for the PBS (positive behavior support)
program. This program is to encourage positive behaviors of students and reinforce them with
incentives. The PAT purchased freezy pops, mechanical pencils, wrist bands and $50 gift cards from
Best Buy and Target to support these efforts.
In the coming weeks, we will also support the 8th grade promotion celebration, with cake, punch and a
photo booth. We will also make our annual contributions to the Sennett Endowment and the Upham
Woods Endowment through the Foundation for Madison’s Public Schools (fmps.org). We encourage all
families to consider a donation to one of these endowments.
Thanks to all the parents who support Sennett with their time and/or money! It is appreciated!
If you would like to be involved in the PAT, please join us on the first Wednesday of the month at 6 pm
in the LMC (unless otherwise noted).
“Thank you so much for supporting our trip to Upham Woods. The experience was something I will never
forget!”, House 1 student.
POSITIVE BEHAVIOR EARNS TRIP TO MOUNT OLYMPUS
Thanks in part to the generosity of the following families, we were able to send many of our Sennett
Stars to Mt Olympus on June 8! Almost 500 of our students qualified, which was based this past year
upon them a) earning positive behavior incentives at least three of their four quarters, b) being on time to
class and c) avoiding multiple misconducts or suspensions. We apologize if we missed (or misspelled)
your name, and thank those that donated anonymously.
Thanks to the families of:
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5.
6.
7.
8.
Maxwell Bundy
Alexis Sather
Henry Thies
Anthony Persinger
Osbaldo Viramontes
Erik Olson
Ana Graham Cook
Karl Olson
9. Trey’vion Pearson
10. Sidney Schrage
11. Luc Fuller
12. Molly Hill
13. Curran Frank
14. Walter Marshall
15. Natalie McDonals
16. Holly Brissette
17. Cecelia Hogan
18. Celia Nichols
19. Margrethe Blum
20. Harry Finkelmeyer
21. Brittany Ruiz
Fernandez
22. Emma Walters
23. Erik Gessner
Thank you to all students who particpated in the National
Science League competition.
Congratulations to our top score earners.
Grade 6
Karl Olson-Top score of 32
Ari Kaufman
Chloe Hudson
Aidon Lampe
Brigid Mullen
Michael Flores
Dylan Wendricks
Ija-Maliq Smith
Tia Engelberger
Camille DuVernois
Parker Olsen
Gianni Gubbins
Katrin Brendeunmeuehl
Zella Milfred
Grades 7/8
Erik Olson-Top score of 41
William Canter
Brad McDaniel
Parker Storck
Laila Jenkins
Michael Johnson
Hyrum Oliphant
Dija Manly
Gabe Lemke
Alan Lopez
A NEW SUMMER LOVE:
READING
SUMMER READING SKILL LOSS IS HUGE. HERE IS WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW…
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Reading skill losses during the summer months create a wider gap each year, between more
proficient and less proficient students. By the time a struggling reader reaches middle school,
summer reading loss has created a two-year lag in reading achievement!
Children who read 4 or more books over the summer perform better on reading comprehension
tests in the fall than their peers who do not.
Teachers typically spend between 4-6 weeks reteaching material students have forgotten over the
summer.
It is estimated that the “summer slide” accounts for as much as 85% of the reading achievement
gap between lower income students and their middle or upper income peers.
During school, lower income children’s skills improve at close to the same rate as their more
advantaged peers, but over summer middle and upper income children’s skills continue to
improve, while lower income children’s skills often do not.
Reading for fun is the best predictor of comprehension, vocabulary, and speed.
Third graders who can’t read at their grade level are 4 times less likely to graduate by the age of
18 than a proficient reader.
Studies show that making sure there are always interesting books at home can increase the
likelihood of a child being a frequent reader, especially at the middle school level. Library cards
are free!
Approximately 90% of students say that they are more likely to finish a book that they picked out
themselves, and 86% feel proud when they finish a book.
Reading frequency decreases after age 8, and boys are more likely to be low frequency readers
than girls.
Kids growing up in homes with many books gain higher academic achievement than children from
bookless homes, regardless of their parents’ education, job, and class.
10 STEPS TO AVOID “SUMMER READING LOSS”...
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Set aside 20 minutes a day for reading.
Pick a comfortable reading place.
Read with your child. Take turns
Involve and engage listeners. Ask questions about what is happening.
Fill your home with reading materials, such as books, magazines, cookbooks…
Get a free library card or subscribe to a children’s interest magazine.
Get caught reading yourself. Inspire.
Have your child read to a younger family member or friend.
Keep favorite books around for multiple readings to build confidence and fluency.
5 SIMPLE STEPS IN DETERMINING THE “RIGHT-FIT BOOKS”…
1. Open the book to the middle. Ask the child to read a page out loud. Hold up a finger for each
unknown or misunderstood word.
2. When the child misses the 1st word, hold up your thumb and say, “You know all but one word! I
knew this book would be easy for you.”
3. After the 2nd missed word, hold up your thumb and forefinger in an L shape and say, “ ‘L’ stands
for learning. This book will be a good learning book.”
4. After the 3rd missed word, hold up three fingers and say, “ ‘W’ stands for ‘warning.’ This book may
frustrate you, and you may not enjoy it.”
5. With the 4th or 5th missed word, represented by the same number of fingers, you can advise the
child to stop and explain, “This means ‘stop.’ It’s time to find another book that you’ll be able to
enjoy all by yourself.”
Please feel free to contact Reading Cadre members with questions (Lori Hillyer @
lhillyer@madison.k12.wi.us, Ann Fredrick @ afredrick@madison.k12.wi.us, or Mackenzie
Douglas @ mmdouglas2@madison.k12.wi.us)
Great Books for Summer Reading!
Looking for an exciting summer read? Here are some award-winners and highdemand titles from Sennett’s library this year (listed alphabetically by author’s
last name):
Alexander, Kwame. The Crossover. [ 2015 Newbery Award winner, 2015 Coretta Scott King Award
Honoree] "With a bolt of lightning on my kicks . . .The court is SIZZLING. My sweat is DRIZZLING. Stop
all that quivering. Cuz tonight I'm delivering," announces dread-locked, 12-year old Josh Bell. He and
his twin brother Jordan are awesome on the court. But Josh has more than basketball in his blood,
he's got mad beats, too, that tell his family's story in verse, in this fast and furious middle grade novel
of family and brotherhood.
Black, Holly & Clare, Cassandra. The Iron Trial. Most kids would do anything to pass the Iron Trial. Not
Callum Hunt. He wants to fail. All his life, Call has been warned by his father to stay away from magic.
If he succeeds at the Iron Trial and is admitted into the Magisterium, he is sure it can only mean bad
things for him. So he tries his best to do his worst - and fails at failing. Now the Magisterium awaits
him. It's a place that's both sensational and sinister, with dark ties to his past and a twisty path to his
future. The Iron Trial is just the beginning, for the biggest test is still to come . . .
Green, John. Paper Towns. From the creator of the wildly popular book The Fault in Our Stars,
comes the story of Quentin “Q” Jacobsen. He has spent a lifetime loving the magnificent Margo Roth
Spiegelman from afar, so when she cracks open a window and climbs back into his life--summoning
him for an ingenious campaign of revenge--he follows. When their all-nighter ends and a new day
breaks, Margo has disappeared. But Q soon learns that there are clues--and they're for him. He
embarks on an exhilarating adventure to find her, but the closer Q gets, the less he sees the girl he thought he
knew. After enjoying this book, check out the movie - in theatres July 24th!
Magoon, Kekla. How It Went Down. [2015 Coretta Scott King Award Honoree]. When sixteen-year-old
Tariq Johnson dies from two gunshot wounds, his community is thrown into an uproar. Tariq was
black. The shooter, Jack Franklin, is white. In the aftermath of Tariq's death, everyone has something
to say, but no two accounts of the events line up. Tariq's friends, family, and community struggle to
make sense of the tragedy, and to cope with the hole left behind when a life is cut short. The story is
told from dozens of characters’ perspectives as they all search for a way to say with certainty: this is how it went
down.
Nelson, Jandy. I’ll Give You the Sun. [ 2015 Printz Award Winner]. Jude and her twin brother, Noah,
are incredibly close. At thirteen, isolated Noah draws constantly and is falling in love with the
charismatic boy next door, while daredevil Jude cliff-dives, wears red-red lipstick, and does the
talking for both of them. But three years later, Jude and Noah are barely speaking. Something has
happened to wreck the twins in different and dramatic ways . . . until Jude meets a broken,
beautiful boy, and someone else—an even more unpredictable new force in her life. The early years are Noah's
story to tell. The later years are Jude's. What the twins don't realize is that they each have only half the story, and if
they could just find their way back to one another, they'd have a chance to remake their world.
MEDICATIONS IN THE
HEALTH OFFICE
If your child has medications in the health office, they must be picked
up by the last day of school. Any remaining medications will be taken
to the Med Drop at the police station on Cottage Grove Road.
School enrollment day for the 2015-16 school year
Mark your calendars for school enrollment days on August 19 & 20 from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00
p.m in the Sennett Middle School Gym. Be there to enroll your child for the 2015-16 school
year.
1. Locate your Infinite Campus username and password to access the online enrollment
system.
 Your password is available from your school secretary before the end of the school
year.
 Or visit mmsd.org/lostpassword to fill out a form to receive an email with your
username and/or password
2. Fill out the yearly enrollment information and pay fees online by visiting mmsd.org/enroll
beginning on August 4.
3. Complete the process at your school during the enrollment dates in August.
What to bring:
 Verification signature page and fee receipt, printed at the end of the online
enrollment process.
 Free/reduced lunch application number if you have one.
 Verification of your address (gas/electric bill, lease or mortgage) if your address has
changed.
Questions?
Visit mmsd.org/enroll
Or contact the enrollment office:
enrollment@madison.k12.wi.us
608-663-4957
MSCR SUMMER 2015 ACTIVITIES FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL YOUTH
Please call 204-3000 for more information or register online at www.mscr.org.
Art & Enrichment Classes – Enjoy a variety of classes -- try drawing, guitar, painting, pottery and more.
Camp Adventure – Register Early! Explore the great outdoors through rock climbing, canoeing, hiking,
swimming, field trips and one overnight trip per session. One week sessions run June– August. Camp meets
mornings at Hoyt Park Shelter.
MAD City Sports Camp – Practice sports fundamentals in an active, but recreational setting. Get tips on
health, fitness, sportsmanship, injury prevention, cross training and more. Each week features different sports
themes. Sessions take place at Hamilton and O’Keeffe Middle Schools.
MAD Youth Volunteer Camp – Youth “Making A Difference” in the community. Students participate in
service projects at parks, food and clothing pantries and more. Plus, enjoy activities such as swimming, pontoon
boat rides and field trips. One-week sessions run June – August at Cherokee and O’Keeffe Middle Schools.
Camp Inspire Camp - Youth of all abilities get together to learn about the community through social activities,
unified sports, community service and fun! The July session takes place at Cherokee and August session takes
place at O’Keeffe.
CR8TV U – Art camp that uses a variety of media. Take fun field trips. Sessions take place at Hamilton and
O’Keeffe Middle Schools.
Intro to Middle School – Learn how to successfully transition to middle school. Sessions are available at
Cherokee, Jefferson, Hamilton and Toki.
Fitness - a variety of fitness class es – Tween Yoga, Zumba Kids and more.
Spring Harbor Green House Garden Program – Learn gardening techniques from experienced middle
school teachers. The focus is on sustainability – rain gardens, vegetables and more! Takes place at Spring
Harbor Middle School. Four sessions are available.
Soccer Day Camps - One week sessions run June 22 - August 28 at many locations. A camp for teens is
available at Badger Rock Middle School.
Swimming - Youth swim lessons available at East, La Follette and Memorial High Schools and Goodman
Aquatic Center (Verona). Open and lap swim available.
Tennis – Beginner and intermediate lessons available at many locations. Two sessions are available. Classes are
offered at a variety of times. Junior team tennis leagues are also available.
Wrestling – Learn basic fundamentals, Folkstyle takes place at La Follette High, July 7-10, 12-3:30 pm.
MSCR offers many recreation programs for all ages.
Remember Sennett All Through the Summer
5% BACK TO SCHOOLS
5%
Remember Sennett this summer when shopping at Office Depot for next years school supplies.
Office Depot will donate 5% of qualifying purchases to Sennett for free supplies. When you shop at
Office Depot, simply tell the cashier that you would like your purchase to support Sennett Middle
School. Out-of-town supporters will need to give our School ID Number 70109391.
TARGET REDCARD BENEFITS SENNETT
Target will donate up to 1% of your REDcard purchases to Sennett. If you have a Target
REDcard credit card, just visit www.target.com to enroll in Take Charge of Education® and
select Sennett as your school of choice. It really adds up!
Sennett June Calendar
June 1
June 4
June 8
June 9
June 9
June 10
June 11
June 11
June 11
June 22
June Newsletter Available on Sennett Website
Choir Concert @ 7-8 pm at LaFollette Auditorium
Mount Olympus Field Trip
6th and 7th graders EARLY RELEASE @ 11:00 am
8th Grade Celebration Day
Last day of school for 8th graders ONLY
EARLY DISMISSAL @ 9:05 M, Last Day of School
End of 4th Quarter
Quarter 4 Report Card available via Infinite Campus
First Day of Summer School
Eighth Grade Graduation Day – Tuesday, June 9th
Awards Ceremony in the morning
8th Grade Promotion Ceremony Tuesday, June 9
12:25—1:20 p.m. at the La Follette Spectator’s Gym
8th Grade Dance will follow the Promotion Ceremony
1:20 pm – 2:45 pm
Have a Great Summer!