VCMS News and Notes
October Newsletter 2022-2023
Dear Families,
Louisa May Alcott wrote “I’m not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship.”
Middle School is such an interesting time in a young person’s life. They are "testing the waters" and learning how to "sail their own ships." When our children were younger we were able to control nearly everything they did. Now, that control is being cautiously handed to our students as they grow into adults.
Self-discipline means that someone does not have to depend on others to make decisions for him or her. Self-discipline says that you will be in charge of you. Self-discipline and self control give you power over your life. In middle school it is easy for young people to be pulled in different directions by peers, social media and society in general. However, we have to emphasize that a person with self-discipline would never do anything that would bring undesirable results to themselves or others. They would treat themselves as if they were their own best friends. They could always count of themselves to do what is right.
Author Barbara Lewis has some ideas about helping our children strengthen their self-discipline…
1. Choose to be self-disciplined – just the conscious desire to have self-control and restraint will help to make good choices.
2. Be accountable – teach and model to our young people to accept responsibility for their actions or behaviors. Help them not to blame others for their actions or decisions.
3. Join activities that enhance self-discipline – sports, practicing a musical instrument or whatever interests you.
4. Practice, Practice, Practice – new character traits don’t form on their own. Encourage your children not to give up and persevere.
Please read through our monthly newsletter. It highlights some of the upcoming events and good things that are taking place at "VCMS."
Thank you for the opportunity to teach your children.
Respectfully,
Your Middle School Leadership Team
(John Fitzpatrick and Adam Buffomante)
Meet our New Teacher
Congratulations!
Life Skills Coffee Cart
Important Events
VCMS PTA
The VCMS PTA is asking for your support through membership and donations. The PTA helps our school community by furthering the educational needs of our faculty and students in a variety of ways. However, the PTA requires the support of our parents and community in order to gather the resources necessary to do so. Please consider joining or renewing your VCMS PTA membership in order to help them support our school. PTA membership can be completely online. When you click on the link below, you can choose your membership preference, and additional donations to the VCMS PTA can also be made using this site. Joining online is only $5.68. (there is a $0.68 processing fee).
It is super easy, just have your credit card ready and click on the link below:
https://vcms.memberhub.com/store
OUR FIRST PTA MEETING IS OCTOBER 5TH AT 6:30 PM IN THE MIDDLE SCHOOL LITTLE THEATER. ALL ARE WELCOME!
VCMS Musical!
It’s time to carry the banner with Disney’s Newsies JR.!
You’ll be doing flips for the rousing tale of Jack Kelly, a charismatic newsboy and leader of a band of young newsies in Manhattan. When titans of publishing raise distribution prices at the newsies’ expense, Jack rallies young workers from across the city to strike against the unfair conditions and fight for what's right! Newsies JR. is packed with non-stop thrills and a timeless message perfect for the whole family and every audience.
Newsies Jr. comes to the Grand Viking Theatre for three shows only! Friday October 21st at 7:00pm and Saturday October 22nd at 5:00pm and 7:00pm. Reserved ticketing is available online at www.showtix4u.com or at the door for $6. “Seize the Day” with a night of theatre for family and friends.
Halloween Scholastic Chess Tournament
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/508054facac28aafb6-halloween
Grand Island Chess Club
The Grand Island Chess clubs meets every Tuesday after school in the middle school library until the 4:00 PM late bus.
Whether you are unfamiliar with the game of chess or a more ‘seasoned’ player, there is room for everyone who is interested in playing chess. If you cannot make the first meeting, then come any Tuesday after school and join in the fun!
If you have any questions, please see Ms. Szczublewski in room 142. Or email: susanszczublewski@gicsd.org
Although our Chess Club meets in the library each week, pictured above is the Eagle Scout project designed by Grand Island student, Raistlin Huff.
Art Club
Art Club will begin on October 4th and continues every Tuesday after school from 2:30 - 3:55 PM for the remainder of the school year. Students will meet in Mrs. Gaiek's room 189. Please be sure to sign up outside of room 189.
It is open to all 7th and 8th grade students and students may take the late busses home at 4:00 PM.
Homework Club
Parent Open House
Back to School Barbecue
VCMS Highlights
Team A
Team B
Team C
In ELA students either created vision boards or wrote letters to their future selves to help them set some sixth-grade goals. Students will be experiencing the “flipped classroom” in math this year, which means they will watch teacher-made videos to fill in their notes at home, and in school, they’ll practice these skills with teacher guidance and games. In science, students are learning the 8 Scientific & Engineering Practices that help them make sense of phenomena in the world around them. Students reviewed the continents and oceans and are working on their map skills with Mr. Alberalla.
Team D
Students have been very enthusiastic we begin to learn numbers and greetings
Team E
8th Grade
In English, eighth grade students are learning all about one another by writing personal narratives. The students had an opportunity to select a small moment in their life to detail, concentrating on ideas and voice. Every student had their time to shine as they focused on a true event that has inspired them to be who they are today! Please see the attached photos of how the eighth grade students helped to develop the classroom community and their narrative storytelling skills.
Health/Physical Education
Physical Education classes started off the year working together, listening carefully, communicating clearly, and thinking creatively. Team building games and activities help our classes get to know one another better, build trust with each other, and have fun!
7th grade health is looking at the connections between our mental/emotional, physical, and social health.
8th grade health is exploring the effects of addiction on our brain, body, and relationships with others.
Music
Art
The 6th grade art class started off the year looking at Creativity! Their imagination was
sparked by turning basic lines into creative pictures. Currently the classes are using
their creativity to design Art Cars, cars that are turned into moving pieces of artwork.
The 7th grade art class started off the year with a science lesson on the Brain and how
the way we think influences the accuracy of our drawings! Using the technique of
Drawing from the Right-Side of the Brain, students learned to think in lines and shapes
while drawing from a Pablo Picasso drawing. Currently the classes are continuing the
unit with learning to draw animals.
The Art-8 students have gained new appreciation for shoes as they studied them and
learned how to create a good, clean contour capturing all the details. The next few
projects will focus on how applying values to an object’s contour can create the illusion
of three dimensions and convey realism. Studio in Art, the advanced art class, is just
finishing up how a weighted contour line can create depth within a contour line study.
They are using this skill with their current still-life drawing involving many different
objects. The next art unit encompasses the use of values and how to execute them
using various media along with certain techniques that will further develop their
individual skills. The true test of their acquired skills will be a portrait rendering on an
18”x24” format capturing the likeness of their chosen person.
Technology
7th Grade has been practicing measurement leading into our Construction Unit, where students will build balsa wood bridges to test for efficiency. We just finished working on West Point Bridge Designer software, and are about to start creating our full size graph paper drawings.
8th Grade is working on a Technical Drawing Unit. We learned how to make scale drawings, and are currently working on Orthographic Projection. This will take us into 3D design where students learn how to use Tinkercad and the 3D printer.
Life Skills has had some fun experimenting with spaghetti and balsa wood towers.
Career and Technical Education (CTE)
Important Information for All Students/Parents/Families
Chromebook Insurance
Student Sportswear Sale
The time of year has come again: the Student Council Sportswear Sale is back! Here is the link to the sale: https://vcms2022.itemorder.com/shop/home/ The sale will run until Monday, Oct. 10.
Student Picture Makeups
Physical Education Classes and Locker Rooms
To encourage increased participation in physical education classes, beginning on October 1, all of our students will be required to change into appropriate clothes for physical education classes.
Lockers are available for students who would like to use one, however they will need to purchase their own lock. As stated, requiring students to change clothes for class increases participation in the activity and allows our teachers to return to a more robust curriculum and activities, including using the high school pool.
Our teachers will be guiding our students on appropriate attire and clothing for class.
Student Attire and Dress Code
With students just coming off of summer vacation and participating in the fun activities that take place over the summer, it is necessary to remind all students that they must consider the clothing choices they make when coming to school. Students should dress casually and appropriate for school and learning.
Some examples of clothing that is NOT permitted in school are crop tops, extremely brief garments, halter tops, cutoffs, spaghetti straps, muscle shirts/tank tops, see-through garments, footwear that is deemed inappropriate or a potential safety hazard (such as slippers), any clothing that includes vulgar, obscene and or libelous language or images to denigrate and or offend others, any clothing that promotes any illegal activity and or endorses drugs and or alcohol.
Please ensure that your child's undergarments are covered at all times.
Finally, middle school students do plenty of moving throughout their day. In some regards, they may move just as much as an elementary student. A middle school student may often forget how to maneuver his/her body to protect their dignity. When a student chooses clothing for school, it is important to keep this in mind.
Thank you for your support and cooperation.
Family Support Services
Veronica E. Connor Middle School
Website: https://www.grandislandschools.org/Domain/244
Location: 1300 Ransom Road, Grand Island, NY, USA
Phone: 716-773-8830