Auer Time @ LPMS
January/February, 2023
One Purpose. Your Pathway. Our Promise.
This is the Place to be! Welcome 2023!
Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?'
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Emergency Day/Shift to Remote Learning
In years past, weather related events would cause a school district to close for all staff and students without providing academic programming. This loss of instructional time has a negative effect on a child’s academic growth and success.
This school year, the District will continue to participate in a statewide pilot program through the New York State Department of Education that allows school districts to offer virtual academic programs in lieu of weather/emergency related school closures.
- Superintendent Casseri will communicate as necessary the closing of the district and/or building, due to a weather/emergency event.
Students in grades 6-12 will follow their normal schedule of classes, but at the times listed in the document below.
Students will log into Google Classroom of each class at the appropriate time and log into Google Meet with the teachers at the beginning of each class period.
Class attendance will include synchronous instruction but may also include asynchronous learning opportunities for students.
It is expected that students participate in their synchronous learning and complete their assignments to obtain credit for attendance for any particular class period.
Classes will run on the normal cycle (Day 1-6) as if students were on campus.
- The district’s emergency closure plan is posted on both the district website and our building website. Below is a link to the emergency closure plan:
Please remember that this plan will only go into effect due to a weather/emergency closure when identified by the District.
Pillar 1 - Teaching and Learning
Mid Term Assessments
Teachers will be utilizing both paper based tests or a new online testing program called DataMate. Students should be able to complete the test during a 40-minute period, but if more time is necessary, teachers will make arrangements for students to finish their exam in the library/ cafeteria as needed.
Exams will be held based upon the following schedule during regular class periods:
Monday 1/23: Social Studies
Tuesday 1/24: ELA
Wednesday 1/25: Math
Thursday 1/26: Science
Friday 1/27: End of MP 2
Assessment & Evidence of Learning
- The 20 week marking will be coming to a close on January 27 (2nd Quarter and First Semester) and we will be moving into the 3rd Quarter and the Second Semester.
- All grades are based upon work that the students have been asked to complete and turn in. If there is a failing grade, it is most likely due to missing assignments.
- If you would like to see what is owed or what assignments make up the grade, just log into PowerSchool and click on the number grade for the subject. This will give you a listing of assignments, quizzes, and tests that make up that grade. If you see an exclamation point next to an assignment, that means it is late or missing. Please encourage your child to get this missing work in as soon as possible for some credit.
- Grades and attendance can be accessed through the Powerschool Parent Portal at any time. A link to the portal can be accessed from our District web-page at www.lew-port.com and by logging into your Powerschool account.
- PAPER REPORT CARDS WILL NOT BE MAILED HOME UNLESS REQUESTED. ALL GRADES CAN BE ACCESSED BY LOGGING INTO POWERSCHOOL.
- If you need assistance in setting up this account or have questions regarding access, please contact the Guidance office at ekarp@lew-port.com or (716) 286-7208.
- Just a reminder that all grades are based upon work that the students have been asked to complete and turn in. If there is a failing grade, it is most likely due to missing assignments.
- After School Assistance Program (A.S.A.P.) will be assigned as necessary, and based upon student progress.
- As a reminder, each teacher is available for office hours Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from 2:45 - 3:10, or on any previously mutually agreed upon day for any extra help or assistance.
- Teacher Office hours are posted on student Google Classroom for each class or you can contact the Main Office and we will assist you.
- Please reach out to individual teachers to set up a day and time for a conference as necessary. Virtual meetings or phone conferences are always available to make sure students have support as necessary.
NYS Computer Based Testing
Transition to CBT
Lewiston-Porter will be transitioning to Computer Based Testing (CBT) using the following timeline:
All ELA tests from grades 3-8 will be administered as CBT. Math and Science exams will continue to be administered on paper for the 22-23 school year. We will make a full transition to computer-based testing in the 23-24 school year.
As described above, New York State has announced a plan to completely transition from paper-based testing to computer based testing by Spring 2026. Lewiston-Porter is transitioning to CBT slightly ahead of the timeline so that we are prepared when the required transition occurs.
In preparation for the CBT exams in the Spring, NYS requires that all schools participating in Operational CBT must choose to participate in at least one day during the simulation period. The simulation period falls between 1/17/2023 - 1/27/2023.
Lewiston Porter Middle School participated in a CBT Simulation with 6th grade students on Thursday, January 19 and with 7th/8th grade students on Friday, January 20. This simulation helped to prepare students for the operational exams by participating in the online Question Sampler and the Questar Secure Browser Practice Tests.
The Secure Browser practice tests allowed students to experience computer-based testing in the same environment they will use for operational CBT this spring. All students were able to become familiar with the Questar Secure Browser online tools and navigation before participating in the Simulations and the operational computer-based tests. The statewide CBT Simulation also offered the Middle School the opportunity to evaluate the readiness of our internal systems, hardware, and testing procedures for CBT. Our simulation was a great success and we feel very prepared for the actual NYS State Tests scheduled for April 19 - April 26.
2022-2023 Marking periods
Quarter 1 (10 Weeks): September 6th - November 10th
Quarter 2 (20 Weeks): November 14th - January 27th
Quarter 3 (30 Weeks): January 30st - March 31st
Quarter 4 (40 Weeks): April 3rd - June 23rd
AIMS Web+ Benchmark Data
Winter Benchmark Screening called AIMSWeb+ was administered to all students January 13 for ELA and January 18 for Math .
We will use these two data points as a comparison tool to the Fall Benchmark for student progress and to identify any gaps to address in Math and ELA.
As you may recall, this universal screening is given three (3) times per year to identify those students who either need additional academic support or who might qualify for advanced enrichment. This screening was given to all students in September, and will be repeated again in May.
The New York State Education Department requires that teachers provide clear evidence that students are acquiring the necessary skills to perform assessments at various times during their educational years. New York State also requires that teachers identify students who may require additional support in developing academic skills. Lewiston-Porter also recognizes that there are some students who may benefit from advancement in certain instances.
A percentile rank on the report indicates the student’s standing relative to other students in the same grade level. For example, if a student earned a percentile rank of 50, that student’s score is the same as or higher than 50 percent of the students in the norm group. The percentile rank listed on your child’s report is based on a nationwide norm group.
Parents are encouraged to review individual reports and contact the guidance office or individual teachers for further assistance in understanding how scores compare to national scores. Teachers continue to use multiple tools to determine individual students' need for Academic Intervention Support in the specific subject areas of Math or Reading.
If a student needs any level of AIS, they will be placed in a WINN (What I Need Now) period to work on specific skill deficits for a period of time.
We ran a modified schedule on each of these days so that students will be able to attend each of their scheduled classes and will not miss meeting with each teacher as normal. Periods will be shorter to accommodate the screening at the beginning of each day..
Fall Universal Screening Reports for both Reading/ELA and Math were mailed to parents describing the results. We will be making the results available to parents again after this Winter Benchmark using Powerschool Portfolio.
Technology Update
- NOTE Please make sure to set up your Parent Portal Account. It is your way of easily viewing your child’s progress reports, as report cards are electronically viewed and not mailed, unless specifically requested. If you need assistance with setting up an account, please contact the Guidance office.
- Don’t forget to accept invitations you receive via email to join Google Classroom! If you have a registered email address with Lewiston Porter, you should have received an automated invitation email to join Google Classroom. Please accept this invitation so your email address can be populated with your child’s Google Classroom account. This will allow you to receive notifications from your student’s teachers. This also will allow you to receive important information regarding other District wide initiatives as well.
- If you are not connected to your child’s Google Classroom already, and you did not get an automated invitation, please contact the middle school guidance office at ms_guidance@lew-port.com or (716) 286-7208. We will need to obtain your current email information so you can be registered to Google Classroom. Thank you and we look forward to working together with you using Google Classroom.
PowerSchool Tutorials
PLEASE USE CAUTION!
Parent Pick up/drop off
There continues to be a significant amount of parents dropping students off in the morning and picking up in the afternoon. We ask that when you pull up to the school for drop off or pick up, please use the designated drop off area identified by the cones and please move your vehicle as far up as possible toward the IEC before letting your child out or while waiting to pick them up so that parents behind you can pull up in an effort to eliminate traffic backup.
Please make every effort to keep traffic flowing and to move up to the car ahead of you when dropping off or picking up. Thank you.
Pillar 2 - Leadership
Student Leadership
Builder's Club
Oishei Children's Hospital Fundraiser
Builders Club sponsored a fundraiser for Oishei Children's Hospital. During Crew, members sold LP Water Bottles for $5 and candy bars for $2. $500 was raised for this worthy cause! Builders club will be presenting the check to a member of the trauma unit on Wednesday, January 25 at the Kiwanis meeting in Lewiston.
Afghanistan Refugee Gift Box Drive
- Builder's Club would like to say thank you to anyone who brought in donations for the Gift Box drive that was held November 28 - November 30.
- Items donated included hats, mittens, toothbrushes, toothpaste, shampoo, packs of markers and crayons, coloring books, board games, and puzzles. Thank you for your generosity!
Be a Builder's Club Member!
Pillar 3 - Community and Culture
One District One Book
Our buildings have been abuzz with the launch of our seventh One District, One Book reading adventure! Families PK-6th and staff have voted and the winner is.......Dragons in a Bag!!
Our One District, One Book Community Reveal was held on Wednesday, January 18th at 5:15 - 6:15pm. Thank you to all who participated with our Community Business Partners. We are so appreciative of your support and participation in this fabulous event!
For those of you who are new to One District, One Book:
Our One District, One Book MISSION:
“When you read a children’s novel - or more than one novel - across an entire district, you spark a community-wide conversation. That conversation takes place on playgrounds and parking lots, in grocery stores and churches, across your district. A conversation that is rich, involving hundreds and thousands of students and families, inspires a rich appreciation of literature and lifelong readers. It establishes a culture of family literacy.” ~Read To Them
Our goal is to create a rich, engaging and immersive shared reading experience which takes place within our families homes and community. Our initiative is supported in the classroom and our elementary buildings PK-6 and encourages partnership with our three local libraries and local businesses. Simply, we create excitement, momentum, and a buzz around a piece of literature while supporting family literacy!
Highlights of our program:
1. Families and community members vote between 2 books, building excitement and investment in the reading adventure. We provide both a Community Reveal for families as well as In School Reveals at the PEC, IEC, MS 6th grade.
2. Each student receives a copy of the winning book to keep.
3. Families are provided with a parent packet which includes questions to deepen the reading experience at home, a 6 week reading schedule, and local business specials from our Community Business Partners. We have weekly trivia and prizes, scavenger hunts around town, and provide weekly surprise chapter readers, accessed through their official One District, One Book bookmark.
4. Students and families have an opportunity to give back to the community with several businesses and in school promotions.
5. Our reading adventure concludes with a Family Reading Celebration Night on Friday, March 10th at the Intermediate
Cafeteria Game Room Comes to Life!
Approximately, $4,000 of those funds raised were set aside to go towards an Indoor- Outdoor student activity room, school beautification, outdoor lunch areas, and other school activities.
We are happy to announce that our Cafeteria Game Room is up and running! Student are able to participate in the various activities during their lunch periods!
Snow ball Dance is a huge success!
See Washington DC in 2024!
- Over #70 6th and 7th graders have signed up and are scheduled to travel to Washington, D.C. next year in the spring of 2024, and there is still time to sign-up.
- Students that are already registered are asked to please check the list outside of your Social Studies classrooms to be sure that names are spelled correctly. It is important that it is spelled correctly so that when airline tickets are purchased, there are no issues. If there is an error, notify Mr. Bollinger and he can get it corrected.
- If you have not registered yet and would like to, please check our Middle School website or the Washington, D.C. Google Classroom where you can find the link to sign-up. There is still time to sign-up to see Washington, D.C.
Coping with Stress
What is Stress? "Stress can be defined as the degree to which you feel overwhelmed or unable to cope as a result of pressures that are unmanageable."
Do your students really understand stress? This 5 minutes video explains and normalizes stress and teaches breathing strategies to help students with stress.
Upcoming Dates/Events (Subject to change. Please use other sources to confirm/verify)
January 13 - AimsWeb+ Winter Benchmark - ELA
January 16 - Martin Luther King Jr. Day - No School
January 18 - AimsWeb+ Winter Benchmark - Math
January 27 - 20 Week Mark Ends
February 8 - 8th Grade Transition Night - HS Auditorium 6-7 pm
February 10 - Spring Festival Assembly- HS Auditorium@ 1:30 pm
February 12 - Super Bowl Sunday
February 14 - Early Release Day - Students dismissed at 1:14 pm
February 17-19 - High School Musical
February 20 - President's Day - No School
February 21 - No School In Lieu of Remote Learning
March 3 - 25 Week Mark Ends
March 17 - Parent Teacher Conference Day - No Student Attendance
Lewiston-Porter Middle School
Website: www.lew-port.com
Location: 4061 Creek Road, Youngstown, NY, USA
Phone: 716-286-7201
Twitter: @LewPortMS
Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter! @LewPortMS and if you see something great with our students or staff, share it with us using #lewport!