From the English Department...

English 7 (Ms. Mooney and Mrs. Westervelt)

We will be finishing Ellen Raskin’s dynamic novel, The Westing Game, at the end of March. For the month of April, the Teams will be taking turns doing research and a mini poetry unit.

The research unit will ask students to focus on a controversial social issue. The students will be expected to conduct research and write a paper informing
the reader about the topic and their personal reaction to what was learned concerning the issue. The poetry unit will be focused on Love That Dog, which is a poetry novel by Sharon Creech. This brief unit will involve the students in a study of imagery and using descriptive language to engage a reader. For the month of April, the students will be given a free choice opportunity for independent reading. Also, information about an alternative unit option for the final novel of the year, Among the Hidden, will be forthcoming.

Thank you for your continued support!

Team 8-1 English (Regular) - Mrs. Spittler

English 8 (Mrs. Spittler)

May has arrived and we are now down to the final stretch of the school year. Recently, all 8-1 students had the experience of going through the entire process of writing a research paper. Presently, regular English students are involved in a short story unit while the Honors English students are involved with a speech unit. Next, all English students will participate in a poetry unit in which they will read an array of poems and try their hand at creating their own poetry. In the final few weeks of school, regular English classes will be reading The Rag and Bone Shop in class, and the Honors class will be completing an independent project that is based on the novel The Secret Life of Bees.

I have thoroughly enjoyed working with all students this year.  Students have maintained a positive attitude throughout the school year and given their best effort. I look forward to working with incoming eighth grade students in the fall!

Honors English

Students in honors English class have been involved with a public speaking unit for the past few weeks. They began the unit with a three-item paper bag speech in which they introduced themselves to the class by explaining the items from the bag and how each represented something about their personality.

Another speaking experience they had was to read a children’s book.  They practiced reading during class time and at home, so they could bring the book “alive.” There is nothing better than to read to a authentic audience, so on May 13th, our class went to Gibson school and read to students from fifteen different classrooms.  I am not sure who was more excited about the experience: the readers or the listeners!  Thank you to Luann Kidda for coordinating this program and to the teachers and students who welcomed us into their classrooms.

From the Social Studies Department...

Mrs. Long and Mr. Dowling

In social studies we are continuing in our unit on “The Rise Of Industry.” This is the very first unit in our 8th grade curriculum and will be followed by “Westward Expansion.” We have been reading “A Coal Miner’s Bride,” which tells the story of a young immigrant from Poland coming to Eastern Pennsylvania for an arranged marriage. This novel paints an accurate picture of life in a coal mining town during the turn of the Century. Our annual trip the Lackawanna Coal Mine and Anthracite museum was exciting and informational and an excellent supplement to our unit.

Mr. Maholchic

In 7-2 social studies, students are working very hard learning how to write a proper DBQ essay. This month’s topic: How the Iroquois adapted to their environment. Instruction has been intensive, and includes peer editing, using highlighters, sentence deconstruction and reconstruction, discussion of concepts, and analyzing documents properly. Students are making good progress, and it is not hard to see them gaining confidence!

From the Art Department...

On October 26th twenty-five seventh and eighth grade students in Mrs Michaels’ art classes took part in the first “History and Art Day” at Roberson center in Binghamton.Students had the opportunity to engage in many hands-on activities led by area artists and business professionals accompanied by Mrs Michael and Mrs Zeeuw. These activities ,such as jewelry making,graphic arts,interior design and soapmaking,were located throughout the museum and students were allowed to move through the museum in small groups at their own pace selecting the activities that best met their interests.At each activity students filled out their History and Art Day Passports to become eligible at the end of the day for a prize drawing.It was a busy,interesting and informative day and we left hoping that this will become an annual event that we can take part in.

From the Family and Consumer Science Department...

Students in middle school take 20 weeks of Home and Career Skills. During their time in class, students will study basic kitchen skills, nutrition, consumerism skills, and career skills. During these units, students are able to see how the concepts they are learning in other classes (i.e. math, science, English and social studies) will be needed in their future personal and business life. The class uses a hands-on approach to learning these concepts through such activities as food labs, planning and preparing meals, balancing the class checkbook, using Consumer Reports magazine as well as creating and running a business in each class. Students on team 8-1 are already part way through the class. Students on team 8-2 will begin their HCS class at the end of January. Check with your child today to see what they are doing in class.

What’s happening in HCS?
As many know, HCS is the middle school curriculum for the larger Family and Consumer Science Program. Middle schools throughout NYS are required to have students experience what some call life skills education. In other words, students are working through family and consumer topics that impact them over a lifetime. Traditional programming including textiles/clothing and food and nutrition are also supplemented with consumerism, childcare, finances, and housing to name a few.

In 7th grade, we are just entering a new unit Textiles and Clothing Management. This is one of the major units in the curriculum. Students will be introduced to the textile industry from a career aspect culminating with the completion of two to three hands-on construction projects. We will be studying equipment, tools and techniques specific to both hand and machine stitchery where several items will be created in the process. We will also study the industry as a whole including selection, purchase and care of clothing and textiles.

Up to this point our classes have been working with Personal Environmental Management, where we’ve studied housing and living space. Our in-depth and lively discussions focused on such topics as types and styles of homes, history and extremes in housing, as well as structural features like architecture. building construction, floor plans and design elements.

From the Science Department...

In eighth grade life science, students have completed units in measurement as it pertains to science, scientific inquiry, and basic biochemistry. We have just started a large unit on plant and animal cells and cell reproduction.

We completed an extensive lab on the use of a microscope and how to prepare and view microscope slides. These are skills to be used throughout the year.

In the cell unit we will be viewing plant cells that the students have prepared along with various animal cell slides to learn about our microscopic world.

The students have been great so far! Please keep encouraging the daily studying of the vocabulary. This is most important in the understanding of life science at the Middle School level.

Thanks for your continued support.
Jeff Constable
Mike Messere

From the Music Department...

Congratulations to the Middle School students who are members of the Purple Tornado Field Band. They competed in the NYS Field Band Conference Championships on Sunday October 28th at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse. Their show, “My Fair Lady” was wonderful and entertaining. Congratulations on their 5th Place finish!!!!