Spreading Holiday Cheer

The middle school was really in the festive mood this week. We had a spirit day today where students could wear whatever festive outfit they want. We have students dressed in holiday PJ's, ugly Christmas sweaters, Santa hats and more!

We also had the privilege of our middle school choir singing carols for us this morning during 1st hour. Thank you Ms. Williamson, and all of the middle school choir for brightening up our day today with some classic holiday tunes!

Ready, set, DODGE BALL!

Yesterday, Freeland Middle School had an extremely successful dodge ball tournament. The middle school student council put on the Feliz Navi-Dodge Ball tournament as a way to earn money for the council, and also have a fun activity for students to do before we go on winter break. Our winning team, the Pancakes, included Jaden DeBeau, Evan Dubuque, Tyler Bauer, Jack Dreyer, and Aiden West. Congratulations on your win! Our teacher team was unfortunately eliminated from the tournament early on. A special thanks goes to Mr. Schwedler, Mr. LaFond, Mrs. Hannon, Mr. Townsend, and Mr. Shaw for participating in our tournament yesterday. Thank you to student council for a great event for our middle school!

AND THE WINNERS ARE... THE PANCAKES!

Freeland Fabricators Robotics Tournament

The Freeland Robotics Club hosted their inaugural FIRST Tech Challenge tournament at Freeland Schools this past weekend. 32 middle school teams from across the state competed for only five advancements to the state level. The FMS Robotics team, FTC #5386, the Freeland Fabricators, received the Connect Award which honors a team that has proven their efforts in community outreach. During robot play, they won 4 of 5 matches, placing 6th thereby qualifying for the playoffs.  Although they narrowly lost in the semi-final match, their hard work paid off as their final overall rank put them just a single spot away from qualifying for the state championship!

Freeland Robotics Club would like to thank Nexteer Automotive, Dow Chemical, and FIRST in GLBR for sponsoring the team and this event.  Additionally, we would like to thank our many volunteers including FRC Team 5166, robotics club parents, FCSD, Freeland Boy Scouts, FAA, & Hungry Howie's for making our event a huge success!

Congratulations Freeland Fabricators!

PSAT, MiPhy, and More!

Assessment Update

Last Wednesday our 7th grade students successfully completed the MiPHY test to provide the county with data on our students social and emotional needs, as well as basic health needs in the county. This data is completely anonymous, and will be used at a county level to look at trends seen in our students throughout all of Saginaw County.

The 8th grade students also had a big testing day last Wednesday. They completed their first ever PSAT experience! The test began right at 7:30 and ended just in time for lunch at 11:30. The test assesses three key areas - reading, writing, and math. The areas of social studies and science are embedded throughout each of these three areas.

Click the below links to learn more about some of the key elements in each of these areas:

• Reading Test
• Writing and Language Test
• Math Test
• Key Content Changes to be aware of

We should receive the results from this test sometime in January or February. These test results will guide our building wide goals on ensuring our students are career and college ready. Parents will also be provided the SAT results for their children. 

M-Step results are continuing to be processed by the state and district. We expect to mail these results for both 7th and 8th grade students to you sometime in January. 

Fun happenings around school

Check out Mrs. Bain's classroom working on a close reading activity in 7th grade English. 

Plan on joining us for TWO concerts on Tuesday, December 15th. Our choir concert will be performing at 6:30pm, and our band concert will follow at 7:00pm. Both concerts will be held in the high school auditorium.

Please make sure to complete the parent survey for all middle school students when you get a chance. This will only take about 10 minutes of your time and contains very valuable information for us to use to continue to improve the school. 

http://www.advanc-ed.org/survey/public/section/response/begin?surveyConfigId=476524

And... one more announcement

We have our first dodge ball tournament of the year scheduled for next Tuesday, December 22nd at 2:30pm. Teams of 5 can sign up in the middle school office before Thursday. Each team will pay a $10.00 entry fee. Admission into the tournament will be $1.00 for all students not participating in the tournament, and is free for those who are in the tournament. Be prepared to compete against our teacher team next Tuesday! :)

Middle School Parent Survey

Thank you to those of you who completed the middle school parent survey during our first conference of the year. We will have the parent survey open until we go on winter break. Please take 10 minutes to complete this survey before December 24th. To access the survey simply go to www.freelandschools.net. Click on the Middle School tab, and at the bottom of the middle school home page you will see a link titled "Middle School Parent Survey". You can also access the survey by simply clicking this link, 

http://www.advanc-ed.org/survey/public/section/response/begin?surveyConfigId=476524. 

Assessment Update

This year, we have many shifts in the assessments that will be administered for students. Because of this, I wanted to make sure to communicate to you what your child will be assessed on throughout the year. If you have any questions regarding any of the below assessments please do not hesitate to contact me.

7^th grade MiPHY (Michigan Profile for Healthy Youth)

This is a research survey that asks about health behaviors for 7^th, 9^th, and 11^th grade students. If you have a 7^th grade student, a letter will be included in this envelope covering all details about the MiPHY. Student privacy is a key part of this survey. It is completely anonymous, and used to simply look at a range of health risk behaviors and attitudes that as a district and county we need to be aware of when it comes to our students. 7^th grade students will be taking the MiPHY on December 9^th in Mr. Kevin Townsend’s Health class.

8^th grade PSAT

Last year, the state of Michigan made a significant shift in testing when they adopted the new Redesigned SAT as the college and career readiness tool to be used for students. This test replaces the ACT that has been taken in previous years. To help students prepare for the shift, Michigan is offering schools the option to take the Redesigned PSAT in 8^th, 9^th, and 10^th grade. Freeland Middle School 8^th grade students will be taking the redesigned PSAT on December 9^th. There are many tools available to your child when it comes to practicing for this new test. Please visit the website below for more details on how to support your child as this testing transition takes place for students in Michigan.

https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/state-partnerships/michigan

M-Step

During the 2014-2015 school year, Freeland Middle School successfully tested all students on the new state test, the M-Step. Tests were administered online in the spring of 2015. The state of Michigan has communicated with schools that individual student test results will be made available to students and parents sometime in the near future. Further communication for the distribution of these individual test scores will be communicated to you as we gather more information from the state.

This year, the M-Step testing will take place for 8^th grade students between April 11^th-April 29^th. 7^th grade testing will be between May 9^th-May 27^th. The testing cycle is three weeks long for each grade level; however, your child will not be testing during the entire three weeks. Last year, we were able to create a schedule where students only tested for 2.5 days, and then were able to resume classes as normal. Please plan on making attendance a priority for your child during the testing period. A testing schedule will be sent out to you in the spring. The M-Step test this year will cover Math and English/Language Arts for both 7^th and 8^th grade students, and will test 7^th grade Science, and 8^th grade Social Studies. State test results for the 2014-2015 school year have been released, and can be accessed at the link below if you are interested in how the state performed on the M-Step.

http://www.michigan.gov/mde/0,4615,7-140--368037--,00.html 

2nd marking period starts off with a... pie.

This Friday, we had our first SOAR assembly to celebrate student's who showed positive and respectful attitudes first marking period, as well as maintained good academic standing. The 7th and 8th grade teachers selected several students to recognize at this assembly, and the student council executive board planned many fun games to celebrate the end of a very successful first marking period. The best part of the assembly was the continued tradition of incorporating PIE! A special thanks to Ms. Heckman for participating in the pie contest to find the hidden gummy worm in the mud pie!

Students also had a make up decorating contest that was a huge hit, and had the audience laughing a ton!

The best part of the SOAR assemblies is always celebrating the students in 7th and 8th grade who are showing great leadership in the building. Below are the 1st marking period SOAR recipients. Each recipient received a certificate, recognition in front of the entire school, and a choice prize to celebrate their success. Thank you for all you do middle school student leaders!

This marking period the focus was all about RESPECT. In every class students learned about how to show respect. For second marking period, students will be learning about HELPFULNESS. The focus will be on how to help others, how to ask for help, and how to be a helpful person. The key question we will be asking students is, "How have you helped today?". All homeroom activities, pep assemblies, and positive incentives will revolve around being helpful.

2nd Marking Period General Announcements

• Thursday, November 19th - 7th Grade Vision Screening
• Monday, November 23rd - 7th Grade Holocaust Trip
• Tuesday, November 24th - Helpfulness Homeroom
• November 25th-27th - No School: HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
• Tuesday, December 8th - PTO Meeting 7:00pm in the high school office (CIC room)
• Wednesday, December 9th - 7th grade MiPHY test administration
• Wednesday, December 9th - 8th grade PSAT test administration 
• December 24th-January 1st - No School for winter break

1st marking period recap

What a marking period! Our students were very busy here at the middle school. Here is a picture recap of some of what we did this marking period to celebrate students in all different ways!

Exploratory Rotations
Our students have just finished up, or are finishing up their first round of exploratory rotations. Students explore lots of different topics in these classes, and through these classes, they are able to see what areas are of high interest to them, and what areas are not something they are interested in.

Homecoming Parade

On top of a great week of homecoming celebrations, we also had several middle school students who were in a float for homecoming. We had great representation from our teachers, middle school pom team, and football team! Many other groups were also represented from the middle school during the homecoming parade.

Donkey Basketball

Mrs. Hannon as well as tons of student and parent volunteers had a very successful Donkey Basketball event to raise money for the Travel Club's Washington D.C. trip in April. There were over 1,000 people who attended this event. A HUGE thank you goes out to all of the parents and volunteers who made this event happen. Without you, Donkey Basketball would not have been nearly as successful. 

Optimist Club

This year we had two 8th grade students who were chosen for our Optimist Club recognition. These students represent eternal optimism at Freeland Middle School, and are also leaders in multiple areas in the school. Thank you to Madelyn Snider and Austyn Smith for representing Freeland Middle School well this year, and keep up the hard work as you continue to be optimistic and shine as a leader in the Freeland community.

Thank you to all the students, teachers, parents, and other community and staff members for making first marking period a HUGE success! 

Donkey Basketball!

Donkey Basketball Tickets are now for sale! Purchase your tickets today at Freeland State Bank, Pat's Food Center, Freeland Sports Zone, and during both the high school and middle school lunch. Tickets are also available through the Freeland Travel Club.

Watch this promotional video to find out more about what Donkey Basketball is!

Donkey Basketball Details

Date: November 4th

Time: Carnival 5:30pm; Basketball Game 6:30pm

Location: 

• Kids Carnival - High School Cafeteria
• Basketball Game - High School Gym

Price: 

• $6.00 in advance
• $8.00 at the door
• NO athletic passes

Coin Drive:
To raise money for the travel club, there is also a coin drive taking place. The purpose of this coin drive is to determine which principal at Freeland gets the privilege of being this year's pooper scooper at Donkey Basketball! Make sure to drop any extra change you have into a principals bin. Coin drive locations are wherever tickets are sold, all of the schools in Freeland, and various local businesses. 

Middle School Happenings...

There has been so much going on at the middle school that the blog has taken a back seat for the last week or two! Here at school, there are some general announcements that you will want to keep in mind, as well as some updates on what else is going on at FMS!

Announcements

• October 21st 7:00pm at the high school CIC room 
• PTO meeting 
• October 22nd at 7:00pm in the auditorium
• Middle School Band Concert
• October 29th-November 5th 
• Book Fair
• We are still in need of volunteers for the book fair! Contact our secretary, Kelly Hartwick, at hartwickk@freelandschools.net if interested.
• October 29th 2:30-4:30pm in the middle school gym
• School Dance!
• We need several volunteers for this school dance. Please email Ms. Hartwick if you are interested.
• November 5th
• Last day of Marking Period One
• Grades will be posted ELECTRONICALLY only for this progress report. No paper report cards will be sent home. Please contact Ms. Hartwick with questions.
• Grades will be posted on Skyward the week of November 9th. 
• November 12th 4:00-6:30pm
• Student Led Conferences

Travel Club Update

Our travel club has been doing a ton to fund raise for the spring Washington D.C. trip. Make sure to mark your calendars because on November 4th the travel club will be hosting a Donkey Basketball game in the high school gym. Please watch the announcements for more details. 

Also, the travel club recently had a car wash and raised a ton of money to support their spring trip! It was a beautiful day, and the students did a great job representing Freeland Middle School. 

Board Presentation Update

Mr. Schwedler will be bringing a group of 8th grade students to the next board meeting on October 28th to present work that they just completed in 8th grade US History on the First Amendment. Students went through a Project Based Learning experience, and will be presenting their learning to the board of education on the 28th.

Trimester End Date Reminder

For all students who are in an 8th grade 1st hour exploratory rotation, or 7th grade students in a 7th hour exploratory rotation this is a reminder that your child in this exploratory is on a trimester schedule instead of a quarter schedule. They will receive a progress report later than all of the other classes. The end date for the first trimester is Friday, December 4th. Expect trimester grades to be posted by Thursday, December 10th. 

Homecoming week!

What a great group of 7th and 8th grade students we have this year. They represented Freeland Middle School so well over the course of Homecoming Week. We had a spirit day every day and students were able to dress up as twins, western, camo, and even got the chance to wear their PJ's one day!

The greatest part about working in the middle school is that not only do our students get involved with our spirit weeks, so do our staff! 

Week Three Highlights

What a busy week at Freeland Middle School! Here are a few snapshots of what your students are doing this week.

Mrs. Hannon's 7th grade Eastern Hemisphere Class

In Mrs. Hannon's class this week students were practicing their geography skills. Students have been learning about how geographers see the world.  As part of their study, students discussed advantages and disadvantages of maps and globes.  They got first-hand experience in the difficulties of making a 3D object (a globe) into a 2D image (a map) and came up with strategies a cartographer might have to use to make a useful map.

Mrs. Gott's Life Skills Class

In Mrs. Gott's Life Skills class students are continue to work on their citizenship skills by getting involved in two school related events. First, students are helping to create a positive climate and culture at school during homecoming week by putting together a Spirit Week for the school, as well as decorating lockers to support all students in the school.

Secondly, they are working on how to be a part of a larger community by beginning a Box Tops campaign on Monday, October 5th. They will be collecting box tops for a week to support our PE department equipment purchases for this year. More information on this fundraiser will be found in future blog posts.

Student Council Vote on Friday

We had over 20 people run for student council positions this year! It was an incredible pool, with 14 students who ran for the Executive Board, and many more run for grade level representatives. This year, all students who run have the opportunity to be a part of the student council representatives so that we can get as many leaders as possible involved in our school! Students did a fantastic job on their speeches Friday, and voting took place Friday afternoon. Ballots have been counted, and the Executive Board for the middle school will be announced on Monday, September 28th!

Middle School Parent Math Presentation Update

Did you miss the middle school math parent meeting? If so, attached is the PowerPoint that we used during the presentation. Also, we are putting together a Question & Answer document right now for some of the most commonly asked questions we have gotten about our math curriculum, and the Michigan math standards. In the near future, this will be available on the blog, as well as under the "Curriculum" tab of the "Parents and Community" section of the district website.

Homecoming Spirit Week

Remember, next week is HOMECOMING WEEK! We will be having a spirit week for the week. Dress up days are the following:

• Monday - Pajama Day
• Tuesday - Twin Day
• Wednesday - Superhero Day
• Thursday - Western/Camo Day
• Friday - Falcon pride Day!

There will be a certificate for best dressed on each day. If your child is interested in the "best dressed" award for a specific day, they need to see Mrs. Gotts in room 80 before school on that day! 

Enter Week Three. A focus on safety and social media.

As we begin week three I am excited to say that things at the middle school continue to amaze me. I am impressed with how the 7th and 8th grade students interact with one another in a positive way. I am excited to see classrooms that are rich with learning experiences to push students in their educational journey. And, I am looking forward to attending the volleyball games this week.

This week, I want to take a moment to focus on safety. In an effort to make our school a safe place, I will periodically use this blog to write about challenges our middle school teens face when it comes to the digital world, peer pressure, friendships, bullying, and any other topic around safety that your child could be faced with as they continue through the middle years. This weeks safety post will highlight social media use with our teens.

The middle school level is a time when all students begin to push their boundaries, and demand more independence. Often times, this is when our students are able to gain some freedom as well, and one of the ways that many students experience their first taste of independence is through the use of a personal cell phone. Cell phones are incredible devices, that allow us to stay connected with one another, explore new worlds through a simple Google search, and document anything we want on our many social media sites. However, with this device there are also many things that you can be aware of to make sure to protect your child. Common Sense Media recently released an article, "15 Apps and Websites Kids are Heading to After Facebook", all about the post-Facebook era teenager. In this article 15 social media apps/websites are described to give parents a bit more information about the type of apps your child could be downloading on their smart phones, or other electronic devices. Because this is many of our students first exposure to some of these sites, it is important to have conversations with them about the positives that come with social media sites, and the dangers of social media. A specific focus on bullying and social media, and the public nature of what is posted are great conversation starters when discussing social media etiquette.

The most common sites that come across my desk are Kik, Instagram, and Snapchat. These three social media sites tend to be the place where I have seen bullying and inappropriate posts occur. As we partner together to make sure that our students are safe both in the physical and virtual world, please let me know if you have any questions or concerns regarding social media sites and your child. I would be happy to provide you with additional resources, or to sit down with you and chat about some of the social media sites that are readily available for your child.

General Announcements to Parents:

• Freeland High School Travel Club: Current 8th graders for informaiton on the 2017 London and Paris trip please visit our Travel Club site and contact Mindi Hannon at hannonm@freelandschools.net with further questions
• Please save your box tops and bring them into the middle school. We are currently collecting box tops for purchasing new PE equipment.
• There is a parent meeting for all interested 6th-8th parents on Tuesday, September 22nd at 7:00pm in the cafeteria at the middle/high school to introduce our new math program, Glencoe Math. 

Reflections on week one...

Excitement. Energy. Community. 

These are the three words that I would use to describe our first week of school. The excitement in the air as students walked through the building on the first day of school was contagious. The energy that students had throughout the week as they experienced their classes for the first time, and, the community that they are beginning to build as they take pride in the fact that they are a part of our middle school family is something that I am thrilled to see grow throughout the year.

Here is a quick recap of our first week of school...

Tuesday

We began the day with a middle school assembly to talk about the awesome year that we are going to have together. We watched a video by the Kid President, and also watched a slideshow about all the great things our students have to look forward to this year.

Wednesday

Day two was filled with lots of great things happening in classes.  Mr. LaFond's FUSE class, and Ms. Shea's Gateway class worked with students on their engineering skills when students participated in a competition in which they had to build the tallest structure using marshmallows, tape, spaghetti noodles, and string. Teachers in all classes continued to set expectations, engage in community building activities, and going over the handbook expectations.

Thursday 

We had our school picture day. All students received their ID badges which can be used for any school event this year. If students are not happy with their picture, they can get their pictures retaken on October 21st.

Friday

We had a spirit day on Friday to celebrate the Clash for the Cure game. During 2nd hour students were able to honor family and friends who have battled cancer by writing their name on a ribbon and putting it on their lockers. We had many students dressed up for the spirit day!

Let's have a great start to week two Freeland Middle School!

Middle School Post Open House Update

Did you miss the open house? 
Don't worry! We will be sending all information home to parents and students who missed the open house. Also, you can use this link to access much of the information provided at the open house electronically. If you have scheduling questions or other questions about the middle school contact the main office at 989-692-4032.

Planner Sales
Planners are still for sale in the main office. They are $3.00 each. 

Secretary Change
Mrs. Sue Paris will have her last day as the middle school secretary on Tuesday, September 8th. She will be greatly missed at the middle school! We will keep you updated on who will replace Ms. Paris in future blog posts. 

Construction Update
We are very excited about the start of school, but realize there are still many questions regarding Washington Street. Please realize that the portion of Washington from 7th street to Webster Road will be open for buses beginning on Tuesday. However, they will continue to need to close that section of the road to traffic as they work to complete the project. Though we do not see it causing a significant disruption to our busing, it is likely that the road will be closed to traffic for long lengths of time throughout the day. Please give yourself enough time if you have to use an alternate rout to "cross the tracks" and know that the detours you have been using are still available in the weeks ahead.

For more information pertaining to the construction on Washington please contact the district office at 989-695-5527. 

Athletics Announcement
Our middle school volleyball teams will start official practice on 9-8-15.Our 8th grade team, coached by coach Kearney (Flores), will have practice starting at 2:45.  Practice will run until 4:45.  Our 7th grade team, coached by coach Bowersox will begin practice at 5:00, and it will end at 7:00. Please contact the athletic office at 695-5986 or 695-5525 with any additional questions.

Robotics Announcement
There is a sign up meeting for the middle school robotics club. Both parents and students will need to be present to formally sign up for the team. Returning team members as well as students interested in joining the club should attend. There are a limited number of openings and a large number of interested students. The official first challenge season starts September 12th. 

• Date: Wednesday, September 9th
• Time: 7:00-8:00pm
• Location: Freeland Elementary Cafeteria 

Call Coach Snider if you are unable to attend. Contact information is in the middle school office.

Middle School Volleyball Information

Our middle school volleyball teams will start official practice on 9-8-15.

Our 8th grade team, coached by coach Kearney (Flores), will have practice starting at 2:45.  Practice will run until 4:45.  Our 7th grade team, coached by coach Bowersox will begin practice at 5:00, and it will end at 7:00

Please contact the athletic office at 695-5986 or 695-5525 with any additional questions

Robotics Speaker at Midland Center for the Arts

Dean Kamen, founder of FIRST Robotics, is speaking at the Midland Center for the Arts (MCFTA) on August 27.  The Freeland Robotics Club has purchased tickets to this event.  If you are a current student member of the club, the fee is covered.  If students are considering joining the club, and would like to attend, the cost is $5 per ticket.  Adult tickets are $12.

Mr. Kamen is a renowned inventor and entrepreneur.  Having seen him in person, I can say he is a very inspirational and dynamic speaker.  His inventions truly have changed the world.  He holds over 440 US patents.  His inventions include the Segway, Sling Shot, numerous medical devices, and solar power advancements.  He founded FIRST robotics and DEKA, an research and development institute.

I highly recommend this event to all students, teachers, and parents.   Tickets are first-come-first serve.  I will order more if they are available from the MCFTA.  However, the event is expected to be a sell-out.  For more information, or to independently order tickets to the event, click on the following link:    http://www.mcfta.org/event/dean-kamen/e21181/

Athletic Announcement for 2015-16 Freeland Middle School Athletes

READY, SET, GO

MIDDLE SCHOOL TEAMS

Our 7^th and 8^th grade girls volleyball teams will be holding open gyms on August 25, 26 and 27 from 6-8:00 pm in the middle school gym.  Official tryouts will begin on the first day of school.  The time for tryouts will be given at the open gyms and noted in announcements when confirmed.

Our middle school cross country team will start practice on August 26^th from 11:00am to 12:00pm. If you are interested in participating in cross country please show up at the High School Front Entrance on the 26th at 11:00am. There is no need to sign up prior to this date. Do not forget to bring your physical to this practice.

**Athletes MUST have a physical on file, or bring with them in order to participate


High School Athletic Information

The 2015-16 Freeland High School athletic seasons are getting ready to begin.  The high school football season will begin on August 10^th, at 8:00 am.  The teams will practice leading up to their scrimmages, which will be hosted at Freeland on August 20^th.

Our high school volleyball teams will get started on August 12^th with their two a day pre-season practice schedule. The first session will be from 7:00-8:00 am, and then be followed up with a session from 5:30-7:30 pm.

The high school cross country teams will begin on August 12^th with a practice schedule of 9:30 to 11:30, with their first meet on August 21^st at Hemlock.

The varsity girl’s golf team will begin their season on August 12^th at 10:00 am at Twin Oaks with an 18 hole practice session leading up to their first match on August 19^th hosted by Alma.

The varsity boy’s soccer team will hold their first practice on August 12^th , They will have two a days until August 14^th, and then start 4-6:00 pm practices on August 17^th,  and will travel to Ithaca for a tournament on 8-22-15.

Our varsity Pompon team will begin their practices on August 10^th at 5:30 pm.

Sideline Cheer hosted a cheer camp on July 27^th, and will get August practices started on August 13^th when they return from their team camp.

Back to School

Welcome back to school! As we begin to think about the transition from summer break to heading back to school this is a reminder of a few important dates that the middle school has coming up:

• Monday, August 31st - Middle School Open House 5:00-6:30pm
• Tuesday, September 8th - First Day of School! 
• 1st hour begins at 7:35am, and the day ends at 2:23pm
• Thursday, September 10th - Picture Day
• Friday, September 11th - Pink Game Assembly at 1:41pm and activities will follow after school for middle and high school students! Parents are welcome to attend the assembly and activities. Make sure parents check into the main office before heading to the assembly though!

Please also make sure to check out the back to school packet of information that includes a wish list for each grade level, teacher contact information, exciting new things happening at the middle school this year, and a back to school checklist! To see the electronic version of the back to school packet click on this link. This packet will also be sent in the mail to you in mid-August along with a student schedule.