East Shore Middle School Milford Public Schools 240 Chapel Street Milford, CT 06460 (203) 783-3559

Volume 25, Issue 1 October 2016

Principal’s Message –October 2016

Dear East Shore Community, The school year is now in full swing and our start could not have been better. Each and every day, our students enter the building with enthusiasm and curiosity. In addition, the daily feedback that we receive from our students demonstrates their positive attitude and genuine like and appreciation of their teachers and of their classes. Our 6th graders have transitioned seamlessly to their new surroundings. Our 7th graders are eager to tackle the new challenges posed by a more demanding curriculum. And finally, our 8th graders have demonstrated that they are ready to assume the role of leadership as they begin their final middle school year at East Shore. As we move into our second month of school, it is a good time to review the Core Values of East Shore Middle School: ~ Be Accountable ~ ~ Be Respectful ~ Be Safe ~ Please remember to sign up for Parent Conferences on October 5th & 6th. Thank you for your support and for your continued involvement in the education of your child. Sincerely, Mrs. Williams, Principal Mr. Piselli, Assistant Principal

Statement of Compliance In compliance with Title VI, Title IX and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Milford Public School system does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, national origin, age, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, or disability in establishing and implementing hiring and employment practices and establishing and providing school activities and educational programs. The Title VI and Title IX Coordinator and Compliance Officer is Wendy Kopazna. The Section 504 Compliance Officer is Susan Kelleher. They may be contacted by mail at the Milford Public Schools, 70 West River Street, Milford, CT 06460 or by phone at (203) 783-3400. Questions, concerns or comments regarding possible discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) should be made in person or in writing to the following: Regarding Facilities: James L. Richetelli, Jr./Chief Operations Officer Regarding Employment: Wendy Kopazna/Director of Human Resources Regarding Programs: Susan Kelleher/Director of Pupil Personnel Services

Contact Information School Phone Number: (203) 783-3559 Principal’s Email: Cwilliams@milforded.org Assistant Principal’s Email: dpiselli@milforded.org School Secretaries: Mrs. Sheryl Carpenter Ms. Molly Dryman *All staff email addresses are first initial last name @ milforded.org (i.e.John Smith would be JSmith@milforded.org)

Inside this issue:

Team Pages: Grade 6, Team 1……page 2 Grade 6, Team 2…….page 4 Grade 7 ……page 8 Grade 8 ……page 10 Humanities ……………page 12 Support Services …..page 17 Library/Media……….page 18

Team 1: September

Social Studies

We are thrilled to be starting another exciting year of ancient history! We will begin the year by doing a 9/11 interview. The purpose of this unit is to educate students in a meaningful approach that will highlight the historical significance of 9/11, dissolve stereotypes and ignorance through enlightened education that encourages students to be pillars of the future in order to make a positive impact in a post 9/11 world. Students will interview a family member or friend who lived through the events of September 11th. They will create an oral history that describes the events, emotions, and opinions of that interviewee. We will then move to an overview of geography and map skills before starting our studies of the ancient world. I am looking forward to working with our Team 1 students! Parent tip: Please help your student with organization at the beginning of the year. Feel free to check their assignment pads. Each Friday, they should check that they have their needed supplies for the following week and replenish anything that they may need. Once they master organization, they will feel much more confident!

Social Studies – Mrs. Balamaci (Team Leader) Kbalamaci@milforded.org

Math 6th Grade Math – Team 1 students have transitioned nicely into sixth grade. Our Common Core units will include Factors and Multiples, Ratios, Rational Numbers, and Equivalences, Computing with Percents, Understanding Fraction Operations, Statistics and Data Analysis, Algebra and Two-Dimensional Measurement. 6th/7th Grade Advanced Math – Besides the above units, students will be working with Integers and Rational Numbers, and Two-Dimensional Geometry. Common Core Math Practices will be integrated throughout all of the units. Students will: Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them. Reason abstractly and quantitatively. Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others. Model with mathematics. Use appropriate tools strategically. Attend to precision. Look for and make use of structure and Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning. Along with the Connected Math textbooks, students will be using Math XL a computer based program as well as Khan Academy. Please encourage your child to check over their homework for accuracy as they go through their work, and to take advantage of the resources offered to help them achieve their personal best. I am looking forward to an exciting year with our students! Math – Mrs. Wells – Mwells@milforded.org

Team 1 – Grade 6 – Page 2

Science

Team 1 students are getting settled in and are eager to begin their scientific journey this year. Students have been provided with an overview of this year’s activities. Team 1 scientists will be developing their science process skills of making scientific observations, inferences and predictions, asking questions and solving problems, measuring, identifying variables and accurately recording and presenting data in experiments. Textbook units will include Astronomy, Geology, Weather and Climate, and Water on Earth. I am looking forward to working hard this year with the students as they put their best effort forward. Daily preparation is necessary. It is going to be an exciting year of knowledge, skill and character development, improved self-confidence and overall student success. Science – Mr. DeBassio – Pdebassio@milforded.org

English/Language Arts

The children are transitioning nicely into our classes and routines! So far, we have discussed classroom expectations, and we have started our Launching Unit which gets us acquainted with Reading Workshop. In addition, we have been discussing and writing about what books we have read. Next, we will start reading short stories from our Anthology as we begin our Character Unit which focuses on Realistic Fiction. We will delve into our Great Books program and participate in shared inquiry. Please stress the importance of reading each night and coming to class with at least one book. Your child should make reading a priority by reading at least 100 minutes per week and recording the reading into the Reading Log. Please be sure to sign off on it each week. They are due every Monday. I look forward to working together to make this a successful school year!!

English Language Arts – Mrs. Higley– Chigley@milforded.org

Team 1 – Grade 6 – Page 3

Team 2 – Grade 6

Core Math & Advanced Math CORE & ADVANCED - Students are currently in Unit 1: Prime Time. Students will explore the properties of whole numbers and their relationship to multiplication and division. The investigations will help students understand factors, multiples, divisors, and products, Prime Time In this unit: Students will find the greatest common factor and least common multiple of two whole numbers. Learn to use and evaluate whole number exponents. Write expressions with numbers and with letters standing for numbers, and evaluate them. Apply the properties of operations to generate equivalent expressions and identify equivalent expressions. Use the distributive property to relate multiplication and addition. The Common Core State Standards for Mathematical Practice will be integrated into every mathematics lesson. * Standards for Mathematical Practice Explanations and Examples 1. Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them. In grade 6, students solve real world problems through the application of algebraic and geometric concepts. These problems involve ratio, rate, area and statistics. Students seek the meaning of a problem and look for efficient ways to represent and solve it. They may check their thinking by asking themselves, “What is the most efficient way to solve the problem?”, “Does this make sense?”, and “Can I solve the problem in a different way?” Students can explain the relationships between equations, verbal descriptions, tables and graphs. Mathematically proficient students check answers to problems using a different method. 2. Reason abstractly and quantitatively. In grade 6, students represent a wide variety of real world contexts through the use of real numbers and variables in mathematical expressions, equations, and inequalities. Students contextualize to understand the meaning of the number or variable as related to the problem and contextualize to manipulate symbolic representations by applying properties of operations.

Team 2 – Grade 6 – Page 4

3. Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others. In grade 6, students construct arguments using verbal or written explanations accompanied by expressions, equations, inequalities, models, and graphs, tables, and other data displays (i.e. box plots, dot plots, histograms, etc.). They further refine their mathematical communication skills through mathematical discussions while critically evaluating their own thinking, and the thinking of other students. They pose questions like “How did you get that?”, “Why is that true?” “Does that always work?” They explain their thinking to others and respond to others’ thinking. 4. Model with mathematics. In grade 6, students model problem situations symbolically, graphically, tabularly, and contextually. Students form expressions, equations, or inequalities from real world contexts and connect symbolic and graphical representations. Students begin to explore covariance and represent two quantities simultaneously. Students use number lines to compare numbers and represent inequalities. They use measures of center and variability and data displays (i.e. boxplots and histograms) to draw inferences about and make comparisons between data sets. Students need many opportunities to connect and explain the connections between the different representations. They should be able to use all of these representations as appropriate to a problem context. 5. Use appropriate tools strategically. Students consider available tools (including estimation and technology) when solving a mathematical problem and decide when certain tools might be helpful. For instance, students in grade 6 may decide to represent figures on the coordinate plane to calculate area. Number lines are used to understand division and to create dot plots, histograms and box plots to visually compare the center and variability of the data. Additionally, students might use physical objects or applets to construct nets and calculate the surface area of three-dimensional figures. 6. Attend to precision. In grade 6, students continue to refine their mathematical communication skills by using clear and precise language in their discussions with others and in their own reasoning. Students use appropriate terminology when referring to rates, ratios, geometric figures, data displays, and components of expressions, equations or inequalities. 7. Look for and make use of structure. Students routinely seek patterns or structures to model and solve problems. For instance, students recognize patterns that exist in ratio tables recognizing both the additive and multiplicative properties. Students apply properties to generate equivalent expressions (i.e. 6 + 2x = 3 (2 + x) by distributive property) and solve equations (i.e. 2c + 3 = 15, 2c = 12 by subtraction property of equality, c=6 by division property of equality). Students compose and decompose two- and three-dimensional figures to solve real world problems involving area and volume. 8. Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning. In grade 6, students use repeated reasoning to understand algorithms and make generalizations about patterns. During multiple opportunities to solve and model problems, they may notice that a/b ÷ c/d = ad/bc and construct other examples and models that confirm their generalization. Students connect place value and their prior work with operations to understand algorithms to fluently divide multi-digit numbers and perform all operations with multi-digit decimals. Students informally begin to make connections between covariance, rates, and representations showing the relationships between quantities. *Parents please help your child in math by making sure they know their multiplication facts. Just reciting a few of their most problematic tables each night will have them in shape in no time! Mathematics – Mrs. Casey (Team Leader) – dcasey@milforded.org

Team 2 – Grade 6 – Page 5

Social Studies

Welcome to Sixth Grade Social Studies!! It has been a pleasure getting to know all of the students on Team 2. During September, students will be learning about 9/11. They will be able to describe the sequence of events up to September 11, 2001 and differentiate between primary and secondary resources. Students will analyze how the scope of a timeline can dramatically change one’s perception of a historical event. They will conduct an interview and submit an essay at the end of the unit. Before moving on to learning about ancient civilizations, students will learn about geography and practice map skills. I look forward to working with all of my students this year and meeting their families. Parent Tips: 1. Please check your child’s assignment pad for homework. You can also access their homework assignments on the Team 2 web page located on the East Shore website. 2. Encourage your child to keep their binder neat and organized. 3. Do not hesitate to at any time if you have questions or concerns. Social Studies – Mr. Hribko - rhribko@milforded.org

Science

Team 2 scientists are off to a fantastic start. We began the year with learning basic science skills such as safety, measurement tools and lab activity procedures. Students have completed a baseline assessment and have learned to write a scientific evidence based explanation. We have worked in groups to practice writing claims and using data to support them.

Our mini lessons on the metric system were entertaining and the students had a variety of hands on experiences with measuring length, liquid, volume, and weight.

Astronomy is our first unit and students will work on analyzing scientific text as well as making real life connections. Our focus for this unit will be the Universe, Stars, and the Solar System. Students will learn how patterns be used to describe the Universe and how different parts of the Solar System interact to form a system.

Stay tuned for more information from Team 2 Science. Excellent start to this new school year

Team 2 – Grade 6 – Page 6

Science – Mrs. Cruciani – jcruciani@milforded.org

Language Arts Grade Six Language Arts – Students will be diving into close reading skills by becoming text detectives, using Notice and Note Signposts to get more meaning from texts.

Signposts are strategies that author’s use to make their stories exciting. These techniques will also clue readers into lessons we can learn about ourselves, others, and the world around us by detecting on the road map of discovery that authors have created throughout their writing. For example, the first signpost “Contrasts and Contradictions” is all about when a character reacts to something differently than reader would. It makes us stop and think, is there more than one acceptable way to react to a situation? It makes us wonder about people when we start to question their behavior, and thus, by questioning other’s behaviors we can learn about ourselves. “Aha Moment” is the second signpost that help readers gain insight into theme and life lessons a story has to offer by looking at a character’s discovery about themselves or a situation that allows them to transcend to their next level of development. Sometimes a “Tough Question” is written into a story that can be found in the author’s words or character conversations. These questions can give hints to plot development which can help a reader comprehend more if they stop to reflect on the question to see how it will affect the character’s growth. They can also help identify themes and major lessons as it alerts readers to the inner turmoil of the main characters. “Words of the Wiser” are moments when an elder gives a younger character something to think about. This “something to think about” is not always straight forward, but the metaphoric language often allows the character to see the symbolic connection to their life, and it pushes the character to reflect and grow. When an author repeats something, “Again and Again,” they are often trying to clue the reader into something about the character or a plot event that has shaped the character, negatively or positively. By stopping and thinking about these repeated words or phrases, readers can get a deeper understanding of why a character is the way he or she is. More importantly, repeated words can give aspiring writers cool ways to increase their writing skills by looking at author’s craft. “Memory Moments” will also provide insights into characters for readers. By giving readers a glimpse of a character’s past events, we can see the importance of relationships, events, and places.

As we go through the signposts, students will read, highlight, and then take notes on the readings in order to get better adept at using these skills. On their note sheets, there are always questions to help prompt their thinking. Thus, parents can assist by reminding the student to refer to the questions as they review their evidence from the text. Parents may also want to read the excerpt with their students and engage in a discussion about their notes to see just how the signposts work. You may be amazed at the things it helps all readers discover! Students will be using a variety of text excerpts to explore this concept, such as The Watsons Go to Birmingham – 1963, Crash, Hatchet, Tuck Everlasting, and Among the Hidden.

What does our reading teach us about life, people, the human condition, and social and cultural issues in the world around us? We will use this general question to discover more and become wild readers!

English/ Language Arts –Mr. Cannizzaro – dcannizzaro@milforded.org

Team 2 – Grade 6 – Page 7

7th Grade

LANGUAGE ARTS

In Language Arts class, seventh-graders will be starting the Community unit by reading Seedfolks by Paul Fleischmann. Through reading this novel together, students will be practicing the Common Core Standards of Reading by analyzing the different character's perspectives and how they change as a result of their experiences, choices, and relationships. Then, students will select a book club novel to read independently to further analyze how characters develop because of their community. They will be placed in book club groups based on interest. Possible choices include Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech, Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli, and Diamonds in the Shadow by Caroline Cooney. Parents, please be sure that your student is bringing their book and journal home to complete their reading and notes. English Language Arts – Ms. Richiski – Arichiski@milforded.org Ms. Johnston – Ljohnston@milforded.org

SOCIAL STUDIES Welcome back! By the end of September, students in the seventh grade will wrap up their discussion of 9/11 and move on to a unit called Major World Religions. During this unit, we will explore three of the world’s major belief systems: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Despite many misconceptions, these religions are actually very much alike! As a class, we will look at how and where each faith began, how they have spread throughout history and continue to gain followers today as well as compare and contrast the main tenets of each religion. Did you know that millions of Muslims make a pilgrimage to Mecca each year and feel it is their duty to help the poor? Many other interesting facts such as this will be revealed as we discover the region known as the “Crossroads of the World.” Social Studies – Mrs. Carrano – Scarrano@milforded.org Mrs. Rossi – Mrossi@milforded.org

Grade 7 – Page 8

SCIENCE During the month of October, the 7th grade science classes will continue our units in biology by taking a look at how cells exchange materials. We will study the movement of materials through the processes of diffusion, osmosis, active and passive transport. We will also work on understanding cellular respiration, photosynthesis and fermentation. Our exciting take home lab is called "The Eggsperiment". We look forward to tracking the progress of our eggs as they take on and lose fluids. We will keep detailed data and share the results with classmates. Happy experimenting! Science – Mrs. Theriault – Dtheriault@milforded.org Mr. Thomas – Mthomas@milforded.org

7th Grade Math – The next Unit in your child’s mathematics class this year is Accentuate the Negative: Positive and Negative Numbers. Students have experienced positive and negative numbers informally in their everyday world--in temperatures, in sports scores, and in game contexts. Students have intuitively used operations on integers to make sense of these situations; now they will develop formal ways to compute with these numbers.

7th/8th Grade Advanced Math – The next Unit in your child’s mathematics class this year is Comparing and Scaling: Ratios, Rates, Percent’s, and Proportions. Students work within many different problem situations to make comparisons using ratios, fractions, percent’s, and rates. Students explore these concepts by making sense of surveys, scaling recipes for different numbers of people, analyzing prices for better deals, and calculating commissions for the selling prices of cars. Mathematics – Mrs. Mahon (Team Leader) – Kmahon@milforded.org Mrs. Astrosky (Team Leader) – Kastrosky@milforded.org

Team 3 – Grade 7 – Page 9

SPANISH ¡Hola! It has been a pleasure to meet the students and we are impressed with their enthusiasm and dedication to their new Spanish class as we embark upon their adventures learning Spanish! Most of the students have selected a new Spanish name. They are expressing greetings in Spanish and learning facts about the Spanish speaking world! How do you say Hello, Good day and Goodbye in Spanish? What are some of the Spanish speaking countries and capitals? Ask your child! This month, Spanish classes will be studying conversational expressions and dialogue. ¡Viva el español! Spanish – Mrs. Elgart – Lelgart@milforded.org Ms. Hannigan – Khannigan@milforded.org

Ways to help your 8th grader be successful:

Tip #1 Encourage your child to be a self-advocate. 8th grade is a year of independence, especially as they move to the high school. Model this behavior at home. Show them appropriate ways to ask questions or to ask for help on their own. If your child feels they are struggling in a particular class, urge your child to speak

with their teacher. Teachers are available before and after school, as well as during flex periods on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

8th Grade Math – Welcome Back 8thGraders! This year 8th grade math classes will be starting with the unit “Thinking with Mathematical Models” In this unit students will develop skills for recognizing and analyzing linear and non-linear relationships. They will learn about inverse variation, a specific non-linear pattern. Students will explore mathematics by conducting experiments, analyzing data, and writing equations to summarize, or model the data patterns. Students will use these equations to estimate or predicts values not found in the data set. So far the students are off to a great start!! M. Lombardi Algebra I - We have finished our unit on volume and have moved on to our first Algebra unit, which is study of linear equations and inequalities. This is a very important unit to the study of algebra and we will be spending a good amount of time working here. Please encourage the students to be self-advocates and seek out extra help when needed. The classes had a good start to the year; we hope they will keep it up!

Mathematics – Mr. Lombardi – MLombardi@milforded.org Mrs. Astrosky (Team Leader) - KAstrosky@milforded.org

Team 3 – Grade 7 – Page 10

Grade 8 – Page 10

SOCIAL STUDIES As October begins, things are moving right along in 8th grade Social Studies. We completed our 9/11 unit and your children are to be commended for the maturity and compassion they demonstrated while discussing such a sensitive topic. We have now begun our examination of U.S. History. We are in the midst of studying the first explorers and settlers to the "New World.” Your children are just finishing up an examination into the life of Christopher Columbus where they not only had read historical documents, but also used them to evaluate the life of this historical figure, and made an argument based on their findings. Our study will shift to the first American colonies in the coming weeks. Specifically, the students will be comparing the Jamestown and Plymouth colonies to determine how an economic colony and a religious colony were both similar and different. We are off to a great start in 8th grade Social Studies! Social Studies – Mr. Storey – CStorey@milforded.org Ms. Rossi – Mrossi@milforded.org

SCIENCE Eighth grade science students are moving full speed ahead describing and measuring motion. Students are measuring distances and times of moving objects and describing that data in line graphs that represent velocity and acceleration. These students will be asked to analyze their graphs and write explanations describing the motion of their object. These activities will be the springboard to the next question about our world, “What causes motion?” Science – Mrs. Coulson (Team Leader) – Acoulson@milforded.org Mr. Thomas – MThomas@milforded.org

LANGUAGE ARTS In Language Arts, eighth graders will be starting the Perceptions unit by reading The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. Through reading this novel together, students will analyze how stereotyping causes conflicts and how characters overcome or succumb to these labels. Then, students will select a book club novel to read independently to further uncover how perceptions and stereotypes influence our world. They will be placed in book club groups based on interest. Possible choices include Guitar Notes by Mary Amato, Counting by 7's by Holly Sloan, and Monster by Walter Dean Myers. English Language Arts – Ms. Buckley – ABuckley@milforded.org Ms. Johnston – Ljohnston@Milforded.org

Team 4 Grade 8 – Page 11

SPANISH In the upcoming months, we will continue to broaden the students’ vocabulary and language skills. As we finish our “refresher” of 7th grade, we will start to work on describing clothing and shopping in Spanish. Students will be able to develop more complex forms of communication, while working on their fluency and accuracy. Ask your child to share some of the new vocabulary they have learned and have them answer the question: ¿Qué llevas tú? (What are you wearing?) Spanish – Mrs. Einstein– AEinstein@milforded.org Ms. Hannigan -Khannigan@milforded.org

Humanities News

Physical Education Mr. Conrad and Mr. Kirkpatrick are looking forward to an exciting and enjoyable year of Physical Education! The P.E. program starts with a unit on football, followed by soccer, and the annual Connecticut Physical Fitness Assessment. The assessment consists of curl-ups, push-ups, PACER run, and the sit and reach flexibility test. Our students will also be able to make extensive use of our fitness room and all the fitness equipment. Have a great school year! Mr. Conrad- dconrad@milforded.org Mr. Kirkpatrick-Ikirkpatrick@milforded.org

Speaking of Music

General Music Mr. Russo is very excited to become part of the Harborside and East Shore Music Departments and work with the students at Harborside and East Shore Middle Schools. General Music will include a concentration on Guitar skills throughout the year, as well as the study/exploration of many other interesting facets of music.

Humanities Team – Page 12

Team 4 – Page 12

We look to make learning fun, exciting and practical- learning important songs from the past as well as songs on the radio today. Our first semester goals are:

• Basics of Rhythm and Strumming • The Guitar (the instrument and the science around it) • The “Magic Three Chords” (G, C, D) • The 1950’s (Chuck Berry, Elvis, The Day the Music Died, Culture, Politics, Inventions)

If you have a guitar at home, please get it out and use it for practice and fun at home, reinforcing the skills we learn in school :) You may bring it to me to check for its playability and tuning (although I do not do repairs). Thank you and I am looking forward to a great year of music learning and fun. Mr. Russo - crusso@milforded.org Band and Strings and Chorus We would like to welcome all of our performing musicians back for another great year of music making! For Band: Students should drop off their instruments in the band room in the morning before homeroom. At the end of the day, students will need to stop by the band room on their way to homeroom to pick up their instrument and bring it home to practice. This process was explained to all your children during the first day of class. Remember, the most important way that you can help support your child in band is to encourage them to regularly practice at home. Practicing a few times a week for 20-30 minutes at a time will go a long way towards your child mastering their instrument and having a blast playing music! For Chorus: Please mark in your calendar for our concerts dates. Winter concert- December 15th at Foran High School, the concert will start at 6:00 PM. Spring concert- May-17th at Foran High School, the concert will start at 6:00 PM. It has been so fun to see everyone again and to meet the incoming 6th grade band, strings and chorus students. We are so looking forward to working with them and performing for you! Mr. Boccia – Eboccia@milforded.org Mr. Juhasz – Sjuhasz@milforded.org Mrs. Friedman – Rfriedman@milforded.org

Health 6th grade- We are extremely excited to meet our new 6th grade students! In health class we start the year

talking mainly about character education and how to maintain healthy relationships in our lives. We have a discussion about the meaning of being truly healthy in every aspect of life by introducing the health triangle.

Throughout the year in 6th grade the students also learn about how to research valid health information on the internet so that they can be independent learners throughout their life. This skill will allow them to be able to gain information that is reliable and will help them to answer questions they may have regarding their health.

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Humanities Team – Page 14

7th grade- We welcome back our 7th graders to what will be another amazing year! In 7th grade this year we are starting with a quick unit on first aid and safety. We will go over topics such as CPR, abdominal thrusts,

steps to stop bleeding, injury prevention, and the appropriate steps to take when calling 9-1-1. *************************************************************************************

8th grade- We welcome back our 8th graders to what will be a great last year at East Shore! In 8th grade we start our year off with the mental and emotional health unit. The student will learn about different mental

illnesses and reliable sources of help. The students also learn about stress and effected stress reduction techniques.

If you have any questions at all please feel free to contact one of us at any time! Ms. Giampaolo-JSimon@milforded.org Mrs. Moore- Emoore@milforded.org

Visual Arts

Welcome!!! We are looking forward to a fantastic year of ART with our students. We are beginning the year accessing our students’ skills in art to better address their needs throughout the

year. All grade levels will be learning and using the Elements of Design; different grades will be more specific with individual Elements.

Mrs. Dotson’s grade 6 students are creating Zentangles focusing on the Elements of Line and Value. Grade 7 students are focusing on the Element of Shape and Color using a four way design using both organic and

geometric shapes and positive and negative space. Grade 8 students are creating self-portraits using Tim Burton’s macabre style of exaggeration and simplification

while focusing on the Element of Line and Value to create different textures. Mrs. Delio’s grade six students are working on their line unit,they are drawing trees using a variety of

expressive lines to create pattern.Seventh graders are learning about shape while creating “Notan” compositions ( a Japanese technique meaning “light and dark”), using contrast to accentuate and define shape.Grade eight

students are using line to show value in sketches of their hands.

Mrs. Mary Jane mdelio@milforded.org Mrs. Deanna Dotson- ddotson@milforded.org

TEC Ed

Technology Engineering Communication Education Greetings:

The new trimester started with both 7th and 8th grade students working on communications unit of drafting.

Now the students are starting the following: 7th grade TEC Ed has started a new unit of Construction. The students will learn: 1-to work in teams; 2- Vocabulary associated with construction; 3- Types of construction and bridges; 4-build a structure of their own design then apply the destructive test method to it.

Humanities Team – Page 15

8th grade entered the transportation unit. They will learn: the types of transportation; specific focus will be on air transportation. In this unit they will construct and launch a model rocket (weather permitting); construct and fly a balsa wood/paper/rubber band powered airplane. Through these activities and associated lessons the students learn the 3 major differences between rockets and airplanes and the physics of flight (how and why airplanes fly).

Mr. David Kania- dkania@milforded.org

Enrichment This year the Enrichment students will begin the school year with Mrs. Plunkett and a focus on Science. They will spend the second trimester with Mrs. Kim engaging in Math based activities, and finally Mrs. Stoltenberg will return in the Spring for ELA. During Science Enrichment, grade 6 students will explore what it means to think and behave like scientists while extending their classroom learning related to Chemistry. Grade 7 students will make connections to both the 6TH grade curriculum, and new grade 7 concepts engaging in activities with a CSI theme. Eighth grade Enrichment students will be introduced to the principles of engineering design while applying what their learning related to forces and motion. Mrs. Stephanie Plunkett - splunkett@milforded.org

Humanities Team – Page 16

Support Services

News from the Resource Room: The new school year is well underway! Many of our students have difficulty with organization and planning so we offer these suggestions:

• Please take a look at assignment pads! Be interested in what your kids are doing in school. • When assignments are coming due, ask to take a look and have conversation about what they are

learning. • If they are struggling or say they don’t know what to do, ask questions to help them realize what

they do know. • Brainstorm together what the next step could be. • If they are really struggling, encourage them to come in before school and give them a note to

the teacher. • Encourage them to e-mail their teachers with questions or concerns about the specific

assignment and celebrate their effort with all that they have done. • These simple steps teach kids that their job as a student is important and valued! • Kids need to see that home and school are on the same page!

Resource Teachers Mary Michaud June Chetlan Noreen Wisniewski Deb Kappel Danielle Signore

From the Desk of our Support Staff – page 17

From The Desk of Our Library/Media Specialist Mrs. Begin – page 18