On April 26, Erin Owens(8), Patrick Hance(7), Mauricio Lozano(6), Max Bradley (6) and Sarah Crews (7) received awards in the 29^th annual Flo Robinson Literary Contest.  The ceremony which was held at the Lincolnton Cultural Center recognized students and adults for their outstanding writing in both prose and poetry.  In the middle school category, Erin Owens won first prize for her poem “Everlasting Book” and Sara Crews received an Honorable Mention for her entry entitled “Spring.”  In the prose division, Patrick Hance (7) won second place with “Cermak” an original story about an Eastern European family feud.  “The Man with the Library in His Satchel” by Mauricio Lozano (6) won third place and “The Airplane” by Max Bradley received an Honorable Mention.  Each student was asked to read their work to the audience and received a certificate and a monetary prize.  Mr. Carpenter stated afterward, “We are so proud of our students.”  Additionally, Mrs. Yoder, teacher of each of the winners, was beaming with pride.  She commented, “It really does pay to do your homework.” 

Students in Lincoln County schools put on their thinking caps and came together Monday night for the STEM: Mission Possible Science Festival at Lincoln County School of Technology in Lincolnton.
The festival is part of a series held across the state between April 13 and April 29 that focuses on science, technology, engineering and math.
Students stood by their booths proudly as they explained to their viewers what their projects were and how they created them.
“The kids are learning about science, math, social studies and other subjects; the whole curriculum is combined in these projects,” said Glenda Walker, elementary school director for the county.
All of the presentations were based around national and global issues.
Each group was assigned a fictional child who “lives” in another country and is facing an issue of some sort. The students learned about the character, the country they lived in and the problem they needed help solving. After gathering all the information and researching their topic, the groups worked on projects that correlated with what they learned.
The lobby of LCST was for the Academically Intellectually Gifted students from various elementary schools in the area. Students’ projects ranged from evaluating landscapes and researching boat construction, to robot-building and floatation devices.
Allison and Anthony Ruby of S. Ray Lowder Elementary were excited about their project, confident that theirs exhibit was the best one of the night. The siblings and their group worked on designing packages for plants. They used recycled packaging materials to construct a product that could protect the plant from being damaged while being shipped.
Mother of the Ruby twins, Laura, was impressed with the program and the effort her children put into the project.
“It gave them a chance to really be creative and use what they are learning in their classroom every day,” Ruby said. “They learned so much about science and were exposed to other opportunities, too.”
Ten-year-old Corbin Tomanchek was enthusiastic about his new, mechanical friend, too. Tomanchek was part of a team that built a robot that was able to “complete certain tasks” and move in different directions, based on the movement it picks up from sensors located on its body.
Across the room, 10-year-old Stow Rankin was putting his robot to work as it rolled down the hallway slam-dunking baskets into a Lego-made hoop.
Lego robotics was one of the more popular categories represented at the festival.
Upstairs, students in career and technical education programs geared toward middle and high school students stood by to show off their skills. Allied Health and Medical Science students, scrubs and all, stood by mannequins as they practiced techniques some of them will later use to become Certified Nursing Assistants.
Automotive technology students were nearby with their display of an electric car that was transformed from a combustible engine-powered Chevy Cavalier to a completely electric vehicle.
Other projects in the middle and high school levels included rocket building, catapults, windmills and hydraulic-powered creatures (Racers.)
Walker hopes the festival sparked a new way of thinking in the students’ minds and that the tools they learned throughout the process will help them solve problems in the future.

Kirsten Cline, Sarah Crews, Esther Garcia, Patrick Hance, Bryce Harp Coney, Rebecca Hughes, Brandon Keneda, Austin Ledford, Christian Munger, and Trevor Reeves

Congratulations to the students above that participated in the Duke University Talent Identification Program (Duke TIP).  The talent search pool is a special groups of students who are demonstrating a high level of achievement on tests.

Duke TIP is a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving academically gifted and talented students. Duke TIP works with students, their families, and educators to identify, recognize, challenge, engage, and help students reach their highest potential. Now in its 32nd year, the 7th Grade Talent Search identifies bright seventh graders based on standardized test scores achieved while attending elementary or middle school. Candidates are invited to take the ACT or the SAT college entrance exams as seventh graders, which allows them greater insight into their academic abilities. In addition, they gain valuable benefits and have access to unique resources for gifted students, ceiling appropriate for their age and grade.

Lincolnton Middle School Band Receives Superior Rating at Wingate University

Congratulations to the Lincolnton Middle School Concert Band for receiving a Superior rating in the North Carolina Music Performance Assessment at Wingate University on Friday, March 16, 2012.  The band represented Lincolnton Middle School with pride, dignity, and class.  The MPA adjudicators were very complimentary of our program and also gave us some helpful suggestions that will help raise our level of performance in the future as we continue to grow.

The band will be traveling to Charlotte in April to participate in the Annual Carowinds Festival of Music.  Keep up to date with all the band happenings by visiting the band website at the link below.

http://lms.lincoln.k12.nc.us/class_profile_view.aspx?id=36e41ffe-0aec-4c8e-81b4-6935b9dcee8d

Help the Planet! Help LMS! Help Yourself!

This week, LMS 6^th graders were treated to a special presentation from The Energized Guyz on conserving energy.  As part of the program, the students were given a booklet with information on who to receive a FREE energy conservation kit from Duke Power.  The kit includes energy saving light bulbs, faucet aerators, a water flow meter, outlet switch insulators, Teflon tape, and other tools that can help your household save electricity and money!  For every FREE kit that is ordered and credited to LMS, the school has a chance to win a $1000 that will go toward 6^th grade science supplies.  Families that order a kit will also have a chance to win a household drawing to win $5000!  So, tell everyone you know and go to www.myenergykit.org or send in the order form that comes with your child’s energy book!  You do NOT have to be a Duke Energy customer to enter.  Don’t forget to credit Lincolnton Middle School with your entry.

Blogging in Math Connections

Online testing will soon become a reality for 21^st century learners, Lincolnton Middle School Math Connections Classes has been using the ClassScape Assessment System to evaluate student progress. This new program is used throughout our school this year to help students grow accustomed to testing in this manner. After taking several tests as “practice runs” the 6^th, 7^th and 8^th grade students logged into the Math Connections Blog page to provide feedback. Students blogged about the pros and cons of using this new testing site.
Classroom blogs have allowed the students to interact with their classmates, practice their writing skills and use technology to network across grade levels. This tool also gives educators an opportunity to solicit student feedback and opinions related to a number of mathematical concepts.
Blog topics will be continually added to the Math Connections webpage throughout the year. Please encourage your child to read the current blogs and share their responses to classroom topics.

2011-2012 DAR County Winners Announced

8^th Grade Marchers

A select few of the LMS 8^th Grade Band students have had an extra busy schedule this fall.  In addition to their regular school studies and participating in the LMS Band they have also become members of the Lincolnton High School Wolfpack Marching Band.  These 8^th grade marching band members fulfill the requirements of marching band just like the high school band members.  They participated in band camp in the +95 degree heat in August.  They rehearse 3 nights a week for 2 ½ hours.  They have been to all the LHS football games and competed in 5 competitions throughout western North Carolina.  We are very proud of these students and their contributions to the LHS Wolfpack Marching Band.  Keep up the good work!

8^th Grade Marchers: (front) Alma Diaz, Ellen Carpenter, Gainluca Graziano, Natalie Ballard, (back) Matthew Baker, Erin Owen, Naomi Gonzalez, and Steven Osbourne.

Lincoln County Finalist
Jordan Easter an 8^th grade student at Lincolnton Middle School received 2^nd place overall in the Lincolnton Lions Club Peace Poster Contest.  Jordan is an avid athlete that excels in anything he puts his mind to.  Way to go Jordan, we are very proud of you!

Sweet Taste of Success

Lincolnton Middle School goes above and beyond in their desire to assist others through the annual Christian Ministries Can Food Drive.  Cynthia Williams, the Communities In Schools leader at LMS, and the Student Council organization sponsored the food drive at the school this year.  LMS set an ambitious goal to collect 2,000 cans of food to support local families in need.   Once again our students and staff were presented a challenge which was not only met with enthusiasm but surpassed with great pride.  Students and Staff have exceeded expectations with their generosity and concern for others.
Lincolnton Middle School is proud to announce that 4,713 items have been donated to Christian Ministries this month on behalf of everyone involved.
We would like to thank our parents and family members who were able to contribute to our efforts in this event. Working together helps us achieve our goals and attain success.  Lincolnton Middle School is truly the “Best Middle School” in Lincoln County!

History Lesson

Lincolnton Middle School 8th grade students were recently treated to a visit by local historian Darrell Harkey. Mr. Harkey told students the story of the Battle of Ramsour's Mill that occurred here in Lincolnton and its significance in the Revolutionary War. He also brought along several artifacts to show what life was like for people during that time.

Going "Ga-Ga" for Intramurals

Friday was an exciting day for students as they competed in grade level intramurals against other homebases on their grade level.  During their elective times, entire grade levels came together for a friendly competition in the game of Ga-Ga.  Ga-Ga is a low-intensity dodge ball style game where students try to tag other students by rolling balls at their feet within an enclosed area.  Team homebases cheer each other on in this elimination style competition until the sole remaining homebase is crowned champion...until the next intramurals!!

November 4--Ga Ga Intramural Champions!

 6^th grade Mrs. McCurry’s Homebase

7^th grade Mrs. Jones’ Homebase

8^th grade Mrs. Chandler’s Homebase

 Congratulations to everyone on a wonderful and fun day!

AdvancED
The Best Middle School In Lincoln County

“Success for All” is not just our motto; it is our belief that all students can experience success in school and our determination to support our students as they grow, academically, socially and behaviorally. 

Lincolnton Middle School has recently been visited by the AdvancED School Accreditation Team (formerly referred to as SACS).  During the accreditation process, which occurs every five years, the team meets with administration, staff members, students and parents in order to assess the school’s effectiveness in utilizing quality education practices to achieve performance gains while focusing on the school’s internal self-assessment process which is a continually evolving plan designed to meet the needs of ALL students.

Schools are evaluated based on the criteria outlined in the seven standards. 

Standard One focuses on the Vision and Purpose of the school which establishes expectations for student learning and is supported by school personnel as well as stakeholders within the community.  

Standard Two focuses on Governance and Leadership within the school. Leadership is assessed, in part, on the “school’s policies, procedures, and organizational conditions which ensure equity of learning opportunities and support innovation.”

Standard Three focuses on Teaching and Learning using researched-based strategies to implement curriculum which “actively engages students in the learning process” and provides them with “opportunities to apply their knowledge and skills to real world situations.”

Standard Four focuses on Documenting and Using Results to improve student performance and target areas of need.  “The system is used to assess student performance on expectations for student learning, evaluate the effectiveness of curriculum and instruction, and determine interventions to improve student performance.”

Standard Five focuses on Resources and Support Systems available in order to support the vision and goals set by the school to meet their targets for growth and achievement.

Standard Six focuses on Stakeholder Communication and Relationships which fosters effective communication and collaboration in order to effectively meet the needs of our students.

Standard Seven focuses on the Commitment to Continuous Improvement as a means for “improving student performance and school effectiveness” through the process of reflection and assessment and the implementation of new strategies designed to make our students competitive in 21^st Century Learning.

Lincolnton Middle School is proud to announce that the AdvancED committee has declared our school “Highly Functional” in ALL seven categories, which is the highest rating level designated in this evaluation process!  It is rare for a school to receive this rating in all seven standards.  Mr. Carpenter, principal at LMS, stated, “This is a huge accomplishment not only for Lincolnton Middle School, but Lincoln County Schools as well.”

Stacy McClain, the School Improvement Team Chair, shared with staff members some of the highlights which impressed the AdvancED committee.  Committee members noted the “high level of student engagement with research-based strategies” and the “warmth and friendliness of the students within the school.”  The committee recommended that Lincolnton Middle School apply for the state’s School-to-Watch recognition program and discussed programs and procedures utilized at LMS which they were going to take back to their own schools to share with their staff members.  Overall, the committee was impressed with the hard work and dedication that was evident based on our knowledge of each individual student throughout the school.

Additional information about the AdvancED assessment process can be found at www.advanc-ed.org

Seventh Grade Lunch Bunch 
Lincolnton Middle School hosted their second "Lunch Bunch" on October 19, 2011. 87 parents turned out for the event.  Students and parents ate together in the cafeteria decorated in a fall theme. We will soon be setting the date for the future eighth grade "Lunch Bunch" days will occur in November. LMS hopes parents continue to support our school and we are thankful for all of them. Decorations for this event were provided by the seventh grade teachers. Thanks to everyone for coming out and making this event special!

First in Math
First in Math is an exciting, computer based program that Lincolnton Middle School is using to enhance student growth. Students play games that build their computation skills as well as logical reasoning and problem solving. Each game that is played earns points for the students as well as their math class. Many students are already competing to see who will have the top score. Students can check their results at anytime in the “ranking” section.

All students at LMS will have a username and password to log in to the site from school or home. At the end of each month, the student from each grade level with the most points for that month will receive a free drink and have their picture posted on a school bulletin board. Classes with the highest points will be awarded certificates on a monthly basis.

The First in Math computer program is designed to raise test scores and help students feel more confident in their math skills. Please encourage your child to utilize this enrichment program.

First Read, First Thing
Students at Lincolnton Middle School participate daily in Self- Selected Reading (SSR).  Teachers monitor the student comprehension and success by informal and formal conferencing.  This takes place every morning for the first 30 minutes of the day.  It is our goal to engage every student in reading in order to continue to make academic gains.