Spartan HeraldSpartan Herald

Dear Milwee Family,

Public education is facing many challenges during a time that high accountability and student performance is not only encouraged, but expected. This election year, there are many items on the ballot, and all of them deserve your careful consideration. One item on the ballot focuses on Seminole County Public School and will be applied to critical needs such as: attracting and retaining highly qualified teachers, enhancing career

and vocational education programs to help students get jobs, preserving outstanding student academic, athletics and arts programs, ensuring student

excel by providing up-to-date technology for computer-based testing and maintenance and repairing of aging school facilities and buses. If the

community wishes to maintain the same level of programs and services, action must take place.

Parents, teachers, staff and students are encouraged to get involved now, before decisions are made and it is too late to

voice your support or cast your vote. You may be wondering what a “mill” is as it relates to the referendum. Attend

School Board Meetings or contact your PTSA President, Heather Bryant, to find out what is happening in

Seminole County Public Schools. Information is power and the more information you have, the

better off our community. Education is key to casting an informed vote. Get the facts and

you will see why it is vitally important to vote, whether absentee, early voting

or on November 6, Election Day.

Best regards,Michelle Walsh

A Message FromThe Principal

1341 Ronald Reagan Blvd South,

Longwood, FL 32750

Office: 407-746-3850

www.milwee.scps.k12.fl.us/

Milwee Middle School

Home Of The Spartans

SCPS Pre-IB and Pre-Engineering Magnet

November 2012Volume 5

Issue 1

Administration

Principal-Dr. Michelle Walsh

Asst. Principal - Kellie Cashion Asst. Principal - Ken Viola

Deans - Luis Alvarado (A-L) Susan Sharpe (M-Z) Brandon Hanshaw (7th grade administrator)

Guidance Couselors - April McManus (A-L) Debra Wolfrum (M-Z)

Milwee Middle School is Committedto Bully Prevention!

Milwee Middle School join’s the UpStander’s: Stand Up to Bullying Initiative Milwee Middle School has joined forces with the Holocaust Memorial Resource and Education Center of Florida to provide our students with this unique program. The UpStanders: Stand Up to Bullying initiative is a multifaceted program that uses the history and lessons of the Holocaust, in particular the stories of the Rescuers or Righteous Gentiles, to inspire students to become UpStanders rather than bystanders. Students are taught how and when to intervene in bullying situations. The goal is to make the community one in which diversity is celebrated and everyone feels respected and safe. The initiative features a two-year, five-part curriculum that is delivered during the 7th and 8th grade years. Beginning in September, our 7th graders had the opportunity to visit the Holocaust Memorial Resource and Education Center of Florida to hear the stories of the victims and heroes of the Holocaust. In December, students will attend a school wide presentation by John Halligan whose 13 year old son committed suicide as a result of bullying. After the presentation students will have the opportunity to ask Mr. Halligan questions about how to help others from being victims of bullying. In February, students will participate in a class presentation by Mitch Bloomer, the Holocaust Center’s resource teacher.

Congratulations to Milwee Middle School UpStander Leadership Team Last year the Seminole County Public Schools in partnership with The Holocaust Center launched a leadership and bullying prevention initiative for middle school students. District middle school students selected for the program were invited to participate in Bullying Prevention Summits during the 2011-2012 school year. This year 9 students will represent Milwee Middle School at the Bullying Prevention Summit to be held at Winter Springs High School on October 30. These students will spend the day working with counselors and other students to learn leadership skills and strategies, such as tolerance and positive communication, to become UpStanders to bullying rather than bystanders. They will take these valuable skills back to Milwee to teach other students how to be UpStanders. Congratulations to the 2012-2013 Milwee Middle School UpStanders: Briana Torbert, Rave

Saine, LuQuane Bannis, Eric Caballero, Rebecca Gut, Ricardo Valle, Tyvonte Wright, Thomas Barcza and Roosevelt Sealey.

To download a PDF version of this newsletter, go to

http://academypublishing.com/schools/milwee/milwee.php 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Positively Positive People

Milwee Middle School recognizes students who make

good choices?

Are you putting forthgood effort?

Are you trying your best?Do you sometimes go out of

your way to help others?

If these things describe you...be careful...you might just get a Positive Referral! Teachers are on the lookout for students who are taking the extra step to make Milwee a positive place to learn. If you get a Positive Referral your parent will be notified of the great choices you are making. Students will also be invited to a quarterly celebration during which you can enjoy good food, good fun and even get a chance to win prizes! In addition, each month 9 students who stand out as the best of the best will be selected to attend a special lunch with our principal, Dr. Walsh! So be sure to make good choices so you can be caught being good and earn a Positive Referral! Here’s a challenge…….let’s see which grade can earn the most positive referrals for a special prize. Come on 6th, 7th and 8th graders….prove to everyone that your class is the best!

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Guidance DepartmentEighth Grade Parents All eighth grade students on a standard diploma received a booklet from the Choices Department the first week in October. This booklet contains information on the four high school magnet programs in Seminole County. Any student interested in applying must submit an application by the established deadline date. The application can be found in the back of the booklet and online at the county website (www.seminoleschoolchoices.com). The window for applications is October 1st – December 1st. All applications received during the application period are given the same priority within the random selection process. Each program also has an open house. All dates and contact numbers are listed in the booklet. Students who lose their material will need to go to the website and print out the information and application. These programs offer our students wonderful opportunities in specialized areas! Students zoned for Lyman and interested in applying to the Institute of Engineering must complete an application. All eighth grade students will attend an information session on campus Friday, October 12th during their history class.

Attendance Students are required to provide an excuse note within 2 days of returning from an absence. Excuse notes should be given to the front office or 1st period teacher. Students who acquire 5 unexcused absences within a 30 day period will receive an attendance referral for truancy.

Grades The first quarter ends October 18th. Please monitor your child’s grades and communicate with the teachers if you see there are concerns. Conferences with teachers may be scheduled by calling the front office (Ms. Perez). Maureen Michaels, attendance secretary, may assist you with the registration process for the parent monitoring system, SKYWARD. Students must pass all core academics and achieve an overall 2.0 grade point average for promotion to the next grade.

Family Assistance Parents who find their family in transition or experiencing hardship may contact the guidance department for assistance with a weekly food backpack, resource list, school supplies, or referral to the school social worker, Nickolas Davis. Mr. Ken Lieberman, a licensed mental health counselor is also available for assistance. You may email him or call him at 407-746-3817. Parents may also contact a guidance counselor to register a student for small counseling groups in social skills or anger management starting 2nd semester.

All students/last names A-L -April McManus All students/last names M-Z- Debra Wolfrum

Health Students finished up on two weeks of teen suicide prevention, mental and social health and personal health. Coming up we will focus on nutrition, fitness and eating disorders. Our classes will be taking part in Fuel up to play 60 challenges as well as Hoops for heart.

Free Tutoring Free Tutoring is available to any student who scored a Level 1 or 2 on FCAT. Please call 407-746-3850 for more information or pick up an application in the front office. Additional information is available at http: www.scps.us/title1/home/sesfreetutoring.aspx

Calendar of EventsOctober 26

Fall Dance

Oct. 31- Nov. 6Scholastic Book Fair

November 1Magnet Night

November 12-16American Education Week

November 13Teach In

November 21-23No School

December 8Lego Robotics Competition

December 18Band Concert-at Lyman 7:00

December 19-21Early Dismissal 1:50

December 22-January 8 Winter Break

January 9Classes Resume

January 21School System Closed

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Language Arts Department Your child is part of the Pre-Engineering Magnet Program where he/she is advancing through a Language Arts curriculum that features a creative and innovative approach to this concept. Keep in mind- Pre-Engineering isn’t just about math and science. This curriculum is rigorous and emphasizes independent study, in-depth learning, and accelerated curriculum. Across 6th, 7th, and 8th grade classes, weekly routines have been well established. Students are writing across the disciplines, creating academic vocabulary notebooks, participating in classbuilding/teambuilding activities, responding to Higher-Level Questions, and producing quality work! Students are thinking, designing, and creating like engineers. They are slowly becoming proficient in the following:• Hands-on real world projects• Basic design principles and related concepts• Essential critical thinking skills• Problem solving skills creativity

Engineering Projects for the 1st Quarter are:6th Grade: “Team Up”Students team up to build a structure using their collective creativity, effective communication skills, and pipe cleaners.7th Grade: “Your Foot, My Foot”Students will measure the length of a tape line using their own feet. Do this by walking heel to toe along the tape and counting the number of “foot” lengths from end-to-end. Why is it important to use standard units for measuring?8th Grade:”Mining for Chocolate”Students will create a process for extracting the valuable resource of chocolate chips from a cookie while dealing with constraints on time, materials, and environmental” impact.

Civics QR Codes! Digital Story Books! Interactive Timelines! These are just some of the activities our 7th graders have completed during the first quarter. We learned about the rights and responsibilities of a citizen, as well as the different forms of government and now we have moved onto understanding why exactly the

Declaration of Independence was written. We will begin next quarter really diving into the Constitution and using our world around us to find real-

life examples of how the Bill of Rights works for us every day. That will lead us to take a closer look at the three branches of

government and really investigate that their functions are while investigating if it would be possible

for our government to continue if one of the branches was missing. We have

an action packed nine weeks ahead of us!

Immunization RequirementCurrent 6th Grade Students

All current 6th grade students are required to update immunization records before entering 7th grade. State law requires all students to get a TDAP shot by this deadline. Please call Dorothy Blake, guidance secretary, if you have questions. Students are not allowed to enter 7th grade without this state required update.

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Math Department Our 6th graders are so excited about math and motivated to learn! In our standard classes we are finishing up Unit 1 in our Spring Board curriculum and will begin Unit 2 at the close of the first quarter. Our students are tracking their learning on a large poster in each of our rooms. This is helping to ensure that they understand what they should know and when it was taught. This method of progress monitoring is increasing levels of student performance and responsibility. The Advanced/SCPS Pre-IB classes have studied both decimals and fractions in depth. We have solved many real-world problems which required our classes to divide and multiply both forms of the numbers. Before the end of the grading period, we will be well into data analysis and the measures of central tendency. The 6th Grade GEM classes have become fully immersed in this exciting year of preparation for high school math. They have covered integers, algebra properties, rational numbers, and are currently starting linear equations. GEMS students are also finishing up the first Virtual Bridge on Rates and Ratios. Students should spend at least half an hour a week maneuvering through the online textbook, watching videos, and taking quizzes to check for understanding. Earlier this quarter, we introduced the county’s new online testing software Discovery Education when our students took their first of three progress-monitoring tests. We are utilizing this software for in our classes with a series of teacher created assessments that will allow students to test on a specific skill after it has been taught in order to measure their level of understanding. We expect students to improve their level of mastery of the math skills as we readdress the skills during future lessons. The 8th Grade Standard Math classes are moving right along throughout the second investigation of Springboard! Concepts covered thus far have included Patterns, Exponents, Decimals, Operations with Fractions, Rational and Irrational Numbers, Writing Expressions and Equations, and Solving Equations! We will be finishing Investigation 2 with Properties and Formulas, Solving Multi-step Equations, and Solving and Graphing Inequalities. In Algebra Standard and Algebra Honors, students will be focusing on linear and nonlinear equations through writing, solving, and graphing. The Geometry Honors students will work on relationships within triangles. It is in every student’s best interest to study and complete all in-class assignments, homework, and online assignments to be successful in algebra and geometry honors. Through practice, students will be successful. In mathematics, students are expected to master each skill so that future skills can be built upon a solid foundation. A critical part of this process is practice through problem solving and homework. We appreciate your continued support by encouraging your child to complete his or her homework in a timely manner. We would like to thank parents for making your child’s experience at Milwee Middle School both positive and successful.

ESE The ESE teachers would like to encourage ESE students to take a more active approach is keeping themselves organized with assignments and due dates. Many ESE students keep a special homework notebook, program dates/assignments into their cell phones, and keep a close eye on teachers’ websites for upcoming events. Parents can help by logging onto Skyward to view class work and test grades. Middle school students can now log on in their own accounts. This is an excellent way for students to take charge of their progress. Often we find that students are completing work but just are not taking the initiative to turn it in on time. Though most ESE students receive flexible scheduling (extra time) it should not mean that the students should take the opportunity to fall behind. The IEP accommodations are set forth to support the students’ disabilities, not to encourage a lack of responsibility. Please discuss educational responsibility with your student. They have the most important role to play in their own education.

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Science The science Department is off to a good start! This year we will be infusing engineering throughout the curriculum by doing engineering projects that build throughout the year. Here are some exciting things to come in science: 6th Grade: We will be continuing our study of the Earth by exploring plate tectonics and geologic time. On December 3 and 4 we are planning a fieldtrip to Lake Lotus to visit a program called the science incubator. This field trip is free of charge but we need parent chaperones. If you are interested, please contact your child’s science teacher so they can give you the details. We will also be continuing our Engineering project of designing and building a weather station. During these nine weeks, students will design and build a model of their own weather station. 7th grade: We will be delving into the incredible world of ourselves and how they change constantly. We will be studying the human body and factors that affect the body. Students will also continue to investigate their biome and how humans affect that biome in preparation for designing their sustainability city. 8th grade: Science students in 8th grade have been studying force, motion, acceleration and Newton’s Laws. They will end their study by designing their own “crash test” cars to see if they could design a car that would keep an egg from breaking as it ran into a concrete wall.

Reading Department We have 2 Milwee students who won the SCPS Summer Reading Initiative. Kaley Kennedy and Hampton Parker both are winners in the Summer Reading Initiative and received gift cards for Barnes and Noble. Also Dr. Phillips and Mrs. Geary have started a Milwee Book Club. Currently, we have 93 members and 74 of them are registered to read a Sunshine State Book. We encourage you to read along with your students. Please visit our site at milweebookclub.weeby.com. If you would like to sign up, please make sure you use the drop box and click on “parent.” I’m sure your children can help you with this.

Seminole CountySheriff Office

Crossing Guard CornerSafety Tid Bit

Did You Know…? Children think if they see a moving vehicle, it obviously sees them. As we all know, this gives them a false sense of security. When the crossing guards are present, they will make sure to secure the intersection prior to allowing the students to advance. Let your child know that it is very important to wait until all traffic has stopped and stays stopped before they cross the street. Have them look left, right, left prior to crossing the street. They also need to point down at the crosswalk to advise motorist to take note that they need to use the crosswalk. This is a simple safety skill that we all need to teach our kids. Stay Sharp and Stay Safe!

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Engineering News The students in Automation and Robotics class have been busy! Surprisingly, these students took off by making robotic arms and hands. They use the design process and begin to build a knowledge base as we move into computer programming for the different mechanisms that will be created to solve everyday problems. Working in groups, teamwork and a sense of unity has developed among the students. Our motto is, “ENGINEERS CAN DO ANYTHING!” The 7th grade engineering students have all been concentrating on learning and using the engineering design process. Students in the Design and Modeling class have used the process to complete the marshmallow challenge, design a table or chair and to make their skimmer cars. We will be moving into sketching and dimensioning, and the students will finish up the semester by learning to use AutoCAD inventor, and completing several drawings on the industry program. The SECME students started off making a children’s book or game that can be used to teach the engineering design process to elementary students. We then moved to studying Newton’s Laws of Motion and the students designed and built “egg” crash safety devices. They also designed and built balloon cars. In the next couple of months they will be designing and building water towers for the AAWA water tower competition which is being held at UCF on November 10. Next we will begin designing and building all of the items they will take to SECME competition in February. On October 11, ten of the SECME students went to the Coronado hotel for an engineering night and worked side by side with engineers to design and build a replica of a Cummins Engine. Artificial Intelligence and Mobile Robotics students have programmed their robots to go through a maze, to flash their initials in Morse code and to draw their initials, using subroutines and loops. They will start using line sensors and improving program structure. In LEGO Robotics, the students designed and built robots to stack cups on a target, and will soon learn more programming skills and to use sensors to find a target.

Yearbook The 2013 SPARTAN yearbook is currently on sale for $35.00. This is the same price that we have had for the last ten years! How many products can you say they cost the same as 10 years ago? You can order your students yearbook in 3 ways: 1st - You can go on the Milwee web site and on the home page there’s a link button that says, “Click here to buy your yearbook”. 2nd - You should have received a mail out from Jostens Publishing Co. with information to buy your SPARTAN yearbook. Just follow the directions on the mail out. 3rd - You can contact Yearbook Adviser Mr. Sherwood in building 10, room 017 or email him at: mark_sherwood@scps.k12.fl.us to buy one at school. Mr. Sherwood has to turn in the final count of yearbook orders to Jostens by March. Last year students put off ordering their yearbooks and when the yearbooks were delivered in May they sold out immediately and that meant many a sad student. So the moral of the story is ORDER YOUR YEARBOOK TODAY!

Spartan HeraldSpartan Herald

Milwee Middle School Home Of The Spartans

Milwee Middle School Home Of The Spartans

Milwee Middle SchoolPre-Engineering Magnet1341 S. Ronald Regan Blvd.Longwood, FL 32750

Non - ProfitOrganization

U.S. Postage PaidOrlando, FL

Permit No. 2346

Sign up for The Club to support SCPS!• For each sign-up/unique email address, Altamonte Mall will donate .50 cents to Seminole

County Public Schools. This should be new Club sign-ups only. If the person is already a Club member the sign-up cannot be counted towards the goal. Anyone 13 or older is eligible to sign up.

• An additional incentive of signing up for The Club is each quarter GGP gives out a $5,000 shopping spree to a lucky Club member.

• This is an email only Club program, email address must be entered.• Altamonte Mall never gives out or sells the email lists. This is only used for the purpose of

informing loyal shoppers of sales, coupons, and events at the mall. Sometimes we even send out emails that are good for free gift cards.

• Please complete the form and return to the front office. It will be given to Altamonte Mall.

First Lego League

On September 22nd, thirteen robotics teams from Seminole County Public schools gathered at Milwee's Robotics Fun Day. The students were challenged to build and program robots to race along a dark track using light sensors, to drop cups on a target and to overcome other robots in a Sumobot competition. The judging was ably done by students from Lyman High School's robotics team. The teams also took part in a Teamwork judg-ing event, similar to what they would experience in a formal tourna-ment. The next event will be December 8 at Milwee!