John G. Borden Good News

We are very excited to announce our annual 8th Grade Visits to the High School! Our visits are scheduled for May 22nd, May 24th, and May 25th. This is a very important part of our transition program to help prepare our students for life at the High School. Below is a breakdown of what students will experience and how they will be assigned to a day to attend

Students will take their normal bus to the high school on the day that their bus route is assigned to. Lists with the breakdown of the routes will be posted in the Middle School cafeteria. At the end of the visit, students will be bused back to the Middle School. They will return at the end of 4th or beginning of 5th period and if a student has lunch 4th period they will be allowed to go eat before proceeding to their 5th period class.

On their visit to the High School, students will get to meet the Principal, Assistant Principal, Guidance Counselors; get a presentation from Guidance about graduation requirements, BOCES opportunities, and other tips for success. Then students will get a tour of the building to help them start to figure out how to navigate the building. During their tour they will have their picture taken for their Student ID which they will receive at Freshman Orientation over the summer. Students will get to observe a class to get a feel for the structure and teachers. And lastly, students will have time to have a Q&A session with our National Honor Society students.

Permission slips have been given out in students homerooms. Extra copies are available in the Main Office. Signed permission slips need to be returned to the Guidance Office by May 12th. If you have any questions, please reach out to our Prevention Services Social Worker, Kristina Heeren, at kheeren@wallkillcsd.k12.ny.us

The Girls Modified Softball Team is off to a great start! New Coaches, Michelle Arteta and Amanda Ceely, have the girls working hard to prepare for a thrilling season. The girls are working as a unit during practices, and their growth over the last few weeks is phenomenal! Energy is high among all, and girls are anxious to take the field on game days. As we kick off the beginning of the season, we are 1-1, and will be continuously striving to improve! The softball girls and coaches are looking forward to families and students coming out and showing support for the team. We are all very excited to see what the girls can do this spring season!

The boys Modified Track team is off to a spectacular start this season. The first meet was an invitational at Monroe-Woodbury, which had 11 schools. Wallkill boys finished in second only to MW beating a number of other schools larger than ours.

The second meet was our only home meet against Rondout Valley. Along with many other great performances in running and field events, Wallkill had a first place in all but one of the events. The team is looking forward to being very competitive for the remainder of the season, with a goal of breaking some school records along the way.

Girls Track & Field got off the great start this season. With over 50 girls signed up for the team we have welcomed many newcomers, as well as some seasoned 8th graders. The girls finished in 2nd place out of 11 teams at the Monroe Invitational and then won convincingly over Rondout. We look forward to continuing the success at the rest of the dual meets and invitationals.

Through four games of the season, the Wallkill Modified baseball team has two wins and two losses. The season started off in Saugerties, losing to a tough team 8-1, after a five-run inning first inning, the team settled in nicely soon after. Game two was in Highland and jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead and a nice start on the mound by Moses Hunter, unfortunately, eventually losing 6-5 in a well-played game. Bradyn Nicoli added two hits. Game three Wallkill defeated FDR 8-1 in a complete team effort. Moses Hunter added 3 hits, 3 runs, and 4 stolen bases. Ben Dortort got the win on the mound pitching 5 innings and striking out 9, at the plate he had 3 hits and 4 RBIs. Hayden Andrews shut the door pitching the final 2 innings without allowing a base runner. Andrew DeGroat added 2 hits as well. Game 4 was at Kingston, the Panthers defeated the Tigers 11-3. Moses Hunter got the win on the mound and stuck out 9. He also added 3 hits at the plate, scoring 2 runs, driving in 2 and stealing a base. Hayden Andrews and John Harrington did not allow an earned run from the bullpen. The bats have started to get hot. The team is also playing well defensively. Declan Gardner has been a reliable arm in relief. The team has been playing well, improving, and looks to keep their win streak rolling!

Upcoming games:

5/2 at Marlboro

5/3 at Valley Central

5/8 vs Rondout

5/10 at New Paltz

5/11 at Beacon (Dutchess Stadium)

Come out and support your fellow Panthers!

JGBMS's Yearbook Club is working hard to create your yearbook. You can help by emailing pictures you have taken at school events to drosenfeld@wallkillcsd.k12.ny.us . We are expecting that this will be our best yearbook ever. They are $40. Just let your child know that the books don't come in until June. If you would like to order a yearbook from the middle school or our high school, enter the name of the school in the following website.

https://www.jostens.com/#affiliate

Third Quarter - Students of the Quarter

Pictured below: Elizabeth Rodriguez, Jaylynn Florentino, Vincent DiLeo, Anthony Daley, Mason Duryea, Julian Verlezza, Cristopher Sabillon-Sanchez, Arman Snell, Paul Harrington and Adrianna Gomez (not pictured: Alexis Astras & Lillian Kilpatrick)

After-school programs are available in the content areas of Math and ELA for grades 7 and 8. The classes are project-based and provide targeted support for students attending. The program will run Monday through Thursday from 2:30 pm - 3:50 pm. Transportation home is provided by our 4 pm busses. The second semester began on February 27th and runs through May 19th. Students will sign up to attend with the Math or ELA teacher. See Schedule below.

Homework Lab is an after-school program where students can work on homework or projects with the assistance of a teacher, Monday through Thursday from 2:30 pm to 3:50 pm. A late bus will be available at 4:00 pm to transport students home. Your child will need to sign up each day in the main office no later than 1:30 pm. An announcement is made each morning with the room location. Please have your child stop by the main office for any questions.

Schedule:

Monday - Room 204 - Mrs. Wager

Tuesday - Room 307 - Mrs. Lobato

Wednesday - Room 307 - Mrs. Lobato

Thursday - Room 307 - Mrs. Lobato

THE HEALTH CORNER

Ticks are tiny but can cause big concerns. Here are some interesting facts and tips to keep you safe this spring.

· Ticks are not insects. Ticks are classified as arachnids, or relatives of spiders, scorpions and mites.

· Ticks live by consuming blood. Blacklegged ticks, for example, primarily feed on the blood of white-tailed deer, but they will also bite mice, small wild animals, birds and humans.

· Ticks do not fly or jump. They crawl up to the top of grass/weeds or can drop from a tree or bush onto their host. They grab with their front legs. This is called questing.

· Ticks often need 24-48 hours of feeding before they can successfully transmit infections like Lyme disease, so prompt removal is crucial.

Removing a tick

1. Use clean, fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the skin’s surface as possible.
2. Pull upward with steady, even pressure. Don’t twist or jerk the tick; this can cause the mouth-parts to break off and remain in the skin. If you cannot remove the mouth easily with tweezers, leave it alone and let the skin heal.
3. Thoroughly clean the bite area and your hands with rubbing alcohol or soap and water.

NOTE: Never crush a tick with your fingers. Dispose of a live tick by placing it in a sealed bag/container or down the toilet.

Do not try to “suffocate” it with lotion or vaseline and don’t try to burn it off.

After spending time outdoors, check yourself for ticks. Pets can bring them into your home so try to keep pets off furniture/beds and inspect areas of your home regularly. Wearing light colored clothing outdoors can help you see a tick more easily. Wearing pants and long socks can be helpful as well.

If tweezers are hard to handle, there are tick removing devices found online and in stores. I find the scoop design the easiest.

References:

https://www.pestworld.org/news-hub/pest-articles/interesting-tick-facts/

https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/removing_a_tick.html

Every Minute Matters! Research suggests that students who have good attendance will have greater academic success. Partner with us in accomplishing our goal. Our teachers and staff love to see you each day that you are well! #Attendancematters!

All bookbags must remain in student lockers, throughout the school day. This expectation is a return to the long-standing procedure of past years. Homeroom teachers will work with students to best utilize their time and locker use. Please encourage your child to use their locker each day.

AM Drop Off: (7:00 – 7:30 am) Students are to be dropped off at the designated Student Drop Off area located on 3rd Street (Behind the building) no earlier than 7 am. As a reminder, there is one-way traffic during drop-off.

PM Pick Up: Students are to be picked up at dismissal at 2:10 pm in the same designated location as Drop Off. If you need to pick your child up earlier than 2:10 pm you must come to the Main Lobby Entrance and sign them out. Photo ID is required.

NOTE: Any changes to your child's dismissal plan must be submitted in writing to the main office.

We love feedback at John G. Borden Middle School. Please reach out or call anytime if you have any questions or concerns.

Email: mredmond@wallkillcsd.k12.ny.us
Website: https://www.wallkillcsd.k12.ny.us/domain/18
Location: 109 Bona Ventura Avenue, Wallkill, NY, USA
Phone: (845) 895-7175