Upcoming events: Video Game Carnival

In just two weeks, Milwood Magnet School and the MMS Parent Advisory team will host its first video game night!



We are still looking for volunteers to lend their Wii and a game, their time, or resources for the evening, which will be May 15, 2009 from 5:30 - 9 pm. If you're interested, please contact Mary Hoyle at the school.

WGOM: Have you checked in on the salmon lately?

They have gotten big and will continue to double their size as the end of next month approaches, when we will release the salmon at a designated release location. The 7th grade students at Milwood Magnet School have enjoyed having salmon in the classroom and have gained a lot of knowledge from this project.

Earth Day 2009

In honor of Earth Day 2009, we have compiled a few resources to better help you and your students help the environment.

What is the importance of Earth Day and what does it mean to us?

Did you know...

38% of kids feel that the U.S. needs to improve what they're doing to protect the environment.
53% of kids feel that the global climate change is the most important environmental issue facing the world today.
47% of kids most admire a world leader who makes the environment a priority.
51% feel that their communities could better help the environment by using solar panels on new public buildings.
66% feel that it is the environment is their responsibility.

Source: Scholastic's 2009 Environmental Report Card

A few websites with fun environmental activities for you and your family:
Earthdaytv.net: lots of videos and information on Earth Day.
Waste Management's ThinkGreen.com for students grades 6 - 8.

How much energy do your appliances consume when they're not being used, but still plugged in?
Standby Power will show you the watt usage for many common appliances.

Opening today in theaters:
Disney's Earth follows three animal families around the planet and shows just how fragile our life and our planet really is.

Earth day 2009 from Zoltan Ladanyi on Vimeo.

Upcoming events: Wii Game Night

Milwood Magnet School Parent Advisory is organizing the first Wii Game Night. More details to come!




Today is the last day of school before Spring Break. We will return on Monday, April 13.

6th Grade Biotechnology Unit 4 Presentations

Students on our 6th grade team researched a disease and predicted its impact on the population in Science. In Social Studies, they researched a particular region of Mexico and its interdependence with the United States. In Math, they correlated data from their research into a pie graph. In English, they wrote a story that tied both their Science and Social Studies research together. They presented all of their information together to a group of their peers recently.

WGOM: Check in on the Salmon!

Have you checked in on the salmon lately?



We're happy to be back in action again on The Lancer Letter and bring you more updates in the coming weeks.

WGOM: Loy Norrix Concert Band treats Milwood Magnet School to a Holiday Concert!

Students were able to enjoy the music of Loy Norrix's concert band on Thursday, December 18, 2008. The band came over during 6th hour and performed several holiday-themed songs for students' enjoyment.

(Due to technical difficulties uploading the video to our viddler account, we are unable to share the video! We apologize for the inconvenience.)

We are enjoying our holiday break! See you back again on Monday, January 5th, 2009!

WGOM: Holiday Concert

Did you miss the concert on Tuesday, December 9 at LNHS Kasdorf Auditorium? Our orchestra, choir, and concert band performed for parents, staff, students, and community members who were in attendance. If you were not able to make it, you're in luck, because we recorded the performance for your viewing pleasure!

WGOM: Field Trips for 6th and 8th Graders

Our sixth graders recently took a trip to a dairy farm to see what life is like for the farmers and the cows. They were able to ask questions and tour each area of the farm. Each group, over the Wednesday and Thursday, were able to witness the birth of at least one calf, as well as the milking room, and each area where different groups of cows or calves are housed. Students gained a lot of knowledge of the current unit of our biotechnology curriculum (Global Food Chain) as well as an understanding of the work that goes into running a farming business.





Ms. Kidman and her eighth grade Spanish class also took a day trip to Chicago. While there, they were able to receive a lesson in salsa dancing, visit a pastry and candy store, and tour the National Museum of Mexican Art.

WGOM: Career Day and fun!

Wednesday, November 12 was Career Day at Milwood Magnet School. Guest speakers came to the school to talk to eighth grade students about their professions and the education that was required in order to be successful in their given professions. Speakers included:

Tim Terrentine, Community Services
Cyndi Trobeck, Bank Manager
Ervin Armstrong, Goal Setting
Tisha Yance and Shannon Coleman, Kellogg Manufacturing
Douglas Davidson, WMU Professor
Stacey Allison and Cynthia Weessies, Nurses
Joy Bailey and JoAnn Muncy, AntiRacism Organizers
Jerry Paul from Kalamazoo Air Zoo, Aviator
Delores Rawling, Nurse

Students on both eighth grade teams were able to receive presentations from four speakers.



And just for fun, Ms. Kidman's 6th grade Spanish Class sings the days of the week:

WGOM: Magnet Fair & More

Saturday was the Kalamazoo Public Schools Magnet Fair, where all KPS Magnet Schools gathered to provide information to interested students and families. Milwood Magnet School provided a full stock of technology available to students, featuring the 2Know! Classroom Response System, a Nintendo Wii with the Wii Fit, science experiments, a Make-And-Take Inheritance Bracelet, and a audio stream of The Uglies by Scott Westerfeld.



Previous to the Magnet Fair, Milwood Magnet School staff and students participated in the Kalamazoo Holiday Parade, along with the Milwood Magnet School Drum Line, who played cadences along with the Loy Norrix High School Marching Band, who preceded the MMS group in the parade. It was cold, with temperatures in the mid-30's to low-40's and mixtures of rain, snow, and sunshine, but everyone had a great time.

Tech Tuesday: Digital Media & Content

Do you have a digital camera or one of the newer Flip Mino cameras and would like to know how to use it? Check out this short video about how to transfer digital content to your PC from digital media such as a digital camera or a digital video recorder.

If you're interested in the presentation, you can view it without the voice-over:

Here are a few images to help you navigate around Picasa and Windows Movie Maker, which are both programs we discuss in the lesson:

WGOM: Spirit Week and Science Lab!

Last week was School Spirit Week at Milwood. We love teaching students a sense of community and participation through fun events like this. Spirit week included:

Monday: Pajama Day

Tuesday: Mis-match Day

Wednesday: Professional Dress Day

Thursday: 80's Day

Friday: School Colors Spirit Day

Both students and staff were invited to participate and everyone who was able to had a wonderful time!

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Mr. Koch's Science Classes were in the lab this week learning weights and measurements, using both standard and digital scales in order to help reinforce our current unit on technological innovations.

Q&A: What is a Magnet School? The Kalamazoo Promise? What about Biotechnology?

Every Wednesday we will try to answer some of the most frequently asked questions about Milwood and Kalamazoo Public Schools in detail. This week, we will focus on the three most important questions that encompass the Milwood Magnet experience for those who are interested in knowing more about the school.

What is a Magnet School and what are the advantages of sending my student to a magnet school?

A magnet school is a school which offers specialized curriculum and offers a school of choice for the district in which it resides. Historically, magnet schools began as a way for the government to aide in the desegregation of school districts. Today, magnet schools provide students an opportunity to succeed academically while learning in a diverse environment.

Your student would benefit in attending a magnet school for many reasons, including improved academic achievement, diversity in enrollment, higher attendance rates, higher graduation rates, and lower drop-out rates. Magnet schools obtain a higher level of parental involvement, more personalization through theme-based education, and specialized programs that provide a safer environment for learning. Teachers are better prepared to teach students through a focused curriculum and are more developed professionally than in a traditional school.

What is the Kalamazoo Promise?

The Kalamazoo Promise is a pledge by a group of anonymous doners to pay up to 100 percent of tuition at 4-year college programs for any high school graduates of Kalamazoo Public Schools. In order to qualify, students must be a student within the Kalamazoo Public Schools district lines and have attended a Kalamazoo Public Schools school from at least the 9th grade. Students who enroll at Milwood Magnet School in the 6th grade, not having previously attended a Kalamazoo Public School, are eligible to receive 80 percent of their tuition expenses covered by the Promise when they graduate from a Kalamazoo Public Schools high school. For more information, visit http://www.kalamazoopromise.com/.

What is Biotechnology and why is it the focus of curriculum at Milwood Magnet School?

Biotechnology is technology based on biology, especially when used in agriculture, food science and medicine. It encompasses everything from genetic engineering to alternative fuels and many other avenues of science. Milwood Magnet School chose this theme because of the emerging biotechnology-based companies emerging in the southwest-Michigan region, who Milwood Magnet School is currently working with to develop a relationship with as a Biotechnology Partner.

The Biotechnology Curriculum is taught in six different units that include biofuel energy, environmental protection, global foodchain, medical technology, sustainable industries, and technological innovations. Milwood Magnet School is trying to further the understanding of the theme through an all-school read of The Uglies by Scott Westerfield.

Here are a few examples of how well our students are embracing the understanding of Biotechnology in our world and in our school:

WGOM: Student-Led Conferences

What's Going On @ Milwood Magnet School

We've wrapped up a busy couple of weeks! With student-led parent conferences and MEAP testing, both students and teachers have been feeling the crunch! We start off our first of regular Lancer Letter segments with a video clip:

Student-led Parent Conferences allows students to learn the core expectations of Milwood Magnet School - Respect, Responsibility, Caring, and Honesty. They learn to respect the work that goes into their education. They become responsible for themselves by being accountable for the work they've done. They learn to care about the hard work that they do in their classrooms and about the grades that they receive. And they learn honesty by having open conversations with both their parents and teachers about their strengths and weaknesses. Students and teachers alike experienced the benefits of student-led parent conferences on October 15 & 16, 2008.

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Today, we celebrate the launch of our interactive edition of the Lancer Letter. We have a lot of fun planned for the newsletter, including regularly-scheduled weekly articles:

What's Going on @ Milwood

Technology Tuesday

Question & Answers

On Mondays, we plan to share something you can't get via the Lancer Letter, be it sound clips, videos, photos, or all of the above!

Tuesdays are reserved to honoring the technology that encompasses our biotechnology theme. Each Tuesday, we will present a tutorial or short clip about how to utilize the technology that is also available to students and teachers in the classroom.

Wednesdays will allow us to answer questions given to us via the blog or email.

Please check back with us tomorrow!