PKMS Update 5.11.2020
A Close Look At How We Did & Will Do Our Work
HELLO, PKMS FAMILY
Together We Are Stronger!
Tomorrow, we will be in week three of Quarter Four - Time is certainly moving quickly
We want to congratulate Janira Martinez for submitting her essay on hope to Lifting Up Westchester - Janira is another example of the hard work and dedication our PKMS students display on a daily basis
As we move forward, students please be sure to check your email daily and to click onto the Peekskill Middle School's website for our new Digital Learning Portal - Remember students, you must be logged into your Google account to access it - https://sites.google.com/peekskillschools.org/pkms-digital-learning-portal/home
May's SEL theme is Attitudes and Values now more than ever we need this - We cannot give up - we must keep going - To support this work, our weekly quote is:
"Attitude changes EVERYTHING!"
Let's continue to take safety precautions in these challenging times.
Our appreciation continues for your engaging learning environments, dedication, planning, collaboration, assessment of students, focus, and hard work.
Remember, to SMILE (Show My Infectious Lovable Energy) as it is the first thing students, families, and colleagues see.
Let's Keep These Thoughts in Mind:
- Laugh a little. Laugh a little more.
- Gladden the heart of a child.
- Always operate from a honest place.
- Give a soft answer.
Happy Birthday Shout-Out To...
Happy Birthday to the following students:
- Jason L.C.
- Geovanny V.
- Ja'Nyiah W.J.
- Shilynn B.J.
- Dario R.
- Gisselle C.
- Javier S.
- Jonathan R.J.
- Rossy N.
- Mekai C.
- Brandon V.
Notes of Gratitude
Thank you to students and staff who uploaded pics and words of gratitude to our PKMS staff for Teacher Appreciation Week
Thank to the staff for continuing to support students, creating engaging lessons, and collaborating with one another
Thank you to our clinical team for their consistent family outreach, staff support, and collaboration
Thank you to our secretaries who are doing their work behind the scenes
Thank you to Dr. Campolongo and Ms. Simon for continuing to support staff and families
Thank you Carmine, Tim, Mike, Mark, Kristen, Keith, and Manny for sanitizing our buildings
Thank you Andrew Weismann and his team for providing food to our families
Thank you to David Santiago and his team for securing our buildings during this season of challenge
Learning Digitally
stem
Students writing and interpreting ratios using appropriate notation and language - calculating the area of quadrilaterals with decimal numbers as their side lengths using Punnett Squares - examining parallel lines cut by a transversal - continuation of exploring genetics and hereditary - exploring energy transformation - discussing Earth's interior- understanding and explaining why careers in STEAM are important and on the rise in the years to come - using the engineering design process to plan a device that keeps an egg safe when dropped - defining coding and computer programming - familiarizing themselves with the Code Monkey platform
encore
Students learning about vaping and its impacts, Coronavirus in detail and its impact, and lasting impacts of alcohol use - identifying the type of workout selected through the Darebee workout - combining three-dimensional everyday objects with two-dimensional drawings into a work of art of their own - editing using live drummer - practicing proper diction, and tone production through online warm-ups - identifying notes, clefs, and time signatures - selecting one emotion from a list provided, picking five songs that demonstrate that emotion, explaining the choice - identifying notes and placing notes on a staff, watching a video of a band performing a concert piece, and writing a critique using music terminology of the concert piece performed
Humanities
Students reviewing key terms and concepts from ancient Mesopotamia and Greece - discussing what can we do as a society to ensure that atrocities like her Holocaust never happen again - exploring Reform Movements of the 1800s
Collaborative & Department Work
- May 12th - Full Department Meeting - See Department Leaders for Agenda and Calendar Invitation
- 9AM - ELA
- 9:45AM - Math
- 9:30AM - LOTE
- 10AM - Social Studies
- 10:30AM - Special Education
- 11AM - ENL
- 11AM - Science
- May 19th - Grade 6 & Grade 7 will meet with their content colleague for Articulation like we did last year = For example, Grade 6 Math & Grade 7 Math.... - Create your own invitations
- May 26th - Grade 7 & Grade 8 will meet with their content colleagues for Articulation like we did last year - Create your own invitation
Team / Grade-Level Work
- May 20th - Check and Connect as Teams - Please consult your calendar for an Invitation through Google Hangouts Meet
Grade 6 10AM - Grade 7 11AM - Grade 8 12PM
May 27th - Grade articulation conversation - Grades 6 & 7 - 10AM - invitation to follow
June 4th - Grade articulation conversation - Grades 7 & 8 - 10AM - invitation to follow
STUDENT ASSISTANCE SERVICES
This month is also Co-Occuring Disorder Awareness (CODA) month! This month highlights how common substance abuse and mental illness can co-exist in our community and how to get support for yourself, or a family member/friend.
Do you or a family member live with addiction? Are you worried your child or student has begun using alcohol?
Contact your Student Assistance Counselors for resources and support!
Katherine Geider, LMSW : Kgeider@peekskillschools.org
Casandra Lewis, LMSW : C.lewis@sascorp.org
Important Dates
- May 11th - ELA Honors 8 Exam
- June 3rd - Rising Grade 6 Math & Science Honors Entrance Exam
- Rising Grade 6 Jumpstart - TBD
- June 10th - ALL Graded Assignments end
- June 10th - 17th - Student Make-up Work Submissions & Teacher Grades Completion
- June 19th - End of Quarter & Grades Posted to Portal
- Grade 8's Moving-Up Ceremony - TBD
Some Reminders
- Take attendance for each of your instructional periods
- Ensure 504 and IEP Plans are being supported
- Ensure grade content colleague planning - reflecting Rubicon Atlas
- Ensure Gradebook and Teacher Webpage/Google Classroom reflect current information and assignments
- Communicate with families and maintain that communication in PLP
- Data Driven Instruction Model
- Always Ask: Have They Learned? How Do You Know?
- Training One Another
- Discussing Student Performance Information
- Designing Tiered Instruction
- Reflecting on Daily Practice
- Reviewing Assessments from All Content Areas (Formative, Summative, Interim)
- Discussing Progress Monitoring Efforts
- Pacing through Rubicon Atlas
- Lesson Plans Should Be Designed with the following in Mind
- Questions Posed - What is the level
- Tiered Instruction
- Guided Instruction
- Driven By Data
- Clear and Articulated Assessment Throughout (assessments must contain spiraling back questions)
- Groupings (Fluid)