Weekly Top for 3-6-20

Folks,


Let the success continue! -

Within the last week :
Yes, it is 11 years in a row for Science Olympiad!  
Yes, the MathCounts trophy comes back to UMS (Ron Sherman's teams won this trophy for about 17 straight years!)
Yes, 7th & 8th grade bands scored straight 1's
Yes, 7th grade orchestra scored straight 1's
Yes, 8th grade orchestra scored two 1's and two 2's.

When you figure in the choirs from a last week and the spelling bee this string of success is really humbling.  This staff is committed to working together to help kids excel!  Thanks for all you do!

Good luck to the 22 at WMU! - 

22 7th & 8th graders will compete tomorrow in the National History Day competition.  Our social studies department believes we have a lot of great candidates with a shot to move on.  Thanks to our SS and ELA department for working together to assist these students!

Monday Staff Meeting-

We will have a staff meeting on Monday from 2:55-3:40 PM.

Variety Show around the corner -

The variety show is just around the corner taking place a week from tomorrow on Saturday, March 14th in the John & Dede Howard Auditorium at SJHS beginning at 6:30 PM.  We will do the in-house on Thursday, March 19th at the beginning of the day and run a one hour delay after that.

Author visit on March 17th -

We will have author, Marc Tyler Nobelman, here on Tuesday, March 17th at 8:00 AM.  We will follow his visit up with a one hour delay schedule.  This will work great with our itinerants, because he will be speaking 4th hour at SJHS.  What a great opportunity for our students to hear an author speak with them!

Bringing the juice -

Ben- Coaching the Mathcounts team to a regional championship

Kelly- Coaching the Science O team to a regional championship

Josh & Rachel - Both bands Division 1 ratings

Rachel & Burke - 7th grade orchestra Division 1 and 8th orchestra division 2

Grace - Filling the puzzle pieces to cover unfilled sub jobs

Many staff -  Filling in for your colleagues through their illnesses

Dave- Allowing news 22 into your room on a moments notice

Jeff, Wes, Murel, and Joe - Their special attention to cleanliness in the building

Article of the week -

Positive thinking article

Next week Wednesday and Thursday -  

Jason Catania, Melissa Foster, Mary LoPresti, Matt Maier, Torrey Toth, and I will be at Eastern Michigan University for restorative circle/practices/justice professional development.  This will be great to have several people on staff for resources on this important initiative.  

Quote of the week - 

Have a wonderful weekend,

Chad

Weekly Top for 2-28-20

Folks,


Career Day 2020 -

The amount of work that Amy, Beth, Renee, and Torrey have put into today is incredible.  We have a great lineup of speakers and I know it will be a great day!  Please remember to have your laptop available if needed for your speaker.  Also remember that the Career Day folder in Google drive is filled with everything you need to know.

Congratulations to Beth and the Choirs -

All three choirs (6th-8th) received straight 1's at festival this week!  That is the best you can score.  Our choirs were also the only middle school choirs that choose advanced site reading.  Congratulations to our choirs and Beth for a job well done!

Good luck to the Mathcounts team today -

Good luck to our mathcounts team as they compete at Western Michigan University!  Ben has prepared them well and I am sure they will have a great day.  See Ben's email from Wednesday morning for the students that will be competing today.

Technology Meeting next Monday -

We will have a technology meeting this Monday, March 2nd at 2:55 PM in the UMS media center.

Science Olympiad to compete next Tuesday, March 3rd - 

Next week Kelly Kietzerow, many mentors, and our Science O team will head to Lake Michigan College to see if they can keep the streak going!  Kelly and Ann St. Amand have also been contacted by WNIT ( our local public broadcasting station) for a possible special on Science Olympiad.  Kelly will send the list of science olympiad students in an email.

Band & Orchestra Festival next week -

We wish Josh, Rachel, and Burke good luck as they head to Lake Michigan college next week for their respective festivals.  Here are the dates and times of their performances:

Next Monday, March 2nd:
7th grade orchestra performs March 2nd at 9:00 AM
7th grade band performs March 2nd at 11:20 AM

Next Wednesday, March 4th:
8th grade orchestra performs March 4th at 9:30 AM
8th grade band performs March 4th at 10:30 AM

BLT next week -

Next Tuesday is scheduled March BLT meeting for department leaders, but it will be a virtual meeting.  I will be giving you all an article to read and a google doc to give your feedback on your thoughts.

Articles of the week -

Assuming positive intent article

The best they can article...

Bringing the Juice -

Cathy, Jill, Matt, Kathy R., Dave, Sara, Joanie, Burke, and Rachel-  Presenting to their colleagues this week
Amy, Beth F., Renee, and Torrey-  Career Day 2020 was an enormous amount of work!
Beth Gray-Roll- Division 1 ratings 6th-12th grades with all choirs!
Ben- Taking our crew up today to compete

Quote of the week -

People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." 
- Maya Angelou

Have a wonderful weekend,

Chad

Weekly Top for 2-21-20

Folks,


Jason Shi -

Once again it is so exciting that Jason Shi won the Cloverleaf Spelling Bee yesterday!  Jason is a very nice, humble, and very bright young man! What a great clap-around yesterday afternoon!  Coach Gressley did an excellent job preparing all three students (and the whole club for that matter)!

Battle of the Books -

The 32nd annual battle of the books will start at around 8:00 AM in the cafeteria.  Please take an accurate attendance before escorting the students down.  Thanks so much to the teachers who are covering today for a colleague!

Choir Festival -

We will be flip-flopping 7th and 8th grade lunch next Tuesday, February 25th.

6th grade:

Bus leaves Upton: 8:30 am

Perform: 9:45 am

7th grade:

Bus leaves Upton at 10:00 am

Perform: 11:15 am

8th grade: 

Bus leaves Upton: 12:30 pm

Perform: 1 pm

Locker Clean-out -

Next Thursday, February 27th 1st hour will be locker clean-out.

School Improvement Next Wednesday   morning -  

The school improvement meeting will be the whole staff together during the late start time.  7:35 AM start time.

No Go time next Thursday -

We do not have go time next Thursday, February 27th.

Career Day next Friday -

Next Friday, February 28th will be Career Day.  This morning 6th graders will choose their sessions.

PD Day next Friday -

Our PD afternoon will be next Friday, February 28th.  Your colleagues will be presenting.

Orchestra Festival -

7th Orchestra performs at 9:00 am on Monday, March 2

8th Orchestra performs at 9:30 am on Wednesday, March 4

Band Festival -

The 7th grade band performs on Monday, March 2nd, at 11:20am.  The 7th grade band members will not be eating lunch at Upton on that day.

The 8th Grade band performs on Wednesday, March 4th at 10:30am.  

Count Day Signatures -

Have you signed your count day signature sheet near Grace's desk?

Bringing the Juice -

Cathy Gressley-  Coaching our Spelling team and guiding a talented group of kids.
Wes Eichler-  Helping deescalate a highly charged situation
Kristin, Deb, and Geri-  Preparing, setting up, etc. for Battle
Dana, Cathy, Kylie, Marilyn and Mary-  Your encouragement of 7th graders the last month plus for reading.
Math Department-  Encouraging your students to participate in the Michigan Math League Contest
Renee, Torrey, and Amy-   An incredible amount of work for Career Day.
Jeff-  Setting up the risers for the EP Clarke 1st graders 

Quote of the week -

"How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak and strong. Because someday in your life you will have been all of these."                      

-George Washington Carver

Have a wonderful weekend,

Chad

Weekly Top for 2-14-20

Folks,

Happy Valentine's Day -

Have a great day and weekend! 

Congratulations Staff -

Take a look at this :   Great news link

Congratulations to a team effort here at UMS!  Your hard work following the 4 questions of the PLC process is being recognized!

End of Rotation 3/Start of Rotation 4 -

Monday, February 17th will be the last day of rotation 3 and Tuesday, February 18th will be the start of rotation 4 for 6th & 7th graders.

Scheduling for 7th to 8th & 8th to 9th -

Recommendations are due today and students should have been told by you.  Scheduling will open next week Wednesday for 8th to 9th grade scheduling.  

GO Time next Thursday -

We are going to run the Michigan Math League contest in the cafeteria next Thursday, so there will not be an overflow room.  We want to encourage students to do this and give it a whirl.

Final Battle next Friday -

Next Friday, February 21st is our Final Battle of the Books!  It will be in the cafeteria and we will begin as close to 8:00 AM as we can.  Semi-battles will take place Monday and Tuesday of next week.

PD Day (February 28th) -

Our PD afternoon on February 28th will feature your colleagues sharing some teaching techniques, social emotional ideas, health/wellness, etc.  I think it will be a great afternoon!

Career Day (February 28th) -

8th graders will pick their choices of presenters on Monday (17th), 7th grade on Wednesday (19th), and 6th grade on Friday (21st).  Please read the email Torrey sent out yesterday afternoon very carefully with a lot of good information on Career Day.

Choir Festival Around the Corner -

Choir festival is coming up on Tuesday, February 25th.  We will be switching 7th & 8th grade lunch that day to help the festival schedule.

1st

2nd 

3rd 

8th grade lunch

4th

7th grade lunch

Bringing the Juice -

Cathy-  Eating lunch with a group of 7th grade boys

Julie-  Being there for a student who was having a meltdown

Ben & Anne-  Assisting with an altercation

Melissa, Marci, Mary Ann, Eric, Torrey, Beth, Craig, Scott and Denise-  Using extreme patience and working through a tough situation

Jeff-  Moving a lot of snow the last two days

The ladies in the kitchen-  Keeping a great kitchen in order (The health department made a surprise visit yesterday)

Quote of the week -

"Every great dream begins with a dreamer.  Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world."  - Harriet Tubman

Have a wonderful Friday and weekend,

Chad