June 11th Tburg MS Weekly Update

Next year, we are modifying the school-day schedule for our 5th and 6th graders (the schedule for 7th and 8th graders will remain the same as this year). Beginning with the 23-24 school year, each 5th and 6th class period will be a few minutes shorter in order to create a “What I Need Now” (WINN) class period for all students. During this time, all grade-level, special education, and intervention teachers will be available to assist students with specific content area work. This support can range from targeted academic interventions in reading and math, to additional help with classwork, to enrichment activities. Every five weeks, the grade-level team of teachers will assign students to their WINN groups based on their current reading and math screenings as well as their most immediate academic needs.

Chromebook Return

This year, Chromebook returns will happen on Friday, June 16th for 5th and 7th grade, and Tuesday, June 20th for 8th grade during ELA classes. Returns for 6th grade will be on Wednesday, June 21st during the locker clean-out. Several days prior to the return date, student Chromebooks and chargers will remain in the classroom. Teachers will communicate those dates to students in class. Returning Middle School students will be reissued the same Chromebook next year. Students will have a Google Form to fill out that will let them share anything that is wrong with the Chromebook so that the Technology Department can fix those things before they give it back to your student in the fall.

Goodbye, Mr. Jacobs!

Friday, June 2nd was the day we wished Earl "Jake" Jacobs, our building custodian, goodbye and a happy retirement. We'll all miss his kind and cheerful demeanor!

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)

ELA: This week students worked hard to make their way through the writing process with their 4th grade letter. Final copies of letters are due on Monday, June 12 and will be delivered later that day. Ask your 5th grader what three topics they wrote about in their 4th grade letter.

Math: The students finished their unit on problem solving in the coordinate plane. They took their end of unit assessment and will be receiving this back on Monday.

Social Studies: This week students began researching a Western Hemisphere country of their choice. They have been focusing on the geography, government, and economy of their country. Next week we will being working on our poster presentations.

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.

7th Grade

7th Grade Digital Planner (Please bookmark this link.)

Please remind 7th graders to bring their Chromebooks and chargers to school. They will be collected on Friday, June 16th.

Please remind students to bring a water bottle and pencils to school every day!

Science: This week: More genetics! We will be making an edible candy DNA model, taking a genetics quiz, and opening up our biospheres and using microscopes to explore what is living in our “closed ecosystems.”

ELA 7: What a busy week we had! Jill Kissick-Castro, Itinerant Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Coordinator for Tompkins County, came into our ELA class and guided us through a discussion about the power of our words. Students engaged in a Socratic Seminar, and each class had very in-depth conversations about words. Many students wondered: Why do we use words that are mean? It was a question that we couldn’t answer definitively, but it was truly an honor to hear their thoughts.

Social Studies: Mrs. Torruella is back! As of 6/1, I have returned to the classroom. We started off by watching the first episode of Blood and Glory: The Civil War in Color, which takes real photographs from the time period, when photography was a new technology, and superimposes color to bring them to life. Then, in an effort to make sure students walk away from 7th grade understanding the causes of the Civil War, students will be completing a final presentation / project on the various causes of the war beginning on 6/6. Students will then jigsaw their presentations to teach their classmates about the many causes of the war that stem from these four main categories (Slavery / the Moral Question of Slavery, differences between the North and South, Politics of the North and South, and Short-term Causes).

Music: We took a guitar playing quiz to wrap up what we need to know on guitar. We will be exploring some other instruments to wrap up the year and watching parts of ‘Hip Hop Evolution’.

7/8 Band: Lessons for the year have ended. Students will have 3 more rehearsals together: 6/12, 6/14, 6/16. We will be playing a rhythm game, sight reading, and creating awards to give to one another for the remainder of our time together. The end of the year 7/8 Band Party will be on Monday, 6/19 from 3-5 pm at Mrs. Robertson’s house. An e-mail invite will be going out this week with more details. Hope to see all 7/8 Band members there!

8th Grade

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!! 6/21 @ 6:30 -- The Moving Up Ceremony and 6/22 @ 11:10 -- The 8th Grade Parad

Parent Reminder: The morning of 6/21 is the 8th grade trip to Taughannock. Please give permission for your child to use a kayak or paddleboard – a waiver MUST be completed by you BEFORE the trip – see your email sent 5/24 for details.

Algebra: This is our last week before the Algebra Regents. View our agenda for the week. We have our 2nd class review session on Tuesday June 13th from 3:30 - 5:45. We will work in the library and end outside the cafeteria to enjoy ice-cream. Make sure to fill out the form to let me know if you are attending.

ELA 8: Students will have class time Monday this week to finalize ePortfolios before next week’s end-of-year conferences.

Health 8: This week the unit on HIV, STI and Pregnancy Prevention will wrap. Lessons will focus on analyzing mock scenarios to suggest healthy decisions and understanding responsibility associated with sexual behaviors. Students will learn and practice the steps to resist sexual pressure. Students will also know more about the various types of contraception available for pregnancy prevention. A final quiz and skill demonstration will conclude the quarter.

Clubs & Activities

Athletics

Fall Sports Parent Meeting : August 15th, 5:30 in the HS library. Registration for fall sports through Family ID can begin on August 8, 2023. Please check the Athletics homepage for more information Sports Sign-ups

Theater Camp

Did you love being part of the MS Drama club productions? Wish you could do more? Try Mrs. Lewis’s theater camp this summer!! HERE is the info and form to sign up.

Community

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