Hawkeye: Summer Edition

MMS Hawk Parents,

I hope that you are enjoying summer and the gift of time that it provides for family and friends. For many, our thoughts are shifting towards the beginning of the school year. I hope to answer some of your questions and provide information needed to make the start of the school year smooth.

There is a calendar of events with an easy reference of important dates for the beginning of the school year and a basic supply list. Next, is information for sixth grade events followed by seventh and eighth grade event information. After this information, there are links to Facebook, Twitter, our school's web page and my e-mail address. Finally, the reading lists by grade level.

We are trying a couple of new things this year while continuing our tradition of excellence. We have a Black and Gold Schedule. One week (Black) the schedule will be 1st - 7th Period and the next week (Gold) will be 7th Period - 1st Period. On Fridays, we will also have Teacher Led Enrichment/Club time that the students will be able to sign up for at the beginning of the school year. We will be loading our buses in the front and side (Tennis Court side) in the afternoon to provide be more efficient at dismissal. The loading will allow more cars to come off of Jeff Road than the last two years. Cars will still enter near the baseball field for drop-off and dismissal at the back of the school.

Enjoy the next few weeks of summer. I look forward to seeing and speaking with you in the very near future.

Thank you,

Anthony C. Thompson, Ed.S.

Principal, Monrovia Middle School

July 21 - 6th Grade Schedule pick up for last names A-K 8:30-10:00 MMS Lobby

July 22 - 6th Grade Schedule pick up for last names L-Z 8:30 - 10:00 MMS Lobby

July 28 - 6th Grade Open House at 5:30 PM in MMS Gym

July 29 - School Closed

August 1 - School Closed

August 2 - 7th and 8th Grade Meet and Greet from 2:00 PM - 4:30 PM

August 3 - First Day of School for students

1. Three-ring binders
2. Notebook Paper
3. Red/Blue/Black Pens
   
4. Pencils
5. Colored Pencils
6. Thumb drive
7. Markers
8. Scissors
9. Glue Sticks
10. Lock (for P.E. locker) - Combination lock is best
11. 4-function calculator
12. Planner - A School Planner will cost $12.00 and come with a free locker. It will also be available to purchase with PE uniform as a part of a package
13. PE Uniform - Black Shorts and Gold Shirt (Required). MMS will have order forms for an optional PE uniform with MMS logo on shorts and shirt available at 6th Grade Open House and the 7th and 8th Grade Meet and Greet in the packets you will receive from Homeroom teachers. The flyers will be posted on social media and our website next week.

Note: Some supplies will need to be replenished during the school year. Three-ring binders: some students place all classes in one binder; others 2 to 3 classes per binder. It depends on the organizational style of your child.

Email: athompson@madison.k12.al.us
Website: http://monroviamiddle.mcssk12.org/
Location: 1216 Jeff Road Huntsville, AL, United States
Phone: (256) 851-4580
Facebook: facebook.com/MonroviaMiddleSchool
Twitter: @monroviahawks

6th GRADE

Summer Reading List for upcoming 6th graders (2016-2017)

All upcoming 6th graders will be required to read one non-fiction book and one fiction novel. Students choose one title from each category.

Non-Fiction:

Go: A Kidd's Guide to Graphic Design by Chip Kidd

Kids love to express themselves, and are designers by nature―whether making posters for school, deciding what to hang in their rooms, or creating personalized notebook covers. Go, by the award-winning graphic designer Chip Kidd, is a stunning introduction to the ways in which a designer communicates his or her ideas to the world. It’s written and designed just for those curious kids who want to learn the secret of how to make things dynamic and interesting.

Beyond Courage: The Untold Story of Jewish Resistance During the Holocaust by Doreen Rappaport

Under the noses of the military, Georges Loinger smuggles thousands of children out of occupied France into Switzerland. In Belgium, three resisters ambush a train, allowing scores of Jews to flee from the cattle cars. In Poland, four brothers lead more than 1,200 ghetto refugees into the forest to build a guerilla force and self-sufficient village. And twelve-year-old Motele Shlayan entertains German officers with his violin moments before setting off a bomb. Through twenty-one meticulously researched accounts, Doreen Rappaport illuminates the defiance of tens of thousands of Jews across eleven Nazi-occupied countries during World War II.

Fiction:

Rangers Apprentice: Ruins of Gorlan by John Flanagan

They have always scared him in the past—the Rangers, with their dark cloaks and shadowy ways. The villagers believe the Rangers practice magic that makes them invisible to ordinary people. And now 15-year-old Will, always small for his age, has been chosen as a Ranger's apprentice. What he doesn't yet realize is that the Rangers are the protectors of the kingdom. Highly trained in the skills of battle and surveillance, they fight the battles before the battles reach the people. And as Will is about to learn, there is a large battle brewing. The exiled Morgarath, Lord of the Mountains of Rain and Night, is gathering his forces for an attack on the kingdom. This time, he will not be denied. . . .

Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai
Hà has only ever known Saigon: the thrills of its markets, the joy of its traditions, and the warmth of her friends close by. But now the Vietnam War has reached her home. Hà and her family are forced to flee as Saigon falls, and they board a ship headed toward hope—toward America, and the state of Alabama.

Students should be prepared to test on both books Friday, August 12, 2016.

7th GRADE

Summer Reading List for upcoming 7th graders (2016-2017)

All upcoming 7th graders will be required to read one non-fiction book and one fiction novel. Students choose one title from each category.

Non-Fiction:

Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson

Raised in South Carolina and New York, Woodson always felt halfway home in each place. In vivid poems, she shares what it was like to grow up as an African American in the 1960s and 1970s, living with her growing awareness of the Civil Rights movement. Touching and powerful, each poem is both accessible and emotionally charged, each line a glimpse into a child’s soul as she searches for her place in the world. Woodson’s eloquent poetry also reflects the joy of finding her voice through writing stories, despite the fact that she struggled with reading as a child. Her love of stories inspired her and stayed with her, creating the first sparks of the gifted writer she was to become.

How They Croaked: The Awful Ends of the Awfully Famous by Georgia Bragg and Kevin O’Malley

This book explores the chronic or fatal maladies that afflicted 19 historical figures. Nonsqueamish readers will be entranced by the riveting descriptions of King Tuts mummification; the thoroughly septic “doctoring” that contributed to the deaths of Mozart, Napoleon, James A. Garfield, and others; and the outrageous fates of Einstein’s brain, Galileo’s fingers, and other coroners’ souvenirs. The author tucks quick notes on relevant topics, such as leeching, scurvy, presidential assassins, and mummy eyes between the chapters and closes with generous lists of nontechnical print resources on each of the subjects. O’Malley’s cartoon portraits and spot art add just the right notes of humor to keep the contents from becoming too gross.

Fiction:

The Alchemyst: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel by Michael Scott The truth: Nicholas Flamel was born in Paris on September 28, 1330.
The legend: Nicholas Flamel discovered the secret of eternal life.
The records show that he died in 1418….But his tomb is empty.
Nicholas Flamel lives. But only because he has been making the elixir of life for centuries.
The secret of eternal life is hidden within the book he protects—the Book of Abraham the Mage. It's the most powerful book that has ever existed. In the wrong hands, it will destroy the world. That's exactly what Dr. John Dee plans to do when he steals it. Humankind won't know what's happening until it’s too late. And if the prophecy is right, Sophie and Josh Newman are the only ones with the power to save the world as we know it. Sometimes legends are true. And Sophie and Josh Newman are about to find themselves in the middle of the greatest legend of all time.

Every Soul A Star Paperback by Wendy Mass

And as streams of light fan out behind the darkened sun like the wings of a butterfly, I realize that I never saw real beauty until now.

At Moon Shadow, an isolated campground, thousands have gathered to catch a glimpse of a rare and extraordinary total eclipse of the sun. Three lives are about to be changed forever.

Told from three distinct voices and perspectives, Wendy Mass weaves an intricate and compelling story about strangers coming together, unlikely friendships, and finding one's place in the universe.

Students should be prepared to test on both books Friday, August 12, 2016.

8th GRADE

Summer Reading List for upcoming 8th graders (2016-2017)

All upcoming 8th graders will be required to read one non-fiction book and one fiction novel. Students choose one title from each category.

Non-Fiction:

Be a Changemaker: How to Start Something That Matters by Laurie Ann Thompson

Do you wish you could make a difference in your community or even the world? Be a Changemaker will empower you with the confidence and knowledge you need to affect real change. You’ll find all the tools you need right here—through engaging youth profiles, step-by-step exercises, and practical tips, you can start making a difference today. This inspiring guide will teach you how to research ideas, build a team, recruit supportive adults, fundraise, host events, work the media, and, most importantly, create lasting positive change. Apply lessons from the business world to problems that need solving and become a savvy activist with valuable skills that will benefit you for a lifetime!

The Family Romanov: Murder, Rebellion, and the Fall of Imperial Russia by Candace Fleming

Here is the tumultuous, heartrending, true story of the Romanovs—at once an intimate portrait of Russia's last royal family and a gripping account of its undoing. Using captivating photos and compelling first person accounts, award-winning author Candace Fleming deftly maneuvers between the imperial family’s extravagant lives and the plight of Russia's poor masses, making this an utterly mesmerizing read as well as a perfect resource for learning about history.

Fiction:

Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys World War II is drawing to a close in East Prussia and thousands of refugees are on a desperate trek toward freedom, many with something to hide. Among them are Joana, Emilia, and Florian, whose paths converge en route to the ship that promises salvation, the Wilhelm Gustloff. Forced by circumstance to unite, the three find their strength, courage, and trust in each other tested with each step closer to safety. Just when it seems freedom is within their grasp, tragedy strikes. Not country, nor culture, nor status matter as all ten thousand people—adults and children alike—aboard must fight for the same thing: survival.

The Young Elites by Marie Lu

Adelina Amouteru is a survivor of the blood fever. A decade ago, the deadly illness swept through her nation. Most of the infected perished, while many of the children who survived were left with strange markings. Adelina’s black hair turned silver, her lashes went pale, and now she has only a jagged scar where her left eye once was. Her cruel father believes she is a malfetto, an abomination, ruining their family’s good name and standing in the way of their fortune. But some of the fever’s survivors are rumored to possess more than just scars—they are believed to have mysterious and powerful gifts, and though their identities remain secret, they have come to be called the Young Elites

Chomp by Carl Hiassen

Wahoo Cray lives in a zoo. His father is an animal wrangler, so he's grown up with all manner of gators, snakes, parrots, rats, monkeys, snappers, and more in his backyard. The critters he can handle. His father is the unpredictable one. When his dad takes a job with a reality TV show called "Expedition Survival!", Wahoo figures he'll have to do a bit of wrangling himself—to keep his dad from killing Derek Badger, the show's boneheaded star, before the shoot is over. But the job keeps getting more complicated. Derek Badger seems to actually believe his PR and insists on using wild animals for his stunts. And Wahoo's acquired a shadow named Tuna—a girl who's sporting a shiner courtesy of her old man and needs a place to hide out. They've only been on location in the Everglades for a day before Derek gets bitten by a bat and goes missing in a storm. Search parties head out and promptly get lost themselves. It's anyone's guess who will actually survive "Expedition Survival". . . .

Students should be prepared to test on both books Friday, August 12, 2016.

*Pink star books are designated as appropriate for more mature readers, based on a book's content including theme, characterization, and plot.