January 2011 - Robinson Middle School

January 2011 U S D 2 59
For the Calendar of Events visit:
http://robinson.usd259.org
Dear Parents,
Inside this Issue:
Principal’s Message 1
Foundation 2
Band 2
PTSO 3
BINGO 3
Categorical Team 3
25 Books Campaign 4
7th Grade Team 5
6th Grade Team 6 & 7
7/8 PIB 8 –10
Choir Classes 11
Nurse News 11
8th Grade Team 12 & 13
AVID 14
After School Program 14
Interrelated Team 14
6 PIB 15
Yearbook Orders 16
Student Directory 16
Winter Dance Photos 17
Winter recess has come and gone and I hope you had an opportunity to
enjoy your family during this short winter break. Our students should
return rested and ready to go because there is plenty to accomplish as
we begin our second semester. Please continue to check on your student’s
progress during the start of second semester. Semester report
cards will be sent home at the end of the day on Friday, January 7.
Please ask your student for this important report and if you have questions
regarding the progress report, contact teachers or teams for an
appointment.
Parents are invited to attend our Foundation meeting on Thursday,
January 6, and our PTSO meeting on Tuesday, January 11. Both meetings
are in the library and begin at 6:15 p.m. Our Foundation meeting
will focus on our major fund raiser, Bingo Night, which is scheduled for
Friday, April 15. The PTSO meeting provides specific insight into the
workings at Robinson and plans for student success during the second
semester. Please plan to attend either or both of these meetings.
While you are marking your January calendar, make sure to add a few
other important events. All schools will be closed on Monday, January
17, for Martin Luther King observance and Tuesday, January 18, for district-wide
in-service. If students have met their reading goal, they will
be able to participate in our 15 Book Celebration Dance on Friday, January
21. This dance is from 3:30-5:00 p.m. The dance is a fun way to recognize
and support our students’ reading efforts and Robinson’s reading
plan. Please check to see if your student is reaching his/her reading
goals.
Continue to assist in keeping our campus safe by entering and departing
the south parking lot in an orderly manner. Please do not stop, dropoff,
or pick up students in the bicycle lane, or block the bicycle lane
when arriving and departing the south parking lot.
Thank you,
Buddy Dooley

JANUARY 2011
PAGE 2
6th GRADE BEGINNING BAND
With a semester of playing now, our beginning band is sounding better and better!
Keep encouraging practice at home (100 minutes a week) and turn in those practice
sheets every Monday. Our next performance opportunity is the solo/small ensemble
festival on March 5. This is an option for all students, but we do ask those students
who elect to participate to sign a commitment form. If you have any questions regarding
the solo/small ensemble, please feel free to contact Mrs. Sweet, Ms. Whittemore
or Mrs. Goter.
7th & 8th GRADE BANDS
Students in both bands are now gearing up for the solo/small ensemble festival on March 5. This is an optional performance
opportunity for all students, but we do ask those students who elect to participate to sign a commitment
form. All those students involved will also have an opportunity to perform in our solo/small ensemble recital night
on March 3. This is an informal performance venue where the students can perform on the stage here at school before
they have to perform for a judge. More information will be sent home with the students in mid-February.
ALL STUDENTS
A quick reminder about instrument care – all brass instruments should be thorough cleaned (given “a bath”) once a
month. Students have received information on how to do this – if they don’t remember how or have lost their information
sheet please ask! Woodwind instruments should be swabbed out after each playing session (don’t wait until
getting home to swab – the condensation has already dried on the pads!) Not swabbing regularly will result in damage
to the instrument.
No instrument should be left in a vehicle in the extreme cold or hot temperature – this could result in damage to the
instrument!

JANUARY 2011
PAGE 3
Your PTSO had another wonderful all-school Dance last month. DJ Steve Walsh got
the party started and kept it going with dance contests, serious fun and all the latest music.
A big THANK YOU to Michael’s parents for underwriting the cost of the dance pictures!!!
The PTSO will be providing lunch for our Teachers during Conferences this coming FEBRU-
ARY 17-18th. Please mark your calendars and consider a fabulous baked good, volunteer
time at our table or a donation toward the two luncheons. Our e-mail is robinsonmiddleschool.ptso@gmail.com
or you can contact dburkes@usd259.net and let Donna know how
you would like to help.
We are pleased to announce that our Circle of Friends
group has a wonderful membership of 50 students! Several
of the students have been in COF throughout their
middle school years. Circle of Friends programs are
sponsored in numerous schools in the Wichita district.
The main objective is to promote friendship and
understanding between special and regular education
students. We do this by having various functions together
both in and out of school. Robinson’s COF has
been in place for several years and we’ve seen wonderful
results. Friendships that blossom in middle school carry
on during the student’s time in high school. In addition,
our COF is a “No Place for Hate” activity. It’s very
heartwarming to see the care and concern that’s shown
by this outstanding group of young people.

PAGE 4 JANUARY 2011
JANUARY PAGE 20114
25 Book Campaign – Upcoming Celebration
15 Book GOAL Party
Friday, January 21 st
You’re Invited to the 15 Book GOAL DANCE
Just read 15 books by January 19 th (*) and you will
receive an invitation to the Dance on Friday, January
21 st from 3:30 – 5:00. We’ll have DJ Steve
Walsh with Karaoke, Free CD’s and snacks & sodas.
All free to eligible (*) students.
(*) you must have read 15 books that have been approved in your agenda by
your Language Arts teacher on or before Wednesday, January 19th. Don’t wait
until the last minute!

PAGE 5 JANUARY 2011
JANUARY PAGE 20115
Randall Hopson 7 th Grade Language Arts—During the third quarter we will be involved in a myriad of activities: Poetry café, a
Super Hero Project, persuasive writing, and of course more testing. Wait – that’s a fragment (we will learn about those pesky
things too!). We will be extremely busy preparing ourselves for the 2011 State Reading Assessment
Amanda Brubaker 7 th /8 th Grade Language Arts—I’m looking forward to getting a whole new class of 7 th grade honor’s students
during the third quarter. We will be getting to know each other, reviewing classroom expectations, and beginning persuasive
writing. Ramp Up classes will be completing the 2 nd Unit (The Civil Rights Movement) and preparing for book talks.
Vickie Bowyer 7 th Grade Language Arts—Ms. Bowyer’s seventh grade language arts room will continue to read, write, and listen.
With the approach of the state reading assessment we will make every minute count. The reading will concentrate on the
state standards. Much of our time will be spent on author’s purpose and intent, figurative language, and identifying the elements
of a story. Students have a moderate grasp on the items that will be tested, however we still have much work to do to
be prepared. Students need to return to school, this January, with an intent to prepare to be eighth graders. We will spend
time writing to help demonstrate what we are learning. Students will also bring home another copy of the classroom procedures
and rules. Some of them have been tweaked to help the classroom run more smoothly. Please review this with your student
and provide a current phone number so I may contact you when necessary.
Pamela Nye 7 th Grade Math—In Ramp-Up we are continuing with the geometric measure unit. We will be finding the area of
2 dimensional figures and the volume of 3 dimensional figures. In Course II we will be continuing to work on the proportion
unit applying proportions to similar figures and scale drawings. We will then begin the percents unit.
Math Facts from Ms. Cox—Happy New Year!! I hope you had a wonderful break! Are you refreshed, renewed and ready to
get back in the groove of school?? A few reminders for math class:
Bring your math book, paper and pencils to class every day. We will have assignments everyday!
Late work is not acceptable. For the 3 rd quarter you are allowed 2 late passes on daily homework. Use your time
wisely, get your work done and turned in on time!
It is YOUR responsibility to get the work when you are absent. Check the assignment calendar to see what your
missed!
IT’S YOUR CHOICE à Be a Math Superstar in 2011!
"Arithmetic is being able to count up to twenty without taking off your shoes." -- Mickey Mouse
Peggy Basler 7 th Grade Science—When we return from winter break we will begin studying simple machines and energy in our
Motion, Force and Energy textbook. Please make sure your student has not lost their book, we will checking them in at the
end of January. Replacement cost is $14.26. Also, check with your student on their glue supply. Many have lost or used up
their glue.
Marsha Diggs 7 th & 8 th grade Social Studies—In 7 th grade Geography, we just finished our study of South America. In January,
we will begin our study of Africa. Each student also has a presentation on a European country to give, beginning January 11 th .
We researched in the library, before the winter break. I am looking forward to their peer teaching presentations!
In 8 th grade History, we have just completed the Federalist and Jeffersonian eras. When we return from Winter Break, we will
learn about the War of 1812. Beginning January 11 th , Eighth graders will be peer teaching on events and people that lead up to
the Civil War. They have begun their preparations for their presentations by researching in the Library before the break.
Please check your student’s supplies. They need paper and pencils every day, and I would like to for all my students to make a
New Year’s Resolution to come to class prepared!

PAGE 6 JANUARY 2011
Ms. Schamber—Mrs. Schamber’s Language Arts classes will be focusing on poetry following the winter break.
With poetry, comes practice on identifying and using many of the forms of figurative language. This quarter, the
students will be creating Literary Letters, rather than doing book talks. We will continue reading books for the 25
Book Campaign. Presently, the students read 15 minutes at the beginning of class. While the class is independently
reading, I conference with those who have completed their books. There will be a slight change for the second semester.
The students will read on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and I will read to them on Tuesdays and
Thursdays. Our third quarter writing project will be making a ―How To‖ brochure using technical writing. We will
be busy. More and more students are asking me for pencils and paper every day. We teachers try to help out
with this, but at the rate we are going, we don’t have near enough for a complete semester. Our supply of
Kleenexes is almost to the end. I have one box left for the entire year. If you can help, it would be very much
appreciated. Thank you.
Ms. Bowyer—Ms. Bowyer’s sixth grade language arts rooms will continue to read, write, and listen. With the approach
of the state reading assessment we will make every minute count. The reading will concentrate on the
state standards that students will see on the state assessment. Much of our time will be spent on author’s purpose
and intent, figurative language, and identifying the elements of a story. Students have a moderate grasp on the
items that will be tested, however we still have much work to do to be prepared. Students need to return to
school, this January, with an intent to prepare to be seventh graders. We will spend time writing to help demonstrate
what we are learning. Students will also bring home another copy of the classroom procedures and rules.
Some of them have been tweaked to help the classroom run more smoothly. Please review this with your student
and provide a current phone number so I may contact you when necessary.
Mr. Le—Welcome back! It’s a crisp fresh start for all students! As of right now, nobody has any missing assignments
or points off on anything. That’s right, you all have A’s! Let’s work hard to keep this A until progress reports.
For most of you, the solution is simple: just don’t fall behind on homework. It’s better to do one assignment
a day than to do five a day… right?
Some of you have promised me that you will come back as new students. I will hold you to your words because
you are young adults now. We must conduct ourselves—actions and words—in a way that allow others to
respect us.
Starting off the new semester, we will refresh, review, and renew our classroom rules, procedures, expectations,
and consequences. It’s a brand new year, 2011, and I hope that your new year’s resolution involved being even
better students—students who are self-motivated, self-disciplined, and self-controlled. I believe in all of you. To do
my part, I will also try to be a better teacher to each and every one of you.
Parents, in the last few newsletters, I challenged your children to be better students. In this edition, I challenge
you to take a more proactive role in stressing the importance of education to your kids. Come visit their classrooms.
Ask about their day. Call their teachers. By letting them see that you are here and involved, allow them
to know that you care about their education, about their future, and about them. There are a limited number of
things that can motivate kids to want to try in school, and YOU are the most important of these things. New
Year’s Resolution 2011: Be better people, especially when it comes to education.
Mr. Franks’ Math Class—Happy New Year to all! With the beginning of this new year, we are starting a new
semester. We have been working with fractions, and we will continue to re-visit the things we have learned about
fractions as we go through the remainder of the year. It is always great for families to share their experiences involving
fractions with their students. Fractions make more sense to students when they see their families using
them. We will continue our quest through the 6 th grade math standards by gaining experience with Integers and
the Coordinate Plane. Integers are just the idea positive and negative numbers. We use integers to plot locations
on the Coordinate Plane. I think that students will enjoy working with integers and plotting points on the coordinate
plane. With the new year starting off, I hope to see students come to school with a renewed spirit of wanting
success. Learning is easier when a person wants to know. Coming with all of the materials needed to do your
work is a big part of that success. Please talk with your student about getting the supplies they need for school,
and what support they might need to be more successful with their school work. Families are the most important
influence in the success of students.

PAGE 7 JANUARY 2011
Mrs. Stevenson Honors Math Class—Mrs. Stevenson wants to welcome second semester Honors Math students
to her class. She is excited to get to know all the new faces and names. For Honors Math Class each student will
need a SPIRAL NOTEBOOK and a TWO POCKET FOLDER on the first day of class. Both these items are used on a
daily basis and need to be in class for appropriate learning to occur. Honors Math has homework assigned EVERY
EVENING Monday through Thursday. Students need to take their books home ever evening and bring them to
class every day. We have web access to the text book for Honors Math. www.my.hrw.com user name lstevenson104
password a6m3n. The web access is available if you forget to take your book home and so homework is
expected to be completed each evening. My students participate in ZAP each week (Zeros Aren’t Permitted), so, if
homework is not completed students need to be prepared to go to ZAP at lunch that day. Students need to be
ready to learn and always follow through with work assigned. I believe that good behavior leads to good learning
and I expect my students to demonstrate exemplary behavior and work skills. I can’t wait to get started – we
have so much to learn together and we will even be doing the STATE ASSESSMENT in the early spring together. I
can be reached by email at lstevenson@usd259.net if you have questions or just want to introduce yourself to me.
See you soon in ROOM 208.
6 th Grade Science
Change in plans! Human Growth and Development as a characteristic of living things will begin January 5. Because
of online enrollment, we did not have permission slips. Parents you should have seen and signed a permission
slip to let us know your preference for your student. Those students whose adults opt them out of the Human
Growth unit will work on an alternative independent study unit. This month we learned about viruses (living or
nonliving, that is the question) and bacteria (are they good or bad?). We will then move into the kingdoms-
Protists, Fungus, Plants, and Animals. As we are getting into cold and flu season, we could certainly use tissues and
antibacterial wipes for the classrooms. It certainly keeps the germs at bay! Thank you! On a final note, please
check with your student to make sure they have the necessary pencils and paper for their school needs!
Ms. Leete, 6 th Language Arts
For what different text types might the following transition words be used: as a result, before, in the meantime,
however, therefore, additionally, for best results ? During January students will study text types and writer’s purpose,
including the art of persuasion techniques. If possible, please send with your student newspapers, newsletters,
kids magazines, and magazines that you will not want back. Scissors and glue for your student are also helpful. I
have been a bit dismayed about student’s inattentiveness to assignments and deadlines. Though I have extended
time for most assignments, still many are incomplete or missing. We have times students can make up work during
the week. Additionally many teachers work into the evening and are available to students who have missed
assignments. My assignments are posted on my Robinson webpage staff profile. Please help your student realize
that day to day work is the practice for understanding. Students should all attempt to get assignments in on time
rather than getting behind.

PAGE 8 JANUARY 2011
Mrs. Stroot’s Math—The winners of the bridge contest---3 rd and 5 th hours. Students had to build a bridge
out of balsa wood containing at least ten triangles. Objective was to hold the most weight.
3 rd Hour winners—Azim Kamalulrahim, Helen Welch, and Sammy King---bridge weighed 11.5 grams and held
3700 grams, which is 322 grams/gram of bridge weight.
5 th hour winners—Hannah Cheatem, Alexis Mann and Kevin Zhong---bridge weighed 9.5 grams and held 5600
grams, which is 589 grams/gram of bridge weight.

PAGE 9 JANUARY 2011
7 th PIB Spanish—Seventh grade Spanish students have been studying Chapter 3A and learning about the foods and
beverages for breakfast and lunch, expressing their likes and dislikes for these foods, learning cultural perspectives on
meals, and expressing how often things are done. In January while studying Chapter 3B we will express likes and dislikes
for the foods and beverages of lunch and dinner, describe what people and things are like using adjectives correctly,
discuss food, diet, and exercise choices, and cultural perspectives on health and diet. East IB students have volunteered
tutoring services after school and this will start again after the winter break. It is a great opportunity for
struggling students and a way to get some pronunciation help on recitations. Please call or email Mrs. Harris or Richards
if you would like your student to take advantage of this tutoring. We need advance notice so the after school personnel
know it is okay for the student to be in the building after regular school hours and so our volunteers can be prepared
to tutor.
8 th PIB Spanish—Eighth grade Spanish students have completed the food and maintaining health chapters. In
Chapter 4A we talk about locations in the community, where we go and whom we go with, we discuss leisure activities
and cultural perspectives on leisure time, and work more on the difficult task of correctly phrasing questions. Chapter
4B extends 4A with a focus on after school activities and how to extend, decline and except invitations. Additional help
is available with the online text at www.pearsonsuccessnet.com (user: estudiante and password: espanol). East IB students
have volunteered Spanish tutoring services after school and this will start again in January. It is a great opportunity
for struggling students and a way to get some pronunciation help on recitations. Please call or email Mrs. Harris or
Richards if you would like your student to take advantage of this tutoring. We need advance notice so the after school
personnel know it is okay for the student to be in the building after regular school hours and so our volunteers can be
prepared to tutor.
Van Horn Math—What a great first semester, and thank you for all of your support! In Geometry we have completed
the first six chapters of the textbook, and will finish the last six next semester. I am also going to start having
the students work of some algebra review to prepare them for next year. Advanced Algebra will finish the algebra textbook
next nine weeks and then we will complete a few chapters of geometry. Finally, Algebra will be finishing chapter
5 next nine weeks then we will start working on linear equations. I am available before and after school for additional
help.
Lavacek Language Arts—Both 7 th and 8 th grade students finished up their novel studies with movie adaptations
of their novels—7 th The Little Prince and 8 th Fahrenheit 451. Both grades decided the books were better!
Next semester will usher in poetry, another novel, and ending with the high point—Shakespeare!!
Sims Language Arts—Both grades are continuing to work on poetry, focusing on free verse in the 7 th grade and
more traditional poetry in the 8 th grade. After poetry, the seventh graders will be reading The Little Prince by Antoine
de Saint-Exupery, and the eighth graders will be starting small group novel studies. We will also be working on designing
and implementing service projects that address the issues students researched for their papers. More information
will be coming soon, so please ask your students about their progress!
Please check our classroom website (http://sims.robinson.usd259.org/) for information on current assignments, upcoming
projects, and extra credit opportunities!
Team news:
Community Service—please remember that 7 th graders need 20 hours and 8 th graders 25 hours by the end of April. Log
forms are available on our team website (http://7th8th-grade-pre-ib.robinson.usd259.org). If you know of any community
service opportunities please let Ms. Van Horn (dvanhorn@usd259.net) know and she will post them to the website.
Supplies—Please check with your student to see if s/he needs to replenish any daily supplies such as PAPER and PEN-
CIL. Many were running low on both by the end of this semester.

PAGE 10 JANUARY 2011
This story was written by Alec Schillings, 8 th grader in Mrs. Lavacek’s Language Arts class. Students
were to write stories using vocabulary words taken from Fahrenheit 451. Enjoy!
Tears of Aria
Aria Cymbeline was the cartographer of emotions. She grew up in Venice, Italy where there
were no roads, just waterways. Aria always wanted to swim in the waterways but was constantly
reminded of the risk of drowning. The convolution of houses and people offered Aria a way to remain
hidden in the desolate areas of the city. She was always near water, however, she also loved
being in the sunlight. The perfect combination of water and sunlight left her skin a creamy brown.
Her bronze hair was strewn over her shoulders, complementing her beautiful golden eyes. Aria’s rare
smile could illuminate the night sky, while her tears are what conjure the rain.
The name, Aria, means “maker of rain”. Cymbeline means “sun goddess”. Aria was said to be
born from angels, yet she avoids other humans. She cowers in the morgue, teeming with the ravenous
animals and spirits who live there. Aria was afraid of people, not because she thought they
would hurt her, but because she thought she might hurt them. “Tears are the liquefaction of sadness”,
says Aria, “my tears, and the rain, are proof of that.” Aria was skeptical about religion –and
life for that matter–, but she always said that the Creator cried every day. “His tears bring the rain.
Looking down on his failed experiments in the chaos that resides in the modern-day metropolises, he
realized that the trajectory of his children was leading them into oblivion”, thinks Aria, “We are the
reason for his tears.” Sometimes, Aria would have conversations with the Creator. She would say
something in her mind and although he never answered, she liked being able to talk to someone,
whether they were real or not. Every day, Aria would ask him the same question, “If you hate what
you’ve created, why don’t you destroy us?” The Creator never answered.
One day, Aria asked the Creator the same question, but this time with an insidious cadence.
Although, she’d never attended a school, Aria worded the question as if she was a linguist. She was
sure she heard an exhalation, as if a breeze had passed through her secluded tomb. Suddenly Aria
felt certitude like never before. A profusion of optimism rushed through her as the light from the rising
sun ricocheted off of the walls of her private sanctuary. Aria then ran out of the morgue and
dove into the waterway. She opened her eyes and saw the rays of sunlight pass through the bright
blue water. As she started to go up for air, a long taxi boat passed over her head. She was running
out of breath. Aria tried to swim to the surface, but the boat’s propellers were dangerously close. As
she faded further towards indefinite abyss, her beatific smile brought the sun closer to her. “If all of
the tears shed in the world were put into one huge bowl, I’d call it a lake”, thought Aria as she contested
death. “But if all of happiness was transformed to tears, the tears would fill an ocean.”
Tears of despair, the raindrops from hell. Raindrops of bliss, the tears of Aria.

PAGE 11 JANUARY 2011
It was a great 1 st semester! We had two awesome concerts and we have 2
more. But first, we want to say thank you for all of the donated food items. We
were able to collect over 300 pounds of food for the Kansas Food Bank and they
were so thankful! So we must say…THANK YOU! At the end of December we were
also visited by the Northwest HS Madrigals. They performed songs from their winter
concert and our Robinson students really enjoyed listening to them. Here are upcoming
events to look for:
Choir T-shirt sales: available for order on January 7! Cost is $9
All – City Choir Rehearsals (selected students): February 3, 8, 10, 15, 17 at Hamilton
MS
Worlds of Fun Registration (8 th grade students): available January 4, due January 21.
A brand new year with a brand new start! Time to get back into the swing of
things - which means a lot of “go go go” and not much time for healthy eating. Here
are a few tips from healthfinder.gov to make “healthy” easy:
Teach your kids to ask before they help themselves to snacks.
Eat snacks at the table or in the kitchen, not in front of the TV.
Serve snacks in a bowl. Don’t let kids eat snack foods directly out of the bag
or box.
January is the month where we all make New Year’s Resolutions. It’s
a great time to start new healthy habits!
Over the next few months there will be screenings – according to
grade level. If any parents would like to volunteer please call me at
973-8620.
We have many classrooms with no Kleenex or hand sanitizer. Any family willing to
donate supplies please send them with your student or feel free to come by! I really
appreciate all the supplies that have been given to the health room!
Keep warm and have a great New Year,
Nurse Brandy

JANUARY 2011
PAGE 12
Mr. Shank’s Language Arts
Mr. Shank’s language arts class continues its journey down Mango Street and will finish up with Esperanza our main character
shortly after the New Year begins. As we settle into our easy chairs to view the endless count of kickoffs and punt
returns another much more significant season kicks off in our schools. That season is the all important Assessment Season.
My classes will continue to prep for this season everyday by drawing conclusions and making inferences from the material
we read. We will review word structures and figurative language in a more intense approach. With the kick-off of the super
bowl we will begin examining propaganda and writing persuasive essays. Assist me in examining those creative super
bowl ads for their propaganda technique.
And yes, yet another kickoff. The kickoff to high school. It’s hard to believe that in one semester your student will be
climbing the stairs and passing through the gates of high school. They will soon find that middle school was much more
relaxed. The workload will increase dramatically and in high school the teachers are stricter and there are more deadlines
to meet. The best way, in my opinion, to help my students ease their transition into high school is to provide them with
an even more challenging curriculum, and hold my students responsible for their learning. I do this by not accepting late
work and ask it be completed in class the day of the class it is assigned. I ask all parents to join me in stepping up the expectations
on my students this last semester as they prepare for the Assessment Season and the transition from middle
school to high school. Above all, we must all realize that students must be held accountable for their work and the completion
of their work. The move to high school must present a realistic picture of what individual students know and how
they communicate that knowledge.
Happy New Year
Ms. Siemens’ Language Arts Classes
In looking ahead to state assessment time, students continue to focus on reading expository text and using text features to
help them determine essential information from rich detail. We have currently been practicing metacognition (thinking
about one’s own thought processes and the ways in which we learn) by reading informational text about how the teenage
brain works. This topic has provided us with many interesting debates and discussions and has been a good complement
to the unit on human growth and development being covered in science classes.
In January we will also be looking at how propaganda is used in expository and persuasive text. Students will be given
the opportunity to do research and present a speech about an issue of interest.
Mrs. Gresham’s Math Classes
Ramp-up students have been working hard on Geometry. Students will be continuing their work on unit four through the
end of January. The first half of the unit students worked on area, perimeter and circumference. The second half of the
unit will be volume. Students will be making flashcards to help them memorize the formulas. Parents should see students
studying them at home.
Pre-Algebra students just completed their unit on percents. Overall it was an easy unit for most students. In January students
will begin working with probability. This is always a fun unit. Hopefully students will find this unit just as simple as
the last one.
Algebra students got the opportunity to use graphing calculators to graph linear equations. This was an exciting way to
look at graphs for many students. Students will be working with the Pythagorean Theorem and systems of equations and
inequalities during the month of January. Most students will be challenged by this unit. Please help your students write
questions to discuss during class if you notice they are struggling with the homework. Feel free to contact me if needed.
Although the unit may be a challenge for students, we will get through it together.
Shelly R. Jennings
973-8686 sjennings@usd259.net

JANUARY 2011
PAGE 13
Mrs. Grimm’s Math Classes
Welcome back. I hope that you are reading this refreshed and ready for the new year. Upon returning, we will complete our unit
over fractions, decimals, and percents. After that we will begin studying probability, which is a really fun unit because we play lots
of math games to help us better understand probability. We will also be about half way through our Navigator unit over decimals
and powers of ten. We will be taking a post test and then beginning our new unit which is over equations.
Mrs. Jennings Social Studies Classes
A HUGE WELCOME BACK TO ALL OF OUR ROBINSON FAMILY! I hope you had a very restful and relaxing winter break. As we
move forward in Social Studies, the 7 th grade will continue to navigate around the continents and 8 th grade will continue the
American Journey towards the Civil War. Please contact me if you have any questions at any time!! Thank you: Shelly R. Jennings
at 973-8686 sjennings@usd259.net
AVID
Santa Claus! The name can bring laughter from children or a chuckle about Christmas memories. On December 8, 2010 at Century
II the Wichita Parks and Recreation department held a Mayor’s Night with Santa. It included carnival games, bingo, donut
decorating and opportunities for portraits with Santa. That evening was held to provide families with a chance to just have a
good time together. Students from AVID volunteered to help at the event and had a great time. We even got to keep the t-shirts
we were given. As Santa’s helpers we assisted little children who wrote letters to Santa asking him for things they wanted. There
were things like a bike, rocket ships, or even one request to meet Justin Bieber. In the end I think we can agree that we all want
something for Christmas. We gave back to our community and, best of all, to the children of Sedgwick County. Thanks to Ms.
Siemens, Ms. Jennings, Ms. Morgan and the great group of AVID kids who volunteered!
Lisette Rodriguez, 8 th
Grade AVID student
Anthony Vu –
Santa’s number one
elf!
Brystal Friesen assists
two excited kids
writing letters to
Santa.
Corey Steward supervises
the prizes given to lucky
winners at the Bingo
Game.
Keith Crowder and Bayleigh Hamilton help
the Krispy Kreme man decorate donuts for
kids.

JANUARY 2011
PAGE 14
AVID Parent Night at Robinson
Want to know more about preparing your child for college—NOW? Make plans to attend the Robinson
AVID Parent and College Night on Thursday, January 27 at 6:30 p.m. AVID—Advancement via Individual
Determination prepares students for college and beyond with the support of an AVID elective class,
college tutors, AVID support staff, subject area teachers, parents and the community.
The mission of AVID is to close the achievement gap by preparing all students for college readiness and success
in a global society.
To learn more about AVID at Robinson, please contact Tammy Kenagy, Site Team Coordinator, at
tkenagy@usd259.net.
A BIG Welcome Back to all of our Robinson Family.
Just a reminder that ASP begins on Wednesday, January 19. If your student has already attended the program
this year, they are automatically enrolled for the Spring Semester. If your student does not have an application
on file, please ask them to pick one up from the office or from Ms. Jennings in room 018. Thank you.
We are getting ready to start the new year 2011, the new semester, and a fresh start!!!!
Students continue to work on the 25 book campaign. We hope that your student did some reading
during the winter break. The next goal of 15 books needs to be met by January 19, 2011. Several
of our students have already met that goal and are working on the next goal of 20 books.
In Math –
6 th graders just finished a unit on equations (they rocked their tests) and are beginning work with
decimals (which remind us of money) and then fractions (which remind us of food)!
7 th graders just finished a unit on positive and negative numbers (integers) and will soon begin
making factor trees and learning how to figure out what GCF and LCM are.
8 th graders are finishing their unit on Hands-On Equations and will start work on 2-step equations
and adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing decimals and fractions.
Be looking for upcoming info on events like bingo night, 8 th grade HS visits………..

JANUARY 2011
PAGE 15
The “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?”/ Playground Night was a huge
success. We would like to thank all of the families that donated cookies and
water. It was a wonderful evening. The team would also like to thank Mrs.
Potter for taking pictures of the students’ projects.
Language Arts
Mrs. Thorpe's PIB Language Arts class successfully presented their Personal
Projects in play form on Dec. 14th. Clever dialogue and amusing "takes"
on their persons added to the enjoyment of the parents. Even the students
found their classmates' games shows, award ceremonies, and dinner-table debates
interesting ways to show their parents what they had learned. Next semester
we will begin with Greek and Roman Mythology in keeping with Old
World History with Mrs. Mandelbaum’s curriculum. Also, vocabulary tests over
Greek and Latin roots will begin again. Happy holidays!!
Mrs. Mandelbaum’s class focus for January is going to be reading and
learning about ancient Greek mythology. We will then follow up with writing
our own Greek myths. Our skill focus will be on prefixes and root words.
Math
Mrs. Stevenson and Mrs. Berry will begin a unit over Probability as the
new year starts. This unit will explain how do decide the likeliness of events
and how to make mathematical decisions based upon the data provided.
Science
Students will complete their work on the Human Growth and Development
Unit soon after we return from the Winter Break. The next unit will be a
study of cells and heredity. Students have turned in the Bacteria to Plants texts
and the new text will be issued as soon as HGD is over.
Social Studies
Our studies of ancient civilizations will be taking us to ancient Greece. We will
learn how the ancient Greeks had to adapt to their geography to survive and
prosper. We will also focus on the roots of our government system and the
many contributions the ancient Greeks gave to our modern world.
Spanish
Spanish students learned more about weather and dates as we ended
the Para Empezar chapter. For Christmas we learned about Navidad in Mexico
and several students and parents made and shared bunelos with their classes.
The new Chapter 1A is about expressing likes and dislikes of daily activities.
Remember that help is available online at www.pearsonsuccessnet.com. (user:
estudiante, pass: espanol). For a few weeks we’ve had East IB students available
for after school tutoring in Spanish. We highly recommend this opportunity.
It can help a struggling student or make it easier for a good student to
focus and know how to approach learning Spanish or the recitations. Please
contact Mrs. Harris or Richards as soon as possible if you would like to set this
up for your student.

JANUARY 2011
PAGE 16
Parents:
Please do not park on Bleckley Street. Our Bus Drivers
have been very cautious and very concerned that students
are crossing behind buses and in front of buses.
Please consider the safety of your student and other
students. Parking is not allowed on Bleckley Street.
The 2010-2011 PTSO School Directories have been distributed.
We still have a few extras FOR SALE in the OFFICE
School DIRECTORY Price: $3.00
Hurry, they are running out fast!

JANUARY 2011
PAGE 17