Sneak Peek at 2012-13 CRMS Planner

For the second year, CRMS will spotlight on the cover of its planner the students who won the coveted Student of the Month award. The students, who were selected during the 2011-12 school year by grade-level teachers for the honor, were rewarded with a pizza party. Each incoming Bearcat will receive a planner at the beginning of the new school year. 

8th grade

7th grade

6th grade

One Degree Of Effort Makes All The DIfference

   CRMS principal Gloria Bishop met with students last week in an assembly to encourage them to do their best on this year's Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test, the statewide standardized tests that are commonly known as FCAT.

   Mrs. Bishop used a presentation to remind students that at 211 degrees water is extremely hot, but it's not until it reaches 212 degrees that it boils and creates steam, which can power a train.

   "Just one more degree is all you need," Mrs. Bishop said, telling her students to "show what you know."  

   CRMS Bearcats spent several days this week completing testing in reading and mathematics. Next week, April 24, is the final test, which is about science.

   In February, 8^th-grade students completed the 2012 Writes Test.  According to Steve Ash, the executive director of the Test Development Center for the Florida Department of Education, the writing scores will be available sometime in mid- to late May. He noted that it takes a while to get the results because the essays are scored individually and by hand, not computer.

CRMS's 'Relay' team needs donations

   Relay for Life, the annual fundraising event of the American Cancer Society, will be held this Friday, April 13, through Saturday, April 14, at Crystal River High School. The event starts at 6 p.m. and ends at noon on Saturday.  

  CRMS's 'Team Littmann,' named in honor of beloved Bearcat Bob Littmann, who passed away earlier this year, is raffling off a (donated) kayak to raise funds to fight cancer. The kayak is displayed in the Attendance Office. Tickets are $3 each or two for $5.

  According to CRMS teacher and "Relay" captain Kitty Owens, the following items are still needed for the event:  

*  Grill Lighters to light luminaries

*  Canopy to shelter our booth

*  Donations of candy for the pinatas

* Tent to sleep in

* Bug Repellent

   Please contact Mrs. Owens at 795-2116 if you can donate any items, or to purchase raffle tickets, or for more information.

   In addition to raising money for cancer research, Relay For Life events are held to spread cancer awareness, celebrate the lives of survivors, remember those who lost their lives to cancer, and unite communities in the fight against cancer.

CRMS Rummage Sale A $uccess

   Members of "Team Littmann," CRMS's 2012 Relay For Life entry, held a rummage sale Saturday, March 24, and raised almost $780 to help fight cancer.

   Spearheading the successful sale was CRMS language arts teacher Peggy Martin, who is also serving as this year's co-captain of the annual fundraiser.     

   "It was a great event," Mrs. Martin (shown right) said, adding that she had a lot of help.  "Jon Labelle (the school resource officer) showed up early in the wee hours Saturday to help set up tables with me, and right behind him, in came Cherri Lolly, Donna Farabaugh, and GenaVee John."

  Mrs. Martin said the group helped pull out boxes of donated items and set up merchandise for the sale. "The ladies stayed all day helping-- wheeling and dealing with the customers." Also lending a hand were CRMS students and CRMS head custodian Anibal Pena.

   At the end of the day, teachers Dan Epstein and Mrs. John loaded their pick-up trucks with all the unsold merchandise and delivered the items to the Florida Sheriff's Youth Ranch. Mrs. Martin said that Mr. Epstein, Mr. Pena, and the students helped out until 6 p.m. 

   The money raised from the rummage sale was added to the profits made from a dance and carnival held March 23 at the school.  Mrs. Kitty Owens, the chairwoman of this year's CRMS Relay For Life team, said everyone involved deserved a "huge" thanks. "Your hard work and dedication are appreciated more than you will ever know."

CRMS Has Talent!

It's Audition time!

When: Wednesday, April 25th

Time: After school until 4p.m.

* Anyone with a talent can Audition¦

 Singing, dancing, acting, comedian, martial arts, Gymnastics -

You Name it!

 Pick up an application from

Mrs. Suzie Martin, Room 605.

 $$$CASH Prizes$$$

for 1st, 2nd & 3rd places!

(Prizes awarded after competition on May 4th)

Beloved Bearcat Dies Jan. 2  

  The return to school after the long winter break was met with much sadness as the staff and students at Crystal River Middle School learned of the sudden and unexpected passing of a much-beloved member of our Bearcat family.

   Mr. Robert Littmann, who served as a technical administrator and teacher at CRMS, died Jan. 2, surrounded by his loving family. He was 46.    

   He was born May 17, 1965, in St. Louis, MO, the son of Robert and Rosemary Littmann. Survivors include his wife, Ellen Marie Littmann, his son, Robert Jon Littmann, and two daughters, Melissa Miller and Autumn Littmann.

   There will be a funeral mass for Mr. Littmann on Jan. 5 at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church.  Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.HooperFuneralHome.com.

   Bearcats are encouraged to read and post their tributes to Mr. Littmann to the Legacy Guest Book (a keepsake for his family) at http://www.legacy.com/guestbook/chronicleonline/guestbook.aspx?n=robert-littmann&pid=155322822

OCTOBER BOOK TALK

For October's CRMS Book Talk, 7^th-grader Breianna Hodges interviewed fellow bearcat Cheyenne Henderson about the book she read. (Click on video, right.)

 Cheyenne read Chicken Boy by Frances O'Roark Dowell.  A realistic fiction with a Lexile level of 860, the book was nominated for the Sunshine State Young Readers Award in the 2007-2008 school year.

Video and story courtesy of Mrs. Deborah Daniels, CRMS 7^th-grade reading teacher

SEPTEMBER BOOK TALK

(To view the Book Talk, click on the video to the right)

CRMS 7^th-grader Katelin Clardy interviewed fellow 7^th-grader Maria Stone about the award-winning book she read for September.

Maria read Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume, a realistic fiction with a Lexile level of 650. This 224-page book won the "Dorothy Canfield Fisher Award" and is an ALA Best Book for Young Adults.

Story and video courtesy of CRMS reading teacher Ms. Deborah Daniels

Getting Students Excited About Math & Science

Calling all members of the Bearcat Family, including students (current and former), staff, and parents: We need you to click your mouse in such great numbers that it will sound like a huge Bearcat roar!

The reason for the all that clicking is to help CRMS science teacher Deanna Hadley win a contest sponsored by Disney Educational Productions and an online community, called WeAreTeachers.

Mrs. Hadley recently submitted a teaching idea answering the question: How do you get your students excited about math and science?

"Students come to my class thinking science is hard,"she explained in her proposal to use the prize money to purchase clickers to use with the Eduware game system. Mrs. Hadley said students become engaged in the competition factor of the game and so forget they are learning at the same time. "Kids enjoy playing and even taking tests on the Eduware system," she added.

The interactive remotes allow students to answer questions in Jeopardy-style games. "With these remotes I can have my students take a poll and give them instant feedback on how well they answered science questions," Mrs. Hadley said. She noted that participating in the game format also helps students focus on fluency in reading and comprehension skills for science content.

The eight teachers with the most votes will win a Flip Video camera and $200 for their classrooms. Additionally, the winner of the grant with the most votes will get to bring the host of Disney Educational Productions' Science of Imagineering, Asa Kalama, to his or her school.

Voting has begun. Tell as many people as you know to vote for Mrs. Hadley's teaching idea. We have until Nov. 3 to rally for votes. On Nov. 7, the eight ideas with the most votes will be announced as winners.

Important note: You may vote only once per email address and it must be a real email address.

Go, Bearcats! Vote! Vote!

To vote, please click here and you will be redirected to the voting page: http://www.weareteachers.com/ideas/partnerask/teachingidea?app=17565&grantId=76

CRMS Spirit Week

CRMS celebrated Spirit Week with a different dress-up theme each day last week, including Hat Day, Crazy Socks Day, Bearcat/ Red & Black Day, Favorite Team Day, and Twin Day. 

ABOVE- CRMS 7^th-graders, from left, Kim Shidler and Clare Redrick dressed for Twin Day during Spirit Week.

ABOVE- CRMS 7th-graders, from left, Nick Owens and Dalton Wisnewski, sported fun hats for Hat Day during CRMS Spirit Week.

Twin Day and Hat Day photos courtesy Mrs. Dawn Stewart, 7^th grade Social Studies

ABOVE- CRMS 8th-graders, from left, Mikayle Bertine and Emma Thomas dressed alike for Twin Day during Spirit Week.

CRAZY SOCKS

The students in CRMS art teacher Mrs. Jen Faust's class did more than just wear crazy socks -- they created them. Pictured below are the best-of-the-best designs.   

Crazy Socks photos courtesy Mrs. Jen Faust, CRMS art teacher