A D A M S A D V O C A T E G u i l f o r d , C T

M a y – J u n e 2 0 1 5 C a t h e r i n e W a l k e r , P r i n c i p a l

R o b e r t L o i z e a u x , A s s i s t a n t P r i n c i p a l

V o l u m e 5 , I s s u e 5

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Another school year is coming to a close. Does anyone remember that we began the year in a state of renovation, without our gymnasium for the first two months of school, teachers working out of boxes, and plywood for main floor windows through December? Thankfully, it’s all coming togeth-er now, and the finishing touches of the renovation will be completed over the coming summer.

One year seems like a very short time to get to know and work with your child, but our team struc-ture enables us to provide individual attention and services, as appropriate, to support your child’s academic success. What are the takeaways your child had this year? The team notes, which are part of every newsletter, reveal a number of memorable academic experiences and highlights. Perhaps your eighth grader enjoyed the field trip to the industrial textile mills at Lowell, Massachusetts, or your seventh grader liked being able to compare the text of classic short stories to the dramatiza-tions seen at the Lyman Auditorium at Southern Connecticut State University. The seeds of a life-long love of a particular discipline may have been planted and started to sprout in a classroom this year. Likewise, The band and orchestra trip to see Lincoln Center and rehearse under the direction of a Lincoln Center fellow was a once-in-a-lifetime learning experience. We hosted school-wide as-semblies for award-winning author Neil Shusterman, a pre-election debate between the candidates for the State House of Representatives, Sean Scanlon and Cindy Cartier; the Anti-Defamation League Anti-Bullying presentation; and heard from experts on global climate change. Your child may have improved his/her study habits this year or learned helpful ways to get organized and pri-oritize assignments. He/she may have acquired and applied important individual and team skills for cross country, field hockey, soccer, volleyball, basketball, wrestling, softball, baseball or track and field. The spirit of community and service may have been nurtured and encouraged through after school activities such as Environmental Club, National Junior Honor Society, Peer Helpers, Raider Review, Student Council, Young Artisans', or WildSide, to name a few. So much has been accomplished by our students this year, it is exciting to think of the possibilities that lie ahead!

Best wishes to members of the Class of 2019 as they head off to high school. If your child will be with us next year, we look forward to working together to make 2015-16 another memorable school year. Thank you for supporting your students and our school in so many ways. We wish to express our sincere appreciation for all you do to help our learning community.

Catherine and Bob

A Message from the School Nurse

Parents and guardians: Please remember to pick up your child’s medication before the end of the school year. All medications that are not picked up by Monday June 22nd will be discarded. The Health Office is open daily from 7:45 a.m. until 2:45 p. m. through June 17th. On June 18, 19 the of-fice will be open from 7:45 a.m. until 12:53 p.m. and 7:45 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. on June 22.

Note this important change: In order for a student to even tryout for a sport, he/she must have a current, up-to-date physical on file with the school nurse. Physicals for participation in sports are considered “current for 365 days.”

Team 7-1

Kate Hagness Alex Kagan

Joey LaFrance Lily Riccio

Team 7-2

Izzy Alm Ethan Larock

Kyle Oeze Charlotte Wiley

Team 7-3

Megan Fernandes Casey Goldberg Michael Walters

Team 8-1

Elannah Devin Liam Murphy Connor Rose

Abbey Vilaseca

Team 8-2

Ryan Costanzo Natalia Perez

Chandler Reeves Nicolette Spotlow

Team 8-3

Leah Kornguth Kripa Patel

Cliff Mackowiak

World Language Grade 7

Cassidy Carlson

Megan Fernandes Jack Kane

Noah Killheffer Ava McClure Bill O’Donnell John Petonito

Chloe Sinoway Lindsey Smith

Kiana Vallo

World Language Grade 8

Becca Ligham Rain Iaccarino Kate Feinberg Alyssa Lent Max Leslie

Lucas Santagata Evans Schultes

Michaela Walston

Unified Arts Grade 7

Benjamin Brechlin Charlese Griffiths

Grade 8

James Andrus Meagan Cousins

STUDENTS OF THE MONTH

FEBRUARY

P a g e 2 T h e A d v o c a t e

**The names of some “Students of the Month” may have been omitted as per parental request via the Privacy Policy.

Team 7-1

Ben Guarino Aidan Henry

Catherine Larrow Maggie Mandel

Team 7-2

Ryan Eldridge James Melillo

Lia Veitch Lucy Whitney

Team 7-3

Jack Kane Sequoia Kessler Maddy Norris Chloe Sinoway

Team 8-1

Ali Cochrane David Garbiel

Max Leslie Charlotte Zimmer

Team 8-2

Holden Culotta Emma Hendrickson

Jalynn McCown C.J. Slack

Team 8-3

Eric Lepeak Erin Norton Kriti Patel

World Language

Grade 7

Emily Beitel Ben Brechlin

Hannah Burlakoff Sabrina Comboni

Mac Eschinger Joe Landry-McWilliams

Eva Ott Hill Bella Tomassi

Charlotte Wiley

World Language

Grade 8

Sara Bernal Britney Bondos Heather Evered

Sam Hao Ryan Leiby Erin Norton James Petritz Mark Salib

Unified Arts

Grade 7

Abigail Malton

Grade 8

William Dinauer Brielle Kendrioski

STUDENTS OF THE MONTH

MARCH

P a g e 3 T h e A d v o c a t e

**The names of some “Students of the Month” may have been omitted as per parental request via the Privacy Policy.

Team 7-1

Joey Barcello Anna Cerino

Sabrina Comboni Ben Van Keuren

Team 7-2

Katie Finnegan Riccardo Iacona Maddie Pierpont

Luke Standrowicz

Team 7-3

Carter Leete Abby Pinckney

Grace C. O’Brien Abby Pinckney

Sydney Provencher

Team 8-1 Sarah Gieger

Madeline Greene Sam Fisher

Celia Mariconda

Team 8-2 Janie Danaher Emily Dietzko Erik Mastalerz

Emily Torre

Team 8-3 Ethan Corpuel Maeve Grattan

Chloe Shoff

World Language

Grade 7

Jack Dacey Shayla Flynn Tessa Fridell

Samantha Leiby Matt Moore

Kyle Richard Audrey Rowen Reagan Strand Jaime Yeomans

Devin Zimmerman

World Language

Grade 8

David Cespedes James Crossley Alara Godbout Maeve Grattan

Isie Greene Caden Kozub

Hugh Medvecky Natalia Ranfone

Emily Torre Abbey Vilaseca

Unified Arts

Grade 7

Tessa Fridell Andrew Miller

Grade 8

Angela Agnello Evans Schultes

STUDENTS OF THE MONTH

APRIL

P a g e 4 T h e A d v o c a t e

**The names of some “Students of the Month” may have been omitted as per parental request via the Privacy Policy.

P a g e 5

American History Essay Contest

Adams Middle School Team 8–2 students Gabriela Perez and Emily Torre won the Jordan Freeman Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, American History essay contest. This year topic was, “Imagine yourself as a child traveling through Ellis Island in 1892. How would you describe your experience to your cousin who has never heard of Ellis Island?”

Students from Connecticut’s Shoreline were invited to compete in the contest and Emily and Gabriela won first place for the region. They were asked to present their essays at the Annual Chapter meeting where they were well received.

Congratulations to Emily and Gabriela on your award winning writing skills and thank you for representing our school so well with your scholarship.

T H E A D V O C A T E

Connecticut Science Fair

Sequoia Kessler, Team 7-3 was the first place winner in the Adams Science Fair. Her project, entitled “How Sweet Is It Really—tracking down the hidden sugars in drinks”, was selected as a finalist in the 2015 Connecti-cut Science and Engineering Fair. Sequoia was awarded a trophy in the medalist category.

Acton Public Library Poetry Contest

Brianna Blakeman, Team 8-3, was the third prize winner in the 21st Annual Acton Public Library Poetry Con-test, Brianna’s poem, “the Sun and Moon” won in the category: Middle School Grades 4-8. Her poem was ini-tially written for an assignment during the poetry unit during the month of March. Brianna read her poem at a reception for all winners on April 22nd at the Old Saybrook Library.

Ms. Bradley, Brianna’s English teacher, also submitted a poem she wrote as a model for her class and won sec-ond prize in the adult category.

Congratulations Ms. Blakeman and Ms. Bradley!

Adams Debate Club

Advisor: Mr. Vail

The Adams Middle School Debate Club performed admirably in this year's middle school debate sponsored by the Connecticut Consortium for Law and Citizenship Education based in Hartford. The regional round was held at John Winthrop Middle School in Deep River. Adams sent three two-student teams to the debate: Miles DeMille and Aidan Henry, Zachary Martin and Zackary Taherian, and Ella Stanley and Sha Jameson. They debated the proposition, “The United States should implement travel restrictions to and from countries with deadly infectious diseases.” Each team had to debate twice, once on each side of the resolve. While no team advanced to the finals, they put forth sagacious arguments and deftly supported them. Special thanks to our timekeepers of Belle Paris, Carter Popkin, and Joshua Wettemann.

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T H E A D V O C A T E

Writers’ Block

Advisor: Mr. Day

The Writers Block’s central focus was to provide a forum for aspiring writers to gain feedback from other aspiring writers. An essential part of the writing process includes publishing one’s work, so we operate the club online, utilizing a collaborative wiki website. The wiki allows students to post and edit their work, to communicate with each other on collaborative writings, and to give the gift of constructive feed-back to each other.

2014-2015 has been an eventful year for us. We have posted an eclectic range of writing on our website, including multi-genre short stories, six-word stories, poems, and comedic musings. Several members also submitted their respective works to UConn’s Connecticut Writing Project, and three students, Megan Johnson, Team 8-2, Luke Macy, Team 7-3, and Julie Orenstein, Team 7-2, were awarded honorable men-tions. All three of these accomplished writers are being honored at the Student Recognition Night on the Storrs campus in May. Additionally, Writers’ Block members, including students who are members but now attend Guilford High School, participated in our annual poetry reading at the Guilford Free Library on April 23rd. All told, it was a very productive year!

The Writers’ Block looks forward to an exciting 2015-2016 school year, and they encourage new members to join at any time during the Adams years.

Young Artisans’ Club

Advisor: Mrs. McGrath

This year, “The Young Artisans’ Club” enjoyed doing a variety of activities. In our Baking Unit, we made pumpkin muffins, chocolate chip cookies and peanut bloom cookies… everything was delicious!! During the Fall, we made scarecrows to use as decorations for Halloween. Next, we tried a new craft, “calligraphy”, and used this fancy lettering to make greeting cards and posters with inspiring quotes. Currently, we have been designing and painting the sets for the upcoming Drama Club production of “Cinderella or the Story of Bigfoot”, which will take place at Adams on May 14th. We will conclude the year by making decoupage vases and tissue paper flowers. Our final activity will be our annual Ice Cream Sundae Party to celebrate a great year, and to congratulate our Eighth Grade club members, who will be moving on to high school. Thanks to all of our dedicated club members, who put their “hearts and souls” into everything they do.

Adams Art Show

The Adams Art Show took place the week of May 4-8th. Every student in the school had a piece of art that they had created displayed in the hallways. The projects included; Hunterwasser Houses, birch trees, realistic and collage birds, printing of cityscapes, African masks, coral clay forms, blue dog collages, surrealism and one—point perspective and more. The Art Show coincided with the band concerts and many parents and students were able to view and vote on their choices for art that was: Most Colorful, Most Realistic, and Best in Show. The winners are:

Sydney Provencher, Hidden Picture- Most Colorful Carter Leete, African Mask- Most Creative

Allie Stankewich, The Whale's Tail Door- Most Realistic Shayla Flynn, Bird Study- Best In Show

Jackson Fencil, Midnight City -Peoples Choice Award

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SUPPORT SERVICES DEPARTMENT Mrs. Fran McGrath & Mrs. Carolyn Vanacore, School Counselors Phone 203-453-2755 Ext. #132 & #134 Mrs. Louise DelFranco, Administrative Assistant Phone: 203-453-2755 Ext #131

F R O M T H E C O U N S E L I N G O F F I C E

TRANSITION INFORMATION 6th to 7th Grade Transition News: This month, Mrs. Vanacore will compile all parent survey and letter information, as well as 6th to 7th Grade transition card in-formation for placement next year. On Monday, August 31st New-comers to Guilford and 7th Grade students who need to visit Adams before school begins can come from 9:30 a.m. –11:00 a.m. for a brief ori-entation. Any students who needs to take Math Placement testing will take the necessary test from 11:00 a.m.—1:00 p.m. that day. Math screening will also take place at Baldwin during late May. 7th to 8th Grade Transition News: Parents of 7th graders who have concerns about their child’s placement for 8th grade should talk with their child’s teachers and complete the Parent Survey in this month’s newsletter. Mrs. McGrath, who will be looping to 8th grade with the current 7th graders, can assist you in planning for next year. If there are special considerations, please be sure to contact Mrs. McGrath as soon as possible. 7th Grade News: Seventh graders will take Iowa Algebra Apti-tude Test in May. The results, along with grades, and scores on the Basic Skills Math Test, seventh grade benchmark tests, Smart-er Balance math test, and teacher recommendations will deter-mine eligibility for Algebra I in grade eight. Most students will be in Math 8 the pre-algebra class as eighth graders. If you have questions, contact your child’s math teacher. 8th Grade News: Eighth graders have registered on-line for high school classes. Parents are asked to keep in mind that placements could change if current student work shows improvement or be-gins to slip. Eighth graders should continue to work hard for the best possible recommendations for the fall. Parents of any eighth grader not attending Guilford High School next year should have sent in a written note by now to the Adams Support Services Office. If you have not, please notify us as soon as possible. You will officially withdraw your student at the end of the school year, but for accurate high school class counts, we need to know as soon as possible. Summer Options for Middle Schoolers: We have information in the Support Services Office about several summer opportunities, including the Sound School, Hopkins School, Choate, University of Connecticut, and local camp programs. Please contact us or the school you are interested in for additional information.

Adams Peer Helpers assisted with the 7th Grade Orien-tation for parents and students on March 30th. They gave tours of the school, provided helpful information, and answered questions. They continue to volunteer this spring at the Guilford Clean Up Day, technical sup-port for the school play, and children’s activities like the Little Folks Fair. Our last formal meeting for the year is scheduled for Tuesday, May 19th. All Peer Helpers should attend this very important meeting so we can begin planning our end-of-year activity. Thanks for vol-unteering all year long. Thanks for volunteering all year long!

PEER HELPERS

FROM THE COUNSELORS’ BOOKSHELVES

This month we offer something for teens and their par-ents. Life Strategies for Teens (2000) by Jay McGraw, son of talk show host Dr. Phil McGraw, gives a view and un-derstanding of the teen years. Written for teens them-selves, and with an accompanying workbook, it offers advice and ideas on how to help teens navigate through the difficulties of adolescence. Parents will want to look at the life strategies to better understand their teenagers dilemmas. It offers teens ways to change their perspec-tives, consider others and other possibilities, and see the bigger picture, often not part of a teens vocabulary.

Scheduling for the 2015-2016 school year is underway. Thank you for completing our Transition Information Parent Survey. If you have any other information you would like us to have about your child for next year, please get it in to us as soon as possible, so that it may be considered. Have a happy summer and we will see you next year!

F R O M T H E C O U N S E L I N G O F F I C E P a g e 8

HOW TO KEEP YOUR KIDS DRUG FREE Here are some facts about kids and drug use: 40% of U. S. teens say they expect to use a drug in the future. One out of every five 8th graders has already tried marijuana. Use of substances, such as marijuana and inhalants, can result in social consequences (ex. failing grades in school) and physical consequences (ex. brain and lung damage). Teens who smoke cigarettes are more likely to drink alcohol. Teens that smoke and drink are more likely to use marijuana. Those who use all 3 are more likely to use illicit

drugs

Parent Power: Kids who are regularly monitored and learn from their parents about the dangers of underage drinking, drugs and other harmful substances are 4 times less likely to use those substances. Parents have the “power” to keep their children safe, healthy, and drug-free!

What Parents Can Do to Keep A Child From Using Drugs: Be Proactive…don’t wait to speak with your child about the risks of drug use…what your child doesn’t know could kill them. Kids that receive consistent messages tend not to use drugs. Be knowledgeable about your child’s friends, activities, and how they spend their free time. Since friends are “key” in their lives, encourage them to choose those who don’t use drugs. Spend time with your child’s friends by chaperoning socials, hosting friends at your home, or driving them to school/sports events. Get to know their parents, too, and make sure they share your same views regarding drugs. Set limits with clear rules, limits, boundaries and consequences… communicate that these are set out of “love.” Establish effective and open communication strategies with your child... use age-appropriate messages about the dangers of substance use, and encourage them to discuss their concerns or worries with you. Develop clear and consistent messages about your expectations for them not to use or experiment with substances. Teach them refusal skills and confidence-building tools that help kids decline drug offers and avoid unhealthy choices. Help them commit to and practice these behaviors. Be an “active” listener, by hearing the underlying message in your child’s tone and acknowledging their feelings. Also, refrain from using judgmental or accusatory statements. Try to model respect, empathy, and self-control with your child.

In order to ensure that each student is placed appropriately for his/her individual needs, please read about our placement process.

March/April/May Parents may complete a Parent Survey/Student Profile sheet for their child or write a letter about their child’s strengths, weaknesses, preferred learning conditions and personality. In your letter do not make specific teacher/team requests or friend requests—these will not be considered in the placement process*. Current teachers will complete individual Student Transition Cards indicating each child’s demonstrated achievement and effort in Language Arts (English & Reading) and Math. Core academic teachers may provide additional comments on the card. Music and world language choices are made with parental input; forms will be sent home in April/May. Math acceleration place-ment decisions are made based on the established criteria, which include state and district assessment data as well as the results from math screening tools administered in May/June. *The academic need of the student is the overriding determinant in team placement. Students with social/emotional concerns, documented by clinicians, teachers, counselors or administrators, will be given some consideration in team placement. May & June Using all available information, counselors make initial team placements. Teams are formed according to the following considerations: (1) academic needs of each child, with a balanced representation of high achieving and special needs students, gender, music choice and language choice (2) scheduling of classes with restricted schedules (3) reserved placement to allow for new student enrollments. The scheduling process begins once initial team placements are made. August Team placements are mailed home the third week of the month.

Frequently asked Questions Do I really need to complete a Parent Survey/Student Profile for my child? Can’t I just call or let the sending school provide information? Parents are encouraged to complete the survey which will be included in the January/February and March/April Ad-vocate, because parental input is important in helping us to know your child better. While we will obtain information from the previous year’s teachers, do not rely solely on this information if there is something important you need to con-vey to us. Because each school counselor manages a caseload of approximately 280 students, it would be very difficult to handle a large volume of phone calls regarding placement, without it having a negative impact on our current students. We encourage you to give us your input in writing, and to restrict phone calls to urgent or critical matters only. Why can’t I request a teacher for my child? All teachers at Adams are highly qualified, and our teams are balanced to provide a variety of teaching styles to meet individual student needs. We make every effort to find the right team match for each child, based on all the input re-ceived. It is unfair to make a request on the basis of others’ opinions, or from another child’s experience. Each child is unique and may or may not benefit from having the same teacher(s) as a sibling.

The Placement Process at Adams Middle School 2015

P a g e 9

I am concerned that my child won’t know anyone on his/her team. Can my child be placed with friends? We realize that seventh and eighth grade can be a difficult time socially, however, it is also a good opportunity to en-courage your child to develop new relationships. We do try to ensure that each student has peers they are friendly with on their team. However, we can not guarantee placement with specific friends. What do I need to do to make sure my child gets his/her performance music and world language choice? In late April or early May, you will receive forms to sign regarding music choices and world language choice (grade 7 only). Please be sure to sign and return these forms to the Adams Support Services Office or to your child’s sixth grade counselor, as quickly as possible. If we do not hear from you, your child will be signed up for their current music choice, and for an open section of world language. I am not certain that my child can handle adding world language to his/her schedule, is it required? World language study in the seventh grade is expected for most students, however there may be circumstances where a student’s learning needs dictate exemption from world language. If your child needs to address known academic weaknesses, it is acceptable to postpone world language study until high school. This may be discussed during the PPT or 504 review process, and the decision forwarded to the appropriate Adams school counselor. What if my child takes a full schedule and can’t handle the workload? Can he/she drop a class during the school year? Most students who are having time management issues find that they are temporary and by consulting with their counselor, these issues can be resolved without having to drop a class. If a child is experiencing academic failure, there may be a reduction in the music schedule. Students with known learning difficulties may be exempted from world lan-guage study in order to address their unique academic needs.

The Placement Process at Adams Middle School 2015

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No Child Left Behind Act As part of the federal No Child Left Behind Act, parents may request information regarding the professional qualifications of their child’s teachers. Please submit written requests to the building principal for this infor-mation. Non-Discrimination Statement The Guilford Board of Education does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religious creed, marital status, national origin, ancestry, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information or disabil-ity in its programs, activities, and employment practices and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. Inquiries related to sex discrimination or harassment should be directed to Jason J. Beaudin, Assistant Superintendent, 701 New England Road, Guilford, CT 06437 or at 203-458-6666, ext. 27; inquir-ies related to disabilities should be directed to Virginia Brown, Director of Pupil Services, 280 South Union St., Guilford, CT or 203-453-0128.

T h e A d v o c a t e

ADAMS MIDDLE SCHOOL NAME: Transition Information DATE: Parent Survey Student Profile CURRENT GRADE: Please complete this form and return to the Main Office at Adams Middle School. The information you provide will help the Adams staff make the most appropriate place-ment for your child. Please describe your child from an overall perspective (academic/social/athletic, etc.): My child’s strengths are: _________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ My child’s weaknesses are: _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ My child’s interests are: __________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ Good Study Habits contribute to a student’s success in school.

Which best describes how your child studies?

_____ My child studies well independently, with little to no parent support.

_____ My child studies somewhat independently, with some regular parent support.

_____ My child is dependent upon parent support during study time.

Does your child have a regular study time in his/her daily schedule? Yes or No

If yes, the study time is used for (check all that apply):

_____ homework _____ copying over notes _____ studying for quiz/test

_____ reading _____ reviewing notes _____ general studying

_____ outlining _____ note taking _____ making/reviewing flashcards

Check the instructional conditions that best support your child’s preferred learning style (check all that apply): _____ class discussion _____ hands-on projects and activities _____ independent (solo) projects _____ independent reading/note taking _____ lecture/note taking _____ multi-sensory learning opportunities _____ oral performance _____ pair work _____ small group work _____ written communication/assignments _____ my child learns well in most any environment

P a g e 1 1

Please describe any unique or special considerations we should be aware of in placing your child next year (teaching styles, previous learning concerns, family/ home issues):

Parents of Eighth Grade Students

You are invited to the

Elisabeth C. Adams Middle School

Eighth Grade Closing Celebration

Thursday Morning, June 18, 2015

Adams Middle School Gymnasium 8:30 - 10:00 AM

~ PROGRAM ~~ PROGRAM ~

P re sen t a t ion o f t he C l a s s Team Te ac her s Welcome Mr s. Van acore

TBA Keynotes, Mrs. Johnson Congratulations Mr. Loizeaux

Awards Mrs. Walker and Mr. Loizeaux

Promotion Mrs. Walker TBA Keynotes, Mrs. Johnson

Baby Photos Also Needed!

As part of the 8th grade Dinner Dance decora-tions, a display of baby pictures is set up outside of the Art Room. The kids LOVE seeing them-

selves and their friends as they used to look.

Please help by sending in a picture of your child, three years or younger, preferably size 3x5 or

4x6 to Mrs. Yates in the main office by May 22nd. Please put your child’s name on the back of the

photo. Photos will not be returned.

Adams Activities Photos Needed!

Photos are needed of any Adam’s activities picturing current 8th

graders to be included in a slide show that will be presented at the

8th grade dinner dance.

Parents can drop off photos on flashdrives or photo CDs by May

22 to the office or send to Hilary Gindi:

ECAdamsPTO@gmail.com

END OF YEAR BBQ FOR EIGHTH GRADERS

Friday, June 19th

Lunch beginning at 11:00 a.m.

Volunteers needed to help set-up, cook, serve and clean up.

Please contact: Beth Regas at regas@toast.net

or Hilary Gindi at ECAdamsPTO@gmail.com

THANK YOU to the PTO Board members and committee chairs who will be saying farewell to Adams as their chil-dren move on to high school. Your hard work and dedication has resulted in numerous benefits to the students and teachers at E. C. Adams: Jazz assemblies, storyteller, field trip support, event chaperons, and a delicious luncheon and breakfast. THANK YOU SO MUCH! We will miss you.

The Adams PTO is putting together the board for the 2015-2016 school year. If you are interested in volunteering for any of the positions listed, please check off the appropriate positions, and return the form found on the next page to the Adam’s Main Office. A description of the positions follows the form.

Thank you in advance for your support and thank you to all who have already volunteered!

2015-2016 Adams Volunteer Opportunities

If you are interested, please check boxes and return with your contact information to the Adams Main Office.

EXECUTIVE BOARD

President

Vice President

Secretary

Treasurer

Volunteer Coordinator Amy Paris

ACTIVITIES

CHAIRPERSON

ADDITIONAL

VOLUNTEER

Box Tops

Dance Chaperones N/A

Hospitality Committee Shana Moore

Library Book Fair

7th Grade Listserv Paige LaBelle N/A

8th Grade Listserv Deb Eschinger N/A

Student Directory N/A

School Photos

7th Grade Science Fair Judges N/A

8th Grade Dinner Dance

8th Grade BBQ

Spirit Wear Trish Thibault

Team Liaison 7.1

Team Liaison 7.2

Team Liaison 7.3

Team Liaison 8.1

Team Liaison 8.2

Team Liaison 8.3

Name Phone Email

2015-2016 ADAMS MIDDLE SCHOOL PTO AND COMMITTEE DESCRIPTIONS

President

The President prepares the PTO meeting agendas, facilitates the monthly meetings, and communicates with com-mittee members to assure completion of all tasks. The role of the President can be shared with another person.

Vice President

The Vice President is responsible for helping the President with their duties.

Secretary

The Secretary records the minutes at the monthly PTO meetings. After approval from the board, they are sent to the 7th and 8th grade listserv chairs for distribution.

Treasurer

The Treasurer keeps track of PTO funds, and prepares disbursements and monthly financial reports.

Volunteer Coordinator

The Volunteer Coordinator compiles a list of volunteers at the beginning of the school year. The volunteers are then matched to their area of interest and connected to various positions/committees at Adams.

Box Tops

This volunteer collects the box tops that are dropped off at the office, prepares them for mailing, fills out an online submission form and sends them to the Box Tops for Education twice per year.

Dance Chaperones

Chaperones are needed for every dance held at Adams throughout the school year. Volunteers are placed around the school in critical locations to supervise.

Hospitality

The Hospitality Chair organizes two events during the school year. The first is the Welcome Back Lunch held in No-vember and the second is the Staff Appreciation Breakfast held in May. You are responsible for set up, clean up, and the ordering of food. You will receive a list of additional volunteers from the Volunteer Coordinator.

Library Book Fair

The Book Fair Chair is responsible for organizing the book fair that is held in November. You will be coordinating efforts with our librarian Mrs. Cote and making sure there are volunteers to set up, dismantle, and staff the fair at all times. You will receive a list of additional volunteers from the Volunteer Coordinator.

7th and 8th Grade Listserv

At the beginning of the school year, the respective 7th and 8th grade listserv volunteers will compile a list of families that would like to participate in the listserv and input their information into the computer so that they receive all information distributed by Adams.

Student Directory

The volunteer in this position compiles student data (name, team, phone number, address, email) and enters it into the computer system creating the Student Directory. The directory is disseminated to families via the listserv and is periodically updated throughout the school year.

School Photos

Several volunteers are needed in September to organize the packets that the students turn in on picture day. They help the photographer throughout the day as well as on picture retake day.

7th Grade Science Fair Judges

Volunteers are needed to judge the 7th grade Science Fair in February.

8th Grade Dinner Dance

The 8th Grade Dinner Dance is held on the last Friday of the school year. For this event there are usually sub commit-tees that form which include set up and decoration of the hallway and gym, set up of the cafeteria, dinner and des-sert orders and sign-ups, hiring of a DJ, and clean up. Your job is to oversee this process. The Volunteer Coordina-tor will provide you with a list of volunteers.

8th Grade BBQ

The 8th Grade BBQ Chair is in charge of organizing the BBQ that is held for the 8th grade students on the last day of school. Your primary responsibilities are to set up, clean up, order and serve lunch to the students. You will receive a list of additional volunteers from the Volunteer Coordinator that will assist you that day.

Spirit Wear

The Spirit Wear Chair is responsible for creating the flyer/order form that is distributed 1-2 times per year. The flyer is posted in the Adams Advocate in the November/December and May/June issues so that parents may purchase school spirit wear items. You will be responsible for delivery of the items as well.

Team Liaisons

One volunteer from each 7th and 8th grade team is needed to support the teachers when they are looking for volun-teers for field trips and various activities. The time commitment is minimal.

Adams Eighth Grade Dinner Dance Permission Slip

I give permission for ___________________________________________________________________ to attend the Eighth Grade Dinner Dance on Friday, June 12, 2015 at Adams Middle School from 6:30-9:30pm. I will pick up my child promptly at 9:30pm. Enclosed is my check for $15.00 made payable to Adams PTO.

Parent/Guardian signature _______________________________________________________________

Phone number I can be reached at during the dance __________________________________________

Financial assistance is available for those in need. Check here is not needing assistance _____________

Please contact Lisa Finnegan at bird6781@gmail.com to volunteer or donate items.

PAYMENT AND PERMISSION SLIP DUE IN THE MAIN OFFICE ON OR BEFORE MAY 22, 2015.

A Night at the Oscars

Adams Eighth Grade Dinner Dance - Class of 2019

Friday, June 12, 2015 Adams Middle School

6:30-9:30pm Cost is $15 per student

Attire – Dressy casual (no jeans, cutoffs,

gym shorts, or sports attire). Collared shirts suggested for boys. Nice dress/skirt for girls. Full length

dresses not recommended.