TCA Times
Wayne Central Middle School Newsletter
March 31, 2017
Dear TCA Families,
We hope you all had a wonderful week. We had a busy week here with NYS ELA Exams. Last evening we enjoyed a wonderful District Band Concert. It was great to see the talent at all grade levels and the progression from 5th grade to High School. Our band directors and students impressed at every level!
I'd like to bring your attention to a very important event we have been able to capitalize on. I know the turnaround is tight for your schedules given that this is happening Monday evening. We have been working to finalize the details on this and are excited to have secured this! On Monday evening at 6:30 in the HS PAC, Melissa Straub, a private detective and expert in the field will be presenting to any interested parents. Her presentation is titled: Internet Safety - A Parent's Road Map to Protecting Their Children in the Digital World. This is a parents only workshop. Copies of the flyers can be seen below. On Tuesday during the morning, Melissa will be joining us here at the middle school for a 6th grade presentation, and then a separate 7/8th grade presentation. She will also be heading to the high school to present to them as well. We are excited for the opportunity to educate our students and community on this important topic.
We hope to see you Monday evening.
Have a wonderful weekend and a great week next week!
Sincerely,
Derek
Upcoming Events
Sixth Grade Teams
Spring Break is coming! What a great time to relax, enjoy some family time, and gear up for the final quarter of the year. It seems like the spring weather is finally catching up with us. I hope that your family will find some time to enjoy a walk, hike, bike ride, baseball game or other outside activity. Remember to clean out those homework folders and lockers!
Table Talk - -
- Math students are continuing their study of geometry. Working with composite shapes and finding the area is one of the many tasks students will engage in. Try to have conversations about area around the house. For instance, how to calculate the area rugs, floors, walls and why you would do this. Also using IXL can help reinforce skills taught at school is always a great idea. In addition, engageny.org is a great resource if your child or you are looking for additional support.
- In sixth, grade Soc. St. Students will be learning about ancient Greece and the foundations of our own government---DEMOCRACY! Students will be surprised to learn that the names of many places (Macedon) and many teams names (the Spartans) as well as a good chunk of our language come from Greece. Incorporating olives, olive oil, raisins, pita bread and other Greek foods into a family dinner would be a tasty way to celebrate this unit. Of course, having your child share information about Greece would add another dimension to the table conversation.
- Science classes will be doing a short two-week unit on plants. Topics of this unit include plant parts and functions, photosynthesis, respiration, and different plant tropisms. The unit involves many hands-on learning activities, such as dissecting a celery stem, observing plants grown in the light and in the dark, and conducting starch tests with iodine on different plant parts.
- Students in ELA are beginning to work on Module 3! While reading non-fiction students are learning how to examine author’s point of view and how understand idea development. Remind students to read every night for 20 minutes and to take the AR quizzes when ready. In addition, engageny.org is a great resource if your child or you are looking for additional support.
Seventh Grade Teams
Social Studies
We are completing our study of Manifest Destiny and are moving on to reform movements. Students will be working on presentations during this unit.
English/Language Arts
Students are just finishing the Revolutionary War Historical Fiction Unit. The final assessment is the creation of a theme statement about their book and defending it with specific book details. After this unit, we will be reading the book Lyddie and learning about America’s industrial revolution through the eyes of a factory girl working in the Lowell mills.
Spanish 7
As you know, due to power outages and snow days, our dessert evening was cancelled. We hope you enjoyed your dessert at home.
At school, we continue to work on the school unit. We have noticed that some students need more practice telling time on an analog clock. They are confusing the minute and hour hands. Please practice that at home whenever an opportunity presents itself.
We have also been talking about school subjects and sharing our feelings about them. This is usually enjoyable for the 7th graders. Before finishing the unit, we’ll learn vocabulary related to classroom objects and school personnel. We hope to complete the unit before the spring break.
Life Science (VanOrman/Wolanski)
Using their understanding from our recent Sexual Reproduction and Development unit, students will begin to explore how traits are passed from parent to offspring. Students will be able to predict the possible outcome of an offspring using the genetic information from the parents along with tracing traits that have already been passed down using a pedigree chart.
Accelerated Science (Becker/ VanOrman)
Students have finished up their Chemical Reactions unit and are now exploring Energy. The focus will start off with understanding the 6 main forms that Energy takes, and how one form transforms into another. Students will demonstrate the Conservation of Energy Law by designing and building a unique toy that starts with one form of energy and ends with another. We can’t wait to see what their creative engineering minds come up with for this fun project!
Math 7
Students in Mr. LaBarge’s and Mrs. Ferry’s classes have been working on Algebraic expressions and Equations this week. Students also studied circles for several classes last to wrap up the celebration of PI day and bring meaning to the symbol.
Math 7 Accelerated
Students in Mr. LaBarge’s and Mrs. Ferry’s accelerated classes have been studying Algebra and Geometry of Simple shapes. Showing all the proper Algebra techniques is critical this year. This is the one unit that requires work that is almost exactly like the teacher’s method. Using notes and seeking assistance is needed if your student seems confused with the steps.
Art (Pilato/Kleehammer)
In Mr. Pilato’s art classes the students are finishing up working on their two-point perspective drawings. They have begun the shading and modeling process which adds detail and further enhances the look of 3D space in their drawings. Ms. Kleehammer’s classes just finished their Identity Collages, which are on display in the art and technology hallway. The students are beginning the first of to projects in the clay unit.
7th Grade Band
Our Band students are busy preparing for our All District Band concert which will be held next Thursday evening, March 30th at the Wayne Performing Arts Center. All of the band students from elementary through high school will be featured in celebration of March as Music In Our Schools Month. Students have a Smartmusic assignment to submit to Mrs. Melnick for each of the pieces being performed.Eighth Grade Mercury Team
Biology (Mrs. Wolanski and Miss Cornnell):
Physical Science (Miss Cornnell and Mrs. Becker) Students have finished their Chemical Reactions unit and are now studying Energy. Focusing on the six main forms of energy and energy resources, this is a rather short unit. Simultaneously, students will begin integrating their learnings from the past four years of all science disciplines using the Coach book project. This Coach projects is most of the Q4 grade.
ELA
This month we will be focusing on learning about the Holocaust through three texts that focus on the time period of 1941-1945. Students have been reading poetry associated with the Holocaust and learned about various aspects such as: concentration camps, the history of WWII, conditions in the camps, feelings associated with being a victim of the Holocaust, and survivor stories.
Students have chosen one of three novels and will be in a literature circle. They will be collaborating with one another, creating questions, focusing on vocabulary, and making connections to the novel. It is an exciting time in ELA!
Spanish
Math 8 with Mrs. Peck
Students are working on our last unit before the state test, Exponents. We will begin to explore nonlinear functions and how they describe our world. On May 2, 3 and 4th the 8th grade students will be taking the math 8 state test. Please click here to learn more about the 2017 math state test. After the state test we will conclude the year with a unit on irrational numbers. I can’t believe how fast this year is going by and I am very proud of the hard work many are putting forth. If students need any support from home, they should utilize the classroom website, google classroom, or email me directly.
Algebra with Mrs. Peck
The algebra regents exam is scheduled for June 13th in the afternoon. On May 2, 3 and 4th the 8th grade students will be taking the math 8 state test. Students in Algebra WILL NOT be taking the math 8 state test. During this time, Algebra students will all meet in the cafeteria with Mr. Lewis and Mrs. Peck to begin reviewing for our Algebra exam. If you have any questions or comments, please do not hesitate to contact me.2nd Annual Chess Tournament - Flyer Attached to Email
Freewill Elementary School Sponsors
2nd Annual Chess Tournament
An open tournament for grades K-8
ALL chess players are welcome K-8;
from far & near; any school! Wayne or other districts, also home
schooled kids!! Anyone who loves chess and is in K-8th grade!
When: Saturday April 29th, 2017 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
Where: Freewill Elementary School 4320 Canandaigua Rd Walworth, NY 14568
· All children will play 3-5 games.
· Three sections: K-2, 3-5, 6-8
· Prizes for all participants.
· Trophies for top players in each grade level and each section.
· Team awards will also be given for each section. (School teams must have at least 3 players in a section to be eligible for section team awards.)
· Chess sets and boards will be provided.
· Food can be purchased. There will be drinks, tacos in a bag, pizza, popcorn & other snacks or bring your own food. Your choice!
· Please bring something for your child to do between rounds. **Note: Parents please plan to stay for the tournament to help supervise your kids between rounds.
· Chess sets, clocks and supplies will be on sale from the Rochester Chess Center
· Total cost to play in the tournament is $10.00
· For more information call the Rochester Chess Center at 585-442-2430 or contact Tami Adams-King, Freewill Chess Club Advisor at tadams@waynecsd.org
____________________________Cut here________________________________________________
Freewill Elementary School 2nd Annual Chess Tournament
Saturday, April 29th, 2017 Registration fee: $10.00
Mail-in Registration Deadline: one week before (so that it is received by April 27th)
Mail to this address: Rochester Chess Center 221 Norris Drive, Rochester, NY 14610 (Please include this form & registration fee)
Phone Registration accepted through April 28th (585-442-2430)
If you do NOT pre-register, please plan to arrive between 8:30-8:45 to register before the tournament begins at 9:00 (However: pre-registration is strongly preferred)
Name: __________________________________________Phone: ____________________
Address: ______________________________________________________________
School Child Attends: ______________________________ Grade: _________________
*Make checks payable to the Rochester Chess Center*
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