EXTRA ENRICHMENT OPPORTUNITIES 2015-2016
1.Many clubs, sports, and activities will be presented at the Middle School Activity Fair, Thursday, September 17. This also gives the students an opportunity to “practice” taking the 5:00 activity bus home.
2.Academic Games: Students participate in quiz competitions involving presidents, world events, logical thinking, mathematics, and/or language arts. Team members meet for practice after school each Weds. until the 4:45 activity bus with sponsor, Mrs. Smith, in room 116.
3.Middle School Musical: “Lion King, Jr: The Musical” directed by Miss Armor and Mrs. Barker (; )
Performances will be Nov. 6, 7, & 8 in the IHS auditorium. The show has already been cast; however, students may still get involved in set construction and stage crew jobs, and this is a great opportunity for any/all students to see “literature in action” as the actors, singers, and dancers bring this fun story to life!
4. 2015-2016 National STEM Video Game Challenge: ***This is a Purpose Program sponsored event, available only to students with a GIEP. This is brand-new to Mrs. Wolf. She is learning about it in response to student interest and inquiries. Purpose students may choose to design and create an original video game to submit into the competition, either as an individual or as a member of a team. More information will follow once Mrs. Wolf has determine appropriate procedures. (See her website at beginning of October.)
5. W.P.C.T.E. (Western PA Council Teachers of English) Festival, May of 2016
***This is a Purpose Program sponsored event, available only to students with a GIEP. Students will read six W.P.C.T.E. chosen novels (provided by the SVMS Purpose Program) write 5 “trivia” quiz questions per novel, meet with other Purpose student readers for “book talks,” and participate in English Festival activities at Duquesne University in May. (Mrs. Wolf sponsors this “Purpose Only” enrichment which will start in October via “pull-out” sessions.)
6. “Mathcounts” a program of increasingly difficult math problems (from pre-algebra to algebra and geometry) created by the National Society of Professional Engineers, National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, and the CNA Foundation. Participating students who complete and check 100+ problems by January 4, 2016, will have the opportunity to take the School Competition/Qualifying Exam which will qualify the top 8 scorers (both 7th and 8th grade) to take part in the Regional Competition in February of 2016 at Grove City College. (Mrs. Loewy sponsors this group.) ***This is a Purpose Program sponsored event, available only to students with a GIEP.
7. CTY: The Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth “for students in grades 2 through 8 who place at or above the 95th percentiles on national tests, achieve at top levels on state tests, and/or otherwise demonstrate superior academic performance. CTY is a fee-based program which offers students opportunities to take advanced achievement tests, such as the SAT, ACT, and SCAT (School and College Ability Test) and to participate in Summer Programs for Talented Youth.
See Mrs. Wolf or your SVMS guidance counselor for application information.
8. “You Be the Chemist” (PASSPORT TO SCIENCE EXPLORATION THE CORE OF CHEMISTRY CREATED BY THE CHEMICAL EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION®) This challenge is an exciting academic competition that will expand students’ knowledge of the science of chemistry and beyond. The Passport guide is divided into three sections that correspond to the different levels of the Challenge – local, state, and national. You may contact the
Chemical Educational Foundation® (CEF) at . Students should begin studies with The Core of Chemistry (found on the website) for your Local Challenge competition. However, students are also encouraged to explore all the study materials provided on CEF’s website, www.chemed.org, (8th grade science teacher, Mrs. Smith, sponsors this group)