Middle School Newsletter 4.15.2024
During conferences we communicated how incredibly important daily attendance is. Last quarter we celebrated with students and families that had attended school for at least 90% of the time. We have also incorporated different activities so that students are motivated to attend school regularly. Below is one example of those activities.
7th Grade House Cup Challenge from Mrs. Wohlgemuth:
Recently you received information from Ms. Wright about how important attendance is for your student's success in middle school.
As an incentive for students to get to school on time (by 8:15am) the 7th grade team designed a House Cup Challenge. For every student that arrives at school on time, the class gets 1 point. If the entire class gets to school on time, they get a bonus 5 points!
To get our kids excited about this competition we also introduced team challenges for additional points and a prize for the winning class at the end of the quarter. We have a bulletin board in the hallway that gets updated regularly displaying the current totals for each class.
For the fourth quarter, each home base gets to challenge the others to a competition. Mrs. Pitzer's & Mrs. Wohlgemuth's home base, Tenebrarum, challenged the rest of 7th grade to a game of Twister! Each class played as a home base throughout last week to determine a class challenger and on Monday, April 8th, the class challengers competed for Twister Champion! We had so much fun all playing last week and cheering on our representative on Monday.
Congratulations to Chris Dixon, and Mr. McDermott's home base, The Kardashians, on winning the Twister Challenge!
Up next, Mr. Peebles' class, Peebles Weebles, and Mrs. Franke's class, Team UmiZoomi, will design a challenge!
Kindly,
Kim
314.645.9600 (607)~kwright@premiercharterschool.org
Upcoming Events
April 16-18- 6th Grade MAP Testing
April 25- MCF
April 26- No School
April 30-May 2-8th Grade Camp
May 3- No School
May 16- Board Meeting
May 17- Field Day
May 23-8th Grade Graduation
2024-25 Calendar:
Dear PCS Families,
We are excited to share our board approved school calendar for the upcoming 2024-2025 school year.
We know that while there are many reasons why you choose PCS for your child(ren), our extremely talented teaching staff likely tops the list. As a school, we are committed to supporting the ongoing development of our staff. In keeping with that commitment, we have added 8 early release days to our 24-25 school calendar, one each month.
These monthly 2:00 release days for students provide a greater, continuous block of time (roughly 2+ hours as it will include after school time for teachers as well) for all teachers to plan and fully internalize units and daily lessons. They will also allow for opportunities for vertical talk/planning/learning to occur between grade levels to provide an even deeper understanding of standards and knowledge that is needed in order to best prepare students for the grade level above them.
We realize this is a change and thank you in advance for your support. We are currently examining our Before and After Care (BAC) staffing plan to determine the role of BAC on early release days. Look for more information about our BAC program coming soon.
MAP TESTING:
Why are MAP scores important for high school?
Many high schools have requirements for enrollment. MAP scores are a common benchmark that determines student eligibility. Typically, schools are looking for scores in the proficient or advanced categories in Math, English, and Science. High schools will look at MAP scores from 6th-8th grade.
MAP Test Tips
1. Regular school attendance is key to student success.
Being present in the classroom means daily, direct instruction from teachers that will support student mastery of grade level expectations before it’s time for the test.
2. Get a good night’s sleep to perform well on testing days.
Research shows that getting a good night’s sleep promotes memory, reasoning, creativity, and emotional regulation. Missing out of sleep impacts a student’s ability to focus, which is crucial to exam success. Students should aim for 8-10 hours of sleep each night.
3. Eat a balanced breakfast to fuel brain power.
It is true that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, as it has the power to balance blood sugars and kickstart metabolism. Because the brain controls important test-taking skills such as sustained attention, try pairing a carb (like oatmeal, fruit, or cereal) with a protein (like eggs, yogurt, or milk) for optimal brain power!
4. Have a positive attitude.
Placing too much pressure on the test results can have a negative impact on your student’s ability to perform at their true potential. Set the tone at home by modeling an optimistic and calm outlook and assure them that, while the MAP test is important, they are more than a single test score.
Food Service Update:
Parents and Guardians:
I realize that we ask for your opinion often, and your responses are always welcomed and appreciated. Please take a few minutes in the next day or two to answer this survey regarding your child(ren)'s eating habits at school and about the food service at Premier Charter School in general. Thank you for your time, and if you have any specific questions or comments that aren't addressed in this survey, please contact Mr. Doyle (kdoyle@premiercharterschool.org)
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Kim Wright M.Ed. LPC, RPT
Middle School Principal
Supporting the curious and empowered learner since 2000
National School of Character
