After Saturday's 8th grade semi-formal, I'm considering changing the dress code to suits and ties for the boys and beautiful dresses for the girls. The dance was well attended and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves as we went Cruisin' into the Future. Thanks again to all the parents who served on the committee and who helped set up and clean up. These memorable events are only possible because of your time and energy.
DSTP testing for 8th grade will be held this week. Make sure your child is well rested and well fed.
The 6th grade trip to Baltimore is this Friday, May 23rd. Due to the Memorial Day weekend, the team has decided to return from the trip earlier than originally planned so that families can head out for their own vacations. Students will leave Baltimore a bit earlier, to beat the traffic, and will not stop for dinner, but will come directly back to school.
It's hard to believe that another school year is coming to a close. Thank you to students, parents and teachers for their continued willingness to keep the lines of communication open, for being active problem solvers as well as great celebrators of our successes. It continues to be a pleasure to work in such an environment. Enjoy the last few weeks of school!
April 23, 2008
I do believe the countdown has begun! Classrooms are firing up their final units, final projects, final field trips. All this learning left to do, not to mention Charter School Week celebrations, our last dances, and 8th grade graduation. During these times of heightened excitement please remind your child that the learning goes on until June 13th, the dress code still applies, and all code of conduct expectations are still in place. It is important to balance their eagerness about summer with their need to continue learning. Together, we can make these last few weeks of school pleasant and productive for everyone.
Progress reports come out on Monday. Be sure to sign a copy and return it to your child's homeroom teacher. Because the TeacherEase website is available to families daily, please don't wait until progress report time if you have questions,concerns or celebrations about your child's learning. Our teachers access their e-mail daily and will respond as promptly as possible. Thank you for keeping the lines of communication open all year.
Some important dates for your calendar:
Tuesday, April 29th- 6pm - Semi-formal committee meeting
Saturday, May 17th - 7pm- Semi-formal dance for 8th grade.
Friday, May 30th- 3:30-5:00 - 5th grade dance
Friday, May 30th- 6:00-8:00 - 6th & 7th grade dance
Wednesday, June 11th - 8th grade picnic and graduation!
Enjoy the nice weather and we'll see you during Charter School Week!
March 17,2008
Happy St. Patrick's Day! and we certainly are feeling the luck of the Irish these days---DSTP testing is over,the sun is shining and Spring Break has arrived!
Our students did an excellent job during testing. They remained focused and hardworking throughout the testing days. Thank you for sending them to school well rested and well fed.
We are celebrating our strong showing at the Odyssey of the Mind competition. It was great to see everybody's hard work right up to the very end. It seems that everybody enjoyed themselves as well and that is always a nice bonus.
Our semi-formal committee is up and running. This year's theme is "Cruisin' into the Future" and if you would like to be part of this creative team, please send me an e-mail at elaine.elston@mot.k12.de.us ---we would love to have you at our next meeting.
Our school continues to participate in and grow from Vision 2015. We have spent time working on developing an instructional focus (as defined by Vision 2015) and networking with other schools/districts as we continue to reflect on our own best practices. It is exciting to see more and more of our faculty getting involved, hearing and sharing ideas, and talking about student growth. That is always a good thing!
Have a great Spring Break!
February 21, 2008
It's amazing what students can create when given cardboard, paint and some chicken wire. Our classrooms, hallways and every available closet are overflowing with creations for the upcoming Odyssey of the Mind competition.I am looking forward to celebrating the success of all of our teams and would like to thank all the teachers, coaches and parent volunteers who help make it happen. It is a very exciting time here at MOT!
Also stirring some excitement is the "beginning" of the "ending" for our 8th grade class. Entering their last trimester as MOT Mustangs, they look forward to graduation, their final field trips, their picnic and most rapidly approaching, their semi-formal dance. In order to make these events happen, we need the creative minds and energy of a parent volunteer committee. If you are interested in helping out with the semi-formal and/or the graduation & picnic, please come to our organizational meeting in our library on Tuesday, March 4th at 6pm.I look forward to seeing you there so we can get started.
Congratulations to Mrs. Cooper and the 7th/8th grade Musical Theater classes who presented "MOT Idol" last night. It was OUTSTANDING! It will long be remembered as not only Mrs. Cooper's last Middle School performance at MOT, but surely one of the most entertaining.
As we enter the DSTP time zone, please remember that the best preparation for this set of testing is 1) a good night's rest, 2) a hearty breakfast, and 3) a mind set for students to take their time, check their work, and focus on nothing else but taking the test. Please encourage your child to take as much time as necessary and check their work. We get to see how much they know every day, but the state has only these fews days of opportunity. Encourage them not to rush! Students may work on testing until the end of the day, every day.
Stay warm and safe during these snowy days!
Mrs. Elston
February 5 2008
8th grade T-shirt & sweatshirt order forms were distributed this week. Please make sure to turn your orders in before Feb. 15th. Thanks!
January 18th 2008
Happy New Year!
Thank you everybody for your lovely holiday gifts. You know what they say... you can never give the principal too much chocolate or Dunkin Donuts coffee :)I hope everybody had a pleasant break. I did, but it is great to be back!
Our students have jumped right back into their learning and hopefully have shared some of their new experiences with you at home. As we continue to move towards increased differentiation in our classrooms you may hear students talk about "centers" and "group work" and "choices" in some of their learning experiences. I hope you will take the opportunity to ask questions and share your child's enthusiasm as they continue to engage and take increased accountability for their learning. Classroom teachers will continue to add new elements and resources to their classroom so these opportunities can occur. Be sure to watch their classroom websites for updates and on-going information.
Applications for New Castle County Vo-Tech were hand delivered on January 8th. Our numbers seem to be consistent with years past as 1/3 of our 8th graders attend Vo-Tech, 1/3 attend the local high schools, and 1/3 attend private or charter high schools. No matter where they go we relish the fact that they take a strong foundation of learning from their years at MOT Charter School. When I ask our graduates how their high school years are progressing, they share the same sentiment, they were really ready because of all the work they accomplished at MOT. Our reputation for producing hard working students and outstanding citizens continues to open doors for this year's graduates and those in the years to come.
Looking to the new year, we have an opportunity to host a teaching assistant from Korea. If your family would be interested in being a host family and having the teaching assistant live with you for part of the coming year, please let me know so I can get you some more information.
Congratulations to Alex Johnson (6th grade) for winning the schoolwide Geography Bee. Alex will represent our school at the state competition coming up shortly. Good luck Alex!
Congratulations also to our 4th, 5th and 6th graders selected for the American Choral Director's Association Children's Honor Choir. They will perform on Saturday, March 15th at the University of Delaware. They are:
Mary Qin Hassig,Gabrielle Joyce,Yasmin Mann,Jolene See,
Becca Brackin, Tess Greene,Hannah Baist-Bliss, Janesha Bull,Kerry Moore,Heather Shaeffer, Emma Skilton
December 19, 2007
On the 1st day of vacation by parents said to me..."Do you have any projects due in January??! "
It's remarkable that it's Winter break already. Middle school has been on some terrific trips in the last few weeks.We've seen Dr. Ben Carson speak, been to a trial at the courthouse, and explored the many galleries of the Pennsylvania Archeology Museum. Thank you to all the parent chaperones who help make the trips possible. We appreciate your time and energy in helping supervise our middle school mustangs.
Our 8th graders have been busy applying to high schools. It is always exciting to learn where our graduates will be attending school next year.
Our holiday concerts filled everyone with the spirit and all the students' hard work was clearly evident... singing and dancing like they were born to do it. Mrs. Cooper continues to bring out the best in our performers.
Enjoy the winter break--eat healthy (5th graders remember all you've learned about nutrition!)and stay safe. We'll see everybody back on January 3rd!
Mrs. Elston
November 14, 2007
Happy Thanksgiving! With the arrival of the cold (and foggy) weather we have many things to be thankful for: The successful completion of the first trimester--students working hard, excellent projects on display everywhere, and a great sense of enthusiasm to be Mustang. It's great! We have completed phase one of our Middle School outdoor classroom. Thank you to Mr.Joyce, of Joyce Contracting, for the donation of his time and energy, to Mr. Greene for getting our donated concrete from Pioneer Concrete, and to all the families for their patience. Your early donations are now on their way to fruition! Next we will be looking for some nice top-soil fill and then we'll move to acquiring nice out-door, hardy, tables with benches. If you have information about any of these needs, please send it my way.
I am also thankful for the huge turn out at High School Night. Our 8th graders have already started the process of selecting and applying to the high schools of their choice. The New Caslte County vo-tech applications will be available shortly in our office. Students needing references to any high school should be sure to get their requests to the office and/or to the teachers allowing plenty of time for return.
I am most thankful for the outstanding dress code compliance and the small number of discipline infractions. When students are focused on learning and being part of the whole school, the impact is felt by everyone. It's nice to have time for the important conversations that don't revolve around demerits. Thank you parents,students and teachers for making that happen. GO MIGHTY MUSTANGS!
October 14, 2007
Get ready for our annual High School Fair. Over 20 local high schools will be represented on Tuesday, October 23rd in our gymnasium. Starting at 6:30- representatives from public, private and charter high schools will be available to talk to students and their families about their many options once they graduate from MOT. We look forward to seeing a big turn out. While this event is directed towards our 7th & 8th graders, any families are welcome.
Congratulations to our 23 inductees into the National Junior Honor Society. Mr. Whitaker and I look forward to seeing your community service projects take off and make an impact on our community.
Our first round of NWEA testing is completed. This assessment is used to help assess individual student's strengths and needs in regards to math and language arts. In grades 6 & 7 it is used as a tool for placement in honors sections of math and reading for the following year. Thank you to our students who focused and put forth their best efforts throughout the testing.
If you've been reading the papers lately, you have seen that MOT Charter School is participating in Vision 2015. As Middle School Principal I am excited to be part of this statewide effort to make a difference in education in the state of Delaware and to gain additional information and resources which will continue to support the great efforts already initiated at MOT Charter School. I'll be sure to keep you updated on the process!
September 17, 2007
We're off and running! A fabulous start to what is sure to be a fabulous school year. Our 5-8 graders have been busy with their studies right from day one. Whether they are out studying our pond, or creating new ecosystems in their classrooms, studying a favorite novel or discovering a new one they are asking questions, thinking, creating, and developing new understanding. Learning at its best!
As the middle school principal, I greatly appreciate how quickly students (and parents) have adapted to the dress code. It is always a pleasure to have a day without discussing shirt colors or skirt lengths. Thank you and keep up the good work!
Our Open House was a great success. Thanks to everyone who came out to to learn about our academic programs. It's a great way to open the lines of communication with all of your child's teachers. This year we will continue to use TeacherEase.com (for on-line grades) and Schoolnotes.com (for on-line classroom updates). These tools are meant to be assistive and informative but are not meant to replace your child's need to be responsible and self-reliant in writing down and completing assignments and homework, and preparing for assessments and projects. Students have an agenda book which should be used daily for reinforcement of these skills.
Nominations have been completed for student government offices for this year. Campaigning will take place over the next few weeks and the elections will be held on October 10th. I look forward to seeing all the candidate's campaign posters and to hearing their speeches. It's sure to be an exciting process. Good luck to all those who are running!
Enjoy what is left of our sunny weather.
Go Mighty Mustangs!
Mrs. Elston
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