J.M.S. News...
APRIL 2019
Quotes for the Month of April:
April 1- “Fall seven times, stand up eight.” – Japanese Saying
April 8- “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” – Chinese Saying
April 15- “Make it work no matter what you have to work with. “ – Steph Curry/NBA player Golden State Warriors.
April 29- “Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.” – Harriet Tubman
Monthly SEL Theme for the Month of April: Hope (Resiliency)
Hope (Resiliency)
Joseph Sugarman said, “…if you’re willing to consider failure as a blessing in disguise and bounce back, you’ve got the potential of harnessing one of the most powerful success forces.”
I believe that Joseph Sugarman’s quote captures the meaning of and the need to be resilient. In being resilient we learn that hope believes in tomorrow because we have learned to see with our hearts.
By seeing with your heart, you are able to understand how hope looks, acts, and feels. It is our obligation, as adult mentors, to practice hope, share it, and pass it along by becoming your SEL coaches. If we do so, your hearts will see what is invisible to the eyes.
Classroom News!
Team 6A:
In math, we’ve collaboratively tackled equations and inequalities. In Science we’ve investigated forces, friction, gravity and Newton’s Laws through a variety of cool experiments. In Social Studies, students are continuing to explore Ancient Greece, discovering the legacy behind both the Athenian Golden Age and Alexander The Great’s Empire. In ELA, students are immersed in O.T. Nelson’s “The Girl Who Owned a City.”
Team 6B:
Team 6B Athenians and Spartans engaged in a
spirited debate over which city state was a better
place to live. Government officials, economists,
teachers, students, women, and slaves alike,
gathered as an assembly to conclude an age old
rivalry once and for all. Leading up to the debate
both the Athenians and Spartans prepared
statements in favor of their own city state,
statements against the opposition, and rebuttals
to arguments that were sure to be made against
them. The ancient Greeks in this picture are
sporting the color of their city state and are eager
to do battle as opinions and personalities collide in the form of debate. Feel free to ask
these ancient Greeks about the outcome of the debate or why their city state is such a great
place to live.
Team 6C:
Students on team 6c are traveling back in time to visit an agora in Ancient Athens. Throughout their travels students will be participating in a philosophic conversation with Socrates (acted by Mrs. Clemente), and competing in Panathenaic style events with the straw javelin throw and paper plate discus (refereed by Ms. McMahon). The construction of Greek temples, "marble" sculptures and acting out of dramatic plays (coached by Mrs. O'Brien) rounded out the study of life in ancient Athens. Students will be deliberating about the legacies of the Golden Age of Athens and how these achievements influenced the United States today.
Team 6D:
Team 6D has been busy learning about forces and energy! Does it take more work to walk up the stairs quickly or slowly? How does our human power compare to the wattage in a lightbulb or the horsepower of a car? How can we change the kinetic energy of an object rolling down a ramp? We have been exploring and testing our theories through interactive activities, data collection and working collaboratively with our peers!
Team 6E:
Team 6E is exploring ENERGY this month! Students are starting by navigating the differences between potential and kinetic energy! Who would have thought shooting rubber bands at our teacher would be a learning experience?!
Team 7A:
Team 7A students conducted an investigation in which they modeled predator-prey relationships and changes to populations over time. The students used a one pronged fork to represent the beak of a predator and different types of cereal to represent prey. After acting like ferocious predators for five rounds, students learned that populations can change over time through means of natural selection.
Team 7B:
Team 7B worked on hands-on activities to understand the meaning of and calculate the percent error. Students were given a number of scenarios including the number of Cheerios in a bag, the number of water droplets a penny can hold, the height of the doorknob, et al. The task at hand was to hypothesize the amount that corresponded to each situation and to conduct an experiment to discover the actual amount. Students then calculated their percent errors using the amount of their initial guesses and their experimental values.
Team 7C:
Team 8A:
Students on team 8A have been studying a unit in immigration. Students have used the digital log from Ellis Island to search their last names and try to find their relatives. We had an opportunity to have class one day in the new and improved maker space of the middle school library. We really are enjoying the new look of the place!
Team 8B:
Students on Team 8B recently completed a very challenging ELA unit based on the comma. Congratulations to these students who received a perfect score and were crowned Comma King and Queens: Ivy Ni, Joshua Ochalek, Katie Tian, and Nancy Tao.
Team 8C:
Social Studies students on Team 8C have been studying the enduring issues of both human rights and the impact of immigration. Students brought in current events and their own family immigration stories to write an enduring issue essay.
Jericho MS Welcomes New Staff Members
Christine Apollo- PT Cafeteria Aide
Dates to Remember...
April 1- MS Spring Sports Season Begins
April 2- MS/HS Evening Guidance Hours 7:00PM-9:00PM
April 3-Grades 3-8 English Language Arts Assessments
April 4-Grades 3-8 English Language Arts Assessments
April 4 - MS PTSA Exec Mtg- MS Principal's Conf. Room- 8:30AM
April 4- MS PTSA Mtg &Principals Coffee Hour- MS Library- 9:15AM
April 5- SEPTA Exec Mtg- District Conference Room- 9:30AM
April 9- MS/HS Evening Guidance Hours 7:00PM-9:00PM
April 10- MS/HS 3rd Marking Period Ends
April 12- MS Spirit Day & School Store Open
April 16- MS/HS Evening Guidance Hours 7:00PM-9:00PM
April 17- MS/HS Quarterly Grades Posted Online
April 18-April 26- SCHOOLS CLOSED
April 30- SEPTA Meeting- MS Library-7:00PM
April 30- MS/HS Evening Guidance Hours 7:00PM-9:00PM
Tips from the School Nurse
How a parent’s affection shapes a child’s happiness for life
I once read a study that said if you consistently smile at a baby, he/she will develop into a happy, smiley baby.
The correlation between parental affection and happy children has been documented many times in Psychology literature. Nothing can replace the love of a parent, the warm embrace of a parent and spending time with a loving parent.
A research study at Duke University Medical School found that babies with very affectionate and attentive mothers grow up to be happier, more resilient, and less anxious adults. They also grew up to have less hostility, less depression, and less psychosomatic symptoms.
Researchers have also studied the benefits of skin-to-skin contact for infants. The special interaction between mother and baby helps calm babies so they cry less and sleep more. It has also been shown to boost brain development.
So what are some things you can do to bring more affection and happiness into your child’s life?
1. Treat your spouse with love and respect (children model what they see in their home).
2. Be sure to frequently hold, touch and rock your baby in your arms.
3. Turn off your cell phone for at least one hour a day, and devote that time to playing and interacting with your children.
4. At bedtime, read a book with your child.
5. Discipline is important, but should be done with love and respect.
6. Create a positive atmosphere in your home so your children will learn how to face adversity without becoming overwhelmed.
7. Smile, laugh out loud and be a joyous family!!
Next months topic: Is the glass half empty or half full?
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Jericho Middle School
Email: dgately@jerichoschools.org
Website: jerichoschools.org
Location: 99 Old Cedar Swamp Road, Jericho, NY, United States
Phone: (516) 203-3600
Twitter: @JerichoMS