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©2017 EB Academic Camps, LLC

Zebulon GT Magnet Middle School

Keeping You informed:

7th Grade Administrator:

Mr. Terrance Hinnant

thinnant2@wcpss.net

General Contact

School Phone 919-404-3630

The Cougar Way

Welcome to 2022-23 School Year

6th Grade Administrator:

Mrs. Ashlie King

aking5@wcpss.net

8th Grade & VA Administrator:

Mr. Neil Light

nlight@wcpss.net

School Principal

Ms. Candis Jones

cjones14@wcpss.net

September Newsletter

Interims (week of)

Quarter Ends

Report Cards

September 26th

November 3rd

November 10th

December 12th

January 26th

February 6th

February 27th

March 30th

April 17th

May 8th

June 9th

June 9th

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6th grade Core Classes

The Cougar Way

ELA

Jasmine Gregory Website

jdgregory@wcpss.net

Vanessa Scarboro Website

vscarboro@wcpss.net

Hayley Herring Website

hherring@wcpss.net

During the first quarter, students will closely read Rick Riordan's The Lightning Thief, an action-packed fantasy novel that tells the story of 12-year-old Percy Jackson, a relatable and entertaining narrator. Students also read informational text to gain background knowledge of Greek mythology, which is interwoven into Percy’s story. In this module, titled “Myths: Not Just Long Ago,” students focus on the archetypal hero’s journey and character analysis through independent reading, participating in class discussions, and engaging in interactive learning.

Math 6

Zachary Parchomenko Website

zparchomenko@wcpss.net

Evelyn Fahnestock-Sutton Website

efahnestock-sutton@wcpss.net

Sandra Lindsey Website

slindsey@wcpss.net

“The only way to learn mathematics is to do mathematics.” – Paul Halmos. Math will explore area of two dimensional objects this month. Students will practice applying their knowledge of area to rectangles, triangles, parallelograms, trapezoids and composite shapes to solve problems. Students will also investigate the surface area and volume of 3D shapes such as rectangular prisms and surface area of triangular prisms. Students also have a weekly skills check at the beginning of each week and is due on that Friday for a homework grade.

Math 6 Plus

Zachary Parchomenko Website

zparchomenko@wcpss.net

Evelyn Fahnestock-Sutton Website

efahnestock-sutton@wcpss.net

“The only way to learn mathematics is to do mathematics.” – Paul Halmos. Math will explore area of two dimensional objects this month. Students will practice applying their knowledge of area to rectangles, triangles, parallelograms, trapezoids and composite shapes to solve problems. Students will also investigate the surface area and volume of 3D shapes such as rectangular prisms and surface area of triangular prisms. Students also have a weekly skills check at the beginning of each week and is due on that Friday for a homework grade.

Social Studies

Jennifer Melton Website

jmelton@wcpss.net

Kyle Carlson Website

kcarlson@wcpss.net

Tanya Swanson Website

tswanson@wcpss.net

Happy September! Students are settling into a great routine. We start off our social studies unit with a quick unit on map skills, and then move into exploring the five themes of geography. We will end that unit with a project highlighting the five themes of geography with a country of the student’s choosing. We will also be exploring primary and secondary sources. To be successful this semester, students should be completing their agenda daily and have a folder and single subject notebook for social studies. Students should also spend 15-20 minutes nightly reading

through the notes from class that day.

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7th grade Core Classes

The Cougar Way

ELA

Chanta Robinson Website

ccrobinson@wcpss.net

Ashely Smith Website

ansmith@wcpss.net

Katherine Springle Website

kspringle@wcpss.net

Hello Cougar Families! Students explore the experiences of

people of Southern Sudan during and after the Second Sudanese Civil War. They build proficiency in using textual evidence to support ideas in their writing, both in shorter responses and in an extended essay. They read A Long Walk to Water, analyzing the points of view of the central characters, Salva and Nya. Students focus on one key theme: how individuals survive in challenging environments. The novel is paired with complex informational texts on Sudan.Students then combine research about Sudan with quotes the novel and craft

a research- based two-voice poem. Please make sure to remind your students to read daily!

Math 7

Tarsha White Website

twhite5@wcpss.net

Maryann Martin Website

mmartin5@wcpss.net

Sharon Wiggins-Mills Website

swiggins-mills@wcpss.net

In Unit 1, students will learn about scaled copies and apply what they have learned to scale drawings. The concept of scaling prepares students for working with proportional relationships later on in grade 7 and dilations in grade 8. They start by identifying scaled copies and learning that if the scale factor is greater than 1, the copy will be enlarged, and if the scale copy is less than 1, the copy will be reduced. They learn how area changes in scaled copies.

Math 7 Plus

In this unit, students will apply their knowledge of proportional relationships to circles by investigating geometric measurement. Students will learn that the circumference of any circle is proportional to its diameter with a constant of proportionality, pi (π). They extend this knowledge by working with derivations of the relationships between area, circumference, and radius. Early in the unit, students learn the difference between circle, center, radius and diameter by drawing, measuring and investigating circles by making tables and graphs.

Science

Keri-Sue Bonnaci Website

kbonnaci@wcpss.net

Esta Lampkin Website

elampkin@wcpss.net

Kimberly James Website

kmjames@wcpss.net

Students are diving into learning about weather, both locally and globally. We will have some upcoming labs to dig deeper into this concept. Our next unit will be covering cells, their parts, and how they enable living things to survive. Be on the lookout for a project during this unit! Please make sure that your student has their science notebook with them each day, along with a pencil! Also, please be sure that devices come to school charged each day.

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8th grade Core Classes

The Cougar Way

ELA

8th grade Cougars are excelling! We began our model by completing a vocabulary TIP chart and a virtual tour of Vietnam. Students received their first novel “Inside Out and Back Again” and a workbook that they will need daily to be successful. Students will also need to bring charged devices daily as well. We will begin writing Quickwrites to show what we know. Students will take their Mid-Unit Assessment on Monday, September 12th.

Math 8

Jeremiah Otiso Website

jotiso@wcpss.net

Yevette Hennessee- Website

yhennessee@wcpss.net

Helen Hartel Website

hhartel@wcpss.net

The students are off to a great start learning our routines and building strong learning communities. In Unit 1, students will strengthen their understandings of transformations - movement in the coordinate plane and increase their vocabulary and describe translations, reflections, rotations, and dilations. To be successful this semester, students should be completing their agenda daily and have single subject notebook for math. Students should also spend 15-20 minutes nightly reviewing math concepts learned in class that day. All workbooks have a parent -student sections front, please review with your students and encourage them to share what they have learned in class.

Math 1

Jeremiah Otiso Website

jotiso@wcpss.net

Helen Hartel Website

hhartel@wcpss.net

Welcome back! We are so happy to see 8thh graders off to a great start. Students received their workbooks which they need to bring to class everyday. Students also are required to bring a math notebook, pencil and any other supplies they may need. Math I is a rigorous course and students need to be prepared everyday with their supplies and their homework. Please review 15-20 minutes a night the concepts reviewed in class that day.

In Unit 1, students will be learning about sequences. Students will identify differences between geometric and arithmetic sequences and will write recursive and explicit formulas for each type of sequences. There will be an assessment after each unit as well as a mid-unit check-up. Students are also responsible for completing their daily warm-ups in class. We look forward to a wonderful year.

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8th grade Core Classes

The Cougar Way

Social Studies

Eddie Kemp Website

ekemp@wcpss.net

Elizabeth Arencibia Website

earencibia@wcpss.net

Joseph Grant Website

jmgrant@wcpss.net

Welcome to 8th Grade Social Studies!

We will be starting off the school year learning map reading strategies through US geography. Students will be expected to utilize different features of a map to further analyze content related to US History.

We will aim to answer the following questions in Unit 1:

  • What methods do historians use in researching and writing history?
  • How do perspective and bias affect the validity of primary and secondary sources?
  • How do we think like historians?
  • How does the geography of the United States impact the culture and characteristics of different regions?

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Electives

The Cougar Way

Fine Arts & World Language Department

Lindsey Foushee

Visual ArtWebsite

lfoushee@wcpss.net

Welcome to a new school year! All students will need a notebook or sketchbook & pencil for all art classes daily. Exploratory Art will review vocabulary and begin with colored pencil techniques. Drawing 1 will learn drawing strategies & begin a unit on shading. Painting 2 will review color & paint vocab/concepts. Mask Making will begin by looking at masks from around the world before we start on papier mȃché.

Paula Hales

Band, Guitar, Music & Tech

Website

phales@wcpss.net

Please make sure 6th grade students have instruments by the week of September 12th. All other classes need their assigned method book by the same week.

Music through science and technology will begin using Band Lab to explore music.

Orlandus Perry

Chorus, Orchestra, Piano�Website

goperry@wpcss.net

Beg. strings, adv strings, percussion ensemble, and magnet success classes are off to an amazing start this year. I’m thrilled to have your student in my class. Strings students have been assigned instruments. A rental meeting will be announced soon with our rep for parents interested in purchasing or renting an instrument. Please make sure your student has their essential elements book 1 for their instrument. Percussion students should have a pair of drumsticks and a practice pad. Magnet success students are blazing a trail to new levels of success starting with the importance of Understanding their personal history.

Elizabeth Triplett

Theater�Website

etriplett@wcpss.net

We have a lot going on in theater classes this month. Advanced Dramatics is beginning the work on our fall play. We will have auditions for those interested in join on Wed. 9/14 afterschool. Puppetry is currently learning about the history of puppets all around the world. In Acting 1, we are learning about how to read a script and prepare for auditions. The Tech 1 class is starting the unit on set design and construction! It’s a busy time to be in theater!

Katherine Champion

Dance

Website

kchampion@wcpss.net

Dance has had a fantastic start to the school year! All students in dance must bring or wear dance/athletic clothing to class. Students in Jazz/Hip Hop have begun learning Jazz technique and movement. Dancers in Ballet/Modern have been focusing on Modern dance technique and movement. Students in Zumbatomics have been learning dance exercises and strength training activities to build their stamina and body awareness. We’ve been smiling, sweating, and dancing up a storm!!

Edna Seone

Spanish�Website

eseoane@wcpss.net

Bienvenidos! Welcome to the World Language class! Exploratory Language and Spanish Beginning classes will be offered this semester/quarter where students will develop listening, speaking, reading and writing skills using familiar words, commands, phrases, short sentences, answer basic questions, and develop a wide vocabulary within a cultural relevant context.

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Electives

The Cougar Way

CTE

Barnane Creech Website

Bwcreech@wcpss.net

Tawanna Wheless� Website

twheless@wcpss.net

Madeline Cutchin

mcutchin@wcpss.net

Our Career and Technical Education (CTE) program aims to prepare students for employment opportunities, advanced education and productive lives. CTE promotes best practices that enhance teachers' efforts to improve student achievement and encourage responsible career choices. We want to meet students' needs, cultivate their abilities and help them realize their aspirations.

Middle school students are offered exploratory courses in business and information technologies, life skills, technology systems and career decisions. Each middle school has a Career Development Coordinator to support the school-to-career connection and facilitate business alliance activities.

ZGTMMS CTE Electives

click on each elective for more information

Business, Finance & Marketing Elective

No electives offered 1st nine weeks

Computer Science & Information Technology Elective

Keyboarding and Basic Word Processing - Ms Wheeles

Introduction to Office Productivity - Mrs. Wheeles

Office Productivity - Ms. Wheeles

Mindcraft - Ms. Cutchin

Career Development

Exploring Careers & Employment - Ms. Creech

Exploring Careers & Employment - Ms. Cutchin

Family & Consumer Science Elective

Exploring Child Care - Ms. Creech

Health Science Elective

Medical Terms in Therapeutic Health Service Careers - Ms. Creech

Trade,Technology, Engineering & Industrial Education Electives

No electives offered 1st nine weeks

ZGTMMS College & Career Ready WEBSITE

ZGTMMS After School Clubs - Career Readiness - click on each

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Electives

The Cougar Way

Physical Education & Healthful Living

Cynthia Letizia cletizia@wcpss.net

Nathaniel Overnover@wcpss.net

Darrell Bunn djbunn@wcpss.net

Edwin Kemp ekemp@wcpss.net

Website

ZMS Athletics

Nathaniel Over nover@wcpss.net

Athletics Director

Website

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Arlene Knuckles-SLMC

aknuckles@wcpss.net

Website

Welcome ZMS Students and Families

  • Library Orientation/Circulation will begin September 12-23, 2022. The schedule has been shared with all ELA Teachers.
  • 40 Book Challenge-Information about this school wide reading challenge will be shared with students during orientation.
  • Battle of the Books-Information about the book club with be shared during orientation.

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Reminders

  • Remember to return all of your Beginning of the Year forms. Also, remember to complete your lunch application for the 22-23 school year. You can apply for free or reduced lunch by visiting https://www.myschoolapps.com/

  • Remember Click here to review the WCPSS student calendar with A/B elective day notations.
  • Our next PTA meeting will take place Monday 9/12 at 6pm
    • PTA NEWSLETTER
  • If you recently joined our PTA, please be sure to contact Mrs. Reynolds to arrange a time to pick up your PTA yard sign!
  • September 26th - Teacher workday
  • The Yearbook for the 22 - 23 school year is on sale now. The purchase price is $30.48 ( 10% discount until 9/30 )

https://www.treering.com/purchase?PassCode=1016031389771047

Stay in the Know...

The Cougar Way

Media News

Latissa Hampton (School Counselor)

lrhampton@wcpss.net

Jasmine Thomas (School Counselor)

jthomas13@wcpss.net

Emily Sturkie (School Psychologist)

esturkie@wcpss.net

Dawn Knode (School Nurse)

dknode@wcpss.net

Lori Jarvis (Guidance Technician)

lljarvis@wcpss.net

We are extremely excited for the 2022-2023 school year! We are here to assist our students and families. Please take a look at our attendance works resource below.

Attendance Matters

Attendance Matters - Spanish

Is your child considering a future in engineering? Check out this free event hosted by Campbell University. October 29 from 10am-2pm

Campbell Engineering Day

Student Services

Magnet News

Whitney Reynolds- Magnet Coordinator

wreynolds@wcpss.net

Welcome to the 2022-2023 School Year!

  • During the month of September, we will work together on the ZGTMMS “Claim our Name” campaign! We want to bombard all of the school review websites with updated parent, teacher, and student reviews! Click below for more information.

Claim Our Name Campaign (English)

Claim Our Name Campaign (Spanish)

  • Student Ambassador Applications for 7th and 8th graders are now available on our ZMS website under the “Magnet” tab. If your student is interested in being a part of this leadership opportunity, encourage them to apply.