milford public schools west shore middle school newsletter ... · utilizing the verbs to be (ser...
TRANSCRIPT
West Shore Middle School Newsletter
Important Dates:
12/19-12/23 Hour of Code comes to
WSMS through our math classes.
12/23 Early Dismissal 12:35
12/24-1/2 Holiday Break-No School
1/3 (Tuesday) School resumes
1/5 Building Renovation meeting @WS
Media Center 6:30 . ALL welcome!!
1/18 PTA meeting 7:00
1/16 Martin Luther King Jr. Day-NO
School
1/18 PTA meeting 7:00
M il f o rd P u bl i c Scho o l s
December 2016
Dear WS Families,
What a very busy month for students
and staff at West Shore!
Students worked hard and per-
severed through all portions of the
NWEA test to show all the growth
they have made. Congratulations to all
of our students!
The music department shared
their talents at their Winter concert
and we appreciate all of the families’
support and attendance.
We are also appreciative of the
strong community support at the
Board of Finance meeting that result-
ed in the city’s full financial support
to renovate our school. Our building
will be a place of great creativity and
learning for all. Please join us for an
informational meeting about the reno-
vation project on January 5th.
We wish you all a wonderful
holiday and restful break!
~*~*~*~ WSMS PTA NEWS ~*~*~*~
Happy New Year!
We hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season!
January PTA meeting
Our next PTA meeting is Wednesday, January 18th at 7pm in the Media Center. Every-
one is welcome. Please join us to see what your PTA has planned.
Membership
Membership is ongoing, everyone is welcome – any help is greatly appreciated. You can
download the membership form at 2016/2017 membership form. Congratulations to our
membership drive winners:
Parents: Mike & Dawn Cosmas and Teacher: Alice Russo. Thank you to everyone that has
joined for your support.
8th Grade Committee News
The 8th grade committee is currently working on fundraisers – the Yankee Candle Fund-
raiser is ongoing online thru Jan 11th using the West Shore group# 990071280 at
www.yankeecandlefundraising.com. Our next 8th grade committee meeting will be Jan. 18th
immediately after the PTA meeting. Everyone is welcome!
Wanted: Your Box Tops!!
Please turn in your unexpired Box Tops and bonus certificates to your child’s homeroom
teacher. We will be collecting all year long … the homeroom that collects the most Box
Tops will win a PIZZA PARTY in the spring! Box Tops for Education collection boxes for
West Shore are now available at both the Silver Sands Stop & Shop and St. Ann's Church.
If any friends or family members have box tops, they are welcome to drop them there. If an-
yone knows of a company, church etc. that is willing to "host" a collection box for us, please
contact Michelle Acri at [email protected]
WSMS PTA Officer Contact Info:
Andrea Feher President [email protected]
Maureen Hanson Vice President [email protected] Bridget Lawless Treasurer [email protected]
Susan Reed Secretary [email protected]
Sixth grade students are finishing up the Personal Safety unit.
They will be preparing for the second common assessment fol-
lowing break. Mrs. Vaccino, the media specialist, will be providing lessons on
Internet research.
Seventh grade students created culminating projects for the first aid and
safety unit. After winter break they will begin the communicable/non-
communicable disease unit.
Eighth grade students are studying mental and emotional health. They are
ready to begin a research project on mental health problems.
Have a healthy winter break!
Mrs. Torres and Mrs. Reilly
A Note from the School Nurse:
Eat Breakfast!!!
It’s not just a myth—studies have shown that eating breakfast helps stu-
dents succeed in school. Kids who eat breakfast have higher test scores than kids who
skip breakfast. Eating breakfast helps kids concentrate, think creatively, and get along
with classmates. Breakfast also helps kids get the nutrients they need such as calcium,
and fiber and helps with weight control. Eating breakfast makes kids less likely to be
tardy or absent, and decreases the frequency with which they visit
the nurse. If your kids are reluctant to eat in the morning, making
breakfast as convenient and delicious and possible will help them
build good habits that will be useful throughout their life!
Debra Levin, RN, BSN, BA
Team Yale
LANGUAGE ARTS [email protected] In Language Arts, students are working extremely hard to improve their reading and writ-ing skills. First and foremost, they have been working daily to improve their editing skills.
They have also mastered close to eighty contextual vocabulary words. Finally, students are reading in book clubs and working hard to explain the evidence they are using in their
writing. Keep up the great work!
MATH [email protected]
In Math-8, students will begin their next unit, “Looking for Pythagoras.” In this
unit, students explore the Pythagorean Theorem, square roots, and
strategies for estimating square roots. In addition, irrational numbers are
introduced.
In Algebra 1, students will be concluding their current Linear Systems Unit with
a study of solving systems of linear equations by graphing, substitution, and elimination.
We’ll complete the unit test by the end of the second week of January.
SCIENCE [email protected] Science students worked diligently on their Shipping and Sliding Lab. Students designed
and carried out their own procedure to find out which container materials or which type of flooring would be best for shipping cargo. Be sure to ask your child what they learned!
SOCIAL STUDIES [email protected]
Students are completing their unit on the causes of the American Revolution. The culmi-
nation of the unit is the second common assessment that focuses on “Do you feel the colo-
nists were justified in breaking away and going to war with England?” Classes will then be
analyzing the battles of the American Revolution and working on a project on the im-
portance of historic preservation.
SPANISH [email protected]
Piñatas are due on Friday, January 6. They will be on display in the main office
area so we invite you to come see them and vote for your favorite.
Spanish I – This month will focus on Unit 3 (school supplies and materials).
Students will be learning how to conjugate –ar regular verbs and increasing written expression.
Spanish 2- Students are currently working in Unit 3. The focus of the unit is vocabulary related to the medical field. Students will be working on the present progressive tense and
utilizing the verbs to be (ser vs. estar).
We encourage you to view our individual webpages as they support you to know what is
going on daily in our classrooms.
Team Princeton
Language Arts: We have just completed the reading of Seedfolks to round-
out our Community/Identity Unit. As a culminating activity, students will be
writing an additional chapter to Seedfolks from the perspective of a character
from their book club book.
Spanish: Students finished their second unit in Spanish!!!
They can now ask and answer questions related to describing
themselves and others. After break, we will begin our unit,
All about School.
Math: All students in grade 7 Math have recently completed NWEA testing.
Grade 7 core Math students have just finished Unit 2~ Accentuate the Nega-
tive. 7/8 Advanced Math students have just completed Unit 4~ Proportional
Reasoning. They will begin Unit 5~ 2D and 3D Geometry after break.
Social Studies: Students continue to learn about world religions. We are
currently focusing on how geography affects the way in which people live and
their various cultures. Students need to study nightly and make flashcards.
Flashcards and Cornell Notes should include the definition, characteristics,
importance, or purpose impact.
Science: We have recently finished our mid-year district Science
Assessment (the students know this as the SEBE). Our next unit
will be on Genetics. Students will learn basic vocabulary, how to do
Punnett Squares, and create their own Monster family based on the
parents’ characteristics.
Team Princeton teachers would like to take this opportunity to wish all
of our families a very warm and happy holiday season.
Team Harvard Happy Holidays from Team Harvard!
Madame Lynch~ French 1~Grade 7~Periods 1&4 At present,we are just beginning the introductory vocabulary of Chapitre #2 entitled Les Cours et Les Profs(School Courses and Teachers.) In our new leçon, we are learning how to say all our school subjects in French.The emphasis is on the description of our school courses and more than one person or thing. The verb être=to be will be utilized once again in the plural forms. We will also learn about the educational system in France vs. the U.S.A.
Madame Lynch~French 2~Grade 8~Periods 2&6 We are finishing Chapitre #6 this week before our school vacation. We have learned all new vocabulary relevant to La Nourriture et Les Courses(Food and Shopping.) We learned about the metric system and quantities in buying fresh food items Au Marché(At the outdoor market.)We are presently preparing to take our Examen Final on Chapitre #6.
Sra. Lynch~Grade 8~Spanish~Period 5 We have learned all new medical vocabulary that allows us to describe our medical symptoms at a doctor's office, receive both a medical diagnosis,and a prescription to be filled at a nearby pharmacy.Presently we are studying, El Presente Progresivo, a new verb Spanish tense that allows us to express action(s) that take place right now(ahora mismo.)This verb tense is extremely worthwhile and used quite often in the Spanish language. May you experience the joys of the holiday season and personal solitude in the New Year!
Phil Montanaro~Social Studies Happy Holidays to all! My students have been working diligently since Thanksgiving. My 8th graders have been examining the French and Indian War and its' relevance as a cause of the American Revo-lution.We will continue our march towards war and the creation of the United States. My seventh graders have fin-ished studying the Rise of Christianity and are now studying the rise of Islam. We will be comparing and contrasting the major ideological concepts of the two religions. When we return from break, we will be directing our attention to-wards the emergence of African civilizations. Once again, have a wonderful break and a Happy New Year!! Estrella DeLash~ Language Arts *All students should have Independent Reading Books at all times! *Students should be taking notes and using stickies to mark important events and passages in their reading activities. *Notes will count as a test grade. Grade 8:Perceptions:Realistic Fiction~~~The Outsiders Grade 7: Unit:Community~~~ Seed Folks **Students will be starting Book Clubs this month!
Ashley Bua~Mathematics
7th Grade Advanced Math: We are In the midst of the 2-D and 3-D Geometry unit where students are discovering circumference and area of a circle.
8th Grade Math:We are officially starting the Looking for Pythagoras unit. students will investigate the Py-
thagorean Theorem and its' applications to the real world. Algebra: Students are solving systems of equations and inequalities. They will be using various methods of solving systems to solve real world problems.
Jane Morrissey~Science Grade 7 Science students are wrapping up their studies on the Cell Cycle and Meiosis. This will serve as an ideal segue into our Genetics and Heredity Unit after the holidays.
Grade 8 Science students are exploring and testing Newton's Laws as well as the Universal Law of Momentum to describe and predict the motion of various objects. Happy New Year 2017!
Team Dartmouth
Team Columbia
Are uniforms a good idea in the classroom? This is a question the students will be answering as they write an argumentative essay. After watching a news clip and reading several articles on this issue, students must make a claim and support it with evidence. We will be building on these skills throughout the year, since they di-
rectly align with the Common Core and are being practiced across the curriculum. Ask your child where they stand on this issue.
Science: In science, we have just wrapped up the Universe, Stars, and Solar System unit and will be starting a short History of Planet Earth unit when we return in January. In this unit, we will be addressing a couple of key questions. How do people figure out that the Earth has changed through time? How have living organisms changed the Earth over time and how have Earth’s changing conditions impacted organisms?
Social Studies: Students are doing a fantastic job finishing up their Otzi R.A.C.E. responses about how archaeologists and scientists were able to discover Otzi’s life 5,300 years ago, based on his clothing, tools, and body. They will be starting their Otzi posters, which will even-tually be displayed in Colombia’s hallway. Our next unit of study is the first ever civilization--Mesopotamia—The Fertile Crescent.
Math: Students are well under way with our new online math homework/tutorial program: MathXL for school. Please take some time to sit with your child and work through some prob-lems to see how the program works. We will be utilizing this program as our weekly homework in the new year. REMINDER: Students access through powerschool. They can use any smart device to access the program. Students that do not have internet access can stay after school on Tuesdays and/or Thursdays in the computer lab to get work done.
Language Arts: We are currently working on argument writing and making judg-
ments.
Topic#1: Determining what makes a good school mascot.
Topic #2: Who should get an award for sticking their neck our for the common good and making the word
a better place.
Math: continue with Khan Academy afterschool. We just completed our unit on Ratios, Decimals and
Fractions.
Science: We are looking at the surface of the Earth and how the forces of erosion work on
changing the Earth.
Social Studies: Analyzing the fairness of Hammurabi’s Code and communicating our thoughts through
essay writing.
Mrs. Bacon’s winter Art News
6th grade: We are just about finished with our super-fun, su-
per-awesome SHAPE collage unit. We learned how artists use sim-
ple geometric and organic shapes to create ANYTHING they want
to create. My students created an invented animal, by combining at
least two different real animals of their choice. We also discussed
how the animals they chose had to be similar enough to have the same realis-
tic habitat. With the environment, we discussed how to create an effective
composition by showing a foreground, middle-ground (mid-ground) and back-
ground.
7th grade: We have had a great start to this trimester. We have spent
two classes reviewing the new district rubric and the students used this new
rubric to grade former student’s work so that they can fully understand the
rubric.
We are currently creating our SHAPE unit. We are working with card-
board and creating an in-the-round or relief sculpture. We have discussed the
different types of shapes and how artists use these simpler shapes to create
anything they want to create. This project is going to be a real challenge to
them!!! We will add details such as eyes and other details with cut paper, re-
enforcing that simple shapes create everything.
8th Grade: We have had a great start to this trimester. We have spent
two classes reviewing the new district rubric and the students used this new
rubric to grade former student’s work so that they can fully understand the
rubric.
We are currently finishing up our LINE unit. We have had insightful
conversations on how to create effective artistic compositions us-
ing the element of art line. Students are creating their own unique
artwork using line and adding color with colored permanent mark-
ers. They can straight Zentangle their chosen designs OR they can
disguise their name and three positive adjectives in their drawing.
As always, feel free to email me at: [email protected]
with any questions or concerns.
Thank you!!!
Enrichment classes with Mrs. Kim
Enrichment students have started their mathemat-
ics trimester. 8th graders are looking to their future:
investments, strategies for success, and career explora-
tion. 7th grade students are investigating the Common
Core State Standards and giving back to their school
community by developing review lessons
focused on specific strands. The 6th grade
classes are becoming inventors in prepara-
tion for Milford's Invention Convention in
March. We're excited for these jam
packed 12 weeks together!
Builder’s Club
Annual Ugly Sweater Party - donations for Heiffer International in Arkan-
sas...we'll be sending flocks of chickens, geese and ducks to 3 families to provide food and
a source of income
Socks for Seniors- our club members stuffed socks with toiletries and wrapped
them so they can be distributed to seniors here in Milford..
Media News Come visit the Media Center. We are here to support you with tools for research and
projects. We are here every day and after school on Thursdays until 4:15 .
Tinker Thursdays will be continuing! Try out new technology:
Google Cardboard, Makey Makey, Snap circuits… and have fun crafting, too.
Sign-up in Media!!
Check out our new Media website by going to the West Shore Home page
and click on Media Center
THANK YOU to the Lawless family for their
Lego contributions—
Did you know the Milford Public Library has a Makerspace called The Brain Station and is run by our very own media aide, Amy Edwards?!
- What is a Makerspace? They are DIY spaces where people can gather to create, invent, and learn using high tech and low tech materials. They have a 3-D printer, a green screen, an iMac, an Intuos Touch Tablet, iPads, laptops, small electronics, Arduino, Raspberry Pi kits, craft materials, and Lego robotics.
- Brain Station Hours: Mon - 4-8:30pm
Tues - 4:30 - 7:30pm Wed - 4-8:30pm
Most Saturdays - 10am - 4pm
Tinker Tuesday— December27th 11-6pm
3D snowflakes, green screen, Legos, snap circuits and more.
Stop in and have some fun!
- Volunteer Opportunities - Do you know a high school student who needs volunteer hours? We are actively seeking Milford high school students to become Open Session Coaches.
Email - [email protected] with any comments or questions
Tuesday, December 27th - 11am - 6pm
Tinker Tuesday
at Milford Public Library
All ages welcome!
Stop in and watch the 3D printer print snowflakes
and snowmen to take home. Make online and paper snow-
flakes. Try out our new set of snap circuits. Take a pic-
ture in front of our green screen. Create a lego creation.
Pick a winter coloring page to color and take home. All
ages!
Holiday Greetings to all!
