The Moscow Middle School
The school year at is off to a great start. One of our favorite days of the year is when
students return to school. The energy that they bring to the building is exciting and
invigorating. This year was no different and seeing all of the smiling faces and students
eager to be back is what this profession is all about. We would like to thank all of the
parents who attended the Back-To-School Night on September 4th. We enjoyed the
opportunity to meet our new parents and see parents who are returning to MMS.
It has been an exciting start to the beginning of the school year. Students and staff have
done a great job with all of the adjustments, construction, and life at the middle school.
We are pleased to have Elizabeth Hierschbiel and Sean Thomas join our classified staff.
Rebekah Lamb, Elaine Alvey, and Tiffany Van Arsdel are great addition to our certified
staff and we were very lucky to have Evan Hecker come over from the HS to be our
Assistant Principal.
To go along with our wonderful staff, we have 525 great students enrolled in 6th-8th
grade. We currently have 208 students out for activities in the seventh and eighth grade,
which is a remarkable amount.
Like all years, we have many things to accomplish and multiple goals to achieve. With
this staff and student body, we have the ability to do some outstanding things this year.
Throughout the school year we would like to keep the Trustees and community updated
as we put the finishing touches on The Moscow Middle School!
On behalf of the MMS Staff, I would like to thank each and every parent for providing us
with such a great group of students.
Below you will find information from teachers and departments, about activities that
make MMS a great place to be.
Academic Update
Oct. 29th – Oct. 31st, 2014
Parents are invited to meet with teachers and receive a Progress Report for their son or
daughter. The Academic Update will be in an arena conference setting, and no
appointments are necessary.
When:
Wednesday, Oct. 29th
Thursday, Oct. 30th
Friday, Oct. 31st
Team Conference
Where: Moscow Middle School
4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
8:30 a.m. – 11:30a.m. . – Scheduled
Format: Parents should enter the MMS main entrance during the times listed above.
A Map of teacher locations will be provided. A personalized Progress Report and
guidelines for the activity will be available from the counselors at the main office.
Guidelines:
 Take five to ten minutes with each teacher
 Ask questions about your son or daughter’s strengths and weaknesses, and
academic behavior
 After getting a detailed Progress Report, ask how you, as the parent/guardian can
encourage your son or daughter to be more successful in school.
 This event is meant to be an opportunity for questions and positive suggestions
 If additional time is needed, please schedule a conference with the teacher at a
later time.
Activities During Early Release Fridays
Moscow Middle School fully understands that students will not have time to go home and
then return for after school activities, so we have set up a study hall session that will take
place from 2:20 – 3:00 on Friday afternoons. Any student who is interested will be
allowed to stay and work on homework. They will meet in the Multi-Purpose Room and
will be supervised by our classified staff. There will be some access to the Library and
Computer Labs for academic use.
Students who attend the Friday sessions will need to have their own transportation
arranged for the day. The MSD school busses run after school only and DO NOT run
after our Friday study hall session.
MMS Art Studio
Mrs. Norman
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The MMS Art Studio has been filled with excitement and challenge as students begin
their artistic journey this year.
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The 6th grade artists have been mastering the skill of drawing one point perspective.
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7th and 8th grade, Art I artists have just finished up some amazing hand drawings and
are now working on charcoal object drawings refining their observation skills.
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grade, Art II artists have finished miniature mixed media pieces, some inspired by a
visit to the Prichard Art Gallery. They are now working on proposals for a mural to be
painted here at MMS and for a poster design for the 2015 MMS World Expo.
8th
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Parents are welcome to come in for a visit anytime! You could come in to
check out what your child is doing, or share an artistic expertise. Contact Mrs. Norman
(snorman@msd281.org) if you’d like to arrange a visit
PE Land and the MSD Pep Grant
The Moscow Middle School Physical Education and Health Department will be
participating in a district-wide Physical Education & Health curriculum improvement
process over the next three years as Moscow was 1 of only 67 districts in the entire nation
to receive an award in the 2014 Carol M. White Physical Education Program (or PEP)
grant cycle from the U.S. Department of Education. Funding will provide professional
development on implementing an enhanced curriculum; data collection processes and
activities; and to participate in training on current trends in health/fitness and best
practices. It will also provide the proper tools, equipment and supplies necessary to make
these curricular changes occur.
The award amount of $956,053 over these next three years will enable the District to
institute a comprehensive K-12 health/fitness program that will give our students the
tools, knowledge and motivation to become more physically fit and active as well as
learn to make healthy choices throughout their lives. The enhanced curriculum will cover
health/fitness concepts, fitness planning, student activity levels, and nutrition/healthy
eating habits for students. The grant will provide training on effective means for using
technology to capture and analyze data, thus enabling our students to meet Idaho State
standards as they relate to healthy eating habits, good nutrition and physical fitness
activities and be a great supplement to meeting the Common Core State Standards.
Moscow Middle School to Host World Expo
To strengthen relationships between Moscow Middle School and the community, and to
showcase the work our middle school students do throughout the school year, the student,
faculty, and staff at MMS are hosting the second annual Moscow Middle School World
Expo on May 21, 2015 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Building off last year’s overwhelming success, the MMS students will be showcasing
their yearlong learning at this event. Models, videos, music, plays, crafts, displays,
slideshows, artwork, etc. will all be on display for the Moscow community. This event
represents the MMS vision of “learners today, leaders tomorrow,” and is meant to
highlight how students are preparing to become leaders in the 21st century.
The event will be staged throughout the entire MMS building. Patrons can look forward
to traveling through the middle school and enjoying refreshments, musical performances
by community, and middle school musicians, drama performances, interactive activities,
and highlighted student work. This truly is a night to celebrate the amazing students at
MMS and to showcase their hard work and talents. Please mark your calendars and plan
on attending our second annual MMS World Expo!
We look forward to seeing you at our school and other activities. If you have any
question please call or send me an e-mail.
Kevin Hill
Principal MMS
208-882-3577
khill@msd281.org