Middle School
Weekly Update
Week of April 23rd
01
Calendar
May 4: Digital Integrity parent event
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Office Updates
From Ms. Amodeo
Congratulations to all of the middle school students who completed their ELA state testing last week. These exams provide schools and teachers with valuable information about our curriculum and instruction, and they let students know whether they are on-track with their learning as they prepare to move to the next grade-level. We appreciate your participation.
Third marking period report cards were also sent home on Friday. Please take some time to review this feedback with your student(s) and encourage them to finish the year strong.
Save the Date/Volunteers Needed: We will hold our annual Service Day on Friday, June 2nd (rain date: June 16th). This is a great opportunity for our middle schoolers to help out the school and wider community! We are looking for parent volunteers to help us with planning and with the events on June 2nd. If you are interested, please contact Gail Brisson at gbrisson@tburg.k12.ny.us.
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)
Charge Chromebooks, bring pencils & water bottles, check planners. Wash, rinse, repeat. Thank you.
Science: We’re learning about nutrient systems this week. We begin by reactivating yeast, then dive into photosynthesis, eventually moving on to the nutrient systems of animals. All the while we’ll be darkly composting food scraps and colorfully rotting bread. Good times!
ELA: This week students had the opportunity to play with some poetry ~ we discussed our impressions, found some common ingredients to define poetry, browsed many different types/titles of poems, chose a favorite and even shared some of their own Haikus Friday in class!
Math: Students continued their lessons on finding volume of rectangular prisms. Looking to next week we will begin to review some concepts from the school year as we prepare for our upcoming state test.
Social Studies: This week as we continued to study the Age of Exploration we looked at European Exploration from the point of view of the Native Americans. We examined who they interacted with and what those interactions were like.
Band 5: The Parent Band lessons have begun! The information and permission slip are available in the Band 5 Google Classroom. When the permission slip is turned in I hand them the guide for the 1st lesson. I hope everyone has fun with this. It is optional.
Practice Pointers: Slow it down If your child is frustrated with a particular song or part of a song, encourage them to slow it down…way down. This can mean just playing each pitch in turn with no rhythm, then adding the rhythm back in. It can mean just playing two notes back and forth several times. Then try the section again a bit faster.
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 were able to finish up their religion compare/contrast essays last week. They are due Monday, so ask your student if they have finished them. We will be moving into Roman times next week. We will look at geography, Roman gods and their economy.
Math:. Students spent some of this week looking at positive and negative integers. Students also plotted integers and rational numbers on a number line. We introduced the concept of absolute value.
Science: We are continuing our weather unit by trying to answer the question, What causes hailstorms to form? Students have conducted a number of investigations in order to build their understanding of the processes at work. This week our focus was on finding answers to, Why don’t clouds and thunderstorms form everywhere, all of the time? and, Why don’t the water droplets and ice crystals that form clouds fall as soon as they form, what is keeping them suspended in the air? In your discussions with your 6th grader, see if they can explain the answers to those questions. Next week we will be focusing on, Why do some storms produce really big hail and others don’t?
ELA: . We started the documentary I Am Eleven, which looks at eleven year olds from around the world. Students will be able to compare and contrast themselves to these eleven year olds. Students also picked a free read book out on Friday. They should be reading a little bit every day at home. We will start reading New Kid by Jerry Craft on Monday. We will also be writing letters to senators about water pollution. We will be busy!
Band: Students preparing for NYSSMA festival have 4 lessons left before they perform! They should be working on their entire solo now and starting to memorize 3 scales. All Band 6 students can be practicing their pieces for the Spring Concert - Cayuga Lake Overture, Counting Stars and Nottingham March.
Practice Pointers: Slow it down If your child is frustrated with a particular song or part of a song, encourage them to slow it down…way down. This can mean just playing each pitch in turn with no rhythm, then adding the rhythm back in. It can mean just playing two notes back and forth several times. Then try the section again a bit faster.
7th Grade
7th Grade Digital Planner (Please bookmark this link.)
Science: This week students will be dissecting preserved earthworms to observe the “tube-in-a-tube” body plan that we share with so many other animals. If your student is feeling uncertain about this experience, please assure them that their teacher will be there to help them appreciate these wonderful animals! Did you know that earthworms have tiny structures that make urine that resemble the microscopic structures found in the kidneys of mammals?
ELA 7: This week we will begin reading the novel All the Broken Pieces. This historical novel is set in 1975 with the Vietnam War as the backdrop. Matt Pin is the main character, who loves music and baseball. How will he deal with the bullies? Students will have short readings to complete each night. Thanks for your support.
Music: We wrapped up our composition until this week. Students finished up creating their original soundtracks and we are now moving on to learn how to play guitar!
7/8 Band: 1 month to go until NYSSMA! Students should be practicing regularly at this point. Please check your e-mail to see a message with more details regarding where students should be in terms of their preparation at this stage of the game. ALL students should be practicing their band music! Practice rooms here at school are available during study halls, after school and tutorial. Here is a fun practice challenge that was issued to students this week: Be a Creature of Habit
7/8 Lesson Schedule 4/24- 4/28
8th Grade
Rattenborg’s Small Class ELA: We are reading Hello, Universe and working on writing summaries.
Algebra: This week we are solving quadratics via the quadratic formula. We will also work on application problems of quadratics in the real world.
Math 8: This week, we will work on word problems for volume. Then, we will start our final unit of modeling functions and scatter plots.
Social Studies: We kick off the last quarter with the Great Depression. This week our focus will be on the causes/effects. Students will also have the opportunity to take on the role of a teenage farmer when the Great Depression hits in 1929 in an online simulation called Mission: US.
Health 8: Welcome to quarter 4 and Health class! Students and families have been provided the Health 8 course description (parents, please see your email for a copy). Our first week together included introductions, course expectations, origami folding, and a Wellness Inventory Activity. A gentle reminder that a notebook and folder are needed for this class. Next week, students will reflect on their Wellness Inventory work, learn about SMART goals, and begin the first unit: Nutrition and Fitness.
7/8 Band: 1 month to go until NYSSMA! Students should be practicing regularly at this point. Please check your e-mail to see a message with more details regarding where students should be in terms of their preparation at this stage of the game. ALL students should be practicing their band music! Practice rooms here at school are available during study halls, after school and tutorial. Here is a fun practice challenge that was issued to students this week: Be a Creature of Habit
7/8 Lesson Schedule 4/24- 4/28
Washington, D.C. Trip: Mandatory parent meeting for the 8th Grade Washington DC trip will be on Monday, May 1st from 7-8pm in the MS gym. At least one parent/guardian is required to attend the meeting with their 8th grader. We will be going over important logistical information, itinerary, and behavior expectations. Parents will be given a number of forms to fill out, sign and turn in. Please bring a pen with you! If you have any questions prior to the meeting please contact Bill Begeal at wbegeal@tburg.k12.ny.us
For future planning, the mandatory baggage check will occur on Wednesday June 6th from 7-8 pm in the MS gym. Any items students are planning to take must be packed and ready to be checked at the bag check.
Clubs & Activities
Student Council
Our next meeting will be Tuesday April 25th, after school in room 302 . Hope to see all interested students - we have a lot of end of year events to finish planning.
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.
PTO
April Middle School PTO Meeting: Tuesday 4/25 6:00 PM on Zoom – Register here
The May Day 5K & Fun Run is BACK! It is scheduled for Saturday June 3rd. We are looking for volunteers to help make this event a success. Please considering volunteering:
Please considering volunteering.
Follow us on Facebook to stay up to date with all of our events.
Yearbook
Our next meeting will be April 24th from 2:45-3:30 in the media lab.
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. The last day to order is May 15th.
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!
Community
Ulysses Rec Programs
Registration for SPRING YOUTH PROGRAMS is open. Below are the details for each of the spring programs.
Baseball/Softball/Tball programs:
- Kid Pitch baseball 5th/6th grade - practices/games M/W/F (combo of two of the days evenings) Games are played against surrounding towns, home games played at Trumansburg. Fee: $60.00
- Kid Pitch softball 4th/5th/6th grade - practices/games M/W. $60.00
- Softball clinic: Sessions are designed for players interested in softball, ages 8+. There will be a focus on fielding/hitting/throwing fundamentals, while also teaching and reinforcing the rules of the game. Program begins April 1st and runs from 11-1 pm on Saturdays through April 29th (no program on April 22nd). Fee: $25.00
Track Program:
- Tuesdays for grades 1st-6th; $40.00 - Four weeks, beginning May 2nd. Program runs from 6-7 pm at the HS track.
Tennis and Pickleball Program:
- Adult/Child pickleball - Saturday mornings beginning the end of April $35.00; program scheduled from 9:30-10:30 am at HS gym or courts (weather dependent). FULL
- Youth tennis for ages 9-13 - Saturday mornings beginning April 22nd $35.00; program scheduled from 11-12 at HS courts.
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