October 2012

RMS Wolves
ALL STUDENTS WILL GRADUATE FROM ROME HIGH SCHOOL PREPARED FOR COLLEGE OR WORK

From the Principal

Dear Parents: The Thanksgiving break is just around the corner and we have many things to be thankful for at Rome Middle School. Our students are very talented: I hope that you can attend the PTO/Chorus/Drama/Title I parent night at 6:00 p.m. on Monday November 5, 2012. We have an outstanding faculty: I hope that you had a chance to meet with them during the recent parent conference night. We have an outstanding facility to work in each day: Our building and the technology inside is the best of any school, anywhere!
Inside
Beta Club...........................6 Counselors Comments....6 Magellan Highlights ..........2 Media Center .....................2 Nautilus .............................3 Pathfinder..........................4 Seawolf..............................3 Stardust .............................5 Voyager .............................5 Yearbook ........................... 7
Greg Christian gchristian@rcs.rome.ga.us

Robert Young (RCS Title I Director), and Mr. Randy Nobles (RMS teacher and athletic director) will retire at the end of November. I consider it an honor to have served with these men for the past six years and we all wish them the best in their retirement years. I hope that all of you have a happy and safe Thanksgiving and I look forward to seeing you at Rome Middle School as we strive to improve a Georgia School of Excellence! Greg Christian Principal

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As you know, Dr. Gayland Cooper (RCS Superintendent), Dr.

Attention Parents and Guardians:

Are you interested in volunteering at Rome Middle School? If so, we want you! The parent involvement coordinator is looking for helpers to assist with the Wolf Cart, in the media center, and with small projects throughout campus. This is a fantastic opportunity to get involved! In order to volunteer, you must attend a brief training, per Rome City Schools policy. If you have received this training already or are interested in completing the process, please call Ms. Quilici at (706) 235-4695 x 1424 or email her at rmsmedia@rcs.rome.ga.us. Thank you! We look forward to hearing from you soon!

Magellan Team Highlights for October 2012

Georgia Studies: The Georgia Studies classes are studying the branches of government and how our countrys government is organized. As a concluding activity, the Georgia Studies classes will be participating in the school-wide mock election, which will be held on October 30 through November 1. The next unit of study is the Antebellum South. book Up Before Daybreak. The students had to complete performance tasks for each book. Currently, the Literature and Language Arts classes are completing a joint unit of study featuring argumentative writing, and the deadly plagues and diseases that were a th part of the late 19 and th early 20 centuries. Your student should have brought home a contract that describes the activities Language Arts/Literature: of this unit. Both the Literature classes Math: Magellan students and the Language Arts are working hard in math! classes have concluded They have started unit books that were read in class. Literature just com- three, which involves the Pythagorean Theorem. pleted the novel, Let the Circle Be Unbroken, the This is a very important sequel to the book Roll of concept, as they will use it Thunder, Hear My Cry. throughout high school Language Arts finished the math. The students have discovered several of the concepts through hands-on activities and have applied them to new problems. They are working hard, both inside and outside of the classroom. We are very proud of them! Science: Students in science have completed electronic research projects about elements on the Periodic Table. Each student researched an element, created an outline, an electronic publication, and then presented the completed work to their class. The presentations were wonderful! Please feel free to encourage your student to show you what he or she did!

Magellan Wolves of the Week!

Week of September 24

Kesera Samaweera
Week of October 1

Heidi Cole
Week of October 15

Elvis Guzman

Congratulations are also in order for Kate Nobles. Kate was selected as Magellans Rotary student for the month of October.

Media Center Message

In a week from now, American will go to the polls and cast votes not only for the President of the United States, but also for a number of local candidates and referendums. However, its not too early for students learn and get involved in the legislative process. RMS students have the opportunity to vote in a simulation sponsored by the Youth Leadership Initiative (www.youthleadership.net). Voting is taking place this week through Social Studies classrooms. The results of our mock election will be available after November 5, 2012. The students Ive interacted with are both excited and are taking their civic duty very seriously. In other news, as the days get shorter and colder, theres no better time than the present to curl up with a good book. The library has many books to choose from, and we keep adding more and more each day. Approximately 800 new books have been processed since August 1. More are on their way, including e-books. Id also like to express how proud I am of our students for reading so much! Between August and October, 4656 have been checked out from the media center. This total does not include books either owned or borrowed from classroom libraries. To put it into perspective, by this time last year, circulation was only at 2226. Thats more than double, WOW! Keep up the good work, and I know that we can top 5000 books by Thanksgiving! Finally, the media center is looking for volunteers. If you are interested in helping out in the library and have completed the Rome City School parent volunteer training, please contact Theresa Quilici at rmsmedia@rcs.rome.ga.us.

All Students will Graduate From Rome High School Prepared for College or Work

Nautilus Team News

Nautilus Social Studies will continue its unit on Eastern Asia with emphasis on China, Japan, North and South Korea, and Vietnam. We identify environmental issues and the impact they have on the diverse cultures of people living in the region. As always, we will compare and contrast the various forms of governments and economies in individual countries. Finally, we will analyze continuity and change in Eastern Asia leading to the 21st century, including U.S. involvement in the region. In 7th Grade Literature, Students are continuing to read Phineas Gage, an Informational Text about Brain Science. Standards to focus on in this Unit include determining two or more central ideas in a text and analyzing their development. We will also analyze the structure an author uses to organize a text. Students are learning strategies to help them read and better comprehend more complex technical texts. Nautilus Science classes are continuing with the study of cells. They will move into the actions of cells (mitosis, diffusion, cellular respiration, fermentation, and photosynthesis). The Cells in Action unit includes a lab exercise with diffusion. After Cells in Action, Nautilus science classes will begin the study of Heredity. Heredity includes meiosis, genes and alleles, and genotype and phenotype. In English/Language arts, students will continue with our unit on argumentative writing with a focus on solving mysteries and arguing in writing to prove the innocence or guilt of our suspect using evidence found in texts that we are reading. When we are finished with argumentative writing, we will begin a unit on writing and the research process with a specific focus on the brain. This writing will be done in conjunction with your students literature class. The month of November will be a very busy month for Mathematics as we start our third unit over Ratios and Proportional Reasoning. This unit will emphasize unit rate, determining whether ratios are equivalent, finding the constant of proportionality, writing and solving equations, and reasoning and analyzing graphs. All of our problems will involve real-life situations and realworld problems through applications of percents, interest, and distance type problems. This unit is crucial in ensuring success next year, as an 8th grade student, as it aligns directly with many critical concepts students will see in the 8th grade curriculum.

Nautilus Wolves of the Week!

September 28-

Emmanuel Gonzalez
October 5-

Elreisha Heath
October 19-

Jadon Diamond
October 26-

Isabella Carlton

Seawolves of the Week!

Nic Bray Jaaie Varshney Carlos Delfin

Seawolf Team Highlights In literature we are reading dents are working in groups In November, students Magellanaccount in Highlights for August 2011will begin Unit 3: in Rato collect evidence and pre- Math a fascinating Team
Phineas Gage: A Gruesome but True Story About Brain Science, using it as our text for learning text structures and argumentative writing. We are charting the information we gather and will write some of the results from our investigations as our performance task before Thanksgiving break. sent their findings in written form. Geography students have just finished their study of the Middle East. We are just beginning our study of Eastern Asia (China, Japan, North Korea, and South Korea) as well as Southeast Asia (Vietnam). In addition, any students who have relatives that have served or In Language Arts, we are are currently serving in the working on argumentative military might be interested writing, learning to make our talking with them about their cases by investigating experiences, especially crime scenes using picthose who have served in tures and scenarios of vari- these areas of Asia. ous crime situations. Stutios and Proportional Relationships. This unit explores unit rates, length ratios, testing for equivalent ratios, solving percent problems, and graphing indirect and direct variations. All of these problems will be tied into real world situations to help students better connect with the content they are learning. In science, we have been studying the difference between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. The students have learned that prokaryotic cells are known as bacteria.

Speaking of germs, we are entering the season where germs are freely passed around. Seawolf is just about out of Kleenex and hand sanitizer. Parents, please send these desperately needed items by your child. It will be greatly appreciated and hopefully we can keep the students well.

All Students will Graduate From Rome High School Prepared for College or Work

Pathfinder
Geography Mr. Graney Life Science Mr. Freeman Life Science just completed an exciting lab where the student examined chyme (stomach contents) of a murder victim to determine where the victim ate their last meal. Although no real victim existed and the stomach contents were concocted in the kitchen of one of our teachers, the students ran four different tests to see if lipids (fats/oil), protein, glucose, or starch were present in the totally safe concoction. The students seemed to enjoy this lab for the most part despite the gross and smelly stomach contents. In our next unit, we will be learning how to properly use a compound microscope and about the structures of plant and animal cells. We will also examine the parts of the cells and their functions. We have two labs planned for the coming weeks. The first lab we will practice correctly using the microscope and then the next lab we will put our skills to the test in examining various types of cells. Also, anticipate a poster project on the cell.

September will be an exciting month in World Geography. The students will be examining the wide variety of governments located in the Middle East. We will seek to understand the depth of citizen participation in Middle Eastern governments / societies. How the economies of this region operate and the role petroleum plays in this complex world. We will study the history of the Middle East in order to gain understanding into the causes of regional conflict that can still be observed today.

ELA Mrs. Robinson ELA has been working extremely hard on explanatory writing. We will continue to focus on providing evidence from the text when writing. This is part of the new CCGPS, and it is a new concept for the students as well. We are working on developing strong writing skills that we can build upon throughout the year. During the next nine weeks we will begin discussing research and learning how to draw evidence from the text to support analysis, reflection and research. Math Mrs. Brown In October students will be completing Unit 2: Expressions and Equations. The Unit 2 cumulative task and test will be given after students return from fall break. For the last part of October students will begin Unit 3: Ratios and Proportional Relationships. This unit explores unit rates, length ratios, testing for equivalent ratios, solving percent problems, and graphing indirect and direct variations. All of these problems will be tied into real-world situations to help students better connect with the content they are learning.

Literature Mrs. Mueller We are finishing our first unit on Freak the Mighty. Currently, the students are comparing and contrasting the book with the movie, The Mighty. Most of the students have decided that the changes made by the movies producers were ineffective, and they enjoyed the book much more. During our next unit of study, we will be reading informational text focusing on brain function. We will read Phineas Gage by John Fleischman. Hopefully, each student will better understand how his/her brain works and will be able to apply that knowledge to improve studying and test-taking skills.

All Students will Graduate From Rome High School Prepared for College or Work

Voyager Team News

Happy Holidays from the Voyager Team!! We hope everyone is enjoying this special season with their family. We are enjoying the time that we get with your children! Great things are happening on Voyager! In Mrs. Goyas Literature class we are in the middle of an informational text unit with the book An American Plague. This book focuses in the Yellow fever epidemic of 1793. The students are very interested! My honors classes will be reading a book entitled Deadly as independent reading. There will be a project due with this book before winter break. There will be a performance task for the unit due for all students the week before winter break. We will be writing an argumentative essay debating could another plague happen today?. We are continuing to have vocabulary quizzes each week. Please study vocabulary with your child each night. In Mrs. Pecks science class, we just completed a performance task demonstrating phase changes and the states of matter. We are now working on an energy transfer project. Some of the concepts in physical science are very challenging, and your child should be studying for science often. Even if there is no assigned homework, it is important that your child is reviewing notes from the days lesson. In Mrs. Williams language arts class, we are working on the argumentative writing unit. The performance task that is due at the end of the unit will be a joint performance task with literature. We will be beginning work on verbs, concentrating on verb tenses. Mrs. Williams gives homework often. Please make sure that your child is completing their homework each night. The writing test will be given in January. It is imperative that they pass this test. In Ms. Wolfes Georgia Studies class, we have been learning about the government and the presidential election. They will vote in their social studies classes in a mock election. In Mrs. Vaughns math class, we have been applying what we learned from Unit 2 with exponents to geometry. We have discovered that the square of a right triangles legs is equivalent to the square of the hypotenuse. We also have used the Pythagorean Theorem to determine lengths of diagonals in both 2- and 3dimensional figures. We will soon learn how to calculate the volumes of cylinders, cones, and spheres as well. Remind your students that using www.studyisland.com at home is a valuable resource in preparing for class each day. Also, morning tutoring is still available in the computer lab by the cafeteria on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 7:50-8:25. All students have been given passes! Final exam time will be here before you know it! Make sure you are prepared!

The Voyager team is always in need of paper towels and tissue, especially with flu season approaching. If you can find it in your budget to put an extra little something on your shopping list for us, it would be greatly appreciated!

Stardust
Stardust students are starting the 2nd nine-weeks off right! In Literature, we are focusing on Informational Texts this nine weeks. The texts chosen to support these standards uncover the truth about germs and disease. We will be determining whether or not a plague of the 1793 Yellow Fever kind could penetrate society in America today. Students in Language Arts are continuing to work on argumentative writing and now working with verbs. Science classes are working on creating an Energy Web where students choose an activity or task and create a visual representation of all of the forms of energy that go into that task/activity. In Math, we have been working on the Pythagorean Theorem and we're moving on to volume! Georgia Studies students are learning about state and federal government branches and responsibilities. They are also discussing the electoral process and will have a mock election November 1.

All Students will Graduate From Rome High School Prepared for College or Work

BETA CLUB
INVITATIONS TO RETURNING AND NEW BETA CLUB MEMBERS! Eight grade students who were in Beta last year or who achieved honor roll status the first nine weeks of this school year will soon be receiving a letter to renew membership or to join Beta Club for the 2012-2013 school year. Seventh grade students will be considered for Beta Club after the first semester of school. Students who achieved honor roll status both the first and second nine weeks of this school year will receive an invitation to join Beta Club in January.

It is time for our Can-A-Thon annual food drive! The collection period will st th be from November 1 to November 15 . Students and faculty may bring in nonperishable food items and place them into one of the 6 teams boxes OR for every .50 cents donated, one can food item will be purchased. To encourage the spirit of giving and friendly competition, the Beta Club is offering a few incentives. For individual students that bring in 5 non perishable food items a free sit pass for lunch will be given (provided by Beta Club). For individual students that bring in 10 nonperishable food items, candy will be given (provided by Beta Club). For the top two teams that collect the most food items, ice cream will be provided.

Counselors Comments
GACOLLEGE411.ORG Our 8 grade students have started their accounts on GACollege411.org. Please ask your child about their career interest inventories and about the career clusters they have explored. Encourage your child to continue to explore this website from home. There is a parent section for you as well, so please log on and see all the site has to offer. Our 7 grade students will set up their accounts in November.
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Mrs. Katie Cumming kcumming@rcs.rome.ga.us 706.235.4695 ext. 1412)

Should you have any questions or concerns, please call or email.

ROTARY TERRIFIC STUDENTS Each month our teachers nominate 4 students to be RMSs representatives at the weekly Rotary Meeting. These students are recognized by the Rotary Club for their positive attitude and enthusiasm, their determination and effort, and for making school a priority. These students also receive a $25 gift card to Barnes and Nobles and a certificate from Rotary. Congratulations to the following students who have received this honor this year: September: Leandro Borges Torres, Alex Hodges, Matt Sartorato, Mykah Knitig October: Kate Nobles, Karley Baker, Ashleigh Watkins, Landon Price
All Students will Graduate From Rome High School Prepared for College or Work

YEARBOOKS
Parents, dont forget to order your childs yearbook before December 31st. The price will increase to $38.00 after December 31, 2012. You can order your yearbook directly through the Jostens website or through Mrs. Anna Denard at the school. For more information, please email Mrs. Anna Denard at adenard@rcs.rome.ga.us or send your child to Mrs. Denards room before or after school to pick up a yearbook order form.

All Students will Graduate From Rome High School Prepared for College or Work