Cherokee Heights Optimist Oratorical Contest
Last Tuesday, March 12, Vern Andren and Rafael Gomez conducted Cherokee’s Annual Oratorical Optimist Contest from the Coliseum Bar. The contest sponsored by the Downtown Optimists Club of Madison has a rich tradition at Cherokee. Each year Vern and Rafael work with our students to plan, write and speak on an annual theme: Is there a Fine Line between Optimism and Reality? Members of the Optimist Club judge the contest. The top two winners of the Club competition move onto the Zone and possibly District competitions. Students clearly develop strength and confidence in their public speaking abilities. This year the winners were:
First Place: Charlotte Chen ($75 gift certificate) Charlotte described optimism as “...
a combination of the empowerment of hope and the embracing of struggle.”
Second Place: Sydney Laursen ($50 gift certificate) Sydney used Harriet Tubman’s life story to highlight her belief how we each need to be be optimistic during adverse times.
Third Place: Liliana Heide ($25 gift certificate) Lily’s speech was about how JK Rowling's books connected optimism and reality.
Submitted by Richard Hamel
Important Events and Dates
Important April Dates:
April 1 - School Resumes, Early Release for Students, 1:47 Dismissal
April 4 - 8th Grade Choir Field Trip to West HS
April 8 - Beginning of 4th Quarter. Early Release for Students, 1:47 Dismissal
April 8 - 8th Grade DLI Field Trip to AMC Hilldale Theater
April 12 - AVID 7th Grade Field Trip to UW Madison Campus
April 15 - Early Release for Students, 1:47 Dismissal
April 16 - 6th Grade Field Trip to MATC
April 24 - PTO Meeting, 6-8pm Cherokee LMC
April 26 - No School for Students - Staff Only Day
April 29 - Early Release for Students, 1:47 Dismissal
Message from our School Psychologist-
Hello families! I’m Rachel Maziarka, the school psychologist and assessment coordinator. I wanted to give you some information and tips about the upcoming Forward exam, so that your children are well prepared and feeling as calm as possible about testing. The Forward exam is a computer-based state test that is given every year from 3rd through 8th grade.
These scores help determine our school report card, and are also used for decision making for 8th grade promotion, so it is important that students try their best and are well prepped for the test.
Students will be testing between March 19th and April 12th, taking a few sections of the test per day (with no testing on Mondays or Fridays). 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students take literacy and math tests, and in addition, 8th graders also take social studies and science. Here are some testing tips for your child to do their best!
- Get enough sleep the night before testing.
- Eat a filling, healthy breakfast.
- If you don’t know a question, take your best guess. You can always go back to it at the end.
- Tell your teacher if you need a short break during testing.
Parents will likely get results in July of 2019. Please reach out to Rachel Maziarka at 204-1313 with any further questions. Thanks!
OPPORTUNITIES
West Madison Little League -
BASEBALL AND GIRLS SOFTBALL AT WEST MADISON LITTLE LEAGUE ARE GREAT SPRING/SUMMER ACTIVITIES! West Madison Little League offers baseball leagues for boys and girls aged 7-16, softball leagues for girls aged 7-17, and financial support for qualifying families. West Madison Little League ’s family-friendly ballpark, first-class playing fields and supportive environment allow players of all skill levels to have fun, improve their game, and learn about sportsmanship, teamwork, leadership and doing one’s best! SPRING/SUMMER LEAGUES ARE FORMING NOW! LEARN MORE & REGISTER AT
WMLL.ORG
.
University of Wisconson-Madison School Psychology Training Clinic (SPTC)
We would like to inform you of some opportunities that will be offered this summer in the School Psychology Training Clinic (SPTC) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The SPTC will offer three different groups for school-aged children, including an evidence-based reading intervention for children enrolling in grades 1-4, an anxiety intervention group for children enrolling in grades 1-4, another anxiety intervention group for high school students, and a social-emotional learning group for children in grades K-8.
A flyer for each program is linked below. Please note that there is a fee associated with each group, but they also offer a generous sliding fee scale for those that demonstrate a need. Please do not hesitate to contact the clinic director, Dr. Kristy Kelly at 608-262-3848 or
kmkohler@wisc.edu
with any questions you may have about these services.
ITA Program -
The UW-Madison Information Technology (
ITA) program seeks diverse students with academic potential, technology interest, and a willingness to commit to the program. Students must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents to be eligible to apply to ITA. Eighth-grade students planning to attend a Madison Metropolitan School District public high school are invited to apply to the
ITA Madison
program. Please note that students cannot participate in ITA and the high school PEOPLE program at the same time. Students currently in the PEOPLE program must complete their middle school PEOPLE program requirements before beginning ITA the summer before ninth grade.
Successful enrollment in UW-Madison leads a four-year tuition scholarship.
Click here
for more information on applying!
6th-8th grade dance opportunity at Madison West -
The Madison West Dance Team is offering an extra special opportunity to perform with our team in our Spring Showcase on April 18th!! All 6th - 8th graders with an interest in dance are welcome, here's what it would entail:
- On Tuesday April 9th we will hold a free clinic from 4-7 at Madison West to learn some basic dance skills and the dance they will perform !! Even if you don't plan to participate in the showcase we'd love to have you join us for this portion.
- On Saturday, April 13th we are going to hold a dress rehearsal for the showcase, we would ask that anyone performing with us would attend but you will not need to stay for the duration. Practice will likely be held in the morning.
- Thursday, April 18th you will need to be at Madison West no later than 6pm. We will do a final review of the lineup for the showcase and then the performance will begin at 7pm. We anticipate for it to be no more than an hour. After your performance you can join the audience for the rest of the show!!
Please let us know via Coach Jen's contact information below if you can join us and include the following information:
- Name
- Grade
- School you attend
We really hope you will join us and please gather your friends as well, it's going to be a fabulous evening with a lot of great performances. Hope to see you on the 9th!!
Coach Jen Bootz
608-628-7879
