TCA Times
Wayne Central Middle School Newsletter
May 3, 2017
Dear TCA Families,
Hoping everyone's week is off to a great start! NYS Math testing is in full swing this week. We wish our students the best of luck on the exams.
Last week we celebrated earth day all week! Our science department put together some fantastic opportunities for our students and each seemed to be very appreciative and engaged. In the next few weeks, our 7th and 8th grade band students will be preparing for their upcoming trip to Cedar Point where they will perform for judges as a full 7th and 8th grade combined ensemble!
Last Friday, our Technology Student Association (8th grade) sent a group along with their high school teammates to SUNY Oswego to compete in an inaugural "Tech Wars" competition. Our students fared very well and had a great time doing so! Some pictures from this are included below! This group built projects to compete in STEM related engineering tasks which found them working with limited resources and event constraints to creatively develop solutions. We look forward to more of these events in the future.
On May 13th, several of our NJHS students will be taking part in a community clean up at Casey Park as part of their community service requirement. We are excited for our students to take part in the up-keep of our community. We'll hope to include some pictures from this event.
Beyond these events, we are continuing our work with transition plans and making preparations for next year. If you should have questions about any of this, please don't hesitate to let me know.
Have a wonderful rest of the week!
Sincerely,
Derek
Upcoming Events
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:
Morgan Aman was nominated by the Neptune team. Morgan is a conscientious student who can be depended upon to always give it her best shot. She brings to her classes a positive attitude and a willingness to try whatever she is asked to do. She is a role model for others on the team.
Gianna DeVito was nominated by the Pluto team. Gianna is a delightful student who enjoys school and regularly gives her best effort. She has a fantastic attitude, and does a wonderful job helping others.
Ashley Deel was nominated by the Pluto team. Ashley is a kind and respectful student who goes above and beyond in her work. She is a diligent worker and an example to her peers.
Marrlee Ostrowski was nominated by the Jupiter team. Marrlee works hard and is respectful and positive. We love having her in class.
Evan Panneitz was nominated by the Saturn team. Evan is a hard working, mature student. He can always be counted on and and demonstrates a great work ethic. Keep up the great work!
Carina Phillips was nominated by the Mercury team. Carina is an excellent role model, always completes her work and is a leader in the classroom. Great job Carina!
Julia Ross-McGuire was nominated by the Mars team. Julia is hard working, conscientious and has a positive attitude. Thank you Julia for being respectful to all.
We would also like to recognize our Class Act recipients for their actions which exhibit positive character and leadership traits.
Julia Gage our 6th grade recipient is recognized for Service to Others, Caring and Responsibility. Julia is always willing to help others. Thank you Julia!!
Mara Booth our 7th grade recipient is recognized for Service to Others, Positive Peer Influence, Achievement Motivation, School Engagement, Caring and Responsibility. Mara helped out the entire class by altering them to a problem with our classroom code on Google. Great job Mara!!!
Jaylynn Salter our 8th grade recipient is recognized for Achievement Motivation, School Engagement and Responsibility. You’re working extremely hard and I appreciate that you are being very dedicated to your work!!! Awesome job Jaylynn!!
Congratulations to all our Students of the Week and Class Act recipients!!
Sixth Grade Pluto & Neptune News
As the school year begins to wind down, academics still remain a big focus for our students. Please remember that teachers are available after school to help students as needed. Whether it is a quiet room to complete homework, clean out and organize a locker, or get extra help with a difficult concept, students have the opportunity to stay after school with their teachers to accomplish their tasks and goals.
Both Neptune and Pluto are proud of the Quarter 3 Perfect Homework students. These students have accomplished the difficult task of completing all homework for core subjects on time during Quarter 3. There is still plenty of time for all students to set “Perfect Homework” as a goal for the end of the year. Remember that staying after school can help maintain the focus on academics that will help students accomplish this “perfect” goal!
Table Talk - -
- Math students have just completed the NYS Common Core Math Assessment! We congratulate each student for putting forth his or her best effort! Next week they will be beginning work in Module 5, more specifically area, surface area and volume. Remember students should be taking their binders home and studying/practicing every night. In addition, engageny.org and IXL are great resources if your child or you are looking for additional support.
- Soc. St.: 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 do not 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. Journey to Rochester to view High Falls, and the mouth of the Genesee River, 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 was sent home on April 11th or 12th. Permission slips need to be returned to your child’s science teacher by Monday May 1st.
- ELA-In the current module, students study how an author develops point of view and how an author’s perspective, based on his or her geographic location, is evident in his or her writing. Students consider point of view as they learn about ocean conservation and the impact of human activities on life in the oceans. Through close reading, students will learn multiple strategies for acquiring and using academic vocabulary.
Seventh Grade Jupiter & Saturn News
Social Studies- In social studies we have been examining major reform movements of the 1800s. We will end the unit by having students write a letter nominating a reformer for a “Reformer of the Year” Award. Students in Mrs. Hill’s class will now have Ms. Cassie Bowen as their social studies teacher as Mrs. Hill is our on maternity leave.
English/Language Arts- ELA 7 Classes are beginning our novel study of the book Lyddie by Katherine Patterson. It is the story of a young girl who goes to work in the Lowell Mills at the beginning of our nation’s Industrial Revolution. You should see your child reading and completing work on chapters assigned. Ask them about Lyddie. She’s a fierce character, definitely a girl ahead of her times.
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 is scheduled to take place in late May and early June. That portion of the test will cover questions that we’ve practiced since September. Because 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 when talking about the sports they prefer.
Life Science (VanOrman/Wolanski)- Students have been exploring genes and how traits are determined by heredity. Students utilized their understanding of genetics to create new animals by altering their genes and used this information to compare to how humans have been using their understanding of heredity to produce organisms with favorable traits through selective breeding. Students will begin exploring how nature impacts what are the desirable traits in a species through natural selection and learn about how organisms, such as the horse, have evolved over time.
Accelerated Science (Becker/ VanOrman) - Students demonstrated their understanding of the six main forms of energy and energy transformations by building, advertising, and writing about a unique moving toy --- what creative engineers we have! Next up for these students will be learning about motion and forces (Classical Newtonian Mechanics) and taking their engineering skills even further by designing and building Rube Goldberg devices.
Math 7 - The New York State Math Test is scheduled for May 2nd, 3rd, and 4th. The first day is without a calculator, but the last two days the calculator will be used. Your math teacher will collect your calculator ahead of time so it will be at your testing location when you get there. We are currently reviewing for the state test, along with reviewing probability and statistics.
Math 7 Accelerated - The New York State Math Test is scheduled for May 2nd, 3rd, and 4th. The first day is without a calculator, but the last two days the calculator will be used. Your math teacher will collect your calculator ahead of time so it will be at your testing location when you get there. We are currently reviewing for the state test, along with reviewing probability and statistics.
Eighth Grade Dinner Dance Announcement
Attention 8th Graders! The annual Dinner Dance will be held Thursday, May 18th 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 $2.30 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.
Attention Parents of 8th Graders:
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 2) to Heather Phillips - hphillips@waynecsd.org.
TC Armstrong Middle School
Email: ddemass@waynecsd.org
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