February 2016 - Mulberry Middle School

Mulberry Middle School News Letter
February 2016
500 Martin Luther King Ave.
Mulberry, FL 33860
Phone: 863-701-1066
FAX: 863-701-1068
The month of February is designated as Black History Month. Follow
the link to the “2016 Black History
Month Recommended Reading
from Just Read, Florida!” in celebration of Florida’s Black History
Month. http://www.justread
florida.com/BHM.asp
The MMS Band is selling Serta
mattresses on February 6th & 7th.
Go to https://www.facebook.com/
events/907649336022884/ or
http://tranquilbedding.com/
collections/mms-33860 for more information.
Sarabeth Surber rehearsing with the All State
Middle School Honor Band. 2nd chair!!!!! She's
the one in glasses playing French horn.
You may also contact April Malott at the school.
The Symphonic Band has the honor of performing at Disney Springs on Feb 25th!
Welcome our new staff:
Mrs. Michelle Salmon –ESE paraprofessional
Mr. Bailey Trotter – Math 7th/8th
Mrs. Jennifer Hudson – Math 6th
Mrs. Kimberly Morrison – Reading 7th
The Mulberry Middle School SAC Meeting will be held on February 9 at 12:00 in the media
center. At the end of the meeting all parents are invited to help review and revise this year’s
Title I school compact for use during the 2016/2017 school year. Your input is important to us.
Contact the school if you are planning to come or Gene Combs for more information.
3rd Quarter MMS Reading Goal
January 26 – April 6 2016
MMS School-wide GOAL: Each student must read 2 fiction novels and 1 non-fiction book within their ZPD/
Lexile reading range. They must also take the AR test and score 80% or higher for each book read.
Students who meet their AR goal will receive $100 Panther Bucks. They can earn $50 Panther Bucks for
each additional book read (within their ZPD/Lexile level) with a score of 80% or higher on the AR test. Panther Bucks can be spent for school supplies, snacks and other miscellaneous items that are on sale at the AR
Store which is held following each grading period.
SAVE THE DATE!! Saturday, February 20 For FREE Family Reading Festival
Power Up Polk! Family Reading Festival will take place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Jim Miles Professional Development Center, 5204 U.S. Highway 98 South in Lakeland. The event is free and open to the public.
There will be activities for a wide range of age groups, including games, speakers, booths, and other fun
events. Families are encouraged to read together two books: “Ivan: The True Story of the Shopping Mall Gorilla” by Katherine Applegate, (K-2) and “The One and Only Ivan” by Katherine Applegate, (3-7). Our middle
school and high school students are asked to read articles on Animal Conservation and Preservation.
There will be discussions regarding these books which teach a variety of lessons on protecting animal habitats, humane treatment of animals and other related topics on animal preservation. Different groups from
around Polk County will have booths so families can gain more insight on topics and have fun learning together. All are welcome!!!!
Attention all Runners! Track conditioning is beginning soon! March 1st and 3rd - 8th grade runners need to attend both days. March 8th and 10th - 7th grade runners need to attend both
days. March 15th and 17th - 6th grade runners need to attend both days. Runners need to come
prepared to run with appropriate shoes and clothing.
Please contact Rebecca Thuma at rebecca.thuma@polk-fl.net if you have any questions.
Attention Math students: We are quickly approaching the assessment window and want each student
to be equipped to do their best as we approach the Florida Standards Assessment (FSA). The students need
to work diligently on their homework as this can significantly help them retain the content presented in class.
We are currently progressing from expressions to equations. If the students need additional examples
to follow, the textbook is online and accessible as follows:
GO MATH ONLINE TEXTBOOK ACCESS: To access your student’s Go Math textbook online, you may
do so at http://my.hrw.com using the students e-mail (your student’s school
username@mypolkschools.net) and their password is the same as their school computer password.
Please visit our teachers’ websites (accessible through the MMS website) to obtain additional information such as a class syllabus or homework calendars.
We are here to help your child succeed as a student here at Mulberry Middle School.
This year is flying by and the 6th grade History classes have officially completed their journey through Greece
and are preparing to embark on an exciting journey into Ancient Rome. After taking a quick look at the Geography of the area we will begin examining how the Roman Republic was developed. This unit is very important because the content provides a solid foundation for what your child will study in their 7 th grade Civics
classes. From there, we will study the origins and spread of Christianity in the ancient world. The close of
this 3rd quarter will find us analyzing how Rome’s legacy still lives on today throughout the world today.
Mrs. Heidi E. Carabba -
In my class, we are currently reading a novel, Zach’s Lie. Ask your child, “What
did Zach have to lie about in this novel?” “Would they be able to keep the secret?” We are also reading
about the internet and how it was developed. Ask your son or daughter, “What role does the internet play in
their life?” Our next expedition will take us on a journey to explore money and its development as well as
how it’s monitored. Remember they should be reading nightly for 30 minutes to meet the AR requirement of
2 Fiction and 1 Non-fiction book at their Lexile Level with 80% or better. Remember the more you read, the
better reader you will become.
Wonder what is happening in 7th grade science? Check out Mrs. Bearb’s Blog!
Boys/Girls Soccer Schedule for 2016.
Girl’s game starts at 6:30pm, boy’s game follows. Games are 60
minutes (two 30 minute halves) with a running clock. We hope to see you all there!
Day/Date
Tuesday, February 2
Tuesday, February 9
Tuesday, February 16
Tuesday, February 23
Tuesday, March 1
Tuesday, March 8
Schools
Kathleen @ Mulberry
Mulberry @ Crystal Lake
Sleepy Hill @ Mulberry
Lawton Chiles @ Mulberry
Lake Gibson @ Mulberry
Sleep Hill @ Mulberry
Location_______________
Mulberry High School
Crystal Lake Middle School
Mulberry High School
Mulberry High School
Mulberry High School
Mulberry High School
Emilyn Sharpless proudly announces
Duncan McIntyre—1st place Chicken
Ansleigh Evans—1st in her class for steers
Savannah Slam—2nd place blueberry bush
Cassidy Gladney—1st place intermediate Goat Tying
Michele Barber—White ribbon for his root beer delight cake
Jennifer Dages—2nd place overall rabbit at the fair and TRI-Color - best you can receive!!
Terri-Anne Younger—blue ribbon
Rylee Allred—blue ribbon
Mary Alvarez—red ribbon
Brianna Monroe—white ribbon
Gracey O'Neal—white ribbon
Thanks again for your continued support!
Come join your student for “Data Night”
February 9—4:00 to 6:00 PM
School Cafeteria
Learn about the new promotion requirements
How is your student doing on assessments?
How can you help with student achievement?
Title I information: The Title I Parent Information Notebook is available at the front desk. It contains the
SlP, PlP, SPAR report, and valuable information for parents. You have a right to know about the school. This
is a good way to learn what we are all about.
Contact the Title I Parent & Family Resource Center for
FREE tax preparation and other information.
Dates to Remember:
4th—Report cards
6th and 7th—Band fundraiser
9th—SAC meeting/Title I Data night
12th—Valentine Dance
15th—No school (holiday)
24th—Early release
25th—Band performs at Disney
26th—No school (staff development)