PATRIOT PLEDGE

 Old Mill Middle North students and staff will make a pledge and commitment to our school and its mission.  In doing so, Patriots will follow the following three-part Code of Behavior.

                   Patriots will

·         Be respectful to self, others and property

·         Be responsible

·         Be on task and engaged in learning

·          

IMPORTANT DATES FOR YOUR CALENDAR

October 4                         Volunteer Tea – 10:00 a.m. – Main Office Conference Room

October 4                         Chorus Fitting Day (Grade 7/8 Girls Only) After School

October 12                       Market Day Orders Due

October 17                       Fall Choral Concert – 7:00 p.m. – Cafeteria

October 18                       Student Picture Retake Day

October 18                       Market Day

October 19                       Schools Closed for Students.  MSTA Convention.  Professional Development Day

October 26                       Spirit Wear Orders Due (See flyer attached to this newsletter.)

November 1                     End 1^st Marking Period.  Two-Hour Early Dismissal for Students

November 2                     Begins 2^nd Marking Period

November 7-8                  Vision & Hearing Screenings

November 9                     AVID Field Trip to Naval Academy (Grade 6)

November 13                   NJHS Inductions 7:00 p.m.

November 15                   Market Day

November 16                   Report Card Distribution

November 12-16              American Education Week

November 19-20              Schools Closed for Students. Parent/Teacher Conferences for Elementary & Middle Schools

November 21-23              Thanksgiving Holiday – All Schools & Central Offices Closed

EARLY DISMISSALS FOR APPOINTMENTS

If your child needs to leave school early for an appointment or other reason, your child must bring a note to school on that day requesting that he/she be dismissed early.  Please state the time you need to pick up your child and the reason.  If you want your child to meet you outside, please include this in your note.  If someone other than the parent/guardian is signing your child out, that person’s name/relation to student must be stated on the note and that person must be prepared to show a picture I.D.  Your child should bring the note to the office in the morning with their hall pass (after reporting to their 1^st period teacher).  Following this process will help us prevent interruption to our daily instruction.   Also, when you follow this procedure, your child should be waiting for you in the main office when you arrive.  Please help us reach our goal.  Also, parents, for security reasons, please remember to be ready to show your identification.

ABSENCE NOTES

Anytime that your child is absent from school, he/she must have a note when returning to school stating the child’s name, grade, reason for being absent and the date/s absent.  This note must be signed by the parent/guardian and turned in to the homeroom teacher.  Students who are legally absent from school will be able to make up assignments missed.  It is the student’s responsibility to see their teachers to get any makeup work.

                          PHONE CALLS AND MESSAGES FOR STUDENTS

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Please understand that the office staff can only interrupt classes for emergency messages.  Please try to give your child any information you may need them to have before they leave for school in the morning. 

We also discourage students from last minute calls at the end of the school day to request permission to stay for an activity. We are encouraging our students to make these important plans with parents before school.

CELL PHONE POLICY

Under Board Policy 902.15, Use of Personal Electronic Communication Devices by Students, the Board of Education of Anne Arundel County believes the maintenance of a safe and orderly learning environment is a priority in ensuring student success.  While the Board of Education encourages communication among the school, parents and students, it also recognizes that the use of certain personal electronic communication devices may disrupt the instructional process.

Prohibitions:

A.      Students are prohibited from using, activating or displaying personal electronic

B.       communication devices on school property or at school-sponsored activities during the school day unless approved by the school principal for a specific educational and/or administrative purpose.

C.       Students are prohibited from using, activating or displaying personal electronic devices at all times while riding to and from school or school-sponsored activities on a school bus or school  chartered vehicle.

D.      Students are prohibited from using, activating or displaying personal electronic devices during instructional programs that extend beyond the school day.

The Anne Arundel County Public Schools are not responsible for the loss, theft, damage or destruction of any personal electronic communication device.   Students who violate this policy will have their cell phone taken.  The cell phone will have to be picked up in the main office by a parent.

ELECTRONIC NEWSLETTER

Would you like to receive this newsletter by e-mail?  Would you like to receive calendar updates every one to two weeks?  If you answered yes to either of these questions, join the school e-group.  To join the group, e-mail the school at www.kpiet@aacps.org with the following information: your name, your child's name and grade, and your e-mail address where you would like the information sent.  There are three different links there: web resources, textbooks, and study links.

PARENTS, IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION, DO YOU HAVE A

PLAN OF ACTION FOR YOUR CHILD?

Does your child know what to do in case of an emergency closing due to inclement weather or other emergency situation?  Do they know how they will get home from school if an emergency situation should arise?  Parents, please talk to your child/children and make a Plan of Action so that they know how they will get home, where they will go after school if you aren’t home, etc.  If, in an emergency situation, someone else would be picking them up, please make sure that that person is listed on your child’s emergency card. We do not want your child to be stranded at school not knowing how they are going to get home or what to do if an emergency situation should occur.

                                    GUIDANCE & COUNSELING DEPARTMENT

                                                    Grade 6/Dept. Chairperson Mrs. Nancy Henkelman

                                                    Grade 7                               Mr. Naseem Khan

                                                    Grade 8                               Mrs. Karen Jones

                                                    Guidance Secretary             Mrs. Rose Cox

IMPORTANT INFORMATION CHANGES

Did your address, phone, or work information change recently?  If so, please help us keep the communication information and our students’ files up to date! Please use the “CHANGE OF ADDRESS/PHONE FOR STUDENTS” form in this newsletter and attach documents of proof of the changes.  A lease/rental agreement for the address change and a phone bill showing the number will do for updating the files.

Please note that the incoming 6^th graders from our elementary feeder schools (Severn, Rippling Woods, Southgate) may not have updated information in our computer systems.  This is the information that was printed on the bottom of their schedules.  We are doing

our best to update the system with the new emergency cards that you filled out and returned at the beginning of school.  We hope to have this job done before the first marking period report cards go home (November 16).

WITHDRAWAL OF A STUDENT

Please notify the Guidance Office if you are moving out of the OMMN area.  The student’s record needs to be closed out at OMMN before you enter another school.  A withdrawal packet will be prepared for the student’s last day of attendance at OMMN.  The parent needs to sign for and pick up the withdrawal packet to use in registering at the new school.  Please make sure all textbooks are returned to the teachers. 

                                                 Anne Arundel County Recreation & Parks

 

Anne Arundel Recreation and Parks has activities for all ages. Activities include arts and crafts, leagues and athletics, community parks, aquatics programs, gymnastics, dance, self-esteem and assertiveness classes, babysitting classes, child care, recreational fitness and activities, therapeutic recreation, excursions and trips and much more. For more information, you may contact the School Counseling Office here at OMMN (410/9690-5950) or Anne Arundel Recreation and Parks directly at 410-222-7300, 301-261-8036 or www.aacounty.org/recparks.  Program Guides for the Fall season are available here at OMMN. Program Guides for the winter season will be available mid November 2007.

OCTBER IS….COLLEGE AWARENESS MONTH!

The Guidance Department at OMMN will be starting a College Awareness Month in October.  Morning announcements will contain facts about colleges and universities.  Every Friday, during lunch, students will have the chance to win prizes from local colleges and universities in Maryland by answering quiz questions from the announcements.  Classroom presentations will be given about preparing for college.  Teachers can decorate their doors according to their Alma Mater.  Also, Broadneck High School will be having their annual College Fair on Wednesday, October 24, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. if you are interested in learning more about colleges.  Look for more information to follow on a College Information Workshop for parents at OMMN.

SUGGESTIONS FOR PARENTS OF CHILDREN WITH ADHD (ATTENTION DEFICIT HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER)

FROM PATRICIA CAIN HAGAN, PSYCHOLOGIST

1. People close to the ADHD child need to recognize the far reaching implications of this condition on a child’s education, socialization and emotional development.

2. The critical goal of parenting ADHD children is to foster within the child a positive self-esteem and self-worth.  This may be more easily accomplished by understanding why ADHD children act in certain ways.  Counseling could be helpful to increase knowledge about the child’s behavior.  By knowing ADHD children have major problems with skills such as task completion, self-control and impulsivity, their sense of worth can be better protected.

3. Parents of ADHD children need well-developed approaches to child management.  ADHD children need consistent discipline, structure and routine in their lives. The consistency of these systems teaches basic self-help skills, organizational abilities and socialization skills.  Developing these systems might require the expertise of a professional counselor or therapist.

4. Children with ADHD often have poor study skills.  It is difficult for them to bring work home from school and to return it successfully the next day.  Systems must be developed to accomplish these routine tasks.  Back packs should be packed for school as soon as homework is completed.  A chart could be marked with check marks or stars, or some other reward program used, if lunch money is in a folder, pencils are sharpened, homework is in the correct folder and the back pack is closed and ready for the next school day.  It is best to begin these routines early in your child’s academic life so they become deeply ingrained and almost involuntary actions.

5. Joining a support group for families with children with ADHD can be very helpful.  CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) is an excellent source of information, references and support for parents who are raising a child with ADHD.  You can access their website at www.chadd.org. 

HEALTH ROOM NEWS

School Health Services is seeking individuals for positions of RN’s, LPN’s, Health Assistants and Special Needs Aides to provide full-time and part-time health services in Anne Arundel County Public Schools for the 2007-2008 school year.  RN’s and LPN’s require a current Maryland license.  High school diploma or equivalence certificate is required for Health Assistants/Aides.  Orientation and training are provided.  For information and application, please call 410-222-6838.  EOE.

HEARING & VISION

Hearing and vision screening is scheduled for November 7 & 8, 2007 for 8^th grade students, any students new to Anne Arundel County Public Schools, and students referred by school personnel or parents.  If your child is having a problem seeing the chalkboard and you would like your child tested, please call the Health Room between 8:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. at 410/969-5950, x296.  It is very important that students who wear glasses or contact lenses remember to wear them for this screening.  Volunteers are needed to help with the screening.  Please call Ms. Simon, R.N. if you can be available or leave your  name, phone number and time available.

Schools Supported by Safe & Drug-Free Schools Personnel

Are you concerned about teens using alcohol and other drugs?  What can parents do?  What are the signs of substance use?  Why do teens feel they need to experiment?  You can get answers and help.  In conjunction with our system-wide goal of creating safe and orderly learning environments, the Safe & Drug-Free Schools Project has assigned Substance Abuse Specialists to most secondary schools countywide.   Services provided include:

§         Classroom-based substance abuse awareness education.

§         Screening of potentially drug-involved students.

§         Student, staff and parent awareness, training, and consultation.

§         Maryland Student Assistance Program (MSAP) training and program support.

§         Implementation of student life skills groups.

For more information, contact Vikki Carter, Substance Abuse Specialist, at  443-603-4841, serving Arundel, Meade, MacArthur, George Fox, Marley, Old Mill North, Old Mill South, Bates, and Southern Middle Schools.

Media Center News

Every 6^th grade Language Arts class will experience a Media Center scavenger hunt as part of the Radical Research Project launched by AACPS in conjunction with the Anne Arundel County Public Library. Students will complete the first part at school and, on a voluntary basis, complete the second part at the public library from October 20-31. When students go to the public library, they get the assignment signed by a librarian and receive a goody bag. For more information, contact Mrs. Byce or Ms. O’Neil, at 410-969-5950, EXT. 295 or 302.

Become a Radical Researcher!

What’s a Radical Researcher? Someone who can look beyond Google to hunt down people, places, and all kinds of things. This month your school’s Media Specialist will challenge 6^th grade students with a Radical Research Scavenger Hunt. The first part takes place at school and involves students with special Media Center resources.

The scavenger hunt continues at the public library from October 20-31. Parents are encouraged to learn about the homework resources offered by both schools and the public libraries. Call AACPL for further information at 410-222-6270 or email nco@aacpl.net.

                           Advancement Via Individual Determination

AVID is a college preparatory program.  AVID students learn skills that prepare them for college and the world of work.  This past month, AVID students were introduced to the tools of AVID:   binder organization, Agenda book use, Cornell note taking, and the tutorial process.  They will continue to work on organizational skills, time management, note taking, and tutorial process, as well as reading, writing, collaborating, and learning how to ask questions that will bring them the answers they seek.  In addition, vocabulary and grammar will be stressed, as well as basic math skills. 

AVID students are expected to keep their binder organized, have their supplies, and to use their agenda book to record homework and as a communication tool for parents and teachers. 

AVID students NEVER have NO HOMEWORK!  Every night AVID students are to study their notes, revising them as necessary, and organizing their binders. They will be recalling and reviewing their multiplication facts through the 15 table.  The expectation is that they will be able to answer 100 fact problems in three minutes.  They will also be working on memorizing prefixes and suffixes, as well as their meaning to improve their vocabulary skills. AVID students will be reintroduced to the parts of speech and will identify them and their use in given sentences.  In addition, AVID students will be learning and practicing Costa’s three levels of questioning. It will be a busy month.   Setting goals, reflecting on progress, refining them is an ongoing process and a priority for AVID students. 

AVID students  are required to take part in Goal Setting Parent/Student/ Teacher conferences.  Conference notices were sent home September 10, 2007.  If you did not receive your notice, look for a mailing with dates and times.  Parent, teachers, and students working together and toward the same goal is key to a successful year for the AVID student. 

Parents are encouraged to keep in touch with Mrs. Aquino and their child’s teachers. Contact Mrs. Aquino by phone (410-969-5950, x389) or e-mail (raquino@aacps.org.). 

THE FACTS ON F.A.C.S. (Family & Consumer Sciences)

Our 8^th grade students are busy experiencing real adult life with their Money Management Unit. They played the simulation, “The Real Game” and everyone had a job. They had to figure out if they could afford their preferred lifestyle on the “money” they made. Then they had to find some “me time” in their work week. Now it’s on to the household records simulation. Our 8^th graders now know how to write checks. They will keep the financial records for a fictional family for one month. Intertwined will be lessons on loans, credit, savings accounts, investment and a practical application of  budgeting a vacation.

In 6^th and 7^th grades, all sewing projects are now under construction. Some students have not yet paid their $10 fee for their project. They can make the project but they can’t take it home until the fee is paid. There are still some unclaimed projects from second semester of last school year. Students, please claim them!

Reminder—there is no fee for 8^th grade FACS this year.

NEWS FROM THE MATH DEPARTMENT/MRS. PIET

Market Day

Market Day pickup is Thursday, October 18, from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the cafeteria. Order forms must be to school by noon on Friday, October 12. Orders may be placed online at www.marketday.com but must be completed by noon on Friday, October 12.  If we have at least 72 customers and $5000 in sales, we will earn $400 worth of Scholastic Books for the school.  Order forms were distributed by September 28; extra forms are in the main office.

Understanding Math Club

Do you need help with Math all the time or just a little?  Understanding Math Club may be the answer for you.  Meet with Mrs. Davis in Room A212, then go to the computer lab to work on your math skills using our Understanding Math software and other resource materials.  The first three weeks Mrs. Davis will concentrate on whole number and integer operations.  The next three weeks the focus will be on fractions.  Information flyers and permission slips will be distributed by October 5. 

Homework Club

Do you need a quiet place to complete your homework?  Do you sometimes need help with your homework?  The Homework Club is for you.   Students gather in the Media Center after school every Monday through Thursday to complete homework or read.  Mrs. Piet and Mrs. Aquino are there to guide and assist students as needed.  On Wednesdays and Thursdays, there are students there to help with homework as well.  Come one day or come all four, just come and do your homework.

STEAM IT CLUB

The STEAM IT CLUB (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Information Technology) has begun!!  Currently we are investigating simple machines using K’NEX kits.  On September 26, we made screwdrivers, nutcrackers, handcarts, seesaws, axes and other levers, inclined planes and wheel and axels.  October 3 and 10 we will be investigating screws, wheels and axels and pulleys.  In

November we will investigate photography using digital cameras.  There is still room on Wednesdays after school until 4:40 pm.  Please see Mrs. Piet for information.

TEAM NEWS

Bald Eagles:  Mr. Myers (Team Leader), Ms. Carr, Ms. Formwalt, Ms. Hartman, Ms. Hickey, Ms. May, Ms. Moore

In Language Art our first Writer’s Workshop was a smashing success!  All students worked very hard and did a fantastic job writing their personal narratives.  Language Arts classes will be reading various non-fiction selections with a focus on distinguishing fact from opinion.  Reinforcing these skills at home is always of great benefit to students.  Often magazines, newspapers, and television shows portray things as facts when they are actually opinions.  These types of observations provide great opportunities for discussion and allow students to see how important it is to distinguish between facts and opinions in real life. 

The Algebraic Thinking classes are off to a great start.  Students worked with the math concepts of mean, median, and mode and they had fun using their brain power to solve a several mean, median, and mode puzzles.  Students are also using what they learned last year to solve word problems using the “SOLVE” method.  The first test covering the “SOLVE” method was taken a few weeks ago and the students' grades were excellent.  Algebraic Thinking classes are now beginning to work with PEMDAS (Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally) – which is a math “code” for the Order of Operations.  

  In Math 7, the students began the year working on patterns in math.  Then they learned how to find the area of rectangles, squares, and parallelograms before taking their first unit test last week.    The students are currently learning more about decimals.  Parents and guardians keep an eye out – students should be writing their homework assignments and other important notices in their agenda books every day.