Alanson Middle School Monthly Newsletter

December 6th, 2013

What Else is
Happening at
Alanson Middle School?

What’s Happening in the Classroom?

Mrs. Woodbeck
English Events:
English 6
6th graders have begun a new novel called Ella Enchanted. This fantasy story is full of ogres, giants, gnomes, mythical creatures, and evil stepsisters. This book is loosely based on the Cinderella story but contains many twists and turns.
English 7
We have started The Westing Game which is a murder mystery involving a rich gentleman and some people associated with him. Students are given clues throughout the story as they try to solve the crime of who killed Sam Westing.
English 8
Eighth graders are reading Devil’s Arithmetic, an historical fiction novel based on the Holocaust. Although a heavy subject this Holocaust story weaves in some fantasy aspects while telling the story about a girl who experienced life during the time of the Nazi invasion in Europe.
Mrs. Morse
Social Studies 8
The 8th Grade Class is in the middle of a unit on the American Revolution. Students have been using timelines, notes, and internet activities to gain a better understanding of the Revolution. The 8th Graders will have a big project coming up that involves the United States Constitution.
Mrs. Liederbach
Math Events:
6th graders are currently learning how to write algebraic expressions and equations. They also learned how to find a unit rate and use it to solve problems. They should be able to help you find the “best buy” at the grocery store! We are also working on fraction computation. The goal is to be able to add, subtract, multiply, and divide all positive fractions and decimals fluently by the end of the year!
7th graders have been exploring the properties of similar figures. They used this knowledge to help them solve problems including finding the height of a flagpole without climbing to the top! They have learned how to find the circumference and area of a circle. Currently they are putting their detective skills to work as they use given information and their knowledge of angle relationships to find the measures of unknown angles.
8th graders have been finding the volume of prisms, pyramids, cylinders and cones. They have been solving problems such as “The Hay Bale Farmer” and “Making Matchsticks” using these formulas. They were recently introduced to the concept of negative exponents and are now learning the properties of integer exponents. In addition, they will be solving problems using computation with numbers in scientific notation.
Social Studies Events:
6th graders have been studying economics. Their favorite activity was a bead making simulation activity that helped them understand the difference between a traditional, command, and market economy. A special thanks goes to Isaac Kroll, Moranda Legato, Michael Murray, Jade Sherwood, and Andrew Wekwert for the great job they did performing a short skit at the Veteran’s Day assembly.
Mrs. Cheshire
Science Events:
6th graders completed the Earth Science unit and will be learning about organisms and how organisms are classified. This will include multiple projects such as a classification chart and an organism research project..
7th graders are finishing up learning about Earth Science as their knowledge grew about severe weather. We will soon be beginning life science. First stop: cells! Throughout this unit your child will be using microscopes, building diagrams, and much more.
8th graders have learned about plate tectonics. At this time they are learning how plate tectonics shape our earth by creating earthquakes, volcanoes and more. They are learning how plates move and how earth’s layers make up earth. They have created posters and were involved in a hands-on activity using sponges.
Social Studies Event:
7th graders are studying the history of Hominids and Humans. They have read passages, answered critical thinking questions, watched videos, and completed multiple web tasks. In addition, they will be creating group projects about a concept of this unit and presenting this information in a creative way to their peers.

Congratulations
Social Studies 8 recently participated in the 14th Annual Bob Schulze Poetry Contest by entering poems about history. Lilly Armock was awarded the Runner-up prize with her poem "The Ones with the Marking."
Happy Holiday’s
Holiday Break is coming! This school year’s holiday break begins December 21st. School will resume on January 6th. Have a wonderful and safe holiday break!
Viking of the Month
Congratulation to the following students!
6th grade– Alexis Sumner
7th grade– Josie Dauser
8th grade- Lukas Plastino
Thank You
Thank you for supporting your child’s progress by making sure homework is complete. Together we can ensure success!
AMS Leadership Team
Our Alanson Middle School Leadership Team will be having hosting a formal dinner and dance the evening of Friday, January 17th. Please contact Mrs. Cheshire if you would like to volunteer.
Bakes Sales
There will be a middle school bake sale at lunch on December 19th. Thank you for any past or future bake sale goodie donation.
Ice Cream Party
Ask your child if he or she were invited to the ice cream party for turning in all their assignments in on time in at least one class.

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You can also research articles or find “filler” articles by accessing the World Wide Web. You can write about a variety of topics but try to keep your articles short.
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The subject matter that appears in newsletters is virtually endless. You can include stories that focus on current technologies or innovations in your field.
You may also want to note business or economic trends, or make predictions for your customers or clients.
If the newsletter is distributed internally, you might comment upon new procedures or improvements to the business. Sales figures or earnings will show how your business is growing.
Some newsletters include a column that is updated every issue, for instance, an advice column, a book review, a letter from the president, or an editorial. You can also profile new employees or top customers or vendors.

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This story can fit 75-125 words.
Selecting pictures or graphics is an important part of adding content to your newsletter.
Think about your article and ask yourself if the picture supports or enhances the message you’re trying to convey. Avoid selecting images that appear to be out of context.
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Page #

Monthly Newsletter

Inside Story Headline

This story can fit 150-200 words.
One benefit of using your newsletter as a promotional tool is that you can reuse content from other marketing materials, such as press releases, market studies, and reports.
While your main goal of distributing a newsletter might be to sell your product or service, the key to a successful newsletter is making it useful to your readers.
A great way to add useful content to your newsletter is to develop and write your own articles, or include a calendar of upcoming events or a special offer that promotes a new product.
You can also research articles or find “filler” articles by accessing the World Wide Web. You can write about a variety of topics but try to keep your articles short.
Much of the content you put in your newsletter can also be used for your Web site. Microsoft Publisher offers a simple way to convert your newsletter to a Web publication. So, when you’re finished writing your newsletter, convert it to a Web site and post it.

Caption describing picture or graphic.

Inside Story Headline

This story can fit 100-150 words.
The subject matter that appears in newsletters is virtually endless. You can include stories that focus on current technologies or innovations in your field.
You may also want to note business or economic trends, or make predictions for your customers or clients.
If the newsletter is distributed internally, you might comment upon new procedures or improvements to the business. Sales figures or earnings will show how your business is growing.
Some newsletters include a column that is updated every issue, for instance, an advice column, a book review, a letter from the president, or an editorial. You can also profile new employees or top customers or vendors.

“To catch the reader's attention, place an interesting sentence or quote from the story here.”

Inside Story Headline

This story can fit 75-125 words.
Selecting pictures or graphics is an important part of adding content to your newsletter.
Think about your article and ask yourself if the picture supports or enhances the message you’re trying to convey. Avoid selecting images that appear to be out of context.
Microsoft Publisher includes thousands of clip art images from which you can choose and import into your newsletter. There are also several tools you can use to draw shapes and symbols.
Once you have chosen an image, place it close to the article. Be sure to place the caption of the image near the image.

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Volume 1, Issue 1

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Alanson Public Schools

Primary Business Address Your Address Line 2 Your Address Line 3 Your Address Line 4

Phone: 555-555-5555 Fax: 555-555-5555 Email: xyz@microsoft.com

Your business tag line here.

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