The Falcon
Fieldstone Middle School * June 3, 2019
Dear Parents and Guardians,
We hope that the end of the year is going well for all of you and that your families are enjoying the many events that this busy time of year brings.
The past month has been a busy time here at FMS, with a highlight being Respect, Reflect, and Remember Day. After months of planning, fundraising, and recruiting volunteers, 3Rs Day provided an opportunity for students to hear the stories of individuals who have overcome tremendous challenges in their lives while still being able to positively impact the lives of others. Many of our speakers commented on the respectful attentiveness of our students and the thoughtful questions posed.
This event would not have been possible without the monumental coordination and preparation put forth by many members of our community. Melanie Seickel served as the PTO chair along with with co-chairs Kristen Babb and Kristen Driver. Sara De Lange led as the school-level coordinator while supported by a committed group of staff members: Lauren Carcich, Victor Conti, Lisa DiCairano, Johnna Duffy, Ed Hasse, Amy Hennessy, Jillian Marsigliano, and Rich Scherer. All worked tirelessly since early September to coordinate speakers and transportation, schedule the day, rally volunteers, and communicate various aspects of this endeavor. Thanks to the publication chairs, Tammy King and Darryl Ligasan for putting together the program; photography chair, Darryl Ligasan for coordinating the pictures and videos that will memorialize this day; fundraising chair, Susan Buonocore for coordinating lucrative and creative efforts to gain financial support; and hospitality chairs, Judith Laquidara and Meredith Stewart for providing refreshments for our many guests and staff members. We are especially appreciative of the generous financial support provided by our Parent Teacher Organization and the Montvale Educational Foundation. Thank you to all who have contributed time, talent, and resources to make this day possible.
This past month has brought a number of opportunities during which our students' talents have been celebrated. Through the school musical and the band and choral concert for senior citizens, the performing arts have been highlighted. Additionally, we are looking forward to our spring concert and art show on Wednesday, June 5th and hope that you can join us at 7:30 PM. Students' art work will be available for viewing during intermission. The concert will begin at 7:30.
Just a reminder that Tuesday, June 4th will be a single session day and students will be dismissed at 12:55. Buses will be provided. Grade level team leaders have reached out to schedule conferences as needed.
Please see below for additional topics of interest and the many reasons why it's great to be a Falcon. As always, if we can be of assistance to you or your family, please do not hesitate to reach out to us.
All the best,
Gina McCormack
Principal
Rich Scherer
Assistant Principal
3Rs Day Highlights
Mary Poppins
This month, our school community enjoyed performances of the musical Mary Poppins. This production was a collaborative effort by a number of very committed and talented individuals, including of course, our students. Ms. Austin and Mr. Nietzer took on the all encompassing role of supervising each and every detail, and Ms. McCann supported the set design.
Very special thanks are due to a group of Pascack Hills High School students who once again worked collaboratively to direct and produce our middle school musical. They exceeded expectations by pouring their energy, focus, and talents into supporting our cast and crew to produce a highly entertaining and creative production. Thank you to Valentina Cannao,
Elisa Falanga, Alex Moss, Julia Schwartz, Frank Scott, Yemie Woo, and Daniel Zak.
Fifth Grade Wetlands Institute Visit
Athletics Update
The Falcon Softball squad brought energy and excitement into each game. The ladies finished with 3 wins and enjoyed playing each game, even in the rain!
Our baseball team caught fire and finished in 1st place in the Western Division. They will host a playoff game on Friday June 7th. Please come out and support our Falcons!
The FMS Track team sprinted to a successful finish. Our students achieved personal bests and improved with each practice.
A special thanks to following eighth grade student-athletes for their great leadership and positive attitudes:
Avery Marques, Alana Kimball, Gianna Bucello, Kaitlyn Lafferty, Rebecca Lovett, Julianna Davino, Sophia Pettaris, Stephanie Ye, Giuliana Balboni, Mustafo Mustafokulov, Trayee Jha, Christine Audia, Sabrina Moe, Sai Charmitha Yelampalli, Bill Wang, Oliver Chang, Anneliese Zhu, Karen Kirkorian, Zach Ligasan, Nick Napolitano, Justin Ohnikian, Joey Belcolle, Ryan Belcolle, Will Aschenbrand, Dom Musco, Nick Lulla, Chris Alvarez, Alejandro Camarena, Andrew Bartoli, and Sean Murphy.
Students are reminded that in order to participate in fall athletics, they must have an updated physical completed before returning to school. Please do not wait until the last minute to make appointments, as physicians' appointments will be filled at the end of the summer. Students will not be permitted to attend fall tryouts unless they have a current physical on file.
More information can be accessed on our school's site by clicking on the Athletics tab, or by accessing it using the direct link: https://sites.google.com/montvalek8.org/fmsathletics
Fourth Grade Parent Orientation
Senior Citizens' Concert
Spanish Club Visit to Memorial
Sixth Grade D.A.R.E. Graduation
As a graduation requirement, the sixth graders were asked to write an essay describing what they have learned from the D.A.R.E. program. The essays are often narratives of personal experiences of bullying or peer pressure and explain how the students will use or have used the D.A.R.E. Decision Making Model to overcome those challenges. Sergeant Cruise has encouraged students to continue to apply the skills they learned in D.A.R.E. in their daily lives.
Students enjoyed a trip to Boulders Stadium later that evening. Thank you to Sergeant Cruise for providing his expertise and support of this program.
Seventh Grade Field Trip to West Point
Book Fair
The PTO will be once again sponsoring an end-of-year, “buy one, get one free” book fair during the week of June 3rd. Students will attend during their language arts periods and will have the opportunity to stock up on summer reading selections. Thank you to Ms. Tammy King and the all of the dedicated volunteers who made this opportunity possible for our students.
Move-Up Day
Late Bus Service Ends June 5th
Eighth Grade Trip to Washington D.C.
Our eighth graders had a wonderful trip to Washington D.C. Students and chaperones alike enjoyed visiting the monuments, Arlington National Cemetery, and the Smithsonian Institute Museums. Adding to the fun, evening activities included a dance party at the hotel. Students were engaged throughout the entire trip, and all adults were impressed by their background knowledge of history as well as the respectful manner by which they conducted themselves.
Eighth Grade End of Year Activities
6/10/19 CAP & GOWN DISTRIBUTION (PD. 9) – BOYS (MAROON) GIRLS (WHITE)
6/12/19 COMMENCEMENT PICTURE (GROUP)
6/20/19 EIGHTH GRADE DANCE (SEMI-FORMAL) 7:00 P.M.-10:00 P.M
6/24/19 EIGHTH GRADE BARBECUE/YEARBOOK DISTRIBUTION
6/25/19 COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY EVENING – 7:00 P.M. (PHHS AUDITORIUM)
Health Office Update
Montvale Summer Institute
After a great reception to last year's inaugural year, we are bringing back our Middle School "Summer Boot Camp." Boot Camp will offer students a more concentrated curriculum in Mathematics and Language Arts, focused on preparing students for the upcoming school year. Students will be in grade level cohorts for 2 hours (one hour of each Math and LA). All classes will be held at Fieldstone Middle School; rooms are yet to be determined; dates are Monday, July 29th through Friday, August 2nd.
Please click here for more information.
Upcoming Events
6/3-6/6 - PTO - Sponsored Book Fair
6/4 - Single Session Day/Parent-Teacher Conferences
6/5 - Spring Concert and Art Show 7:30
6/6 - 6th Grade Field Day - AM/7th Grade Field Day - PM
6/7 - Chorus/Band Trip to Six Flags
6/11 - 5th Grade Field Day - AM
6/12 - Field Day Rain Date
6/12 - Eighth Grade Graduation Picture - 9:00 AM
6/12 - Incoming Fifth Grade Parent Orientation 7:00 PM
6/13 - 6th Grade Field Trip to Botanical Gardens
6/14 - 5th Grade Field Trip to Van Cortlandt Manor
6/24 - Move- Up Day - Fourth Grade Visit
6/24 - Eighth Grade Barbecue
6/25 - Single Session Day
6/25 - Graduation 7:00 PM @ PHHS
6/26 - Single Session Day/Last Day
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