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SFMS Messenger – May 2019
May 2019
From the Principal
Dear SFMS Families,
 
Can you believe it? The school year has flown by and here we are, saying goodbye to a successful school year and beginning planning already for the 2019-2020 school year. There is so much good to reflect upon this school year. We successfully opened a new school and as you will see in this issue, our students continue to engage experiences that are exercising their minds! Our learning will continue to the last day of school as we all work to finish strong.
 
Thank you for supporting your child(ren) as they learn and grow at SFMS. We are so grateful to have you as a part of our learning community!
 
Please remember that our last day of school (June 7) is now a full day of school due to the number of snow days we had this Winter.
 
Sincerely,
Amanda Pound
Interim Middle School Principal
Goodbye Career Cruising, Hello Xello!
For the past 5 years, Sheboygan Falls Middle School has been using the website Career Cruising to help students with academic and career planning. When Wisconsin State Statute 115.28(59), commonly referred to as Academic and Career Planning (ACP), went into effect last year, Career Cruising was the software platform the state provided to schools to meet this state requirement. This August, Career Cruising is becoming Xello, a much more engaging, visually appealing & easier to use website.
 
Xello’s investigative, discovery based learning process has four key parts: building self-knowledge; exploring educational and career options; creating an actionable plan to help achieve school, career & life goals; and learning & reassessing opportunities to help students develop the knowledge and skills they need to be successful in school and beyond. Just as they could with Career Cruising, students can share their Xello profiles with parents and staff for feedback and encouragement. For more information about Xello, visit
www.xello.world
. 
The registration date for the 2019-2020 school year has been set for 
Tuesday, July 30th from 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
 
Please note that registration is just ONE day and will take place at the high school. Registration notifications, forms, and payments will all be done through Infinite Campus and convenience fees are waived during July and August. 
If online registration and fee payment are completed prior to this date, the only thing that will have to done at registration will be to have your student photographed and pick up schedules/teacher assignments.
 
Students unable to attend registration day will be able to make up photos in September after school starts.
Learning within and beyond the Classroom
 
Students in Miss Beaudry’s 5th grade classes are working on opinion writing. They are currently conducting and organizing research to support the position they’ve taken on an issue. 
 
Students in Mrs. Dufoor’s 6th grade math class are conducting experiments to practice gathering and displaying data accurately. The goal for this experiment was to see how many drops of water would fit on the head of each type of coin. They did four trials for each coin, found the mean, built a data table, and answered questions about their findings. They will then use this data to create stem and leaf plots. 
 
Sharing Knowledge
 
High School CAPP Chemistry students visited SFMS to present a lab as part of their final project. The students got to feel the results of an endothermic reaction.
 
 
Community Learning and Sharing
 
Scientists from Millipore Sigma presented to Mr. Berg and Mr. Oetjen’s eighth grade science students. The students worked through a Curiosity Lab to develop a water filter. They also had a presentation on the work that Millipore Sigma does and careers in the Chemistry field.
 
Students in Mrs. Kaiser’s seventh grade science class were working on Newton’s 2nd Law Labs. Students had to create their own lab to demonstrate Newton’s 2nd Law. We also utilized our neighborhood for our testing area.
 
Students in Ms. Probst’s 5th Grade STEM classes researched tall ships as a part of their transportation unit. They are applying their knowledge of what keeps ships afloat and moving through the water to meet a design challenge. Groups are creating a pirate ship model that must meet the dimension requirement of 12″x 4″, float in a choppy sea and not sink or tip over, and not take on water, either by leak or absorption. Students have immersed themselves (pun intended) in exploring design, as well as materials and their properties, to make a successful prototype. And yes, they will be tested in actual water!
Birds of Prey
 
Sixth grade students took part in a Birds of Prey presentation done by Hoo’s Woods Raptor Center. We love being able to use our new commons area for presentations!
JAM (Jazz Appreciation Month) Concert
 
Check out the photos from the JAM concert.
Auditions for Young Actors
A Note from the Nurse
Pump up Your Brain!
 
Exercise has so many good effects on your body! It improves blood flow and memory. It can change the brain in ways to protect memory and thinking skills. Exercise stimulates chemical changes in the brain to enhance learning, mood and thinking. Try to get outside and enjoy yourself.
Calendar of Events
 
May
 
16 – 6th Grade to Sheboygan Marsh
17 – 6th Grade to Sheboygan Marsh
17 – Jazz in the Park – MS/HS Jazz Ensembles – Settlers’ Park
20 – 6th Grade to Sheboygan Marsh
21 – 6th Grade to Sheboygan Marsh
21 – 5th Grade Concert
22 – 8th Grade Band – Band Festival at the Kalahari
23 – 8th grade art fieldtrip to Milwaukee art museum 9:20-2:00
24-27 – No School – Students and Staff
28 – 5th Grade Band Parent Meeting – 6:30 p.m. – MS Auditorium
30 – Incoming 5th Grade Family Night – 5:00 p.m
30 – Band Concert – 7:00 p.m
 
June
6 – 8th Grade Recognition – 6:30p.m.- HS Auditorium
7 – Last Day of School (full day)