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6th graders are working hard on their math menus. They choose different activities from a menu of options over the course of a month, sometimes working independently and sometimes with partners. They must document their work and progress on their slideshow. The first menu is due 10/9. 

Morning meeting is staple of our culture at VUMS. Each day includes a greeting, a share, announcements, and an activity for the group. Below is a picture of Mr. Francescutti's morning meeting playing a friendly and fierce game of chair hockey!

This fall, the entire middle school is reading The Trouble with Heroes by Kate Messner, a novel in verse about a seventh grader named Finn who is grieving his father and trying to figure out what it means to be a hero. After Finn is caught vandalizing a cemetery, he is given a chance to make things right: climb all 46 of the Adirondack High Peaks in a single summer. Along the way, he works through his anger and his complicated feelings about his dad.

To bring the book to life, we are pairing it with the movie Miracle (rated PG), which tells the story of the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team's win over the Soviet Union in Lake Placid, New York. Finn's story is set in Lake Placid too. Both stories ask the same big question: what makes someone a hero? In the movie, students see a coach and a team achieve something nobody thought possible. In the book, they see that the people we admire can also be flawed and struggling.

Apex will watch the movie next Wednesday, October 7th, which is an early release day. We welcome families to send in snacks for the viewing if you'd like to contribute.

We are also taking learning outside the classroom on the following Wednesday, Oct. 21st. Students were given a choice of four experiences that connect to the book:

• Lake Placid: Students will visit the town where both the book and the movie take place, connecting the setting to the story.

• Cascade Mountain: Students will hike one of the Adirondack High Peaks, the same climb Finn takes on in the book.

• Poke-O-Moonshine: Students will hike another Adirondack mountain. This hike is not as difficult as Cascade, but students will experience the effort and the views Finn describes.

• Otis Mountain: Students will take part in outdoor activities that connect to the themes of the book.

Finn learns a lot on the trail, and we hope students will see for themselves how time outdoors can build perseverance, teamwork, and perspective. You will receive more information about these trips, along with a permission slip, next week. In the meantime, ask your student which option they chose and why. If your student signed up for one of the hikes, especially Cascade Mountain, and you are concerned about whether they can complete it, please reach out to us.

Ohio is the only state with a non-rectangular flag.  It is pennant shaped.  

Seven U.S. Presidents were born in Ohio.  (Vermont only has two)  Four of these presidents died in office. 

48% of the population of the United States lives within 500 miles of Columbus, Ohio.