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Middle Years Program Grades 6-8
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CALENDAR
10/12 School Dance/Fun night 10/15-17 Parent/Teacher Conferences - ALL students ONLINE 10/18-19 Educators' Conferences - NO SCHOOL 10/30 4:30-6:00 School Board Meeting 11/1 6:30-8:30pm Spaghetti Dinner and Silent Auction 11/4 Daylight Savings Time 11/13 Science Fair 11/14 School Pictures Retake Day 11/15-16 Concordia Language Village Field Trip (Optional) 11/17 - 10:00am-4:00pm Math & Science Family day at UofM 11/19-11/21 Online Days
11/21 Last Day of Tri 1 11/22-23 Thanksgiving Break no school 11/26 - 1st Day of Trimester 2 11/27 - 4:30-6:00pm School Board Meeting
12/6 - Chili Potluck/Ice Skating Party 9:00-1:00pm
12/18 - 4:30-6:00pm School Board Meeting
12/19 - 1/1 Winter Break
1/2/13 - School starts again
1/8 - 6:30 Open House
1/21 NO SCHOOL MLK Day
1/24-25 Book Fair & Parent/Teachers meetings - ONLINE Days
1/29 - 4:30-6:00pm School Board Meeting
1/31 - Movie Night 6:00-8:00pm
2/7 - 9:00am-3:00pm Afton Alps Ski Trip
2/13 - 8:45 am Spelling Bee
2/18 - President's Day NO SCHOOL
2/26 History Day
2/26 - 4:30-6:00pm School Board Meeting
3/1 - Last Day of Tri 2
3/4 - 1st Day of Tri 3
3/11 - MCA Math testing begins
3/14 - Pi Day
3/18 - MCA online Science, Reading and Modified Testing begins
3/19 - 4:30-6:00pm School Board Meeting
3/25-29 Spring Break
4/15 - MCA paper reading & math testing begins
4/18 - School Musical
4/24-27 Washington DC trip
4/30 - 4:30-6:00 School Board Meeting
5/1 - Decade Day/IB Field Day
5/6-8 - 8th grade Eagle Bluff Field Trip
5/10 - Staff Planning Retreat
5/16 - Talent Show
5/27 - Memorial Day NO SCHOOL
5/28 - 4:30-6:00 School Board Meeting
5/30 - ON Campus Day - Community and Service Fair
5/30 - 4:00 Family Picnic
5/31- Last Day of School ON CAMPUS day
5/31 - Graduation
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Greetings!
Along with picture day, emergency day, and field day, this week also brought the launch of our Cyber CATS Paw awards for students. Students collect green tickets for demonstrating CATS behavior: Caring, Achievers, Thoughtful, Successful. Students are responding very well to this new way of encouraging positive behavior, and by Wednesday we had a large jar stuffed with green tickets. The end of field day provided me with the opportunity to draw a dozen names from the jar. Students won either a free ticket to the Dance/Fun Night next week or a bag of chips. The enthusiasm was huge, the voices loud, and a clear message sent - We like model to Cyber CATS! This program will continue through the year, although tickets may get harder to earn as our expectations continue to rise. Keep up the great work, and thanks for all the support from home!
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BYOD is coming to
the 2nd floor!
BYOD = Bring Your Own Device! Beginning October 22, students can bring their own laptops, tablets and other devices to school and connect to a new student wireless network. This major improvement to our technology systems follows a successful pilot in the high school. Any computer that can connect to the wireless networks such as they have in coffee shops and other wireless hotspots should work on our new network.
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Parent Teacher Conferences
Parent teacher conferences will be the three days prior to MEA break. Dates and hours are:
October 15, 7:30 am - 2:30 pm
October 16, 12 pm - 8 pm
October 17, 9 am - 12 pm
All families are welcome to request a conference time, and we will soon be e-mailing out letters to parents in order to schedule conferences. If staff have any concerns with your student's progress in their classes or would simply like some face-time with your family, they will request that you schedule a conference with them. If staff members do not see any concerns with your child's progress in class, you will receive an e-mail stating that you are not required to attend conferences. You are still welcome to schedule a conference, and you may wish to check your student's progress in Moodle and PowerSchool to see if you have any questions or concerns. Of course, if everything is fine and you just want to hear how well your student(s) is doing, that's a great reason for a conference, too!
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Study Center During Conferences
Based on popular demand, CVA will be having Study Center during regular hours, 8:30 AM - 3:30 PM, on all three days of conferences. Teachers will generally not be available for student support during those days. As always, students should come with a clear plan for completing their work.
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Locker Locks
During the week of October 15, we will be installing built-in locks on all lockers on the second floor. When students arrive on the morning of October 22, they will be given a card with their combination. Because it will take a little extra time for students to learn their combinations and make sure they can open their lockers, consider arriving a little early on that day. We look forward to the extra safety, security and confidence the locks will provide. Special thanks to Carol Johnson of TTSP and Bruce Johnson of Wabasso Public Schools for donating the locks and to students Kody H. and Aniq A. for helping with the preparation process!
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Bike Rack
On Monday, a new bike rack for outside will be delivered. Starting Tuesday, students and staff who ride should lock their bikes at the rack rather than bringing them inside or locking them elsewhere.
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Calling All Cyber Cats
We had a rousing assembly on Wednesday afternoon to kick off our new incentive program. Students caught being true Cyber CATS (Caring, Achieving, Thoughtful, Successful) will be rewarded with a green paw. Students write their names on the back of the paws and put them in a container in the Resource Room. Every week one name will be drawn to receive a prize. If we get 500 paws in the container by the end of October, the entire school will get some rewarding fun time!
To help kick off this program we're having a POSTER CONTEST. Create a poster that uses Caring, Achieving, Thoughtful, and Successful (CATS). Put your name and grade level on the back of your poster for judging. Submit posters to the Resource Room (Room 214) by Wednesday, October 10. Posters will be judged and winners will be announced by Monday, October 15. Winners will receive recognition and a prize. Be creative!
If you have any questions, please contact Jane Hall-Dayle.
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Chinook Book Fundraiser CVA will be selling the Chinook Book as a school-wide fundraiser. These coupon books have a green focus and feature great local restaurants, grocers, boutiques, hardware stores, entertainment venues, and more! To get a sneak peak at all of the great deals in this book, you can visit the Chinook Book website. Chinook Book coupon books are for sale for $20, and mobile coupon packs for use with smart phones are new this year and sell for $14. Students have an envelope to take home to collect payments and record any sales they make. As soon as they return their envelope with the payments, they can collect their books from the office to distribute. All envelopes are due back October 24th. The advisory classroom that sells the most books by the 24th will win an ice cream party! Chinook Books are already available in the office, so you can pop in and buy one any time, or come thumb through our display copy to see all of the great deals inside! Contact Melissa in the office if you have any questions. |
Staff Snacks for Conferences
Interested in showing your appreciation for Cyber Village Academy teachers and staff? We are seeking finger-foods and snacks to have available for staff during parent teacher conferences, October 15th-17th. Baked goods, dips and chips or crackers, fruits and veggies, or anything else you can think of would be greatly appreciated! If you would like to set up a crock-pot with a warm item, we can do that as well. If you can bring your item to the school on Monday morning, that is preferred. However, if you are not able to come to CVA on Monday but have a conference scheduled later that week and can bring your food item during your conference time that is just fine. If you have a Tupperware or crock pot that you would like returned, please label the item with your name so that we can return it to you. Thank you!!!
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Community and Service
As you know, CVA is an MYP (Middle Years Program) World School. One important aspect of MYP is Community and Service. This component requires students to take an active part in the communities in which they live, thereby encouraging responsible citizenship.
We are asking that each child participate in community and service activities throughout the school year - it is quite possible that they are involved in one of these activities already. Students should volunteer regularly throughout the year. We are not assigning a certain amount of volunteer hours or activities, but hope that students will find something they enjoy doing to help others...and do it often (weekly, monthly, etc. depending on the activity).
In advisory, students will receive a handout with possible volunteer activities. This is not an extensive list by any means, just something to help you get started.
Students will also be completing a journal based on their volunteer activities. This journal is not only to keep students accountable, but it is a way for them to really reflect on what they are doing. The journal will help students see the growth in themselves, how much they are contributing to the community, and understand their importance to others. We are also asking that parents read the journal entries and sign off on each one. Advisors will address how students can keep track of their journals, as they will need them for the Community and Service Fair.
At the end of the year, we will be having a Community and Service Fair to celebrate the efforts of the students. This fair will be on Thursday, May 30. (More information on that will come later.)
Students should collect brochures and pamphlets from the organizations where they volunteering to help make their Community and Service display.
If you have any questions or concerns about Community and Service, please don't hesitate to contact your child's advisor.
Thank you for all of your support,
The CVA Staff
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UNITY DAY - OCT. 10, 2012
Unite Against Bullying With Ellen DeGeneres, Anderson Cooper and Thousands of Students Across the Country. What are your true colors when it comes to bullying? If you care about students who are bullied and want bullying to end, make your color orange on Unity Day - Wednesday, Oct. 10. For more information, click here.
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Concordia Language Villages
Every year the 6th - 11th graders have the opportunity to go on an overnight field trip to the Wilder Forest (near Stillwater, MN) to experience a Concordia Language Village. The entire 2 days are conducted in Spanish and it is a fabulous chance for your student to be immersed in Spanish language and Culture. This year's theme is Indigenous Cultures and Traditions and will include new games, foods and crafts. The two (identical) trips are planned for November 15-16 and March 14 & 15. Permission slips were placed in student mailboxes this week for the November trip and are due by October 15. The cost is $69 per student which includes room, board and programming. We will carpool to and from the camp. For every 10 students we need to provide one parent chaperone, so if you are interested in coming along with your student please let Lauren Odle know. This is a first come/first served opportunity on both the camp and the chaperoning. The maximum number of students I can take at a time is 25. More details on the camp can be found at www.concordialanguagevillages.com
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WANTED
Who: YOU!
What: Back to School Dance and Fun Night!
When: October 12 from 6:30 to 8:30!
Where: In the gym!
Other Important Information
· Snacks will be provided.
· Participate in the limbo contest and Twinkie eating contest!
· Students will be able to request songs and bring iPods to play.
· There will be a game room and the book fair will be open.
· The cost is $5, or $3 if you bring a non-perishable food item.
· Students may sign up to bring one guest who is also in grades 3-8.
· Sign up with Melissa by Wednesday, October 10th! Bring your $$$ and permission slip!
Questions: Ask Amanda
The theme is western so don't forget to wear your cowboy hats and boots, flannels, overalls and bandanas.
***CVA has the right to cancel if less than 20 students sign up.
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MYP@CVA
In previous issues we've been looking at the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program "by the numbers." So far we've looked at the 10 attributes of the Learner Profile and the 8 subject areas. (To see previous NFTV issues go here.) This week let's see what we mean when we talk about the MYP Fundamental Concepts.
There are 3 Fundamental Concepts that describe a student's learning environment in an MYP school. These serve as our guide for developing our program at CVA.
Holistic learning: The school creates an environment that shows that all knowledge is interrelated and promotes the development of the whole person as reflected in the attributes of the Learner Profile.
Intercultural awareness: The school develops a learning environment where students will develop attitudes, knowledge, concepts, and skills as they lean about their own and others' social, national, and ethnic cultures - leading to intercultural awareness, understanding, and respect.
Communication: The school encourages open and effective communication, important skills that contribute to international understanding.
Look for evidence of the Fundamental Concepts at CVA. During conferences, talk to teachers about how your child is doing as an IB student and how each teacher is implementing the MYP Fundamental Concepts in the classroom.
For more information about MYP and IB programs, go to http://www.ibo.org. or contact Cherie Neima.
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CVA SOCCER UPDATE
Hello CVA soccer families,
Our team is off to a great start this season, playing some awesome soccer!!
It's still early in the season, but not too soon to start planning our end-of-season party. If you are interested in helping to organize this event, or donate food and/or supplies, please contact me at jena2@usfamily.net or talk to me after a practice or game. I'd like to turn this over to a parent crew, if we can get a few volunteers to help organize a celebration of our 2012 season.
Thanks!!
Coach Jen
Practice for both teams is this Tuesday, October 9th from 3:45 pm - 5:15 pm. All players will need to grab all of their school belongings, fill up their water bottles and meet out at the field right after school.
Please don't forget to turn in your son(s) or daughter(s) Medical Release form and Consent for treatment forms ASAP to Mr. Orr or Melissa.
Games this week: 5th/6th grade team is on Wednesday, October 10th at 4:30 pm right here at CVA!
Games this week: 7th/8th grade team is tonight Friday, October 5th (PLEASE NOTE 2 GAMES)at 4:30pm at Ft. Snelling Field E and at 5:30 pm Field D and Friday, October 12th at 4:30pm at Ft. Snelling Field D.
Full schedules can be found by clicking on the following links 5th/6th Grade Schedule and 7th/8th Grade Schedule.
If you have any questions please contact Mr. Orr.
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Kemps Nickels for Schools Program Ending
Kemps is discontinuing their "Nickels for Schools" milk top program this year. All milk tops will need to be submitted by November 1st, 2012. If your family has been collecting milk tops marked with the Kemps Nickels for Schools logo, please turn them in to Cyber Village Academy by October 10th so that we can mail in our final shipment for redemption. If you have any questions, please contact Melissa. Thank you!
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Yours for the kids, 
The Team at
Cyber Village Academy
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