Mandarino Minutes for November 14, 2016

Dear Parents/Guardians,


Thanks for coming-
The staff and I would like to thank you for attending parent-teacher conferences last Thursday.  It was really nice to visit with several of you and the teachers really enjoyed their visits with you.  If you were unable to attend your child will bring home their report card, NWEA report, and M-Step report later in the week. (I will send out an e-blast to tell you which day.)

Dropping off in the AM-
Please use extreme caution when dropping your student off in the morning at Upton.  We have had some driving that has been way too fast for our parking lot.  We want a safe and uneventful process. Please also do not drop your child off in the street of Maiden Lane.  We had a student almost hit last week, because it is so dark. 

Food Drive-

This Wednesday is the last day to donate to the Upton fall food drives for Emergency Shelter Services and Stuff a Truck.  Please consider donating non-perishable food items, toiletries, cleaners, and baby items to help those in need in our area.  Builders Club and the Student Council are sponsoring these drives, and the home room with the most items donated will win a doughnut or bagel party. 

8th grade Career Day this Wednesday-

Our 8th graders will particpate in 8th grade Career Day this Wednesday, November 16th.  We ask that our 8th graders dress as if they are going for a job interview for a job they really want. :)   Each student will hear from 4 different career adults from around Southwest Michigan.  Mrs. Lownds and Mrs. Codde have worked hard to plan a fun & educational morning for our students.

6th grade classes-

Our counseling/social work department went into 6gr Math classes to discuss being a good bystander or “up stander”.  We covered: what it means to be brave & stand up for others offline & online; learn to show empathy for those who’ve been cyberbullied & helping others when it occurs.

Here is a handout for parents to go along with the cyberbullying presentation:

https://d2e111jq13me73.cloudfront.net/sites/default/files/6-12-familytip-cyberbullying_3.pdf

Interact 2nd Annual Career Evening-

This Thursday evening in the SJHS student center (where parent-teacher conferences were) from 6:00-8:00 P.M. our Interact Club is sponsoring a Career Night for any student interested in meeting with top professionals.  It will be an opportunity to ask about college and careers.

Community Corkboard-

Have you visited the district community corkboard in awhile?  Here is the link to various items:

https://www.sjschools.org/sjps-parents/community-cork-board-district

UPTO-

At the November meeting our UPTO accomplished the following:

-  Gave a cash donation toward FTC buying their own robots

-  Gave money to purchase a new label maker for the media center.

-  An email has gone out today from your grade level UPTO rep.

-  The next meeting is Thursday, December 1st at noon in the Upton Conference room.

Quote of the week:

"I can do things you cannot, you can do things I cannot; together we can do great things." - Mother Teresa

Other Upcoming dates:

November 16th- District Late Start

November 16th- 6:30 P.M. Community Planetarium Night at UMS

November 23rd- 1/2 day for the district- 11:04 A.M. dismissal

November 28th- Upton Book Fair Begins

November 30th- District Late Start

Have a great week,

Mr. Mandarino

Mandarino Minutes for November 7th, 2016

Dear Parents/Guardians,


Parent- Teacher Conferences-
Just another reminder that parent-teacher conferences will be held only on Thursday, November 10th from 12:30-4:00 P.M. and from 5:30-8:30 P.M.  The conferences will take place at high school's student center.  We have made a change and will be going paperless on the report cards.  You can view the final grades in PowerSchool.  Please bring a list of your son/daughter's teachers with you the night of conferences.  We will however be handing out M-Step reports from last Spring.

High School conferences will also be taking place at SJHS in the Field House for those of you that high school students as well.  Thursday, November 10th and Friday, November 11th are half-days for students.  Half-day dismissal is at 11:04 A.M.


Lest We Forget Veterans Assembly this Past Friday-
Our local Veterans group Lest We Forget presented to our 6th, 7th, and 8th graders on the importance of War dogs in the history of the military.  The students then had the opportunity for Q & A with our veteran/s.  The students asked excellent questions and were extremely well behaved.  Lest We Forget was very impressed with our student body.  Below is a picture of 7th grade Charlie Jones dressed in his grandfather's WWII outfit.  This Friday is Veterans Day.

Food Donations for our local people in need-

Knock-out Hunger and Stuff-A-Truck are two local non-profit groups that are gathering food for our local citizens who may be without food over the holiday season.  Our Builders Club and Student Council are jointly sponsoring this food drive.  Please consider donating canned goods, and other non-perishable items for this great cause!

Upton's Joe Bots-

The Joe Bots (Upton’s FIRST Tech Challenge team) as a fundraiser is doing a bottle/can drive to raise funds to purchase items such as pit cart accessories, electronic components, storage bins/boxes and display boards for the pit area at competition. A receptacle to collect cans and bottles is at the outside entry of Upton Middle School. Please consider dropping off your non-alcoholic cans & bottles before school.  The Upton robotics team has one month left to finish their robots. The middle school competition will be at Coloma Middle School on Saturday, December 3rd.

"GO Time" going well-

Our second GO Time 6th-12th grades went really well last week.  Students had that time to get some intervention and enrichment during the school day.  Our teachers are committed to giving the students real time assistance with their classes and also offering something different for other students.

Wednesday Thanksgiving Luncheon-

This Wednesday, November 9th will be an early Thanksgiving meal with turkey, stuffing, corn, mashed potatoes, cranberries, dinner roll, ice cream, etc.  The cost is the same as the regular lunch price. ($2.90)

No Late Start this Week-

With conferences this week we will not have a late start this Wednesday.  We will have a late start on November 16th and November 30th.

One Honors breakfast this year-

Our wonderful UPTO in coordination with Upton Middle School will be offering one Honors breakfast this school year.  This breakfast will take place at the end of the 1st semester.  The breakfast will take place in February for those that make the semester honor roll.

Career Day-

Our 8th grade Career Day will be next Wednesday, November 16th.  Our coordinator, Mrs. Lownds, has many wonderful sessions lined up for the students.  Thanks to those that are volunteering on that day!

Planetarium Show next Wednesday-

We will have a community planetarium show next Wednesday, November 16th beginning at 6:30 P.M. The title of this show is "Black Holes: The Other Side of Infinity."  Some of our students saw this show during GO time in the last few weeks.  Here is a link to the trailer:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEeN74aqkLk

Quote of the week-  

"Whoever wants to reach a distant goal must take many small steps.”- Helmut Schmidt

Have a great week,

Mr. Mandarino

Mandarino Minutes for 10-31-16

Dear Parents/Guardians,

End of the Marking Period-

The end of the Marking Period will be on Thursday, November 3rd.  The report card will be handed out at Parent-Teacher Conferences.  We only print out report cards at the end of the 1st marking period and at the end of the year.  2nd and 3rd marking period grades can be viewed online.  

Parent-Teacher Conferences-

Just another reminder that parent-teacher conferences will be held only on Thursday, November 10th from 12:30-4:00 P.M. and from 5:30-8:30 P.M.  The conferences will take place at high school's student center.  Thursday, November 10th and Friday, November 11th are half-days for students.  Half-day dismissal is at 11:04 A.M.

Congratulations to two Upton students-

Congratulations to George Weber,  and Norah Judge who were recently honored at Michigan State University for being top scoring students in the state of Michigan last year as 7th graders on the SATs or ACTs.  Pictured below is George Weber with Mrs. Gressley.  George was one of 22 students out of 300 that also wrote an essay about a teacher that was very influential to his education.  We are all very proud of George and Norah!

Career Day Help-

We are looking for 3-4 volunteers for our 8th grade Career Day on Wednesday, November 16th.  The time commitment would be about 8:00-10:00 A.M. on that morning.  If you are interested please email Mrs. Kristen Lownds at klownds@sjschools.org.

Tutoring on Wednesdays-

Just a reminder that we have free National Honor Society tutoring by high school students on Wednesdays from 3:00-4:00 P.M. in the Upton Media Center.  The tutors are also available at SJHS in their media center from 3:00-4:00 P.M. on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Great concert last Thursday-

Our 7th-12th grade orchestra students put on a wonderful "spooktacular" concert!  Mrs. Cabanilla-Sinnett and Mr. Lokey did a really nice job putting together a fun, entertaining, and engaging concert!

7th & 8th grade Dance-

This Friday, November 4th from 6:00-8:00 P.M. is a 7th & 8th grade dance here at Upton Middle School.  Our Student council is the sponsor of this dance.  Admission is $4.00.

Picture Retakes-

This Thursday, November 3rd is picture retake day.  Please have your son/daughter bring their current picture package with them.

Lest We Forget this Friday-

Our Lest We Forget veterans will be sponsoring an assembly for our students this Friday, November 4th.  Their focus will be on War Dogs and the roles that they have played over history.  As we approach Veterans' Day this will be great for our students to get to interact with our veterans.

One-hour delays for November-

November 2nd (This Wednesday)

November 16th

November 30th

Quotes of the week:

"An investment in knowledge pays the best interest."- Ben Franklin

"Humility is attentive patience."- Simone Weil

Have a great week,

Mr. Mandarino

Mandarino Minutes for 10-24-16

Dear Parents/Guardians,

Counselors and Social Worker in 7th grade classrooms-

Mrs. Farichild, Mrs. Lowds, and Mrs. Peterson met with 7th graders recently and discussed, positive aspects of online talking & messaging; how to identify situations in which online chatting become inappropriate & risky; and understanding rules for safe online messaging & how to deal with uncomfortable situations.  Here is a handout to go along with what they talked about:

https://d2e111jq13me73.cloudfront.net/sites/default/files/6-8-familytip-safeonlinetalk_0.pdf

Spirit Week Continues-

We had some great book & movie characters today. :)  Spirit week continues this week with...

Tuesday-  Pajama Day

Wednesday-  Workout Wear Day

Thursday-  Decades Day

Friday- Favorite Sports Team Day (I can't wait to see all the Cubs wear!)

Next Monday for Halloween students may dress-up, however no clowns, bloody gore, and students must remove masks in class.

Spoktacular Orchestra Concert-

Thursday evening beginning at 7:00 P.M. in the high school auditorium is the Orchestra "Spooktacular" Fall Concert for 7th-12th grade orchestras.  This concert is always a lot of fun and very entertaining. 

"GO" time-

"GO" (Growth Opportunity) time will begin this week at UMS and SJHS.  This Thursday teachers, staff, and students at Upton will be trying something for the very first time!  Students can

...get help from a teacher without having to come into school early or stay late.

...have another chance to understand difficult homework.

...learn how to organize better.

... have the opportunity to retake a quiz or test

...have fun playing educational games and activities with teachers

...enjoy more time with art, computers, woods or metals, cooking, or playing activities in PE

...just have some extra time to read that novel you’ve been trying to finish?

GO Time stands for Growth Opportunity Time which means that students will have the opportunity to grow in a subject that may be difficult OR be able to learn something completely new.  Classes will meet for 54 minutes, instead of the normal 60 minutes on those dates. Stay tuned to hear more about this exciting opportunity!

Competitive Cheer-

All female athletes interested in competitive cheer, there's an informational meeting on THURSDAY, October 27th at 6:30pm in the Upton auditorium. 

*Please note, competitive cheer does NOT interfere with girls basketball*

If you have any questions, please let Jhaylee Busby know at:  jhayleebusby1@gmail.com

7th & 8th grade Dance-

We will have a 7th and 8th grade dance next Friday, November 4th from 6:00-8:00 P.M. in the Upton Blue Gym. Only 7th & 8th graders from Upton Middle School can attend this dance. Information is posted in the hallways for the students.

1st Marking Period coming to an end-

Next Thursday, November 3rd is the end of the first marking period.


Quote of the week-
"I think the first duty of society is justice."- Alexander Hamilton

Have a great week,
Mr. Mandarino

Mandarino Minutes for October 17, 2016

Dear Parents/Guardians,

8th graders and their EDPs-

8th graders updated their Educational Development Plans in Social Studies classes on Friday, 10/14 with the guidance of their counselors. EDPs are completed via CareerCruising.com, and include a Career Interest Inventory as well as postsecondary education plans. The counseling department is encouraging students to access Career Cruising and share their EDP with their parents. 

Workout with a Cop-

It was great to hear that many Upton students attended the workout day with the local officers of Berrien County on Saturday.  Several of our students were on the front page of Section B of the Herald Palladium on Sunday, October 16th.

Planetarium Community Night-

Tomorrow night at 6:30 P.M. will be a community planetarium night at UMS.  The focus will be for younger students as the show has a Sesame Street theme and the title is One World, One Sky.

8th grade Field Trip-

Our 8th grade field trip to the Water Treatment Plan and the Wolf Lake State Fish Hatchery is this week. 

-On the 19th (Wednesday) will be all of Mrs. Mackellar’s 8th grade science students  and Mrs. Foster’s 1st hour 8th grade science students. 

-On the 20th (Thursday) will be all of my Mrs. Francis's 8th grade science students and Mrs. Foster’s 2nd hour 8th grade science students. 

Thanks to those parents who signed up to chaperone. Note:  Only parents that have submitted their volunteer background check forms and have been approved will be permitted to go on the trip with the classes.

Keep the Coats and Shoes coming-

Thanks so much for the donations of the coats, hats, mittens, gloves, etc. for the less fortunate in Berrien County that we have received so far!  The Builders Club would also like to thank you for the shoes that we have received so far.  These are both great causes!  We continue to ask for these gently used items.

Dowagiac Rock-N-Run 2.1 Mile Run-

Congratulations to the following students who all medaled for finishing in the top 15 at the big Dowagiac meet last week:  Andrew Moyer, Jake Haunhorst, Ryan Kinney, Will Fiesbeck, Lizzy Nelson, Eleah Hedstrom, Jillian Tunnicliff, Hannah Pallo, Ellie Pavlopoulos, Maya Hunter, and Morgan Tschetter.  With over 200 runners this is truly amazing!!!!!  Upton Middle School also was the overall middle school winners for both boys and girls!  Congratulations to the whole team and Coaches VanderMeulen & Coach Fralick!

Spirit Week next week-

October 24th – October 28th

Monday                Favorite Book or Movie Character Day

Tuesday                Pajama Day

Wednesday           Workout Wear Day

Thursday              Decades Day

Friday                   Favorite Sports Team Day

Halloween on October 31st will be a dress-up day for those wishing to participate, however the school dress code still applies for appropriateness.  Fake blood is not permitted, spray cans for coloring hair should be done at home, and please no clown outfits.  Masks can't be worn during the actual class time.

Late Start Wednesday-

We have a late start this Wednesday, October 19th.  Breakfast will be served at 8:15 A.M. for those that are interested.  Buses will report one hour later.

Quote of the week-

"If you want to make a difference and leave your world a better place, let others know how important they are as you put their needs above yours.”  - Jaren L. Davis

Have a great week,

Mr. Mandarino

Mandarino Minutes for October 10th, 2016

Dear Parents/Guardians,


Ski & Snowboarding Club-
It is that time of year again to register your daughter/son for ski club.  Ski club is SJPS largest club. No prior experience is needed.  Mr. Brown is the club advisor and really does a nice job!  Here is the link for the sign up:   Ski and Snowboard Sign Up
If you have any questions, please email Mr. Brown at:  ibrown@sjschools.org


NHS Tutoring this Wednesday, October 12th-
For the first time this school year we will have National Honor Society students here from 3:00-4:00 P.M. this Wednesday, October 12th in the Upton Media Center.  If your daughter/son would like to meet with a tutor then they should come prepared with the class and skills that they could use help with.  Teachers may also recommend a student for assistance as well.  This is totally free and often our middle school students really make a positive connection with a high school student.  The high school also offers this same tutoring on Tuesday and Thursdays in their media center from 3:00-4:00P.M.


Choir Concert this Thursday, October 13th-
Our first choir concert of the year is this Thursday October 13th at 7:00 P.M. at the SJHS Auditorium. The students are really excited and the singing is always very wonderful!



Shoe Drive for Builders Club-
Our Builders Club at Upton Middle School is sponsoring a shoe drive through the Kiwanis Club.  If you have a pair of shoes with no holes in the soles we would appreciate your donation to our collection boxes at Upton.  We would like the shoes rubber banded together, and if you do not have a rubber band we can provide that in the office.  Any type of shoe is appreciated. These will be used to help those that do not have the resources. Thanks from the Builders Club.


Coat, Mittens, Gloves, Scarves, Etc.-
The Women's Service League in coordination with Upton Middle School is once again a drop off area for gently worn coats, hats, mittens, gloves, and scarves.  All of these donations are used to help those in Berrien County.  Our drop off box is located in the office.  Please consider donating items that you no longer use for a great cause.


Morning Announcements and DEAR Time-
Upton runs morning announcements on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings.  Our students are the producers, technicians, camera people, and anchors.  On Tuesday and Thursday mornings we ask each student to bring a free read item for our DEAR (Drop Everything And Read) time.  Mrs. Burnette is the advisor to the morning announcement team.


Steps to addressing something in a class-
If you ever want to talk about your son/daughter struggling with a class the first step is to contact the teacher before the counselor or administrator.  Over 90% of the time a teacher and parent contact can work out a plan to help.


3 1/2 Weeks left in the First Marking Period-
Wow, where did this 1st marking period go?  We have 3 1/2 weeks left in this marking period.  In the middle school we have two different honor rolls depending on the marking period.  We have a 1st and 3rd marking period honor roll and a semester honor roll (for the halfway point and the end of the year based on GPA). This information is also in the student handbook. Here are the criteria for each one:

Marking Period Honor Roll Criteria for 1st and 3rd Marking Periods

Principals' Honor Roll:

Straight A's (or A-'s)

Honor Roll:

At least 2 A's (or A-'s) and no grade lower than a B.  This means B- or lower disqualifies.

Semester Honor Roll Criteria:

4.00 - 3.50 Maize Honor Roll
3.49 - 3.00 Blue Honor Roll

Quote of the week:

"Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony."- Mahatma Gandhi

Have a great week,

Mr. Mandarino

Mandarino Minutes for October 3rd, 2016

Dear Parents/Guardians,


Builders Club-
The first meeting of Builders Club will be this Wednesday, October 5th from 3:00-3:45 P.M. in the Foods room at Upton Middle School.  Mrs. Hunnell will give an overview of the club and some of the plans for the year.  If your son/daughter is at all interested, please have them check it out.


Athletic events-
Students who are attending our sporting events as fans should go home and come back when the game begins.  Many of our games begin at 4:00/4:30 P.M. and this is a long time for students to hang out before an event starts.  Please help us out on this.


Jacob Maynard-
You may or may not have seen a recent article in the Herald Palladium featuring 8th grader, Jacob Maynard and his efforts to help out at a local cemetery.  Jacob led a group of Boy Scouts to help cleanup some headstones and make them readable again.  Congratulations to Jacob for his efforts!

Interact Club- 

Interact Club had a great turnout for the first Meeting! Future meetings will be posted in the hall and announced the day prior. If you are interested in being an Interact Club Officer or Director, a sign up form is in the office. If you are still interested in joining Interact Club, fill out an application in the office. If you have questions, please see Interact Club President, Rhett Huie.

Choir Concert next week-

Next Thursday, October 13th at 7:00 P.M. in the high school auditorium will be the first Upton Choir Concert of the year.  Mrs. Gray-Roll always prepares the students well for a great concert.  Please join us if your schedule allows.

No Science Olympiad this Week-

Due to the science teachcrs attending some professional development opportunities we will not have Science Olympiad this week.


Lory's Place Grief Counseling-
Starting this Wednesday, October 5th Lory's Place along with counselor Mrs. Amy Peterson will host some grief counseling for any student interested in attending.  These sessions will last approximately one hour in a group setting.  Permission slips will go home tomorrow, October 4th.  If you have any questions please email Mrs. Peterson at:  apeterson@sjschools.org

Late Start Wednesday-

Every Wednesday in October is a late start Wednesday.  We still have supervision at our regular time and breakfast will be served at 8:15 A.M.  Buses will pickup one hour later.

Community Corkboard-

Have you visited the Community Corkboard lately?  If not, here is a link: https://www.sjschools.org/sjps-parents/community-cork-board-district

Count Day this Wednesday, October 5th-  

This Wednesday in the State of Michigan is Count Day.  We encourage all students to arrive to school on time, so that we can take an accurate attendance.  Thanks for your help with this!

Quote of the Week-

"My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style." -Maya Angelou

Have a great week,

Mr. Mandarino