May 16, 2016

The Buzz at Irmo Middle School

Irmo Middle School

6051 Wescott Road
Columbia, SC 29212
(803) 476-3600

Creating successful students for the challenges of tomorrow

www.lexrich5.org/ims
School Hours:
8:20 a.m.3:35 p.m.

rsjackso@lexrich5.org

Inside this issue:

Awareness for Artisans
Student Govt Fund Raiser
Nurses NoteMedicines
Chromebook Collection
GEMS Summer Camp
PTSO Volunteer Form
EQUIP
Lattimore Leadership
Academy

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Dates to Remember:
Mon 5/16
Eng 1 Honors EOC
exams
Tues 5/17
G40 Mtg. 7:45-8:10
Media Center
Eng 1 Honors EOC
exams
Wed 5/18
Alg 1 Honors EOC
exams
Thurs 5/19
Alg 1 Honors EOC
exams
Fri 5/20
FCA Mtg. 7:40-8:10
AM Room 904
Dance Recital 7 PM
Irmo High Auditorium
Band Spring Concert 7
PM IMS Gym

If you have news for the

Buzz, email Allison Redick
at aredick@lexrich5.org.

Robert S. Jackson, Ed.S., Principal

https://twitter.com/IMS_Principal

IMS Students Write Books for Elementary Students and Donate Copies!
COLUMBIA Middle school students at one LexingtonRichland School District Five School used a class assignment to give back to students within the district. Seventh and eighth grade students at Irmo Middle School
decided to take a class project to the next level.
Students in Mrs. Gordons Gateway to Technology
class were given an assignment to demonstrate skills
learned in the class. Several students chose to work
together to write and illustrate books that they would
then donate to one elementary school in the district.
Mrs. Gordon explained to start with she brought in local author Frances F. Jones, author of the book series Cricket Curls Adventures. Jones spoke to the students about
being an author and shared how the editing process worked. The students then looked
through childrens books in order to understand the reading level of elementary students and to get ideas on how to lay out their books. As they dove into the project they
learned about Leaphart Elementary s Engineering Magnet program and decided to donate two of the books Engineering Fun and Fun with Technology to the school.
Gordon was excited to see her students so engaged in the project and couldnt wait to
see them present them to the elementary students. She said, When I gave them the
assignment several groups decided they wanted to do a book so younger kids in the
area could learn and grow too. Im just so excited to see them take so much initiative
in this experience and to see it come to fruition makes me so proud. They were so excited to come and share their books with these Leaphart Elementary students.
Eighth grade student Kyle Dudley shared why his team chose to do a book for their
project and just how challenging it was. He said, We chose to do a book for our project because we wanted to provide a fun way to educate younger students. Writing
and designing the book was a challenging, but fun process. We first had to come up
with an idea and then produce a rough draft. We had never written a book before so it
was a long process and difficult at times, but it was a lot of fun to see the smiles on the
kids faces when we were reading the books to them.
Six of Mrs. Gordons students made the trip to Leaphart Elementary to read their
books to Ms. ONeals Kindergarten class. The books were then donated to Leaphart s
library for all their students to enjoy.
We are so proud of Mrs. Gordon and her students for their amazing work.

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Irmo Middle World Language Students Raise Awareness for Artisans

I first became aware of the Pulsera Project at an education conference, said Nancy Ellis, language instructor at Irmo Middle
School. The next year I signed us up and we raised $5,000 in our
first two years.
Each Pulsera sold at the school is tagged with the name and photo of the young artist who created it. The cost is $5.00 each. The
language students volunteer to sell the pulseras at their booth
during lunch hour along with teachers Nancy Ellis, Nadia Steere,
and Rui Zhao.
Founded in 2009, the Pulsera Project grew out of adventure,
when thirteen friends traveled around Central America one winter break and ended up staying at a farm in the
foothills of Managua. Hidden away from the normal tourist spots, this refuge was established for former street
kids who were taught to weave pulseras. The American students brought back hundreds of these colorful bracelets and began selling them in their schools. And so the Project began.
Today, the Pulsera Project has sold more than 400,000 bracelets through student volunteers in some 1,300
schools across the U.S. Since 2009, over $2 million has been raised to aid the young Nicaraguan artists. In 2013,
the Project expanded its work to include artisans in Guatemala and Uganda.
When asked what the takeaways are in this project, Ellis commented, Were helping these young artisans in
Nicaragua first and foremost. By serving in this project, I hope that our students will know more about our world
and its people. This is a great way for our students to become global citizens.
The students hope to raise over $2,000 this year alone through their fundraising efforts. All of the proceeds of
their sales are sent to the Pulsera Project for distribution to the artisans in Nicaragua.
"We remain so proud of our World Language scholars and the work they continue to do in order to deepen
learning experiences."
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Student Government Fund Raiser

Domino's Slice the Price Card offers you a BOGO
opportunity for the rest of 2016!!
With this card you can get a "FREE" large pizza for
every large pizza purchased!!
This is a GREAT deal for you and will help Student
Government raise funds!! The cards are on sale through Monday, May 16.
Can purchase from any Student Government member. If you have any questions please call, 476-3669.
***************************************************************************************************************************************

Nurses Note
Parents, if your child has "as needed" medicine(s) in the Health Room, you may begin picking it up between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Please be reminded that we can not
send medications home with your student: a parent or guardian MUST pick it up. Any medications NOT picked up by the last day of school will be discarded. If you have any questions
please call Nurse Jackson at 476-3609 or 476-3730.

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School District Five intermediate and middle schools will collect all district issued Chromebooks and chargers in
order to service and prepare the devices for the 2016-17 school year. All students must turn in Chromebooks and
chargers according to the collection schedule on the back of this letter or a bill will be sent for the full replacement price
of the device.
Before turning in the Chromebook and charger, students need to do the following:
1. Remove their student profile by following these steps:
Log out of device
Click on top right corner of your profile picture
Choose Remove User
2. Clean the device (https://www.wevideo.com/view/379364335)
Clean the screen with a soft, dry antistatic, or microfiber cloth.
Do not use window cleaner or any type of liquid on the Chromebook without adult supervision.
You may use packaged pre-moistened eyeglass lens cleaning tissues to clean the screen.
3. Charge the device to at least 60% (a full charge is preferred)
If the Chromebook currently has any issues or damages, please do not wait until collection time to notify the schools
help desk. During collection, if the Chromebook shows signs of damage or malfunction, the student will be asked to write
a statement describing the damage, what caused the damage, and when the damage occurred. The statement and the device will be submitted to the insurance company. In the event that the insurance claim is denied, a bill will be sent to the
home address for the amount of the damage. All charges must be cleared before the student is issued a device
next year.
Possible charges:
a. Charger: $40.00 if not turned in or if not working properly
b. Total replacement: $300.00
c. Other charges for damage or loss of parts will be subject to review by the Technology Department. Parent will be
notified if charges are necessary.
d. After collection, students will receive a receipt to verify the device was turned in and to note any damages or charges.
D5 Technology Services will remotely disable any Chromebooks not turned in by the deadline and a bill for the
full replacement value will be sent.

Students will turn in their Chromebooks and charging cords with their social studies teacher.
DEADLINES:
Students will need to have their Chromebooks and charging cords (or payment for lost devices/cords)
turned in prior to June 1.
LOCATION:
Media center - Students will be escorted by their social studies teacher on their designated day.
Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

23

24

25

26
8th grade

30 Holiday No School

31 Half Day
Make-up

1 Half Day
Make-up

2 Half Day

Friday
27
6th & 7th grade

COLLECTION DATES/TIMES:

Please note that students will turn in their textbooks on the same day they turn in
Chromebooks. They will turn in their textbooks through their math class.
If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Young at 476-3748.

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Accepting Applications until Spaces are Full

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Irmo Middle School

PTSO Volunteer Form
20162017 School Year
Welcome to Irmo Middle School! We would love for you to be a part of the IMS Parent Teacher Student Organization! PTSO Volunteers are vital to the success of Irmo Middle School. Research shows that grades and test
scores rise for Middle School children when parents are involved. So, your involvement is more important now,
than ever. There are volunteer opportunities for to meet everyones schedule. Please join us!
Volunteer Opportunities:
Please check which areas you would be interested in serving (please see below for description of committees):
PTSO Executive Board Committees:
____ Book Fair
______ PBIS

______School Store
______Business Partners

________ Hospitality
____Ways & Means

______ Special Events

______Volunteer Coordinator

Contact Information:
Student(s)

1) _________________________________________

Grade________

2)___________________________________________

Grade________

Parent(s)/ Guardian Name ______________________________________________

Email Address________________________________________________________
Mailing Address ______________________________________________________
Home Phone Number________________

Cell Phone Number____________________

Please label and return this form ASAP to the front office of the school for the PTSO Box. Someone from the
PTSO Executive Board or Mr. Jacksons secretary will be in touch with you soon.

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Spring Standardized Testing season is upon us. Irmo Middle School will administer SC
READY, SCPASS and EOCEP assessments to all 6th, 7th, and 8th graders on the following dates:
Tuesday, April 26th- ELA Session 1
Wednesday, April 27th- ELA Session 2
Thursday, April 28th- Mathematics
Wednesday, May 11th- Science
Thursday, May 12th - Social Studies
Monday, May 16th - EOC, English 1 Honors Only
Tuesday, May 17th - EOC English 1 Honors Only
Wednesday, May 18th - EOC Algebra 1 Honors Only
Thursday, May 19th - EOC Algebra 1 Honors Only
Parents and/or guardians, there are several steps you can take to help maximize your childs performance on
these exams:
1. Make sure your student is present for each day of testing. Schedule all appointments outside the testing window. If it is absolutely necessary, schedule afternoon appointments as we will test each morning.
2. Take away their mobile devices, gaming systems and/or TV to eliminate distractions. Students need 8 9 hours of uninterrupted sleep each night to perform at optimum level.
3. Each morning, make sure your student eats a healthy breakfast.
4. Ensure your student reports to school early (8:00am).
5. Make sure that all 6th graders bring their Chromebooks to school fully charged on testing dates, as their assessments will be administered online.
6. Talk with your child about all three exams (SCREADY, SCPASS, and EOC) to help reduce test anxiety, encourage your child to focus and put forth their best effort when encountering difficult questions on the
test and remember to praise your child when he or she performs well on assessments such as the EOC, which
provides instant feedback.
Students, here are a few steps you can take to enhance your performance during testing:
1. Arrive early on test day.
2. Be comfortable but alert.
3. Stay relaxed and confident. When nerves take over, remember to take several slow, deep breaths and relax.
4. Try to answer questions in a strategic order; that is, answer the easy questions first to build confidence and
tackle the difficult questions last.
5. Leave mobile devices at home or shut them off completely once you enter the campus.
6. A final step for students is to review their tests after completion, making sure they did not forget to answer
any questions, miss-mark any answers, or made any other type of careless mistake.
These few simple steps could help Irmo Middle School students earn exemplary results. For more information
about testing you may contact Sheila Inabinet (Guidance Director, 476-3670) or Glenn Hutto (Assistant Principal
for Instruction, 476-3612). Additionally, you can visit the South Carolina Department of Education website for
additional information.

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