BLACKSBURG MIDDLE SCHOOL “WILDCAT NEWS”

March 22, 2019

Principal: Mrs. Melody Bradley 101 London Drive

Blacksburg, SC 29702 Phone: (864) 206-6829

Fax: (864) 839-2390 http://wwww.cherokee1.k12.sc.us/bms

DATES TO REMEMBER March 25-29—Book Fair March 26—Art Expo March 26—7th Grade to Skateland March 28—3rd Qtr. ROAR Celebration; Parent/Teacher Conf. 3:30-7:00PM March 28—Last Day to Purchase a Yearbook $45 CASH ONLY March 29—Regular School Day (Make-Up Day) March 29—PE Field Trip to Big E April 19—Spring Fling Dance 6-8 PM May 29—Regular School Day (Make-Up Day) June 4—1/2 Day of School

It’s almost that time again...end of the year assessments are just around the corner when we return from Spring Break. It is hard to believe the school year is almost com-plete, and your student will be moving to the next grade level before we hardly have a chance to blink. I want to see all of our students finish strong. Your support and en-couragement is critical to this accomplishment and to complete the end of the year assessments well. From now until test time, I will be including test taking tips in our newsletters. Please read them carefully and help your child be prepared for a strong finish! Taking Tests *Does your child get nervous when taking tests? *Does your child sometimes run out of time? *Does your child have a hard time answering essay questions? *Are your test grades lower than you’d like them to be? If you or your child answered yes to any of these questions, he or she could benefit from reviewing strategies that will help improve their confidence and help them choose the right answers. There will be more information to follow in the next newsletter, so stay tuned for test taking tips.

STATE TESTING DATES English I EOC: Writing- May 9th

SC READY ELA: Day 1- May 15th SC READY ELA: Day 2- May 16th

SC READY Math- May 21st SC PASS: Social Studies- May 22nd (7th gr) SC PASS: Science- May 22nd (6th & 8th gr)

Algebra I EOC - May 23rd

OUTER BANKS INFO

The final payment for the Outer Banks trip is due

March 26th.

Please send your payment to:

Group Travel PO Box 2651

Hickory, NC 28603

The Cherokee County Art Expo will be held on Tuesday,

March 26th, at Gaffney High School. Please make plans

to join us as we celebrate the talents of our students.

There will be artwork, music, and singing. We hope to

see you there!

HEALTH & WELLNESS INFORMATION

1. The district Health and Wellness policy can be found on our school website.

2. Any stakeholder interested in participating on our District Wellness Policy Review Team should contact Christina Cody at christi-na.cody@cherokee1.org. FCA NEWS

During the month of April, the Blacksburg Middle School FCA will be collecting products for the Cherokee Children’s Home.

Items Needed: paper towels, napkins, paper plates, plastic spoons, forks, snack bags, sand-wich bags, toilet paper, anything else you would like to donate

This was a huge success last year and we anticipate a greater outcome this year.

Items can be turned in to the front office.

Spring Fling Dance

When: Friday, April 19th Where: Blacksburg Middle School Gym Time: 6:00-8:00 PM Cost: $5 (Includes 2 slices of pizza, drink, & dessert)

Dress attire will be Sunday best! The CCSD Dress Code will be enforced. Money due by April 17th. No money will be taken at the door.

ATTENTION PARENTS OF CURRENT 6TH GRADERS Time is running out to turn in your Tdap vaccine records. It is important to have these or a verified Tdap appointment date turned in before school is out for the summer. Information has been sent home about this throughout this school year. Please call the nurse ASAP with

information regarding this.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Due to the importance of having fully charged laptops at school the days of testing, we will be keeping all stu-dents' laptops at school the day before the tests. The school will make sure that laptops are fully charged on the days that we take SC PASS and SC READY, which will help your child in making sure they have what

they need the day of testing.

On the following days students will leave their laptops at school: May 14th, May 15th, May 20th, May 21st.

8th grade students who take English I and Algebra I will also need to leave their computers on the following days for their End of Course (EOC) Exam:

English I: May 8th and May 27th Algebra I: May 22nd

On these days, they will not have any assignments that require the use of a computer.

Students will not be able to use a cordless mouse on the day of testing. They need to practice using the mouse pad on their laptop so that they will be comfortable using it during testing! Please try not to make appoint-

ments during testing days and be on time for school each day!

Snack Attack When your child bursts through the door after school or activities, she'll probably want something to eat.

Try these tips for healthy snacks that will give her energy to play and finish homework.

Stock the kitchen Whatever is in the house is what your child will eat- so shop with that in mind. Get interesting fruits and veggies in different colors. Buy mango or peach salsa, and let your child dip in veggie sticks. Stock popcorn to air pop. Then offer choices to allow, but by shopping for healthy foods, at least she'll be choosing from healthy foods. Have your pre-teen or teen try some healthy recipes from one of the cooking TV shows. This will give them some responsibility in building a healthy menu for home, and will most definitely

Career Corner for March “Automotive Service Technician/Mechanic”

Automotive service technicians and mechanics, often called “service technicians or service techs,” inspect, maintain, and repair cars, trucks, and RVs. Physical strength is an important quality.

Skills/Characteristics: Mathematics, electronics, automotive repair, mechanical, organizational, troubleshooting, and customer service skills.

Training: High School-School courses in automotive repair, electronics, computers, and mathematics provide a good background for prospective service technicians. However, high school graduates may need further training. Completing a vocational or other postsecondary education program in automotive service technology is consid-ered the best preparation for entry-level positions. Various automobile manufacturers and dealers sponsor asso-ciate’s degree programs. Industry certification is usually required once the person is employed.

The job: Identify problems, often by using computerized diagnostic equipment, plan work procedures, using charts, technical manuals, and experience, test parts and systems to ensure that they work properly, follow check-lists to ensure that all critical parts are examined, perform basic care and maintenance, repair or replace worn parts, perform repairs to manufacturer and customer specifications, and explain automotive problems and repairs to clients. They work in well-ventilated and well-lit repair shops. Although technicians often identify and fix auto-motive problems with computers, they commonly work with greasy parts and tools, sometimes in uncomfortable positions.

Wages: 19.02 per hour, median annual wage is $39,550 per year (more if experienced)

Outlook: Employment for automotive service technician and mechanics is projected to grow 6% from 2016 to 2026, about as fast as the average of all occupations. Job opportunities for qualified applicants should be very good, whether they obtained their knowledge through education or experience. Many job openings will be in automobile dealerships and independent repair shops, where most service technicians currently work.