HAMMERHEAD Week in Preview and Announcements for the Week of 6/9/25:
Goals frr our 8th grade students . . .
To be academically successful.
To be independent workers.
To advocate for themselves, including knowing when, who, and how to ask for help.
To be more organized with their time and work.
To continue to be safe, kind, responsible and respectful SPMS citizens.
Hammerhead Team Announcements:
Monday, 6/9 8th Grade Beach Trip - Please return your Permission Slip if you haven't already
We leave for the beach at 9:15, students will be attending their block 1 classes. Unless you signed up for a school lunch in advance, please plan on bringing your lunch, snack and drink to the beach. Students can wear their bathing suits under their clothes, or change in the bathrooms at the beach. Please bring a beach towel, sweatshirt and sunblock. There will be food trucks at the beach and the PTO has graciously provided funds for each student to order one snack item from the food trucks. Students are welcome to bring more money for the trucks if they want to order more than what is being provided.
Tuesday, 6/10 - Regular school day for 8th graders.
Wednesday, 6/11 9:40 - 11:00 Hammerhead Team end-of-the year Recognition Ceremony. See invitation attached. The Recognition Ceremony for the eighth graders on the Hammerhead team is on Wednesday at 9:40 a.m. Please enter through the main entrance by the office. The Multi purpose room will be straight ahead and to the left. There will be people and signs there to direct you to the location. If you are unable to attend the ceremony, it will be live streamed and saved as a youtube video at the link below.
https://youtube.com/live/T6IpKduIufU?feature=share
Thursday, 6/12 - Step up day to the high school. Students will be dismissed from the high school at 12:30. They can walk home from the high school, get picked up there, or take the school bus at the HS. If a student walks home from SPMS, they can take the bus back to SPMS and walk home upon returning to the middle school.
Students who have ordered yearbooks will get them on Thursday morning.
Friday, 6/13 - No school for eighth graders
Please encourage your child to check Jumprope and complete any late or missing work ASAP
It has been a joy working with your children this year. Have a wonderful summer!
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***PLEASE REMIND YOUR CHILD TO CHECK IN WITH THEIR TEACHERS REGARDING ANY MISSED ASSIGNMENTS/ASSESSMENTS DUE TO ABSENCES***
Mrs. Foster/Science:. 8th grade science is ending the year with a learning target on the history of Earth and the fossil record. Students are creating an illustrated, to scale geological time line. This week we will study core samples and explore natural selection. Please remind your 8th grader to come to class daily with a charged iPad and notebook.
Mr. LaRose/Humanities: We are continuing to study World War 2 by looking closelt at the decision and consequence of dropping the atomic bombs on Japan. We are also now reading The Fellowship of the Ring. As we are reading the novel we are making connections to World War 2 and beginning to analyze the Hero's Journey Monomyth. We will be completing our DBQ Atomic Bomb assessment next week.
Students are also making and then (theoretically) studying vocab cards that apply to their novels.
Mrs. Thornfeldt/Humanities:
For the remaining school year, students will be embarking on a PASSION PROJECT!
Ask your child what they are researching AND creating!
A brief description of the Passion Project: Students will RESEARCH a topic that interests them, PLAN a project from beginning to end and CREATE a 'product' showcasing what they've learned!
Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions: thornfsu@spsdme.org
Mrs. Voelker/Math:
Grade 8- We will be finishing up the year learning about square roots, cube roots, and the pythagorean theorem. We will be have an assessment at the end of next week.
Advanced Math- We will be having our last summative next Thursday over quadratic equations. We have been doing a lot of factoring!
Please email me with any questions: voelkeka@spsdme.org
Eilean Worcester/Guidance Counselor: worcesei@spsdme.org
Next week in Connections, 8th graders will spend some time writing to reflect on their middle school experiences and set some intentions for themselves for high school. They'll be asked to bring this writing prompt home so they can post it in their room to reflect on next year. They'll also be reflecting on some words of wisdom:
Be Present: Focus on the present moment and enjoy the experience of high school.
Stay True to Your Values: Don't be afraid to be yourself and stand up for what you believe in.
Challenge Yourself: Take classes that interest you and push yourself to learn new things.
Seek Help: Don't be afraid to ask for help from teachers, counselors, or upperclassmen.
Choose Your Friends Wisely: Be kind to everyone, but surround yourself with positive influences.
Think about Your Future: Start exploring your interests and potential career paths.
Be Kind to Yourself: It's okay to not know everything or have a perfect track record.
Rob Orcutt/Special Educator: orcuttro@spsdme.org
Erin Bernard/Special Educator: bernarer@spsdme.org
Sarah Gay/GT Humanities Teacher: gaysa@spsdme.org
Additional Links for Learning:
(Click this link for contact information) South Portland Middle School FAQs Contact Information, 24-25 School Year