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Trask Newsletter
March 2015
Since starting the Garden Club at Trask 4 years ago, I have had the opportunity to work with students,
parents, and staff on a number of school wide beautification projects. I am thrilled to announce that Trask’s
Garden Club has won a $2000 grant from Whole Foods.
A special thanks to Mrs. Coley who assisted us in finding this grant and collecting the data required to
complete the application process. She also helped research Ability Gardens which was the focus of the
project. Please check in and see the progress being made in the courtyard outside of O-14.
The TRASK Garden Club will be looking for volunteers this spring. We will be creating a unique garden space
designed to encourage and promote successful gardening opportunities that are rich with sensory
stimulating activities.
Science Olympiad
Trask Middle School will be competing in the North Carolina Science Olympiad Wilmington Regional
Tournament at UNC Wilmington, Saturday, March 7 th, 2015
North Carolina Science Olympiad (NCSO) is a nonprofit organization with the mission to attract and retain
the pool of K-12 students entering science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) degrees and
careers in North Carolina. Every year NCSO hosts tournaments on university, community college, and public
school campuses across the state. These tournaments are rigorous academic interscholastic competitions
that consist of a series of different hands-on, interactive, challenging and inquiry-based events that are well
balanced between the various disciplines of biology, earth science, environmental science, chemistry,
physics, engineering and technology.
In 2014, more than 800 K-12 teams representing over 14,000 students and 70 counties in North Carolina
participated in NCSO activities. NCSO is indebted to the thousands of volunteers that donate their time each
year to making our activities a success.
The challenging and self-motivating events of NCSO align with the North Carolina Standard Course of
Study as well as the National Science Education Standards. The events are designed to enhance and
strengthen both science content and process skills.
March 2015
Page 2
Band
We had 3 students that were selected by audition for the NCBA Eastern District Band Clinic in Greenville, NC
on Feb. 6 - 7, 2015.
Laney Larkins - Flute
Joshua Minkler - Trumpet
Mason Cockrell - Frenc horn
NHCS All County Band Clinic - Minnie Evans Performing Arts Center - Feb. 27 - 28, 2015
The 7th and 8th Grade Bands will be performing at the NCBA MPA on Thursday, March 5 at Northside High
School in Jacksonville, NC. The combined bands will be assessed on three prepared pieces and a
sightreading selection
6th Grade Math
PTA
"Please!! sign up for the 5K Color Run on March
21st!!
Go to Schoolathon.org and then to "Find a thon",
select North Carolina and Emma B. Trask Middle
School, Registration and you are in…
Do you want to RUN, kids, parents and teachers are
all welcome as well as the public!!!
The 6th graders are starting their 3rd nine weeks objectives. We will be solving one-step equations and
inequalities. Our geometry unit will include finding
the area of right triangles, rectangles, and composite
polygons. Surface area of 3 dimensional shapes will
also be included.
Would love to see you all there supporting our
school, Go Trask!"
Best Foot Forward
The Choral kids are participating in Best Foot Forward on March 13th. They will perform “It's Time” by Imagine Dragons. This song has been directed by myself, Sandra Gemach. The Choreography is done by Anna Kinlaw (my daughter) and Ms. Stephanie Williams.
We will perform for about 4000 people.
This is our envision of TIME:
Time is measured in so many ways. Time can change our thoughts and our world. But, as we see and
experience changes through Time, we're never changing who we really are....
March 2015
Page 3
From the Counseling Corner…..
All eighth grade students have received their American College Testing (ACT) scores and had a lesson in math classes facilitated by Mrs. Scharf, grade level counselor, in which she explained the
score report. Students also received their New Hanover County School Course Curriculum booklet
and handouts listing ninth grade course options.
Ninth grade registration will be done in school via PowerSchool after students have brought home
a registration sheet to be signed by their parent/guardian. As an added note, an Information
Night for Rising Freshmen going to Laney, will be held at 6:00 pm on March 5th. See Mrs. Scharf’s
webpage for additional information.
In continued observance of Black History Month, Mr. Jim Murphy, a CFCC Adult Education Instructor, was a guest speaker at our school during Enrichment. He did a brief biography and recited selected poems written by two authors: Maya Angelou and Langston Hughes. Sixth, seventh
and eighth grade students attended. Students shared what they learned both verbally and written.
Ms. Mills is collaborating with Social Studies teachers in sixth and seventh grades to present upcoming classroom guidance lessons on Career Awareness in response to a Needs Assessment done
earlier in the school year. Students will become aware of their career choices and begin making
preparations towards attaining their career goals.
Written by Ms. Mills
~on behalf of Mrs. Scharf and myself
Athletics
Athletic Events in March, 2015
4th 9 Weeks – Spring Sports Try Outs
Boys’ Soccer & Girls’ Basketball Games
March 17-18, 2015
All Games Start at 4pm.
Volleyball
Cost - $1 for Students, $2 for Adults
3/3/15 - Trask vs. Virgo (BB Only)
Baseball
Girls’ Lacrosse
3/5/15 – Trask at Myrtle Grove
3/10/15 – Trask at Murray
3/12/15 – Trask vs. Noble
3/17/15 – Trask at Williston
Boys’ Lacrosse
*Student must have a current physical and concussion
form in order to try out.
March 2015
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8th Grade Information
Thursday, March 5th
6 P.M. Laney High School Rising Freshman Information Night
March 12th
The New Hanover County Family Life Education (FLE) Open House will be March 12th, 5:30 p.m.-6:00 p.m.,
for Spanish-speaking families, 6:30-7:00 p.m. for English-speaking families at Roland Grise Middle School in
the media center. Phone calls will be made to rising 6th, 7th, and 8th grade parents to notify them.
March 9th - 13th
Registration for traditional high schools using Power School; procedure TBA
Friday, March 13th –
Deadline for Early College H.S. applicants to accept/decline if offered acceptance
Monday & Tuesday, March 23rd & 24th
College Foundation of North Carolina (CFNC) Financial Literacy lesson in all 8th grade math classes; each 8th
grader will make a CFNC account if they do not already have one.
Student Council
On February 10th 2015, Trask Student Council met with Megan Upchurch and Dylan McDonnell from the
New Hanover County Government Planning Department. The students worked in groups to discuss the
future planning for New Hanover County. There were six headings that the students had to give examples
of what they would like to see in the next 20-25 years. The headings were: Harmony with Nature, Health
Community, Resilient Economy, Responsible Regionalism, Interwoven Equity and Livable Built Environment.
The students did an awesome job. I am so proud of this group of students and they represented Trask very
well. Trask was the only middle school to participate in this focus group.
Donations Needed!
The 4-H Trackers will be collecting small toiletry items
for the Good Shepherd Center during the month of
March. Items needed include unopened hotel or
travel size soaps and sunscreen. Thank You!
Read Across America
Look for special literacy events and contests
throughout the month of March to celebrate the
legendary Dr. Seuss and promote a love of
reading!
Trask Words of the Week:
3/2-3/6: Constitute & Concept
3/16-3/20: Legislate & Involve
3/9-3/13: Assume & Omit
3/23-3/27: Data & Impose
March 2015
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Grizzly Family Book Club
Grizzly Family Book Club will meet on Tuesday, March 3rd and Tuesday, April 7th from 6:00-7:30. GFBC is a
free event that provides your family with dinner, a copy of the selected novel, and fun activities! This semester we will be reading the novel Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick. For more information please visit the Trask website. We hope to see you there!