Mountain Ridge Middle School Newsletter: May 2014

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A note from the principal . . .
MAY 2014
Main Office
303-387-1800
Fax
303-387-801
Attendance
303-387-1802
Athletics/Activities
303-387-1812
Bookkeeper
303-387-1808
Registrar
303-387-1820
Transportation
303-387-0415
Weather Hotline
303-387-7669
Twitter
follow@mountainridgems
Online Payments
dcsdk12.revetrak.net
I am writing this as I look out my window and watch the last remnants of
snow melt from a May storm. Strange to think that there are only days left
until this school year is over! It has been a great one, though. This time
every year, I am amazed at how quickly another year has gone by. There are
always times when it seems like the days are inching by, but now it seems
like the entire year has come to an end with the blink of an eye.

I am both excited and sad to see the 8
th
graders moving on. This is such an
exciting step for them as they embark on their high school journey! I am also
sad, however, as it means that they have completed their time at MRMS and
I will not be able to see them walk into school each day with the smiles and
confidence that go along with being the big students on campus. It has been
a true pleasure to work with this group over the last two years. They came
in with me and now they are ready to move on. Congratulations on being a
great group of middle schoolers. You will do amazing things in high school
and beyond.

There is also excitement and sadness when looking at the 7
th
graders as they
wrap up the year. I am excited that I get to spend another year with them as
they continue to grow into young adults. I am also sad as I watch youth turn
into adolescence. They are certainly ready, but I always mourn when the
chapter of youth is closed. Thank you for making your 7
th
grade year
positive, and I look forward to another year of working with you and making
MRMS even more amazing!

continued on next page

P A G E 2
Mountain Ridge Middle School
A note from the principal . . .
continued
Table of Contents

Page 1-2 Principal Note
Page 3 General
Announcements
Page 4 Team 7-1
Page 5 Team 7-2
Page 6-9 Team 7-4
Page 10-11 Team 8-1
Page 12-13 Team 8-3
Page 14 -15 Team 8-4
Page 16 World Language
Page 17 Electives - Theater
Page 18-20 Electives - Art

We have the most supportive parents and community. Thank YOU for
sending us your most precious commodities in your children and trusting us
to help educate and mold them. Thank YOU for supporting our crazy ideas
like STEM and iLab for all students. Thank YOU for dropping everything
when we need volunteers, input, or donations. Your students are who they
are because of the commitment that you have made to this community and
education.

I look forward to continue working with you all moving forward. I look
forward to getting a new, excited group of 7
th
graders. I look forward to
continuing to serve the staff, students, and community of Mountain Ridge.

Thank you,

Shannon Clarke, Principal

General Announcements

P A G E 3
Want To Help Make A Difference?

This fall, Mackenzie Johnson and Kenzie Devening are
creating a breast cancer team to run in the race for the
cure! Contact us at: Johnsonmg@s.dcsdk12.org or
deveningkm@s.dcsdk12.org if you want to be a part of
the MRMS team to run in the race. We also created
breast cancer t-shirts were selling until May 28.
Download the QR code app for free. All the funds go
directly to Susan G. Komen. So, together, we can help
defeat breast cancer!
Library News

Summer is upon us. Every year around this time people start asking Mr. Vince-
lette for advice on summer reading lists. One of the best sources for informa-
tion on summer reading is the American Library Association website (ALA.org).
Within that site there is a page called, fact sheet 23which is loaded with all
sorts of recommended reading lists. So, if you are looking for options for your
students summertime literacy maintenance, be sure to take a few minutes to
see what the ALA site has to offer.

And speaking of reading, Keep an eye out in our community for Hardwired
for Stories Book Exchange sites. These structures, which were inspired by the
Little Free Library network, were the result of a collaborative effort involving
students, the MRMS literacy specialist (Amanda Windholz), and Mr. Vincelette.
Book exchanges (which have largely been built by students) will soon be placed
at Copper Mesa and Sand Creek elementary schools, along with the waiting
room of a nearby family therapist. The exchanges provide users with an oppor-
tunity to borrow and share books. If you have an idea for a spot in our commu-
nity that would benefit from a book exchange, have your student email Mr.
Vincelette. For more information about the Hardwired for Stories Book Ex-
change project, click here.

P A G E 4
Team 7-One Wonders!
Team 7-1 participated in the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society fundraiser last
month. Each 7-1 teachers Period 8 competed in the Penny Wars, and we raised
over $2,000 dollars for this worthy charity! Ms. Meyers class had the highest
positive total and won a lunch catered by Olive Garden. We were astounded by
our students generosity and want to give a big thanks to our 7-1 families!

We are looking forward to upcoming events such as our cultural fieldtrip and
iLab capstone project. Congratulations, to our March students of the month
(From left to right: Cat Nguyen, Garrett Hansen, Allie Repaskey, Brek Wooten)!

P A G E 5
Team 7-2 End Of The Year Already?
Our journey together over the past 10 months has left us with so many
memories. Team 7-2 this year has become more aware of the world around us
through many learning opportunities and activities in the classroom and out in
the world.

We became more aware of our Team 7-2 community and our places in it. We
learned how our health and well-being depends on the three legs of the Health
Triangle Physical, Mental and Social / Emotional. We discovered new ways to
make healthy decisions and deal with the stresses of life. We became better
communicators verbally and in writing, and we learned how to better
understand others.

We see now that our understanding of math is not simply about doing the math
but about design and problem solving; math is a foundational skill like reading
and writing.

We know that we have a learning environment that is made up of physical,
social (communication), academic and affective components and that it affects
the ways we learn and how well we learn. We know more about the global
environment as well what it is made of and how interconnected everything is.
We see now that the history of each region has a significant impact on how the
world works today and that our understanding of that history adds significantly
to our understanding of the world.

Understanding of the world around us provides us with so many opportunities to
make the world a better place and, YES, a 7
th
grader from Highlands Ranch can
be the change.

Our connections to our learning have become stronger as we take personal
responsibility for our own learning and find new ways to apply that learning to
our daily lives and the world at large.

But most of all, we are all more aware more aware of ourselves, more aware of
our possibilities, and more aware of the world.

Thank you, for a memorable, eventful, and successful 2013-2014 school year.

P A G E 6
Team 7-4 Change Agents

Congratulations to TEAM 7-4!!

The votes have been tallied and we are officially one of the
TOP 6 teams here at MRMS!

Team 7-4 2013-1014 Change Agents:
Matisse Molina, Jason Fisch, Zoe Johnston, Jack Sells, Pallen Brooks, Emily Huff,
Nikki Morrow, Katie Desrosiers, Landon Ashley

We have had 8 change Agents this school year in our pod. Each agent was
chosen for different reasons and each one is unique in their own right. Our
Change Agents for the year were asked to reflect and answer two questions as a
summary of the year:

1. The greatest lesson I learned this year on Team 74 was
2. How were you an agent of change this year?

continued on the next page

P A G E 7
Team 7-4 Change Agents continued
continue on the next page
Here are their responses :

Jason Fisch
1. Over the last year the greatest lesson I learned is that you have to work for
what you want. This year I have experienced a new type of challenge. I wanted
good grades, and I really had to work for them they didnt just come to me. I
will cherish this lesson for the rest of my life.
2. I was a change agent this year because I feel that I actually made a difference
in my community. Whether it was just cheering someone up who was not having
a good day, or something bigger like collecting shoes for my fundraiser that that
was outside of school. Changing the community for the better is essential to
being an agent of change.

Landon Ashley
1. I learned how a small idea, like to help someone, can have a huge impact on
people and the world.
2. I was an agent of change because I was determined to help others. I organized
and ran a canned food drive in the fall, and I worked hard to help others. I was
good at helping friends through difficult times, and I helped spread kindness all
over the pod.

Jack Sells
1. This year, being on Team 7-4, I have learned a ton. The number one lesson I
learned is that middle school is super-awesome and fun. I learned that I could
learn challenging information in a fun, unique, and exciting way. I learned that
this is the best pod and to be myself while still having great friends.
2. I have always loved being leader. This year I had the responsibility to stand up
without being in charge. This year I was a change agent by leading other
leaders. I stood as an example that others could choose to mimic. I always tried
to be the best person I could, which shows how being a quiet, yet outstanding,
example can inspire great change in our society.

P A G E 8
Matisse Molina
1. The greatest lesson I learned this year on Team 7-4 was to be yourself and
apply yourself to everything you do. Its great to be yourself because there are
people in the world who will appreciate you for you. When you apply yourself at
the things you do, you will eventually succeed. Be yourself everyone else is
taken.
2. I thought I was a change agent this year because I always gave 100% in classes
and I was kind to everyone, even when I was grouped with people who werent
my close friends.

Pallen Brooks
1. The greatest lesson I learned this year on Team 7-4 was how to organize
myself. There was a lot more work this year than last year, which taught me to
keep it all organized so I could turn it in on time. I also taught me to get work
done, even if it was due the following week, so I wouldnt overload myself the
night before everything was due.
2. This year I was an agent of change because I was responsible. When I went on
hockey trips I talked with all of my teachers before and after my trips to see what
work I would miss. Work that I was given before a trip was always finished when
I got back to school. I had to manage my time before, during, and after the trip
to get my work done and so I could stay caught up.

Katie Derosiers
1. The greatest lesson I learned being on Team 7-4 was being true to myself in all
settings and all situations. I strongly believe that all students who enter middle
school should have moral character and stand up for what they think is right.
2. I feel I was an agent of change this year by having a positive attitude, working
hard, being respectful and kind to all, and having the interest and will to learn
and grow.

Nikki Morrow
1. The greatest lesson I learned this year on Team 7-4 was that you get out of
school what you put into it just like every thing else in life. If you work hard and
put your best effort into everything you do, you could get a great and positive
outcome. I you put little work and no effort into the things you attempt, your
outcome could be negative and unsatisfactory. If at first you dont succeed, try ,
try again, and if your first result isnt what you were going for, work harder and
eventually you will reach you goal.
2. I feel as though I was an agent of change this year because of my positive
outlook on all situations and my contagious smile. I fell that I have been happy
and giggly and bubbly all this year, which made the atmosphere more enjoyable
for myself as well as others around me! I think that by capturing these traits I
changed the outlook of my peers for the better.

P A G E 9
Zoe Johnston
1. The greatest thing I learned this year on Team 7-4 was that you cant always
have the best ideas on a group project. I also learned to be able to get all of your
work done, you need to develop great time management.
2. I was an agent of change this year because I participated in multiple activities
throughout the year, including donating $50 to WWF for the lions. I tried to be
kind to everyone and tried to gain a larger global understanding.

Emily Huff

1. The greatest lesson I learned this year was that you can do so much more
while working together. After doing so many collaborative projects this year and
then comparing them to some of the projects that I have done by myself, theres
a huge difference. I also learned that you may not be working with your best
friend, but you have to get it done, and sometimes, not working with your best
friend gives you a better result than you would have had working with that
person.

2. When I was selected to be change agent of the November, I was so proud of
myself. I believed that I truly deserved it. When Mr. Lopez said my name I was
so shocked! Even before they (the teachers) started talking about me I leaned
over to my friend Madison and said I hope its not me because I look bad
today. I felt that the teachers gave me a chance to prove that I am a good
person. I dont want the students who were not chosen to be discouraged
though. I want them to realize only eight students can be chosen out of 185. I
truly believe that every single person on this team has the capability to become
an agent of change.

We are so proud of all of our students. We look forward to seeing them
continue as change agents next year and for the rest of their lives.

P A G E 10
We have a team passport project that students will
be working on the last week of this quarter. It is a
great way to wrap up the year and have students
reflect on all the milestones they had to pass to
make it to high school. Students - have a great
summer!

Social Studies - The Civil War has ended - we are
rebuilding the nation after a long and very costly
war.Reconstruction was an incredibly tough period
in our nations history. By the time you get this
newsletter we are diving into an assassination unit
- looking into both Lincoln & Kennedys assassinations. Students will write a
warrant for the arrest for the assassin(s) of Abraham Lincoln or for John F.
Kennedy, based on evidence that they will collect.

This year is coming to an end, and I want to thank each one of you for having
such a great kid! This year has been outstanding because of your student.
-Mr. Blair

Language Arts: Students are finishing up a couple of different books, and from
those we are comparing John Maxwells notes on, The 21 Indispensable
Qualities of a Leader. They will finish up with a short compare and contrast
essay. Students will be following up with a cover letter that displays the
leadership qualities that they have, or that they are planning to develop over the
next four years. This cover letter could be used to get internships,volunteer
opportunities, maybe even a job. We hope that students are seeing their own
qualities in a positive light and realizing that no matter who they are, that they
have leadership qualities and can lead in their own lives. BIG QUESTION: How
will you lead from what you read? I cannot wait to see how our leaders will do
next year in high school!!! Congrats 8-1 students!

-Mrs. Earl

Team 8-1

P A G E 11
In Algebra, we are testing, testing, testing (I thought I heard that we are testing
students too much)
Anyway, students are doing a great job of preparing themselves and this will
definitely help them be successful in high school next year. I have truly enjoyed
working with all of the students this year! They have been outstanding critical
thinkers and creative problem solvers!!! I am very proud of how hard the
students have worked this year and the amount of growth they have shown has
been awesome. I truly believe that the students are ready for the challenges of
high school. I wish all of them the best of luck in the future. Thanks to all the
parents for their support. I know you are well prepared to accomplish great
things! Love ya!
-Mrs. Andriese :)

What an amazing year in STEM I cant believe the end is here. We just finished
up a second round of choices for students in Robotics, Electronics, Mechanics
and Global Awareness. I will say I love watching these projects take form. From
brainstorming ideas that seem at times unlikely to take ANY shape, to the final
product that comes together and always amazes me. You all have demonstrated
perseverance to a level you should be proud of. Well Done! We finished up our
year with a Solar Car Design Competition and Race on May 21st.

I am so proud of all the students this year: such Collaboration, Creativity, Critical
Thinking and Communication going on. It has been such a journey watching all
of you grow in all areas of learning. I want to thank each and every student for
making this year a pleasant and enjoyable school year. There was not one day
that I didnt want to come and be with you. Your smiles, gooty looks and the
things you would think of, made me laugh every day. In all the years Ive been
teaching Ive never enjoyed every single student the way I have this year. Each
of you have been a blessing in my life. Thank You! Love Ya!
-Ms. P.

Have a FANTASTIC Summer !
Your Team 81 Teachers.

Mr. Lopez,
Mrs. Geoffroy,
Mrs. Earl,
Ms. Sanborn,
Mr. Hill,
Ms. Personett,
Mr. Blair,
Mrs Andriese

Team 8-1 continued


P A G E 12
Team 8-3
Journey to the End: Davids-Discovery-Design

David: geologist, botanist, photographer, environmental journalist,
entrepreneurial advertisor, outdoor cookStudents on team 8-3 have dabbled in
many different roles this quarter.

The quarter began with the 243 Second Project. Students read the first
chapter in Malcolm Gladwells book David and Goliath, selected a social justice
issue they were passionate about, and became Davids. After raising $2,000,
groups of 4-5 students wrote speeches that were presented to an outside panel
of judges in order to secure the funds for an organization addressing their cause.
Finally, students wrote letters to Mr. Gladwell thanking him for his inspiration.
We are anxiously awaiting his response.

P A G E 13
Team 8-3 continued
The next invaluable learning activity was the field trip to Cherokee Ranch. Castle
art, geology, exploring the ranch using a topographical map, hiking with a bota-
nist, archeology, crafting an infomercial highlighting educational opportunities at
the ranch, outdoor cooking, environmental journalism-the choices for students
were endless. There were over 15 community members that donated their time
to make Sedalia and Cherokee Ranch come to life. The experience is best de-
scribed by a student who said, This was the opportunity of a lifetime. I will
never forget these 2 days.
And finallythe capstone projectBuild a City. Initially, students spent a morning
with city planners from Highlands Ranch, picking their brains and getting
constructive feedback on their own ideas, in preparation for planning original
cities. The overarching questions for the project were: How do geography,
climate, natural resources and potential natural disasters influence the design
and composition of a city? What is required to build a city? What makes a great
city?

Each group of 10-11 students were
given two pieces of information
regarding their city: the climate and
a potential natural disaster. After 2
weeks of intense planning during
STEM, the actual construction
began May 5
th
. Project completion
and final presentations were on
May 16h.

It is with great pride that Team 8-3
teachers pass our students on to
ninth grade. We know, as stated by
Murat ildan, Some things must end
so that we may know other
things. We wish you all the best
of luck!

P A G E 14
Team 8-4
Six Weeks of Physics of Sports Interdisciplinary Unit 8-4 Sport Groups

Eighth graders working on communication, collaboration, critical
thinking, and creativity

What they learned: PRICELESS.

Wow! Your students once again made the 8-4 teachers proud! We were
thoroughly impressed by how well students were able to come up with a
sport skill to practice, apply the physics, and analyze their skill through
graphs. Our students came up with creative ways to engage their
audience members by creating games and demos, using apps and videos
and summarizing their sports controversies in amazing ways. Some of the
students are actually using this project to improve their game, and their
coaches have noticed! It is truly exciting for teachers to see our students
applying what they learned in the classroom to their world. Here are just a
few of the products:


P A G E 15
Team 8-4 continued

World Languages

P A G E 16
Wow! We cant believe how quickly this year
passed. We have thoroughly enjoyed working
with all of our language/world cultures students
and would like to celebrate their hard work. On
Wednesday May 21 and Thursday May 22,
students will be celebrating the year with
International Food Day. They have been
working hard to plan for this day by choosing a
dish from another country to share with all of
the language and world cultures classes.

Part of the project includes students researching recipes and fun facts about the
country from which the recipe comes. Some groups have chosen a family recip[e
that represents the background from which they come. Each group member has a
job that contributes to the final food product. Thanks again for a great year!
Merci beaucoup! Muchas gracias!

Electives - THEATER

P A G E 17
Get Excited!

ALADDIN Jr. will be our Fall Musical! Auditions will be held the first or second
week of school! Please email Ms. McDaniel is you have questions! lmwil-
liams@dcsdk12.org

continued on next page
Electives - ART

P A G E 18
If you stop by the Cherry Creek Arts Festival this summer,
look for MRMS!

Here is some information

Electives - ART

P A G E 19

Electives - MUSIC LAB

P A G E 20
Music lab is a class where instead of having everything down to an exact science,
kids are allowed to express themselves through music freely. Teacher Lucas
Reeves teaches about different aspects of popular music, as well as many other
genres. This helps kids not only understand how to read notes on a page, but
how to evoke emotions through song.

Its really cool because it doesnt feel
like just a normal class. Its a different
way to learn about expressing
yourself and about music, student
Janey Galligan states.

Jacqueline Laing sets up a
microphone in our recording lab.

Its really different from other classes.
Reeves has a relaxed mind
to things, he is also very helpful
whenever you may need it. Students
get to record and write their own
music, mainly using Garageband.

Mr. Reeves said when asked about his class, Music Lab is a very unique
opportunity to explore and learn about music in a non-traditional setting. This
creative outlet is unlike any other in Douglas County. We get to learn about and
listen to music that is modern and relevant to the students and it's exciting to
see students embrace music who would not typically take a music
class. Listening to original music that 7th and 8th grade students have written is
incredibly motivating and inspiring, and just plain fun.

For those kids who love music but dont know how to play an instrument or who
want to put their songwriting skills to the test, Music Lab is an incredible
opportunity to learn about all kinds of music.

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