Weekly GUFS Newsletter
October 1, 2021
Principal's Message
Dear GUFS Families,
Fall is such a great time of year to get out and enjoy the outdoors. Rachel Arbor has been taking advantage of the cooler mornings by bringing classes on hiking field trips to the school forest to explore nature and study the history of our region. Other classes have been busy studying the nature in our courtyards and other outdoor spaces on the school grounds. The cooler weather is also a reminder to our GUFS families to send students to school bundled up in layers and appropriate attire for the weather. Students often enjoy their lunches outdoors and we will continue to do so as long as the temperature and weather cooperate.
Our music and band program at the Middle School is gaining momentum with the talented Jeffrey Barone! It is wonderful to hear music fill the music room once again with the sounds of live guitars and piano notes.
Lastly, I want to thank the teachers and our families for making our Open Houses a success. Our new date for the 6th grade Virtual Open House (Back-to-School Night) is Thursday, October 7th at 6:30pm. Thank you for your patience and support.
As always, we appreciate your partnership! Have a wonderful weekend.
With Gratitude,
Allison Emig
The 6th Grade Back-to-School Night has been rescheduled for Thursday, October 7 at 6:30 PM
We apologize again for the technical difficulties we experienced during the initial session.
Click on the new Zoom Link Below on Thursday!
Meeting ID: 914 1267 9535
Passcode: 577454
Calendar Reminders
For a detailed look at what's happening, visit the School Building Calendar for the 2021-2022 school year
- UPCOMING DATES:
- October 5th: School Forest Trip with Ms. Shanks' 6th Grade ELA 8:30 AM - 10:45 AM to focus on personal narrative sense of place activities.
- October 7th: 2nd Grade Common Ground Farm Field Trip 8:45am-12:30pm
- October 7th: 6th Grade Virtual Open House at 6:30pm
- October 25th: Flu Clinic Sponsored by the Putnam County Dept. of Health
- October 25th-29th: DEAR week!
7th Graders Took a Field Trip to the School Forest to Learn About Native American Wigwams
Alert: awesome cross-curricular project ahead! Mrs. Valvano's 7th grade social studies class is studying American History and took a little detour to focus on our local history with an emphasis on the Lenni Lenape tribes. This week, Mrs. Valvano and Ms. Arbor took the students on a trip to the forest to extend their learning with activities to promote empathy and understanding of what life must have been like to be a Lenape tribes person! Students read poetry by an indigenous author, nature journaled, and gathered supplies from the forest to complete a formal engineering design project back in the classroom to recreate Lenape Wigwams! A few notable quotes and pictures from these activities:
"I hear crickets, then a train. I see nature, then a bridge. In this world, there is always a mix between establishment and nature, even in the most sacred places."
"I can see the grass moving in the breeze and feel the wind brushing up against my leg. This made me realize that we focus on the bad things like the cold when we should focus on the beautiful view."
Art Projects
Welcome Mr. Barone to Music
Mrs. Waters Takes Her 5th Graders Outside to Study Nature
Waterwheel Project in Rachel Arbor's STEAM elective for 6th & 7th classes:
Students in Ms. Arbor's STEAM electives are embarking on an exciting engineering design project fueled by climate change and empathy! Students are working in groups to represent Puerto Rico, Sweden, Israel, & Niger. Each country is provided with a different resource list and budget based upon the country's real-life GDP and access to building materials.
The project goal is to build functional water wheels simulating country's ability to generate hydropower. They are given opportunities to support each other through "official UN proposals," based on country research, real-world production and trade programs. The macines functionality is measured in two metrics: 1) Students will test their machines under different water velocities using a Vernier Water Flow Meter to represent the machine's durability under different levels of rainfall. 2) Student will measure the machine’s ability to lift or hold fifteen washers to simulate the water wheel's ability to generate hydropower.
NGSS standards this project is utilizing below:
Ask questions and define problems - achieved when students used their given supply and budget to optimally design and build water wheels.
Develop and use models - achieved during the planning and execution phases of the engineering design process, in which students drew and then built a single water wheel that represented at least one idea from each group member.
Planning and carrying out investigations - achieved by students designing water wheels to meet the two metrics for success, then testing their designs to withstand different levels of rainfall using the Vernier Water Flow Meter, LabQuest 2 Sensor, and Chromebook, as well as the fifteen washers required to simulate functional hydropower.
Analyzing and interpreting data - achieved when students tested their water wheels, reading the graph generated from the Vernier Water Flow Meter, to ensure their water wheel operated at different water velocities.
Constructing explanations and designing solutions - achieved when students recognized issues in their designs during testing and redesigned accordingly to meet the project’s two metrics for success.
Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information - achieved when students created and presented slideshows to the rest of the class on the challenges, failures, and successes of their design and design process.
Boys & Girls Soccer Schedule
The girls’ soccer team started their season off strong with an 8-1 win against Pawling on September 29th. Great job to the whole team!!
Reminders & Upcoming Games/Practices Next Week:
All games start at 4:30.
All Practices end at 4:30.
10/1- *TODAY* Game @ Home v Peekskill
10/4- Game Away @ Peekskill
10/5- Practice
10/6- Game Home v Put Valley
10/7- Practice
10/8- No Game No Practice
Click Here for the full sport schedule this season
On the page, filter by School: Garrison Middle School / District: Garrison UFSD and enter Dates (today's date) and To (6/25/2022).
Nurse Melissa's Corner
As we get into the cooler days ahead, please be aware that children will begin to get sick with colds, allergies, strep and a host of other illnesses. Please do not medicate your children and send them to school hoping they will feel better, this risks your child spreading germs and having a really bad day. Any student who is sent home from school with a symptom of COVID will need a test prior to their return. We are working very hard to keep our environment a safe one, please help us keep each other healthy. Testing for COVID continues to be a valuable tool, even for those without symptoms. You can also keep our school healthy by proactively testing your students. Please contact Nurse Melissa at mdefonce@gufs.org to set up a test.
Flu Clinic on October 25:
Garrison School is fortunate to have Putnam County Department of Health sponsor a flu clinic at our school on October 25th! Parental consent is necessary to partake and paperwork will follow in October.
Community Organizations & Resources on The GUFS District Website
Stay connected to our community and see what's happening locally by visiting the Community Organizations & Resources page of the GUFS District Website
Haldane-GUFS Learning Differences Committee Events
PTA Corner
The PTA is working on updating our records of students and their families for the school year. Having this information will help us build the new student directory which will provide a convenient way for GUFS families to connect with one another. It will also allow the GUFS PTA to share with you our programs, activities and other important community communications.
Please complete this form (or click on the bar below) by October 5, 2021.
We are GUFS!
Email: slusardi@gufs.org
Website: https://www.gufs.org/Domain/4
Location: 1100 NY-9D, Garrison, NY 10524
Phone: 845-424-3689
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/garrisonufs/