John Hanson Middle School 3165 John Hanson Drive Waldorf, MD 20601

From the Principal’s Desk:

Dear Parents and Guardians,

The year is flying by. It is hard to believe we are already in March and Spring is around the corner. Third quarter interims were issued on February 29, 2016; if you did not receive your child’s interim, please contact the school counselor. We have just finished a successful round of post tests. The students were well behaved and cooperative during all of the schedule changes. The results will be factored into the students’ 3rd quarter report card grade. Congratulations to Nicholas Gallegos for being the Charles County Public Schools’ Spelling Bee Champion. The John Hanson Team came in 2nd place; team members were Camden Burroughs, Nicholas Gallegos, Ashlyn Milstead, Kelsey Njembu and Diamond Zetty. Thank you to the staff members that worked with the students; Ms. Hodson, Mr. Lay. Ms. Lysle, and Ms. Gearhart. Thanks to the parents for supporting their children in this activity. We will be cheering for Nick at the National Spelling Bee at the end of May. Congratulations is also extended to the Vex Robotics teams for their accomplishments at the State Vex Robotics tournament. The “S.C.A.M.” team received first place for sportsmanship; the team members are Michael Mazuk, Ryann Brown, Lilly Sachsel and Jacob Smith. The “We’re VEXY and We Know It” team received a first place for design. The team members are Andrew Parent, Yachi Madaan, Alyssa Norris and Jacob Stern. Thank you to Mr. Meltsner for working with the students. Thanks also to the parents for supporting their children. We will be cheering them on when they attend the World competition in April. March is Music in Our Schools and Youth Art Month. We would like to take this opportunity to thank Ms. Burud, Mr. Whitford, Mr. Papura and Mr. Ullman for providing the students with an opportunity to explore the Arts. The research clearly shows that students involved in the Arts have more success in school. Take some time to enjoy some musical and/or art activity with your child this month.

Continued on Page 2

1

Eighth grade parents please check with your child on a regular basis for updates. A calendar for the remainder of the year will be sent home at the end of next week. On March 14th and 15th eighth grade students will be taking the Science State Assessment, (MSA). There will be a review session for any interested student on Saturday, March 12, 2016 from 8:30 -12:30. A flier was sent home with interims giving the details. Please make every effort to have your child participate.

As Spring approaches, we ask parents and guardians to continue to support us so our students end the year on a successful note. Make sure your child is complying with the dress code. Check your child’s Edline account and encourage your child to complete homework and missing assignments. Work with the school counselors and the teachers if your child is in danger of failing for the year. Please have your student attend school unless they are ill. Students absent for more than 4.5 days per quarter will be ineligible for extra credit activities. Remind your child of the importance of being respectful. It is never appropriate for students to tease each other. What may start as joking around often ends with hurt feelings. Make sure your students are getting adequate sleep, most middle school children need between 8-10 hours of sleep a night. Thank you in advance

for your attention to these matters. Please stay involved in the school. PTSO meets the first Monday of every month at 6:30 PM; March 7th is the next meeting. The annual Language Arts Ice Cream Social is March 8, 2016 from 6:00- 8:00 PM. Ice Cream will be served from 6:00 – 6:30 followed by sessions on PARCC, Reading, Media Resources, Socratic Seminars and Writing. Students can come and join the reading room for extra credit. National Junior Honor Society students will be available for babysitting. Please register by Monday, March 7, 2016 so we can have plenty of ice cream available. Please RSVP: http://www.signupgenius.com/ go/30e0e44adae2da5f58-john1 .

Share information about your career at our Career Day on March 16, 2016. Contact Ms. Back to register. If you have concerns please contact your child’s teacher, school counselor and/or administration. We cannot address problems if we are not aware of the issue. Happy Spring!

Sincerely, Susan McCormick, Principal 2

Upcoming Events March 7 North Point STI Interview 7 PTSO—6:30 p.m. 8 Language Arts Parent Night—6-8 p.m. 11 District Orchestra Assessment 12 Destination Imagination (DI) Competition at North Point High 13 Daylight Saving Time 14 MSA Testing (8th Graders only) 14 District Choir Assessment 16 2-hour early dismissal—Career Day 17 St. Patrick’s Day 18 District Band Assessment 19 Charles County H.I.T.S. Expo—St. Charles High 23 Battle of the Classes 23-28 SPRING BREAK

April 1 4 5 5 12 22 26 27

Spring Pictures 3rd marking period ends 8th grade panoramic picture day 4th marking period begins—2hour early dismissal Report cards mailed Earth Day Primary Election Day (Schools closed for students & teachers) Administrative Professional Day

May 3 8 9 11

National Teacher Appreciation Day Mother’s Day Interims issued National School Nurse Day

3

Charles County Public Schools hosted its annual Winter Chess Tournament on Saturday, February 27, 2016 at Thomas Stone High School. Congratulations to the following John Hanson winners: Jacob Stern (1st Place) and Christopher Rand-Crawford (2nd Place). Matthew Coccaro played until the final round and received a Certificate of Participation. All three Hanson participants represented the school with great Chess skills in a high-intensity environment. CCPS tournaments follow a Swiss-style format with each student playing four games. Trophies were awarded for first and second place, and medals are given for further place recognition.

John Hanson is celebrating Read Across Maryland and Read Across America by challenging students to read 30 minutes a day for 30 days. Families can help by discussing books with their children and by reading along with them. To get credit for the day’s reading, parents please sign the reading log daily. A completed log at the end of the month can be entered to win an IPAD mini. Students can also join in a morning book discussion about “I am Malala”. A completed essay can also be entered to win an Ipad mini. Please see Mrs. Hodson in the Media Center for more details.

Congratulations to the John Hanson’s Spelling Bee Team for placing 2nd place in the county and a very special congratulations goes out to Nick Gallegos, who was the overall champion for Charles County. He will be competing in the National Spelling Bee contest which will held May 27-29. Thanks to the sponsors, Mrs. Patricia Hodson, Ms. Natalie Gearhart, Mr. David Lay and Ms. Nicole Lysle for their effort and their parents for supporting the team.

4

John Hanson 2016 Spelling Bee Team

5

ExxonMobil Educational Alliance Program We are proud to announce that John Hanson Middle School was among 4,100 schools nationwide who received $500 in Grant money as part of Exxon’s 2016 Educational Alliance Math & Science School Grant Program. This Grant is provided through Exxon, by The Team at La Plata Exxon Dash In located at 6670 Crain Highway, La Plata, MD. The Exxon Educational Alliance program is designed to provide Exxon retailers with an opportunity to invest in the future of their communities through educational grants to neighborhood schools.

John Hanson is very thankful to Chick-fil-a of Waldorf for their contribution of incentive items to students. Students are awarded for their “acts of kindness” as well as other positive activities throughout the year.

John Hanson would like to give a shout out to the Waldorf Bike Doctor for assisting Ms. Ebbitt (Pupil Personnel Worker) and Office Tyner (School Resource Officer) in helping a student in need. Their act of kindness was very much appreciated by all. 6

The Battle of the Classes (Round 1) has been scheduled for Wednesday, March 23. This annual event features a variety of games where eligible students will compete for their grade-level or cheer on their classmates. For students to be eligible for the Battle of the Classes, they must meet the following criteria: 1) Student must be present for all of their post-tests (no unexcused absences) 2) Student must not be removed from post-testing due to unwanted behavior 3) Student must use their allotted testing time appropriately (they should not complete a 40 minute test in 6 minutes). This event has been designed to maximize the efforts of students during testing and is something that students love to attend.

Please speak to your child about remaining focused during all of their post-

testing sessions to ensure their participation in the Battle of the Classes.

The Charles County HITS Expo will take place on March 19, 2016 at St. Charles High School. The public is welcome to come and experience all the wonderful events and activities as well as the History Day and Science Fair competitions from 24pm. The awards ceremony will begin at 5pm that evening. Please stop by and support the History, Industry, Technology, and Science programs we have throughout the county. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Mrs. Davenport at [email protected].

HOOPS FOR HEART BASKETBALL GAME The 2nd annual John Hanson Hoops for Heart Basketball Game will be held Friday, March 18, 2016. The 8th grade basketball teams will compete against John Hanson teachers and staff and you are invited to watch. Ticket sales starts March 4. The cost is $5 with only 300 tickets being sold and all proceeds will be going to the American Heart Association. Each ticket purchaser will receive a lanyard/key chain. Talk to the PE department to help fundraise or for any questions you may have.

7

Student sign-in and sign-out! ALL students are required to sign-in in the front office if they enter the building after 8:30 a.m. Students are to enter their full name (first & last). If not entered properly, students maybe considered absent for that day.

Early Dismissal! Parents/guardians must sign out students either in the front office before 2:45 p.m. or sign them out at the academy after 2:45 p.m.. Proper id is also required before release can be given. Please enter student’s first and last name under student dismissal and also enter your name at the lower right.

Dress Code! Just a friendly reminder to parents/guardians and students: We take great pride in the appearance of students at John Hanson Middle School and believe that students’ dress should show respect for themselves and the school. Students are expected to dress in a manner that is sensible, neat, safe, and not distracting to the learning environment. In addition to the Charles County Public School dress code, John Hanson has the following rules:

1.

Gym clothes may only be worn when engaged in physical education activities or when approved by an administrator for other purposes.

2. Boys’ sleeveless shirts that expose the underarm area are prohibited. 3. Buttons, arm bands, jewelry and other symbolic expressions that contain material which is obscene or which advocate racial or religious prejudice or violence will not be permitted in school. 4. Leggings, tights, yoga pants or any bottoms made of spandex-like material or of material that fit like spandex require a top that is fingertip length on top. The wearing of boxer shorts of any type or style is not permitted.

8

Cooperation: an act or instance of working or acting together for a common purpose or benefit. The following students have shown positive characteristics traits of how cooperation is shown in our daily school environment:



  

  



  



6th Grade Hailey Carroll—”Hailey is a prime example of what cooperation stands for: she is caring of others, strive her best, and is the glue that holds together her group in any classroom activity.”—Mrs. Gearhart Nehemiah Strawberry—”Strawberry is the BEST!” - Ms. Biegner Christopher McLaughlin—”Chris is enthusiastic in every day instruction.” - Mr. Kennedy Jahaiya Wilson—”Jahaiya is always willing and excited to help teachers and classmates.” - Mrs. Baker 7th Grade Gerik Barbariz—”Gerik shows cooperation in my class because he is always willing to be of assistance to not only me, but his peers as well.” - Ms. Ledda Sindy Ruiz—”Sindy is always helping others when they are in need.” - Mrs. Scott Jaqual Butler—”Jaqual is eager to work with all students during class and is always willing to help out students who missed work from absences or help the teachers with things that need to be done. He is a pleasure to have in class!” - Ms. Lysle Kelli Coleman—”Kelli is always the first one to lend a hand. I know I can count on her to bring in my breakfast every morning and say the first hello!” - Ms. Paul 8th Grade Justin Roberts—”Justin always works hard and completes work.” - Ms. Byrne Dontay Bannister—”Dontay stays on task and works well with his team.” - Mrs. Lemmert Briyanna Basden—”Briyanna is always on task and is always desiring to do above and beyond what she is asked. Her work attitude and behavior are outstanding.” Mrs. Yhap Shepherd Fields—”Shepherd offers help willingly to others.” - Mr. Terlecki

9

On February 20th, all four of the John Hanson Vex Robotics teams competed in the state tournament that was held in Towson Maryland. All 4 of the teams had advanced from the regional tournament that was held on February 6th at CSM. This is the first time that all of the teams were invited to the state tournament. All of the teams competed well, with three of the teams getting knocked out of the tournament in the semi-final’s of the elimination round. Team 9316D was awarded the sportsmanship award, and team 9316B was awarded the design award which will allow them to compete at the World Championship tournament that is held in Louisville Kentucky at the end of April.

The teams are: 9316A – Fire Bagels Cody Ferlage Chris Rand Chris Moreno 9316B –We’re VEXY and We Know It Andrew Parent Yachi Madaan Alyssa Norris Jacob Stern 9316C – Vex Masters Graciella Ndjampa Sydney Lewis Parth Madaan Radar Yampai 9316D – S.C.A.M. Michael Mazuk Ryann Brown Lilly Sachsel Jacob Smith 10

Teams

11

ATTENTION 8TH GRADE PARENTS!!!! A message from CHARLES COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS February 25, 2016

Dear Parents/Guardians: Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) requires all students entering the sixth and ninth grades to provide two current (within 45 days) proofs of domicile as a way to update school records and ensure that students are attending schools in the proper zones. Your child will not be officially registered for next year’s classes until the proofs of domicile are received at your school. Acceptable proofs of domicile include: 

Signed verifiable lease or rental agreement



(with signatures of both parties)

Deed, mortgage statement, or settlement document (with signatures of appropriate parties)



Current complete utility bill with name and



Current court document with name, date, and



Recent property owner’s insurance bill or



Property title record



Documentation of benefits from Social Security Administration with name, date, and home address



Documentation of benefits from Department of Social Services with name, date and home address



Property tax bill



Current paycheck with name and address

Information must be presented to the school your child currently attends. Parents may present the two proofs of domicile to the school office during normal business hours. Please send copies (not originals) to the school with your child, and place them in an envelope that has your child’s name and grade printed on the front. You may also mail copies of the new proofs to the school. Please send the updated proofs to school no later than April 1, 2016. Parents who have presented two proofs of residency this school year do not need to resubmit the information, unless you have moved. If your fifth grade or eighth grade student is attending school out of zone on a school change request and you would like the child to attend middle/high in a zone other than where you are domiciled, a new school change request form must be submitted and approved by personnel in the Department of Student Services by May 1, 2016. Thank you for your help with our efforts to ensure that our schools are serving Charles County residents, and that students are attending school in the proper zones. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact your school. Sincerely, Kimberly A. Hill, Ed.D. Superintendent of Schools

12

13

Reminder to participate in Career Day March 16, 2016 Please contact Jeanne Back ([email protected]) - 301.753.1783 Deadline for application March 9th. We welcome you to present your career to our students

14

Ice Cream Social Parent Night

Tuesday, March 8, 2016 6—8 p.m. Come out and enjoy an evening with John Hanson’s Language Arts staff. There will be sessions on PARCC, Home Book Clubs, Socratic Seminars, Writing Strategies and Library Media Resources. The National Junior Honor Society students will provide daycare for young children. Ice Cream will be served from 6:00—6:30 p.m.. Please RSVP by Monday, March 7 @ http://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e0e44adae2da5f58-john1

We look forward to meeting you!

15

16

17