UPCOMING EVENTS OCTOBER 31, 2014

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1 Weekly Newsletter of South Charlotte Middle School OCTOBER 31, 2014 UPCOMING EVENTS 10/31 Teacher Workday 11/3 HOME Softball vs. AG 11/6 Fall Sports Banquet 11/7 Report Cards 11/12-13 Winter Sports Sign-ups

2 Mrs. Stewart ESL Teacher I am Mrs. Stewart and I am excited to be at South Charlotte Middle School this year teaching ESL (English as a Second Language). I have been in Charlotte for almost 9 years and have been with CMS for 7 years. I am originally from Pittsburgh, PA where I graduated from the University of Pittsburgh and subsequently received my teaching certificates from Seton Hill University in Greensburg, PA. After marrying my husband and moving overseas I taught for the Department of Defense Schools in the Netherlands and Turkey. I ve also had the honor to be the director and trainer for the Air Force Child Care Services both overseas and in the states. Although this is my first year as a teacher at South Charlotte Middle School, I am proud to say this is my 7 th year as a Shocker, a 6-year Shocker mom prior to this. My husband and I have three great children who attend South Meck., Collin (SR), Samantha (JR) and Trevor (FR). When I am not busy with the kids I like to go camping, garden and relax with a good book.

3 YEARBOOK INFO UPDATE Parents, today your child will be coming home with a yearbook order form. If it is blank, your child does not have a yearbook ordered and you will need to go online to to make sure your child will receive a 2015 yearbook. If your child brings home a form with his/her name written in red, a yearbook has been ordered; however, we are giving you the opportunity to order enhancements. The enhancements include extra autograph insert pages, as well as your child s name and up to four icons on the cover. You will need to go online and purchase the enhancements at the website listed above. If you have any questions, please contact Mary Anne Seaman at mary.seaman@cms.k12.nc.us. Dear CMS parent, October marks the official beginning of flu and virus season. This time of year, it is not uncommon to begin seeing increased numbers of flu and viral infections across the state and nation. There has been a lot of media attention to viral infections this year, particularly the Enterovirus D68, which has turned up across the country and in North Carolina. It is our practice as a district to be proactive in an effort to keep all students healthy and we wanted to share some information and suggestions for avoiding viruses. Enterovirus infections are very common it s estimated that as many as 10 million to 15 million infections occur each year. There are no specific medical treatments for viruses, so prevention is the best strategy. Symptoms can mimic those of colds or flu, including runny nose, coughing, fever and aches. Here are some suggestions for preventing the spread of flus and viruses: Wash hands frequently with soap and water, especially before eating. Avoid touching eyes, nose, and mouth. Cough or sneeze into a sleeve or elbow, not hands. Disinfect frequently touched surfaces. Keep your child home when he or she is fevered or feeling sick. Establish a contingency plan for keeping a sick child at home or picking him or her up from school so you are prepared if illness strikes. Keep your child at home for at least 24 hours after he or she is free of fever without the use of feverreducing medications. Talk with your healthcare provider about annual seasonal flu vaccines. As is our practice, we are monitoring school attendance for indications of widespread illness. Thus far, we have not seen reasons for concern. Should that change, we will share additional information with you. Our goal is to educate every child, every day, for a better tomorrow and a safe, healthy school environment is very important to us. Thank you for choosing CMS for your family.

4 CLASSics Ms. Butler s Honors Dance Class SCMS Honors Dance took the stage on Wednesday October 22nd for Gold Patron Appreciation Night. After weeks of rehearsing for their 2nd big performance of the year, the dancers electrified the stage in their performance of Lights and Thunder. The dancers also created their own choreography in small groups which was performed in the dance Waves. Stay tuned for their next performance, you won t want to miss it!

5 A Healthier You Let us take steps to encourage our South Charlotte Middle School family to be the best we can be. Please share your favorite fitness/health app, heart-healthy family recipe and student/family active fitness photos by ing entries to Congratulations to Mr. Whitney s Class! They were the Q1 winners of the Homebase Fitness Challenge with 1630 points so each student received a gift card from Nothing But Noodles Mrs. Titus s homebase was 2 nd by just under 300 pts. The second semester challenge begins on November 3 rd. The winning homebase will receive a reward from Newk s Cafe. Remember to help your homebase by having a parent Ms. Kissmann about the 2 fitness activities your family did together during the week to earn 10 active family points. Try this for a healthy football tailgate: Apple Turkey Burger on a Whole-Wheat Bun Ingredients 12 ounce(s) turkey, lean ground 1 medium apple(s), Granny Smith, cored, chopped 1/2 teaspoon coriander, ground 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper, black ground 6 ounce(s) cranberry sauce 4 small hamburger buns, whole-wheat 2 cup(s) lettuce, romaine, chopped 1 1/2 cup(s) tomato(es), chopped 1/2 cup(s) onion(s), chopped Make Slow Cooker Sausage-Stuffed Peppers Preparation 1. Preheat broiler. 2. Mix together turkey, apple, coriander, salt, pepper, and cranberry sauce until thoroughly combined. Form turkey mixture into four patties. 3. Place turkey burgers on the unheated rack of a broiler pan. Broil 4 to 5 inches from the heat for minutes or until no longer pink (165 F/74C), turning once halfway through broiling time. 4. For gas grill, preheat grill. Reduce heat to medium. Place turkey burgers on the grill rack over heat. Cover and grill as above. 5. Place opened bun on each plate. Top with cooked turkey burger, lettuce, chopped tomato and chopped onion. Cover with other half of bun. Nutritional Info (Per serving): Calories: 311, Saturated Fat: 2g, Sodium: 284mg, Dietary Fiber: 6g, Total Fat: 8g, Carbs: 47g, Cholesterol: 50mg, Protein: 16g Carb Choices: 2.5 Hauser, Annie. "Healthy Recipe." EverydayHealth.com. Web. 21 Oct Health and Fitness Apps Lose It incorporates both a Health and Fitness component. It is an app for meal tracking. As you enter in each item that you eat, it subtracts the calories from your total allotted daily caloric allowance. The app also provides you with information about the nutritional value of each item. As you log in your exercise, it deducts the calories burned from your daily allowance. ***Remember, however, that calories for your body are like gas for a car. You have to have calories to be able to function normally throughout the day, to be able to respond appropriately and safely in an emergency situation and for your body to be able to make reparations for injury and illness. It is not healthy to eat less than the number of recommended daily calories for you. Rather, if you like to eat, as I do, exercise can allow you to continue to enjoy the occasional indulgent foods.

6 A Healthier You Let us take steps to encourage our South Charlotte Middle School family to be the best we can be. Please share your favorite fitness/health app, heart-healthy family recipe and student/family active fitness photos by ing entries to I normally do not post school or club sport photos on this page, but I haven t received many photos lately of our students and their families participating in physical activities outside of school. If you did any breast cancer walk/runs, Big South 5k or are planning on a Halloween run or Turkey Trot please remember to me pictures. Cross Country is a club sport at South Charlotte. Here are some pictures from their most recent meet. Congratulations on your successes and for choosing to do something healthy for yourselves outside of school. Additional information about the Cross Country team s events/pictures will be displayed in the yearbook so stay tuned.

7 HALLOWEEN SAFETY TIPS Walk Safely Cross the street at corners, using traffic signals and crosswalks. Look left, right and left again when crossing and keep looking as you cross. Put electronic devices down and keep heads up and walk, don t run, across the street. Teach children to make eye contact with drivers before crossing in front of them. Always walk on sidewalks or paths. If there are no sidewalks, walk facing traffic as far to the left as possible. Children should walk on direct routes with the fewest street crossings. Watch for cars that are turning or backing up. Teach children to never dart out into the street or cross between parked cars. Trick or Treat With an Adult Children under the age of 12 should not be alone at night without adult supervision. If kids are mature enough to be out without supervision, they should stick to familiar areas that are well lit and trick-or-treat in groups. Keep Costumes Both Creative and Safe Decorate costumes and bags with reflective tape or stickers and, if possible, choose light colors. Choose face paint and makeup whenever possible instead of masks, which can obstruct a child s vision. Have kids carry glow sticks or flashlights to help them see and be seen by drivers. When selecting a costume, make sure it is the right size to prevent trips and falls. Drive Extra Safely on Halloween Slow down and be especially alert in residential neighborhoods. Children are excited on Halloween and may move in unpredictable ways. Take extra time to look for kids at intersections, on medians and on curbs. Enter and exit driveways and alleys slowly and carefully. Eliminate any distractions inside your car so you can concentrate on the road and your surroundings. Drive slowly, anticipate heavy pedestrian traffic and turn your headlights on earlier in the day to spot children from greater distances. Popular trick-or-treating hours are 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. so be especially alert for kids during those hours.

8 SHOCKER SPORTS SOFTBALL On Monday, Maia Bullard led the Shocker Softball team in the first inning with a grand slam homerun! This gave the girls an early lead against the Patriots 6-0. It wasn t all fun and games as the Southwest held the Shockers the next three innings to end the fourth inning with a score of 6-1. With Stuart Fischer and Erin Gabriel on the mound, and Lili Bowen stopping everything at home plate, the Shockers once again pulled out a big win defeating Southwest with a final score of The softball team played a nail biting rematch Wednesday against Community House. Erin Gabriel went three for three and gave the ball a ride for a triple in the first inning. Maia Bullard was also three for three knocking in two runs. Sadie Evans went two for two with a double and a triple. The Shockers took the early 1-0 lead after the first inning. The team hit in two more runs in the second inning to increase the score to 3-0. Community House came back strong in the third inning scoring two runs to close the gap 3-2. The girls played tough defense the last couple of innings gaining a run in each of the last two innings. This was the closest scoring game of the season for the softball team, but the girls came out on top with a final score of 5-2. A special thank you shout-out goes to Mrs. McQueen, Mr. Theiler, Mrs. Palinkas, and Mr. Whitney for taking time out of their busy day to support the team. The softball team will play the rain out game on Monday for our final game at home against AG. All fans are welcome!

9 SHOCKER SPORTS WINTER TRYOUT INFORMATION Try outs for Cheerleading and Girls & Boys Basketball are scheduled to start November 17th. To maximize the use of our gym for our student athletes, Boys Basketball Tryouts will be held November and Girls Basketball Tryouts will be November Cheer Tryouts will begin on November 17. Sign-ups will occur November during lunch in the cafeteria. ALL PAPERWORK MUST BE CORRECTLY COMPLETED AND PRESENT TO SIGN UP FOR TRY OUTS. STUDENTS WITH INCORRECT OR INCOMPLETE PAPERWORK WILL BE ASKED TO RETURN WITH CORRECT INFORMATION. No late paperwork will be accepted due to checking eligibility status, and try out preparation. Due November 14, If paperwork was completed for fall sports tryouts, students DO NOT have to turn in paperwork for winter tryouts. Paperwork and physical forms can be downloaded off the South Charlotte Athletics website or picked up from Coach Sprenger. Paperwork will also be given out during sign-ups. Try out specific information will be handed to students at sign ups to inform them on what is needed, assessed, expected, and details on the process. NO PAPERWORK can be turned in at the front office or Faxed in; it will only be accepted at one of the times/dates listed. Coaches reserve the right to closed tryout sessions. No photography or filming is permitted at try outs. Any of those in violation will be asked to leave. Physicals must be within 365 days of completion of sport season. Students may use their Primary Healthcare provider, or if insurance has calendar limitations, are suggested to use the CVS Minute Clinic with no appointment for an out of pocket fee of $40. Contact Coach Sprenger with any individual questions/inquiries. Required forms include: CMS Athletic Pre-Participation Form SCMS Athletic Discipline Policy Travel Release Form (golf only) Athletic Honor Code Notice and Release Form (football only) Notice and Release Form (all other sports) Concussion Statement Participation Fee Waiver (if applicable)

10 SOUTH CHARLOTTE MIDDLE SCHOOL 8040 Strawberry Lane Charlotte, NC Phone: Fax: Office Hours: 7:45 am 4:15 pm Phones answered from 7:45 am 4 pm REPORT AN ABSENCE Please let us know as soon as possible if your child will not be attending school for the day. The school attendance is scms.attendance@cms.k12.nc.us or you may phone the school at South Charlotte is a member of the South Learning Community. (980) On-Line School Payments (OSP) CMS has provided us with the opportunity to accept payments for school events on-line. It is much like Athletics Pay-to-Play, comes with a fee (4%), and allows you to pay at your convenience. If you choose to pay on-line, it also relieves our teachers from the time taken to do the paperwork and to receipt and turn in money or checks. Teachers will continue to take cash and checks as they always have. Just sign in to: osp.osmsinc.com/cms Choose your student s event and homeroom teacher, and make payment. The teacher and Financial Secretary are sent advisements of your payment. We hope you will take advantage of this opportunity. Through the year, events will be added including field trips, textbooks, fees, and other payments. Please remember to re-link your Harris-Teeter VIC card! Our TIE number is Ask your cashier or you can do it online (with your VIC card#) TUTORING Ms. Butler is offering tutoring for students taking Math 6-8, Math I, Math II & Geometry. Contact Miss Butler at c.warner@cms.k12.nc.us. Ms. Titus is offering tutoring for Language Arts and Social Studies. Contact Mrs. Titus at tricia.titus@cms.k12.nc.us. Ms. Raffensperger is offering tutoring for students taking Standard Plus Math or Algebra I. Contact Miss Raffensperger at jessicar.raffensperger@cms.k12.nc.us. Mr. Brown is offering tutoring for 6th, 7th and 8th graders for standard Math and Honors Math, ADHD Coaching, WISC-IV Testing. scotta.brown@cms.k12.nc.us or call Ms. Oaks is offering tutoring in Language Arts and Social Studies. Contact Miss Oaks at abigails.oaks@cms.k12.nc.us. Ms. Gallagher will offer private tutoring after school for Language Arts. Parents can contact here at lisab.gallagher@cms.k12.nc.us. Mr. Getsinger a teacher with 17 years of experience teaching World and American history, English language and study skills is available to begin tutoring students in the sixth, seventh and eighth grades. If your child is having problems getting the grades you know they are capable of and you wish to see them fulfill their potential, please me at norman.getsinger@cms.k12.nc.us. Thank you and I look forward to working with you. Ms. Conlan is offering math tutoring. Please contact her at karenw.conlan@cms.k12.nc.us. Ms. Eisner is offering private tutoring in Spanish for all levels. Please contact her at : catherinee.eisner@cms.k12.nc.us Middle school and high school Math tutoring for summer and fall. Amy Walters amywalters2011@gmail.com (former SCMS teacher) In compliance with federal law, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools administers all education programs, employment activities and admissions without discrimination against any person on the basis of gender, race, color, religion, national origin, age or disability.