SAT 10 Testing
UMS will be conducting SAT 10 testing from April 27 to May 8. Students should have a good night's sleep so they are ready to take the test the next day. Each day will have a different bell schedule based on the testing times in the morning. Please call the school at 735-1300 if you need to know the bell schedule for that day.
Congratulations
To National Junior Honor Society inductees for being tapped into the honor society. The students were selected after an evaluation by the Faculty Council on their grade, character, leadership and service. NJHS will be inducting the 22 new students at the Governor's House on May 5.
To the Science Fair winners for winning the school's science fair. They will be representing UMS at the Islandwide Sciencefair on May 9 at the University of Guam. To view the list of winners, please download the bulletin. Congrats to the science teachers who organized the event--our first UMS science fair since 1996!
Wildcat Beach Bash
The Wildcat community showed their pride on April 18 at Ypao Beach Park Main Pavillion for our annual family fun day event from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Food was catered and served by UMS faculty and staff. Congratulations to Team Aristocats for winning overall best performance and Team 8C for winning best participation. Both teams received $200 from the PTA.
Mrs. Lucia Leon Guerrero (event coordinator) and Mrs. Taitingfong dispay the banner at the April 14 faculty meeting.
Congresswoman Visits Campus
Congresswoman Madeleine Z. Bordallo and Guam Education Policy Board Chairman Joe San Agustin examine the UMS courtyard.
Teacher of the Year Finalist
Ms. Lorna Aguillard was recognized at the April 14 faculty meeting for being one of the Top 3 Finalists for the GPSS 2009-2010 Teacher of the Year.
Wildcats Roar
Congratulations to our wildcat family members who showed the island why we are the school of excellence:
6th grader Amanda Dedicatoria for placing 3rd in the islandwide Scripps Spelling Bee competition.
Ms. Lorna Aguillard for being a Top 3 Finalist for the Teacher of the Year award.
Mr. Mike DiAmore's 7th Grade & 8th Grade Bands for winning silver and gold at the Islandwide Music Festival. 8th grade won the winning command performance in the middle school division.
Mrs. Juvy Cariño's GATE/Tech students for placing 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in the Guam History Day competition's Junior Group Website category. The 1st place group and Mrs. Cariño will be going to Maryland to compete at the National History Day competition.
Mr. Vince Leon Guerrero's students for placing 2nd in the Guam History Day competition's Individual Research Paper category and 3rd in the group exhibit category.
Academic Challenge Bowl team and coaches Mr. Christian Gomez and Mrs. Ramona Duenas for being the top public middle school and placing 4th islandwide.
Ms. Eileen Meno's Chamorro Class Cultural Dancers for placing 2nd in the Chant category at the University of Guam's Charter Day Chamorro Language Competition.
Boy's Basketball team and coaches Mr. Chris Leon Guerrero and Mr. Larry Rupley for placing 3rd in the Guam Interscholastic Federation's Middle School Basketball division.
Girl's Soccer team and coaches Mr. James Quigley and Mr. Ryan Shipman for placing 2nd in the Guam Interscholastic Federation's Middle School Soccer division.
Mrs. Marilyn Castro, Ms. Diana Weger, Peer Mediation Group, the Yearbook Club, SBA, and Ms. Roberta Perez for organizing a successful inaugural 5K fun/run with an estimated 400 entries.
7th graders for winning the Wildcat Coin Drive to purchase library books for next school year. The students will get a dress down day on Friday, April 3 for the day of the Spring Dance.
Chamorro teachers, other elective teachers, and Mr. Gogo for organizing the eventful Chamorro Week festivities!
Parent-Teacher Conference Tuesday
The UMS PTC will be from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on March 31. Classes will not be held. Report cards will be distributed.
UMS to hold 5K
UMS Peer Mediation Club is holding its first 5K Fitness Fun Run/Walk, “Paw for the Claws: Peace in Progress”, on Sat. March 28, 2009. Registrations are now being passed out. You may see Mrs. Castro, Rm. 4 or Ms. Weger, Rm. 3.
For more news, download the latest bulletin.
Super Cr3w visits UMS
America's Best Dance Crew winners, Super Cr3w, visited the school on Feb. 4. They will be performing at the Pheonix Center at Father Duenas Memorial School on Feb. 7.
Three of the dancers are (from left) Mike (AKA Murda), Ronnie (AKA Ronnie boy), and Abenamar (AKA Ben).
Jon Cruz showing his Wildcat Pride!
Click here for more pictures of the Super Cr3w visit.
Jan. 26: Early dismissal and staff development
Students will be released at 12:34 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 26 due to staff development for faculty and staff. The schedule for the day will be: Warning Bell--8:24, Homebase--8:30-836, 1st--8:37-9:22, 2nd--9:25-10:10, 3rd --10:13-10:58, 4th--11:01-11:46, 5th--11:49-12:34.
Staff development schedule will be: General session--12:50-1:00, Break-out sessions (Facilitators Dr. Pascareli, Dr. Flores, and Mrs. Carino)--1:03-2:03, Break--2:03-2:15, General Session (Dr. Pascaeli)--2:15-2:30, Team Session--2:30-3:30.
Above: Dr. Pascarelli, an off-island trainer for staff development, discusses learning communities during the Jan. 26 staff development held in the library. Below: Mr. Fullo reiterates his plans to help teams work more efficiently.
Anti-bullying Workshops held
Above: Students from Peer Mediation conduct a presentation during their session at the gym for the Anti-Bullying Workshops held on Jan. 21. Below: Mr. McDow discusses his experiences with bullies during his session.
Author Visits UMS
Todd Strasser, author of over 130 young-adult novels, visited the UMS campus on Jan. 16. He spoke to a group of students about many topics, including what inspires him to write.
Proposed Budget
To our stakeholders: please provide some input. Click here to see a summary of the school's budget.
Teachers: Important documents ready for download
The Essential Elements of Instruction Checklist (EEIC), the new lesson plan format for UMS teachers, is downloadeable. The UMS Administration would like you to use as a guide to help you ensure that your lessons contain all of the elements outlined in Board Policy 378 and reinforced in the most recently negotiated Board Union Contract. Download the Microsoft Word document here. Teacher evaluation forms are also available for download in the "Resources" area (click this link to go there).
Happy New Year
Up-coming events:
Friday, Jan. 9: 2nd Quarter Ends
Sat, Jan. 10: Girl's Soccer Carwash
Tues, Jan. 13: Faculty Meeting, 7:30 a.m. in the library
Thurs, Jan. 15: Grades due; PTA Meeting 6 p.m. in the cafeteria
Sat, Jan. 17: 7B Tigers Carwash
Mon, Jan. 19: Flexible Make up Day/Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday
Wed, Jan. 21: Anti-Bullying Day
Mon, Jan. 26: Tentatively--Half Day, Staff Development Day
Fri, Jan. 30: Student Assembly
The UMS campus was lit up with holiday spirit during the "Jingle Jungle" event on Dec. 10. View more photos here.
Choose a Reading Program
Teachers: Please read the the online information and literature on the two reading programs--Direct Instruction and Talent Development--by going to this page.
December Birthdays
The faculty, admin, and staff celebrating their birthdays in December are(from left): Valerie Quinata, Heather Waltz, Yvonne Pereda, Lucia Leon Guerrero, Christian Gomez, and Lollie Bakker. The 6C team provided the gifts during the Faculty Meeting on Dec. 9.
Jingle Jungle at UMS
Wildcats will show their holiday talent as they sing and dance during the Jingle Jungle fundraiser afterschool on Wednesday, December 10. Teams will also be running game booths and selling all kinds of food. Please join us on campus beginning at 5:30 p.m.
View the program in pdf.
OR download the MsWord file
Recent Activities
Julius Ceasar Santos (far right) selects students during an answer and question session during the Mixed Martial Arts presentation on Nov. 28. Also present were MMA fighters Micah Tobias (far left) and Jesse "Spiderman" Taitano. View a slideshow of the presentation here.
8th grade students dig a hole for the plant (in the foreground) as part of the activities on Nov. 28. Classs were designated areas around campus for cleaning and adding greenery. View the slideshow here.
The holidays are here
The spirit of the holidays glistened in the Main Office with a rotating Christmas tree donated by Betty Cruz, who decorated it with ornaments donated by faculty and staff.
Mark your calendars
FLOWERS ON CAMPUS. Photo by Amber T. from GATE/Tech class.
Nov. 24: 2nd Quarter Progress Reports to go home.
Nov. 26: Special Thanksgiving lunch.
Nov. 28: (Make-up Day #2)"Make Every Day Earth Day," optional non-uniform day (see guidelines on pg. 33-34 of the student planner).
FLOWERS ON CAMPUS. Photo by Taylor T. from GATE/Tech class.
Dec. 1-19: World AIDS Day Coin Drive by homeroom.
Dec. 4: Parent-Teacher Association meeting, 6-7 p.m. in the school cafeteria.
Dec. 8: Our Lady of Camarin feast day, no classes
Dec. 10: Jingle-Jungle Christmas Talentshow, 5:30 p.m.
Dec. 22-23: (Make-up Day #3 & #4) Regular school day
Dec. 24-Jan. 2: Christmas Break
Jan. 5: Classes resume
A Wildcat Halloween
From the Halloween Dance to movies to video game rooms, the UMS campus was buzzing with activity on Oct. 31. Students of Mrs. Cariño's GATE/Tech class described the atmosphere in their blogs: Check out what Tamalin, Ritanna, Alyssa, Maeann,Pia, and Taylor T. observed and what students had to say.
Students in costumes. Photos by Ritanna P. from GATE/Tech class.
Students playing video games. Photo by Pia V. from GATE/Tech class.
Spooktacular Halloween Door Decorating Contest Winners
Congratulations to the Homebases of Mr. Dave Borja, Mrs. Ramona Duenas, and Mrs. Marcia Martir for a 3-way split for 1st Place! The students received a dress-down day and a pizza party for their hard work. Special thanks to the judges: Mr. P. Kelly, Mr. D. Fullo, Mrs. P. DeVera, and
Mr. M. Inocentes. View the gallery here.
Student Database
Teams Leaders & Teams Webmasters: please download the Student Database template in Excel format from this link. Your team's database is due to Mr. Fullo on Friday, Nov. 21.
November Blues
Classes will not be held on Monday, Nov. 3 due to the All Soul's Day holiday and Tuesday, Nov. 4 due to the UMS Professional Development Day. This month's holidays also includes Tuesday, Nov. 11 (Veterans Day) and Thursday, Nov. 27 (Thanksgiving).
Wildcat Spirit Week
October 27-31 is Spirit Week on campus. Here are the themes:
• Monday: ODD BALL MONDAY
• Tuesday: SPORTS DAY TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY: Parent-Teacher Conference (8am-1pm)
• Thursday: BACK IN THE DAY THURSDAY
• Friday: FREAKY FRIDAY
Students in costume from SY 07-08
Read the bulletin for more details. If a student chooses not to participate in any of the designated day-to-day themes, UMS uniform policy takes effect immediately. Everyone is reminded to follow appropriate attire as mentioned in the handout/student planner. students who do not follow uniform code and are not participating in Spirit Week themes will also face disciplinary action for such actions.
HAIRSPRAY PAINT, HALLOWEEN FACE PAINT, FAKE BLOOD, SILLY STRING, FACE MASKS, FAKE WEAPONS, & CROSS-DRESSING ARE NOT ALLOWED.
Important Dates for October
• Friday, October 3: Content Representatives Meeting at 8:30AM (Principals Office)
• Tuesday, October 7: Faculty Meeting at 7:30AM (Library)
• Tuesday-Friday, Oct.7-Oct. 10: Exam Week
• Monday, October 13: Flexible Make Up Day - classes will continue as scheduled for LPUMS
• Tuesday, October 14: Content Area-Admin Meetings during Prep time (Data Walkthrough Analysis)
• Wednesday, Oct. 15: End of 1st Quarter
• Monday, October 20: Student Assembly --Rescheduled to Monday Oct. 27
• Tuesday, Oct. 21: First Quarter Grades Due
• Tuesday, Oct. 28: Skills Assessment and Learning Accountability Due
• Wednesday, October 29: Parent Teacher Conference - 8 a.m. - 1 p.m. (no lunchtime)
• Friday, October 31: Spooktacular Activity Day Door Contest & Dance
Open House Survey
Parents were asked to fill out a survey about the Open House on Aug. 27. See the results here.
Wildcats Honor Patriot Day
On Thursday, Sept. 11, 2008, the UMS Wildcats will be remembering "Patriot Day." The entire school community is encouraged to participate in spreading our patriotic colors—red, white, blue—throughout our campus. Teachers are encouraged to cover lessons relating to the significance of Sept. 11 in America's history.
Students, teachers, and staff are asked to wear red, white, or blue tops on this day. Students will be authorized an assigned color according to grade level as follows:
6th: white top with black uniform bottom
7th: blue top with black uniform bottom
8th: red top with black uniform bottom
Important note: Students who do not wish to participate in Patriot Day are required to adhere to the UMS Uniform Policy. In addition, please follow the dress code (appropriate attire) located in the student handbook/planner.
--- Ms. V. Quinata, Asst. Principal
UMS VISION Revealed
Although school started four days later than anticipated, the UMS faculty and staff met on August 11, 2008 to discuss the goals and expectations. The meeting began with the introduction of the new Wildcat family members. Soon after, our School Principal, Mrs. Taitingfong, began the school year with a reflection of where UMS has been, where we are currently, and where she sees UMS in the next 5-10 years.
To read more, download the newsletter.
UMS Holds
Open House Night
Parents or Guardians can meet with their child's teachers on Wednesday, Aug. 27 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Welcome Back Wildcats!
After a week-long delay, students finally walked the halls of Untalan Middle School for the first time this school year. Welcome back everyone and let's have a great year!
Assistant Principal Maria San Nicolas passed out donated pens to students arriving on campus.
Woodshop teacher Mr. Hernandez helped pass out notebooks.
Students and some parents lined up to purchase breakfast or lunch tickets.
Forms available:
Click "Resources" on the left navigation buttons.
School Opening Delayed
The opening of classes at Untalan Middle School have been pushed back due to incomplete classroom renovations. Please contact the school at 735-1300 for more information on when classes will resume.
Aug. 13: Update from the Principal
School Aides and other staff helped prepare the school—such as School Aide Rose San Agustine.
Classroom furniture were still waiting to be brought into a classroom, which was not yet completely renovated.
A contractor installs fencing around the lower recess under one of the temporary classrooms.
The air-conditioning unit of a temporary classroom was one of the last things installed before furniture could be returned into the classroom.
New Policies
Board Policy 401: Uniform Policy
Board Policy 406, 407, 901.25: Cell Phone Policy