Inside this issue: ACT/Pass Info 2-3 Flight of the Butterflies 4-5 Irmo Summer Advantage 6 Guidance-Middle Years 7-8 April Career Corner 9-10 Nurses/Substitutes 11 Camp Burnt Gin 12 Summer School Info 12 Irmo Middle School 6051 Wescott Road Columbia, SC 29212 (803) 476-3600 www.lexrich5.org/ims School Hours: 8:20 a.m.—3:35 p.m. If you have news for the Buzz, email Allison Redick at [email protected]. April 13, 2015 Dates to Remember: Gold Week Tues 4/14 St. Govt. Mtg. Rm 812 7:45-8:15 AM Thurs 4/16 Relay for Life/IMS Bojangles night 4-8 PM Orchestra Concert 7-8 PM Irmo High Fri 4/17 NGOMA African Performance Dance Troupe: During all Lunches The Buzz at Irmo Middle School “Creating successful students for the challenges of tomorrow” Robert S. Jackson, Ed.S., Principal [email protected]https://twitter.com/IMS_Principal Sixth annual Rich/Lex District 5 Dance Day Thursday April 16, 2015 About 160 students from DFHS, CHS, IHS, SHHS, DFMS, CMS and IMS will host a benefit concert at 6:00pm in the Dutch Fork High School auditorium. Admission to the concert is one or more canned goods for donations to give to the Harvest Hope Food Bank. IMS dancers are collecting canned goods during school from 4/10-4/15. Please help by bringing canned goods and placing them in the box labeled "Canned Goods" in the front office. ****************************************************************************************** Attention 8 th grade parents and guardians. The SC Education Oversight Committee requests your input for our Annual School Report Card. Your student was given the Parent Survey to bring home. We ask that you please return it completed by April 17. The homeroom with the highest percentage of completed parent surveys will re- ceive a reward also. We absolutely appreciate the time that you take to provide this valuable information! Please contact Mrs. Stevens @ [email protected]or 476- 3669 if you have any questions. ******************************************************************************************
Thurs 4/16 Relay for Life/IMS Bojangles night 4-8 PM Orchestra Concert 7-8 PM Irmo High Fri 4/17 NGOMA African Performance Dance Troupe: During all Lunches
The Buzz at Irmo Middle School
“Creating successful students for the challenges of tomorrow”
Standardized Testing Info for Irmo Middle Parents:
Dear Parent / Guardian,
The SC Department of Education has been actively working with ACT, Inc., to plan for the spring 2015 statewide administration of ACT Aspire™, The ACT®, and the WorkKeys tests.
As communicated earlier through previous blog entries, newsletters, etc...The SC Department of Education has let us know that, starting this school year, an assessment called ACT Aspire must be administered to stu-dents in grades 3 through 8. ACT Aspire includes tests in writing, English, reading, and mathematics.
The reading and mathematics assessment test items include multiple choice and constructed response ques-tions. Students will write an essay based on a writing prompt for the test’s writing component. The English section includes only multiple choice questions.
These ACT Aspire assessments will give us important information that will allow us to determine not only how your students are progressing at their current grade level, but also how they are progressing toward future college and career readiness by helping your student’s teacher understand where your student is suc-ceeding, as well as where your student needs extra help. The ACT Aspire test results will also be used for school, school district, state and federal accountability purposes.
In addition to ACT Aspire assessments, students in grades 4 through 8 will still take the SC Palmetto Assess-ment of State Standards (SCPASS) in science and social studies.
SCPASS, which contains multiple-choice items only, measures the progress of fourth- through eighth-grade students toward the state’s academic standards in science and social studies. Each student can receive a score of “Exemplary,” “Met” or “Not Met” in each area tested.
Exemplary: Student demonstrated exemplary performance in meeting the grade level standard. Met: The student met the grade level standard. Not Met: The student did not meet the grade level standard.
For your information, the schedules and time allotted for each test appear below. Please put these testing days on your family’s calendar. It is very important for all students to be at school and on time because all test sessions are mandatory. Students who are absent or tardy on test days will have to make up the tests.
Grades 6 & 7 Grade 8
Help us make your child feel confident and comfortable as your child takes ACT Aspire and SCPASS testing. Be sure your child goes to bed early, gets a good night’s sleep, eats a good breakfast, and arrives at school on time. Please note that students are not allowed to have cell phones, tablets or any other electronic commu-nication devices on their person. We prefer that students not bring them into the testing room. However, if they bring a device, it must be turned off and stored in a designated location in the classroom.
ACT Aspire Test Dates Testing Time
Writing Tue., April 28 30
English Tue., April 28 35
Reading Wed., April 29 60
Mathematics Thur., April 30 65
Make-up Through May 13
SCPASS
Science Thur., May 7 Not timed
Social Studies Fri., May 8 Not timed
Makeup Through May 15
ACT Aspire Test Dates Testing Time
in Minutes
Writing Tue., April 28 30
English Tue., April 28 35
Reading Wed., April 29 60
Mathematics Thur., April 30 60
Make-up Through May 13
SCPASS
Science Thur., May 7 Not timed
Social Studies Fri., May 8 Not timed
Makeup Through May 15
Page 3 The Buzz at Irmo Middle
Page 3 The Buzz at Irmo Middle
Information For Families
About Assessment in Grades 3-8 With assistance from ACT, the EOC has devel-
oped a resource for school districts and schools to use to in-
form students and parents of students in grades 3-8 about up-
coming changes in assessment. Although ACT has developed a
letter and materials to educate families about ACT Aspire, this
additional resource also includes a schedule for testing in South
Carolina and reminds families that students will also be taking
SCPASS in Science and Social Studies. We hope this will provide an additional tool to assist districts in edu-
cating students and their families about these important changes in testing.
For additional family-friendly information about overall changes in testing, visit the EOC website.
In April, students will take the “new” ACT Aspire standardized test. This year, all students
will be permitted to use an approved calculator for the math portion of the test. We encour-
age all students to begin bringing an approved calculator to school daily. If your student can-
not obtain a calculator, please alert his or her math teacher as soon as possible.
Scientific and graphing calculators are preferred, due to the advanced nature of the 7th and 8th grade curric-
ulum and standards. Most scientific and graphing calculators are approved.
The calculators most familiar to students at IMS are TI-83 & TI-84 graphing calculators. A graphing calculator
is an investment that a student can use year after year - in middle school, high school, and throughout col-
lege. Many families already have a graphing calculator from parents, older siblings, or family members who have recently taken high school or college courses. Check with friends, neighbors, and family prior to pur-
chasing a new one! We are asking that calculators be brought to school every day so that students become
more familiar with the functions. The following calculators cannot be used:
Calculators with built-in or downloaded computer algebra system functionality
Handheld, tablet, or laptop computers (this includes Chromebooks)
Electronic writing pads or pen-input devices
Calculators built into cell phones or any other electronic communication devices
Calculators with a typewriter keypad (letter keys in QWERTY format).
If you would like to donate a calculator or batteries, please bring them to our front office. Thank you for
helping our students prepare for their academic success. We appreciate your support!
If you have any questions, please contact our math department chair, Mrs. Kelly Thacker ([email protected]).
7th Graders at Irmo Middle School need your help to raise awareness of the devastating
decline of Monarch Butterflies internationally, and how the school is working together
with community partners to help save this species!
Through a partnership with the South Carolina Wildlife Federation (SCWF), Irmo Middle School (IMS) is
presenting a two-day screening of the film, “Flight of the Butterflies,” to raise public awareness of the
Monarch’s plight. They will invite other students in Lexington/ Richland School District 5, as well as the gen-
eral public.
This film is an interconnected scientific adventure story that spans not only thousands
of miles, but generations. It’s about the remarkable Monarch butterfly migration, the
most incredible migration on Earth, and the determined scientist who spent 40 years trying to discover exactly where the butterflies mysteriously disappeared when they
flew south for winter.
The film will be shown on May 15th & 29th in Irmo High School’s new auditori-
um - this screening will be the first time this film has been shown in South Car-
olina! IMS students will make a presentation before the film on their project,
and each attendee will have the opportunity to take home a packet of milkweed
seeds to create habitat for Monarchs in their own backyard.
Sponsors are needed to help offset the costs for rights to show the film, as
well as the costs for the packets of milkweed seeds. We hope your busi-
ness will consider supporting this event at any level! Sponsors will be pro-
vided with tickets and thanked publicly at the event and on SCWF & IMS
websites and through statewide social media.
Funds are being funneled through the South Carolina Wildlife Federation, and proceeds will benefit wildlife habitat
conservation programs in Irmo and surrounding areas. Please see next page for more details about the partnership.
presentation of “Flight of the Butterflies” to help us
spread the word about Monarch population decline, and
what we can all do to make a difference!
Background of IMS Monarchs & Milkweed Project:
When 7th graders at Irmo Middle School were tasked with choosing a sci-
ence project with an international scope to tie into their school’s magnet
theme, they investigated many possibilities. Around the same time, nation-
al news media started running stories about the drastic decline in Monarch
Butterflies migrating to Mexico. The 97% decline in population is mostly
due to loss of critical habitat – the milkweed on which Monarchs depend
for a caterpillar food source.
Over the past year, students have been studying this species and research-
ing the threats and conservation practices. They began tagging Monarchs
during the 2014 fall migration to aid in international research efforts. Students have been growing milkweed
indoors, and have plans to install a ¼ acre milkweed garden on the school grounds this spring. They also
made a presentation to Irmo Town Council, and received a commitment from the Town to plant milkweed
on town property throughout our community. Student-created posters are being distributed to town facili-
ties, local plant nurseries and schools in the community to encourage citizens to plant milkweed for Mon-
archs in their own yard.
For more details about the IMS Monarchs & Milkweed Project see:
www.lexrich5.org/webpages/wgreen/monarchs.cfm
The South Carolina Wildlife Federation is a non-profit organization who works with local partners to
conserve and restore South Carolina’s wildlife and wildlife habitat through education and advocacy. SCWF has been consulting on the wildlife habitat enhancement project at IMS since its inception and we are happy to
help them bring this inspiring and educational film to their community.
Questions? Please contact SCWF Director of Education,
To boldly go where no one has gone before is the hallmark of human progress and the prevailing spirit in Sci-
ence, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) careers. If you’ve got the urge to figure out how
things work and advance the frontiers of knowledge, a STEM career might be right for you. These jobs pay well because technological progress is so important to the growth of our economy, to our country’s securi-
School District 5 of Lexington/Richland Counties is looking to hire several nurses to substitute in our health rooms as needed and to assist with our
vision , hearing and BP screenings for the Fall of 2015.
All interested nurses please complete the online application on the district
website. Notify Dyan McDowell that you have completed the application
(476-8145). Once references are completed online Dyan will set up an ori-
entation with Mrs. Richards, the nursing supervisor, they will also set up a
time to stop by Human Resouces to complete W2 paperwork, etc. (Nurses
you will NOT have to wait for HR to hold a scheduled orientation, this
means that you will be available to sub in a much more timely manner) Please contact Kathy Jackson, IMS school nurse at 476-3609, if you have any questions or concerns!!! We
look forward to meeting and working with you!!!
How to apply:
D5 website www.lexrich5.org
Departments
Office of Human Resources
Application Procedures
Support Application Procedure
Click on the link to “applitrack.com” to fill out an application.
Somewhere around step four in the application process you will see a tab labeled “Position Title”
Check Nurse-Temp (Substitute) to be only a substitute in our district.
Check School Nurse to be considered for an interview should there be an opening in our district. Or, you may check both. *****************************************************************************************************************
Camp Burnt Gin is a residential camp, operated by DHEC, for children and youth
with special health care needs. Campers must be 7-15 years old to qualify for the child sessions, 16-20 years old for
the teen sessions and 21-25years old for the young adult session. Applications are available on the web site : [email protected] or you can call Marie Aimone, Camp
Director at 803-898-0874 for further information.
ALL APPLICATIONS are due to DHEC by MARCH 1. (Acceptances will be notified by May 31).
