Middle School
Weekly Update
Week of February 5th
01
CONTENTS
Calendar
2/8: 5th grade band informance; 7:00 in the gym
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Office Updates
From Ms. Amodeo
Recently we have seen an uptick of students bringing caffeinated drinks, “energy” drinks, and candy into school. We do allow students to have snack breaks during the day, and healthy snacks are available for any student who wants one. We ask parents to please limit sending sugary food and candy to school as it can be disruptive to teaching and learning. Caffeinated drinks are not permitted in school. The relevant portion of the Student Handbook is as follows: “Food will only be permitted during teacher-designated breakfast, snack and lunch times. Food brought from outside must remain closed/wrapped until teacher permission is granted. Students are encouraged to bring water bottles labeled with their names for individual use. Only water is permitted in water bottles. Caffeinated products are not permitted to be brought in, consumed, or sold during the school day.”
We thank you for your help keeping our students healthy and ready to learn.
School Nutrition
Though school meals are no longer subsidized for every student, free and reduced-priced meals are available to those who qualify. The application can be found HERE.
To add funds to your child’s school lunch account, you can use our online system at MySchoolBucks or you can send a check directly to the TCSD Food Service Department. Students may always pay cash if they choose to as well.
What’s for lunch? Check My School Menus
5th Grade
5th Grade Daily Planner (Please bookmark for your use)
Please help your 5th grader remember to charge their Chromebook and to bring a water bottle.
5th Grade Daily Planner (Please bookmark for your use)
Please help your 5th grader remember to charge their Chromebook and to bring a water bottle.
Science:
ELA: This week we have been busy writing both in and outside of the classroom. Students have been writing their first draft of an informational essay and taking it through the writing process in class while working hard to finish their free read book outside of class to create a book review for Week #4 activity which is due on Friday. Students also received a color copy of their reading iReady scores from the fall and winter diagnostic in class on Friday.
Math: Students spent the week adding and subtracting mixed numbers. Some students also chose to take part in our Math February Challenge where they could challenge classmates by answering questions on IXL. Next week we will be wrapping up our unit on adding and subtracting fractions. Students will be expected to pass one iReady lesson by the end of the week.
Social Studies: After finishing up our study of the Aztec with a spirited “Jeopardy of the Aztec” game, we have begun researching the Inca civilization.
Band 5: Band 5/6 Lesson Schedule Link
6th Grade
6th grade planner (please bookmark this link)
Please remind students to bring a reusable water bottle to fill up at school. Students need pencils! Please send your student in with a few pencils! Healthy snacks are a great idea to send in with your student, they are growing at a rapid rate.
Social Studies: Students did an amazing job at the debate. Way to work with others and stand up in front of others to debate. Not easy and the students did great. We traveled to Ancient Egypt using VR headsets. So fun to take a “field trip” to historical locations.
Math: Students are learning new strategies to work with percents. Ask your student to teach you the part to whole method. Students can also try to find percentages outside of school-it is amazing how often they appear.
Science: Who is Alfered Wegener? Ask your student. This week we explored where on earth volcanoes and earthquakes occur. We started looking at how and why the continents move.
ELA: Students have been working hard to revise and edit their narratives. The narratives are due on Monday. Students will be starting Flush by Carl Hiassen on Monday. We will be focusing on point of view and summaries with this new book.
Health: Why should I have a growth mindset and set SMART goals for my health and wellness? This past week, students began to consider the value of this question. Over the next two weeks, students will consider what matters to shaping their personal health in terms of choices and habits. Note: Students have been invited to the Health Google Classroom and can access it for information whenever absent. Course Description
Band: Band 5/6 Lesson Schedule Link
7th Grade
7th Grade Digital Planner (Please bookmark this link.)
Math: What a week! Pre-Algebra closes its unit on Percents and Finances and begins its final 7th grade unit! Then, they are on to 8th grade content. I can’t believe it! 20 weeks over, 20 weeks to go! Math 7 is also making great strides in the realm of solving equations. This skill they are going to need in 8th grade, and 9th grade, and beyond. It’s so exciting seeing these kids start here! Woohoo! Also, it looks like there may be 6 more weeks of winter this Groundhog Day.
Social Studies: Students this week are wrapping up the American Revolution by exploring the significance of key battles and the impact on Women, African Americans, and Native Americans. We will have a Unit 3 Test on Friday and then begin our mini-project on Black History Month and Unit 4: The Constitution!
ELA 7: We spent this past week discussing the danger of a single story, based on Chimamanda Adichie’s TED ED Talk “The Danger of a Single Story.” This coming week we will look closely at what implicit bias means and how it affects our decisions.
Rattenborg’s Small Class ELA 7: Punctuating compound sentences. Research and construction related to Wolves and Tundra exhibit for library. Finishing Part I of Julie of the Wolves in CAS and study hall. Typing practice.
Music: 7th grade music students are becoming master composers! This week, we will be learning/reviewing the concepts of major/minor, instrument families, tempo & dynamics. We will be learning how to apply these concepts within BandLab. There will be an assignment given to practice these skills (posted in Google Classroom) due Friday, 2/10.
7/8 Band: Rhythm assessments are in full swing! Ask your student to show you the rhythms we have been working with and which examples they will be playing for their assessment. We now have all of our new band music for the spring semester. Students should be practicing anything in this music that they have trouble playing during rehearsal.
8th Grade
Rattenborg’s Small Class ELA: Mini unit on world building and setting in literature in STEAM room this week. Read aloud from Wild Magic by Tamora Pierce. Short writing related to world we are creating together.
ELA 8: We are continuing to read Homer’s The Odyssey and are evaluating Odysseus' (protagonist's) leadership ability. On Friday, we will go to the library for peer bookshares and will have conferences regarding ePortfolios and iReady Winter diagnostic scores.
Social Studies: We ended last week with a quiz on Big Business & Labor. Those should be scored by the end of this past week. Quiz corrections for a 2 or below are always encouraged. We started a new unit this week: Immigration & Urbanization. Ask your students about the Urbanization Game!
Science 8: Students continued their study of density and buoyancy this week. They were challenged with making a mini-submarine out of an old film canister. Their objective was to get their submarine to sink to the bottom of their “ocean”, stay down there for 5-10 seconds, and then return to the surface.
Regents Earth Science: We wrapped up 2nd quarter with our test on Plate Tectonics. This past week we began our studies of Geologic Time. Students are learning how to put events in order based on rock layers and index fossils.
7/8 Band: Rhythm assessments are in full swing! Ask your student to show you the rhythms we have been working with and which examples they will be playing for their assessment. We now have all of our new band music for the spring semester. Students should be practicing anything in this music that they have trouble playing during rehearsal.
Clubs & Activities
Musical
Yearbook
Beauty and the Beast rehearsals are underway. Cast, keep up to date with rehearsals and other important information via our Beauty and the Beast Jr. website.
If you are a cast member (or parent of a cast member) and have not yet signed up for our REMIND app, please email tparker@tburg.k12.ny.us to get the sign up information. Remind is a way that we send quick text message updates or changes. Remind also allows you to directly text Tammy Parker (Producer) or Danny Trippett (Director).
PTO
Our next PTO meeting is on Tuesday February 7th at 6:30. It is held on zoom. Register here
Our Middle School PTO needs some more volunteers. Please come and join us to learn more about how we help support middle school students.
Follow us on Facebook to stay up to date with all of our events.
Our next meeting is February 9th from 2:45-3:30 in the media lab.
We have a MS Yearbook google classroom code, staff application and a Remind sign up packet your student will bring home once they have attended a meeting.
If your child attends a meeting and needs to ride a bus home they MUST complete the weekly google form emailed out by Ms. Magee, no later than noon of the meeting day.
Questions? Email Tammy Parker tparker@tburg.k12.ny.us or Lisa Magee lmagee@tburg.k12.ny.us
To order a yearbook go to www.YearbookOrderCenter.com and use the order number 18914
If you would like to submit pictures to possibly be used in our yearbook please go to http://www.hjeshare.com and enter the word “doig” in the school code box to upload from your computer or get the HJeshare App and upload right from your phone!
Clubs & Activities
Student Council
Our next meeting will be Tuesday 2/7 , after school in room 306. Hope to see all interested students - we have a lot of things to plan.
Any student who needs to ride the late bus needs to fill out a late bus form by 1:30 on the day they want to ride. Contact advisors Bill Begeal or Nadine Salib to get signed up for the bus.
Ski Club
Plans are in the works to take a special trip to Bristol Mountain on Friday, March 3rd. Stay tuned for more details to come.
Building Contacts
Main Office: Brenda Everhart, 607-387-2825
Attendance: Lauren Conners, 607-387-7551, x1425
Nurse's Office: Julie Carpenter, jcarpenter@tburg.k12.ny.us (preferred) or 607-387-2827
Student Services Team: 607-387-7551 ext. 1449
Bryce DeSantis, School Psychologist
Lisa Magee, Administrative Assistant
Brian Cobb, LCSW, Social Worker
Claire Valletta, Guidance Counselor
IT Help: help@tburgschools.on.spiceworks.com or 607-288-2821 (Monday - Friday 8 am to 4pm)
Newsletter items/help/unsubscribe: Gail Brisson, gbrisson@tburg.k12.ny.us