Walden School
Walden Middle School Newsletter
November 30, 2009
 
CALENDAR  
M11/30 -
T12/1 -
W12/2 -
T12/3 - LS/MS Game Day, 2-2:45 PM (bring age-appropriate game to share with your LS buddy.)
F12/4 -  
 
Sunday, 12/6 - Tuesday, 12/8 - Walden CYO attends Jr. KYA.
 
M12/7 -
T12/8 - WPA meeting @ 8 AM (important vote regarding annual dues and fund raising).
W12/9 - Band Rehearsal
     Grade 7- 3:30-4:25
     Grade 5- 4:30-5:15
     Grade 6- 5:20-6:15
T12/10 - WPA teacher luncheon
   - Builders Club to Four Courts Senior Center, 12:30-2:45
   - Chess Club, 3-4 PM
   - Basketball Tournament @ Our Savior Luthern for Girls Team and 7/8 Boys (12/10-12/14). 
F12/11 - Jr. Beta Club meeting @ 11:45
   - 7/8 Spanish test
   - Kiva meeting @ 7:30 AM (see information below)
   - Choir performs at Atria nursing home, 11:30 AM - 3:00 PM
 
M12/14 - 7/8 Language Arts mid-year exams
    - last day to donate items for Wayside Christian Mission 
T12/15 -  
W12/16 - Band Rehearsals
     Grade 7- 3:30-4:25
     Grade 5- 4:30-5:15
     Grade 6- 5:20-6:15
   - 7/8 Math mid-year exams 
T12/17 - College Panel for grades 6-8 @ 9 AM
   - Field Trip to Ten Pin, with lunch first at Golden Corral
   - Band Concert @ 6:30 PM
   - 8th grade Social Studies assignment due. 
F12/18 - Extended day closes @ 3:00 PM
 
 
Young Citizens Organization
   This is the second year for the YCO in the middle school.  This club is sponsored by the 7th grade Social Studies teacher, Mrs. Farmer.  The purpose of the club is to foster interested 6th-8th grade students as they become informed, involved and respectable citizens and leaders in their communities.  YCO meets every Wednesday from 11:45-12:20 (during lunch).  They focuse on two state-wide conferenes as launching points for discussions, which include lessons on analysis, legislation, persuasive writing, verbal presentation, debate procedure, and organization.  During the Jr. KYA (Kentucky Youth Assembly) Conference this month, students act as the state legislature, and take a trip to the state capitol.  Thirteen of our 6th and 8th graders will be attending the Junior Kentucky Youth Assembly this upcoming Sunday through Tuesday.  This is nearly double the size of our inaugural group last year!  We have two bills submitted, along with an alternate bill, and are very excited about the conference.  We will debate the bills in committee sessions at a conference center in Louisville and in the legislative chambers of the state capitol building.  We can't wait to come back with a report of our experience.
    Jr. KUNA in March is a state-wide mock United Nations Assembly, allowing students to learn about and teach fellow students (from other "nations") as they role-play their assigned nation.  This also exercises students' abilities to view issues from varied perspectives.  Walden's high school has a long and proud history at both of these conferences.   
 

Spot light on
Mrs. Farmer (below) 
  
 Attention Extended Day Parents:
 Extended Day will close at 3:00 on Friday, December 18, 2009.  Please make a note of this and plan accordingly to pick up your child/children from extended day by 3:00.  
 
Field Trip:  Thursday, December 17, 2009
Students will be going to Golden Corral for lunch and then on to Ten Pin bowling alley.  We will leave Walden School at 11:00 a.m. and will arrive back on campus about 2:30.  The students will need to bring $6 for lunch, (bowling and shoe rental at Ten Pin is covered by Walden).  Students go bowling in December to finish up their bowling unit in P.E. classes.  Permission slips were emailed home today.  Please return the signed permission slip along with payment of $6 (cash or check) to Ms. Fry.  Checks can be made payable to Walden School.   
 

Spotlight on Sarah Farmer

 
     This is Mrs. Farmer's second year at Walden.  In addition to teaching 7th grade social studies, Mrs. Farmer teaches three high school courses:  chemistry, physics, and world civilizations.  Her previous teaching experience includes high school courses on government & economics and AP statistics.
     Mrs. Farmer founded our Middle School's Young Citizens Organization last year, spearheading our involvement in Jr. KYA and Jr. KUNA.  Mrs. Farmer is also this year's freshman class advisor, and is in charge of the High School's Kiva Club (see article below).
     Mrs. Farmer holds a Master of International Affairs with a concentration in National Security, as well as a BA in Political Science and a BS in Psychology from Texas A & M University.  Before moving to Louisville, she worked for the CIA as an analyst.
     Mrs. Farmer appreciates the opportunity she has at Walden "to guide students individually to find methods that will best suit them as life-long learners."
 
In November
                                                         by Eric Sorensson
 
In November everything is silent. Leaves are falling, and people are gathering in homes.
Earth is creating its big white blanket with a lot of life still hiding under it.
Every time you go outside you see smoke from chimneys rising into the air like a flock of birds flying south for the winter. You also smell squash and pumpkins and all those other amazing smells of fall.
Families gather on that special November night and have a festive feast.
They eat turkey and all other special November food, and then the house has that amazing smell of fall.
Kids make snow angels while everyone acts like angels.
When they go outside the cold air chills their noses while they're shivering.
Then they all go back home on that special November night.
In November, winter is almost here. The mounds of snow will soon fall, but for now it's still November.
 
Kiva: A group of Walden High School students is working through the nonprofit organization Kiva to make microloans throughout the world.  They will be hosting an informational meeting for the Walden community at large on Friday morning, 11 December at 7:30am to see how you can get involved.  This is a great opportunity to work as a family and community to teach your children about investment and global community involvement.  You can even give gift certificates through this organization - a great gift for the family member who has everything!  We hope to see you there.  You can check out Kiva's website ahead of time at www.kiva.org.  If you have questions, email Mrs. Farmer at sfarmer@walden-school.org. 

 
Edline is an on-line program which permits parents to view their student's grades (with itemized assignment lists), which are regularly posted by their subject-area teachers.  In order to access your child's grades, you need to register.  Information is sent home each fall to new middle school parents.  Parents only need to register once (for 4 years of MS).  Parents who have formerly registered for an Edline account should use their original user name and password.  If you have misplaced that information and/or need assistance setting up your account, please email Mr. Raymond at:  craymond@walden-school.org.      
Please note that teachers regularly send email grades, personal memos, and missing assignment lists to parents via Edline and assume that parents have accounts.  Please let your child's teachers know to communicate via mail if Edline is not an option for you.
  
Walden School's International Theme - Check out Mr. Kimbrough's weekly Geoquiz question.  Mr. Kimbrough is one of our high school social studies teachers, and at each Monday morning assembly this year, he will present a geography question, which students can research and email their answer by 1:00 PM on Friday.  All students who answer correctly will be eligible to have their name placed in a random drawing to receive a special t-shirt commemorating this year's international theme.  Here's the link to check out this week's question: