The Kenmore Cougar. Principally Speaking. Principalmente Hablando. December 2010! Volume 10, Number 3. David McBride, Assistant Principal

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1 The Kenmore Cougar December 2010! Volume 10, Number 3 Principally Speaking David McBride, Assistant Principal Principalmente Hablando David McBride, Assistant Principal This past month Kenmore welcomed visiting teachers from Pakistan as part of an international exchange program provided by the American Institute for Research and USAID. Dr. Betty Spencer-Chapman, our 7th Grade administrator, was the school s coordinator for the visit. In keeping with our tradition of celebrating multiculturalism and diversity, Kenmore welcomed the teachers by having a formal tea, interviewing them on the Principal s Forum television show, and pairing them with cooperating teachers. For the past few weeks the teachers have visited classrooms, met with teachers, and toured local cultural sites. Kenmore faculty and staff met with the visitors to discuss matters pertaining to education in both countries. The project is funded by an agency for international development called Links to Learning: Education Support to Pakistan. Kenmore benefits from having staff members committed to understanding diverse backgrounds and cultural differences. For example, Ms. Kauser Shahid and Ms. Noemi Yerovi decorated the green room, our building s reception area for visiting officials and dignitaries, with traditional art from the Pakistan region. Ms. Shahid served as a translator for Urdu and an informal liaison for the visitors, going well beyond her normal duties El més pasado Kenmore dió la bienvenida a maestros de Pakistan que nos visitaron como parte de un programa de intercambio internacional provisto por el Instituto Americano de Investigación y USAID. La doctora Betty Spencer-Chapman, nuestra administradora del séptimo grado fue la coordinadora para esta visita. En nuestra tradición de celebrar el multiculturalismo y la diversidad, Kenmore dio la bienvenida a los maestros con un té formal. En el programa de televisión de circuito cerrado llamado Principal s Forum los maestros fueron entrevistados, los maestros de Pakistan y algunos maestros de Kenmore se unieron para enseñar en diferentes clases y ellos tambien visitaron lugares culturales de esta área. El personal docente y todo el personal de la escuela tuvieron la oportunidad de conocer a los maestros y pudieron discutir cosas pertinentes a la educación en ambos países. El proyecto esta fundado por una agencia de desarrollo internacional llamado Links to Learning: Education Support to Pakistan -Conexión en el Aprendizaje: Ayuda Educativa para Pakistan. Kenmore se beneficia al tener miembros del personal que conocen diversos antecedentes y diferencias culturales. Por ejemplo la señora Kauser Shahid y la señora Noemí Yerovi decoraron nuestra sala de visitas para dignatarios y visitas oficiales, el llamado salón verde, con objetos tradicionales de la región continued on page 14 continúa en la página 14 Visiting teachers from Pakistan (left to right): Tihseen Amarzia, Waheed Gul, Nasim Akhtar, and Naheed Akhtar. IN THIS ISSUE Principally Speaking / Principalmente Hablando National Student/Parent Mock Election Shoes Collected for Honduras Focus News / Reflections Program Awards Students of the Month / Paws of Honor 6th, 7th, 8th Grade and Globetrotter News Rincón Español / Spanish Corner KC Interview - Andy Paparella Teacher Grants Program Middle School Exchange - Host Families Needed Science Fair - Judges Needed Odyssey of the Mind - Coaches Needed page 1

2 Kenmore Administrators Principal Dr. John Word (703) Assistant Principal Dr. Betty Spencer-Chapman (703) Assistant Principal David McBride (703) Director, Counseling Services Caitlin Rose (703) Kenmore PTA Officers President Carolyn Carlson Vice President Gizele Johnson Secretary Karen Palmer Treasurer Lee Dioso Newsletter Editor Chris Bosch Distribution Managers KMS Life Skills Class Spanish Translation Roxana Echalar Kenmore Web Site Kenmoreʼs Lists The Kenmore Cougar is published monthly from October through June with the exception of January. Upcoming Events Included below is this month s Kenmore calendar of events as of the date of publication of this newsletter. Check for updates to this calendar by visiting the Kenmore web site at and subscribe to the Kenmore PTA news list (kenmore_pta@yahoogroups.com) to receive messages each week containing the most up-to-date Weekly Student Activities Calendar. DECEMBER Wed 12/1 7:00 PM IB Info W-L Thu 12/2 11:54 AM Early Release Thu 12/2 3:15 PM B. Jefferson Thu 12/2 3:15 PM G. Swanson Thu 12/2 6:30 PM Honors Band Auditions (7th/8th grade) Fri 12/3 Career Day 8th Grade Fri 12/3 Principal's Forum Mon 12/6 2:35 PM Concert Band Rehearsal Mon 12/6 2:35 PM Orchestra Rehearsal Mon 12/6 Hispanic Flamenco Ballet Performance Tue 12/7 3:15 PM B. Basketball vs. Jefferson Tue 12/7 3:15 PM G. Gunston Tue 12/7 TAB (Grade Level Lunches) Wed 12/8 8:20 AM Knowledge Masters Thu 12/9 11:30 AM Transfer Orientation Thu 12/9 3:15 PM B. Basketball vs. Gunston Fri 12/10 3:30 PM Verizon Center (FBLA) Fri 12/10 Career Day 7th Grade Fri 12/10 Kenmore News Mon 12/13 2:35 PM Cadet Band Rehearsal Tue 12/14 3:15 PM B. Williamsburg Tue 12/14 3:15 PM G. Soccer vs. Williamsburg Wed 12/15 2:35 PM Orchestra Rehearsal Wed 12/15 7:00 PM Winter Choral Concert (B. Box) Thu 12/16 7:00 PM Winter Strings Concert Fri 12/17 1:00 PM Music Assembly Fri 12/17 7:00 PM Winter Band Concert Sat 12/18 10:00 AM Hispanic Parent Meeting Tue 12/21 TAB (Grade Level Lunches) Wed 12/22 11:54 AM Early Release Wed 12/22 Immigration Day (7th Grade) Thu-Sun 12/23-1/2 Winter Break page 2

3 National Student/Parent Mock Election Andy Paparella, 7th grade American Studies teacher Kenmore Middle School participated in the National Student/ Parent Mock Election this past October. After a week-long student voter registration drive, 93% of Kenmore students registered to vote in the joint student government and Mock Election held during the week of October 25th, In order to vote, students had to first register, with proof of identification. On voting day, 356 of Kenmore's 658 registered student voters made their vote known. They elected a new Student Council Association (SCA) president, Alex Wallace, vicepresident, Peggy Sykes, secretary, Brandi Moore, and treasurer, Andy Hernandez as well as US Congressman for the 8th district, Jim Moran and Arlington County and School Board Members Chris Zimmerman and Sally Baird, respectively. Student votes were recorded using Senteos (SMART Board interactive response systems) as they viewed the ballot. The results of Kenmore's election were added to the National Student/ Parent Mock Election for the state of Virginia. Ms. Sheehy supervises student voter registration (above), and students vote using Senteos (below) Shoes Collected for Honduras Carolyn Carlson, Kenmore PTA President Kenmore students are embracing and practicing the Earth Charter Program Principles: Accept all people, Protect the environment, Help those in need, and Embrace peace. Kenmore students partnered recently with Arts for Humanity, a Arlington non-profit organization. Our students proudly collected 400 pairs of men s, women s and children s shoes which are sent to Honduras. A pair of used shoes enables a child to receive an education and an adult to obtain a job. We thank Kenmore s PTA, Ms. Coyle, teacher of the Family Career Community Leadership Association (FCCLA), Kenmore s check-in program, and the seventh grade team for organizing, advertising, counting and boxing the shoes to help those in need. Kenmore students deliver donated shoes to Tom Parker of the Arlington Kiwanis Club (back left). Adults also pictured are Beverly Coyle, Dr. Word, and Carolyn Carlson (l-r). page 3

4 Focus News Shauna Dyer, Kenmore Focus Coordinator Kenmore s partnership with the Kennedy Center has been an integral part of our Arts and Communications Technology Focus program for the last fourteen plus years. Through the Kennedy Center s Changing Education through the Arts (CETA) program, Kenmore teachers participate in courses that teach how to integrate the arts into instruction. Teachers can participate in year-long courses, a demonstration teaching program, or an arts coaching program. This year, 23 Kenmore teachers are enrolled in courses. Eight of those teachers are also participating in the demonstration teaching program. Course topics range from Readers Theater, Scientific thought in Motion, Tableau, Visual Arts and Writing, and the Pen, the Painting and the Pose. The demonstration teaching program provides the opportunity for teachers to see the arts integration strategies in action in their classrooms. They observe the teaching artists modeling integrated instruction with their students at Kenmore. This year four Kenmore teachers have teaching artist, Randy Barron in their classrooms to model how to integrate movement into their curriculum. Mr. Barron was here in October and November, and he returns again in January. In the spring, teaching artists Melanie and Sean Layne will model the strategies: tableau and looking at art, from the Pen, the Painting and the Pose course for another set of four teachers. We are also making an effort to model some of these integration strategies in our faculty meetings and professional development sessions. At the November transfer orientation for parents of 5th graders, attendees learned about Kenmore through looking at portraits. Five Kenmore teachers and an administrator are serving as the strategic planning committee for the CETA program. In October they attended a session on assessment and are looking at ways to document evidence of student learning. Documentation is done through written reflections by students or learning interviews where students answer a series of questions about how and what they learned through an integrated lesson. Some of the documented evidence of student learning will be shared at some of the upcoming the PTA meetings. Students have been hard at work this fall and we are beginning to see evidence of some of their fine work through performances. In November we enjoyed a dance concert featuring numbers from various Broadway shows. In December the music program will be featured. Be sure to mark your calendars for the Winter Concert Series. The chorus will perform on December 15 at 7:00 p.m. in the Black Box Theater, the orchestras on December 16 at 7:00 p.m. in the theater, and the bands on December 17 at 7:00 p.m. in the theater. Enjoy the holiday season! Students performed dance numbers from Broadway shows during the Fall Dance Recital on November 18th. page 4

5 Reflections Program Awards Carolyn Carlson, Kenmore PTA President Each year Kenmore students are invited to participate in the National PTA Reflections Program, which for over 30 years has provided opportunities for students to express themselves and to receive positive recognition for their artistic efforts. The theme for this year's contest was Together We Can. Students were encouraged to create and submit works of art in six areas: dance choreography, film production, literature, musical composition, photography, and the visual arts. I would like to recognize the following volunteers who served as judges for this year s contest: Luann Moy, parent at W&L High School; John Bradley through Safeway location at Wilson and George Mason Drive; Eric Robinson, a scholar whose expertise is middle age literature; and six managers at the Arlington Hilton (Scott, Vickie, Renee, Carlos, Robert and Firas). Thank you to all of the Kenmore staff, especially 8th grade language arts teachers, who encouraged and facilitated student participation in the PTA Reflections contest. Kenmore s Reflections Contest winners are: Visual Arts: Nicole Lozano-Guisse 1st Place Zoe Worrman 2nd Place Claudia Galas-Moraleas 3rd Place Film Production Brandi Moore 1st Place Musical Composition: Steven Bluestein 1st Place Literature: Bo Sampson 1st Place Gerson Osorio 2nd Place Vicky Vo 3rd Place Jessica Neupane Honorable Mention Literature Submission Finalists: Ashik Azim Mohmeet Choudhary Eman Eman Marina Gonzalez Kanika Hav Madeleine Krause Lucy Naland Gabrielle Pena Rafael Velasquez Students of the Month Erin Gagen, Counselor (8th Grade) Each month, every Kenmore team chooses one student deserving recognition for being a positive member of Kenmore Middle School. Students are nominated based on various qualities such as their dedication to academic success, consistently putting forth their best effort, participation in school clubs/events, helpfulness to others, and demonstrating kindness and respect to peers and teachers. A photo and paragraph recognizing the student is posted on the bulletin board in the main hallway and students are awarded a certificate on the Principal's Forum. Students of the Month for October were: Clippers: Alice Naland Schooners: Susann Vallejo-Zamora Explorers: Richard Luu Fliers: Maya Fields Comets: Mecca Whiters-Russell Stars: Brent Pizzamiglio Producers: Jennifer Laredo Encore: Samantha Stipe Globetrotters: Mahelet Haile Legends: Kirubel Solomon Paws of Honor Erin Gagen, Counselor (8th Grade) The Paws of Honor program allows Kenmore staff to recognize a student's positive behavior. The goal of this program is to "catch" students doing an honorable act and give him/her recognition for it. This honorable deed could be anything from assisting a teacher, to turning in money found on the floor, to helping out another student in trouble. The student receives a certificate and a copy is also posted in the cafeteria. Parents/guardians are notified of their child's award via mail. Students receiving Paws of Honor so far in the school year are: Ever Franco Maddie Warnke Ariam Kidane Elizabeth Hawley Jose Alonzo Jose Lopez Natneal Rike Jose Zurita Torrico Lyric Hatcher Zaria Miller Anise Jordan-Dorsey Min Zhong Brandi Moore Charles Contreras Gabby Young Lexi Camacuari Zawad Bid Zahid page 5

6 6th Grade News Susan Tanigawa, Clippers / Christopher Junghans, Schooners November was a quick month filled with days off! After surviving the first quarter, sixth-graders faced the Stanford 10 and also went on their Career Day field trip. Mr. Villafane arranged for all sixth graders to visit one of the following places: Arlington Public School s Career Center Arlington County District Court Arlington County Water Pollution Control Plant Virginia Hospital Center Georgetown University Hospital Center Marymount University Courtyard Marriot Embassy Suites in Tysons Corner Hilton Garden Inn Students were able to go behind-the-scenes to learn about all the careers that are necessary to make each business work smoothly. Students who visited the Career Center were excited to see the different classes they will be able to choose as an elective. Back in the classroom In math, students identified use of decimals in the texts around them and used the data collected to apply their math skills. They put the decimals in order from smallest to largest, computed the mean, mode, and median. Sixth graders now understand better the life of an explorer. What were the motivations, obstacles, and resources as they traveled? Explorers expanded the dominion of various countries and now those countries will start to set up colonies. In the next unit, students will learn why there were colonies, which group of people settled in which colony, and what resources were available. In science, students have been continuing their study of water. They will be able to tell you in which watershed we live, define meander and flood plains. Students will prove what they know about watersheds by building a salt dough model. English students continue to sharpen their writing skills. Clipper students are using work from other subjects to integrate into their writing. They have been applying their word choice skills when writing six-word memoirs about some explorers from Social Studies. Clipper students are also doing science work as they research information for their Earth Force project. Ask your student what this is all about. [More details coming in future months!] Schooner students have been focused on completing a persuasive essay and sharpening their skills to analyze characters in literature. They have also worked on completing individual pages of a personalized book that will be published for the end of the school year. (Thank you, Mr. Jones!) Reading skills such as inferencing, drawing conclusions, identifying main ideas and details are being demonstrated as students read both fiction and non-fiction texts. Clippers are finished with a project focused on genre and are now diving into Full Tilt by Neal Shusterman. Schooner and Clipper students learn about the eco-friendly house built by APS Career Center students. Visiting Pakistani teacher Naheed Akbar discusses the persuasive essay with a student in Dr. Junghans' class. page 6

7 7th Grade News Dotsy Fraker, Explorers / Lindsay Perkins, Fliers American Studies This month in American Studies, our 7th grade students are learning about how immigration forever changes the face of America. Students will research and create a journal written by a person that would have immigrated into the US between 1870 and Each student will later use this character s life story as a role they themselves will adopt during our Immigration Day simulation in December. The current showing of the Cougar 7 Cinema, "Fiddler on the Roof," extends our study of immigration by helping students develop a deeper understanding of pogroms. The music isn't bad, either. Also this month, students will analyze the development of America s industry in the same time period. They will be viewing film of working factories of the time period, reading graphs and charts on the changes in US industrial output and drawing conclusions about how industry changed consumer s and workers lives. English In English class, the Fliers have been analyzing how an author creates suspense in the horror story Three Skeleton Key. We just started our first novel unit of the year. Students will meet in literature circle groups to discuss one of three novels: Freak the Mighty, The Outsiders, or Romiette and Julio. Literary analysis will emphasize elements of plot, characterization, and setting. The Explorers are reading The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and researching questions regarding the life and times of Mark Twain. Concurrently, students, organized into Twain Teams, are writing compositions that focus on their literary analysis of the book and their research. Twain Teams expect to publish their work before the winter holiday begins. Science Students are very busy working on their science fair projects. Most of the seventh graders have written their hypotheses and are now conducting their experiments. Science Fair projects are due on Dec. 20 and the Science Fair is January 19. In addition, students have just finished a yeast lab where they have had the opportunity to prepare a "practice" science board. These mini boards are on display for all to see in the 7th grade hall! Our newest unit, the Diversity of Life, focuses on the study of cells and heredity as well as the characteristics of living or non-living things. 7th grade science students working on their science project mini-boards in Ms. Dorman's room. Math In Math 7, students have finished a focused study of integers although they will continue to use integers all year. Their understanding of the number system has expanded to include rational numbers: fractions and decimals. Students will learn the properties of rational numbers, while solving problems that occur in the 21st Century. We will also be focusing on coordinate planes and learning the "coordinate shuffle" dance to help us remember how to plot points. Intensified Math 7 students are also focusing on the study of rational numbers. They will be reviewing fraction concepts, and using fractions to solve algebraic equations. page 7

8 8th Grade News Helen Parkhurst, Stars / Jill Lyttle, Comets World Geography The second quarter at Kenmore has found World Geography students studying the earth's physical environment. Students have learned to identify natural disasters and the underlying causes, land forms and water bodies, as well as climate and the factors that influence it. The capstone project of this unit challenged students to write an original song about a global environmental problem. Students performed their songs ( Geo Jingles ) about subjects such as global warming and overpopulation in front of the camera, complete with choreography, props, and an abundance of enthusiasm. They did a great job! Science In Science class the students have just finished studying the Phases of matter and will begin working on Atoms and the periodic Table. Students are also conducting their science fair experiments and should have actual data when they return after Thanksgiving weekend. Math 8 In the Math 8 class, we will continue to solve equations with an introduction to rational numbers. We will also spend time working problems dealing with proportions and percents. Students will be given the necessary tools to learn how to determine an amount of discount given the original price and amount of discount. Hopefully, they will make use of these tools if they choose to go shopping on Black Friday and make real-life applications of what they are learning in the math classroom. We will also use these concepts to figure sales tax, tips, and commissions. As a review, we will revisit scientific notation, expressions, and order of operations throughout the month as well. Algebra and Intensified Algebra We continue to solve equations in the Algebra class and give students the opportunity to write equations of various situations. Time will be spent exploring linear equations and functions using different methods of graphing. Graphs of real world data can be understood by comparing rates of change with the slopes of lines. As the quarter progresses, we will use the line of best fit to make predictions. Once students understand the concept of graphing by hand, the graphing calculators will be used as a tool to check their work. 8th grade students performing their Geo Jingles. Intensified Geometry Students have spent a bit of time studying different methods that they can use to prove that triangles are congruent. They are also expanding their knowledge about midpoints, angle bisectors, medians, and perpendicular bisectors. Proofs are become much more familiar and comfortable to students as they use them almost everyday in class. Next students are going to move away from triangles for a while and progress onto quadrilaterals. English Mid-November finds the Comets and Stars English teams reading classical works of fiction, drama, and poetry redolent with ironic twists. We continue our author-study of E.A. Poe and add O'Henry, Washington Irving, Shirley Jackson, and W.W. Jacobs to the mix. We make a genre transition from mystery and horror into science fiction, supplementing classroom lit with independent reading materials from our media center. We are using reader-response, essay, and Reader's Theater script writing to enhance literature study; and for oral reinforcement, informal debates and Socratic seminars. Grammar and usage workshops have begun in earnest by November's end, and with them, business letter writing and interview skills---all applied for Career Day on December 3rd. page 8

9 Globetrotter News Elena Butterfield, HILTEX 7th / HILT teacher Ms. Butterfield s HILTA/B students are doing Readers Theatre in English class. The first script is about our November field trip to the American History Museum to see!celebramos Argentina! The students enjoy saying their lines with gestures and sound effects. Our performance will be on Nov. 23, during Excel, when the Globetrotter team will assemble to honor the students who are on the Honor and Conduct rolls. In Science, the students are learning Experimental Design, starting with Observation: they drew, identified, examined, and described sample leaves from maples, Black or Red oaks, and Tulip poplars. They are in the process of writing and illustrating their paragraphs using the computer. At this time of Thanksgiving, Ms. Butterfield would like to extend a heartfelt Thank you to Miss. Hall in the Library, for her invaluable assistance with the Leaf Project, as well as with other writing projects in years past. Ms. Herrera s class is reading Greg Mortenson s Three Cups of Tea, about his time spent in a remote village in Pakistan, in The biographical novel explores the theme of finding success from failure, as the author turns from a mountain climber into an educator with the mission to educate Pakistani children, especially girls. The most important lessons the author learns during his travels in Pakistan are to listen to the people he encounters, and to respect their values, regardless of their socioeconomic status. In addition to the cultural lessons, the students are learning to use Literature Circles as a reading strategy. Ms. Herrera also hosted one of the four Pakistani visiting teachers from the Northwest Tribal Region. As a culminating project, the students are planning to collect Pennies for Peace, in a joint effort with Central Asia Institute, to help build schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Ms. Loriz s HILT A class has been very busy. We have been learning about a new art form: Tableau. Students enjoy the concentration and cooperation required. They especially LOVE the calming music! One minute challenges continue to be a challenge but together we will master them. In Social Studies we finished learning about the Regions of the United States and are now learning about the different Native American Tribes. In Science we have jumped into space to learn about our Solar System. Ms. Rodriguez s HILT Math-2 students are learning fraction addition and subtraction. They created their own fraction addition and subtraction word problems, drew pictures to demonstrate understanding, and then solved the problems. Students in HILT Math 1 are making great strides learning their addition facts with FastMath. With their new skills, they are solving word problems. Ms. Sosa-Schwartz s 8th grade, HILTEX Reading students continue to explore literary elements such as conflict, foreshadowing, irony, as well as the plot structure of short stories and novels. They are also exploring literary themes through Socratic Seminars. Box Tops for Education Helen Parkhurst, 8th grade Stars team lead teacher Just as a reminder: we are participating in Box Tops for Education. The money collected from this worthwhile program is being put into a fund to be used as scholarship money for students who are in need of financial support throughout the year. The program is very simple. If you purchase an item that has the Box Tops For Education logo on it, simply clip along the dotted edge of the logo and return these box tops to school. It brings sunshine to my day when the box tops are cut along the dotted edge. Each Box Top For Education is worth ten cents. There is a collection box in the teacher s mailroom. You can also put the box tops in Helen Parkhurst s teacher box in the mailroom. There are over one hundred participating products. These products include General Mills cereals; Betty Crocker; Pillsbury; Ziploc; Kleenex; Pop Secret; to name a few. You may log on to for more information. (Please note: in the last newsletter, I indicated that the internet address had changed. I think I was mistaken because the aforementioned address still works.) Thanks so much for saving the box tops and participating in such a worthwhile project. The first submission for this year was Oct. 31 and we earned $107. The next submission date is March 30. Let s see if we can double our earnings! page 9

10 Rincón Español Roxana S. Echalar, Asistente Bilingüe de Recursos Planificación Académica En estos últimos seis años, en la Reunión Mensual para Padres Latinos de noviembre se ha presentado, Planificación Académica, ofrecida por los Consejeros de la Escuela Kenmore. La señora Caitlin Rose, Jefe del Departamento de Consejería, Señor Villafane, sexto grado, y Sra. Echalar, Asistente Bilingüe de Recursos, fueron los encargados de esta presentación que esta designada para que los padres y los estudiantes se informen de los requerimientos y las oportunidades que tienen en la escuela secundaria. Se explica cuales son las materias que cada estudiante debe tomar para reunir los requerimientos para graduarse. Se informa de los diferentes diplomas que pueden recibir los alumnos. También se explica la diferencia en los programas en cada una de las escuelas secundarias y del programa Baccalaureado. La presentación de la Planificación Académica reúne a los padres en pequeños grupos y esta hecha en Inglés y en español. Conferencia de Jóvenes Lideres Hispanos Nuevamente Kenmore participó en la Conferencia de Jóvenes Líderes Hispanos. El día 19 de noviembre, seis estudiantes de HILT y HILT-EX representaron nuestra escuela: Anibal Benitez, Carolina Gallegos, Luis Pedroza, Ema Rocha, Johnatan Tobar, Pamela Vargas. La conferencia se llevó a cabo en Northern Virginia Community Collage (NOVA) en el Campo de Alexandria. Aproximadamente ciento cincuenta estudiantes, de octavo grado de la escuela media y de las escuelas secundarias participaron de este evento. En los dieciocho años en que esta conferencia ha sido presentada, hemos podido apreciar la calidad de los profesionales que participan en los cursillos y el éxito adquirido en cada una de las conferencias. Estamos muy orgullosos que las Escuelas Públicas de Arlington tengan este forum donde nuestros estudiantes hispanos pueden participar y aprender a ser líderes en nuestra comunidad. La Conferencia esta coordinada por la oficina de HILT y las Asistentes Bilingües de Recursos para las Familias, y patrocinada por otros departamentos de APS. Judyt Herrera, maestra de HILT de Kenmore presento un cursillo para atraer a estudiantes a carreras en educación, ella habló de sus experiencias tanto como alumna y como maestra de las escuelas de Arlington. La Conferencia tuvo muchos dignatarios, el señor Walter Tejada miembro, del Directorio de Arlington, Dr. Murphy, Superintendente de las Escuelas Públicas de Arlington,, la Sra. Aby Ráphael y Emma Violand Miembros del Consejo de Educación de Arlington muchos de los miembros de la Directiva de las Escuelas de Arlington y el Director de la Escuela Yorktown Dr. Raymond Pasi. Spanish Corner Roxana S. Echalar, Bilingual Resource Assistant Academic Planning Over the last six years in November, during the monthly meeting of Latino Parents, we have had Academic Planning sessions with Kenmore counselors. This year, Ms. Caitlin Rose, Head of the Counseling Staff, Mr. Villafane, Counselor of sixth grade, and Roxana Echalar Bilingual Family Resource Assistant, gave presentations designed for parents and students of upcoming high school students to better understand the requirements and opportunities at the high school level. During the presentations, course requirements are explained as well as a better understanding of which classes are needed in order to graduate. In addition, the parents and students are told about the various types of diplomas which the students can work towards. Discussed are the different programs offered in individual high schools including opportunities for the International Baccalaureate program. These Academic Planning sessions are conducted in small groups in both Spanish and English. Leadership Conference for Young Latino Students On November 19th, Kenmore Middle School once again participated in the annual Young Latino Leadership Conference. This year, Anabel Benitez, Carolina Gallegos, Luis Pedroza, Ema Rocha, Jonathan Tobar, and Pamela Vargas represented Kenmore from HILT and HILT-EX. The conference took place at the Alexandria Campus of Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA). Approximately one hundred and fifty students from middle school and high school participated in the event. Over the last eighteen years of this conference, we have come to increasingly appreciate the quality and dedication of the professionals who conduct the conference. We have benefited greatly from the experience of participating each and every year. We are very proud of the fact that Arlington Public Schools have this forum where our Hispanic students learn to become future leaders of the community. This conference is hosted by the HILT office and coordinated by the Bilingual Family Resource Assistants of middle schools and high schools. Judyt Herrera, a Kenmore teacher, presented a talk on her experiences as a student and now teacher within Arlington Public School system in an effort to attract more students to the field of education. Many official dignitaries, such as a member of the Arlington board, Walter Tejada, Dr. Pat Murphy, Superintendent of Arlington Public Schools, Mrs. Abby Raphael and Emma Violand members of the School board of Arlington, Principal of Yorktown High School, Dr. Raymond Pasi as well as many members of the administration of Arlington Public Schools were in attendance at the conference. continued on page 11 continúa en la página 11 page 10

11 KC Interview by Barbara Naland, Kenmore Cougar contributing editor Andy Paparella 7th Grade American Studies Teacher Andy Paparella describes Reading, PA, where he was born and raised, as a city known for its railroad (think of the Monopoly board game), pretzels, 5th Avenue candy bar and Pennsylvania Dutch heritage. Highlights during his youth include winning a free trip to the US Space Academy in Huntsville, TN, and earning his Eagle Scout badge in 1993 for renovating a public playground in his neighborhood. In 1999 he graduated from Ursinus College with a degree in History and East Asian Studies. A Japanese language student, he studied in Sendai, Japan for a semester in Mr. Paparella moved to the D.C.area in 1999, and started teaching in Arlington in In 2006 he had to leave Swanson, where he was teaching 6th grade American Studies, to deploy to Iraq as an Army Reserve sergeant. Assigned to a Baghdad neighborhood, he led a three-man team of psychological operations soldiers, whose mission was to persuade Iraqis to better support their new government and not support insurgents. Returning to Arlington for the school year, he was welcomed to his current position at Kenmore. KC: What brought you to Kenmore, and what do you like about this school and its philosophy? AP: I love the arts focus that KMS has. It helps the students to develop their creativity as they improve their skills Rincón Español continued from page 10 Concurso de Arte Kenmore ha presentadoal al concurso de arte más de 50 obras demostrando el interés de los estudiantes y el trabajo y dedicación de nuestro maestro de arte señor Jeff Wilson. Cuatro estudiantes de Kenmore recibieron premios por su trabajo artístico en el Concurso de Arte en la Conferencia de Jóvenes Líderes Hispanos; Las alumnas son: Primer premio; Isabella Choi,, Segundo Premio; Jasmine Cruz-Hernandez, El tercer lugar compartido por Alice Naland y Katie Curtin. Kenmore ganó todos los primeros premios, felicidades! academically. The students at Kenmore are such nice and interesting people! I love getting to know them and seeing their hard work over the course of the year. KC: What are some of the challenges and pleasures of teaching middle schoolers? AP: For me, the best part about teaching middle school is its greatest challenge. It is wonderful to teach students with such motivation for creative and dynamic thought. It is also challenging to try and figure out how to best teach each student so that they can succeed. KC: Part of Kenmore s focus is to integrate art and communication technology in its curriculum. Can you give one example of how you do this in your class? AP: Throughout the year I ask students to do projects which draw upon their creativity to display their understanding of the content we are studying. For example, students will be taught specific art techniques to enhance their art skills as they make their comic book and WWI propaganda poster projects, such as using illusion of depth and line variety--both of which are in the art SOLs for middle school students. KC: What do you like to do in your leisure time? AP: When I am not teaching, I am spending time with my wife Megan, daughter Isabelle, and dog Cody. My current hobbies are home improvement/renovation, reading and playing with my daughter, and learning new skills--especially languages--if I have the time. Spanish Corner viene de la página 10 Art Competition Kenmore Middle School submitted more than 50 pieces of art to the contest held during the Young Latin Leadership Conference. It truly demonstrated the interest and dedication of the students and of the art teacher, Mr. Jeff Wilson, to showcase their body of work. The following four students received prizes for their work in the Middle School contest; First prize, Isabella Choi, second prize, Jazmin Cruz Hernandez, and the third prize was shared by Alice Naland and Katie Curtin. Kenmore won all the prizes! Congratulations to all!!! Thanks to Mr. Baugh these student were able to receive their prizes that day. He was kind enough to volunteer to drive them all. page 11

12 Teacher Grants Program: Funding Excitement in Learning! Marjorie Macieira and Janet Sater, Co-chairs of the Kenmore PTA Grants Review Committee Each year Kenmore teachers and staff apply for programmatic funds to enhance the educational experience of Kenmore Middle School students. The Grants Review Committee, made up of Kenmore parents and staff, reviewed 20 such applications this past month. Following an engaging discussion, the Committee approved $11,948 for various activities, including: Art Focus: World Geography Murals, Periodic Table Pottery Tiles, Large Scale Jazz Wood Instruments and Sound Interpretations, and Calligraphic Poetic Illuminations. Technology: Making Historical Movies, and Updating Audio Equipment for a 21st Century Cafeteria. Trips: the Musical Festival in Williamsburg, the National Building Museum, and President Washington s Mt. Vernon Home. Classroom Boosts: Turn of Century Sweatshop Simulation, Beanbag Reading Chairs, Kinesthetic Poetic Rap Workshop, Provocative Books (Stuck in Neutral and Color My Words), and Afterschool Nutritious Homework Help. Various: Math Counts Competition, Earth Charter, Bowen McCauley Dance Residency, and Band Uniforms. The grant applications were prioritized and rated against the following criteria: 1. Relevance to raising student achievement 2. Number of students impacted by the project 3. Applicability to Kenmore s Arts and Communications Technology Focus 4. Reasonable Cost The Committee also considered whether the teacher used effective quantitative metrics (measurable targets), especially in consideration of the first criterion. Program evaluations will be reviewed at the end of the school year. The committee recommended/suggested that some especially meritorious programs be broadened to include a wider range of students. Committee members were especially impressed in previous years with a musical study bus, which helps students with homework completion as part of the Band traveling program, and advocated for its implementation again this year. By way of offering additional support to teachers this year, the committee is setting up a resource folder with additional funding opportunities and is exploring better ways of advertising teacher wish lists. These would be directed to both parents and key book providers such as Scholastics and Barnes and Noble. The Kenmore community wishes to thank the following individuals for participating in the grants review process this year: RoseAnn Ashby Shauna Dyer Dan Laredo Ginnie Nicholas Lilo Stephens Joan Pepin Sylvia Whitman Diane Schwartz Mary Finch Bill Donovan Carolyn Carlson Monica Beaston Karen Landini Susan Sampson Tina Worden We invite parents of current 6th and 7th grade students to consider serving with the Committee for our next academic year! Kenmore PTA Teacher Grants funding in action! Students from Kenmore's Math Counts team participated in the Intermediate Math Open at Thomas Jefferson High School. page 12

13 Host Families Needed Marjorie Macieira, Kenmore parent The second annual Arlington-Reims sister city Middle School exchange is scheduled for spring Students from College Schuman in REIMS, France will be coming to Arlington March 17th-April 2nd They will attend Middle School for three days and then spend the rest of the time sightseeing the Washington DC metropolitan area. All six Arlington Middle Schools will be participating, with 4-5 students attending each school. We are also looking into sending Kenmore students to Reims next year. HOST FAMILY REQUIREMENTS Have a 7th or 8th grader at an Kenmore taking French. Provide housing and meals for the host student for the timeframe he/she is here. A private bedroom is not required and providing daily lunch is not required. Pick up the host student at Kenmore Middle school the evening of his/her arrival. Drop off and pick up the host student each morning and evening at the Ballston Mall, Wilson Boulevard entrance. Morning drop off window is 8:15-8:30 a.m., evening pickup window is 5:00-5:30 p.m. Be available on evenings and weekends so the host student can participate in family activities. Please do not volunteer to host a student if the American host child is not available to participate in all family activities during the timeframe of the visit. Participate in the evening pot luck dinner and the farewell dinner. If your family is interested in hosting, please plan to attend an orientation session on Wednesday, December 1, from 6:30-8:30 p.m., at Arlington Central Library, second floor meeting room. We are also seeking 6th and 7th grade parents who can help plan the exchange this year to learn the ropes so they can help organize it next year. If you are unable to attend the orientation session but are still interested in either hosting an exchange student or helping to organize the exchange, please contact Marjorie Macieira at marjmaci@yahoo.com or Merci beaucoup! Science Fair Judges Needed Liz Castillo, 6th grade Science teacher Our enterprising future scientists have just begun their careers, and they need to have your help. Please come to our Science Fair and give them the guidance to develop skills to solve our current and future problems. We are hoping that judges will encourage students' efforts while offering constructive criticism. We provide schedules and forms that will help you interview and evaluate their work. We have found that objective outsiders can reach our students in profound ways. When: Wednesday, January 19 from 12:00-2:30 p.m. All specialities are welcome. Judges will evaluate a variety of topics. Please contact Liz Castillo, elizabeth_castillo@apsva.us or (703) , if you can help. Odyssey of the Mind Michal Warshow, Kenmore parent Looking for something new and challenging to try? Odyssey of the Mind might be just the thing! Odyssey of the Mind is a creative, fun, challenging program in which students learn to think outside the box by working on a problem that involves a creative design/performance solution that can involve drama, music, costumes and engineering. Teams of 5-7 students work together for a few months to solve this problem, then compete in a local competition. We will need at least one parent volunteer to coach each team. For more information, check out the Odyssey website at If you re interested in participating or have any questions, please contact Michal Warshow, Odyssey Coordinator at joel.michal@verizon.net. page 13

14 Principally Speaking continued from page 1 Principalmente Hablando viene de la página 1 as an instructional assistant. Ms. Yerovi lent her artistic talents, as she normally does for all manner of cultural celebrations at Kenmore, to help with the decorations. You may notice some of her artwork as you enter our building and glimpse the many Welcome! banners that adorn the atrium. Kenmore teachers, Ms. Lyttle, Grade 8 Math, Ms. Tanigawa, Grade 6 English, Dr. Junghans, Grade 6 English, and Ms. Herrera, HILT, all served as cooperating teachers for the teacher exchange program. Their efforts in building bridges of understanding are commendable. The Pakistani visitors commented on the warm welcome they received and also observed that American education is focused on student-centered classrooms with a high premium on student engagement. Unlike Pakistani classrooms that may be filled with seventy students, classrooms in the United States, like those here at Kenmore, have fewer students, more technology, and an emphasis on meeting the student where he or she is in order to promote learning. During a discussion I was able to have with our visitors, I learned that some of the challenges faced by educators across the globe are the same, even amidst the cultural differences that exist between our two nations. Mr. Gul, Ms. Nasim Akhtar, Ms. Naheed Akhtar, and Ms. Tihseen, all come from Fata, a tribal region of the nation which is still developing infrastructure and support for public services such as education. Even while our schools are over twenty hours apart by plane and car, we have some things in common. For example, just like in our school, Pakistani teachers will conduct parent conferences to meet with families regarding concerns about a student s performance in school. The goal of the conference is for the home and school to work together so that the student is able to get the most out of his or her education. The morning routine between schools in Arlington and in Pakistan have some similarities as well. In the Pakistani schools, students assemble in the morning for the national anthem and to hear announcements. In our school, we follow procedures for reciting the Pledge of Allegiance and observe a moment of silence as prescribed by the Commonwealth of Virginia. While we don t all assemble together in the morning, we do follow a routine to start the day. Another similarity that surfaced during the discussion included having a core curriculum set forth by a central educational agency. The Pakistani curriculum in middle school includes: Islamic theology; English; mathematics; general science; Urdu; social studies; and electives in Arabic, Pashtu, or drawing; and an activities period. While we don t teach theology, the other de Pakistan. La señora Shahid sirvió como interprete del Urdu y como enlace informal para los visitantes. Trabajando mucho más de lo que requiere su trabajo como asistente de instrucción. La señora Yerovi presto su talento artístico, como normalmente lo hace en cualquier celebración cultural que se lleva a cabo en Kenmore, para ayudar con decoraciones. Ustedes probablemente han notado su trabajo artístico al entrar al edificio cuando pueden ver todos los estandartes de bienvenida en diferentes idiomas que adornan el pasillo principal. Loa maestros de Kenmore, Sra. Lyttle, maestra de matemáticas del octavo grado, la señorita Tanigawa, maestra de inglés en el sexto grado, Dr. Junghans, profesor de inglés del sexto grado y la señorita Herrera maestra de HILT, fueron parejas de los otros maestros y cooperaron en este programa de intercambio de maestros. Sus esfuerzos en construir puentes de entendimiento son realmente de elogio. Los visitantes de Pakistan comentaron acerca del recibimiento calido que tuvieron y se fijaron que la educación americana se enfoca en los estudiantes de la clase permitiendo que ellos tengan mucha participación. En cambio en Pakistan las clases pueden tener setenta alumnos, mientras tanto las clases en Estados Unidos como se ve en Kenmore, tienen mucho menos estudiantes, mas tecnología y un énfasis de seguir el nivel en que se encuentra el estudiante para ayudarlo en el aprendizaje. Durante la reunión que pude tener con los visitantes, aprendí que algunos de los retos que los educadores tienen a través del mundo son los mismos, aun en medio de diferencias culturales que existen en las naciones. El señor Gul, Señorita Nasim Akhtar, Señorita Naheed Akhtar y señorita Tihseen, vienen todos de Fata una región de tribu de la nación que esta todavía desarrollándose en su infraestructura y en el soporte de servicios públicos como ser en la educación. Aun cuando nuestras escuelas están con una diferencia de 20 horas aparte por avión y automóvil tenemos algunas cosas en común. Por ejemplo, como en nuestra escuela, los maestros de Pakistan tienen conferencias con los padres acerca de sus preocupaciones, y el trabajo de los alumnos en la escuela. El objetivo de la conferencia es para que el hogar y la escuela trabajen juntos y de ese modo el estudiante pueda llegar lejos con su educación. La rutina en las mañanas es similar, tanto en Arlington como en Pakistan. En las escuelas en Pakistan los alumnos se reúnen para cantar el himno nacional y para oír los anuncios. En nuestra escuela, recitamos la Promesa de Lealtad y se observa un momento de silencio como lo manda el Estado de Virginia, aunque no nos reunimos todos en la mañana seguimos una rutina al comenzar el día. continued on page 15 continúa en la página 15 page 14

15 Principally Speaking continued from page 14 aspects to the curriculum are similar. The central governing agency sounded similar to the layers of civic institutions in the U.S. that are concerned with educations. This included the federal, state, and local authorities charged with educating students. Although the Pakistani system described for the region of Fata did not seem to have a local school board, but rather a more centralized governing body. A final similarity that the teachers described was a community event that sounded a lot like a combination of Kenmore s Focus Fest and Silent Auction. Every year schools put on a community fair whereby parents are invited to the school to celebrate. Students showcase talent through pop and folk dances. The women of the community set up stalls to transform the school into a marketplace. The community comes out to see the school, much like the turnouts we have for school events here at Kenmore. As you can imagine, differences between a developed nation like the United States and a developing country like Pakistan are significant. One benefit we have at Kenmore, in addition to a faculty and staff committed to the school s focus program, is the wonderful facility that is now our home. The schools the visitors described did not include food service, computer labs, gymnasiums, or other amenities that we are accustomed to enjoying in modern American school buildings. Kenmore s current building is unique, even among new schools in the area, because of the intent of its design to focus on student learning and accommodate teaching about the arts the use of communications technology. We will miss our visitors and appreciate the opportunity for our school to participate in the exchange program and to grow in our appreciation of the Pakistani people and culture. This month Kenmore also hosted visiting educators from the Ukraine and Brazil. The practice of exchanging ideas with teachers and administrators from around the world helps our school become truly global in its approach to teaching and learning. Principalmente Hablando viene de la página 14 Otra cosa similar que resaltó durante la conversación incluye el programa de clases principales hecho por una oficina central de educacional. El programa de estudios de Pakistan en la escuela media incluye; teología de Islam, inglés, matemáticas, ciencias; urdu, estudios sociales y como materias a elegirse árabe o pashtu, dibujo o un periodo de actividades, como educación física. Mientras nosotros no enseñamos teología, los otros aspectos del currículo son similares. La oficina gubernamental se parece mucho a las instituciones en los Estados Unidos que conciernen a la educación. Esto incluye federal, estatal y autoridades locales encargadas con todo lo concerniente con educación. Este sistema de educación describe a la región de Fata parece que ellos no tienen una junta escolar, pero mas bien una oficina de gobierno mas centralizado. La ultima similaridad que los maestros describen es un evento de la comunidad que suena mucho como una combinación de nuestro festival de FocustFest y la Noche de Subasta Silenciosa. Cada una de las escuelas tienen una feria comunitaria donde los padres están invitados a la escuela para su celebración. Los estudiantes muestran su talento en bailes pop y danzas étnicas o folkloricas. Las mujeres de la comunidad arman mesas y transforman la escuela en un mercado. Toda la comunidad viene a ver la escuela, más o menos como en Kenmore. Como se pueden imaginar, la diferencia entre una nación desarrollada como es Estados Unidos y una nación como Pakistan que esta en desarrollo son significantes. Uno de los beneficios que tenemos en Kenmore además del compromiso que el personal tiene a nuestro programa de enfoque es que tenemos este nuevo edificio. Las escuelas que ellos describieron no incluyen servicio de comida, laboratorios de computadoras. Gimnasio y otras amenidades que estamos acostumbrados a tener en nuestras modernas escuelas de Estados Unidos. El edificio de Kenmore es único, aun comparado con otras escuelas en el área porque una de las intenciones en el diseño es el de enfocar el aprendizaje del estudiante acomodando la enseñanza de arte y el uso de la tecnología de la comunicación. Vamos a extrañar a nuestras visitas y apreciamos la oportunidad que tenemos en nuestra escuela de participar en este programa de intercambio y poder conocer más a la gente de Pakistan y a su cultura. Este mes Kenmore también fue anfitrión de los educadores de Brasil y de Ukrania que nos visitaron. La practica de poder intercambiar ideas con maestros y administradores de todo el mundo ayuda a nuestra escuela a convertirse realmente global en su enseñanza y su aprendizaje page 15

16 Kenmore Middle School Arts and Communications Technology Focus 200 South Carlin Springs Road Arlington, Virginia NONPROFIT ORG US POSTAGE PAID ARLINGTON, VA PERMIT NO. 30 AFFIX MAILING LABEL HERE Wanted: Your Stories, Photos, Ideas The Kenmore Cougar is looking for stories, photos, and suggestions for future issues. Parents, teachers, staff and students are all welcome to contribute! School concerts, sports events, field trips, and unusual class projects can all make good stories. Articles should be submitted to the Kenmore Cougar editor, Chris Bosch, at Any photos or graphics to accompany your contribution can be sent as attachments. Please include caption information. Submission deadlines for future issues of the Kenmore Cougar are listed in the table at right. Star Search Kenmore Middle School is fortunate to have such outstanding faculty, staff, and alumni. If you d like to see a favorite teacher, staff member, or graduate recognized in the Kenmore Cougar, please contact Kenmore Cougar contributing editor Barbara Naland at nalandfamily@yahoo.com. ISSUE MONTH DEADLINE Vol. 10, No. 4 Feb 2011 Fri 1/21 Vol. 10, No. 5 Mar 2011 Fri 2/18 Vol. 10, No. 6 Apr 2011 Fri 3/18 Vol. 10, No. 7 May 2011 Fri 4/22 Vol. 10, No. 8 Jun 2011 Fri 5/20