Madison Meadows - Principal


Last Updated: May 12, 2008
		Meadows is an “EXCELLING” School Susan Doyle is the principal at Meadows. Volume 51 No. 16 May 9, 2008 From the office of the Principal Dear Meadows Families: It seems very appropriate to host Ram Round-Up during Teacher Week. Both events are celebrations and both involve two very groups of people: students and teachers. Spring can be a tough for teachers. With commencement, grades, field trips, trainings, and The wide-eyed enthusiasm of the incoming 5th graders is and invigorating, and we look forward to their first visit, as well their continued presence on our campus. The turn and new students was gratifying this year. We elementary schools, private schools, and schools in surrounding districts. are thrilled to have all of these incoming 5th graders as Meadows offered here. Meadows offers a variety of athletic opportunities, and many of our not only take part, but also excel. Last week, two Meadows Kelley Kemp won for a high jump of 5 feet. Laura Orlie won two the first, for the mile and the second for a new state record coaches, and the entire team. What a season they had! Rams Softball and Baseball teams have also enjoyed successful Both 8th grade boys’ and girls’ teams made it to the semi-finals to end their seasons. The 7th the semi-finals, so keep your fingers crossed! Musical opportunities abound at Meadows too, and the month of May will filled with music as Mr. Giordano’s classes perform for parents, and staff. There are band concerts the evenings of the 6th and and chorus will perform the evening of the 20th. Please come out and At Tuesday night’s Board Meeting, more of our students were honored. artists, and Odyssey of the Mind competitors all found their niche at this year, and their hard work and extra efforts paid off. These just a few of the many opportunities beyond academics for those who wish to expand their minds and challenge their bodies.As our teachers, nurses, sponsors, and coaches; we welcome students. It is our hope that they embrace the excellent at Meadows, as well as the other options available careers. With Ram Pride, Susan Doyle Appreciation important time preparations for next year, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and underappreciated. contagious as out of parents welcomed our future Rams from not only Simis, but also other Madison We students and hope that they will take part in some the many activities students student athletes distinguished themselves at the State Championship. championships: in the half-mile of 2.24 minutes! Congratulations to the girls, their seasons. grade boys and girls have also made it to be students, 13th, watch our talented students perform. Poets, Meadows are students we celebrate a new “crop” of Meadows education offered to them to enrich their middle school MEADOWS POETRY CONTEST Under the leadership of Hui Neng Amos, seventh grade language arts teacher, a committee of six judges met after school on Monday, February 25, 2008 to read and score a wonderful collection of poems written by Meadows students in the fifth through eighth grades. After nearly two hours of poetry reading and judging, the finalists for each grade level were selected. We would like to thank (and encourage) all Madison poets in all classes and give a special “shout out” to the following finalists: CONGRATULATIONS to all participants: 8th grade: Summer Stout, Rachel (Phoebe) Schroeder, Logan Rae, and Zeke (Rocco) Fernandez. 7th grade: Elizabeth (Lizzie) Hannah, Naomi Jimenez, Lily Kravetz 6th grade: Cindy Gonzalez and Roslyn Montoya 5th grade: Hannah Hudson, Trwska Mohammed and Nina Hertz XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX We are asking everyone to embrace the following procedures in the Third Avenue parking lot. Drop-Off • Use only the outside curb of the semi-circle drive. • Pull all the way to the end of the drive or as far as you can go before releasing passengers. • Do NOT release passengers before the crosswalk; if there is a back-up, wait until cars in front of you exit, before pulling down as far as you can to drop kids. • Do NOT block the crosswalk; leave it open for pedestrians. • Please do not speed in the parking lot. • Please do not weave in and out of traffic and/or pedestrians through the drive. • Please be kind to the duty teachers and parent volunteers. They are doing a difficult job to keep your children safe. Pick-Up • Only park on the outside curb of the semi-circle drive. Pull down as far as you can, and don’t leave large gaps between cars. • The inside of the drive will be for exiting vehicles only. • Watch for bikers, walkers, and other cars as you exit the lot. • Refer to the last four bullet points above. We will be adding some signs, paint, and cones to help drivers to follow these procedures, and we appreciate your patience and support while we wait for these items. We do understand that people are busy and have jobs and commitments that they must get to in a timely fashion. However, we also feel that following the above procedures will make things run more smoothly and save time. Besides, who doesn’t have an extra couple of minutes to ensure student safety? Thank you for your understanding and support. With Ram Pride, Susan Doyle Principal Madison Needs Subs The Madison School District is in need of substitute teachers. B.A. Required For more information contact 602-664-7900 XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX A Message from the District Office REMINDER: If you wish to reapply for free/reduced meals for this school year (2007/08), a new PINK APPLICATION needs to be filled out and returned to the school food service cashier. Applications are in the school office or cafeteria. After October 1, please either have your child bring a sack lunch or send a $1.00 for breakfast (No charge for Breakfast for Camelview and Park) and $1.75 for lunch ($2.00 for No. 1 and Meadows students). When sending money with your child to be deposited in their lunch account, please indicate on an envelope that it is to be deposited into their account. We have had some confusion this year. If for example a child on reduced lunches comes through the line and hands the cashier $2.00 (which would be the amount for a 5 day reduced lunch) as they are going through the lunch line, the cashier does not know this child is on reduced lunches and assumes the $2.00 is for a one day lunch. Kristin Soulsby, Director of Food and Nutrition A Message from the Madison Meadows Cafeteria: We are unable to warm food from home in our microwave. It is in violation of Health Codes. Please send your student’s lunch in hot or cold lunch packs that are so widely available. Thank you, Linda G. Madison Educational Technology Announcement Madison has purchased two software programs, Atomic Learning and BrainPOP, for our schools and the Madison community. Atomic Learning, www.atomicLearning.com, is an online resource for using software. With Atomic Learning, you can learn how to use the features of a number of software programs including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Just type your question into the search field and Atomic Learning will guide you through the application. Atomic Learning is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Username: madisoned, Password: learner BrainPOP, www.brainpop.com, provides curriculum based content covering Math, Science, English, Social Studies, Health, Technology, and Arts & Music. This site features activities such as quizzes and experiments as well as over 650 animated movies. The target audience is grades 3-8, though BrainPOP Jr. focuses on grades K-3. To access BrainPOP, log on between the hours of 7:00 am-5:30 pm. Username: msd38, Password: Madison Both programs are available in Spanish. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Budget Information 2007-2008 Budget Development Process . Your input can be given at any of the board meetings and through contacting the superintendent's office or the governing board (see the below list of e-mail addresses). E-Mail Contacts Governing Board: Board President Chris Thomas: cthomas@msd38.org Board Clerk Warren Whitney: wwhitney@msd38.org Board Member Pamela Kelly: pkelly@msd38.org Board Member Scott Holcomb: sholcomb@msd38.org Board Member Kendra Tollackson: ktollackson@msd38.org XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Madison Meadows is a school comprised of dedicated staff members, diverse and motivated students, and supportive parents. Our vision for our school is to nurture and develop productive and responsible students through collaboration with our staff, parents, and community members. We aim to reach our vision through the following key indicators for success: * Consistently communicate clear and high expectations for our students * Promote a culture of effort-based learning underscoring critical and higher order thinking for our students * Provide a safe and positive environment for all of our students * Plan and deliver a rigorous standards-based instructional program in the classroom * Implement the use of technology to further learning * Provide differentiated instruction and ongoing feedback on student progress * Engage all stakeholders in collaborative school improvement efforts * Develop and deliver differentiated professional development to strengthen professional practice and improve student achievement We are committed to building a cohesive community of learners. As parents, teachers, and staff, we assume the important responsibility of educating our students. Parents are encouraged to actively participate on various committees including the Site based Management Team as well as the Parent and Teachers at Meadows (PTM) Organization. Through our combined efforts we will instill in our students the knowledge, skills, and character traits that will prepare them to successfully meet the challenges and rewards of the future. Meadows is an “Excelling” School The Arizona Department of Education (ADE) has released the school performance profiles based on achievements realized during the 2006-07 school year. According to the ADE, school profiles are determined through a number of criteria, including AIMS scores in Reading, Writing, and Mathematics, Measures of Academic Progress (MAP), Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP), and attendance, graduation, and dropout rates. Once again, we at Meadows are demonstrating that we are moving in the right direction. The ADE evaluated 1,965 schools, and out of that pool, 320 schools (16%) have been labeled “Excelling”. Meadows Middle School is proudly among this distinguished cohort of schools. Our students, teachers, staff, and parents continue to put forth the effort to build a community of learners who strive for and work to achieve excellence in education. We are proud to display our “Excelling School” banner at the entrance to our campus. However, we also realize that the excelling label is but one measure of what we work daily to accomplish. At Meadows we are also about creating excellence in building and fostering a strong work ethic, respectful relationships, and honesty and integrity. We build these traits through activities focused on academics, the arts, and sports. Congratulations to the entire Meadows community for earning the profile of an excelling school. Let us all continue to work together and support one another in our continued pursuit of reaching greater heights. Public Notice for Destruction of Records Following the microfilming of these records, all permanent original cumulative records of students born in 1990, who have withdrawn from the Madison School District, will be destroyed. In addition, all permanent cumulative records of students who graduated from Madison Schools in 2004 will destroyed. Before any records are destroyed, parents have the right to review and obtain copies of their child’s records. Please contact Madison School District, Student Records/ Special Education Department, at 602-664-7958 before June 1, 2007. Aviso publico para la destruccion de expedientes Todos los expedientes original permanentes de los estudiantes nacidos en 1990 que se trasladaron fuera de las escuelas de Madison y todos los expedientes permanentes de los estudiantes que se graduaron de las escuelas Madison en el 2004 seran destruidos despues de archivarlos en microficha. Antes de que cualquier expediente sea destruido los padres tienen el derecho de revisar los expedientes y de obtener copias. Por favor pongase en contacto con el Departamento de Educacion Especial/Departamento de Expedientes del Distrito Escolar Madison al 602.664.7958 antes el 1 de Junio de 2006. PDF of Dr. Joe Child's article about Bullying and Teenagers provided courtesy of Mrs. Susan Doyle. PACER Center's National Bullying Prevention Awareness Throughout 2007-2008 Kids Against Bullying at http://www.kidsagainstbullying.org/NBPAW/ In the News! Listen to Don Shelby, Don Shelby Show, WCCO News/Talk 830 and Julie Hertzog, PACER Center talk about bullying prevention. (Real Player is required to listen.) Burlington (VT) Free Press--Stop Bullying Before Another Child is Hurt National Bullying Prevention Awareness Week Empowers Schools, Parents to End Childhood Harassment National Bullying Prevention Awareness Week is Oct. 22 – 28, 2007. It is sponsored by PACER Center and cosponsored by National Coalition for Parent Involvement in Education, National Education Association, and National PTA. Teachers, parents, and children nationwide are encouraged to use bullying prevention activities and materials at www.PacerKidsAgainstBullying.org to help end bullying. “Childhood bullying is a significant problem nationwide,” said Paula F. Goldberg, executive director of PACER, a national parent center located in Minnesota. “It can cause school absenteeism, mental and physical stress, poor school performance, poor self-esteem, and, in some cases, school violence. Statistics show that 160,000 children in the United States miss school each day as a result of being bullied. That’s not acceptable. “Teachers and parents can play a critical role in creating a climate where bullying is not tolerated. When adults and children stand together, bullying ends,” Goldberg said. The www.PacerKidsAgainstBullying.org Web site features lesson plans and materials for teachers, resources for parents, and interactive activities to teach second through sixth graders about bullying and how to prevent it. A grant from Robins, Kaplan, Miller and Ciresi LLP Foundation for Education, Public Health and Social Justice, a supporting organization of the Minneapolis Foundation, is instrumental in funding the Web site. Additional support comes from Target Corporation; Minnesota Twins; Kansas City Chiefs star Tony Gonzalez; Hollywood producer Chris Moore (Good Will Hunting); and others. PACER's National Center for Bullying Prevention promotes bullying awareness, teaches effective ways to respond to bullying, and prevents bullying of all children, especially those with disabilities.