J.M.S. News...
By Donald F. Gately, Ed. D - November 2015
Jericho Middle School's Bully Prevention Kick-Off 2015!
On Thursday, October 8th, the Jericho Middle School community came together for our 4th Annual Bully Prevention Kick-Off and “Walk to End Bullying.” This year’s theme was “A Journey of 1000 Miles Begins with a Single Step” – highlighting our united, ongoing effort to prevent bullying and create a culture of “up-stander responsibility” within our school. The day was exciting and inspirational. Our guest speaker and “grand marshal” was Aija Mayrock, author of the Scholastic book “The Survival Guide to Bullying.” Aija was a role model of kindness and compassion as she spoke at our assembly, sensitively responded to student questions and as she spent hours out on the track, signing books and t-shirts and speaking to students individually. Since speaking at Jericho, Aija has continued to reach others through recent television appearances on “The View” and WPIX News. We look forward to Aija’s return to Jericho for an evening parent program (Date TBA).
The outpouring of support from all members of our Jericho Middle School Community helped to make this day a success. The Jericho Middle School staff and parent members of our Olweus Bully Prevention Coordinating Committee gave their full commitment to this day through their creative planning, diligent preparation and well-organized execution of this event. We couldn’t have done it without the many staff members, students and parents who volunteered their time to help out during the Kick-Off preparation and on the day of the event. The success of the Kick-Off was also supported by Jericho H.S. staff and students who contributed to the day, including Mr. Rosselli and the High School Marching Band Drum Line, Mrs. Millman and the AP photo class, the Jericho Jay Hawk Dance Team and Mr. Benjamin and the Volunteens.
Special thanks to our Kick-Off sponsors whose generosity enabled us to cover the costs of the day:
And That..Inc. - The Stoler Family
Andrew & Heather Hazen
Christine Kasper
Christopher & Laura Spofford
Daborah Lee
David & Jacquie Libertoff & Family
Eli & Jennifer Gross
Enterprise Engineering, Inc.
Fan Yeung & Samantha Chan
Favorite Gift Baskets, Inc.
Frank & Ivanni Cortale
Giovanni & Irene Fierro
Happy Dragon of USA, Inc.
Ismael & Ileana Castillo
James Cui
Jericho SEPTA
Jerry Litao Wu & Xiaomei Peng
Joshua & Alexandra Landau
Keith & Lynn Franz
Lifetime Physical Therapy PC
Mallory Mei Chu Sun & Hsin Ju Lee
Marion & Bret Pearlman
Mark & Lisa Shaevitz
Marnie Naiburg-Smith & Jeffrey Smith
Minou Absy-Jaghab & Kamil Jaghab
Nadia & Alessandro Testa
Nadia Malik & Tarek Awad
NBP Insurance Brokerage, Inc.
Peter & Alana Sabesan & Family
Ruiqing Guan
Sanjoy & Reetu Joshi
Scott & Joanne Silverman
Scott & Lisa Salmonson
The Chazotte Family
The Edelman Family
The Heilig Family
The Jericho Educational Foundation
Yuan Zhang
And a special “shout out” to DJ Matt Fugiccio (glen@gnadjentertainment.com) of G’n’A Entertainment who has volunteered his special services to create a mood of celebration during our “Walk to End Bullying” for the last three years. http://www.gnadjentertainment.com/
Finally, when the Jericho Middle School community commits itself to “walk to end bullying,” we truly give it our all. We far exceeded our expectations and broke all previous records as we logged in a final count of 4,830 miles.
Our Kick-Off marked the beginning of our bully prevention efforts for the year. We will keep you updated as we move forward the many additional aspects of our program including our BRAVE Ambassador Program, Quality Circles, Class Meetings and parent education programs. If you have any questions or would like additional information about the Olweus Bully Prevention Program or any of our bully prevention efforts, please feel free to contact Joanne Verdino, JMS Social Worker at 203-3600; ext. 3266 or jverdino@jerichoschools.org.
Quote for the week of November 2:
HERMAN MELVILLE LITERARY AWARD RECIPIENT - JAN PORINCHAK
Jan C. Porinchak is a Long Island, New York artist whose detailed works in a variety of media illustrate the exquisite intricacy of natural history subjects. His great appreciation for the outdoors is reflected in his award winning artwork. His illustration "Life Under the Surface," commissioned by the Town of Brookhaven, was displayed at the New York State Museum, and won a Jury Award for excellence at the annual Focus on Nature exhibit.
Porinchak has created exceptional educational illustrations depicting marine and other natural history subjects for Sea Grant, Cornell Cooperative, Cary Institute for Ecosystems Studies, and the New York Museum of Natural History, among others.
Jan is in his 20th year of teaching art at Jericho Schools, on Long Island. In the summer of 2015 he co-directed a marine ecology camp for children at the Sport Fishing Center at Cedar Beach, in Babylon.
Quotes for the Month of November:
"Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing." - Pele
November 16-20
"Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it." -Goethe
November 23-27
“Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others.” -Cicero
November 30-December 4
“The best teachers are those who show you where to look, but don’t tell you what to see.” -Alexandra K. Trenfor
Monthly SEL Theme for November: High Expectations (Goal-Setting)
High expectations involve believing that others can be successful, telling them so, and praising their accomplishments. Letting others know that you expect them to do well and congratulation them on a job well done.
This powerful skill is the ability to affirm others by looking for and finding food in people. It means building others up and encouraging them. It means finding reasons for praise and applause. It means nurturing and being supportive, and reinforcing what others do well. Most of all, it means giving people reasons to celebrate.
(Hal Urban, pg. 87) - In order to create these expectations, you need to create a sense of cooperation in all your undertakings. Before criticizing a teammate, walk a mile in his or her shoes.
Be BRAVE enough to be KIND and Have the Courage to Care!
SEL Challenge for the month of November: Praise 3 people who are not in your immediate circle of friends for some accomplishment or for something they did well.
THANKSGIVING
Prosperity and health are relative. Regardless of how we are situated, we can always find others who are worse off than we are. Later in the year, our 8th grade students will read “Anne Frank: A Diary of a Young Girl.” Consider this quote from her memoir:
“Think of all the beauty still left around you and be happy.”
What has always struck me about this amazing book is how little of it is devoted to the historical conditions of its time. Despite the fact that Anne is forced into hiding by horrific conditions and that she and her family share 3 rooms with two other families, she is thankful and hopeful for the future. It’s an amazing lesson in gratitude for our students and for us this Thanksgiving. These are some of the ways that we teach Social Emotional Literacy to students at the middle school. I know you encourage this at home as well.
CLASSROOM NEWS
TEAM 6A:
TEAM 6B:
Team 6B enjoyed their introduction to the Metric System in science. Students were amazed by the different ideas fellow classmates had about the size of a meter. Students are still deciding which is easier to use for measurement... the centimeter or the inch!
TEAM 6C:
TEAM 6D:
Team 6D had a blast on this year's fishing trip to Freeport! Students enjoyed hands-on learning activities with help from BOCES science specialists! We caught tons of fish but none were keepers...better luck next time!!
TEAM 6E:
On Tuesday, October 27th, the 6E parents visited our classrooms to learn about the Growth Mindset. As a class we learned that our failures can drive our successes in the future. Students shared inspirational quotes that motivate them to succeed. Parents shared personal anecdotes about times that they have failed in the past and how those failures helped them later on in life. It was great to have our parents share in our learning experience!
TEAM 7A:
Fridays are 'Free Fridays' in ELA where we read, write, and share responses in our notebooks. Each Friday a different skill is introduced the beginning of the period and utilized in our reading and writing.
TEAM 7B:
Students on Team 7B completed an experiment using marshmallow catapults. The students identified independent and dependent variables, control and experimental groups, and constants in the experiment. While following the steps of the Scientific Method, they launched the marshmallows outside and measured the distance traveled to determine which type of spoon would be most effective as a catapult. Although Frank, Nick, and Kaan (pictured) appear to have set the record for the shortest launch, the furthest launch approached close to 20 meters!
TEAM 7C:
Students on team 7C participated in a lesson on the Columbian Exchange. Students discussed the positive and negative effects of this encounter between the Old World and the New World. What was their favorite item swapped? Chocolate! They even got to taste some of this sweet treat!
TEAM 8A:
Team 8A science classes enjoyed a beautiful field trip to Fire Island. One of more than 400 national parks across the country, Fire Island National Seashore, is a barrier island between the Atlantic Ocean and the Great South Bay. Students explored the ever-changing barrier island with its diverse marine and terrestrial habitats.
TEAM 8B:
Team 8B: “Matching Activities in their Math Classes”
Students work in partnership to make connections between linear functions by way of graphs, tables, equations, and situations. The discussions that are facilitated through activities, such as these, foster a deeper understanding.
TEAM 8C:
How would you evaluate the success of integration today? This and other questions were posed by 8th graders while studying the Little Rock 9 and the American Civil Rights movement in social studies class. Students used inquiry based skills to formulate questions to drive discussion. "Ask" your children about it!
Dates to remember...
November 5 - PTSA Meeting & Principal's Coffee Hour - MS Library - 9:00AM
November 9 - MS Toy Drive Begins (Ends 12/4)
November 10 - Winter Chorus/Orchestra Concert - Auditorium - 7:30PM
November 11 - Schools Closed
November 13 - First Marking Period Ends
November 16 - Picture Retakes
November 17 - SEPTA Meeting - MS Library - 7:00PM
- 6th, 7th and 8th Grade Guidance Evening Hours - 7:00PM–9:00PM
Recognizing that other commitments often make it impossible for parents to find time to meet with counselors during the regular school day, we will continue a program of evening meetings this year. If you would like to meet with your child's counselor but are unable to do so during the school day, please call the counselor in order to schedule an evening appointment.
November 19 - Board of Education Meeting - Cantiague Elementary School - 7:30PM
November 20 - Report Cards Posted Online
November 24 - MS/HS Learning Centers Parent/Teacher Conferences - 7:00PM-9:00PM
November 25 - No School for HS/MS Students
- Parent/Teacher Conferences - Middle School - 8:00AM-12:00PM
- No Middle School After School Clubs
November 26-27 - Schools Closed - Happy Thanksgiving!
Notes from the World Language Department…
6th grade Chinese students are learning how to greet one another in Chinese in different situations. 7th grade Chinese students are doing a survey on when each other is doing his/her daily routines. 8th grade were learning about school life, describing their class timetable and test result. We moved to our new unit about transportation and we are discussing the best means to get around in different places. All Chinese classes started this school year celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Bonjour! Currently French 8 classes are creating their ideal schools, French 7 classes are going on a virtual shopping trip, and French 6 classes just did puppet shows. All in French! French classes are busy preparing for French week 2015! Vive la France!
6th grade Italian students kicked off the year with their annual puppet projects where they learned how to meet and greet one another. 7th grade Italian classes created pizza posters where they got to introduce themselves to their classmates and share who they are and what they like. In 8th grade Italian students designed a carta d’identità and wrote about themselves.
Bienvenido a la Escuela Media de Jericho. En el sexto grado students can now meet and greet one another in culturally appropriate ways. We are launching a new text book series with this year’s estudiantes del séptimo grado. The accompanying supersite of the Descubre textbook is really helping students to increase their technical literacy skills. Students are enjoying this new learning process. En el octavo grado students are reading their first novela, Pobre Ana, completely en español. Stay tuned in the weeks to come for information regarding our Un Dólar al Día y una Lata al Día drives for Long Island Cares and En Centro Escolar Distrito Italia, our sister school in El Salvador.
The World Language Department will be hosting our annual Dollar-a-Day and Can-a-Day Drive to support El Centro Escolar Distrito Italia, our sister school in El Salvador and Long Island Cares from November 2 through November 6th. We are asking students to reflect upon issues of poverty, hunger, and homelessness locally and globally. We invite students to bring items and money in every day for a week as a reminder that hunger is not a one day occurrence, but an everyday problem.
Jericho Middle School
Email: dgately@jerichoschools.org
Website: www.jerichoschools.org
Location: 99 Old Cedar Swamp Road, Jericho, NY, United States
Phone: (516) 203-3600
Twitter: @JerichoMS