ELA: Have you ever eaten a chocolate toad? In ELA, Mrs. Lilly recently announced an upcoming community book club. At the book club, chocolate toads will be distributed and a bubby immortal beverage served. How does chocolate toads and immortal drinks connect to the book? You’ll have to read it to find out!  It is the hope that lots of community members will read the book and join in the discussion on Jan. 22, 2020 at 6:30pm – 7:30pm in the Learning Commons at Telstar Regional Middle and High School. Please consider reading Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt. There are a number of books if you would like to borrow a book at TMS or the local library.

In addition to reading, the seventh graders have been writing each Wednesday with our community volunteer, Rosemary Laban. It is a delight to have her talent, enthusiasm, and energy in the classroom. The students have written responses to Edgar Allen Poe’ s Annabel Lee and Roald Dahl’s short story The Landlady. Mrs. Laban has a great Landlady voice!  This past week, the students began studying expository writing in preparation for their science fair research papers.

Science: In math class, 7th Graders have begun working with Integers and Rational Numbers, which include all positive and negative whole numbers, fractions and decimals.  Working with negative numbers is like experiencing “opposite day.” To help with the inevitable confusion, we are creating horizontal and vertical number lines, using thermometers, football analogies and hot air balloons.

Social Studies: In Social Studies the students have just finished learning theories about how Maine has been shaped by the formation of the continents and then a final scrub down by glaciers. During this unit they determined that glacial activity is still impacting Maine today. The rounding off of the mountains, the gravel just under the soil, the types of trees growing, and the rivers and lakes are all thanks to the giant ice sheets that advanced and then finally retreated 13,000 years ago. Students each wrote an essay describing the effect the glaciers had on our topography and how the economics of today are very dependent on what those glaciers did to our state. As we move forward, our next unit begins with the arrival of the Paleo Indians and we discover how archeological discoveries help us tell the story of how life was so many years ago. We will have a special guest visit during our North Star preview day who will share stories from the perspective of the Mi’kmaq tribe. We will further investigate the First Nations people of the Northeastern Woodlands and how they lived before Europeans settled here.

Math: In math class, 7th Graders have begun working with Integers and Rational Numbers, which include all positive and negative whole numbers, fractions and decimals.  Working with negative numbers is like experiencing “opposite day.” To help with the inevitable confusion, we are creating horizontal and vertical number lines, using thermometers, football analogies and hot air balloons.

Announcements:

After School Activities:  Late Bus Departs TMS at 5:00 daily throughout the winter sports season.

MKA: After school activities run Monday through Thursday until the late bus. Weight room is also available.  Students must have a handwritten note, an email, or a permission slip in order to attend. Monthly calendar of events is posted on the TMS Website!

After School Academy (ASA):  Students can get homework help, redo assignments and/or assessments, or just have extra work time! Each grade level meets after school on Tuesday until 4:00 and students are provided a snack.  Students need a note to stay after including a plan on how they are going home following ASA. Middle school students also have the option of attending Saturday School from 8:00-11:00 am for additional academic help and work time as well.

Chess Club: Mr. Booth is getting set to start his Chess Club. Students who are interested should check in with him for the schedule so that they can get permission from home to attend!

Box Tops for Education: Please save your Boxtops for education labels and have your students turn them in with their RAP teachers! The collection days are the last Wednesday of every month. Even if you don’t have a student at TMS, but would still like to support our students, Box Tops can be collected and dropped off in the Middle School office at your convenience!  Our Student Leadership is taking on the task of clipping and counting this year for us, thank you!

The Giving Closet: TMS and the NorthStar Program created a clothing and accessory “store” where everything is FREE. THS/TMS students are encouraged to check in with Mrs. Mastroianni, our school counselor, Mrs. Luetje, our Dean of Students or Lyndsey Smith, our 4-H Youth Mentor for an appointment! The closet will also be open during all three lunch blocks every other Thursday. Feel free to contact us for more information.

**Toiletries, hair accessories and makeup are always appreciated donations that can come through the Middle School office.

Reminders: 

Students need notes from home in order to stay after school for clubs, to attend ASA and/or to use the weight room.