From the Principal's Desk--Hugh McDermott

May 1, 2008

 

Irving Students Attend Blair Honor Band

Four Irving students participated in the Blair Middle School Honor Hand on March 29th. They were: Katie A, 7th grade Flute; Bree D, 8th grade Clarinet; Larissa I, 8th grade Horn; and Erik C, 8th grade Baritone. They auditioned for chair placement and rehearsed under the direction of Dr. Neal Schnoor, director of the University of Nebraska-Kearney Symphonic Band. A wonderful final concert was presented at 4:00 p.m. Congratulations to these students!

 

Character Education Excellence Celebration

The Irving Character Committee has decided to honor our Excellence Referral (Brick Award) students a little differently this year. Each student who has received an Excellence Referral will be invited to an Ice Cream Social at 2:45 p.m. on Friday, May 16th. The committee understands that spring is a busy time of year and some students are not able to attend an evening event. This change will allow most students to attend, and we doubt we will hear too many complaints about getting out of class 13 minutes early to eat ice cream. Although there will not be a formal presentation, parents are welcome to join us in celebrating the many students who continually display good character consistently throughout the halls of Irving Middle School.

 

Irving Students score well in the Duke University Talent Identification Program

The Duke University Talent Identification Program has completed another successful talent search season. In Lincoln, of 154 students who took the SAT or ACT tests, 5 qualified for Grand Recognition and 60 qualified for State Recognition. A student qualifying for State Recognition is in the top 25% of the Talent Search pool and a student qualifying for the Grand Recognition is in the top 2%! These are significant achievements because the pool itself is highly selective and the scores are ones that many high school students aspire to achieve. At Irving we are pleased to announce that of the 26 7th grade students who tested, 14 qualified at the State Recognition level. Congratulations to: Katherine A, Daniel B, Abby C, Elijah C, Ashlie I, Emily M, Deanna M, Meghan M, Michael O, Jeevan R, Tyler R, Ben S, Matt S and Emma W. For more information, contact Cindy Zetterman, Irving’s Gifted Facilitator.

 

Summer Opportunities by Cindy Zetterman, Irving’s Gifted Facilitator

It is time to start considering some exciting summer opportunities. Maybe you are interested in attending a one-week camp exploring subject areas that aren’t offered during the school year. You even get to live on the campus sites! Or maybe the offerings of Bright Lights intrigue you this year! DON’T MISS OUT! Mrs. Zetterman is receiving information weekly and registration deadlines come early. Please check the Irving web site (address on page one) frequently for specific information. You can see Mrs. Zetterman in room 108, or call 436-1214, ext. 263 in the a.m., if you would like to know what kinds of activities are offered. You can pick up registration forms and materials from Mrs. Zetterman, also.

 

Bright Lights Summer Classes

Summer…Swimming…Baseball…Bright Lights! Come, have a Summer Learning Adventure with Bright Lights this summer. Over 100 classes and 8 day camps are planned for the weeks of June 9-13, June 23-27 and July 7-11. Most classes will be held at Randolph Elementary School (37th & D).

Visit the Bright Lights website at www.brightlights.org for a listing of all the classes. Registration has already begun and will continue until classes are filled. Call 420-1115 for more information.

 

8th Grade End-of-Year Celebrations—Friday, May 23, 2008

Irving Middle School and the IPTSO will sponsor 2 events for outgoing 8th graders to celebrate their years at Irving and to spend time with their peers during their last days of middle school. Students will be asked to purchase a $1 ticket which will cover both the after-school event and the Rec. Center event. This payment will help defray the cost of the festivities. Here’s the scoop:

2:30-4:00: Yearbook signing and socializing in the Irving gym

Students will receive or can purchase their yearbooks at this time. Students will be given the opportunity to sign yearbooks, eat pizza, and socialize with friends. Raffle prizes will be given away.

7:00 to 9:00 p.m.—Dance party at the Irving Recreational Center

Students are invited to the Rec. Center to socialize with friends, dance and participate in activities in the gym—beach volleyball, ping pong and more. Snacks will be provided!

Tickets: Tickets will be on sale for $1.00 on May 20, 21st and 22nd during the lunch periods. The ticket will provide students admission into the events as well as enter them into a raffle drawing.

8th Grade Parents: We need your help to make this event a success. We need:

• Volunteers for the afternoon event
• Volunteers for the evening dance
• Volunteers to sell tickets during the lunch period on May 20 - 22
• A volunteer to coordinate raffle prizes
• Donation of raffle prizes or money to purchase raffle prizes

If you can volunteer, please contact Lori Applegate at lapplegate@neb.rr.com. If you can donate prizes or money to purchase raffle prizes, please contact Sonya Ekart at sekar@allstate.com.

 

Congratulations…

Eighth graders Trey Graf and Lillie Hinrichs were selected and honored by the Lincoln Elks Lodge No. 80, “Teens of the Month”. Each of these students was selected by the 8th grade and other Irving teachers for their outstanding efforts here at Irving. They both exemplify high standards of courtesy, strong academic effort, participation in a variety of activities, in-school and in the community. Each student received $100 U.S. Savings Bond at the ceremony held at the Elks Lodge on March 30th.

There may be more but you should know that 8th graders Alena Hejl and Matt Schmitt received radio station B 107.3’s “Character MVP Awards for 2008. These students were featured on the radio station B 107.3 during a particular week. They were nominated by the 8th grade teachers and their counselor.

On Wednesday, March 11, 6th grader Alex Souliere, along with Lucas Anderson and Angela Young, presented “Transcendental Meditation’s Effect on the 6th Grade Mind” at UNL East Campus. They received 5th place and a check for $500. The contest was for FUTURE FORCE NEBRASKA, and was called, “The Middle School Bio Science Challenge.” Other 6th graders who helped with the project but did not attend were: Sarah DiMagno, Asaf Trainin, and Riley Lynch. Congratulations to all and we apology we didn’t get this in an earlier addition of the newsletter.

 

Eighth Grade Presidential Academic Award Recipients, 2008

Tomorrow morning, Friday, May 2, Irving administrators and staff will be honoring sixty-seven (67) of our 8th graders for having achieved this year’s Presidential Academic Award. We will have a special breakfast starting at 7:15 a.m. in our cafeteria for students and their parents.

To be eligible for this award for educational excellence, students must have maintained a grade point average of 3.5 over the last five semesters while here at Irving. In addition, he or she had to achieve a percentile score of 85 or higher in math or reading on a national standardized achievement test such as the Metropolitan Achievement Test (MAT). Only one in four of our 8th graders were able to accomplish these tasks. Students being honored will receive a special certificate as well as a pin. Our honored students are:

 

A+ Educator of the Week Nominations

Each week the Lincoln Journal Star features a notable teacher from Lincoln or Southeast Nebraska. E-mail tperman@JournalStar.com or send your nominations to: Lincoln Journal Star, Attn. Tammi Peterman, 926 P Street, Lincoln, NE 68508. Include the teacher’s name, school and grade/subject, and why you think he or she should be recognized. Nominations are accepted throughout the year. For more information, call Tammi at 473-7354.

 

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