Eastmont PTSA

5-5, 3-4 pm and other Items

2010-05-04T12:28:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, May 5th from 3:00- 4:00 pm, is LuAnne Gustafson Spring Beautification Project!The weather has NOT cooperated with our plans, but it will tomorrow. Please plan to come and help students, parents. Bring your garden tools - especially shovels and hoes - well marked with your name. We will be sweeping, weedi.ng and planting flowers around the Eastmont grounds. Treats will be had by all!

Memory books are available for purchase on Tuesday, June 1st for $25 CASH
ONLY! If you need to pay with a check, please order one in the next couple of
weeks through the office. There is a short form to fill out. If you aren't
sure if you purchased a memory book already, please contact Kristy Jones at
801.518.1699 to find out.

A needs assessment will be coming home with your student very soon. Please
take a moment to fill it out with your comments. We want to have your
feedback! If you want to get involved with PTSA next year, please contact
Sherilyn Joosten at sherilynjoosten@gmail.com or call her at 801.918.8844! We
would love to have you volunteer at Eastmont in the coming year!

Canyons Tax-Rate-Neutral Bond Election Announced

2010-04-24T12:16:00.001-07:00

Canyons Tax-Rate-Neutral Bond Election Announced

The Canyons District Board of Education is seeking a $250 million, tax-rate-neutral bond to renovate or rebuild aging schools, build a new high school in Draper, and forward the District’s efforts to better prepare students for college and careers. Voters in Cottonwood Heights, Draper, Sandy, Midvale and the town of Alta will be asked June 22 to approve the proposed bond. Please plan to attend any of the informational meetings that will be held throughout May to discuss the projects identified as priorities by the Board of Education. The list of the public meetings will be posted on the District’s Web site, www.canyonsdistrict.org .

Voting in this election is very important. Please plan ahead if you will be out of town June 22. Early voting happens between June 8 – 18^th, Monday-Friday, noon – 6 p.m. Early voting locations are located at Sandy City Hall, Draper City Hall and Cottonwood Heights City Hall. Picture ID is required.

Absentee voting forms are available online at http://www.clerk.slco.org/ . This request needs to be made as soon as possible.

New Date for LuAnne Gustafson School Clean-Up Thursday April 29th

2010-04-24T12:04:00.000-07:00

ease come and encourage your student(s) to come this Thursday, Thursday, April 29th right after school 3:00 to 4:00 pm we are having our annual "LuAnne Gustafson School Clean-up". Please meet in the lower parking lot at 3:00 to split up into work teams. Please dress appropriately, with good work shoes, clothes ...and gloves. WE ESPECIALLY NEED YOU TO BRING HOES AND SHOVELS OF ALL SIZES, CLEARLY MARKED WITH YOUR NAME!!! Treats will be provided. Students who stay to help will be finished by 4:00. This is meant to be a community, as well as a school event.

Do you have $$$ in your lunch account?

2010-04-09T20:49:00.000-07:00

Students of Eastmont:

Please be aware of your lunch money as we enter the Fourth Quarter, the lunch room will not be able to let you eat if you do not have the money in your lunch account.

Thank You, The Eastmont Kitchen

Mr. Fullmer is nominated for the "The Teacher Who Does It Better!" contest

2010-04-08T14:56:00.000-07:00

Mr. Russell Fullmer, a teacher here at Eastmont, has been nominated for the Burt Brothers "The Teacher Who Does It Better!" contest. Please visit http://saltlakeradiocontest.com to vote for him. Mr. Fullmer teaches 7th and 8th grader in Utah Studies, U.S. History and Honors U.S. History.

Here is what was written about him with the nomination: "Russ Fullmer is an outstanding teacher. He uses new technology and the latest information to provide strong instruction. Students love his encouraging learning environment. He is a natural teacher leader. In his data and grade level teams, he uses the time to its fullest, working with colleagues to improve instruction and consistently striving to find interventions that will help struggling students. Russ can often be found mentoring new teachers-even those not assigned to him. He is proactive and positive in the advice that he gives. He is well-respected and is currently working for the State Core for Social Studies."

To vote you will be directed to create a login at ksl.com if you don't already have one. Vote often and support Mr Fullmer and any other of your favorite Canyons teacher! Voting ends April 30th. Congratulations Mr. Fullmer for being nominated!!!

Coming Soon....

2010-04-07T18:19:00.000-07:00

An interview with our PTSA President, Joanne Andrus who has held this position for the last two years!

Annual LuAnne Gustafson Spring Clean-up 4-22 3:00-4:30

2010-04-07T18:15:00.000-07:00

Our Annual LuAnne Gustafson Spring Clean-up is Thursday, April 22nd from 3:00-4:30 pm at Eastmont. There will be more information to follow, but plan to attend with your family!

Next Year's Board--what do you want to help with?

2010-04-07T18:06:00.000-07:00

If you would like to get more involved at Eastmont for the 2010/2011 school year, next year and be a part of the PTSA board we would love to have you. It is an amazing opportunity to work on board and you are able to help with some incredible, people, students and staff at Eastmont. You volunteering TRULY CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE in your life and someone else's life.

If you are interested you can call the main office and let them know what you can do to help at 801 412-2000 or you can leave a comment after this post too. You won't regret your choice.

School Community Council Fundraiser

2010-04-07T17:55:00.000-07:00

The School Community Fundraiser is selling Papa Murphy's Pizza Cards for $5 They are wonderful cards. You won't want to just get one, but several. I personally used one the last time I got pizza and saved a whopping $25.00. For more information call the school at 801 412-2000.

"The 12 Dancing Princesses"

2010-03-16T21:16:00.001-07:00

"The 12 Dancing Princesses" musical the students presented turned out so well. It was so funny and well acted. One reason the musical turned out so well was because of Ms. Kimball. She put in so many hours making sure everything was just so and we are so grateful for her. Also, a big thanks goes to her sister April Kimball, Don Kimball, and to her mom Sharon Kimball. We love them!

A big thanks also goes to Mr. Robertson for doing the scenery and backdrop. It was so gorgeous and we are so grateful for all of his hard work and the sacrifices he and his family made to make this happen. Also, a big thanks to his 2nd period painting class who helped with the set design, and set painting.

We are grateful for the all of those who helped make the play possible and want to thank the those who made the costumes Barbara Jensen, Natalie Hancock, Ms. Kimball, many, many PTSA volunteers, and again Sharon Kimball. There were a lot of them and didn't they look super ?!

And we want to thank everyone else that helped behind the scenes, Collen Koontz our Stage Manager, Lauren Smith, assistant Stage Manager and the rest of the Stage Crew. Also those that did the publicity, Ann Casady, Jolynn Sorensen, and PTSA Volunteers!

Mostly thank you to everyone that helped to those that sold tickets to those that passed out programs and especially to those who came and watched the musical! And a big thank you to all of you that helped that aren't mentioned, yes you know who you are, we are definitely thanking you! Thank you!

Mrs. Johnson (who helped during the play)and her daughter who was a person of Gavotte.
Colleen Koontz our Stage Manager with her daughter,Princess October, Alyssa Koontz.
Mrs. McConnell (who helped during the play) and her daughter, a Lady in waiting.

The 12 Dancing Princesses Tonight, Tomorrow, and this Monday at Seven

2010-03-11T13:03:00.000-08:00

"The 12 Dancing Princesses" will be happening Tonight March the 11th, Tomorrow, Friday, the 12th, and Monday the 15th @ 7 pm @ Eastmont Middle School in the Auditorium. Tickets will be on sale at the door for $5. Mrs. Kimball has been working so many hours on this play as the Artistic and Musical Director and we really, really, APPRECIATE her! Some of her family has even pitched in, her sister April Kimball who has been the assistant Director and her mom, Sharon Kimball has helped with costumes too as well as Barbara Jensen and Natalie Jensen. We don't know what we would do without them.

We really appreciate Mr Robertson for all the work he has done on the fabulous scenery! He has really put in some long hours and hard work! He certainly ROCKS! The scenery is so beautiful and it looks marvelous. Thank you also to his 2nd period class who has helped with this.

Thanks also goes to Jan Sterzer, our Principal, and all of our Administration at Eastmont. For the rest of those who have helped us if you look below you will be able to look at the program which has the list of the cast and the crew, and the staff who has given so much of their time, and talent for our benefit to entertain us. Thank-you, thank-you!!!!

Update on certain bills PTA is following

2010-03-09T07:40:00.000-08:00

The Legislature ends at midnight Thursday, March 11th. We have two more things that we need your help with:

1. HB 82, Protection of Children Riding in a Motor Vehicle (smoking ban in cars with children ages 8 years and under) is waiting to be heard in the Senate. If it passes the Senate, all it needs is the governor’s signature. Please contact your Senator and encourage them to vote for this piece of legislation.

2. The Tobacco Tax— It's Done! Friday afternoon the Senate passed H.B. 196 which was the final piece of the legislative tobacco tax increase puzzle. That bill authorizes a $1.005 increase on cigarettes, which brings the tax to $1.70 per pack; increases the tax on other tobacco products such as chew, pipe and loose tobacco by 51%. Beyond that and very importantly, the bill includes a new inventory tax to discourage stockpiling of tax stamps by tobacco companies prior to the tax taking effect July 1, 2010, and in effect causes the tax to be effective immediately, which precludes the ability of tobacco companies to save money on stamps between now and July 1.

But most importantly, as a result of the increase more than 11,000 smokers will quit almost immediately, over 16,000 kids will never take-up tobacco use, and over $44 million in new revenue will be generated to backfill cuts in very critical state programs. This really has really been a good year for anti-tobacco factions.

While we really should take time to celebrate our very important tobacco tax victory, we still have a lot more work to do. It is now our job to let the Governor know how important it is that he signs the tobacco tax bill into law; we need to flood his office with emails and telephone calls letting him know that increasing the tobacco tax is critical to the health and welfare of Utahns. Contact Governor Herbert’s office and encourage him to sign HB196, the Tobacco Tax bill. Utah PTA has been working with the Tobacco Alliance for the last 18 months to raise the tax on tobacco. You can contact the Governor’s office at:
http://governor.utah.gov/goca/form_comment.html, or call 801-538-1000 or toll free: 1-800-705-2464. In your message to the governor, please also ask him to also sign HB 82 Protection of Children Riding in a Motor Vehicle when it comes to him.
It can't be emphasized enough the criticality of this final effort. As you may have read in the newspaper, big tobacco has imported dozens of lobbyists into our state during the last month, including the national vice-president of public affairs for Phillip Morris, along with a former United States Attorney from Utah to battle us. Tobacco interests have expended literally millions of dollars in their losing effort. These facts alone should make us very proud of our victory. However, they should also make us very wary of the final battle to come and very determined to fight them off one final time (at least this year).

Update on Bills followed by Utah PTA this session—you can check the status of the bills Utah PTA has been following this legislative session at the following
link: http://utahpta.org/bills/2010/

Thanks for your efforts in behalf of the children in Utah!
Cheryl Phipps
Legislative VP
Utah PTA
_______________________________________________
Utahpta mailing list
Utahpta@mailman.xmission.com

Eastmont Middle School Newsletter February 2010

2010-03-05T10:36:00.001-08:00

Patriot:

Prepares to Learn

Respects Self and Others

In the Right Place at the Right Time

Demonstrates Responsible Behavior

Engages in Learning

Main Office:

(801) 412-2000

Attendance:

(801) 412-2013

Counseling:

(801)412-2020

http://eastmontmiddle.canyonsdistrict.org

A Message From the Administration

As parents, teachers and administrators, we are all trying to do the same thing. We are trying to help our students be successful in school. The best way to accomplish this goal is to we work together as a team. During middle school, one of the most common threads among students is their desire to avoid homework. We need to work together to ensure students complete their homework.

In 1987 Lee Cantor and Lee Hausner wrote a book that was a big help to me in raising my children. It is titled Homework Without Tears. The book discusses seven ways to help your child complete his/her homework. I think these ideas haven't changed much over the years and can help every parent who needs assistance in getting their children to complete their homework.

Homework must be done in a proper study area.
Do you have a place at your home where your child has all the supplies he/she needs?
This should be a quiet place away from the television and radio.
Homework must be done on time.
Schedule a time when your child is to do homework, just as you schedule soccer practice. It will become a habit if you have the same time each day.
Children must do homework on their own.
Use encouragement and emphasize your confidence in his/her ability to do the work with just a little boost from you.

Motivate your children to do their best work.

Praise your children often but use specifics so they know exactly why their work is well done.
- If your children are not doing their homework: Communicate assertively.
  Tell your children, clearly and firmly, that you expect them to do their homework. Do not argue. Keep repeating what you want if they try to argue.
- Back up your words with action.
  Give your child a choice. They can do their homework at the specified time or live with the prearranged consequence. No need to raise your voice; it will be their decision. You must be very clear with the expectations and the consequences and follow through with those consequences.
- Your partner at school: the teacher.
  Don't hesitate to form a partnership with the teacher. Let your children know that home and school are putting up a united front to help them succeed.

I would like to add one more important item. Every parent should be checking Skyward at least once a week. You need to be aware of what your child is actually doing in each class. That is how the teachers are able to communicate with you.

Hopefully we can all work together to make sure your child is successful. Eastmont is a great school with teachers who are willing to go the extra mile to help your child. If your child knows that there are people at school and at home that are watching out for them, then chances are they will settle in and become successful students. Please do not hesitate to contact us if we can help in any way.

Eastmont Administration

Counselor's Corner

SEOP's

Student Education and Occupation Plans (SEOP's) are being completed for all 8^th grade students. Parents, if you were not able to attend with your student, please ask him or her to share the information he/she received on credits, graduation requirements, and opportunities for high school.

CRT's for 1^st Semester

7^th grade science CRT's were given the week of January 11, 2010.

6^th Grade Outreach Program

On January 25^th, the 6^th grade students from our feeder elementary schools visited Eastmont during a field trip in the morning, and then visited again with their parents for an informal meeting the next evening. We loved have the 6^th grade students tour our school and watch our band, orchestra, choir, theater, dance, and SBO's perform. We can't wait for them to be a part of our student body next year!

Registration Information

9^th grade students: The registration meeting for 10^th grade will be held on February 9^th at Jordan High School in the evening. This is a mandatory meeting for all incoming sophomores and their parents. Please plan on attending! Registration packets will be handed out at this time.

We are excited to offer the following new courses will be offered at Eastmont next year:

Art 2, grades 8 and 9
Clothing 1, grades 8 and 9
Introduction to Engineering, grades 8 and 9
Mandarin Chinese, grades 8 and 9
AP Human Geography, grade 9

Eastmont's registration for next year's eighth and ninth graders will be held on February 16^th. An orientation assembly will be held during school with registration instructions. The honors applications will be available at this time. 8^th grade honors courses include U.S. History and Language Arts. 9^th grade honors courses include Language Arts, Biology, and possibly Geography. We are offering AP Human Geography as a new course next year. Students will not be required to take the end of the year AP test, but may do so for college credit. Please be aware: If not enough students select AP Human Geography, it will be replaced by Honors Geography. Therefore, all students registering for the AP class need to apply for Honors Geography also. All registration forms are due to the Language Arts teachers on February 19, 2010. Parents, please review your child's choices indicated on the registration card and sign it before Friday, February 19^th.

News from the

Foreign Language Department

Foreign Language Week is February 16th – 19th. As part of this week, Spanish students have been making their own piñatas. On Thursday, February 18th we will show off the students' piñatas in the cafeteria. The student body will vote for their favorite piñatas at lunchtime. Then on Friday, February 19th, we will be breaking open the piñatas in class and eating the candy from inside them.

We look forward to seeing you there!

December and January

Patriots of the Month

December

Paul Little – 7^th

Laura Widenman – 7^th

Jared Foerster – 8^th

Alyssa Jefferson – 8^th

Greyagail Custodio – 9^th

Jacob Stepan – 9^th

January

Hayden Anderl – 7^th

Mariah Larsen – 7^th

Malone Jacoway – 8^th

Ben Steenblik – 8^th

Marie Hunt – 9^th

Jonas Jones – 9^th

Patriots of the Day

Kyle Carmichael – 7^th

Kadelyn Egan – 7^th

Rachel Batty – 8^th

Kyra Bowman – 8^th

Dillin Fisk – 8^th

Ian Hollier – 8^th

Marcus Pace – 8^th

Marley Clark – 9^th

Eastmont Geography Results

Our Eastmont Social Studies department held its annual Geography Bee. It was a great success and our students performed very well. The following students participated:

Stephen Buma Nicolas Winkel

Dylan Moss Hunter Danner

Austin Bell Matthew Abruzzese

Logan Anderson Chelsia Liu

Mason Chavez Tori Anderson

Shantae Lee

Chelsia Liu and Mason Chavez tied for third place, Stephen Buma won second place, and Dylan Moss won first place. Congratulations to all those who participated and placed in this competition!

MESA Meeting

February 17, 6:00 p.m. (room to be announced), MESA students and their parents are invited to attend a meeting. Our guest presenter will be Julie Callahan from the U of U physics and astronomy department. She will be making clouds in a cloud chamber and discussing their research on ultra high ray cosmic energy. It will be a fun and exciting experience to watch. You won't want to miss it!

Eastmont's Musical:

"12 Dancing Princesses"

The work continues with this year's school musical, "12 Dancing Princesses." We have over 100 students involved in this year's musical! Mr. Robertson and his painting class are designing and painting the majority of the set. They started working on this at the beginning of the semester and are working hard every day. Some are even volunteering their time on Saturday's to get the job done. Ms. Hancock helped out with a parent sewing day on Saturday, February 6^th as well. The costumes are now well on their way! Ms. Kimball and Ms. Hall continue to work with the actors and singers to have an outstanding production. This is such a fun and creative opportunity for everyone to get involved. Eastmont is very lucky to have such an outstanding arts program. This is going to be an amazing production – possibly the best one yet! Make sure to come join us on March 11, 12, and 15 to see "12 Dancing Princesses!"

In CTE Introduction the students finished sewing their own aprons. They are now starting to cook and will finish off the trimester by participating in a restaurant experience during class.

FACS Exploration students are beginning to learn about interior design and will be able to create their very own dream room by the end of February.

FOODS has started off the year with cooking and will continue to learn about healthy nutrition. Students are learning about the six essential nutrients in the body and are participating in foods labs that relate to each of the nutrients. These 9^th grade students have the opportunity to participate in a La Caille etiquette night on April 15th.

From the Eastmont Math Department: Math Registration for next year

Due to the sequential nature of mathematical ideas, we only recommended that a student register for the next course if they have successfully learned the previous course material. Successful completion of a course is generally indicated by a C grade or higher. Students who had a C average or lower for the year might benefit from repeating the course to develop a stronger understanding of the course material before moving on to the next class.

Note: Graduation from high school requires three years of different math credit during 9^th – 12^th grade. A student who repeats a math course is given elective credit which does not count toward the math requirement, unless the course was failed.

Questions regarding math placement should be directed to the student's current math teacher as he or she is most familiar with the student's math abilities and study habits. General questions can be directed to Carrie Anderson, Mathematics Department Chair at: carrie.anderson@canyonsdistrict.org.

FOREIGN LANGUAGES OFFERED AT EASTMONT

For the first time this year, Eastmont will be offering CHINESE language instruction. The State Department has identified it as one of the top languages suggested for students to learn. All high schools in the district now offer full Chinese instruction programs. Eastmont offers full programs in Spanish and German as well.

News from the NJHS

On December 8, 2009, Eastmont's National Junior Honor Society had its 2009-2010 Induction Ceremony. Those who attended the induction learned about the five characteristics of NJHS members: Character by Cody Matson, Leadership by Emma Schroeder, Citizenship by Emily Hannah, Service by Kalinee Hansen, and Scholarship by Peter Harrison. They also enjoyed a piano solo by Katie Walter. The keynote speaker, Mary Bailey from the Canyons School District, congratulated the students on their achievement. At the end of the induction ceremony the NJHS officers—Jake Stepan (president), Madison Hill (vice-president), McKayla Monson (secretary), and Mckenna McNaught (historian)—took their oath of office, and all members took the membership oath. The induction was a great success.

New members will be invited to join the NJHS during the month of February. To be considered for membership, a student must:

Be in 9^th grade
Have a cumulative GPA of 3.8 or higher
Have no N's or U's
Complete and turn in the application

Students who meet these requirements will receive an invitation soon.

Upcoming NJHS Activities:

February 11, 2010—service project at Edgemont Elementary School
March 15, 2010—service project at Jordan Valley School

Skyward Family Access

In our ongoing endeavor to improve communication between the school and parents, we will be creating and using an email database from Skyward Family Access to send important communications to parents about upcoming events. If you haven't already, we encourage you to log on to Skyward and enter your email address (see the steps below). This way, we can quickly communicate important events like evening activities or concerts, parent-teacher conferences, this PTSA newsletter, upcoming intramural sports events, etc. We will also be sending out grade progress reports via email as another way for you to keep track of your child's academic progress. If you are interested, follow these simple steps:

Log in to Skyward (for username and password information, call the school at 801-412-2000).
Click on Account Info (upper right-hand side of the page).
Click on Change My Email.
Update your current email address.
Click Save.

We are Going Green

This PTA newsletter will be available on line on Skyward Family Access and also on the PTSA website:

(eastmontptsa.blogspot.com)

If you would rather have a hard copy of the newsletter they will be available in the office, or let us know and one will be mailed to you.

Spring Extravaganza

Come and enjoy a night of entertainment and student work! We want you to participate in a judging contest of student work that will be displayed from every teacher.

When: Thursday, May 6th

Time: Starts at 6:30 p.m.

Where: Eastmont Middle School Auditorium and Gymnasium

Why: Come see performances as well as

great work done by students this year.

Who: Bring your whole family.

Everyone is invited.

The Eastmont Student Senate recently held a free daycare during the 6^th grade orientation night. They brought in toys and games, and played with the younger kids while parents and 6^th graders attended the assembly and toured the school. This was the first time the Senators participated in this kind of a service project, and it was a huge success. A big thanks goes out to Jacob Smith, who brought in a little basketball and hoop, and whose enthusiasm and positive attitude helped the young boys in the daycare room have a great time. This service project would not have been successful without many of the student Senators as well as some very helpful NJHS students.

Why German?

Are you considering taking German as your foreign language? German speaking people have made some great contributions to the world's culture. Have you ever heard of Mozart, Bach, Beethoven, Strauss, Wagner? What about Gutenberg, Fahrenheit, Brandenburg, Einstein, Mendel? Or Goethe, Kafka, Kant, Hegel, Nietzche, Freud, and Jung? These are all Germans or from German speaking countries in the fields of music, literature, psychology, genetics, and philosophy, among others. Knowing German allows you to access the works of these people in their original language and to fully understand the culture whence they derived. Anyone interested in these fields automatically expands their knowledge and skill by knowing German.

Here is a fun list of 12 great reasons to take German:

German is the most widely spoken language in Europe.
Germany has the 3^rd strongest economy and up until this year, it was the #1 export nation in the world.
Knowing German creates business opportunities.
Germans are innovators.
Germans are the biggest spenders of tourist dollars in the world.
The German presence on the Internet supercedes most others.
Germans form the largest single heritage group in the U.S.
1 in 10 books in the world is published in German.
German-speaking countries have a rich cultural heritage.
German is not as hard as you think.
German is required by many undergraduate or graduate programs.
Germany financially sponsors over 60,000 international exchanges each year.

(Information taken from "Why learn German ?" (http://www.vistawide.com/german/why_german.htm
)

Why Does School Attendance Matter?

A message from the Eastmont Administration

Like any other school, Eastmont has rules on the number of days students can be absent. Why are we so concerned about a student's attendance at school? Well, there are several reasons:

Students are likely to get better grades. It's hard to learn if you're not at school. There are some concepts that can only be learned through interaction with peers and teachers. Class discussions and activities can help a student grasp a difficult concept much easier than make-up work completed by the student independently.
Students are likely to get a better job. Research has shown that the more a person is education, the better chance he or she has of obtaining a higher salaried job.

Students are more likely to stay out of trouble. One study found that 78% of those who ended up in prison had a first arrest of school truancy. Students are supervised and safe at school. Truant students are often unsupervised and unprotected as they wander the streets.
Students are more likely to graduate. Students who have attendance issues in their middle school career often drop out of high school. Because they haven't been at school, they have fallen behind in their studies, get overwhelmed when they try to catch up, and so give up and drop out.

The moral of the story is that students should come to school and stay in school. A person's education sets the stage for the rest of his or her life and that education is successfully gained through steady and consistent school attendance. As the administration of Eastmont, we look forward to working with you and your student to ensure an educationally successful experience.

(Information taken from "Student Tips" – a pamphlet series published by The Parent Institute and thechart taken from www.salary.com)

Canyons First Annual 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament

The Canyons School District is holding a 3 on 3 intramural basketball tournament among all eight middle schools this year. Each school is invited to bring two teams for boys and girls in each grade to the tournament, which will be held at Jordan High on March 16, 17, and 18. Schools will provide team jerseys, the district will provide the venue and officiating, and students will provide the talent and school spirit. Eastmont is currently in the midst of a school play-off to find our school representatives. We invite all patriots to come cheer our teams on in March as we take on the rest of the district. GO PATRIOTS!

PTSA NEWS

Hello, Parents and Patriots!

Our biggest news is the success of our recent Parent's Day! We were literally "tickled pink" with nearly 300 supportive parents who came. Those who stayed the entire day were exhaustedJ, but happy to have experienced a day in the life of their middle schooler. If you were able to come for any portion of the day, we hope you felt the great school culture at Eastmont. We are so lucky to have such wonderful, supportive administration, teachers and staff. Thanks to all of them and to our workshop presenters for making Parent's Day possible!

Parent Teacher Conference is the next event for you as parents and students to be aware of. They will be held in the gym on Tues. Feb. 23^rd and Weds. Feb. 24^th. Traditionally, these conferences are less attended than those in the fall. We hope you will make it a priority to come and officially check on how your individual student is doing. We will have our Book Fair set up so you can see what your child's latest reading interests are. Also, the Patriot Store will be available. We still have a few Spirit t-shirts left but they will go fast. Our new hoodies are dwindling, as well as the embroidered grey ones. Stop by and check it out.

We are kicking off our "Green Family" Contest at the POM assembly on Feb. 24^th. Please see the article in this newsletter for all the details of the contest. We hope your family will make it a priority to work on something to decrease your footprint on the world, even if it is just using the recycling system we already have set up through Sandy City. It is convenient and streamlined, so no sorting and bagging. Check into it if you don't utilize your green recycling can yet!

At the Feb. 24^th POM, we will also be electing our PTSA Executive Board for 2010-2011, so feel free to attend. PTSA members will vote at approximately 8:00 am. Nominations are as follows:

President: Sherilyn Joosten

President Elect: (Your name could be hereJ-contact me!)

Legislative VP: Allan Nelson

Treasurer: Roxie Moss

Secretary: Jyl Eldred

Membership VP:

We are excited to involve more people (including fathers and grandparents) next year, as board members and as volunteers, as we make a difference at Eastmont through PTSA.

Out of the over 200 students who auditioned, we have 150 who are actually participating in our school musical this year! They are very excited and it will be a GREAT show! Ms. Kimball, Mr. Robertson and many parents are busy getting all of the details in place. You won't want to miss it! Call us if you'd like to help out with costumes, sets, make-up, publicity, etc.

Musical: 12 Dancing Princesses

Dates: March 11^th, 12^th and 15^th

Time: 7:00 pm curtain

Ticket Prices: $3.00 in advance and $5.00 at the door

Tickets will be going on sale in the Main Office very soon, so watch for a flyer coming home. (Call me for a group rate if you have a group of 20 or more... 801-597-4834)

If you would like to preorder your Memory Book, please fill out a form and pay in the Main Office. The cost is $25.

We hope you will plan to join us for the annual LuAnne Gustafson Spring Clean-up on April 28^th at 3:00. We want to encourage community as well as student and faculty participation to honor LuAnne's memory and to make a difference at the school. Have you noticed all the school improvements this year, inside and out? It has been exciting to see the wonderful changes to make our school a more welcoming place. We care about making our school conducive to learning by making it pleasant to be there.

Lastly, it is not too late to join PTSA! If you haven't taken the opportunity to lend your support to our organization, please stop in at the Main office or at PTC and join our team. We are making a difference and you can, too. Be involved in your student's life and their success will follow! Thank you for all you do to make Eastmont such a great school!!!

Sincerely,

Joanne Andrus

Eastmont PTSA President

Classroom Volunteers

Thanks to the following volunteers for going in and volunteering in the classroom:

Carolyn Martell Lenice Paulsen Jon Hines Joanne Andrus

Lynn Ramsey Spencer Babcock

Leslie Enriquez Mara King

Marakina Allen Teri Rasmussen

David Willis Kari Christian

Ruthie Smith Kara Allen

Christy Robertson Dan Christian

Roxie Moss Ralph Ramsey

Cami Vail Bryan Chamberlin

Bruce Larsen

If you are interested in going into your child's classroom or anywhere in the school please let me know. I will contact the teacher and find out how they might need help. I can be contacted at 801-942-7447. Don't forget our Walk-in Fridays, if you signed up on the "3 for Me" volunteer list at the first of the year, or even if you didn't. Those parents promised at least 3 volunteer hours for the year. How are YOU doing with that goal? Feel free to come into the Main Office on any Friday and they will send you to help a teacher. It will be greatly appreciated!

Classroom Volunteer Coordinator

Charlene Greene

Legislature

It's very important to know what's going on in our community and state. Here are some resources that can help keep you informed:

A lot is happening in the new Canyons District. Go to www.canyonsdistrict.org for information about the latest happenings including some proposed changes. They encourage anyone to email them with input and suggestions.

The Utah Legislature is now in session. The above Canyons website has a link to the legislature or you can go to www.le.state.ut.us. You can even listen or watch online all legislative floor & committee sessions. Also, at www.utahpta.org , you can find out which bills the pta is following and their position on them. You can even get on the pta's member to member network by emailing Cheryl Phillips, the Utah PTA's Legislative VP, at cheryl@utahpta.org. You will receive emails directly from her updating or alerting you to issues that Utah PTA is following that might need your immediate attention by contacting your legislator.

Let's all get involved in our children's future! By being informed and letting our voices be heard, we can make a difference!

Recycling

With the start of a new year comes hope, change and most importantly, opportunity; Opportunity to make a difference! We all want our children to have a better life than us, to live their best life. In order for them to have a better life, they need a safe, healthy place to live. It is up to each of us to do our part to insure that our children have that safe, healthy place to live.

So, what can you do? Here are some tips to get you started.

· Buy only what you need, Plain and simple—don't over purchase.

· Recycle! Visit Earth 911 and learn about all the things you can recycle. There are a lot of great articles to help you go green.

· Bag it up the green way. Many stores sell reusable bags and charge to provide plastic grocery bags. When walking your dog and cleaning up after them use a biodegradable bag rather than a plastic bag. You can get biodegradable bags at any pet store. If you decide to use plastic bags, remember to recycle them. Thousands of locations are available across the country.

· Clear the air. Carpool, ride the bus, use public transportation or bike to work. Save fuel and time by planning ahead and consolidating trips into one trip.

These are just a few of the many ways we can make a difference, so lets get started.

Don't forget about our "At Home Green Family Contest" starting on February 24^th going through March 25^th. The winner gets a $50.00 gift card. Here's what you need to know to enter the contest. This contest will take place in the student's homes. We want the students to get their whole family involved. We will select a winner according to the following criteria:

1. Make sure your entry clearly explains how you are saving the earth. The photo should help show us what you did, but don't worry if you can't recreate the action -- a picture of the people who did it is great too.

2. Ease of implementation. We want others to learn from you, so please tell us the steps needed to put your idea into action, including any tools or costs that might be involved.

3. Tell us how this can reduce our environmental footprint.

4. Originality. Show us your creativity.

5. Share your feelings with us on how this contest has helped you make a difference.

6. A parent must sign off this project as well.

Don't forget to submit a great photo!

Till next time, keep feedin' the bins.

Would you like to become a business partner with Eastmont and help make Eastmont look even better?

2010-02-23T10:27:00.000-08:00

We are on the lookout for businesses who are interested in giving money to Eastmont for some major improvements that we don't have the money for now. Some of the items that we are in need of are a new electronic marquee, painting all the lockers in the school, etc. There is no minimum amount, but we would love it if you would consider giving it yearly, although no money would be turned down. If you are interested your business would be recognized on a "Business Partnerships" display/wall which is a very visible wall at the bottom entrance to the school. (It is the wall right in front as you walk in the lower doors. This is great advertising and helps the school improve our community. We have many community events in our school such as Jr. Jazz, Canyon school district classes etc. that happen and others who use our auditorium.) If you are interested in becoming a business partner please contact our principal, Jan Sterzer at Eastmont at (801) 412-2000.

Green Family Contest

2010-02-23T09:00:00.001-08:00

Green Family Contest is going on now. If you don't know what it is please ask you student. It is a family contest that is all about being "GREEN" but you probably figured that out by the the name of the contest. Please be Green and Recycle!!!!

Parent Teacher Conference

2010-02-23T08:52:00.000-08:00

Parent Teacher Conference will be Tuesday, February 23rd and Wednesday, February 24th from 4 pm to 8 pm. There will be a book fair both nights and the Patriot Store will also be opened. If you haven't signed up for PTSA you can also still do so tonight.

Also, we will be begin selling ticket to our school play, "12 Dancing Princesses" at Parent Teacher Conferences. It will be performed by some of our students at Eastmont March 11th, 12th, and 15th at 7:00 pm. Tickets will be $3 if purchased in advance or if purchased the night of the show they will be $5.

Information on the HB-292

2010-02-23T08:11:00.000-08:00

To all,

Dr. Doty and the Canyons School district really needs our help with the HB 292 bill. They are having a House Education Committee Hearing on Wednesday from 4-6 pm. It would be really beneficial to anyone who can come help support the Canyons side in regards to this bill. The Jordan district has set up a facebook account and has a lot of support, so we need people there as well. There will be some testimony from each side, but if we could have people there for moral support it would be really great. I urge everyone to really read through this and definetly contact the legistlators involved. (You can find their information at the very bottom of the e-mail) I am sure you have all heard about this in the news the last couple of days...we don't want this bill to pass!! Spread the word to others who are not on this e-mail list and educate as many people as you can. If anyone has any questions, let me know.

Thanks,

Hi Everyone,

HB 292, Equalization of Funding between Jordan and Canyons district is heating up. We cannot let the legislators on the House Education Committee hear only from Jordan District constituents, so I am urging you to write an email to each of the committee members this weekend and let your voice be heard that you strongly oppose this equalization bill. If passed, Canyons District would be obligated to pay an additional $15 million each year to Jordan to help them maintain their programs and operate their schools. The people of the towns of Cottonwood Heights, Sandy, Draper, Midvale Alta, all within the Canyons District boundaries, voted 3 years ago for this split so that we could focus the money paid from our taxes on our own schools and schoolchildren. HB292 will essentially undo that decision.

Some of the points you could make in your email to the legislators:

Our property taxes will increase if an additional $15 million of the Canyons operating budget is sent to Jordan District.
We are already helping Jordan pay off 57% of their bond (of which less than 3% was spent on any of our schools) and $4 million in capital equalization that we did not approve in the vote to split. No other district is receiving this kind of handout.
The equalization was not part of what voters agreed to and changing the terms of the split after the vote is unfair. We voted to allow our tax dollars go to upgrading our schools.
Our schools have been neglected for years and require more than $600 million in repair, renovation, and rebuilding to bring them up to appropriate standards. By Jordan's own admission, it would be 20 years before they could afford any renovations, other than for code violation or disaster, on the east side. Our schools are riddled with problems: open classrooms, boilers that run on coal and cost more in maintenance than replacement, asbestos, seismic disasters (many schools would pancake in the event of an earthquake), electric capability that will not handle technology (including computers for the testing which is now being required by the legislature)
Two of the other largest school districts in the state, Alpine and Davis, spend less money per student than Jordan does. Why should Jordan be equalized when they are not?
Jordan has had 3 years to make adjustments and has thus far failed to do so. Canyons had 6 months to put the district together (without any collaborative effort from Jordan) and is looking to the future and moving forward.

Please use your own words and include specifics that would affect you and/or your school directly. However, keep it as simple and short as possible. Do not send a blanket email to all the legislators unless you put them as a "bcc". They are more likely to read your email if it is not a mass email.

Thank you for your time and effort in writing to these legislators. I know it is time consuming, but this affects every taxpayer in the Canyons District, whether or not you currently have children attending public schools. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. Also, forward this to anyone on your email list who may be interested in writing a letter. Look for the names and email addresses of the legislators listed below.

Julie Clawson

801-558-3801

House Education Committee

Representative

City

Email

Phone

Greg Hughes, Chair

Draper

greghughes@utah.gov

Kenneth Sumsion, Vice Chair

American Fork

ksumsion@utah.gov

Johnny Anderson

Taylorsville

janderson34@utah.gov

Laura Black

Sandy

lblack@utah.gov

Brad Dee

Ogden

bdee@utah.gov

Rebecca Edwards

North Salt Lake

beckyedwards@utah.gov

Craig Frank

Cedar Hills

cfrank@utah.gov

Don Ipson

St. George

dipson@utah.gov

Brad Last

St. George

blast@utah.gov

Carol Spackman Moss

Cottonwood Heights

csmoss@utah.gov

Merlynn Newbold

South Jordan

merlynnnewbold@utah.gov

Marie Poulson

Sandy

mariepoulson@utah.gov

Kraig Powell

Heber City

kraigpowell@utah.gov

Mark Wheatley

Murray

markwheatley@utah.gov

We are now on Facebook----Check us out!

2010-02-08T07:28:00.000-08:00

If you have a Facebook account then please become a fan of the Eastmont Middle School PTSA page. We started this page so you, the parents would have another way to know what is happening at Eastmont. Also, coming soon we will have a twitter account that will also give info about the school for those of you who Twitter.

We are excited to see you at Parent's day, Wednesday, February, 10th. It is sure to be a great day. It starts from 7:30 am-2:50 pm. We will be Tickled Pink to have you @ Eastmont! You can come for part of the day or all of the day. There are parent activities offered throughout the day or you may want to join us at our PTSA Board Meeting that will be happening from 9-10:00am. If you want you can wear pink or the Eastmont colors!

Also the PTSA Student Council is selling Candy Gram's for $1 during lunch time, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday of this week. And as you might have heard the students are collecting money for Haiti to give to the Red Cross too. Happy Valentine's Day to you and your family!

No Name Calling Week

2010-01-22T16:24:00.000-08:00

No Name Calling Week is January 25th through January 29th

No Cussing, No Dissing

Here is a little info about what "No Name-Calling Week" is about and how it came to be. It was inspired by a youth novel entitled "The Misfits" by James Howe. The book is about four best friends trying to survive the seventh grade in the face of all too frequent taunts on their weight, height, and intelligence. The "Gang of Five" (as they are known) creates a new political party during student council elections and run on a platform aimed at wiping out name-calling of all kinds. Though they lose the election, they win the support of the school's principal for their cause and their idea for a "No Name-Calling Day" at school.

The "No-Name-Calling Week" tries to seek national attention to focus on the problem of name-calling in the schools, and to provide students and educators with the tools and inspiration to launch an on-going dialogue about ways to eliminate name-calling in their communities.

Musical--12 Dancing Princess Needs Parents Help!

2010-01-22T15:46:00.000-08:00

There is going to be a Parent Help Day on Saturday, February 6th. Parents are needed to come anytime between 10am-4pm to help with sewing or helping with scenery. The sewing isn't super hard are so don't let that scare you. Even if you don't have a child in the play we would love your help! We will be using the school's sewing machines so all you need to bring is yourself! We also will be working on the scenery that day too. We still need someone to Head up publicity for the musical. So if you know someone who is interested or you would love to do this then let us know by leaving a comment on this blog or by calling the school and having them leave a message for the PTSA.

The 12 Dancing Princesses will be performing on Thursday, March 11th, Friday, March 12th and Monday, March 15th. This is a musical you will not want to miss!

Tickled Pink to Have You @ Eastmont----PTSA Parent's Day

2010-01-22T15:16:00.000-08:00

Parent's Day

On Wednesday, February 10th from 7:30 am--2:50 pm parents are invited to experience
"A day in the life" of your Middle Schooler at the "Tickled Pink to Have You @ Eastmont." PTSA Parent's Day.

This will give you an opportunity to go with your student to all 8 classes, or duck out for a while and attend some of the parent activities offered throughout the day, including our PTSA Board Meeting from 9-10:00 am. Administrators and counselors will be available to talk with you about any concerns or question. Drop into the Media Center for a treat sometime. And those parents tough enough to stay the entire day will get a special surprise! So, invite another parent to come with you and get a baby-sitter or take off work. We'd be "tickled pink" if you'd join us! (Feel free to weak pink or Eastmont colors.) If you want you can eat lunch with your middle schooler. Lunches are $3.00 Thanks!!!
We'll look forward to seeing you then!

Please turn all cell phones off or on silent mode while at Parent's Day. If you absolutely must take a call please sit on the back row by the door and take all phone calls quietly in the hall. Thank-you for being respectful to our teachers and students.

Eastmont Newsletter December 2009

2009-12-06T14:56:00.001-08:00

Main Office:

(801) 412-2000

Attendance:

(801) 412-2013

Counseling:

(801)412-2020

http://eastmontmiddle.canyonsdistrict.org/home.html

Dear Parents and Students,

We are pleased to give a very encouraging progress report on the performance of our wonderful Eastmont students. Student achievement has never been higher, and we attribute much of the improvement we are seeing to the new programs: ZAP and Patriot Time, which includes Concept Mastery and Tutorial classes as well as Study Hall and Stretch Learning activities. Middle schools in our district and neighboring districts report that, on average, about 7% of grades earned in any quarter are failing (F) grades. Due to our efforts over the past few years, Eastmont pulled that number down to about 5%. However, first quarter report card statistics show that almost 98% of grades earned were passing grades (2.3% F grades)! Teachers are reporting that student behavior, engagement, and effort are very strong. Even tardies have decreased.

We want to thank you for your support. We are grateful for the Friday collaboration time which has provided the time needed to improve instruction and to organize many of the support programs we have implemented. Your support in seeing that your students are here, on time, every day with materials needed and homework completed is appreciated. We thank you for sending us this great group of students – it is a pleasure to associate with them.

With warmest regards,

Jan Sterzer, Principal

Counselor's Corner

SEOP's

Student Education and Occupation Plans (SEOP's) are being completed for all 8^th grade students. Parents, if you were not able to attend with your student, please ask them to share the information they received on credits, graduation requirements, and opportunities for high school.

CRT's for 1^st Semester 7^th grade science students.

Science CRT's will be given the week of January 4-8, 2010. Parents, please make sure your 7^th grade student gets a good night's sleep and a nutritious breakfast before the test.

Sixth Grade Outreach Program

We are excited to provide sixth grade students and their parents with the opportunity to visit and learn more about Eastmont. In January, the sixth grade students from our feeder elementary schools will visit Eastmont during a field trip in the morning, and then visit again with their parents for an informal meeting in the evening. A flyer will be sent home from the elementary schools with more information.

Registration Information

9^th grade students- the registration meeting for 10^th grade will be February 9^th at Jordan High School, in the evening. This is a mandatory meeting for all incoming sophomores and their parents. Please plan on attending!

7^th to 8^th and 8^th to 9^th grade registration will be in February. An orientation assembly will be held during school with registration instructions. The honors applications will be available at this time. 8^th grade honors courses include U.S. History and Language Arts. 9^th grade honors courses include Geography, Language Arts and Biology. Watch for upcoming due dates.

Update from the EMS

Social Studies Department

The Social Studies Department was once again able to have a special Veterans' Day activity to honor those who have served and currently serve in our armed forces. The highlight of this day is the visit from several veterans to many of the classrooms. Eight veterans from World War II up to those currently serving in Iraq and Afghanistan were able to speak to the students on a variety of topics. These included the importance of education, citizenship, service, and respect for the flag and country. Many experiences were also shared from the individual service of these brave veterans. Most classes were also able to write letters of appreciation to those who have served and continue to serve our country. A special thanks to Mr. Critchlow for organizing this special day.
The Social Studies Department will also be sponsoring the National Geographic Geography Bee on Wednesday, January 13. This is a competition open to all 7th and 8th grade students at Eastmont. The Bee will take place in Room 303 (Ms. Riley) from 3:00-4:00 on that day. Please listen for an announcement regarding an information meeting. Also starting in December, several Social Studies teachers will be using Patriot Time to prep students for the event. We look forward to having many students participate in our school Bee with a chance to move on to state and even national levels.

Dance Classes to Perform

at POM Assembly

The Dance 1 classes will be performing at the Dec. 23rd Patriot of the Month assembly. The three classes have been working hard on their dances and have even helped to choreograph. When you think about dance, you may only think about girls in classes. This year, we are lucky to have boys dancing, too. There are only a handful of students in these classes that have any dance experience and so many will be performing for the first time. We have had a blast getting ready for this assembly and would like to invite parents to come enjoy this opportunity to see them show off all their hard work! The assembly will be on Dec. 23rd at 8 am. Please join us if you can!

--Jean Dubach

And, Action!

Miss Hall's Intermediate Theatre class has been working very hard on this semester's student production "Wake Up, Wonderland!" The original play was written by her students, and it will be cast, directed, choreographed, and costumed by them as well -- all under the watchful eye of their fearless leader, Miss Hall. Though the process is difficult and time-consuming, the students actually learn more from it than they would just being handed a script. According to Miss Hall, "The students are making cross-curricular connections, creating new friendships, boosting their confidence, and so much more. It is such a thrill to see how enthusiastic they get about something THEY created." There will be a performance for the community on Tuesday night, January 12th at 6:30 p.m. It will be performed again the following day for a school assembly at 8:00 a.m. We hope to see you there!

Boys and Girls Basketball

Off to a Great Start

The 9th grade boys and girls basketball teams are set and ready to start the season. 13 Boys and 12 Girls were selected for their respective teams.

The girls team features a lot of height and looks to be a strong contender in a smaller district that lost most of the top girls teams with the split of the two districts, leaving Eastmont as an early favorite.

The boys team appears to have a great combination of height and speed. After a successful division championship last year, this team appears ready to once again take the title. The boys team features a large center/power forward combination with strong guard and wing players that will help propel them past their competition. Look for the team to once again feature strong 3-point shooters and post play.

Please come and support these Eastmont athletes at each of their games played at Alta High School.

Saturday, December 19
4:45 PM Eastmont Girls vs. Mount Jordan Girls
6:15 PM Eastmont Boys vs. Mount Jordan Boys

Saturday, January 16
3:15 PM Eastmont Boys vs. Crescent View Boys
4:45 PM Eastmont Girls vs. Crescent View Girls
6:15 PM Eastmont Boys vs. Indian Hills Boys

Saturday, January 23
4:45 PM Eastmont Girls vs. Albion Girls
6:15 PM Eastmont Girls vs. Albion Boys

Saturday, January 30
12:30 PM Eastmont Girls vs. Union Girls
2:00 PM Eastmont Boys vs. Union Boys

Saturday, February 6
12:30 PM Eastmont Boys vs. Midvale Boys
2:00 PM Eastmont Girls vs. Midvale Girls

Saturday, February 13
3:15 PM Eastmont Boys vs. Butler Boys
4:45 PM Eastmont Girls vs. Butler Girls
6:15 PM Eastmont Girls vs. Indian Hills Girls

Playoffs
Saturday, February 20 and Saturday, February 27 – to be announced

-- Scott Church

Ms. Sinclair's Book Club

Ms. Sinclair's book club is reading The Wednesday Wars this quarter. Students of Ms. Sinclair and their parents are invited to read this funny (and occasionally touching) book and attend the meeting, which will be January 7, 2010, at 7:00 in her room (311).

EASTMONT STUDENTS TO COMPETE
IN NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC BEE

WHAT: First round of the 2010 National Geographic Bee

WHERE: Eastmont Middle School, 10100 South 1300 East

WHEN: January 13, 2010

WHO: Any interested 7^th or 8^th grade student

HOW: For the 22nd year, the National Geographic Society is holding the National Geographic Bee for students of schools across the United States and in the five U.S. territories, as well as in Department of Defense Dependents Schools around the world. The 2010 Bee is sponsored by Google. The winner of the Eastmont Bee will advance to the next level of competition, a written examination to determine state competitors. All school winners are eligible to win the national championship and its first place prize, a $25,000 college scholarship, at the national competition May 25 and 26, 2010 in Washington, D. C.

Canyons Family Center Fully Operational

The Canyons Family Center will be fully operational in January. Evening classes will be available on a variety of topics. Anger Management, First Offenders/Drug and Alcohol class, and Tobacco Cessation are now available as well as short term family counseling. These services are offered at no cost to families. Call the Canyons Family Center for specific information at 501-1400.

EMS Students Achieve Academic Excellence

And High Citizenship Honors

We have been extremely impressed with our students this year. EMS students have achieved academic and citizenship excellence like never before. We have included those students who attended school 100% of first quarter and those who earned a 4.0. We wish we could include all of the students for honor roll, those who earned all H's in each class, and those who went the entire first quarter with no tardies, but there simply isn't room. However, come check out our display cases by the main office to see all of the students who accomplished these remarkable challenges and their pictures. Just for your information, here are the statistics:

8H Club (those who achieved all H's on their citizenship grades in each of their eight classes): 353 students
No Tardies (those who were never late to a single class): 286 students
100% Attendance (those students who did not miss a single day): 110 students
"A" Team (those students who earned straight A's): 146 students
Honor Roll (those students who earned a 3.5 GPA or better): 452 students

These are amazing numbers and we congratulate our wonderful EMS students and their parents for their academic dedication and hard work. GO PATRIOTS!

What is ESL?

A small group of students at Eastmont are classified as "ESL". ESL is an acronym for English as a Second Language. This acronym isn't always accurate, however. For many of our ESL students, English is not their second language but rather their third, fourth or even fifth. A more appropriate term that has taken root is ELL, which stands for English Language Learner.

Our ELL students at Eastmont come from countries all over the globe, including: Thailand, the Ukraine, Tanzania, Brazil, and Mexico. These students bring a wonderful element of diversity to our school. ELL students go to seven class periods in the day, just like traditional students. This is a practice that is called immersion; studies show that being immersed in a language is the best way to acquire it. Many of our regular education teachers have been trained in how to accommodate for language learners. In addition to immersion, some ELL students also attend a language acquisition class during the school day where they learn basic reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills. This class, taught by Mrs. Hollingshead, an ESL-endorsed teacher, is designed specifically for ELL students new to the country.

Though they are few in number, Eastmont's English Language Learners are a great presence in our school. We are lucky to have them here.

Mathcounts Revs Up for Another Season

Eastmont Middle School is proud to announce the formation of this year's Mathcounts Club and Team. Students who love to work on difficult math problems, use teamwork to solve challenges, and like to race the clock will have the opportunity to compete for a spot on the district team of four. The team will compete with teams from the Canyons District in February with an opportunity to advance to the state level of competition later in the year.

The first meeting for Eastmont's Mathcounts was during Patriot Time on Thursday, Dec 3, 2009. All interested students may come and work on practice problems. Regular meeting times will be decided once the members can agree on an appropriate time for all. Although only four students can move on to the district competition, ALL students may participate in the club and have a chance to compete for the honor of being one of Eastmont's best.

Mathcounts is a national program designed to "inspire excellence, confidence and curiosity in U.S. middle school students". The program is for grades 6 – 8 and involves more than 500 chapters (school districts) nationwide. Eastmont will join many prestigious private and charter schools in competing against the best math students in the U.S.

-- Ms. Santoro, Mathcounts Advisor

Cross-Country Team Places 3^rd Overall &

Demonstrates True Patriot Character

Character was the name of the game during the district-wide intramural cross-country meet held at Eastmont on Saturday, October 24. And our Patriot athletes demonstrated true character as they tackled two miles of Eastmont's infamous hills. Our seventh grade athletes performed exceptionally well with Lauren Christensen placing first for the girls and Alex Robertson and Alec Finke placing first and second respectively for the boys. Out of over 70 runners each for girls and boys, Lauren also took third place with a time of 15:02 and Alex placed second overall with a time of 12:16. As a team, the boys ran well placing four Eastmont runners in the top 13. Eastmont placed third in the overall team competition tying with Albion Middle. We are very proud of our Eastmont runners and wish to thank them and their coaches, Mr. Lombardi and Mr. Church, for their hard work and determination.

Besides demonstrating character on the cross-country course, one of our athletes also demonstrated true Patriot character. There was one boy from another school who was determined to finish the race, though he wouldn't earn his team the points needed to place. His coach and team ran with him the last lap around the west field trying to encourage him to stay and finish the race. But his team and coaches weren't the only ones running with him, our very own Desie Thorn in her Patriot red jersey also ran cheering him on. Did she know this athlete? No. Was he part of her team? No. Was there any reason for Desie to run beside him to the finish line? Yes. Desie exemplifies the very definition of a patriot – someone who stands up for what she

believes in, cares about and serves others, and never loses sight of

what really matters, even if it means cheering on the competition. So to Desie and the rest of the team, we say thank you for representing Eastmont well – on and off the course. We are proud of you. We really do have the best students! GO PATRIOTS!

A Message from the Eastmont Mathematics Department 2009-2010

The National Mathematics Advisory Panel released a report in 2008 about mathematics education in the United States. I want to share some of that report with you:

"In today's highly competitive economy, solid skills in mathematics, including algebra, are a necessity—not just for scientists and engineers, but for everyone. Being proficient in mathematics helps to improve students' college and career options and to increase their future income levels."

"Studies have shown that it is effort, and not inherent talent, that make the critical difference between success and failure in math. When it comes to math, the evidence shows it is truly worth the effort".

"As a parent, you may be anxious about your own math skills or perhaps feel challenged by the difficulty of your child's math homework, but your child will benefit greatly if you maintain a positive, encouraging attitude. And whether or not you completely understand your child's math assignments, you can still help as he or she progresses through school by asking the right questions, helping your child approach the problems with the right attitude and getting extra help from the teacher or a tutor as needed".

(for the whole report visit: www.ed.gov/mathpanel)

--Dept. Chair Carrie Anderson

New Moon Book Talk

Hosted by Sandy Library

The Salt Lake County Library System hosted a New Moon book talk for Eastmont Middle School students on Thursday, November 19, just in time for the movie launch! The kids who attended had a great time. We appreciated the public library's efforts to help us teach kids that library use is a lifelong privilege

that leads to success.
Eastmont Middle School's December book talk will be given by author Lisa Mangum, whose book The Hourglass Door hit book shelves this year! We are excited to have her speak to our students.
Who:
Shadow Mountain's Lisa Mangum, author of The Hourglass Door
When:
Wednesday, December 16, 2009, 3:00 – 3:30
Where:
Eastmont Middle School Library
We had a great crowd when Brandon Mull visited us last December. We hope to provide the same for Lisa Mangum this year! Deseret Book will also be here to sell copies of Ms. Mangum's books. Please come join us!

Announcing Our Instrumental

Holiday Concerts!

Our Winter Concerts will be December 15th for Band and Jazz Band and December 22nd for Orchestra. Both the band and the orchestra concerts will include a special combined number, Leroy Anderson's "Sleigh Ride." The Symphonic Band will also be performing an arrangement of Mannheim Steamroller's Stile Nacht. The Advanced Orchestra will be performing selections from Tchaikovsky's "Nutcracker." Both concerts are free and open to the public. Come see the talented young musicians in our community!

The Writing Program MY ACCESS:

Eastmont's Latest Tool for

Teaching Writing

We are positively THRILLED that our school has started using an online writing program called MY ACCESS. With this online writing program, students are able to write an essay and get immediate feedback on what they can do to improve their writing. In addition, MY ACCESS provides a program for brainstorming and outlining, an online editor, a word bank and thesaurus for commonly used verbs, adjectives, and adverbs, and many different formats of writing for students to practice. We are excited about this program partly because it gives instant feedback to students, but also because students can use the program to monitor their progress as writers. It encourages helpful revision, allows students to use the program at home, and helps students become invested in their own improvement. This program has been a key tool in improving writing for students who use it. A neighboring middle school in the district has used MY ACCESS for the past two years and the students' writing scores were a full 2 points higher (out of 30 points) than the district average. This is a significant improvement, especially since many schools have felt that they are at a plateau. This program will not be used to replace classroom curriculum, but rather a tool where students can practice their writing by doing more of it.

Math Tutoring Available

Eastmont has Math Tutoring for kids who are struggling with a math concept. The students are welcome to come at 7:00 am on Wednesday mornings to Ms. Santoro's room for help with any math class. Her room is on the east side of the second floor—room 203. If your child has trouble with an assignment in the evening encourage them to come early for help with Ms. Santoro.

Eastmont's Musical Is Up and "Dancing"

Eastmont Middle School is building a wonderful tradition of having a school musical each year! This year Eastmont will be presenting '12 Dancing Princesses' on March 11th, 12th and 15th! Auditions were held the week before Thanksgiving and there was a great turn out! Over 200 students participated in the audition process this year. The preparation begins on December 8th with the first cast meeting. The students involved will be rehearsing long and intense hours after school to create the best show possible. As always we need all the help we can get! If you can help with costumes, set building, props, make-up, student supervision or in any other way please contact Ms. Kimball by phone (801-412-2000) or by email (lara.kimball@canyonsdistrict.org). There is so much talent at Eastmont Middle School! It is fun to see our students succeed, grow, and learn through the arts!

VISUAL ART INSTITUTE COMES TO EASTMONT

On September 21^st the Visual Art Institute began offering classes at Eastmont Middle School. Approximately 36 students took classes in drawing and painting. The Visual Art Institute is Utah's premier after school art program for children and teens. Local professional artists mentor students, ages 5 to 18, in multiple mediums. In its 31-year history, the Visual Art Institute has worked with literally thousands of students.

An unexpected by-product of working with children on maintaining their creativity is that the overall academic performance of students improves. National studies have found that students who regularly study the arts do better on SAT tests and are more likely to participate in activities such as Science Fairs.

The Visual Art Institute has drawn students from all along the Wasatch Front with a large number of those students coming from Alta, Brighton, Hillcrest, and Jordan High Schools, along with their respective feeder schools. Holding classes at Eastmont Middle School significantly benefits these students and their families who have been commuting up to the site in Sugarhouse.

This term we have an Introductory Drawing class for elementary age students; this is the basic class that introduces students to a variety of drawing techniques and concepts. We also are offering a class in painting.

Middle School and High School youth can take classes in Bookmaking, Charcoal and Acrylic Drawing, Expressive Drawing (Large format abstraction), and Graphic Design. These classes focus on building technical skills and introducing students to in-depth learning. Students can actively build portfolios for college

entrance. More than 30 colleges and universities have offered scholarships to students of Visual Art Institute. The new semester begins the week of January 4^th. For more information you can visit their website at visualartinstitute.org or call 801-474-3796. Enroll today.

Volunteers Needed for Canyons Literature

Selection Committee

Our school is looking for a parent volunteer to be on the Canyons District Literature Selection Committee. This committee decides which books are approved for the classroom and which are not. It is comprised of one teacher and one parent from each middle school, and in addition, two district personnel. As a volunteer, you would be sent information on the books being considered and asked to read the book and decide whether you thought it was appropriate for classroom use. The committee meets three times a year (the first meeting has already passed) and gets a new list of books for each meeting. If there are no books up for approval, then the committee doesn't meet. All updates and information are sent via email, except for meetings. This is a year to year volunteer opportunity. If you are not interested after the first year, someone else will be appointed. For further inquiries or if you are interested please contact Maggie Jensen at margaret.clark@canyonsdistrict.org. Thanks in advance for volunteering!

NEWS FROM EASTMONT'S SENATE

This month the Eastmont Senators visited Edgemont and Alta View Elementary Schools. We performed anti-bullying skits for the fifth and sixth graders. The skits included everything from cyber bullying, physical bullying, and exclusion. According to the U.S. Department of Education the percentage of students bullied at least once a week has increased. In fact, studies show that up to 7% of eighth grade students stay home at least once a month because of bullies. As senators we want to increase the awareness and keep bullying out of Eastmont's halls!

-- Whitney Sieverts

Patriots of the Day

October: November:

Lizzie Alhamid Hayden Anderl

Charlie Andrasko Kylie Dennison

Andre Bombardier Andre Elder

Sydney Christensen Elizabeth Haro

Dallin Jarrard Jesse Hancock

Nathan Kraft James Hansen

Breeana LaRose Kylee Hodge

Garrett Nielson Gaige Trevethick

Rustin Player

Desie Thorne

Halen Ungerman

Patriots of the Month

Students are recommended by teachers for this award, given for outstanding citizenship and academic achievement.

September: November:

Tayla Grindberg, 8^th grade Abigail Bennett, 7^th grade

Branden Stuart, 8^th grade Alexander Finke, 7^th grade

Megan Enriquez, 9^th grade Carly Greer, 8^th grade

Conner Rumsey, 9^th grade Nathan Barlow, 8^th grade

Sarah Jones, 9^th grade

Tyler Newland, 9^th grade

October:

Allison Stepan, 7^th grade

Trevor Skog, 7^th grade

Whitney Sieverts, 8^th grade

Mason Chavez, 8^th grade

Catherine Yun, 9^th grade

McKay Nilsson, 9^th grade

PTSA News

Hello, Patriots and parents of Patriots! What a great year we are having so far!!! The teachers are working so hard with our ZAP program and it has been incredible to see the academic level of the students increase! Way to go, Patriots!!! You rock!

Our fundraiser is still in the works. We will be selling the TAG10 track-able service tags at our Christmas concerts and we are hopeful that we will make the needed funds to run our PTSA this year. Thanks so much to the students who participated and to all who donated. We will give you the final results of this great fundraiser in the next newsletter. Feel free to check out our blog – eastmontptsa@blogspot.com - to find out more details about the tags.

Our Eastmont spirit t-shirts are a big hit! They look SO cool that the kids are actually wearing them with pride. We ordered a few extra shirts that are available in select sizes. Please contact Natalie Parker at natalieparker4@yahoo.com SOON if you want one and please specify the size you would prefer! If there is a big demand, we will place one more small order. Shirts will now be $8.00 to cover our cost. We would love to have every student wear them and their other Spirit attire on Spirit Fridays! We will be at the Christmas concerts selling Patriot Store merchandise, some items at sale prices. Sweatpants and regular hoodies will be only $15! Stop in for Christmas gifts!!!

The auditions for the school musical went fabulously. We had over 200 students audition! They are very excited about doing a great show and start rehearsals in December. Please put the dates of the performances on your calendar now! You won't want to miss it!

Musical: 12 Dancing Princesses

Dates: March 11^th, 12^th and 15^th

Time: 7:00 pm curtain

Ticket Prices: $3.00 in advance and $4.00 at the door (no "family pass" this year)

If your student is participating, you as a parent will be asked to volunteer at least one hour to help out so be thinking of how you'd like to contribute…costumes, sets, make-up, publicity, etc.

Feel free to contact Marie Monson, our PTSA Board Musical Coordinator at 801-572-0669 or Ms. Kimball to get on a committee. Students will be bringing home a contract for you to sign, so be watching for that.

Committed to supporting the arts, the Canyons District is implementing the "Gift of Music" program. They are asking parents and patrons of the District to donate any gently used instruments to our music programs in the District. Check your closets, attics and storage units and let's get those instruments into the children's hands! Contact Jeff Heaney at Canyons or go to the district website for more information.

We encourage all Eastmont parents to come to the Canyons District Constituents' Meeting to be held at Eastmont on January 13^th, 2010 (time TBA)! We will have members of the school board there to answer questions and give us an update on happenings in the new district. There are issues coming up that directly affect our children and our schools, so we urge all to attend to receive correct information and voice your opinions! Keep abreast of current Education bills in the Legislature in January by signing up for the PTA Member to Member legislative email list. Email Cheryl@utahpta.org to sign up today!

Please change the date on your calendar for our Parents' Day in February. It will be on WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10^th so plan to take that day off, find a babysitter or just drop everything to be there. It is great to support your student(s) and find out what they are up to everyday; who their friends are and what their teachers are like. Those staying the whole day will get a special surprise. By the way, we will again have informative workshops in the Media Center. We will send home flyers with more details as it gets closer, but save that date: February 10^th, 2010!!! (JMisbehaving parents will be asked to leaveJ.)

Eastmont PTSA wants to thank each of you for supporting the school in their efforts to secure a great education for your student. Parents, Teachers and Students working together make the difference and WE ARE DOING IT! Thank you all! Have a wonderful holiday season!!!

Sincerely, Joanne Andrus, Eastmont PTSA President

PTSA Reflections Contest

Congratulations to the following students who entered the Reflections Contest.

In photography, Jamie Kinahan, winner,

Whitney King and Scott Salter, honorable mentions

In Literature, Sarah Jones, winner

Emma Schroeder and Kara Vail, honorable mentions

In Music, Rachale Batty, winner

Kyle Alm and Tanner Monson, honorable mentions

In Visual Arts, Jamie Kinahan, winner

Rachel Brooks and Kayla Carrroth, honorable mentions

In 3-D Art, Elizabeth Harrison, winner

Kara Vail, honorable mention.

In Dance, Nicole Burnside, winner

In Film/Video, Aaron Pabst, winner

Thanks to all who entered.

--Lisa Gee

PTSA Student Board

The PTSA Student Board is off to a great start. We have elected our officers and planned our first activity. We will be having a Christmas Party with a service project to go along with it. We are collecting fleece material and we will be cutting and tying them while we party. Last year we were able to donate 17 blankets to the Road Home Shelter. We are hoping to double that this year. We will send out an invitation to all those on the student board soon. Thanks to those students who worked on our display case, it looks great! Thanks everyone!

The PTSA had so many students sign up for the student board this year that a new group was created.

Introducing....

The main job of The RIOTS is to support all school activities, and keep school spirit high! It's easy to do with this great group of kids! We have cheered on the runners from our school at the District Track Meet, made posters for the U of U / BYU food drive, and are starting to recognize all the teachers on their birthdays! We also will attend concerts, plays, and the other sporting events that are new to the district and our school this year.

ANYONE interested is welcome to join! (Sign up sheets are in the main office) We meet the second Friday of every month in the cafeteria at 8:30 a.m. We get to find out what activities are coming up before most of the students, and attend as many as we can! This is a fun group to get to know other people, as well as help those around us feel the Patriot spirit!

If you have any questions contact Natalie Maughan (natmaughan@comcast.net) or Kelly Jones (mayflowerkj@hotmail.com). If you are a parent interested in helping this group, please contact us as well!

Recycling

The recycling program is going great at the school. We are going to be sponsoring a "Going Green Family" contest early next year.

This contest will take place in the student's homes and last a month. We want the students to get their families involved. After the month the student/s must do the following:

1. Take a picture of what their family did.

2. Explain how you are helping save the earth.

3. We want others to learn from you! Tell us the steps

needed to put your idea into action, including any tools or

costs that might be involved.

4 Tell us how this can reduce our environmental footprint.

5. Originality. Show us your creativity.

6. Share with us what you're doing to make you life greener.

The winner's family will get a prize.

This contest goes along with our theme "You Can Make a Difference". We want you to make a difference in the many things you do in your daily life and recycling is one of them, so we hope you will participate in helping make our world a better place to live.

Until next time keep feeding the bins.

Memory Books

Student name____________________________

Grade__________

To pre-order your '09 – '10 Memory Book, please fill out the info above. Return this form to the office with $20 cash or check. Make checks payable to Eastmont PTSA.

Check #__________

List parent/guardian name below

_____________________________________

Thanks!

**Just a reminder that the price goes up to $25.00 after the 1st of the year...makes a great Christmas gift!

Check Out our PTSA blog page

I just wanted to make you aware of our new PTSA blog page
that is at http://eastmontptsa.blogspot.com

Please feel free to mark this page as a favorite so you can come back to it for important dates, and to learn other info about what is happening at Eastmont throughout the 2009-2010 school year.

--Cami Vail

Students who got 100% Attendance and who had a 4.0

Allred, Jenneca

Alm, Kyle

Anderl, Hayden

Anderson, Vicki

Bain, Keauna

Barker, Derek

Bartmanowicz, Zoe

Bedke, Madison

Brimley, Alyssa

Burgon, Ashley

Carlson, Brian

Carmicheal, Kyle

Case, Breanna

Cluff, Shiely

Coleman, Stryder

Dalley, Mallory

Dalley, Randall

Day, Joseph

Diaz, Carolina

Dougherty, Anne

Duncan, Megan

Fox, Joshua

Goddard, Braydon

Green, Darold

Grundvig, Keiton

Halling, Spencer

Hampshire, Chamae

Hampshire, Jeffery

Hampton, Christopher

Hanak, William

Hardy, Katherine

Hardy, Steven

Hawkins, Meghan

Hayden, Moriah

Hennefer, David

Hetzer, Jessica

Heward, Chelsey

Hodge, Kylee

Holt, Angela

Hong, Julianne

Hoyne, Ryan

Ingman, Madison

Jarrard, Dallin

Jenson, Alec

Johnson, Kirri

Johnson, Rebecca

Johnson, Ryan

Jones, Hanna

Jones, Jonas

Jones, Sarah

Kelson, Zakary

Knudson, Mathew

Kvam, Katherine

Lake, Kirsten

Larsen, Mariah

Larsen, Richard

Laverty, Morgan

Leavitt, Makayla

Lecheminant, Kyle

Little, Paul

Liu, Chelsia

Logan, Payton

Lopes, Stevan

Lutz, James

Malmborg, Braydon

Marchant, Natalie

Marshall, Brandon

Martin, Hunter

Marz, Olivia

Mason, Mathison

Matson, Cody

Mendoza, Vanessa

Metcalf, Katherine

Miles, Eric

Morgan, Sariah

Moss, Dylan

Moss, Hayden

Nicolaides, Kara

Nissalke, Tiesha

Olson, Jennifer

Orantes, Ariana

Pace, Marcus

Park, Kyle

Parker, Mikayla

Pilatee, Yutphichai

Player, Augusto

Rios, Rosa Marina

Rumsey, Conner

Rushton, Skyler

Sayer, Myla

Scherwinski, Jason

Shaw, Amy

Shepherd, Kie

Sheppard, Shane

Smith, Kolten

Solis, Christian

Sorensen, Jaden

Stewart, Taylor

Sylvester, Shaylor

Taggart, Emily

Taylor, Riley

Toone, Baylee

Vaioleti, Soana

Wells, Seth

Wernz, Zoe

White, Jackson

White, Weston

Willis, Tristan

Zimmerman, Charles

WAY TO GO!

4.0 Students

Abbriano, Chiara

Allred, Jenneca

Alm, Kyle

Anderl, Hayden

Anderson, Austin

Anderson, Sydney

Anjewierden, Reagan

Arnold, Brandon

Bailey, Paisen

Bain, Keauna

Barlow, Nathan

Batty, Rachel

Bennett, Abigail

Bennett, Camden

Bjelka, Aaron

Bliss, Jade

Bonds, Robyn

Brimley, Alyssa

Brock, Roman

Brooks, Rachel

Buma, Stephen

Burgon, Jordan

Burnside, Nicole

Carlson, Brian

Carmicheal, Kyle

Chamberlain, Brandon

Christensen, Mackenzie

Christensen, Nickolas

Cravens, Nicole

Custodio, Grayagail

Day, Addison

Dutson, Tavia

Egan, Kadelyn

Ellis, Samantha

Falcon, Benjamin

Finke, Alex

Fisk, Dillen

Foerster, Jared

Freestone, Rebecca

Goeders, Lucas

Green, Darold

Greer, Carly

Grindberg, Tayla

Hampton, Christopher

Hanak, William

Hansen, Kalinee

Hardy, Katherine

Hardy, Steven

Hathaway, Aurora

Hawkes, Jaxton

Hayward, Calvin

Hemmert, Tyler

Herd, Kiersten

Hill, Madison

Holmes, Samantha

Howard, Dmitri

Hunt, Marie

Jacoway, Malone

Jefferson, Alyssa

Jensen, Matthew

Johnson, Kirri

Johnson, Ryan

Johnson, William

Jones, Chase

Jones, Hanna

Jones, Jonas

Jones, Sarah

Keddington, Erica

Keeter, Emily

Koontz, Alyssa

Kuhl, Alyson

Lake, Kirsten

Larsen, Mariah

Laverty, Morgan

Lecheminant, Kyle

Leonhardt, Alexander

Lindsay, Abby

Lindsay, Jessica

Little, Paul

Liu, Chelsia

Loizos, Corinne

Longaker, Abigail

Lowry, Lyle

Ludwig, Eric

Lund, Natalie

Marchant, Erik

Marchant, Nathan

Martin, Hunter

Maughan, Alexander

McGee, Ciara

McNaught, McKenna

Melder, Rees

Melville, Andrew

Metcalf, Katherine

Miller, Ashlie

Monson, McKayla

Nelson, Katelyn

Nielsen, Garrett

Nilsson, McKay

Nordhagen, Kyle

Olson, Jennifer

Pace, Marcus

Paulsen, Parker

Peterson, Whitney

Pruett, Hailey

Rasmussen, Braden

Rector, Kellsie

Rousseau, Holly

Rumsey, Conner

Rumsey, Madison

Rushton, Skyler

Russell, Marin

Sayer, Myla

Schroeder, Emma

Sepulveda, Alec

Shepherd, Kie

Skog, Trevor

Smith, Collin

Smith, Jacob

Smith, Lauren

Smith, Meranda

Smith, Tori

Spencer, Abbey

Stepan, Allison

Stepan, Jacob

Stewart, Taylor

Stuart, Branden

Sylvester, Shaylor

Taylor, Jacob

Taysom, Christopher

Toone, Baylee

Totsch, Spencer

Vierkant, David

Walter, Katherine

Walter, Tyler

Webster, Colton

West, Mackynzi

Wheatley, Rebecca

Widenmann, Laura

Wihongi, Ariana

Willardson, Alyssa

Williams, Carli

Winzenried, Rachel

Wyness, Erin

Yun, Catherine

Zimmerman, Charles

CONGRATS!

Alpine man makes act of kindness go viral--with Tag10 tags our FUNDRAISER!!!

2009-10-27T20:33:00.000-07:00

ALPINE — Even though a cup of joe isn't exactly Jeff Smith's cup of tea, he gets a buzz out of kicking back at his local coffee shop and spying on yawning — and often downright grumpy — morning customers as they realize their foam-whipped morning fix has been paid for.

"They just transform," Smith said. "They get this confused look, then grin from ear to ear and look around for someone to thank. They can't figure it out."

A cashier then slips the baffled customer a small laminated card with an unusual message: "You've been 'tagged' with an Act of Kindness."

The middle-age Alpine resident is so addicted to the charitable high he feels from "small acts here and there" that he's spent a small fortune launching an Internet-based company intended to help others experience the same feeling.

The lofty notion of kindness being passed from person to person like a sort of benevolent influenza was featured in the 2000 award-winning film "Pay It Forward."

But Smith's Web site, goodwillpaidforward.com, punches the concept up a notch — or a full rung — by allowing do-gooders, even those wishing to remain anonymous, to track the contagiousness of their kindness on Google map.

"Now you can literally see how your act of service has spread all over the world," he said excitedly. "It's incredible."

A sheet of 10 tags can be bought online for $16. After the tags arrive by mail, the buyer logs on the Web site and types in a provided code to activate the series.

The newly motivated humanitarian then goes to work carrying groceries or mowing lawns with a pocket — or keychain — full of tags.

"Sure, we can serve without tags, and we should, but do we?" Smith questioned. "Not enough, and sometimes not at all. So these (tags) act as a great reminder. You think, 'I've got to get rid of these.'"

Like the proverbial cash that burns to be spent, Smith says, the mini cards itch until they're properly scratched with a good deed and given away.

Each tag passed out can be tracked on Smith's Web site as it wanders the earth from one amicable person and one continent to the next.

Those tagged type their ticket's individual number on the Web site and leave a comment, then pass it on.

Once purchased, the same sturdy tag remains in circulation for what Smith refers to as several "generations" or "ripples" of kindness.

"Like ripples of water," he said. "Throw the first pebble and watch it multiply."

In short, a person's original 10 acts of kindness often increase to 100 in as little as a month's time.

To date, the 7-month-old Web site has tracked 11,763 acts of kindness, nearly 60 a day.

An active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Smith said he was especially moved to create the feel-good movement when late church President Gordon B. Hinckley noted, "It is not enough to be good. You must be good for something. You must contribute good to the world. ... And the good that is in you must be spread to others."

The self-made, affluent businessman said the operation is not intended to turn a profit, but he wouldn't mind if tag sales paid enough to make it a self-sustaining operation.

Attesting to his altruistic claim is a rare sight: a popularly visited Web site without a single advertisement. There's not one neon-blinking, cursor-following, pop-up ad on the whole site.

"Sure, I want to get paid back on it, but that's not everything," Smith said. "I feel good about it."

Where it does make money, though, is in the fundraising department.

After Smith's son's baseball team found out it was facing a 20 percent financial shortfall after dwindling sign-up numbers, they sold the sheets door to door for $20 — of which $12 per sheet went back to the team or organization.

"People don't mind buying one, even in these (economic) conditions, because they can feel good about it," he said.

And apparently people do. A glance at the Web site shows comments of appreciation for acts a few dozen ripples deep, ranging from shoveling snow off of sidewalks to an anonymously given cashier's check for $5,000.

In about a month, the lengthy Web site name goodwillpaidforward.com will be changed to tagten.org "in reference to tagging 10 folks with kindness," Smith said.

"It's a tag-you're-it thing," he said.

(Article published in the Deseret News paper in April 09)

Would you like your class to earn a Rootbeer Float Party?

2009-10-26T21:06:00.000-07:00

Would you like to have your home room class earn a Root beer float party? Would you like to go to the Skybox and eat dinner with three of your friends and play arcade games? Or would you like to win a $50 Visa card? Well, these are just some of our prizes for our fund raiser that we are starting on Wednesday, October 28th. For our TAG10 program.

1. To everyone who sells one sheet – a candy bar

2. To everyone who sells at least three sheets – a gift certificate for one chicken sandwich at Chick-fil-A.

3. To everyone who sells at least ten sheets – a $50.00 VISA card.

4. To the student who sells the most sheets – a night out at the Skybox restaurant. This includes dinner and arcade games for the student, three friends, and two adults.

5. For the TA class that sell the most sheets – a root beer float party.

6. There will also be a drawing for prizes. Your name will be entered in the drawing for each sheet that you sell. So if you sell three sheets, you name will be entered in the drawing three times. If you sell five sheets your name will be entered in the drawing five times.

Here is the website for more information about this fund raiser. http://www.tag10.org/ on the blog.

Red Ribbon Week October 19th-23rd!

2009-10-16T16:36:00.000-07:00

We are already so excited for Red Ribbon Week! Woo Hoo!

This year our theme will be, "What’s YOUR Anti-Drug?" As a PTSA we have the main hall decorated with posters of celebrities (teachers) and their anti-drug. We would also like to include a hall of fame in the cafeteria with students! (you!)

PLEASE take the time to create an 8 ½ x 11 poster (piece of paper) with:

* Your Name

* Your anti-drug: what you love to do that keeps you AWAY from drugs.

* Also if you could include a picture of yourself that would be awesome! Even better - a picture of yourself doing your anti-drug. (Reading a book, rocking out to music, playing soccer.. You know, whatever your anti-drug might be.)

Your poster MUST be able to fit in an 8 ½ x 11 page protector. (NO 3D) This can be as simple or complex as you choose.

Red Ribbon Week is next week but I will put up posters whenever I get them. Please just drop off your completed posted in the main office. Have FUN!

Julie Jacoway

Constituency Meeting

2009-10-13T17:20:00.000-07:00

Canyons Board of Education
Constituency Meeting
Hosted by: Board President Tracy Cowdell
Board Member

October 15 @ 7:00 p.m.
Jordan H.S. Tech Atrium
(on the west end of building)
The members will update
the district and then will have an open question and answer time.
Please call Susan Edwards, Canyons Public Engagement Coordinator,
with any questions at 801 501-1005

Elementary Schools: East Sandy, Sandy, Peruvian Park, Silver Mesa, Willow Canyons,
Edgemont, Alta View, Bell View, Brookwood, Canyon View, Quail Hollow, Granite, Park Lane
Middle Schools: Mt. Jordan, Albion, Eastmont
High Schools: Jordan
for the Sandy Area
and
Members Ellen Wallace and Kevin Cromar

2009-10-12T15:00:00.000-07:00

Eastmont Patriots

This year we thought we would try something new and exciting for our PTSA fundraiser. Instead of selling “stuff” or a lot of expensive food, we thought we would sell TAG10’s this year.

What is TAG10? TAG10 is a very simple and fun concept. Its people like you and me doing random acts of kindness for others, with or without them knowing, and leaving behind a “TAG10” tag to encourage others to do the same, to “pay it forward”.

These acts of kindness are about sharing the good that lies within each one of us. If we as a people would do simple acts of kindness for those who least expect it, and continue doing this on a frequent basis, then we have made a difference. This fundraiser will reinforce our PTSA theme “You Can Make a Difference” and we can! These tags can benefit not only those receiving the act of kindness but also those individuals who perform the act of service.

The Eastmont Patriots will be asked to sell TAG10’s to friends and family. These tags are track able online. The person receiving the tag can go to a website where they will have an opportunity to express their experiences. This tag can then be passed on to more individuals who will then pass it on.

Please see the website http://www.tag10.org/pages/ about to learn more about this program.
We will be having an assembly featuring Jeff Smith, the originator of the organization on October 28th. Please watch for more information regarding this truly fun and remarkable fund raising event.

If you have any questions about the fundraiser, please call me at (801) 230-4062

Julie Harris

Do you want to be in the Spirit Squad?

2009-10-08T15:14:00.000-07:00

Dear Eastmont student and /or parents,

The PTA held a meeting a few weeks ago for all those that had signed up to be on the PTSA board, and could only accept 40 kids to that group. Unfortunately, that allotment has been filled, and we didn't see you at that meeting. BUT WAIT!!!.....

Because we had SUCH a fantastic amount of people want to be a part of that group, but only a small amount we could take, we didn't want to turn anyone away. That's why we have started a new group at Eastmont - one that no other Middle School has ever tried - and we'd like to invite you to be a part of it!! It's a Spirit Club!

Everyone in the Spirit Club will help support the PTSA activities, all the intramural sport games, all the concerts, plays... anything we can think of! Our first meeting will be this Friday, October 9 at 8:30 am. And you are invited!!

If this is something you would be interested in, please reply to this e-mail or call me at the number below, so I can plan on adding you to our contact list - which by the way is HUGE!! We are going to have so much fun; first on the agenda is naming our group. That will be something we do at our meeting this Friday.

I hope this is something that would interest you. Your parent does NOT have to be a member of the PTA for you to be a member of this group, but we would like your parent's support. We would like everyone in our group to have a school shirt - with the name of our group on the back!! - so make sure you order one this week during lunch. And make sure you put 'spirit squad' on the top of your order form. The shirts are only $7, and will be sold this week (LAST chance!) during lunch. And spread the word! If you know someone else that may be interested, feel free to give them my e-mail or phone number so we can add them to our list as well as make sure they get all the info.

Thanks for reading such a long e-mail. I just wanted to make sure you had all the information you needed!

Hope to hear from you soon!!

Natalie Maughan
801-571-0571 (yes, that's right! It's not a typo)

*CONTACT ME TO LET ME KNOW IF YOU ARE INTERESTED OR NOT

*IF INTERESTED, BUY A T-SHIRT DURING LUNCH THIS WEEK, AND ADD 'SPIRIT CLUB' TO THE TOP OF ORDER FORM

*COME TO THE MEETING ON FRIDAY AT 8:30 AM. (I'll let you know which room when I find out. That's why I need to know who to contact!)

*KNOW SOMEONE ELSE WHO WANTS TO BE IN THE SPIRIT CLUB? HAVE THEM CONTACT ME!!

Exciting News: Wednesday, September 23rd is ROADTRIP ASSEMBLY

2009-09-15T15:16:00.000-07:00

What is this you ask????? Well, it is an exciting event that Eastmont has been chosen as only one of only 6 schools to participate in. All students will get to participate in a fabulous, Patriotic assembly complete with an official Honor Guard Flag Ceremony presented by the Utah National Guard. Miss Utah 2007, Heather Anderson will be coming to speak and Mayor Tom Dolin will be presenting a proclamation. Utah PTA President, Ilene Mecham will also come and make a special presentation to our PTSA. This will truly be a great honor and we have invited our local Legislators, Sandy City Council, and our Canyons District School Board and Superintendant to attend. And guess who else is invited----YOU, the parents.

The bands and choirs will also get to perform the school song, followed by the entire student body singing. Please remind your student to sing out and be on their best behavior to impress our guests with what great, respectful students we have here at Eastmont.

We have also prepared 1000 red, white and blue stars to decorate the school when our guests come. Our PTSA theme this year is, "You Can Make a Difference." Each student has been asked to write a sentence or two about how they can make a difference at Eastmont, in Sandy or in the world around them. We will place stars all around the auditorium and hallway to add positive energy to this event. Thank you for your Eastmont Pride. Go Patriots!

Membership Info

2009-08-27T14:19:00.003-07:00

Here is the info to sign up for the PTA!

Please Join the PTSA

Eastmont PTSA is a partnership between parents, educators, students, and individuals who want to make a difference in the lives of students.

Eastmont PTA:

*is committed to improving the school with great programs and activities

*supports improved academics through teacher and administrative help

*seeks to benefit the education, safety, and welfare of every student

*seeks to strengthen families and individuals

PTSA sponsored programs include:

"Parents for Teachers" classroom volunteers (PLEASE see flyer to sign up…)

Red Ribbon Week Reflections School Musical Parent Day

Service Activities Recycling Program Reality Town Book Fairs

Teacher Appreciation Student PTSA Board Memory Book Newsletters

$______ Student(s) Member(s) $5.00 each (1^st membership is always the student's)

$______ Parent/Adult Member $5.00

$______ Second Parent/Adult Member $5.00

$______ I would like to pre-order full color 2009-10 Memory Book(s) for $20

(price will go up to $25 after January 1^st, 2010)

$______ TOTAL for PTSA memberships and Memory Books (include with fees paid to Eastmont)

Student(s) Name(s)_____________________________________________________

Parent/Adult Name_____________________________________________________

Second Parent/Adult Name_______________________________________________

Home Phone #_____________________ Cell/Wk Phone #_____________________

Address__________________________________________________ Zip________

*E-mail address______________________________________________________

*By including your e-mail address you will be able to receive PTSA updates about school activities and programs. Separately, you will also receive the national PTA newsletter. If you do not wish to receive it, simply unsubscribe. Please provide a well-established email address (not student's) and print clearly.

Thank you for joining Eastmont PTSA.

Together we can make a difference!

Volunteer Sign-ups

2009-08-27T14:19:00.001-07:00

Parental & Community Involvement Sign-ups

(Please check with retired neighbors or friends who may be willing to help…see classroom flyer)

We need YOU to succeed at Eastmont Middle School in 2009-10!

______ Book Fair Volunteer Fall o Spring o

______ Fall Fundraiser Committee

______ Reflections Committee

______ School Musical Volunteer: Setso
Costumeso Make-upo Cast Partyo

______ Reading Assessment Volunteer

______ Business Partnerships Committee (getting donations for school improvement)

______ Hearing Screening

______ Vision Screening

______ Patriot Store Volunteer (helping to sell gym clothes, Patriot attire)

______ Parent's Day Volunteer

______ Classroom Volunteer (PLEASE refer to "Parents for Teachers" flyer to sign up!)

______ 9^th Grade Reality Town Volunteer (No need to have a 9^th grader…we need over
75 volunteers on a Friday morning in the fall to help for 1 ½ hours. ONE-time event! This is a FUN event for a Dad or Mom to do! Wear your company's logo and come help!)

______ VOLUNTEER WHEREVER YOU NEED ME!

THANKS FOR ALL YOU WILL DO FOR OUR STUDENTS!!!

Name:___________________________________________________________________

Address:__________________________________________________________________

Phone #'s: Best Contact ____________________ Second # to Try _________________

E-mail Address:____________________________________________________________

Best time/way to reach you?_________________a.m.o
p.m.o / e-mail o
phon

Please Join the PTSA!

2009-08-25T19:54:00.000-07:00

Our PTSA membership at the start of this 2009-2010 school year is down 25%. One of the reason this could be is because the paperwork in the registration packet was a little different than usual. This year it only included membership for one member per family which automatically went for your student--the S in PTSA. So we would love it if our numbers could return to 100% of what they were last year. We understand that the economy has put a strain on some budgets so we will be having a PTSA membership table available at parent teacher conferences.

There are advantages in being a member of the PTSA, You will have access to their web page that has valuable member benefits, discounts, and other resources. Also, you will get emails updating you on the various activities that happen in our school each year. Thank you so much for supporting our school!

Teacher Appreciation Week is Coming Up!

2009-05-11T15:27:00.000-07:00

We will be having Teacher Appreciation Week May 18-22nd

Here is a wish list from our teachers; if you can help donate some of these needed supplies we would love them. Please donate new or gently used items that could benefit out students! Please have your student give the supplies directly to their teachers from the departments listed below.

We all know that education budgets are being cut and PTSA would like to encourage your help in providing a few donations to your student’s teacher(s). Remember, gently used is fine! See what you have laying around your house…

English/Reading

Young adult books

Picture books

High interest magazines or subscriptions to them

Kleenex

Post-it Notes (multi-colored)

Colored pencils

Multi-colored markers

Foreign Languages

Crayola markers

Colored construction paper

Baggies/Ziploc bags

Glue

Any reading materials from

Spanish-speaking countries or German-speaking countries

CTE/ Home Ec/ Shop

Kleenex

Fabric (1 ½ yds. or more per piece)

Yarn

Markers

Colored pencils

Standard Rulers

Vinyl gloves (NO Latex)

CTE/Technology /Journalism

Thumb drives

Kleenex

Magazines or subscriptions

Music

Dry Erase markers

Classical music CD’s

Musical flash cards

Senate

Kleenex

Index cards

Math

Black ONLY erasable markers

Graph paper

Rulers for graphing

Kleenex

Ziploc sandwich bags

Crayola markers/colored pencils

Notebook paper

Notebooks

Calculators

Pledge

Bookshelves

Pens/Pencils

Paperclips

Pushpins

Science

Ziplock sandwich bags

Food coloring

Bright-colored printer paper

Sheet protectors 8 ½ X 11

Kleenex

Hand sanitizer

Colored pencils

Glue sticks

Scissors

Science magazine subscriptions

Any cool rocks or fossils

Social Studies/Geography

Pencils

Colored pencils

Markers

Lined paper

Kleenex

P.E./Health

Markers

Kleenex

Manila folders

Glue

School Psychologist

[You may deliver these items to the office and we will see that Mrs. Lee Anderson gets them…thanks!]

Fabric (large pieces)

Craft Items (felt, buttons, pipe cleaners, stickers, etc.)

Markers

Crayons

Special Education

Hand sanitizer

Kleenex

Baggies

Ziploc bags (Quart & Gallon sizes)

Blue/black ink pens

Colored pencils

Fun pencils

Erasers

Cheap little prizes, toys, notebooks

Markers

3”X 5” index cards

Pretzels/Crackers

Old magazines

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thank you for your wonderful support!!!

Together, we will “Make a Difference”

@ Eastmont!

*Representative*	*City*	*Email*	*Phone*
Greg Hughes, Chair	Draper	greghughes@utah.gov
Kenneth Sumsion, Vice Chair	American Fork	ksumsion@utah.gov
Johnny Anderson	Taylorsville	janderson34@utah.gov
Laura Black	Sandy	lblack@utah.gov
Brad Dee	Ogden	bdee@utah.gov
Rebecca Edwards	North Salt Lake	beckyedwards@utah.gov
Craig Frank	Cedar Hills	cfrank@utah.gov
Don Ipson	St. George	dipson@utah.gov
Brad Last	St. George	blast@utah.gov
Carol Spackman Moss	Cottonwood Heights	csmoss@utah.gov
Merlynn Newbold	South Jordan	merlynnnewbold@utah.gov
Marie Poulson	Sandy	mariepoulson@utah.gov
Kraig Powell	Heber City	kraigpowell@utah.gov
Mark Wheatley	Murray	markwheatley@utah.gov