Welcome to McClure Middle School

Welcome Summer! Important Information for All McClurians
 

• Report cards will be mailed home on June 4th.  If you did not provide a self addressed stamped envelope you may pick up report cards starting on that date.
• We are not sending home summer math this year.  Your log ins for USATest Prep still work, you can spend time brushing up on your other subjects that way. 

A message from the Oklahoma State School Board Association about the recent tornados

Our heartfelt prayers and thoughts go out to the victims of the recent tornadoes.  When members of our OSSBA family are hurting, we are all hurting.  We would like to offer an opportunity for those wishing to give to have an outlet to do so.   If you would like to donate items from the list below, they can be mailed to the OSSBA offices:

Oklahoma State School Boards Assn
2801 N. Lincoln Blvd, Suite 125
Oklahoma City, OK 73105-4223

 We will also be taking donations of money that will be distributed to the school districts impacted by the storms.  All donations will go to the victims of these recent tragedies. Checks can be made out to "OSSBA Tornado Relief."

Donations for School Supplies

Notebooks and paper (wide and narrow ruled), markers, crayons, glue (bottle and glue stick), backpacks, pens and pencils, pencil sharpeners, erasers, highlighters, dry-erase markers, construction paper, copy paper, binders, rulers, tape, art supplies, gym supplies, desks,  computers.

Other Supplies

Canned goods, Diapers, clothes, dog and cat food, work gloves, toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant, hand sanitizer, baby wipes, baby formula, soap, sunscreen, trash bags, insect spray, brooms, shovels.

Thank you,  Dr. Jeff Mills, Executive Director, OSSBA

The Eighth Grade Dance is this Week!
This year’s 8^th grade dance is scheduled for Friday, May 17^th from 7:00 until 9:30 pm.  We wanted to provide some general information as you plan for this event.

This is not a high school prom –this is a special farewell dance for our eighth graders.  The dance is for McClure students only.  There will be special decorations and food for the students to make this a very special evening.  Tickets will be sold for this event.

The dress for the event is as follows:

•  Ladies may wear short or long dresses that are appropriate.

• All dresses should be at least as long as school dress code requires, at least to the tip of the longest finger when the student is standing straight.

• Strapless dresses and/or dresses with slits that are higher than dress code length are not to be worn to the dance. 

• Gentlemen should wear dress pants or khakis with a shirt & tie.

• Jackets may be worn, but are not required.

• Tuxedos should not be worn to the eighth grade dance.

Transportation should occur in normal fashion.  Limousines are not allowed.

While we are not encouraging students leaving early, we often have questions about early dismissals.  We will be changing schedules for that day so that our eighth grade students will be in connections from 2:40-4:15. For those students who may want more time to get ready for the dance, it is important to remember the following information.

2014 Teacher of the Year Named!
 Congratulations to Ms. Cyndi Sallas, McClure's head band director!  Ms. Sallas has been elected teacher of year.  We are all proud of her!  Email Ms. Sallas congratulations here.

Have you ordered your yearbook yet?
 You still have time to order your 2012-2013 yearbook! Yearbook sales have been extended.  Click the Jostens icon on the left or call the toll-free ordering number (1-866-282-1516)  to order your yearbook today!

The McClure Shake!

Did you miss the McClure Shake on this morning's announcements?  Watch it here!  Thank you again to everyone who helped bring Good Day Atlanta to McClure.  This is our faculty's way to say thank you!

WE DID IT!
In case you missed the broadcast this morning, Fox5 has us online too!  Click to enjoy our segments.  We all enjoyed being on air this morning and there is a lot of Maverick Pride around here today!

Maverick Pride has been strong this week!  Your efforts really paid off, with more than 68,000 votes, we won a visit from Good Day Atlanta on Thursday, March 14th.  Make sure you tune in on Thursday to see live shots and segments that show off the great things that are happening here at McClure!

Perhaps the best part of the week was watching McClure exhibit our four words:

• We were Encouraging to each other to get the vote out!
• We showed great Enthusiasm as the excitement built throughout the week.
• Our Excellence shined, especially as we made suggestions about what programs we should highlight on TV.
• The Ingenuity soared as administrators stepped out of their usual roles and showed up on the serving line at lunch or that teacher who dyed his hair blue because we reached the 65,000 votes level.  There are rumors that even the Harlem Shake might make an appearance one day next week!

Most of all we are proud that we pulled together and made this happen!  Good job McClure- we have a lot to be proud of!

2013-14 School Choice: HB 251
The application period for students interested in transferring to McClure for the 2012-2012 school year under House Bill 251 is now open.  Applications will be accepted at the district office through March 8th. All applications must go to the district office, we cannot accept them here at McClure. For the next school year, McClure will be accepting up to 20 sixth graders, 20 seventh graders, and 10 eighth graders.  More information and the application can be found on the school system's website.

GIMME 5 is Back!
This year, McClure is once again participating in the GIMME 5 campaign for the Cobb Schools Foundation.  Did you know that if we raise more than $750, 50% of whatever we raise will go directly to McClure projects?  Please visit the Foundation's GIMME 5 page to learn more.  Remember to specify McClure if you donate to make sure we earn the credit!  As always, thank you for your generosity in support of McClure!

CRCT Preparations are here!
Each April, McClure students take the Georgia Criterion Referenced Tests to show what they have mastered during the school year.  Preparations are already underway to help ensure that our students do the best they can on the tests.  You can help increase scores at home through practice, we recommend the following websites for additional practice and tutorials:

• USATest Prep

• Skills Tutor

• Khan Academy

• GA Department of Ed Preparation Materials

• McClure Vocabulary Packets

The Words You Should Know!
Research shows that students who have a rich vocabulary achieve at higher levels than those who do not.  On questions that do not specifically test vocabulary, students are often expected to understand the meanings of the words they encounter within passages, questions and answers on sections that involve reading.  But because vocabulary knowledge is useful for all reading comprehension, an increased vocabulary is not only beneficial on standardized tests, but in all content areas. (Read More)

BYOD Has Arrived at McClure!
If you weren't able to attend last week's BYOD/Common Core meeting you can download the PowerPoint presentation and learn more at the new BYOD Resource page.

McClure Media Program Wins Accolade

Congratulations to Ms. Cara Harpin and the McClure Media Center. McClure's media program was named the Exemplary Middle School Media Program for the state of Georgia for 2012-2013.  We are proud of our program that excells under Ms. Harpin's guidance!  (more information)

Be the Change You Want to See in the World!
We are excited to announce our theme, Be the Change You Want to See in the World, for the 2012-2012 school year.  This theme has many opportunities for our students to affect change in our community and perhaps the world.  This will be a year long effort to increase student awareness of how they can be of service and in the community at large. (more)

Download the Community Service Documentation form.

Is Your Child a Car Rider?
Please view this video on car rider pick up procedure.  This informative video provides assistance for you to pick up your student in the safest possible manner.  We want all of our students to depart from McClure with as little delay and risk as possible.  (The movie will take a while to load.)

Common Core Coming to McClure
You may have heard about curriculum changes coming to our schools next year.  The shift to Common Core Standards will help our student be more competitive in our ever changing society and ushers in some exciting changes for all of us.  Click here to learn more about Common Core.

Welcome to our new 6th Graders!
Thank you to the families that were able to make the Sixth Grade University program on May 7th.  If you weren't able to make it, you can download the PowerPoint presentation.  Also check out the Sixth Grade University blog for more information.

2012- 2013 McClure TOTY Announced!
McClure is proud to announce our Teacher of the Year for the 2012-2013 school year!  This year's TOTY is Paul Gandolfo.

Mr. Gandolfo readily takes on any subject to teach each year with a positive attitude. In addition to Mr. G's responsibilities as a teacher, he offers technology assistance to those in need with patience, a smile, and sometimes a piece of chocolate. Most importantly, Mr. Gandolfo creates a rapport with his students that have a longlasting effect on them.

E-mail Mr. Gandolfo if you would like to express your congratulations!

2012- 2013 McClure SPOTY Announced!
McClure is proud to announce our Support Professional of the Year for the 2012-2013 school year!  This year's SPOTY is Cathy Strudthoff, our bookkeeper.

Ms. Strudthoff joined the McClure staff in 2008 after working three years at Blackwell Elementary School.  When asked what her favorite thing about McClure, Cathy replied, "the staff and people that come through the office each day!"

E-mail Ms. Strudthoff if you would like to express your congratulations!

New Registrations
If you are moving into  our attendance zone and need to register your student for the 2012-2013 school year, we will have registration day, on July 25th. Please call the school to make an appointment.

Get Involved
McClure students, do you want to be more involved with the McClure community?  Are there untapped skills and interests that you want to explore?  There are lots of clubs and organizations here at McClure that want to meet you!  Download a list of our clubs and organizations and check the McClure calendar at the left to see meeting times and locations.

Back to School Dress Code Information
Please take a few minutes to review the McClure dress code. Additional information can be found in the student handbook.

Sixth Grade University!
Parents of rising sixth graders, do you have a question about next year?  Visit our new Sixth Grade University blog.  Learn great tips and suggestions for how to make your student's transition into middle school a success.

Performing Arts
The purpose of the Performing Arts program is to provide opportunities for our students to experience uniquely rewarding performing arts that might otherwise be unavailable to them.  We try to spark curiosity, broaden awareness of the arts, stimulate minds and emotions.  The program is entirely dependent on your donations.  For more information, please visit the Performing Arts program's website.

Internet Safety
The Internet offers students a wealth of opportunities to communicate, socialize, and explore the world.  These benefits come with certain risks.  Net Cetera:  Chatting with Kids About Being Online is a new guide with practical tips to help parents help their kids navigate the online world.  It's produced by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and covers a variety of topics- from cyberbullying to using mobile phones safely.  Copies will be available during conference week or you can download your own PDF copy.