MARCH 2015

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A note from the principal . . .

Is this really the last column of the year? Wow!!! What a great year
at Mountain Ridge. I hope that you and your student felt the same.
We are wrapping up the year with some great activities and great
learning for the students.
I saw many of you at the iLab Symposium. I was absolutely blown
away by the passion and drive that the students showed. It was so fun
looking at the huge variety of areas that students chose to focus on.
Every conversation that I had was one that came from a place of true
passion and commitment. Who says that 7th graders cant make a
difference? Not this group of students and teachers, thats for sure!!!
I just came back in my office after walking through the Commotion in
Motion projects that Team 8-4 created. This is, again, another
example of students finding a passion area to connect to their
learning. Students picked a physical activity
that they wanted to improve on and then
researched and experimented. Students
connected their activities to Newtons laws,
created graphs, etc. They even had to write a
commentary about some aspect of their
activity that is controversial or needs to be
evaluated. What a great way to connect their
learning to their interests!
continue on the next page

Mountain Ridge Middle School

PAGE 2

A note from the principal . . .

continued
This time of year is so exciting. Classes are beginning to wrap up and
students are creating projects that apply their learning. Teachers are
frantically trying to make sure that students have learned all that they
need to transition to next year, all the while trying to manage the
spring time behaviors that can sometimes be a little challenging J I
know that toward the end of each year, every educator reflects on
what has gone well and what needs to be adjusted for next year. I am
no different. I know that we always have room to grow and improve
as a school, although I also know that we do many amazing things! If
there are areas that you would like me to consider adjusting or looking
at for next year, please feel free to reach out. I can never stop looking
for ways to continue moving Mountain Ridge forward!
Thank you for all of the support that you have given the school, our
teachers, and your students. It truly does take a village, and what a
great village to be a part of! I hope you all have a fantastic end to the
school year and summer break. August will be here before we know it,
and we will again commit to doing the best job we can every day for
your students!
Shannon
Clarke,
Principal

Mountain Ridge Middle School

PAGE 3

Counseling

Student and Family Resources

for Summer 2015
Academic:
Brain Ingenuity's Summer Learning Adventures Camp
Working Memory, Executive Function Skills, Reading and Math
Here at Mountain Ridge!
Sign up: www.brainingenuity.com
S.O.A.R. Program
Brush up on specific math or reading skills
Take art, cooking, guitar, archery, CPR classes, Red Cross
Babysitting
classes
Location: Rocky Height Middle- will accept MRMS students!
Sign up: https://sites.google.com/a/dcsdk12.org/rocky-heightsmiddle-school-soar/home

Social Emotional:
Colorado Crisis and Support Line: (844)-493-8255
Operated locally by Rocky Mountain Crisis Partners 24/7
Common calls: suicidal thoughts, depression, grief of loss,
anxiety, self-harm, substance abuse, worries for a friend or
family member
Walk in location: 6509 S. Santa Fe Drive Littleton, CO
continue on the next page

Mountain Ridge Middle School

PAGE 4

Counseling

continued

Social groups:
Summer groups sponsored by Whole Hearts Family Center
Sign up: http://wholeheartsfamilycenter.com/kids-social-groupscolorado/

Post Secondary/ Career Planning:

Volunteer opportunities:
Douglas County Libraries- opportunities for teens!
http://douglascountylibraries.org/aboutus/volunteer/teenopportunities
Dumb Friends league- opportunities for teens to volunteer!
http://www.ddfl.org/volunteer
Use your Naviance Account:
Take a look at Road Trip Nation and learn more about college
opportunities!
Every MRMS student has an account!
Log on: www.naviance.com
Username: student gmail
Password Dcsd followed by lunch #

Mountain Ridge Middle School

PAGE 5

General Announcements

Do You Really Want to

Make a Difference?
Do you feel like taking on a new
project-something that would actually
have a lasting positive impact? Think
about hosting a foreign exchange
student affiliated with the Youth for
Understanding program. The global
YFU network, consists of partners in more than 50 different countries,
and is committed to the belief that full cultural immersion is the most
effective means to gain the skills needed to thrive in an increasingly
multicultural, interconnected and competitive global society.
Currently, a student from Germany is living in Highlands Ranch and he is
finding his experience invaluable. Not only is he learning about living
with a typical American family, but he has also become an incredible
asset to the MVHS foreign language program.
Terri Elms, the YFU Highlands Ranch Coordinator, is seeking families who
are willing to open their hearts and homes to exchange students coming
to Highlands Ranch.
If you would be interested in hosting a student, or you would just like
more information, please contact Terri Elms at 703-973-4501 or
elmsonthemove@gmail.com.

Mountain Ridge Middle School

PAGE 6

General Announcements

NEW

Parents can now view and request updates/

changes to information on their household, family relationships, contact
information and emergency contacts for their student(s) from their
Infinite Campus portal account. This would also include any family
members that no longer reside in the same household. Secondary
households will be able to request updates/changes to their information
also.
Address changes will still require a new proof of residency (a warranty
deed or a lease agreement) before any changes can be made in Infinite
Campus.
We encourage parents to update their information so we will have the
correct contact information for their student(s). This is extremely
important in case of emergencies.

Log into your parent portal.

On the left hand side select Household Information

Mountain Ridge Middle School

PAGE 7

General Announcements

Whats Happening in the Library?

During the remaining weeks of school, the MRMS library will be having
plenty of serious fun. Activities will include our Battle of the Books team
defending their district championship during the all out literature smack
down being held at Cresthill Middle School on Wednesday, April 29th.
Also, coming soon, will be our annual library parade featuring floats
created by teachers and students. Each float will be based on activities
completed in the library this year such as our Genetics Fest, the
Mapping Skills Activity, Reading Road Trip and more. Watching the
parade will be a review of many of the key concepts students learned
this year. Finally, Mr. Vincelette and Mrs. Meyer are excited about all
the new books that have arrived in the past few weeks. We hope
students are getting gearing up for plenty of summertime reading.
Remember, reading for pleasure is a powerful learning experience. We
hope that you will be encouraging your student to spend plenty of time
reading this summer.
You can find out about
many of the activities going
on in the MRMS library by
visiting our wiki

Mountain Ridge Middle School

PAGE 8

General Announcements

SHOWTIME!
MAY 15TH
DOORS OPEN 8PM
SHOWTIME AT 8:30
Phenomenal. Every aspect of this movie kept me
intrigued. The plot? Spot on.
-Alie Smith, MRJ junior member
The epitome of quality work.
-Lauren Gano, MRJ senior member
I gripped my seat the entire time until the truth was
revealed.
-Daniel Beckman, MRJ senior member
It will leave you wanting more
-Angela Lam, MRJ senior member
Flawless, seamless. Everything you could want
from a middle school first time production.
-Tessa Murphy, MRJ senior member

On April 21, 2015, The Mountain Ridge Journalist Team was called to
review the FIRST EVER full-length feature film called 21 Ridge Street. Cast
and crew has set the bar high for future middle school movie makers as the
actors captivated the storyline through engaging tone and emotion. The
characters didnt even break! The crew pieced together an absolutely
remarkable piece of art, which embedded every aspect of film: Inventive
angles, use of lighting, mind-blowing sound effects. RaMedia has taken its
first steps to the next level of filming. Who know whats coming next?
-Marisa Perez, MRJ Senior member
continue on the next page

Mountain Ridge Middle School

PAGE 9

General Announcements

SHOWTIME!
Its time for the first ever Mountain Ridge Middle School fulllength feature film (actually it is an hour long) starring
students and staff from MRMS.
In the Multimedia II class, we have completed the filming process of 21
Ridge Street and have already moved into the editing process, which is
also almost complete. In the editing process, we had to work on the
volume, the music, the lighting, and much, much more. During this
lengthy post-production stage, we all have been thinking about and
planning the upcoming premiere night on May 15th.
For the premiere night of our movie, we have planned intensively so
everything on that night works swimmingly and we dont have any
malfunctions. In case we forgot to mention it, the premiere night will be
held on May 15th, 2015 at Mountain Ridge Middle School. At the
premiere, we will have a red carpet event and VIP seating including free
popcorn (for VIP ticket holders), paparazzi, interviews, concessions, a
photographer, and more for you to look forward to. After the movie
premiere, we will even have a talk back with some of the actors and
crew. The cast and crew are expected to dress up for this event, so
feel free to do the same. There has even been talk of limousine rentals
amongst the cast and crew (Who knows?? :). Have your students keep
an ear out for announcements for ticket sales on Revtrack! Ticket
prices will be $10 for VIP (limited number) and $5 for General
Admission. We hope to see you there!
The Multimedia II class, on top of learning and participating in the movie
making process, have also learned about public relations, marketing,
and financially planning an event. It has been a wonderful experience to
see students spend an entire school year on one project. We have done
smaller projects along the way, but this one taught the students (and
me) about collaboration, planning, problem solving at its finest, and
above all, perseverance. We know that all of their hard work has paid
off, and we hope you will come to the premiere on May 15 th to
celebrate their accomplishments.
continue on the next page

Mountain Ridge Middle School

P A G E 10

General Announcements

SHOWTIME!
In Multimedia I, students have just finished their first collaborative
movie project, a 5-10 minute movie where they have taken all they
learned in the first quarter of the class, and applied it to create a movie
that focuses on eliciting emotion from an audience. They have been
learning camera angles, scene composition, blocking, soundtrack
creation, editing, and even a little bit of acting. This week we have had
class discussions about how collaborative efforts make or break a movie,
what has been difficult, what needs to be improved, and personal goals
for their final movie. The amount of thinking that students have done is
amazing.
That being said, there is also a district film festival at the end of April
through the first week of May that any students in DCSD middle or high
schools may compete in. Click here for the information on the festival. I
just might ask students if I may contribute a movie they have created in
class. So dont be surprised if they bring home a consent form to have
work submitted to the festival. :)
Thank you very much. Well see you at the movies.
We have shown the movie to a select group of Electronic Publishing
students, and here are some of the things they had do say

Mountain Ridge Middle School

P A G E 11

Athletics
This was an amazing year of
athletics and activities. At our last
assembly over 90 percent of our
students stood to be recognized for
participating in school athletics and
activities!
The only new news to report is it is
track season. So dont remove your snow tires just yet! Our district track
meet will be at Sports Authority Stadium in Parker on Friday, May 15,
2015.
The Night of Champions is May 12, 2015, 5:30-8:00 pm in the MVHS main
gym. This year we will have a dodge ball tournament! We will have
performances from our Thespians, Advanced Choir, Jazz Band, and
Unified basketball team. This year we are raising money to send care
packages to troops deployed overseas. Please join us of a night of fun!

Our year in review:

Fall:
Wow! MRMS students are participating is numerous sports and
activities! Aside from winning the district championship, our students
show their resiliency, sportsmanship, and pride wherever we go. Thank
you parents and guardians who have supported and encouraged your
students to get involved and surround themselves with positive
influences!
Congratulations to our cross country team and 8th girls volleyball team
for taking home the District Championship! Our 8th football team is
hitting hard and will finish their season on October 9th. 7th grade
volleyball and 7th grade flag football started September 15 and will end
their season October 25th. 7th and 8th grade wrestling will start right after
fall break on October 20th and end with a tournament on December 17th.

continue on the next page

Mountain Ridge Middle School

P A G E 12

Athletics

continued

If your student is still playing volleyball or flag football, and they want to
wrestle, please have them finish their season and then join the wrestling
team. 8th grade girls basketball starts October 27th and ends December
6th. Our Unified soccer team started off with a tie against Mesa Middle
School and there are more games to come. Unified Basketball will start
in December.
Thank you for all your support and making MRMS a positive and safe
environment where students can explore, take risks, have fun, pursue
their passion, and be apart of something special.
We have just wrapped up 7th grade flag football, 7th grade volleyball, and
have started 7th/8th grade wrestling and 8th grade girls basketball. We
are having a very successful year so far with our athletic programs. Our
parents are very supportive, our coaches are working hard, and our
athletes embody sportsmanship!
Thank you to everyone who filled out our survey. The responses were
overwhelmingly positive! 88% of the responses indicated that your
athletes experience was either a 4 or 5 with 59% being a 5 on a scale of
1-5! 6% rated the experience a 3. 3% (4 responses) rated the experience
a 2. 2% (3 responses) rated the experience a 1.
Thank you also for your comments and feedback; I read them all. There
were two responses regarding bussing back to school after a
competition. This was something we decided to cut 3 years ago in order
to keep more money in each sports budget. The return busses were
only being utilized by a very small percentage of students. Our return
trips busses would return home with less than 10 students and most
times less than 5. I remember returning home on the bus after all the
wrestling meets with only two athletes. I will communicate to my
coaches that we need to provide a list of parents who are willing to
carpool.

continue on the next page

Mountain Ridge Middle School

P A G E 13

Athletics

continued

Winter:
Eighth grade girls basketball and 7th/8th grade wrestling are in season.
The girls basketball tournament will be Friday, December 5th at Douglas
County High School. The wrestling tournament will be Wednesday,
December 17th , 4pm 8pm, at Mountain Vista High School. Please
come out and support our student athletes.
We have four more seasons and four more opportunities for students to
try something new or continue to pursue their athletic passion. 7th grade
girls basketball starts December 8th. 8th grade boys basketball starts
January 26th. 7th grade boys basketball starts March 2. 7th and 8th grade
track starts April 13th.
Our clubs and activities are still going strong. Thespian troop is working
towards their competition on December 4th. Jazz band, Advanced Choir,
and Womens Choir are still in session and we cant wait for our Winter
Concerts! We are still trying to generate interest and get enough
students to start a Technology Student Association (TSA) club and
Archery club.

Spring:
Eighth grade boys basketball ended their season February 28, 2015. This
season the boys worked very hard and grew in their sportsmanship, skill
level, and collaboration. Thank you to all the parents and athletes. Also,
thanks to Steve Lopez, Mike Kelly, and Craig Harvey for an amazing job
coaching our athletes! Our team had a lot of support from the MRMS
student body. They cheered, chanted, danced and even raised money
for Childrens Hospital. Our 7th grade boys basketball season started
March 2, 2015. Our coaches, Mike Kelly, Lucas Reeves, and Pete Mazula
predict success and lots of fun! Good luck boys on your upcoming
season! The season ending tournament will be April 11, 2015 at
Highlands Ranch High School.

Mountain Ridge Middle School

P A G E 14

Health And P.E.

Health:
Marijuana- how it makes you feel and how it can affect you
Tobacco- learning about how it affects you and forms that you can do
tobacco
Alcohol- learning how it affects your body and affect other people.
Good and bad choices- what choices are going to hurt you and what
choices are going to help you in life
Eating disorders- signs to know if someone has an eating disorder, the
effects it has on your body
Peer pressure- your peers can pressure you into doing drugs or making bad
choices
Health triangle- At the very beginning of school we learned about the
health triangle. This is a triangle and each of the 3 sides stand for physical,
mental, and social.
Body image- the way you see your body, you can have a positive or
negative effect
Emphysema- an effect of tobacco use and how it feels to breathe
Nutrition- what vitamins are in foods, which foods are good for you, why
are they good for you?
Tobacco abuse- We learned what tobaccos long term effects were, and
how they can be fatal.
P.E:

Stretching - We stretch before we exercise in P.E. 6 laps-jogging, basketball

slides, karaoke, high knees, skips, high skips and final lap
Lifting weights- we learned to how to lift weights properly and not get hurt.
How to push yourself- knowing when we cant do anymore and how to
keep going if we cant stop; example: running, having to run for a certain
amount of time and not being allowed to stop
Before doing anything else we do the 6 lap warm-up.
Learning how to pace yourself
Mr. Lemons taught us how to play lots of games like Pillow Polo, Fastball,
Team handball,
We are playing fun sports
Mr. Lemons taught us to do in the weight room so we can get better and
better at weight equipment. We also learned how to work together in team
games.
Also in PE, we learned the responsibilities of team work with
communication and hard effort
We have fitness partners for the sit-ups, pushups, and the mile so we can
record each others scores.
We have squad lines so we walk together and exercise in a group and talk
to each other more about how we can do stuff together
We play team games so we can learn to collaborate
We do our six stretches and then get right to games or run.
We also do 6 six laps with different runs like karaoke, skipping, etc...

Mountain Ridge Middle School

P A G E 15

Activities - iLab Symposium

Does Education Get Any Better Than This?

Inspired me to improve my ability to change the world. Cool to see how
many different ideas we had on how we could change the things for the
better. Neat to go check out our friends ideas for creating change.
Raised our awareness of global issues. It made us realize that with our
projects we had just scratched the surface. Underneath, there is still so
much work to be done.

FAIL-First Attempt In Learning.

A small change can make a big difference. Each one of our booths was an
example of something small-the symposium was an example of
something big.
7th Grade iLab students
April 17, the seventh graders at Mountain Ridge presented a culmination
of over 6 weeks of intensive work: their Capstone Projects. These
projects provided clear evidence of their ability to utilize design thinking
to solve a problem. In its most effective form, design thinking is a
process, an action, a verb not a noun-a protocol for solving problems and
discovering new opportunities. Initially, students selected a personal
passion and identified an issue or problem associated with that passion.
From there they did extensive research in order to surface viable a
solution. They tested their solution and revised it as many times as they
needed to, in order to complete the Capstone. A truly amazing display of
the power of passion as it relates to student learning.
Putting on the finishing touches
before the big event.

continue on the next page

Mountain Ridge Middle School

P A G E 16

Activities - iLab Symposium

continued

Let the games begin!

Air pollution is becoming extremely dangerous for both the environment and
humanity, but scientists have come up with an idea we can end this situation
with: Algae, which produces oxygen and takes carbon dioxide out of our
atmosphere. This Project was an attempt to explore those ideas.

The Deputy
Commissioner of
Education for the state
of Colorado testing his
ballet skills.

An attempt to solve the traffic problem at MRMS.

After a successful Capstone Symposium,

students now plan how to implement their
proposed solutions (brainstorming in
groups) and reflect individually on their
experiences.

Mountain Ridge Middle School

P A G E 17

Team 7-2
Here we are at the end of the school year. Believe it or not, your child
will be an 8th grader very soon. This year is a huge transition from
elementary to middle school and next year they will really grow into their
own. As we near the end of the year, things become very busy and
learning does not slow down around here. You may have heard about
the different projects/ assignments that are happening throughout the
pod. If not, make sure to ask your child.
Science/Savage:
Students have been diligently working on geologic timelines. This will be
finished quickly and they will move on to explore evolution.
Math/Krumreich:
Math 7 students are exploring classification of triangles and
quadrilaterals.
Math 7 Accelerated students are focused on geometry skills at this time.
This includes surface area and volume.
Algebra is finishing the year with exponential functions and compound
interest.
SS/Graham-H:
Students have been working on World Cultures in the Middle East and
getting ready for their field trip next week.
iLab/Fox-G:
Students have been working on their capstone projects and they
presented their material at the symposium on April 17. What an
inspiring night that was! Hopefully you were able to attend and visit a
wide variety of projects.
LA/Wilde:
Recently, classes finished an Asian novel study in which they had to show
growth and learning through a project. Now they are moving into
Shakespeare plays.

Mountain Ridge Middle School

P A G E 18

Team 8-1
What a year! The students did so many amazing things and are dedicated
to finishing strong. They have two great field trips coming up; Finance
Park and a trip to the Sky Sox baseball game. These trips are going to be
very educational, have real world applications and create lots of fun along
the way. It is very important that our students go into these field trips
with a positive attitude.
On behalf of all the teachers and admin, I would like to say how proud I
am of your students for working so hard. We pride ourselves at MRMS for
our academic rigor and how we build community. Students helped to
build a positive community by embracing the RAM philosophy: Respect,
Attitude, and Motivation. We are confident that your student will be
successful in high school and grow to be positive contributors to society!

Mountain Ridge Middle School

P A G E 19

Team 8-3
This is the final newsletter for the 2014-2015 school year and it is always a
very happy and sad time as the end of the year approaches. The teachers
are so grateful for the opportunity to be a huge part of all of our students
lives this year and we marvel in the changes that have taken place. Our
goal is for all of our students to leave Mountain Ridge with a little more
grit, perseverance, and communication skills in order to thrive at high
school. Even though it is sad to see them go across the parking lot, we are
so very excited to see each of our students develop into successful and
intelligent members of society, who will each help to change the world for
the better.
As we wrap up the year, many exciting things will be happening.
Hopefully, after numerous emails, everyone knows that we will be going
to Cherokee Ranch May 11-14. Everyone will be attending two out of the
four days and will be able to participate in a wide variety of activities from
hiking to archery to drawing or photography. This is one of the most
memorable trips for all of our former students. Not long after Cherokee,
one of the least favorite days will take place. Yes, the dreaded FINAL in
math class. It sounds so intimidating, especially if they havent ever had
to take one before. Dont dread, though, we will study, study, and study
some more before the actual test. As of right now, the Algebra and
Geometry finals are scheduled for May 20th and the Math 8 final is on
May 21st.
Our teams philosophy is to work hard until the end of the year and we
plan on squeezing every last bit of time out of our classes. There will be
another large interdisciplinary unit at the end and we will be sending
more information about that through the weekly emails. Once again,
thank you from team 83 for such a fantastic and challenging year!

Mountain Ridge Middle School

P A G E 20

Team 8-4 News

All The News Thats Swagworthy!
Did you see the Commotion in Motion symposium? It was incredible!
There have been such amazing things going on this year; it was amazing!
The teachers and students will be working hard until the end. Please
encourage a strong finish.
On behalf of all the teachers and admin I would like to say how proud I
am of your students for working so hard this year. We pride ourselves at
MRMS for our academic rigor and how we build community. Students
helped to build a positive community by embracing the RAM philosophy:
Respect, Attitude, and Motivation. We are confident that your student
will be successful in high school and grow to be positive contributors to
society!

Mountain Ridge Middle School

P A G E 21

ElectivesART
Art students have been busy creating and building plaster molds and using
tools and techniques for subtractive carving. Many added extra carved
details and/or color with acrylic and watercolor paints. Photos 1, 2, 3.

continued on next page

Mountain Ridge Middle School

P A G E 22

ElectivesART

continued

Art students are also working on independent projects before and after
school; recycling old sculptures into sturdy plaster organic forms that we
will "plant" outside next to the one already planted by the digital sign at
the traffic lights. More will begin to appear, as some may begin to decay,
just as in nature. Students have been studying artist Steven Siegel who is
famous for his outdoor sculptures which he designs to eventually become
part of the earth through years of decay. Most of his (and our) materials
used in the sculpture armatures are recycled materials. Photos 4, 5, 6

Mountain Ridge Middle School

P A G E 23

ElectivesART

continued

A few students were also working on independent spray paint planets

projects before and after school. One student brought in his old skis and
did a nice job of spray painting (all done outside with proper ventilation
and supervision, of course!).Photos 7, 8,9

Mountain Ridge Middle School

P A G E 24

ElectivesART

continued

Currently students are finishing their creation of a wire form which we

filled with colorful window-cling plastic based paint. These are stuck on
windows around the school. Students sketched mainly insects, fish, and
other animal forms, some were abstract organic shapes. Photos 10,11,12

Mountain Ridge Middle School

P A G E 25

ElectivesART

continued

Students created and handbuilt ceramic heads with clay and kiln fored
glazes at the beginning of the semester. Photo 13

1,2,3 Plaster poured into student created molds, then carved and
painted.
4,5,6 Outdoor sculpture MRMS project in process. Artist Steven Seigel
outdoor sculpture study.
7,8,9. Spray paint planets project
10,11,12,. Window cling project
13 Ceramic Head project