Tuesday, May 31, 2016

Mandarino Minutes for 5-31-16

Dear Parents/Guardians,
We hope you had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend!  The weather really cooperated for family gatherings, the Senior PGA tour, and all other outdoor activities!

Library Books are due-
All UMS library books are due back to the media center.  Please encourage your daughter/son to return all materials to the media center at their earliest convenience.  Thanks for your help with this!



Blood Drive at UMS-
The Upton Builders Club is hosting a Michigan Blood Drive on June 7th from 1:00 P.M. – 6:00 P.M.  If you donated here in the past, we are hoping you will consider helping us out again. If this is the first time we would love if you could help.   If you can donate at this time, please visit https://donate.miblood.org/donor or contact me at shunnell@sjschools.org to schedule an appointment. 



8th grade Laptop payments-
If you are planning on purchasing your son/daughter's laptop, please try and make this payment by Friday, June 10th (a week from this Friday and the last day of school) so that we can make sure that we can return the laptop to your son/daughter in a timely fashion.


Exam Schedule-
Exams in 7th & 8th grade are 20% of their 2nd semester exam, and in 6th grade they are 10% of their 2nd semester grade.

The semester grade is calculated as follows-
7th & 8th grades:   3rd marking period (40%), 4th marking period (40%), 2nd semester exam (20%)= 100%
6th grade: 3rd marking period (45%), 4th marking period (45%), 2nd semester exam (10%)= 100%

Tuesday, June 7th-  5th hour exam (All students)  6th hour exam (6th grade only)
Wednesday, June 8th-  1st and 2nd hour exams
Thursday, June 9th-  3rd and 4th hour exams
Friday, June 10th- 6th hour exam (7th and 8th grade only) 
6th graders will taking part in their annual track meet
Note:  Our exam schedule is not exactly like St. Joseph High School


Awesome Choir Concert-
Our Upton choirs really performed well last week at their Spring concert!  The salute to Broadway was very entertaining and fun to watch!  Mrs. Gray-Roll really had the students well prepared! :)



Sideline Cheerleader Information-
HS SIDELINE CHEER TRYOUTS ARE UPCOMING
Material Clinics May 31, June 1, and June 2
Meet the coaches, gather materials for evaluations, and learn material in a no pressure environment.

Tryouts are June 14 and June 15

For more information visit the cheer website at www.stjosephcheer.org



Report Cards-
Report cards and NWEA test results will be mailed out sometime later in the week of June 13-17th.


Upton Start-Up Day Early Reminder-
The date for the 2016-2017 school year Upton Start-Up day is Thursday, August 25th 9:30 A.M-3:00 P.M. or 5:30 P.M.-8:00 P.M. This is once again an open house format. 


Sports Physical Reminder for Wed., June 1st-
What:  Athletic Physicals
When:  Wednesday, June 1st. Ladies at 5:00 P.M. and guys at 6:00 P.M.
Where:  St. Joseph High School Fieldhouse
How much:  $30 per student or $45 for 2 or more people in the same family
More info.:  Please bring a parent with you as it does require some parent signatures.  Forms are available at the athletic office.



Quotes of the week:
"Remember, happiness doesn't depend upon who you are or what you have; it depends solely upon what you think." - Dale Carnegie

"There is no such thing as a self-made man.  You will reach your goals only with the help of others."- George Shinn

Have a great week,
Mr. Mandarino


Thursday, May 26, 2016

Mandarino Minutes 5-26-16

Dear Parents/Guardians,


Sports Physicals for the 2016-2017 School Year-
What:  Athletic Physicals
When:  Wednesday, June 1st. Ladies at 5:00 P.M. and guys at 6:00 P.M.
Where:  St. Joseph High School Fieldhouse
How much:  $30 per student or $45 for 2 or more people in the same family
More info.:  Please bring a parent with you as it does require some parent signatures.  Forms are available at the athletic office.




Equestrian Club-

Our Equestrian team did an amazing job at this past weekend. These 7 girls participated in the B division which equals 42 different classes. The team spent 14.5 hours on Sunday showing in the wonderfully hot weather. We had a great group of parents and family members supporting them and making sure that everyone had a fun and safe time. Our girls took 2nd place in the division with many of the girls placing first in their individual classes. They had a lot of fun, were exhausted and sunburned, but they represented Upton in a very positive way. Also - a quick shout out to Mr. Catania for coming out to support and cheer our team on!!




Cheer Information-
Please click on this link for Cheer information on a parent & athlete meeting for cheerleading:
Cheer Informational PDF


Battle of the Books vs. Lakeshore-
Congratulations to our 7th grade battle of the books team that took on Lakeshore Middle School's top team today for the battle of the castle.  The castle gets to stay at the winning school's media center.  Thankfully the castle stays at Upton!  Mrs. Gressley's winning team consists of:
Lauryn Arel, Hannah Blazina, Anika Bethem, Paige Dahlen, Ella Ott, and Abby Peterson



Summer Reading-
Below is a link of book suggestions and a website about summer reading tips for parents.  Thanks to Mrs. Humes for putting this together! :)



Quote of the day:
"Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude."- Zig Ziglar


Enjoy the Choir concert this evening,
Mr. Mandarino




Monday, May 23, 2016

Mandarino Minutes for 5-23-16

Dear Parents/Guardians,


8th grade reminders-


  • Please continue to bring in payments for the laptops to the office if your daughter/son wishes to purchase their laptop.  The IT department is willing to look over the computer to see if everything is in working order and also to test the battery.  Your son/daughter can bring their laptop down to the media center each morning at 7:30 A.M. for the check-up.
  • Please bring in a young picture of your son/daughter. Please put their name on the back of the picture and the picture cannot be returned.
  • Please no limos at 8th grade farewell on Friday, June 3rd.
  • A dvd order form will be coming home tomorrow (Tuesday, May 24th) for those wishing to order an 8th grade farewell memory dvd.



The Lion King Jr.-

If you viewed The Lion King Jr. this past weekend you couldn't help be inspired, entertained, and awed at the talent that was displayed on the Upton stage.  The kids did such a wonderful job!!!!!  The music, acting, and costumes were really outstanding!  Congratulations to the 40+ kids, Director Strayhorn, and Assistant Director Mrs. Gray-Roll.




Lory's Place Walk and Run-

A huge shout out to all of our runners & walkers from Upton Middle School!  Upton won the School Spirit Award for having the most participants in the race.  We are very proud of this as we did this race in memory of Madie Flores.  Here are the results of the race:  https://runsignup.com/race/results/?raceId=15568#resultSetId-37527.  In the boys 11-14 division Upton finished #1-5.  1st place- Ayden Moyer; 2nd place- Andrew Moyer; 3rd place- Drew Nisbet; 4th place- Ethan Murrin; and 5th place- Will Christy.  In the girls 11-14 division Upton finished #2-5.  2nd place-  Claire LeValley; 3rd place- Grace Koch; 4th place- Abby Peterson; and 5th place Jillian Tunnicliff.  In the adult divisions, Mr. Maier, Ms. Houseal, and Ms. Greissinger all took home 1st place finishes as well.


SJPS Golf tournament-


On Saturday SJPS hosted the 4th annual K-8th grade St. Joseph Public Schools Golf Outing.  Thanks to Mr. Walters for once again directing this nice and fun opportunity for our kids!  

Boys winners:
1st place- Ryan Guzzo
2nd place-  Mitchell DeFrancesco
3rd place-  Seth Bergman
4th- Cameron Dirlam



Girls winners:
1st place- Abbey Marohn
2nd place-  Megan Guernsey
3rd place-  Maya Hunter
4th- Lisa Lehner


One-hour delay-

This Wednesday, May 25th is a district one-hour delay.  Buses will come one hour later and breakfast will still be served at Upton.


Upton Spring Choir Concert-

This Thursday, May 26th at 7:00 P.M. will be the Upton Spring Choir Concert at the SJHS auditorium.  It will be a great concert!


Quotes of the week:

“Starting strong is good.  Finishing strong is epic.” -  Robin Sharma

Hold faithfulness and sincerity as first principles.” - Confucius


Have a great week,
Mr. Mandarino

Monday, May 16, 2016

Mandarino Minutes for 5-16-16

Dear Parents/Guardians,


Great Technology Festival-

The Ren Baldwin Technology Festival was another success!  Mrs. Dirlam really directed a first-class operation. :)  We would also like to thank Mr. Parsons, Mrs. Humes, Mrs. Bacolor, and our entire IT team.  I would also like to thank the teachers who encouraged and assisted the many awesome entries.  The grand prize winner for Upton Middle School was Anna Gaishin for her project "Curious Sparks".  First place winners included:  Rachel Hopkins, Lucas Adent, Chloe Russell, Lily Cui, Cherese Jordan, Anthony Orozco, Laura Wolf, Anna Gaishin, Sean Thursby, and Cailynn Junk.


Link to the 2016 Festival Website:  https://sites.google.com/site/2016renbaldwintechfest/
Warning:  You may be watching for hours!!! :)


Book Fair-

Just a reminder that we have the Scholastic Book Fair happening all this week. Kids can shop and parents are welcome to stop by as well. The book fair is open from 7:15 A.M. –3:45 P.M. daily. 



The Lion King Jr.-

This Friday, May 20th at 7:00 P.M., Saturday, May 21st at 7:00 P.M., and this Sunday, May 22nd at 3:00 P.M. is the Upton musical, The Lion King Jr.  We have many excited students ready to put on a great show! Tickets are:  Adults $7, Seniors $5, and students $3.  More information is available at:  www.sjmusicalboosters.com


Spring Concerts this week and Next-

Wednesday, May 18th Upton Band Concert 7:00 P.M. at the SJHS Auditorium
Thursday, May 19th Upton Orchestra Concert 7:00 P.M. at the SJHS Auditorium
Thursday, May 26th  Upton Choir Concert 7:00 P.M. at the SJHS Auditorium


8th grade Farewell-

We would love your help!  Any parent/guardian that would like to help with 8th grade Farewell please contact Beth Christy at beth.christy@yahoo.com  or 
Beth Mosher at beth.mosher@comcast.net  


8th graders going into 9th grade Volleyball-

All rising freshman interested in volleyball a meeting will take place on Thursday, May 26th from 6-7pm in the high school field house.  



Swimming for 8th grade girls entering 9th grade-

Attention all 8th grade girls:
Ever been on a swim team before? Or maybe you want to try a new sport in high school? Either way,  girls’ swimming is the sport for you. If you’re interested in swimming in the fall of 2016, please come to a recruiting meeting on May 25 at 3:00 PM in the high school student center. You’ll have the opportunity to meet girls on the team and ask questions, as well as tour the pool and locker rooms. If you have any questions, please contact Lindsay Marohn at (269) 208-7755. We hope to see you there!


Quote of the week-
The Elimination Diet-  "Remove anger, regret, resentment, guilt, blame, and worry. Then, watch your health, and life improve. "  -  Charles F. Glassman

Have a great week, 
Mr. Mandarino

Monday, May 9, 2016

Mandarino Minutes for 5-9-16

Dear Parents/Guardians,

Honors Breakfasts-

I want to once again thank our UPTO for their support of our honors breakfasts.  We had three very good days and handed out many certificates.  It was nice to get to talk with some of you. :)


Ren Baldwin Technology Festival-

The fifth annual Ren Baldwin Student Technology Festival will be held this Friday at the SJHS Student Center.  Doors open at 6:00 and awards will begin at 7:30.  Over 1,000 students in grades K-12 submitted projects this year!  Come and see how technology is being used to support learning in our schools.  Door prizes, refreshments, and student Internet safety information will also be available at the event.  Hope to see you there!


One-Hour Delay this Wednesday, May 11th-

The district will have a one-hour delay this Wednesday.  Breakfast will still be served and buses will be one hour later.


Upcoming Concerts-

All three of our performing arts concerts will be at the SJHS auditorium beginning at 7:00 P.M. on the following dates:
 Upton Spring Band Concert-  Wednesday, May 18th
 Upton Spring Orchestra Concert-  Thursday, May 19th
 Upton Spring Choir Concert-  Thursday, May 26th


5th grade visits-

Our 6th graders were hosts for our 5th graders last week.  All three days went really well and our 6th graders did a wonderful job of making the 5th graders feel welcomed and at ease.


7th grade M-Step-

7th grade Science M-Step began today (Monday, May 9th) and will continue tomorrow (Tuesday, May 10th).  Thursday (12th)  and Friday (13th) will be 7th grade Math.  Next week Wednesday-Friday will be 7th grade ELA.


The year is winding down-

Please work with us here at Upton by encouraging your son/daughter to work hard all the way to June 10th.  We do not want students to get "Summeritis" too early.  Thanks for your help and support!

Quote of the week-

"Humor is mankind's greatest blessing."- Mark Twain

Have a good week,
Mr. Mandarino








Mandarino Minutes for 6-9-23

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