Team Aspire

October Newsletter

Team Aspire Newsletter

It is hard to believe it is October! It was so nice to meet so many Team Aspire parents at our recent Back to School Night! Students are settling into their routines now and are aware of the expectations of a middle schooler. They seem to have a solid grasp of their schedules and are able to navigate their lockers like pros.

We encourage you at home to take a look at your student's agenda book and compare it to our Homework website (found on ASMS webpage). We also encourage you to check your child's grades via the Aspen portal. All of the students have been trained on accessing the site in their social studies classes. Ask your child to share their Aspen password with you. Students are realizing how important it is to complete their homework assignments and class work assignments with great effort, as this has a direct impact on their grades.

Middle school is all about teamwork. Our trip to the YMCA really helped foster this bond we are forming as a team. In our Team Time class period, we are working on a variety of social/emotional lessons, with a focus on executive functioning. This is helpful as the students are learning to navigate their schedules and multiple classes.

As a part of our Admirable Attribute program, Team Taylor recognizes one boy and one girl from our team who exemplifies the attribute from the authors we read in 6th grade. September's attribute was Optimistic. We will be announcing nominations soon and the students who stand out as most optimistic will be nominated and announced.

We value the home/school relationship; please feel free to contact us if you have any concerns or questions about your child's progress. We have time built into our schedule for parent/teacher conferences. We meet as a team and discuss your child's progress. Email is the best method to reach us. We will be reaching out to parents soon regarding setting up Parent/Teacher conferences. The dates for these are October 29th and 30th. These are both half days and we will meet with parents the second half of the day. If you do not hear from us, all is going well! Of course, you may still want to touch base on your student’s progress, and we will make sure to set up a time to meet with you.

Warm regards,

Team Aspire Teachers

Daniel Kelley, Math & Science

kelleyd@franklinps.net

Laura Welshoff, English & Social Studies

welshoff@franklinps.net

Kerri Marcotte, Special Education Liaison

marcottek@franklinps.net

Welcome Letter!

Dear Team Aspire Students and Families,

Welcome to Annie Sullivan Middle School, home of the Huskies! Those of you who have had family members come through ASMS in recent years may have noticed that our 6th grade team names have changed. We used to be Team Spinelli and Team Taylor, after Jerry Spinelli and Mildred D. Taylor, two of the authors that we read in ELA each year. Due to some curriculum changes in ELA, not all students will read those authors anymore, so it was a natural time for our team names to evolve! Sixth grade is a year of tremendous growth and change for our students, and each year we look forward to supporting them as they work hard to determine and achieve their goals. We wanted to reflect this in our new team names, so teachers and administrators came together to brainstorm words that we felt best represented the 6th grade journey. Thus, Team Endeavor and Team Aspire were born! We are thrilled to have you on Team Aspire this year.

As we embark on a new school year, we want to take a moment to welcome you to sixth grade and Team Aspire. As your teachers, we are ecstatic about the year ahead. New novels to read, units to study, concepts to grasp!

As a team, we will work together to create a supportive environment where all feel comfortable and safe to take on new challenges and stretch as learners and unique individuals. Think about what talents you bring to our team. What will you be able to share with your peers and teachers? What do you hope to learn from those around you?

Sixth grade is a time to explore and uncover a variety of topics.

In ELA, we will experience rich literature, while developing high level skills by engaging in analytical thinking and collaboration with peers. Ultimately, students will improve their writing skills along with their reading.

In Math, you will continue to master foundational skills from fifth grade while continuing your work as young mathematicians.

In Science, you will encounter earth and life science topics through inquiry based learning.

In Social Studies, you will travel back in time. You will begin with early humans and study to the fall of Rome.

Annie Sullivan Middle School provides ample opportunities to discover new interests and passions. Try out a new club. Meet new friends. See what exciting adventures middle school holds for you!

Take some time to think about how you will get involved. How will you make a difference? How

can you be a pack leader on our ASMS Husky team?

Best Regards,

Mr. Kelley - Mathematics, Science - Kelleyd@franklinps.net

Mrs. Marcotte - Special Education Liaison - marcottek@franklinps.net

Mrs. Welshoff - English, Social Studies - welshoff@franklinps.net

Team Aspire Teachers

June Newsletter

Hello Parents and Guardians!

It is hard to imagine that it is June and sixth grade will soon come to a close! We are so proud of all of the growth we have seen in our Team Taylor students from the beginning of this school year.

As we wrap up our year, we are going to have our final raffle. This will take place on June 14th. This is where students get the chance to spend their hard earned Team Taylor money and to celebrate all of their hard work. As always, in order for this raffle to be successful, we need your help! Any donations you might be able to provide to our raffle would be greatly appreciated. Items that are typically a hit with the students might include: movie tickets, gift cards, school supplies, games, puzzles, nail polish, and of course candy! The most expensive items are not always the most popular, candy is always a huge hit! Students can drop these items of in Mr. Kelley's classroom each day up to the day of the raffle.

Your 6th grader will be meeting the 7th grade teachers during the Internal Step-up Day, this is a great way for your student to experience the feel of 7th grade, and hopefully alleviate any stress! This will take place on June 7th.

As we wrap up our year, the Admirable Attribute is Responsible. With the end of the year, comes a lot of exciting activities. It is also a time for students to make sure that they are fulfilling their academic responsibilities to ensure participation in these activities. We ask to encourage your student to look around for any books that may belong to the library or classroom. We want all of the Team Taylor students to finish sixth grade strong!

We are honored and excited that we were able to begin this chapter in middle school with your child. We have truly enjoyed watching each of the students on our team grow as learners and young adults. We will miss this amazing groups of students and wish all of you best of luck in 7th grade! And finally, thank you for all of your support this year!

Warm regards,

Team Taylor Teachers

Important Dates This Month:

June 12 - Field Day

June 14 - Talent Show

June 14 - Raffle

June 18 - Last Day of School

Team Taylor Admirable Attribute Recipients:

September - Optimistic - Seth O. & Lily D.

October - Curious - Zachary T. & Eden D.

November - Respectful - Maddie O. & Taylor O.

December - Perseverance - Will C. & Lina B.

January - Generous - Lea E. & Brendan N.

February - Creative -.C.J. A. & Kate R.

March - Compassionate - Elliot M. & Gabby F.

April - Independent - Stephen D. & Brooke D.

Team Taylor May Newsletter

Dear Parents and Guardians,

April went by in a flash! We are thankful that the cold weather and constant rain is hopefully behind us! The sixth grade teachers enjoyed meeting the parents of our incoming 5th graders on April 25th, it seems like it was not so long ago that we met with you!

April was a busy month for us in sixth grade! Students have been working diligently in all academic classes. Their dedication to ELA strategies really showed during the ELA MCAS last week! Along with all our hard work students will be taking the Math MCAS exam on May 14th and 15th. Students have been focused on learning strategies in their math classes all year and are prepared to show what they know! They have been embracing the strategies they are learning at school and should be proud of all of their efforts. In order to ensure that students are able to do their best on exam days, we are asking you at home to encourage them to get a good night’s sleep and eat a healthy breakfast on exam days. Students should also come to school with a water bottle, snack, and independent reading book on testing days. No electronic readers are allowed on these days during the test times. Also, the same guidelines will be in place for cell phones and smart watches, they will be collected at the beginning of the day and returned after testing is over.

As the weather begins to warm up, we encourage students to remain focused on their school work. We still have a solid amount of curriculum to cover. We expect students to begin taking more responsibility for their own learning and advocating for themselves if they need help in any areas of the curriculum. We also encourage them to use class and Flex time wisely to see teachers for extra help as needed. We will continue to support them and help foster this independence to help them become ready to be 7th graders.

As a part of our Admirable Attributes program, Team Taylor recognizes two students each month who exemplify attributes of the authors we read in 6th grade. The Admirable Attribute for the month of April was Independent. We want to encourage students to be thinking of others this month and finding ways to show that they care.

We truly feel that the success of our students depends on clear communication between school and home. Please feel free to contact us if you have any concerns or questions about your child's progress. Email is the best method to reach us. Our email addresses available on the ASMS web page. You can also find a link to the Team Taylor Blog on this site. If you haven’t been on it, it’s a valuable page we use to communicate about our team news and curriculum.

Warm Regards,

Team Taylor Teachers

Important Dates This Month:

May 3rd - Professional Development Day ½ Day Students

May 14th & 15th Math MCAS

May 27th - Memorial Day No School

Team Taylor Admirable Attribute Recipients:

September - Optimistic - Seth O. & Lily D.

October - Curious - Zachary T. & Eden D.

November - Respectful - Maddie O. & Taylor O.

December - Perseverance - Will C. & Lina B.

January - Generous - Lea E. & Brendan N.

February - Creative -.C.J. A. & Kate R.

March - Compassionate - Elliot M. & Gabby F.

April - Independent - to be announced soon!

May- Flexible -

June - Responsible -

April Newsletter

Team Taylor April Newsletter

Dear Parents and Guardians,

March was a busy month for us in sixth grade! Students have been working hard in all academic classes. We are hopefully beyond all of the snow! Along with all our hard work academically, students were treated to a special presentation by The Myth Masters! They are made up of two actors, that successfully capture the minds of our sixth graders, while teaching them about Greek Mythology. They are interactive and so very engaging! This is such a fun way to blend our curriculum with such an entertaining activity! Thank you to the PCC for providing this fun presentation to us.

The English Language Arts MCAS exam is approaching, the dates are Wednesday, April 24^th, and Thursday, April 25^th . Students have been working hard in their ELA classes all year and are prepared to show what they know! They have been embracing the strategies they are learning at school and should be proud of all of their efforts. In order to ensure that students are able to do their best on exam days, we are asking you at home to encourage them to get a good night’s sleep and eat a healthy breakfast on exam days. Students should also come to school with a water bottle, snack, and independent reading book on exam days. No electronic readers are allowed on these days during the test times.We also encourage students leave their cellphones at home on the test days. Of course if students do need to bring cellphones to school in order to communicate with you at the end of the school day, teachers will collect the (powered off) phones at the beginning of the day, and return at the day’s end.

We continue to encourage students to check Aspen regularly, as we update our grades every two weeks. At this point in the year, we expect students to begin taking more responsibility for their own learning and advocating for themselves if they need help in any areas of the curriculum. We encourage them to use class and Flex time wisely to see teachers for extra help as needed. We will continue to support them and help foster this independence.

As a part of our Admirable Attributes program, Team Taylor recognizes two students each month who exemplify attributes of the authors we read in 6th grade. The Admirable Attribute for the month of March was Compassionate, students nominated and we are waiting to announce the recipients early in April. The attribute for April is Independent. We want to encourage students to be thinking of others this month and finding ways to show that they care.

Warm Regards,

Team Taylor Teachers

Important Dates This Month:

Monday, April 1 - Honor Roll Celebration - 2-3pm after school in the Cafe

Friday, April 5 - ½ Day for Students, Educator PDD - PJ and Hat Day

Friday, April 12 Team Taylor Raffle!

Monday- Friday April 15 - 19 April Vacation

Team Taylor Admirable Attribute Recipients:

September - Optimistic - Seth O. & Lily D.

October - Curious - Zachary T. & Eden D.

November - Respectful - Maddie O. & Taylor O.

December - Perseverance - Will C. & Lina B.

January - Generous - Lea E. & Brendan N.

February - Creative -.C.J. A. & Kate R.

March - Compassionate - to be announced!

April - Independent -

May- Flexible -

June - Responsible -

March Newsletter

Team Taylor March Newsletter

Dear Parents and Guardians,

March is a busy month for us in sixth grade! The English Language Arts MCAS exam is approaching, the dates are Wednesday, April 24^th, and Thursday, April 25^th . Students have been working hard in their ELA classes all year and are prepared to show what they know! They have been embracing the strategies they are learning at school and should be proud of all of their efforts.

It is hard to believe that Term 2 is coming to a close. Grades close on March 14th, and students will be switching into their 3rd term Unified Arts classes. We continue to encourage students to check Aspen regularly, as we update our grades every two weeks. At this point in the year, we expect students to begin taking more responsibility for their own learning and advocating for themselves if they need help in any areas of the curriculum. We encourage them to use class and Flex time wisely to see teachers for extra help as needed. We will continue to support them and help foster this independence.

As a part of our Admirable Attributes program, Team Taylor recognizes two students each month who exemplify attributes of the authors we read in 6th grade. The Admirable Attribute for the month of March is Compassionate. We want to encourage students to be thinking of others this month and finding ways to show that they care.

We truly feel that the success of our students depends on clear communication between school and home. Please feel free to contact us if you have any concerns or questions about your child's progress. Email is the best method to reach us. Our email addresses available on the ASMS web page. You can also find a link to the Team Taylor news on this site. If you haven’t been on it, it’s a valuable page we use to communicate about our team news and curriculum.

Warm Regards,

Team Taylor Teachers

Important Dates This Month:

March 1 - ½ Day - Teacher Professional Development

March 8 - Myth Masters

March 14 - Term 2 Grades Close

Team Taylor Admirable Attribute Recipients:

September - Optimistic - Seth O. & Lily D.

October - Curious - Zachary T. & Eden D.

November - Respectful - Maddie O. & Taylor O.

December - Perseverance - Will C. & Lina B.

January - Generous - Lea E. & Brendan N.

February - Creative -.To Be announced!

March - Compassionate -

April - Independent -

May- Flexible -

June - Responsible -

February Newsletter

Team Taylor News

It’s hard to believe that it is already February! Students are busy working hard in all areas of the curriculum. As the year continues, the students are meeting the rigorous curriculum and the higher expectations that come with it. Students will have the week of February 18th off, as a much needed winter break!

One of the greatest keys to success in middle school is making sure to come to class prepared. We ask for your support at home to help remind your child to replenish materials as needed. Many students are consistently coming to class without pencils and having to take them from the class supply. We encourage students to go through their binders each weekend and replenish any supplies they might need for the upcoming week, including pencils, lined paper, page protectors, etc. We encourage you to check in on your student’s grades using the Aspen portal. We update the grades every two weeks or so. Also, if you have a question about your child’s homework assignments, we post them nightly on the Team Taylor page on the ASMS website. As always, we welcome any questions your child has regarding homework, they often are able to email us and we try our best to respond quickly!

A very good friend of mine has a sister that has started a foundation to collect gently used or new books for grades K-12. The foundation is called Read, Lead, Learn, and she is collecting books to donate to the island of Nevis currently. She hopes to expand her donations to other areas that are in need of school supplies around the world. If you have any gently used books that you would like to donate, I’m collecting them, and I’m very happy to bring them to her! Feel free to send them in with your child, I’ll give them a mission card for each book collected!

Please know that we are all here to help all students be as successful as possible in their years at Annie Sullivan Middle School. We look forward to working with you and encourage you to contact us should you ever have a question or concern.

Warm regards,

Team Taylor Teachers

Daniel Kelley, Math & Science

Laura Welshoff, ELA and History

Kerri Marcotte, Special Education Liaison

Important Dates This Month:

Feb. 18th - Feb. 22 - February Vacation/Winter Break

Team Taylor Admirable Attribute Recipients:

September - Optimistic - Seth O. & Lily D.

October - Curious - Zachary T. & Eden D.

November - Respectful - Maddie O. & Taylor O.

December - Perseverance - to be announced!

January - Generous - to be announced!

February - Creative -

March - Compassionate -

April - Independent -

May- Flexible -

June - Responsible -