1. education
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Chimacum
Middle School
News
April 2015
Spring Issue
OUTDOOR ODYSSEY
Outdoor education is a priority at Chimacum Middle School as well as a long-standing
tradition. Cispus, Long Boats, and Odyssey are an experience for every student at CMS
and the staff takes great pride in providing these opportunities.
This year, for the 8th graders attending Odyssey Week from June 8 to June 11, we will be
attending the NatureBridge facility on Lake Crescent in Olympic National Park. Located
on Barnes Point, next to the Marymere Ranger Station, the facility includes several dormitories with bathrooms and showers, a dining hall, and several other buildings for focused studies. This change allows us to be centrally located on the lake and avoid having
to bus daily to remote locations. We will be able to engage in learning activities right in
camp with studies focused on watershed recovery and natural science. We will also include education in Native American culture and history as well as the everyday use and
applications for mathematics. The staff at NatureBridge are typically certified teachers as
well as experienced outdoorsmen and will lead our outdoor learning. The CMS teachers
will accompany the students and support the learning activities at all times. We are excited and can’t wait for June! -John Morton, 8th grade Humanities Teacher
IMPORTANT: EAGLE FUNDRAISING ACTIVITIES
CISPUS: One of the greatest events of 6th grade in Chimacum Middle School is going to
Camp Cispus in September. Located in the gorgeous Gifford Pinchot National Forest,
Camp Cispus provides great accommodations and is truly an incredible outdoor education learning opportunity! Families will be charged $175 to have their children attend
Camp Cispus for three days and three nights (leaving Tuesday morning and returning
Friday), but the fee does not cover all of the expenses of taking students to Cispus. Because of this we are asking 5th grade students and parents to begin fundraising activities
to help all 6th grade students attend Camp Cispus in additio n to paying the
$175 room and board fee. Please contact Joni Langston for more fundraising information:
CHIMACUM
[email protected]
P.O. Box 278
LONGBOATS: This year the 7th grade field trip is to the Port Townsend Maritime
Center for the Longboats outdoor program taking place at the end of May. Families are
being asked to pay a $25 fee for their student that will allow kids to enjoy a week’s worth
of hands-on experience with rowing and learning more about the sea. Unfortunately this
fee does not cover the entire cost of this fabulous outdoor education program so we are
asking 7th grade students and parents to begin fundraising activities to help
pay for the additional expenses that are not covered by the base fee. Please
contact Gretchen Berg for more information about either leading or participating in fundraising events: [email protected]
OUTDOOR ODYSSEY: This outdoor program is truly a once in a life time trip. This
June, 8th grade students have the opportunity to stay for 4 days and 3 nights at the fabulous NatureBridge facility located on Lake Crescent in the Olympic National Park. The
base fee of $125 does not cover all expenses associated with this amazing activity so we
are asking students and parents to begin fundraising activities to help pay for
the outstanding costs involved in this outdoor education program. Please
contact Debbie Berreth for more information about either leading or participating in
fundraising activities for Outdoor Odyssey: [email protected]
MIDDLE SCHOOL
91 West Valley Road
Chimacum, WA 98325
PH: 360-732-4090, Ext 2
FAX: 360-732-6859
WHAT’S INSIDE?
 CMS Calendar of Events
 8th Grade Field Trip:
Engineering Discovery Day
 7th Grade Field Trip:
Longboats
 8th Grade Field Trip:
Outdoor Odyssey
 8th Grade Breakfast
 CMS Track Schedule
UPCOMING EAGLE ACTIVITIES
CMS SPORTS
Co-Ed MS Track 2015
Practice starts April 13th and is
from 2:30 - 4:00 pm every day.
Team Schedule
04/29/2015 Wed. 3:15 PM @
Crescent School
05/06/2015 Wed. 3:15 PM @
Sequim MS
05/13/2015 Wed. 3:15 PM @
Stevens MS
05/20/2015 Wed. 3:15 PM @
Crescent School
05/27/2015 Wed. 3:15 PM @
Blue Heron MS
06/02/2015 Tue. 3:15 PM @
Stevens MS
Girls Basketball Awards
For the White (JV) Team:
Best Defense: Farryn OlsonWailand
Best Offense: Rachel Matthes
MVP: Madison Coffey
Most Improved: Diamond Young
For the Blue (Varsity) Team:
Engineering Discovery
Days at U of W
8th Grade Breakfast &
Awards Ceremony
At Engineering Discovery Days, students and faculty from all UW engineering departments share their work with
students, teachers, families and the
community. Both Friday and Saturday
are free and open to everyone. On Friday, April 24, 9:00 am - 2:00 pm, CMS
8th grade students and teachers will
participate in hands-on activities that
demonstrate the exciting work of UW
engineers.
On Friday, June 5th 8th grade students
and their parents are invited to participate in a year-end activity to honor
students as they graduate from middle
school to begin their High School careers. From 8:00 - 9:00 am please join
us in the Middle School Commons for
breakfast (please plan to RSVP for
breakfast). From 9:00 - 10:30 am we
will move to the Auditorium for an
awards ceremony that will recognize
students with exceptional academic
performance, students who have shown
the most improvement in different
areas, most athletic students, student
leaders, students with strong citizenship, and other fun awards. We hope to
see you there!
Longboats
May 20-22 & May 26-27, the 7th
grade field trip is once again taking
place at the Port Townsend Maritime
Center and will focus on Longboats.
This year's 7th graders have a lower
number of students enrolled, so each
longboat group will get an extra day out
on the water. This will be a huge opportunity to get more hands on experiences
rowing the boat and learning from the
sea. This year we also have an intertwined theme of sea stars that is being
taught through art, math, science, humanities, and movement. Everyone is
getting really excited to get outside for
the outdoor education program!
Year-End Talent Show
& Assembly
On the last day of the 2014-2015 school
year, June 12th, we have planned an
assembly featuring students performing
for other students their various talents.
Please remember this is a late start/
early release day (12:15 pm) and plan
accordingly.
Best Defense: Jada Trafton
Best Offense: Madeline Dowling
Find out who is the most talented performer at the year-
MVP: Madeline Dowling
end assembly coming up on June 12th.
Most Improved: Aurora Plunkett
MARK YOUR CALENDAR!
UPCOMING BAND
PERFORMANCES
MAY
9th
15th
16th
Sequim Parade
Rhody Kiddy
Parade
Rhody Grand
Parade
JUNE
3rd
6th
2
Chimacum
Band Concert
HS Graduation
APRIL
15th
Student Led Conferences—No School
24th
8th Grade Field Trip: Engineering Discovery Days @ U 0f W
MAY
1st
15th
20th
21st
22nd
25th
No School
Late Start/Early Release at 12:15 pm
Long Boats Field Trip
Long Boats Field Trip
Long Boats Field Trip
Memorial Day—No School
JUNE
5th
6th
8th
11th
12th
8th Grade Breakfast, 8:00-10:30 am
High School Graduation, 1:00 pm
Outdoor Odyssey Trip, departs CMS at 9:00 am
Outdoor Odyssey Trip, returns to CMS at 2:00 pm
Last Day of School, Late Start/Early Release at 12:15 pm
6TH GRADE SCIENCE: PLANTING TREES
Our 6th graders have been learning environmental science and generating ideas for taking care of our neighborhood creek, Chimacum Creek, since 2001. Part of this environmental science learning experience is a chance for students to help out Chimacum Creek
and our community and salmon by working with the North Olympic Salmon Coalition
(NOSC) to plant trees along the creek. The area on either side of a creek, called the riparian zones, need a buffer from human activity and pollution. That buffer is provided by
trees and shrubs. Not just any trees and shrubs, they have to be native to our area and our
state because invasive plant species such as Scotch Broom, Reed Canary Grass, and Himalayan Blackberry vines will take over and choke out the native plants causing poor conditions for the salmon in our creek. Having native vegetation on the riparian zones along
our creek keeps the soil from washing into the creek as well as pollutants such as fertilizer
from surface runoff.
Sixth graders learn about different types of pollution as well as what they can do to stop
polluting our creek. Then they go out to different sections of the creek, chosen for us by
NOSC and this year the Jefferson Land Trust, and begin digging holes and planting as
many trees as they can. This year 6th graders planted trees in the Chimacum Commons
farmland on Wednesday, March 25, 2015.
Planting trees helps 6th graders learn how important trees are to our creek and the salmon plus they get to go outdoors and have fun providing a community service! It's great
that NOSC and the Jefferson Land Trust take time to work with our young people to give
them ways to help their environment and learn ways to protect and sustain. Sixth graders
will learn ways to become environmental stewards of their community when they are
done with 6th grade Science. -Al González, 6th grade Science Teacher
EAGLE NIGHT
Were you able to attend Eagle Night on
March 24th? If you were, you would see
quite a variety of student work. Ms. Shea
posed the question: Can you think of any
career where you don't need math??? The
class tried, but they still haven't come up
with a single one! In fact, math is actually
about a way of thinking, not simply a way
to use arithmetic. In Ms. Berg's area, I
was moved to read some of the personal
accounts of those who were persecuted
during the Holocaust. Some survived, but
many, sadly died and left behind only their
stories. I enjoyed many of the displays
throughout the room including art work,
book report displays, Science facts, and
math information. There were also hands
on exhibits and technology links such as
Mr. Gonzalez's Star Wars vs. Star Trek
blogs - did you know, for instance, that
light sabers would not actually work based
on the scientific principles we understand? Eighth grade families also viewed
information about the Odyssey trip coming up at the end of the year and were able
to get their questions answered. Thanks
for taking the time to support your students and share in what they are learning.
-Beth Clifford, Counselor, Chimacum
Schools
WASHINGTON D.C.
FIELD TRIP
Ten Chimacum 7th-9th graders got to
spend their spring break this year in
Washington DC. During their trip they
visited Colonial Williamsburg and Historic
Jamestown, Virginia. They also spent
several days touring the Nation's Capitol,
taking in as many experiences as possible.
Some highlights of their trip was the opportunity to visit several of the Smithsonian Museums, travel to the top of the
Washington Monument, learn from the
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, and pay their respects at Arlington
National Cemetery and the many memorials and monuments throughout the city. It
was five days of fast-paced and fun travel
and learning. These ten students repeatedly expressed gratitude for those who
helped them earn their way there through
their fundraising endeavors. They truly
felt their hard work was worth it!
Any Chimacum students who are currently
in the 6th - 11th grades are invited to be a
part of the 2016 Spring Break trip. The
sooner students sign up, the more time
they have to earn money to pay for this
experience. Information packets are available in the middle school office, or contact
Gretchen Berg: [email protected]
This is not a school-sponsored trip.
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CISPUS: CHOOSE-A-THON
Outdoor Education is so important to our sixth graders that most participated in a fundraiser to ensure Cispus continues for future fifth graders. To help pay for the increased
fuel costs and the room and board of our wonderful high school counselors who volunteer
their time, sixth graders collected pledges from family, friends and community members.
The Choose-a-thon fundraiser was a resounding success as students raised $2300.00
and enjoyed PE enrichment. Their commitment and service was even more impressive
because they continued to fund-raise after they attended Cispus in order to pay the deficit
between the fees families pay and the true cost of the program.
The sixth grade team is grateful for the generous donation of ice cream from our local
Port Hadlock QFC! Thanks Mr. Diedrichs! Participants enjoyed an ice cream celebration after their efforts. Thanks also to enthusiastic and dedicated volunteer, Val Corden,
for supervising the soccer portion of the Choose-a-thon!
Sixth grader and We Act Club member, Amyiah Fisher, was so determined to help make
sure Cispus continued that she wrote a letter about the need to save Cispus. The Port
Ludlow Garden Club w as so im pr essed by her m oving letter that they made a
very generous donation to outdoor education.
Thanks to our community for all your support! -Joni Langston, 6th grade Humanities
Teacher
Alone we are smart. Together we are brilliant!
WHAT’S HAPPENING NOW?
We Act Club
Year of Empowerment
We Day is April 23rd. We are excited and
have been very busy earning our way to
this Seattle Event. You can't buy a ticket to
We Day you have to earn it through service! We Day is the movement of our time,
empowering a generation of young global
citizens through an inspirational event
and a year-long educational initiative. This
event will take place at Seattle’s Key Arena. What have we been doing to earn our
way? This year we have collected hundreds of pounds of food for our local food
bank, we have procured donations for
Chimacum's outdoor education program
and we are raising money to purchase 100
goats for families in Haiti through the
alternative income pillar together with
Free The Children. We have raised
enough money to purchase 40 goat so far.
We also have kids individually out in our
community doing good things to help
people. We recently started reading the
book ‘7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens’
by Sean Covey, this is a book to give teens
the tools to make better choices when
facing the challenging issues they face and
direct them toward positive living. Want
to be a part of this great movement? Kids,
parents and teachers are welcome and
encouraged to participate. We meet every
Wednesday in room 604 at the Middle
School and after school every other Friday.
When we join together WE can make a
difference in our communities and our
world.
Follow us on Facebook Chimacum Change
or
email
us
at
[email protected]. Learn more about We
Day at weday.com
Highly Capable
Program Update
It's been an exciting year for our HiCap
students! Just recently HiCap students
participated in two amazing activities: The
Young Writer's Conference at Peninsula
College in Port Angeles and Destination
ImagiNation, a Washington state tournament that focuses on teaching the creative
process: from Imagination to Innovation.
Another opportunity that is coming up
soon for HiCap students is Engineering
Discovery Days on Friday, April 24th at
the University of Washington.
HiCap families are encouraged to meet
and discuss these activities as well as other
opportunities at our District HiCap Parent
Meeting, Thursday May 28th at 5:00 pm,
location TBD. Please contact Jamie Jensen for more information about the Highly
Capable Program: [email protected]
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