S H A D Y G R O V E

M I D D L E S C H O O L

~ A Message from the Principal ~

Shady Grove Matters J A N U A R Y 2 , 2 0 1 4 V O L U M E 5 , I S S U E 6

"We must always go the

second mile. When we go

the first mile, we simply

do what is required of us. It is when we go the sec-

ond mile that excellence

is achieved and minor

miracles happen."

-Deborah McGriff

A Message from Ms. Zaks

Dear Shady Grove Fam-

ilies:

Happy New Year! I

hope everyone had a

restful Holiday and

Winter Break. As we

begin 2014, it is im-

portant to reflect on 2013 and set goals and pro-

vide focus for this year. I know each of you has

had many successes and challenges personally and

professionally last year. The same sentiment is

true for your children. To welcome the chance to

begin a new year is a pleasure that we have each

January 1st. Take advantage of this opportunity to

make sure your child continues to experience Ex-

cellence for the rest of the school year.

I have been afforded the opportunity to be the

Acting Principal for the next six weeks. Thank

you for all of your support and trust in me. Please

join me in welcoming Mr. Robert Sinclair, Princi-

pal of Redland MS, as our Visiting Principal dur-

ing my Principalship. Mr. Sinclair will be the 6th

grade Administrator. We will continue to work as

a team to support our students.

Semester exams will begin on January 10th with a

school-wide review day on January 9th. The Se-

mester Exam schedule is posted on our school

website. Please make sure students have complet-

ed study guides and take advantage of additional

after-school review sessions. Our wonderful staff

has prepared students for these midyear assess-

ments and we are confident that the students have

put forth 120% into their semester exams. We

will begin the final semester on January 23rd.

Remember, this is a partnership. My goal as well

as all of the teachers, is for your child to succeed

at the highest academic level possible. You are a

huge piece to the puzzle and your support is key

in making this happen! We make a difference to-

gether by ensuring your child has a successful

school year. If you have questions or concerns,

please feel free to contact me via email, Swe-

ta_Zaks@mcpsmd.org, or phone, 301-548-7540.

~ Sweta Zaks, Acting Principal

8100 Midcounty Highway Gaithersburg, MD 20877

Call SGMS

Main Office 301-548-7540

Ms. Sweta Zaks Acting Principal

Mr. Robert Sinclair Assistant Principal

Mr. Clark Montgomery Assistant School Administrator

Content Specialist

Mr. Nick Chupka English

Mr. Rob Ferrante Social Studies

Ms. Donnie Gamble-Poole Resource Counselor Ms. Tama Hobbs

Science Ms. Cristina Maynard RTSE ED Cluster Services

Ms. Jennifer Miehle RTSE LAD

Ms. Laura Schrader Math

Ginny Singhaus PE/Arts/Technology

Ms. Rebekah Young

C o m i n g A t t r a c t i o n s

January

1 - Holiday

9 - Boys’ Basketball vs.

Lakeland Park

9 - Winter Concert

(7-9:00 PM Cafeteria)

14 - PTA Meeting

(6:00 PM)

20 - Holiday

(MLK Jr. Day)

21 - Professional Day (No

School for Students )

28 - Girls’ Basketball vs.

Redland MS

Hello Timberwolves!

My name is Mr. Sinclair

and I am so proud to be

serving your community as

visiting principal! I will be

working with you all from

January 2 until February

14, 2014 to support Mrs.

Zaks during her internship

program.

I am an educator in my 17th year of education hav-

ing taught math and computer sciences at both the

high school and the middle school levels. I have

served at Redland Middle School for 10 of the past

11 years as a teacher, resource teacher, team lead-

er, assistant principal, and now in my 6th year as

principal. As an educator I am passionate about

meeting the needs of each of our students and their

families. I pride myself on maintaining open and

proactive lines of communications with all of our

families and I welcome the opportunity to meet

and work with each of you. I believe that it is only

through a collaboration between school and home

that we can prepare our students to have the ability

to choose their future and be able to take ad-

vantage of any opportunities that come their way.

On a personal note, I am the father of two kids

who keep me on my toes and up to date with what

is happening in today’s world for kids. My son is

a 3rd grader and I have a daughter who is in 6th

grade and who just started middle school, both of

whom are enrolled in MCPS schools.

Continued on pg. 2

Dear Shady Grove Seventh Grade Students and Families,

As we encounter this winter season, I hope that you take the opportunity to rest and

continue to take care of yourselves. During winter months, as well as, during other

months, it is important that we continue to eat balanced meals and remain healthy.

Perhaps, as we enter a new calendar year, I wonder what resolutions will you make

to maintain your physical health and make healthy decisions about your academics,

extracurricular activities, and after school activities, just to mention a few.

For many of us, a new year means making new commitments and setting new goals. I hope one of your goals is to

continue to do well academically in your classes. One of the major tasks for students during the second quarter and

at the end of the first semester is preparing for first semester county wide exams, especially for our students who

are taking high school level courses. In some cases, our English Language Learners will be taking assessments,

while some of our students will be taking the Measures of Academic Performance in Reading (MAP-R). As stu-

dents prepare to take different assessments, I want to remind parents to encourage your children do their best, to

eat a well balanced breakfast, and to get plenty of rest and sleep.

Additionally, I hope that you will continue to maintain high expectations for your academic performance, to en-

gage in winter sports, and to engage in extracurricular activities. Challenge yourself to find the balance of the dif-

ferent tasks, including: completing homework, studying for assessments, engaging in different extracurricular ac-

tivities, earning high grades, and encouraging yourselves to have a positive attitude. For each of you, I hope you

find yourselves with a healthy year of continued success and doing well academically, socially, and emotionally.

All in all, have a great end to a first semester; do well on all of assessments and let us have the highest number of

students earn honor and Straight A's for this quarter, again.

Happy New Year 2014!

Best,

Clark Montgomery

Assistant School Administrator

Mr. Sinclair’s message Continued...

Working with my daughter as she has transitioned into middle school has provided me with a new insight into middle school life

and the impact of middle school on our children. As an educator I expect that each of your children receive the level of education,

attention, and respect that I expect for my children and I will work tirelessly to make that happen.

It will be my pleasure to serve the Shady Grove community and to be a part of a fantastic school as I work to support your chil-

dren’s learning and growth. Please feel free to contact me at any time by calling the school or emailing me at Rob-

ert_Sinclair@mcpsmd.org if you have any questions or concerns or if I can support you in any way.

Robert Sinclair Jr, Visiting Principal

Staff Spotlight:

Ms. Cristina Maynard, ED Cluster RTSE

For this month’s edition of Staff Spotlight we bring to you Mrs. Cristina Maynard, Program Specialist for our ED Cluster Program. Mrs. Maynard is originally from The Bronx in NYC. She has 4 chil-dren and is happily married. Mrs. Maynard has a Masters in Special Education and Human Devel-opment with a focus on Adolescents with Emo-tional and Behavioral Disabilities from The George Washington University. This is her 8th year teaching students with Emotional and Behavioral Disabilities. Her favorite animal is a turtle and she loves being a member of Latina sorority, Herman-dad de Sigma Iota Alpha Inc. Being a lover of learning, Mrs. Maynard enjoys reading and watch-ing documentaries about different cultures and countries. She enjoys Martial Arts, fashion and singing. Mrs. Maynard is excited to be a part of

the SGMS family, but on a personal note she is also excited about her own family ex-panding: Mrs. Maynard is expecting a baby girl in May!

News from the Mathematics Department

Semester exams are quickly arriving!

The middle school level courses do a variety of things during this time, such as big projects, team collaboration, and assessments. If your child

is taking a semester exam, the teacher will inform them. Please make sure your child is in school for these days.

The high school level courses (Algebra and Geometry only) must give a secure, standardized county exam administered to all students in these courses in Montgomery County. This exam is a timed- 2 hour- exam. The grade on this exam factors into their course grade. Students must earn a C or higher on the exam in order to demonstrate mastery. It is vital that students are here during their assigned exam time. Please refer

to the Shady Grove website to reference exam days.

All students in Algebra and Geometry were given a semester exam review packet issued by the county. You child should have completed and understood all the questions contained in this packet. Most all concepts in the review packet will be on the exam. Your child is welcome and

encouraged to attend the afterschool exam reviews held on January 7th and January 9th from 3-4 pm with Mrs. Baxter and Mrs. Defibaugh.

S H A D Y G R O V E M A T T E R S

News from the 8th Grade Team Semester Exams are Coming – Be Prepared Semester Exams begin on Friday, January 10 and run through Wednesday, January 15. It is likely that your child will have several exams and NOW is the time to begin preparing. How? Here are a few sug-gestions:

Begin by organizing all notebooks, handouts, and other class materials Prioritize:

Order the courses from most to least challenging Also be aware of which courses are for High School Credit

Start by reviewing the material in the most challenging courses Review all tests and quizzes from quarters 1 & 2 Review notes, vocabulary, and important handouts

In addition to regularly scheduled homework, make time every night to review materials from at least one course

Check Edline regularly for HW, grades, study guides and other review materials Don’t wait until exam week to begin studying. Success begins NOW!

The “Sponsor a Child” Program Needs Your Support The “Sponsor a Child” program is intended to ensure that every student has the opportunity to attend the celebratory 8th Grade Cruise. The cost of the trip will be around $60 per student. The “Sponsor a Child” program will help offset the cost for students who require financial aid. After winter break, stu-dents will receive permission slips and the collection process will begin. However, many students do not have the financial resources to attend and nearly 1/3 of our students may need partial or full financial aid to attend. That is where the “Sponsor a Child” program makes a big difference. Please contact Mr. Hull if you’d like a “Sponsor a Child” form. Our goal this year is $3000. We currently need to raise another $1700 to meet that goal. If you or someone you know would like to donate, it would be greatly appreciat-ed. Thank you in advance for your support! Submitted by Mr. Hull Teacher: Advanced US History 8, LCL!

News from the Social Studies Department Semester Exams Semester exams will begin Friday, January 10 and end Wednesday, January 15, 2013. What will each grade level do in their social studies classes during this time?

6th grade does not have a semester exam. Instead they will be working on a civilization simulation where they create their own civilizations based on the model described in class. Students have analyzed 7 civilizations both to understand what a civilization is and to get ideas for their own civilization. Then students will analyze other student’s civilizations as historians to practice their historical thinking skills learned in first quarter.

7th grade will be having an Africa test during the exam block. The test will include all that has been covered so far during

quarter 2.

8th Grade social studies students will all be taking a county semester exam. The exam will be cumulative and based on all the skills and concepts covered in Advanced US History thus far this year. It is important that students be prepared. Here is the timeline to help your child prepare:

Friday, January 2: all 8th graders will receive two Semester 1 Study Guides: County Review Packet: Includes all the topics and skills students should know Semester Exam Study Guide: A teacher made packet that kids must complete

Mon-Thur January 6-9: Extra review will be made available during 8th grade lunch for students who are serious about this exam or need extra help

Wed-Thur, January 8-9: Review in class It is crucial that all students are in attendance on January 8-9 for review

Thursday January 9: After school review w/Mr. Hull Friday, January 11: 8th grade semester exams begin

Note: Ms. Dalkiewicz’s 8th graders are welcome to attend Mr. Hull’s review sessions during lunch and after school. It is very important that all students study for this exam, especially during the week of January 6th. Please contact your child’s history teacher if you have any questions. ------------------------------------------------------------- The Geo-Bee The Geography Bee has been taking place in all Social Studies during the month of December. Students compete to be the winner in their class as they answer a series of geography questions. Each class will have a winner and a runner up. Winners will earn a “Got History” T-shirt. The winners will also attend the school wide Geo-Bee after break to determine the school winner (If any class win-ners are out the day of the competition, the runner up for that class will compete instead). The school wide winner will then take a geography test to see if they qualify to compete with other students in our county. From there they will have an opportunity for the state wide Geo-Bee and then the national competition beyond that. We have had Shady Grove students go on to higher competitions in the past. Good luck Shady Grove!!! Submitted by Mr. Hull Teacher: Advanced US History 8

A messages from the English Department It’s that time of the year again! Before long, students will be tackling first semester exams. Whether the exam is taken for high-school credit or is simply a teacher-created exam specifically for one class, exams are an important part of the school experience. To ensure your child is ready to give his/her best on exam days, work together to enact the following strategies: 1. Start studying now! Cramming for exams is an ineffective studying method and even when it does translate to a decent test score, it rarely

helps students actually retain the material for future use. Studying for smaller increments everyday ensures more frequent interaction with the material to be assessed, and it is often much less stressful on students.

2. Going through your binder and pulling out materials to study is a component of studying itself! Going back through the first two quarters of

work, pulling out assignments that relate to topics for the semester exam, and reviewing performance and feedback on these assessments is just one way to study/review material that has been covered during the semester. While completing this task, keep a running list of topics and skills that you still remember well and those you need to revisit to help you prioritize your studying needs.

3. Take opportunities to study with others! You can get more done in less time when multiple minds are at work. Studying with friends can also

break-up the monotony of studying alone. BUT BEWARE! Studying with friends who often get you off-task will result in nothing but lost time. Be sure to work with friends who will stay focused and productive.

4. Ask questions now! The day before an exam is not the time to ask for extra help on a concept from Quarter 1 that you still don’t understand.

Ask your teachers now for help so they can give you practice, feedback on that practice, and then more opportunities to practice again after the feedback.

5. Get a good night’s rest and eat a healthy breakfast before the exam! Middle-school students should be getting at least nine hours of sleep a

night regularly, but this is even more important when the energy to complete a lengthy test is needed. And while we are talking about energy,

be sure to eat a breakfast of whole grains and fruits to give your body the energy it needs to stay focused and productive. Sugary drinks and

foods during the morning only increase the likelihood that you will feel tired as the day goes on.

A Message from the 7th Grade Team

As the holiday season draws to a close, the end of the 1st semester is near. This is a wonderful time to review grades on Edline and meet with

teachers to make up any missing assignments. Semester exams will begin on January 10th and study guides will be given to students right after

winter break. Students are encouraged to study hard, and to prepare themselves physically for the exams by getting plenty of sleep and eating

breakfast before school.