June 16, 2009
We Made It!
As I write this today, I look back at my first blog entry and how far we've come in this first year at Scoggins Middle School. What an amazing year it has been as we've built our community together and set the foundation for our Seahawk Family. I am beyond grateful to all of our teachers, staff, and PTA volunteers who worked so hard to make this inaugural year a success, and I am so, so proud of all of our Seahawk students. I know that I've said it before, but I couldn't ask for a better group of young people with whom to work.
You should have received your student's final report card and a hard copy of his or her TAKS scores in the mail last week. Our students finished the year strong, and all of their hard work and practice this year certainly paid off as all three grade levels scored at 90% or above on all of their TAKS tests - math and reading for 6th, 7th, and 8th grades, writing for 7th grade, and science and social studies for 8th grade. What an amazing accomplishment and solid foundation on which to build for the 2009-10 school year!
We will be gone from the school until late July, but important registration and schedule pick-up information is available on the front page of the website - "Scoggins in the Summer" - as well as info about our "Future Flyers Camp" for our newest Seahawks - incoming 6th graders and any 7th and 8th graders who may be joining our Seahawk Family for the first time this year. Parents are also welcomed and encouraged to join us on that evening. Summer reading lists are also available, and watch for some "Summer Seahawk Challenge" questions on the website once we return in July...there may be an ice cream pass or two in it for you...
Just as Mr. Pogue always wishes you a "Happy Friday," I wish each and every one of you a "Happy Summer!" Relax, have fun with your family and friends, and remember - it never hurts to brush up on those math facts or read a book - even on vacation!
Be safe, and Go, you Seahawks!
April 22, 2009
Almost there...
It's hard to believe, but we are almost to our biggest TAKS week! Next week, all 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students will be taking TAKS tests:
Tuesday, April 28: 6th and 7th grade Math
Wednesday, April 29: 6th and 7th grade Reading
Thursday, April 30: 8th grade Science
Friday, May 1: 8th grade Social Studies
All of our 8th graders' hard work is already paying off: 99% of our 8th graders passed the Reading TAKS in the first administration in March, and 71% of those students scored a "Commended" rating. Our 8th grade Math TAKS scores for the first administration just came in this week, and 95% of our 8th graders passed the Math TAKS, with 45% scoring "Commended" status. We are so proud of all of our students, and hope that this positive trend will continue through all of our tests next week!
Please know that you can help your student at home this weekend and next week by ensuring that he or she gets plenty of rest, eats well, and reviews important concepts and test-taking strategies each evening. Please help your students, too, by encouraging them to do their best, but to relax and not get too stressed-out about next week. As adults, many of us did not take these types of tests in order to be promoted to the next grade level, or in order to graduate, and we sometimes underestimate the pressure our kids are under to perform. While we want all of our students to be successful, we also want them to know that the world doesn't end due to the results of one test - the sun will rise the next day, and we will continue to greet them with a smile, and support them in whatever way they need. As last month's guest speaker, Glenn Kopanski, stated when introducing our Seahawk Value of Positive Attitude, "there will always be another challenge ahead!"
Speaking of challenges - Mr. Veasey's and Mr. Tenerelli's Concert Band and Ms. Sadler's Advanced Choir were more than up to their UIL challenges last month, bringing home Sweepstakes trophies to add to our trophy cases! The future looks bright for both of these programs, too, as our Beginning Band students took the top trophy at the Sandy Lake FunFest, and our young choir soloists and ensemble members scored perfect scores of "1" from all judges at Solo and Ensemble contest. Ms. Farr's art students placed competitively in the annual Butterfly contest, and both our boys' and girls' track teams had a very successful season, with both our 7th and 8th grade boys bringing home trophies and girls' and boys' teams qualifying several members for district competition - congrats to Coaches Recer, Rangel, and Cate, and Coaches Hunt, Evans, Still, Goeke, and Carpenter for a wonderful track season!. Not to be outdone is the Scoggins' FC - better known as our boys' and girls' soccer teams. Under the leadership of Coaches Briggs, Westphal, Dorwaldt, and Blanscet, our 7th and 8th grade girls and boys have winning records and are playing tough, and - in the case of our 8th grade girls' team - injured! They are a tough group of kids!
As always, please let us know how we can serve you, and thank you for your support as we wind down what is turning out to be a very successful first year. Have a good week, and Go, You Seahawks!
March 7, 2009
WOW!
There are a lot of "WOW-worthy" accomplishments and activities happening around Scoggins these days, and we couldn't be prouder:
* WOW - The artwork of 8th grade student Eunice Lim was just selected in the National PTA "Reflections" art expression contest (this year's theme, of course: WOW!) to move on from the state competition to national competition! Only 24 students from the state of Texas advanced, and Eunice is the lone representative of Frisco ISD! We will hang a copy of her competition piece in the front office for all to see - and while you're admiring that, be sure to take a look at the amazing "Seahawk" painting that she made for us earlier this year.
* WOW - Our Advanced Orchestra students and first-year Orchestra teacher Lindsey Titus brought home a "Sweepstakes" trophy from their recent UIL competition, earning the top score of "1" from all judges!
* WOW - Seventh-grader Jeremy Cerf got first place in all four seventh-grade cross country meets this season, including the district meet!
* WOW - Seahawk Saturday TAKS Camps for Reading, Math, and Science have been going strong, and several 8th grade students have been spending their usual "sleep-in Saturday morning time" at school, working with their teachers to strengthen their skills. And consuming a lot of candy and pizza, actually...
* WOW - We've all lived through our first round of TAKS tests (7th and 8th grades), our spring Discipline and Policy"refresher," and - the most challenging of all - our spring Sadie Seahawkins dance...we still can't hear each other, but we're standing.
Please join us at our Open House this Tuesday evening, March 10, from 6 to 7:30 PM to visit your student's classrooms and view a lot of WOW-worthy student work. Your kids have been working hard and creating some amazing things to share with you, so we hope to see everyone there!
* And the biggest WOW of all - Spring Break is almost here - have a safe and relaxing time off!
February 9, 2009
"Unspectacular Preparation..."
Dallas Cowboys legend Roger Staubach once said that "spectacular achievements are always preceded by unspectacular preparation." He knew that the Super Bowl may get all the press, but it's the grueling practice time that makes the Super Bowl possible. Our Seahawks have been involved in much "unspectacular preparation" over the past few weeks - taking on Practice TAKS tests in Writing (7th grade only), and Math and Reading (all grades). These are not easy days for students or teachers, as we ask our kids to buckle down and give us their best efforts so that we may further assess how ready they are for "game time." I continue to be amazed at the positive ways in which our students respond to challenges, and I have no doubt that all of our "unspectacular preparation" will pay off at TAKS time! The best part? Those Practice TAKS tests are now over, and we lived through it!
The hours of behind-the-scenes hard work and practice are definitely showing for many of our Scoggins students! Check out the front page of our website to meet our very first Scoggins Spelling Bee winner and first runner-up - both sixth-graders, by the way - as well as our very own Conrad Li, a 7th grader who participated in the Junior Presidential Youth Inaugural Conference and watched President Barack Obama take the oath of office in person! Keep your eyes peeled for upcoming info about our PTA Reflections contestants - three of whom made it all the way to the state contest - and our Theatre students who will be taking their fabulous play "Alice in Wonderland" over to Liberty HS on February 17 in UIL competition. Our basketball teams are concluding a great first season, our cross country team is off to a fast start (no pun intended), and soccer is right around the corner...please continue to encourage your kids to dig deep and take part in all of this "unspectacular preparation," and be ready to celebrate their spectacular achievements with them!
Have a wonderful Valentine's Day, and Go, you Seahawks!
January 13, 2009
Exam Week...for the first time!
Welcome back to school, Seahawks, and to our first-ever round of semester exams - otherwise known as the "really strange bell schedule week that ends in the four-day weekend," according to many of our students! Please encourage your student to study each evening (index flashcards are a great study tool they can make on their own!), get plenty of rest, and eat a healthy breakfast each morning so that they can be as successful as possible to end their first semester.
Second semester and the Fourth Six Weeks will begin next Tuesday, January 20, and we have many important dates and activities approaching in this grading period, including Practice TAKS tests and TAKS Camps, a visit from author Neal Shusterman for our 8th graders, and, believe it or not, registration info meetings for the 2009-2010 school year! Please check the front page of our website and our website calendar frequently. and ask your students to tell you about all the great things happening here at Scoggins!
And on an unabashedly proud note - please note the picture on the front page of our website - our 7th grade boys' basketball team won the 7th grade FISD Invitational Tournament in December! The trophy count is growing for Scoggins Middle School...go, you Seahawks!
December 4, 2008
In this Merriest of Months...
Everyone knows how busy the month of December can get, and life at Scoggins Middle School is no exception! Please pay special attention to our website and calendar and support our Seahawks as they perform in orchestra, band, and choir concerts, play basketball, or display their artwork for you. The kids have all been working so hard and are so eager to show us the results of their efforts - we hope to see you there!
Our "One Book" Launch Party and Pep Rally was a huge success on December 1! Thanks to the generosity of our corporate sponsors, Blake Rudsenske of KB Homes and Mark Lowey of State Farm Insurance, every student and staff member received a copy of the book Tangerine by Edward Bloor. Because the book involves soccer (as well as tangerines!), we kicked off our pep rally with a student vs. faculty soccer game (the faculty won, but just barely, and they're bigger, so we had to red-card them more often) and then - the highlight of the pep rally - four brave and very generous teachers (and one brave but nervous assistant principal) bobbed for tangerines in icy-cold water! While the pep rally was a lot of fun, the part that made me proudest was the next day, when the students began receiving their books in their reading classes. Students immediately dug in, and were seen at lunch, in the hallways, and all over the school, reading Tangerine. Students who are "caught" reading are given a ticket to enter into drawings for prizes donated by 100 percent of our teaching staff - from Starbucks gift cards to an hour of basketball with the coaches, so encourage them to keep up the good work! We'll conclude our "One Book" program on December 17.
Another item of importance: first semester exams will be given after the winter break, during the week of January 12-16, with the exception of some math exams, which will be given the week before break, December 15-19. Please encourage your student to study and prepare, even if it's just for a few minutes a day while he or she is on break. Flashcards are a great way to study as you travel! Please check the front page of our website for the Exam Week Bell Schedule.
As 2008 is drawing to a close, I would like to say a big thank you to our Seahawk teachers and staff, who have been working so hard for our kids and our new community at Scoggins Middle School. If you get a chance and feel so moved, please drop them an email or send them a note to let them know how much they're appreciated.
Hope to see many of you soon as we celebrate the holiday season with beautiful music and bouncing basketballs...have a great weekend, and Go, You Seahawks!
November 11, 2008
Nearly Time for a Break!
We are winding up our second six weeks, and we are just a little less than two weeks away from our Fall Break from school. We hope that all of our families and students are able to enjoy this time with family and friends and get some much-needed rest and relaxation. While the third six weeks is a wonderful time of year, it can also be a stressful time for everyone, and middle school students with "vacation on the brain" may not understand the need to keep up their study habits during this six weeks. Parents, please remind students that now is not the time to let down; encourage them to enjoy their vacation and free time, but to also buckle down once school resumes and give all of their classes their best efforts.
Our 8th grade students are already rolling in our pull-out tutorial program in order to prepare them for their upcoming TAKS tests this spring. Please remember that all 8th grade students must pass both their Math and Reading TAKS tests this year in order to move on to 9th grade. We will begin our pull-out tutorial program for our 6th and 7th grade students during the first week of December - please watch your mail to see if your student has been identified to participate in this program, and let us know if you have any questions or concerns. We are always looking for ways to help your students be successful, and we are always open to any concerns or questions you may have about your student's performance.
I want to end this blog on a very proud and positive note: our very own 7th grade Lady Seahawk Volleyball Team brought home the Runner-Up trophy from last week's District Volleyball Tournament! Our girls went into the tournament as the fifth seed, and ended up finishing in second place. We were so proud to add our very first athletic trophy to our trophy case and cannot wait to cheer all of our athletes on as we begin basketball season next week, with a scrimmage against Roach. Please continue to come out and support our Seahawks as you did during football and volleyball season!
Please be sure to ask your students about the Seahawk Value of the month - and which canned good they are supposed to bring in to their first period class for our canned food drive for the McKinney Food Pantry. Great things are happening at Scoggins Middle School!
Thank you for all of your support, and Go, you Seahawks!
October 21, 2008
Kindness is the Word around Scoggins...
Our amazing Scoggins counselors, Ms. Hemby and Mr. Siciliano, kicked off our Seahawk Values program last week by introducing our first character value: Kindness. This was the perfect value to start off our year right, especially coming on the heels of our amazing Rachel's Challenge program at the beginning of October. Teachers, administrators and staff have been recognizing students as they exhibit "random acts of kindness" around campus by giving them a blue ticket. Students then write their names on the back of these tickets and place them in the container marked for their lunch shift. At the end of the month, we will hold a drawing during each lunch shift for prizes to recognize students who are showing kindness to others and doing themselves and Scoggins proud! I have been so pleased to see our students holding doors open for others, helping each other pick up books or carry heavy backpacks, and - even better - go out of their way to speak to students who may be sitting alone at lunch. We are definitely seeing a lot of Seahawk Pride these days!
A couple of important events are fast approaching:
Voting Day - November 4:
Scoggins Middle School is a polling place, and voters will be utilizing the Scoggins Practice Gym all day and into the early evening on Tuesday, November 4. Please watch the front page of our website for information regarding parking, as well as carpool pick-up and drop-off on that day. Student safety is our priority!
Scoggins' Very First Dance - November 14:
You can feel the excitement in the air...plans are underway now for our very first dance! Sixth graders will get to boogie from 5 to 6:30 PM on that evening, and seventh and eighth graders will get their turn from 7 to 8:30 PM. More details will follow, both on our website and during our morning announcements, so be sure to listen up, Seahawks!
Let me say again how awesome your kids are, and how glad we are to serve them. Have a great rest of your week, and Go, you Seahawks!
September 14, 2008
Soaring in September!
It's hard to believe, but we are halfway through our first six weeks at Scoggins Middle School...and what an exciting first three weeks it's been! But fire drills aside...we've already experienced picture day, Meet the Teacher Night, and our first football and volleyball games (Go, you Seahawks!). It has been a really smooth start, and I'm grateful to all of the students, families, and staff members who have made our opening so successful.
And speaking of our opening - I would like to personally invite all of our Seahawk community to join us as we honor Richard L. Scoggins and his family this coming Sunday, September 21, at 2 PM with our Scoggins Middle School dedication. We have all worked and waited for this moment, and we would love to have you there as we unveil Mr. Scoggins' plaque and pay tribute to the man for whom our beautiful school is named. Members of our Scoggins Seahawk band, choir, and orchestra will also be performing for the first time, so this is a can't miss event! Please join us if you are able.
Our Scoggins Middle School dedication is an excellent way to kick off three important activities during the week of September 22-26. This week begins "College Week" for our students - please look for college-themed activities and events throughout that week. Additionally, this week kicks off our Scoggins' Book Fair! This year, we are offering two times for our parents to shop our Book Fair as well:
Wednesday, September 24 from 5 to 7 PM
Saturday, September 27 from 10 AM to 2 PM
Our third important program that will begin on Wednesday, September 24, is called WOW Wednesday (Working on Wednesday). Each Wednesday will end with an academic activity period. Some students will be involved in math and science tutorials during this period, and others will be participating in our Drop Everything and Read (DEAR) program. We are very excited to get our new WOW Wednesday schedule kicked off on September 24!
Another important date that I'd like you to circle on your calendars involves our upcoming Rachel's Challenge assemblies on October 2. We are fortunate to have the Rachel's Challenge program and anti-bullying message in FISD this year, and we will be offering our student assemblies during the day on October 2, and our parent and community assembly that same evening at 7 PM here at Scoggins. Please look for more info to come in our Counselor's Corner on the Scoggins home page, and let us know if you have any questions.
Again, let me thank you for your help in getting our school year off to a fantastic start. Please join us at these important events, and be sure to watch our website calendar for game dates and times for our football and volleyball Soaring Seahawks! Come cheer with us and show your Seahawk pride!
As always - Go, you Seahawks!
August 9, 2008
Seahawk Landing!
As of July 31, 2008, we've had a new address: 7070 Stacy Road, McKinney, TX! Our office staff was allowed to move into the building last week, and our teachers began unpacking and setting up classrooms on Monday of this week. The construction crew is still putting the finishing touches on the building, but everything looks beautiful!
Important Dates and Information: Please be sure to read the front page of the website for information on our Bus and Carpool Traffic Flow Plan, as well as an important update from the City of McKinney regarding sidewalks for our students who will walk to school. The city has been working hard to ensure that our walkers have a safe route to get them to and from Scoggins.
Also this week - the moment you've all been waiting for (drumroll here):
Future Flyers Camp (6th grade) on Tuesday, August 12 - 6 to 7:30 PM, with "Feather Your Nest" locker decoration from 7:30 to 8 PM
Seahawk Tour (7th and 8th grades) on Wednesday, August 13 - 6 to 7:30 PM, with "Feather Your Nest" locker decoration from 7:30 to 8 PM
Please plan to fill out your student's updated registration information when you pick up his or her schedule...and plan to have a great time getting to know your new school!
Continue to carry yourself with Seahawk Pride - two more weeks to read a good book...be sure to tell me what you're reading when you see me this week!
As always - Go, you Seahawks!
July 17, 2008
38 more days until Seahawk Take-off...
I hope that you all had a great 4th of July holiday and that you're staying cool this summer. If you've driven past the school lately, you may have noticed that you can now actually drive past the school! The road construction in the front is now complete, including the installation of our new school zone speed limits - don't forget those after August 25!
The office staff should be moving in within the next couple of weeks, and we are all already hard at work, preparing for our New Student Registration on August 7 - please see our home page for details - and our upcoming orientation camps - Future Flyers Camp for our 6th graders on August 12 from 6 to 7:30 PM, and the Seahawk Tour for our 7th and 8th graders on August 13 from 6 to 7:30 PM. "Feather Your Nest" will follow each evening from 7:30 to 8 PM.
I know that all of you are as eager as we are to see the building, but we're asking everyone to give our construction crews (and us) time to get everything completed safely before coming by the building. Our counselors will be moving into their offices and getting set up at the beginning of August, and then they'll be happy to serve you with any schedule assistance, questions, etc. following our orientation camps on August 12 and 13.
Seahawk Athletes: Please pay special attention to info on the Scoggins Athletics page regarding important Boys' and Girls' Athletics meetings next month - your coaches are excited about meeting with you and getting you ready to have an awesome sports year!
I've been meeting with all department chairs, team leaders, and elective teachers this week, and I have to say that you are all in for a great year at Scoggins Middle School. Don't wait until August 25 - start thinking now with Seahawk Pride...and don't forget - 38 more days to practice percentages (great at those Back-to-School sales) and visit your library...
Have a great weekend, and, as always - Go, you Seahawks!
June 25, 2008 -
We're all about the Teamwork ...
Your Scoggins teachers and staff members spent June 16 getting to know each other at our Scoggins Team-Building and Visioning Retreat. We spent the entire day together, learning about ourselves and each other, as well as setting goals for ourselves and our students for this upcoming year. Two especially important facts emerged from our retreat:
1. We have a lot of staff members with miniature dachshunds...
2. We have a staff full of folks who cannot wait to serve Scoggins students and families and are working hard this summer to prepare for a successful and productive first year!
Construction update: We've had a short break from the rain, so the athletic fields are being installed this week and next. The second floor is nearly complete, and bus and carpool drop-off and pick-up lanes will be determined by mid-July. Everything is coming along beautifully, and we can't wait for you all to see it in early August.
I wish you all a very Happy Fourth of July holiday (Seahawk Challenge: Would a sparkler work on the moon? Why or why not?) and, as always, Go, you Seahawks!
June 15 , 2008 -
School's Out!
Scoggins students - you are going to love your new school! What a beautiful building we will have, and what an amazing process it is to watch it change and grow in just the last month. I wanted to give you a quick sneak peek at some of the inside - these pictures were taken nearly a month ago, and it's already changed so much in just that short time, but at least you'll be able to get a quick look inside your new school. Tomorrow, your teachers and Scoggins staff members will come together for our very first staff Team-Building and Visioning Retreat, and one of the many important items we'll discuss is how to create the best possible school for each one of you. You can do your part, too, by making sure that you're putting down the remote and reading (once in a while) this summer. Calculate how long it will take you to get to the front of the line at Six Flags...convert that 100-degree temperature to Celsius and see if you don't feel a little bit cooler...and, as always, Go, you Seahawks!
May 17, 2008 -
Another Step Forward...
Scoggins Middle School took another big step on Monday night, May 12, as we voted in our very first slate of PTA officers. Congratulations and many thanks go to the following Scoggins parents who will be serving your children, your families, and our staff this year:
Michelle Arellano - President
Kimi Meyer - Vice-President of Programs
Amy Burrell - Vice-President of Ways and Means
Linda Van Sant - Treasurer
Amy Holden - Secretary
Denise Jimenez - Historian
Angelica Montejano - Parliamentarian
We hope that you all take the opportunity to get involved in the Scoggins PTA - look for a link on our home page soon.
I will take my first "official" tour of the building this week, and I can't wait to see everything taking shape! I hope that I have much to report soon on that front - have a great week!
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