TCA Times
Wayne Central Middle School Newsletter
Greetings!
We also just celebrated Earth Day this past week and hosted some great after-school events on Thursday. A special thanks to Mrs. VanOrman and our science department for coordinating these awesome events. Thanks to all of our other staff members who helped out as well. I've included some pictures below to highlight some of the great things our students were able to experience on an ever more important "holiday."
We have our annual 8th grade dinner dance coming up on May 5th from 1:00-4:00. I'm looking forward to this experience for our 8th graders but am saddened in that it signals just how close to the end of the school year we are and consequently, how soon our 8th graders will be leaving us - I'm sure our 8th grade parents can relate to how fast its gone!
One last exciting piece from me before you read on to the rest of our news: Wayne Central MS is on Twitter! Follow us @WayneCentralMS. I will be tweeting some pictures from around the school and reminders and doing my best never to make a typo!
Have a wonderful week!
Derek
Students of the Week & Class Acts
The following students have contributed positively to the climate of our middle school and have been nominated for Student of the Week:
Grace Mosier was nominated by the Neptune for being a responsible and actively involved student in all her classes. She consistently turns in quality work and can be depended upon to help and to work well with others in class. Grace is an asset to the Neptune team and a role model for other students.
Hannah Elliott was nominated by the Pluto team. Hannah is a focused, responsible student who regularly goes above and beyond what is expected of her. She works diligently in all her classes, and regularly turns in high quality work..
John Featherly was nominated by the Pluto team. John is a responsible student, who continually gives his best effort. He is focused on his work, and is helpful to those around him.
Dillion Girvin was nominated by the Jupiter team for always working hard and pursues excellence in his classes.
Jonah Stumpf was nominated by the Saturn team. Jonah exemplifies exceptional citizenship. He is kind, helpful, and works well with all his peers! Keep up the good work, Jonah!
Erin Bogardus was nominated by the Mercury team. Erin has a pleasant attitude and is always working hard in class. She consistently puts her best effort forward. Great job Erin!
Allie LeStrange was nominated by the Mars team. Allie is an exceptional conscientious student who always goes above and beyond what is required in the classroom.
We would also like to recognize our Class Act recipients for their actions which exhibit positive character and leadership traits.
Ethan Sable our 6th grade recipient is recognized for Safety, Positive Peer Influence, Caring, Integrity, Restraint and Positive Identity. Ethan showed great compassion toward one of his classmates in PE. He is seen as a role model to his peers. Love having Ethan in my class!!
Alanzo Bailey our 7th grade recipient is recognized for Achievement Motivation. Alanzo did a great job in math today. He answered lots of questions and helped clarify other student questions for me.
Charley Cowley our 8th grade recipient is recognized for School Engagement. You have given a tremendous amount of effort this year and have worked hard on everything that we have done!
Principals’ recipients for this week:
Sophia Siracuse – Sophia is a very well rounded student who excels in all aspects of school. She is an incredibly hard worker and always challenges herself and does her best. Beyond her academic prowess, she is also a great friend to her classmates and a pleasure to be around.
Congratulations to all our Students of the Week and Class Act recipients!!
The following students have contributed positively to the climate of our middle school and have been nominated for Student of the Week:
Mat Smith was nominated by the Neptune for being a responsible and courteous student who continually does his best. He is focused and conscientious during class and when doing his homework. Mat is a pleasure to have in class as he is helpful to others and shares many good ideas with his classmates. He is role model for other students.
Julia Sponable was nominated by the Pluto team. Julia is a kind and respectful student who goes above and beyond in her work. She
is a diligent worker and a fantastic example to her peers.
Zachary Bowman was nominated by the Pluto team. Zach is a hard working and diligent student, who others enjoy being around. He is eager to do his work and please his teachers.
Sarah Jackson was nominated by the Jupiter team for being a hardworking student who is respectful to students and teachers.
Emma Holgado was nominated by the Saturn team. Emma has a great work ethic and is always willing to participate in class. She is a strong student and is a pleasure to have in class!
Mitch Graham was nominated by the Mercury team. Mitch comes to class prepared, has high expectations and always strives for success. Congrats Mitch!
Devin La Due was nominated by the Mars team. Devin demonstrates strong effort in and out of class. He is kind and respectful to all members of the school community.
We would also like to recognize our Class Act recipients for their actions which exhibit positive character and leadership traits.
Eva Sutton our 6th grade recipient is recognized for School Engagement and Responsibility. Eva consistently does her best in class. She participates daily and gives her best effort on homework.
Ethan Westfall our 7th grade recipient is recognized for Achievement Motivation. Ethan has shown great motivation to do well. He has exceeded expectations and has worked very hard in Spanish.
Richard O’Neil our 8th grade recipient is recognized for Achievement Motivation and School Engagement. Richard has shown extreme dedication to doing well. He is pushing himself
Principals’ recipients for this week:
Josh Armstrong – Josh is an all around all-star. He works hard in all aspects of school. Whether in the classroom and accelerated classes or on the athletic fields and mats, Josh always gives his best. He is also a stand up young man who is respectful, hard-working and kind. Keep up the great work. As Coach Freischlag has described you, you are the “real deal.”
8th Grade Convocation
Attention 8th Grade Parents:
Our 8th Grade Convocation is just around the corner! We are looking for pictures that will be included in a pre-ceremony slide show. Students and families are encouraged to share 2-3 pictures that capture your child throughout their journey through middle school. We invite group or individual pictures of accomplishments, activities, sports, birthday parties, and fun gatherings. Pictures can be sent electronically (no later than June 3) to Heather Phillips - hphillips@wayne.k12.ny.us.
Dinner Dance Announcement
Attention 8th Graders! The annual Dinner Dance will be held Thursday, May 5th in the cafeteria from 1:00-4:00 pm. Everyone must enter the cafeteria through the inside serving lines which are located across from the gym. All 8th grade students will need $2.25 to purchase a school lunch that day. Students may use money that is already in their lunch account to cover this cost.
There have been some questions about what to wear at this event. There is no reason to spend a lot of money on new outfits or accessories for this occasion. This is a casual event, and we recommend students dress in their best casual attire that is already in their closet. However, if you plan to wear a dress with spaghetti straps or another style that is not generally considered appropriate for the school day, plan to wear a sweater over your outfit until it’s time for the dance.
Wayne County Art Show
Congratulations to the following students who's artwork will be a part of the Wayne County Art Show.
Name: Grade: Media:
Noah Sieczkarski 7 Watercolor Landscape
Dan Graf 7 Identity Collage
Megan McCandless 7 Tree House Perspective
Alaska Dunstan 7 Watercolor Landscape
Kara Woods 7 Identity Collage
Megan Mamoone 7 Tree House Perspective
Jeanna Hoffmann 7 Watercolor Landscape
Jessica Maier 7 Watercolor Landscape
Lyndsi Dix 7 Watercolor Landscape
Anna Keene 7 2-pt Perspective Drawing
Raina Hoffmann 7 2-pt Perspective Drawing
Grace Kachmaryk 7 2-pt Perspective Drawing
Erin Testa 7 Ceramics
Kaylin Shouten 7 Ceramics
Vanessa Valentin 7 Ceramics
Emma Acebo 6 Tessellation
Alyssa Hadcock 6 TessellationHannah Starks 6 Name Composition
Sage Lambie 6 Name Composition
Savannah Steurrys 6 Name Composition
Wayne Middle School Band @ Red Wings!
Health & Family Science - Mr. Molisani
Grade 6 - Students are presently working in groups to prepare a Google Slides presentation on one of several “Personal Health & Safety” topics including bike safety, water safety, sports & exercise safety, gun safety, fire prevention, babysitting basics, safe internet usage, and abduction prevention. Students will be cooperatively researching one of these topics and creating a variety of learning activities to clearly layout the prevention tips with each. Below is period 3a researching for the project. Josh is quite the card.
Grade 8 - Presently, students are critically analyzing the different addictions that plague our society. We are reading from Sean Covey’s book “The 6 Most Important Decisions You Will Ever Make”, which does a wonderful job explaining the issue to teens. In the weeks to come, you will be provided opportunities to join our discussion by providing your perspective and expectations to your teen.
Sixth Grade News
Here comes the sun! The weather is definitely warmer and we are seeing some days that are actually spring-like! It hardly seems possible that there are less than ten weeks of school left. This is the time of year that students often have a touch of spring fever and a ton of energy. We encourage our students to go outside daily and enjoy activities that take advantage of that energy so they can come to school each day ready to maintain their focus on academics.
Table Talk - -
Math students are continuing their study of Module 5 (Geometry). Certain skills such as area, volume and understanding nets are part of the curriculum. Remember students should be taking their binders home and studying/practicing every night. Also engageny.org and IXL are great resources if your child or you are looking for additional support.
- Social Studies: No matter what civilization 6th graders are studying one of the key ideas has been a focus of geographic features and their influence on people’s lives. With the arrival of good weather (hopefully) now is the time to plan some family excursions to discover geographic features all around us. You don’t have to go far. Travel to North Ponds Park in Webster to discover an isthmus, a peninsula, and an island or hike the trails at Mendon Ponds to see firsthand the effects of glaciers. Students can journey to Rochester to view High Falls, and then the mouth of the Genesee River. Then maybe they can check out the lake and coastline at Charlotte Beach. Farther afield there is Niagara Falls where you can take a jet boat ride in the cataracts at Lewiston, Ausable Chasm, and Letchworth Park…..the Grand Canyon of the east. We have our very own archipelago in the Thousand Islands not to mention 3 sets of mountains. Whew! We could go on and on. Have fun exploring.
- Science students have just started a new unit on rocks. We will begin this unit by learning about Earth’s
structure, earthquakes, and volcanoes. Other topics include mineral properties, the three different types
of rocks, and the rock cycle. Please be on the lookout for fossil field trip information. An informational
sheet and a permission slip will be sent home around April 20th or 21st. Permission slips need to be
returned to your child’s science teacher by Monday May 2nd.
Students in ELA classes are either finishing The Lightning Thief or continuing their non-fiction and novel study of World Without Fish and Flush. They will be examining fish depletion in our oceans while reading World Without Fish and also learning what life is like in Florida from the main character “Noah” perspective. Make sure you ask your student about the facts concerning fish depletion and or the exciting plot in Flush.
Mars Team:
Biology (Mrs. Wolanski and Miss Cornnell): In Biology we are finishing our study of the human body and moving into our investigation of how of cells divide, how DNA is made, and genetics. This is a long unit since about 1/3rd of the Regents exam is on genetics. This tends to be a difficult unit for many students, so students really need to focus especially with the nice weather coming :). We have started our review book assignments to prepare for the Regents exam which is scheduled for the morning of June 15th. Students have been given the assignments from now until the end of the year in their review book and they may work ahead. There is also a copy of the review book assignments on Mrs. Wolanski’s website under the Regents review link. Students will have homework every night. If students are worried about preparing for the Regents exam they can use the Regents review link on Mrs. Wolanski’s website for practice questions, games, vocabulary review, practice Regents exams, as well as stay after school for extra help.
Physical Science (Miss Cornnell and Mrs. Becker)
Students in Physical Science spent April studying Energy and the six main forms it takes. We emphasized pros and cons of various sources such as fossil fuels, solar panels, hydroelectric, and the Ginna nuclear power plant. We also looked at wave phenomena involved with Optics and Acoustics. One of the focuses of the energy unit is Thermodynamics, so ask your child to explain and give you examples of heat transfer by conduction, convection, and radiation. In May, we will take a closer look at Classical Newtonian Physics (Mechanics, Motion, & Forces) while simultaneously practicing laboratory skills vital to high school success. The students have been given a Coach workbook project, which will be the main grade of Q4; this project integrates and highlights the key scientific principles that are prerequisite learnings before entering the high school courses.
ELA
This is a very exciting time in ELA. We just finished reading, Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes, which allowed the students to explore the elements of short, Science Fiction text.
We are about to begin our journey into William Shakespeare; we will be spending a few weeks understanding his life, his passions and the history behind, this amazing writer. It just so happens that we are starting this unit, the week of Shakespeare’s birthday...the students will have a lot to discuss.
Social Studies: Students have finished their study of the Great Depression. Our study culminated with students evaluating The New Deal and arguing that it was successful or unsuccessful. We are currently studying the World War II unit. Topics we have covered are: Rise of Dictators (Hitler in depth), the mood of Germany after WWI, the start of WWII and the attack at Pearl Harbor. We will continue our studies with topics that include: impact of WWII on the homefront, the internment of Japanese Americans, D-day, the Atomic Bombing of Japan and the Peace Process.
Spanish
This month we begin preparation for the speaking portion of the Proficiency Exam. Students will be given study materials to begin the process. They should start spending short periods of time (10-15 minutes) each day practicing old material from both 7th and 8th grade. It is important to start the studying process now. Speaking exams will begin at the end of May. We would like to remind parents and students that passing both the course and the Proficiency exam is required to receive the necessary credit for graduation.
Math 8
Students have completed their unit on exponents and scientific notation. We are just beginning a unit on rational and irrational numbers. During this unit they will investigate and work with square and cube roots, simplify square roots, solving problems with irrational roots, and learn to use and apply the Pythagorean Theorem to problem solving.
Concurrently, we will be reviewing material taught earlier in the year in order to prepare them for the Math 8 final exam and to review key concepts in Algebra to better prepare them for next year.
Algebra
Algebra students are beginning a mini unit on sequences which will be followed by Statistics, our final unit of the year. Upon completion of the Statistics unit we will begin to review all that they have learned this year in preparation for the Algebra Regents Examination which will be administered on Thursday, June 16th.
Jupiter News:
The Jupiter team will be heading to the Milton J. Rubenstein Museum of Science and Technology (MOST) in Syracuse, NY on Friday, May 6. The MOST offers a variety of hands-on exhibits that allows students to explore the human body, energy and forces, space travel, deep sea exploration, and many other realms of science. During their visit, students will have the opportunity to watch an IMAX movie in New York State’s only Full-Dome Imax Omnitheater.
Students will be responsible for either bringing their own lunch or purchasing a boxed lunch through our cafeteria at the usual school rate. This event will occur during a regular school day and transportation will be provided by Wayne Central School District.
Mrs. Lincoln- In social studies we are learning about reform movements in the 1800s. Then we will turn our attention to the Civil War.
Mrs. VanOrman- Students in Life Science have been exploring how organisms reproduce to make more of the same kind. Students will be expected to compare how organisms reproduce sexually and asexually and the advantages and disadvantages for both processes.
Students in Accelerated Science have been exploring the how energy is transferred though a project-based learning activity. Students were expected to create a toy that transferred different forms of energy to allow it to perform work. Students will be expected to present their model to the class and be able to answer questions related to energy transfer.
Mrs. Wolanski – In Science class we are finishing our unit on reproduction and development and will have a big unit test on 4/29 for the 8-9A class and 5/2 for the 3-4B class. The test will be on sexual and asexual reproduction, as well as mitosis and meiosis and how cells divide. We will then begin our investigation into genetics and evolution. Students will learn about genes and inheritance as well as genetic engineering.
Mrs. Becker- In class students have been studying Energy’s types, resources, and applications. We’ve traced how energy is currently sourced, and we identified pros and cons of biomass, hydroelectric, geothermal, nuclear, fossil fuels, and solar panels. Ask your child to provide examples of thermal conduction, convection, and radiation all around us in everyday circumstances. Students will soon be applying their knowledge of energy transformations in the S’Mores lab and the Toy Project. In May, we will turn our focus to classical Newtonian Physics and Mechanics (Motion and Forces), so get ready to hear all about velocity, acceleration, gravity, and friction.
Mrs. Ferry’s and Mr. LaBarge’s Math 7 classes are finishing up a unit on Probability and statistics. Students are allowed to use a calculator on assignments but, they must still show their work. Please reinforce this when checking your students homework for quality.
Accelerated students are just about finished with Probability and Statistics this week. We will study the Pythagorean Theorem and then start a unit on Systems of Equations in early May. This unit is rather rigorous so please encourage your student to use their notes when completing assignments.
As always, a copy of notes and homework can be found on-line at Mrs. Ferry’s website.
(http://www.wayne.k12.ny.us/webpages/cferry/)
Spanish 7- Since the last newsletter, students completed the school unit during which they learned a variety of vocabulary relevant to the school day. Overall, the students were very successful on the unit assessments, however, some could benefit from practicing the questions and responses more. Practicing questions is also essential because testing for the speaking portion of the final exam begins this month. That covers questions that we’ve practiced from September through the school unit. Since the Spanish 7 final exam is worth 20% of the grade for the year, it’s essential that students prepare well.
In addition to final exam preparation, we have begun the sports unit. Students are enjoying learning how to talk about their favorite and least favorite sports. It’s also providing them time to practice the life skill of agreeing to disagree. As you can imagine, the students can get very passionate about the sports they prefer.
Mercury News:
Biology (Mrs. Wolanski and Miss Cornnell): In Biology we are finishing our study of the human body and moving into our investigation of how of cells divide, how DNA is made, and genetics. This is a long unit since about 1/3rd of the Regents exam is on genetics. This tends to be a difficult unit for many students, so students really need to focus especially with the nice weather coming :). We have started our review book assignments to prepare for the Regents exam which is scheduled for the morning of June 15th. Students have been given the assignments from now until the end of the year in their review book and they may work ahead. There is also a copy of the review book assignments on Mrs. Wolanski’s website under the Regents review link. Students will have homework every night. If students are worried about preparing for the Regents exam they can use the Regents review link on Mrs. Wolanski’s website for practice questions, games, vocabulary review, practice Regents exams, as well as stay after school for extra help.
ELA 8:
Congratulations finishing the ELA state test! In English classrooms, students are reading Flowers for Algernon and exploring the concept of increased intelligence. Is knowledge power? Or is ignorance bliss? Students will be answering these two questions as we read this short story.
Next month, students will introduced to the world of Shakespeare! Who was William Shakespeare? What did he write? Who did he write for? Why did he write? These questions and more will be answered as students explore the wonderful world of Shakespeare in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Don your best Shakespearean garb and get ready to act!
Social Studies 8: Students have finished their study of the Great Depression. Our study culminated with students evaluating The New Deal and arguing that it was successful or unsuccessful. We are currently studying the World War II unit. Topics we have covered are: Rise of Dictators (Hitler in depth), the mood of Germany after WWI, the start of WWII and the attack at Pearl Harbor. We will continue our studies with topics that include: impact of WWII on the homefront, the internment of Japanese Americans, D-day, the Atomic Bombing of Japan and the Peace Process.
Spanish- Mr. Harris/Nagel
This month we begin preparation for the speaking portion of the Proficiency Exam. Students will be given study materials to begin the process. They should start spending short periods of time (10-15 minutes) each day practicing old material from both 7th and 8th grade. It is important to start the studying process now. Speaking exams will begin at the end of May. We would like to remind parents and students that passing both the course and the Proficiency exam is required to receive the necessary credit for graduation.
Math 8 and Algebra
Math 8 students have completed the pre-state test curriculum. We are beginning our final unit on irrational numbers. We will have a final exam in June that will cover all previously learned material. We will also review for this exam in class for several weeks prior to the final. If you have any questions or comments please do not hesitate to contact me. You can also access all classroom information by going to our classroom website. https://sites.google.com/a/waynecsd.org/wcsdmath8/
Algebra students finished their second unit on Quadratics. The final unit is on Statistics and then we will begin preparing for our Regents Exam. The Regents is administered on Thursday, June 16th in the morning. The exam is a 3 hour exam but students can leave after 2 hours. I encourage all students to stay the last hour and use extra time to check over their answers. If you have any questions or comments please do not hesitate to contact me. You can also access all classroom information by going to our classroom website. https://sites.google.com/a/waynecsd.org/wcsdmath8/
Physical Science 8 (Mrs. Becker and Miss Cornnell)
Students in Physical Science spent April studying Energy and the six main forms it takes. We emphasized pros and cons of various sources such as fossil fuels, solar panels, hydroelectric, and the Ginna nuclear power plant. We also looked at wave phenomena involved with Optics and Acoustics. One of the focuses of the energy unit is Thermodynamics, so ask your child to explain and give you examples of heat transfer by conduction, convection, and radiation. In May, we will take a closer look at Classical Newtonian Physics (Mechanics, Motion, & Forces) while simultaneously practicing laboratory skills vital to high school success. The students have been given a Coach workbook project, which will be the main grade of Q4; this project integrates and highlights the key scientific principles that are prerequisite learnings before entering the high school courses.
Saturn News:
Math
Students are currently learning about probability and statistics, while continuing to review concepts from the beginning of the year. Soon, our Math 7 students will be returning to the geometry unit where they will be exploring angle relationships. Our Accelerated students will continue their exploration of slope and begin looking at systems of equations.
ELA
As studnets continue to read our current novel, Lyddie, they are encounter twists and turns in the protagnist's life. Ask your child about Lyddie's life as a mill worker and what life would have been like to live in a boardinghouse for one of the factories.
Science
In Mrs. Wolanski’s Science class we are finishing our unit on reproduction and development and will have a big unit test on 4/29 for the 8-9A class and 5/2 for the 3-4B class. The test will be on sexual and asexual reproduction, as well as mitosis and meiosis and how cells divide. We will then begin our investigation into genetics and evolution. Students will learn about genes and inheritance as well as genetic engineering.
Students in Mrs. Becker’s class have been studying Energy’s types, resources, and applications. We’ve traced how energy is currently sourced, and we identified pros and cons of biomass, hydroelectric, geothermal, nuclear, fossil fuels, and solar panels. Ask your child to provide examples of thermal conduction, convection, and radiation all around us in everyday circumstances. Students will soon be applying their knowledge of energy transformations in the S’Mores lab and the Toy Project. In May, we will turn our focus to classical Newtonian Physics and Mechanics (Motion and Forces), so get ready to hear all about velocity, acceleration, gravity, and friction.
Students in Mrs. VanOrman's Life Science have been exploring how organisms reproduce to make more of the same kind. Students will be expected to compare how organisms reproduce sexually and asexually and the advantages and disadvantages for both processes.
Students in Mrs. VanOrman's Accelerated Science have been exploring the how energy is transferred though a project-based learning activity. Students were expected to create a toy that transferred different forms of energy to allow it to perform work. Students will be expected to present their model to the class and be able to answer questions related to energy transfer.
S.S.
Hard to believe it is almost the end of the year! Social studies classes have been moving right along. We are finishing unit 5 (westward expansion). In units 5 and 6 students will not be taking a formal test. These are shorter units and students will be completing writing assignments as their assessments. We have just finished two weeks in the library working on westward expansion stations. Students also had the chance for some enrichment activities…including a Wild West photo booth! Unit 6 is on early reform movements in the United States. Students will be learning about the beginning stages of different reform movements and the people who were influential in each movement.
Languages Other than English
Spanish 7: Since the last newsletter, students completed the school unit during which they learned a variety of vocabulary relevant to the school day. Overall, the students were very successful on the unit assessments, however, some could benefit from practicing the questions and responses more. Practicing questions is also essential because testing for the speaking portion of the final exam begins this month. That covers questions that we’ve practiced from September through the school unit. Since the Spanish 7 final exam is worth 20% of the grade for the year, it’s essential that students prepare well.
In addition to final exam preparation, we have begun the sports unit. Students are enjoying learning how to talk about their favorite and least favorite sports. It’s also providing them time to practice the life skill of agreeing to disagree. As you can imagine, the students can get very passionate about the sports they prefer.
TC Armstrong Middle School
Email: ddemass@wayne.k12.ny.us
Website: http://wayne.k12.ny.us/Middle.cfm?subpage=83211
Location: 6076 Ontario Center Road, Ontario, NY, United States
Phone: (315) 524-1080
Twitter: @WayneCentralMS