

The Read About My Students report
PRINCIPAL'S LETTER
Hello Central Families!
It is with great pride that we reflect on the exceptional first half of the 2023-2024 school year at Central Middle School. Time has flown by, and it's hard to believe we are already halfway through the year!
The transition into the new school year has been nothing short of extraordinary, thanks to the dedication and hard work of our incredible team. From teachers and staff to counselors, paraprofessionals, custodians, school nurses, and administrative office staff – each member has played a crucial role in ensuring the success and well-being of our students. The enthusiasm and commitment demonstrated by everyone involved have contributed to a positive and thriving learning environment. Inside and outside the classrooms, remarkable things are happening at Central Middle School. The passion for education and the pursuit of excellence are evident in the achievements and activities of our students.
We are so incredibly proud of the collective efforts of our Central Community! Your students continue to impress and inspire us with their talents, curiosity, and dedication to learning.
Please enjoy reading about all the fascinating things your students are doing in their classes! In addition, you can find many updates on our school website throughout the year! As always, thank you for your continued support and be sure to reach out to us with any questions you may have! Together, let's make the second half of the school year just as memorable and successful as the first. Thank you for being an integral part of the Central Middle School community!
Sincerely,
Rick DeCristofaro
Principal
Kathy Mahoney
Assistant Principal
GRADE 6
Mrs. Matthews’s Geography and Ancient Civilizations Classes began Term 1 by studying the Five Themes of Geography. Students took an in depth look at the 5 Themes: Location, Place, Human Environment Interaction(HEI), Movement and Region. As the year progresses students will analyze how these 5 Themes relate to the many civilizations they will study. Before beginning each unit, students learn about the present day countries and bodies of water that we will be learning about. They are doing a great job learning their countries and capitals! The next unit classes worked on was Early Humans, tools, forms of communication, innovations, and the agricultural revolution. As a culminating activity, students could either create Cave Art or an Early Migration Cartoon highlighting their knowledge of Early Humans. We then moved onto the GRAPES of Civilizations and how they were first created. Students had the opportunity to hunt, build, and gather water from our “river” so they could see how communities began. Our unit on Mesopotamia is going strong and we are learning lots of neat things. Students have the opportunity to even use Play-doh and a wooden stylus to create their own cunieform! We are having a lot of fun learning and look forward to learning about even more civilizations!
In Ms. Brooks' ELA Classes, the students have been very busy in English Language Arts this year. We started the year learning about all of the rules of capitalization and punctuation, and then practiced those skills on our first informative writing assignment. It took a few weeks to master the art of writing introductions and conclusions, and the process of planning and revising our essays was a lot of hard work! To begin the second term, we are doing oral presentations where the students are teaching each other about various literary terms. We are having fun deciphering what all of that figurative language means in the poems we read and the songs we hear. We are looking forward to a busy second semester!
Ms. Ioanilli’s Math students have been RAMtastic mathematicians this year! The 6th graders have demonstrated their understanding of concepts such as PEMDAS and fractions/decimals through hands-on, collaborative activities. Some fan-favorites included the PEMDAS Relay, a Multiplying and Dividing Fractions Scavenger Hunt, and Ratio Ball, where students examined different ways to write ratios based on data gathered from shooting baskets. Recently, students learned how to model real-world ratio problems using tape diagrams, which they were then able to explore further using the interactive Thinking Blocks tool on Math Playground. As Term 2 unfolds, students are learning how to convert between fractions, decimals, and percentages, in order to solve real-world percent problems. Students are eager to begin the “Sneaker Design” project, for which they will create a design and make important financial decisions involving sales and tax. Ms. Ioanilli is proud of her kids for being such hardworking RAMS!
Mr. Gould’s Social Studies Classes explored Geography, Early Human History and the first civilizations in Mesopotamia during Term 1. Students participated in a multitude of activities which included but was not limited to: interactive vocabulary activities, close readings and creating early human migration cartoons or cave paintings. Another highlight of the term was when students chose a country that they had a connection to and researched and created slides that celebrated the culture of that country. The themes of geography, the lifestyle change from the Paleolithic to the Neolithic Era, and the characteristics of a civilization, as showcased in Mesopotamia were the major concepts that students focused on during this term. We have just begun learning about the geography of Mesopotamia and are starting to explore the features that made up Mesopotamian society.
In Mr. Lenane’s Science Classes, we started the year with a quick introduction to the metric system. From there, we began our Earth History unit. Topics covered were fossils, carbon dating, geologic time, continental drift and plate tectonics. In addition, students were using the scientific method to present Friday Projects. As of this writing, we have begun our unit on Earth and the Universe. Topics we will cover will be gravity and inertia, formation of the solar system and lives of stars..
Mr. Matthews’ Reading Classes had a great first term that began with the students reading New Kid by Jerry Craft. We then began our year-long study of Greek and Latin roots to help students build their vocabulary. The students learned about plot, conflict, characterization, and theme in our unit about story elements. They then used those story elements when they wrote narratives that finished the ending of a short story we read as a class. The term ended with the students turning in their fantastic Independent Reading Projects that focused on a work of fiction. The students are now reading a novel of their choice, either Percy Jackson: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan or The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill. We are excited to read more wonderful stories as the year continues!
In Mrs. Ahearn’s Science Classes so far this year, we have learned a TREMENDOUS amount of science, as well as our own unique ways of learning. We started the year focusing on growth mindset, which was a great segway to discovering our own study habits. Students are on a journey to discover what study methods work best for them and I have seen many, many “aha” moments and creative ideas. In terms of science, we began the year with a scientific study of plants and the scientific process. Families saw the results of our first experiment when students brought their seedlings home at Thanksgiving. We are going to continue looking at this scientific data in the new year. As we conclude our Earth Science units, we begin our Physical Science Units. We will be trading in our study of geology and space science for a study of measurement, chemical reactions and waves. The highlight of our year so far was our trip to the Museum of Natural History, at Harvard. The museum is free on Sunday mornings, so you can go check out much of the Earth Science we have learned!
Mrs. DeCilio’s Reading Classes had a wonderful term #1! The students started off the year reading the graphic novel, New Kid. It is about navigating through the change of starting a new school and all of the unspoken rules and expectations that come along with being the “new kid”. Students have also worked on the elements of fiction such as plot elements, types of characters, characterization, conflict, and point of view! We have used these skills while reading short stories. The sixth graders have also learned 125 Greek and Latin Roots so far with many more to come! We are going to begin reading our second class novel, A Long Walk To Water, in January and I am excited to continue the school year with our amazing students!
Ms. Corbo’s Math classes are off to a great start! We’ve been using so many tools to stay engaged in learning, such as Google Classroom, IXL.com, Jamboard, and Bigideasmath.com. We have also been able to continue with paper and pencil work online and in person. We reviewed topics such as LCM. GCF, order of operations, and all the fraction and decimal operations. A new topic, ratios and percents was introduced, answer will begin Pre Algebra after the new year. We’ve studied the integration of art and math when we made tessellations, both online and in person. Ms. Corbo is so proud of all the students’ hard work and their positive attitudes this past term!
Mrs. Howie’s Grade 6 Math Class began term 2 working on calculating with decimals. Students worked in stations to practice their skills with adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing decimals. We are currently working on a ratio unit. This unit focuses on understanding how to write, simplify, find equivalent ratios and complete ratio tables. Students continue to add notes and resources to their binders to use as a reference when working independently. We are also working on creating a word wall where we will display all of the important math terms we have learned so far this year. I am so proud of their efforts this term!
This term in Mrs. Garrahy’s 6th Grade ELA we have continued to work on parts of speech (noun, pronoun, adjectives, adverbs and verbs), punctuation, and informative writing using the HIT (Hook, Information, Thesis) for the introduction and the CER method (Claim Evidence Reasoning) for the body paragraph. Students have been practicing finding evidence to support a claim in articles and texts that we have read. We continue to review how to properly cite this evidence and how to organize an essay to be sure that it is easily understood. We also discussed poetry - what they are, the different types, how to determine the meaning. The students enjoyed using popular songs to practice analyzing the meaning or theme. We will start our unit on overcoming diversity to go along with the novel The Long Walk to Water.
This term in Mrs. Garrahy’ 6th Grade Reading Class we read short stories, studied the parts of the plot, discussed types of conflict and comprehension strategies. The students have enjoyed learning about types of figurative language and have been able to use the music from ELA to find onomatopoeia, alliteration, similes, etc. We have read two suspenseful stories - The Elevator and Click-Clack the Rattlebag - both of which end on cliffhangers. The students enjoyed making inferences and writing their own ending to the stories. The students continue to study their Greek and Latin roots. We have tried to find some fun ways to practice roots and play our “Roots Games.” The students enjoy competing against classmates to win “bonus points” on their quiz. Next, we will read the novel The Long Walk to Water and discuss the water crisis around the world.
In Ms. McGuiggan’s ELA Classes, the students read the award-winning play version of The Diary of Anne Frank by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett. Prior to beginning the play, students participated in pre-reading activities and learned a great deal about Anne Frank, her family and the other individuals who hid in the secret annex, the Holocaust, the Nazi regime, and the events leading up to the outbreak of World War II. The students also explored the online Anne Frank Museum and completed a Holocaust Identification Card Project. At the end of the unit, students wrote a journal from a character's point of view about their time spent in hiding. Their journals were amazing, and I appreciate the students' hard work, dedication, and effort. Writing and grammar pre and post assessments were also completed, and on a daily basis students continue to improve their writing, reading, and grammar skills. It has been a pleasure working with the students, and I am looking forward to a successful rest of the year!
GRADE 7
Mr. Daley's 7th Grade Math Classes spent Term 1 covering a variety of topics including integers, rational numbers, variables and expressions. We recently wrapped up a unit on solving equations and inequalities. Students started the unit by using concrete models from the Hands-on Equations system to conceptualize the property of equality and then worked towards solving equations algebraically. Students built on their previous work with integers and fractions to solve multi-step equations and inequalities with rational numbers. A focus was to apply the Standards for Mathematical Practice, specifically persevering in problem solving (SMP1) and modeling with mathematics (SMP4), to take on rigorous tasks and complex problems (QPS Middle School Math Initiative). Next, we will turn our attention to ratios, rates and proportions.
We have also been incorporating Esti-Mysteries into each unit of study. Students estimate the number of items presented in a slide and are given clues that allow them to use math concepts to narrow down their estimate to a small set of numbers.
Ms. Hallisey’s Science Classes have been very busy this term learning all things Earth Science. Students started the year by engaging in discussions about science and what a real scientist does. We then went into exploring the Earth and its interacting systems. This tied us into our hurricane unit where we tracked hurricanes during hurricane season. Luckily it was a quiet hurricane season that didn’t bring much damage to the United States. Hurricanes led us into learning all about the hydrologic cycle and how water cycles throughout Earth. Students then dived into details about how Earth’s surface changes very slowly which included weathering, erosion, and landforms! Students also learned about how Earth’s surface can change quickly such as with earthquakes and volcanoes. Students were split into groups to track earthquakes on the tectonic plate they were assigned. Students had to check the USGS earthquake tracker daily and record the magnitude and location of these earthquakes to find patterns. When students were done after about 3 weeks we practiced some scientist skills and communicated our research to our peers. Students had to present their findings from over the course of the month and explain the types of plate boundaries they saw activity on. Students also explained to classmates any patterns they found!
Mrs. Donovan's Science Classes have been busy in Term 1. We have completed our Earth Science Unit which involved learning about the Earth System, Hydrologic Cycle, Weathering & Erosion, as well as Plate Tectonics! Students learned about the major spheres of our Earth system and got to take a tour as a single drop of water through our amazing water cycle. Next, we explored the processes that shape our planet (modeling weathering, erosion, deposition) & collaborating with Tech creating 3-D print outs of their favorite type of landform. We ended Term 1 by tracking/monitoring real world tectonic plate activity in the form of Earthquakes and Volcanoes. Students did a fabulous job in this first unit and I’m so excited to see the great work they do in Term 2!
We had a fantastic first term in Ancient History Class with Mr. Griffith. The school year started with a review of geographic terms and skills from last year. We continued on with learning about the history, landforms and climates of Ancient India, China, Greece and Rome. Students then learned about the adaptations of the peoples in these civilizations as well as their innovations. Midway through the term, students began creating their Civilization Challenge civilizations. Students build their civilizations using lessons and innovations they learned from what we’ve studied in class and plenty of their own creativity. Groups have done a fantastic job so far, I’m looking forward to their accomplishments as term 2 progresses! We have had a fantastic start of the year in 7th Grade Ancient History!!!
Mrs. Malone’s ELA Class focused on reading and writing nonfiction. Our class reviewed the steps of the writing process and practiced paragraphing. We learned about types of writing and author’s purpose. Then we reviewed body paragraphs and how to find relevant evidence to support a thesis statement while reading about how to prepare for a hurricane. The class learned about Argumentative Text Based Writing and wrote each part of an Argumentative Essay together.
We spent the month of November practicing gratitude by writing in daily journals. The class read nonfiction news articles about the benefits of being grateful and independently wrote a text based informative essay using evidence from the articles. All students have shown improvement with their writing and ability to use graphic organizers.
This term, we are reading a memoir called, “Bad Boy” and using the book to continue to work on text based writing and citing evidence. Students wrote outstanding 6 word memoirs before starting this book. They were thought provoking and insightful.
Mrs. Malone’s Math class, students learned about integer rules for adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing. Then we reviewed all operations with fractions and decimals. Students also focused on the order of operations and reviewing previously learned skills with multiplication facts, multiplying multi-digit numbers, and long division.
This term we have learned how to simplify expressions and combine like terms. We have just started solving one step equations and the students have been so helpful working together. Our class varies practice with small group station work, whole class activities, and online activities. The class has been successful with demonstrating understanding of these complex topics. Mrs. Malone is so proud of the hard work shown by her students.
In Grade 7 ELA with Mrs. Quinlan this year’s students began the year by reviewing the writing process, studying the author's purpose, and writing about what they read in class. Classes explored different forms of nonfiction and demonstrated their ability to organize their thoughts in various informative writing activities. Students also engaged in the art of argument using assigned texts to write an essay that clearly stated their position. They strengthened critical thinking skills through logical analysis of their evidence and analyzing the opposing views of their argument. The essays demonstrated the real-world value of being able to convey ideas logically outside the classroom.
Currently, language arts students are reading the historical fiction novel Refugee by Alan Gratz. Prior to reading the book, students spent time building background knowledge by researching the real people, places, dates and events that are highlighted in the story. All classes are keeping a “Reading Response Journal” that focuses on comprehension, interpretation, and analysis. Journals will examine literary devices, author's purpose, word choice and text structure. Upon completion of the book, students will have the opportunity to work on a RAFT project with their peers.
We had a fun and productive First Term in Mx. Smith’s Seventh Grade Reading Class. We started with some short stories before diving into The Giver by Lois Lowry. Using that text, we discussed themes of dystopias, totalitarianism, self-determination, and conformity. Students finished The Giver unit by writing essays analyzing how the book approached those themes, and holding a classroom debate about the pros and cons of “The Community.” Second Term is starting off with a suspense unit, a mix of suspenseful short stories and the novel The Hunger Games. Students are recapping every chapter of the book in the style of a Capitol news reporter, to explore perspective, narrative writing, summary, and propaganda. Additionally, the students explored a wide range of independent reading books, and excelled at learning more Greek and Latin Roots. Each class worked hard and had lots of interesting discussions.
In Mrs. Bailey Dumas' Language Arts Classes, we have begun our quest for Utopia. After defining the term, we attempted to create our own versions of Utopia. During our experimentation, we learned that creating something that was perfect for everyone was not as easy as we thought. APC students took that knowledge into an exploration of American Utopian communities and then into the classic novel, Animal Farm by George Orwell. The novel gave us the opportunity to explore the historical and social significance of the novel, allegory as a means of telling two stories at once, and the power of propaganda. Advanced students read Tangerine, attempting to find Utopia closer to home–in Florida and through in depth character study. In September, Mrs. Bailey Dumas has challenged us all to read 40 books by the end of the school year, and each term we are sharing one book with the rest of the classes on Flip in the form of a Book Chat. We closed out first term with a return to the basics of grammar and identifying the parts of speech.
As second term began, we moved on to identifying parts of sentences and renewing our quest for Utopia in the form of The American Dream. For our second term Book Chat, each class spun the Wheel of Book Chat to pick our themes for our next Flip movies!
APC students had the choice to make propaganda posters for their final Animal Farm project.
Advanced students worked in groups to create body biographies of characters from Tangerine.
In Mrs. Crissinger’s Reading Classes, students continued their study of Greek and Latin roots, which will help them break down unfamiliar words in their other subject areas as well as on MCAS tests. We also went back to the 1960s while we read The Outsiders. Students did a great job analyzing character traits, following the plot, and utilizing the literary terms they learned in Term 1. Term 2 also brought us into a study of suspense in text and media adaptations. As the term comes to a close, students will be channeling their inner poet with a short poetry unit which will culminate in a literary analysis.
In 7th grade Social Studies with Mrs. O’Brien has been busy this fall as we have come back to school and settled into our routines. After a brief review of some of the major concepts from 6th grade, our first major unit this year was to learn about the geography of the ancient world including India, China, Greece, Rome and Oceania. Students analyzed and researched what the geographic features were and the common impacts of specific features had on these civilizations. To wrap up our fall, students completed a “Top Chef” style project that had each group design a restaurant and menu based on one of the 5 major civilizations we are studying in 7th grade.
GRADE 8
8th Grade Staff
8th Grade Staff celebrated the 10 year anniversary of our beautiful building!!
8th Grade Spanish with Ms. Burns- En la clase de español, 8th graders are crushing it! They have started to learn a foreign language. Students have learned various vocabulary words such as colors, personality traits, physical characteristics, numbers,and verbs. Students are able to converse in Spanish. Students can ask and answer a variety of Spanish questions such as what time is it, when is your birthday, and how old are you. You may want to ask your child, “Qué te gusta?” or “¿Cómo estás?” We have become Spanish speaking pros in la clase de español. Students participate in “El Dia de Criminal” weekly. Students are Spanish rock stars with family vocabulary! 8th graders will be describing TV families en español. Students will write the character’s name, age and who they are in the family, completely in Spanish! We are looking forward to the World Language Fashion Show. All 8th graders are invited to participate! 8th graders, keep up the great work! Your positivity shines bright in the classroom!! ¡Nos vemos en la clase de español!
Students created Spanish cognate towers. Wow! Look how high!!
Las clases de Señor Cordero Fantastico!!!! It has been a fantastic and extremely positive year in our Spanish classes!! The students have embraced the Spanish language and culture as they learn new words and phrases every day. The students have worked really hard in creating sections in their composition notebooks that will assist with their language skills. They write down words of the day, questions of the day and vocabulary into their notebooks using multiple colors to help with their language acquisition. They do a form every Monday, write in their notebooks daily like a journal and answer questions in Spanish on some days. The students make personal connections to the target language allowing them to use it more frequently. The assignment titled Mi Horario allowed the students to meet those language needs. Mi Horario is their ideal school schedule in Spanish and every student had to answer three to four questions in Spanish about their schedule.
Another method that helps students attain their goals while connecting with a World Language include learning about Latin Music. Friendly and catchy Canciones de la Semana are introduced weekly allowing students to enjoy Latin Music while making important cultural connections. Repetition found in songs is another outstanding way to learn and acquire a language. Students also enjoy the use of Duolingo, allowing them to recognize and put into practice the everyday use of Spanish. We also started learning about the island of Puerto Rico. Learning about Puerto Rico will help them understand and make connections with their own culture as well as other different cultures.
Students in Ms. Coleman's Science Class worked their way through both the Scientific Inquiry and Earth Science Units. Students spent time studying the scientific method, seasons, plate tectonics, weather, and climate change. They worked hard creating projects that demonstrated the movement of the Earth, Sun, and Moon, modeling convection using substances with varying temperatures and densities, and observing a demonstration of the greenhouse effect. Students also completed several labs where they analyzed data and used models to predict outcomes. In these labs they investigated how exercise affects heart rate, how gravitational force affects objects on earth, how air pressure systems affect weather, and how genes affect taste. Next term, students will move into the Life Science Unit and complete their STEM Fair projects.
Ms. Bennett’s Lincoln Team ELA Classes spent Term 1 reading several short stories focused on heritage, culture, and identity. This is always an interesting unit for us, as a whole, because many of us (including Ms. Bennett) have parents who grew up in other countries. We had some awesome class discussions about the differences in our backgrounds and how those differences shape our viewpoints. Our first formal writing assignment was an argumentative essay in which students focused particularly on writing in-depth analysis after each quotation. We wrapped up the term with our unit on Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl, which has carried into Term 2. After finishing the diary, students read poetry written by other young victims and survivors of the Holocaust, which provided the foundation for their next essay: a comparison between the experiences detailed in Anne’s diary and the poems.
Ms. Bennett’s Adams Team ELA Classes started the year by reading two stories with some unexpected similarities: Guy de Maupassant’s “The Necklace,” and Alice Walker’s “Everyday Use.” These served as the focus of our first formal essay, a character analysis. Throughout the writing process, students practiced writing detailed outlines, smoothly embedding quotes into paragraphs, and writing effective introduction and conclusion paragraphs. We then read “The Tell-Tale Heart” to kick off our Gothic literature unit, in which we read several other stories by Edgar Allan Poe, as well as W.W. Jacobs and H.P. Lovecraft. To finish our Gothic unit, students chose two stories they felt shared three elements of Gothic literature and examined how each element surfaced in both stories.We wrapped up Term 1 with A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens, and students are currently hard at work extending the story in a way that captures the original writing style.
In Mr. Skowyra's 8th Grade Civics Classes, students were introduced to Civics and the curriculum they will focus on for the entire year. We learned about the foundations of our early government. An emphasis on how our founding fathers took the best parts of government from civilizations like Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome. Those civilizations provided the founders with the blueprint to create our current government, a Democratic Republic. We also studied political philosophers like Jean Jaques Rousseau, Thomas Hobbes and John Locke who influenced our founders when creating the Constitution. This trimester students will learn about the Institutions of our Government which are the Legislative, Executive and Judicial Branches. Students will be tested solely on this topic in this year's Civics MCAS pilot exam.
Mr. Tripp's Grade 8 ELA- Over the course of the first half of the 2023-24 school year, we covered the following In our Grade 8 ELA class. We began the year introducing the first unit Culture and Belonging by having students ask their family about their heritage, history, and culture. This was a springboard into reading several short stories about young people and their families arriving in a new country and their stories of how they and their family members assimilated. We read the following short stories: Bonne Année by Jean-Pierre Benoît, Fish Cheeks by Amy Tan, My Favorite Chaperone by Jean Davies Okimoto, Along with each of these readings, the students made margin notes, answered comprehension questions, had discussions, and compared and contrasted the characters' experiences and stories. To end the unit we read the poem Identity by Julio Naboa. Which creates a metaphor of categorizing humans as “flowers” or “weeds”. For our final writing piece the students had to choose a character from one of the short stories we read and characterize them as a “weed” or a “flower”. They need to then cite evidence from the text, and also make counter arguments. Finally they were asked to put all of the claims, evidence and reasons into a five paragraph argumentative essay.
We then read The Diary of Anne Frank play, by creating a historical overview of the events leading up to WWII and Hitler’s rise to power. This provided a contextual backdrop for the play. We read the play in class assigning each student a role to read in each Act. WE made pauses for discussion and comprehension checks, and then cemented the comprehension at the end of each scene assigning students questions that had to be answered and the focus shifted from reading to writing.
Mr. Tripp Grade 8 Math (Pre-Algebra) Over the course of the first half of the 2023-24 school year, we covered the following In our Grade 8 Math class. We began the year by reviewing fractions, decimals, and integers. This created a smooth transition to our first unit equation solving, where students solved one-step, two-step, and multi-step equations with variables on both sides. Next, we covered Linear Functions where students learned about the equation of a line and its parts like slope , y-intercept, x as an independent variable and Y as a dependent variable.. The students also learned how to create a graph when given an equation of a line or a table., or when given a graph, create an equation, or a table. This is a skill they will use in Algebra next year and in Geometry Sophomore year. The students also covered Systems of Equations, and learned how to graph Linear equations, find solution sets for Systems of Equations by graphing or using the substitution method, while converting equations from Standard form to Slope Intercept form
Mrs. Nazzaro’s 8th Grade ELA students had a fantastic first term! We had a busy start to the term with analyzing our cultures and identities as well as reading about the identities of others in a variety of short stories and poems. Students worked hard to gain insight into their own backgrounds, in addition to learning more about other cultural backgrounds too. We then spent time producing a text-based argumentative essay. After we finished our first unit of the year, we began reading The Diary of Anne Frank. Throughout the course of this unit, students learned about World War II, elements of drama, and so much more. Both units helped students gain empathy for others by tackling tough topics. As we completed these units, we also finished a term 1 independent reading project as well as continued our study of Latin and Greek Roots! What a productive start to the school year!
In Mr. Carson’s Algebra 1 Class we have focused on solving, graphing, and interpreting equations all year. One started with single variable multi-step equations, and have progressed to looking at absolute value equations, inequalities, functions, linear equations, and systems of equations. Each chapter we focus on the application of the math we are learning and look at problems that showcase how these skills can be applied going forward. As we wrap up systems of equations, we will look at graphing linear inequalities and systems of inequalities. We look forward to continuing to add tools to our mathematical toolbox as the year progresses!
Mr. Pavao’s Social Studies Classes had a very productive first trimester! We began the school year studying the classical foundations of American government. We examined the influences of Ancient Greece and Rome on American democracy and republicanism. We next turned our attention to the impact of the Enlightenment teachings of philosophers Thomas Hobbes and John Locke (whose writings were of utmost importance to Thomas Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence). We examined British influences on the American system of government followed by a unit on American colonial history. This led us to studying the causes of the American Revolution. Finally, we examined how these events caused Americans to declare independence from Great Britain.
In November, the entire eighth grade journeyed to Boston and participated in a tour of Boston’s Freedom Trail. It was wonderful to see students visiting sites that they had studied in class. Some of the sites we visited included Boston Common, the Robert Gould Shaw Memorial, the Granary Burying Ground, and the Boston Massacre site. During the tour, students were provided with an electronic scavenger hunt that they were able to complete using their cell phones as they visited each historic site. The day’s historic experience culminated with lunch at Quincy Market.
Our next units of study are about the three branches of our national government. Students are enjoying learning about topics such as the House of Representatives and the Senate, and seeing how these legislative bodies work. Soon, students will be able to watch the daily news or read a news article and have a greater understanding of the events being discussed. Our examination of the national government will prepare students for this year’s Social Studies MCAS.
In Ms. Rusch’s Science Classes this school year I have been impressed by students in 8th grade science! In the fall, they mastered the earth science topics of seasons, planets, climatology, and climate change. Students used data to understand the cause of seasons as well as regional climate patterns. To finish earth science, students took a critical look at climate change data to understand how the Earth’s temperature is changing over time. They learned about fossil fuels and renewable energy and considered strategies and plans for the future, recognizing that all energy sources have pros and cons.
As we welcome the new year we have started to study genetics. Students are learning how different organisms receive traits from their genes and their environment. This is our first of three units of life science; we will be working on life science until March. The life science units will focus on macromolecules, genetics/DNA, and evolution. Additionally, we are also working on our long term STEM fair projects. In 8th grade, students get to research and create their own experiment and share their finding in the STEM Fair! This year our STEM Fair will be on Mar 21, 2024 and I hope to see many families there!
In Mr. Cook’s Pre-Algebra Classes, we started the year off by reviewing some of the 6th and 7th grade standards so we could get into gear for the 8th grade curriculum. We have since jumped into our pre-algebra curriculum by starting with solving one step, two step and multi step equations. We continued with working on graphing linear equations/slope intercept form, and now we have officially just wrapped up our unit on systems of equations. The students were given an end of unit assessment to see how well they have done with the material. This year, we have used many different hands-on approaches like scavenger hunts, activity stations and using white boards to answer problems in class. We have also used real life examples to help students understand slope and y-intercepts. Graphing has and solving equations has been a key component this year and allowing students to connect them to real world problems gives them comfort when solving math problems. By having the students understand how the math we work on connects to their daily lives allows them to feel connected to what we are learning in class. Delta math has been a key resource for students to earn credit, review for tests and overall get a better understanding of the material we have worked on.
SPECIALISTS
Ms. Wilbur’s Classes have been reviewing the different English tenses (past, present, future) to prepare for the upcoming ACCESS exam. To review past tense verbs we interviewed a partner in class to ask them questions about their home country, and they were able to learn more about the different cultural backgrounds represented in the classroom. We reviewed present tense verbs by playing “ELL-opoly” and used verbs in the present tense to complete the sentence frames. Currently we are wrapping up future tense verbs. We used these to discuss our “New Year’s Goals” in a goal setting mini unit, helping us assess what areas we want to focus on for the rest of the year. In our afternoon classes we have been reading “Esperanza Rising”. We began with an observational gallery walk, first reviewing each picture, then discussing the elements that we see and writing down all the important vocabulary we would need to know for each picture. Then students worked on responding to each picture or quote in the gallery, answering questions about what they see and any connections they can make to the real world. Students then were able to share about their discoveries and predictions as a class.
In our Physical Education Classes with Mr. Karalexis and Mrs. Kennedy students have been very active! They are learning about how there are so many different ways to get good exercise. September kicked off with students playing soccer, with an emphasis on continuous movement, proper positioning, and keeping possession of the ball as a team. The level of play improved considerably toward the end of the month. Team sports provide students with the opportunity to strengthen their social skills, as well as teach the importance of fair play and sportsmanship. In October they took part in the Physical Fitness Challenge. We complete this every year, fall and spring. These are National Standard based fitness tests that inform our students of their fitness level compared to students their age across the country. Each test is an individual effort; our areas of assessment include muscular strength, cardiovascular endurance, speed, quickness, agility and flexibility. Don’t forget to check in with your child and ask for their fitness results.
Volleyball and badminton are two challenging games with difficult skills but our students have demonstrated great teamwork and effort throughout each class. Badminton continues into the second term and it requires quick reflexes, sharp skills and knowledge of all the rules and intricacies of the game. Students partner up and compete in games against their classmates as they try to become their grade’s champion. The quality of play is impressive and it’s always a lot of fun! A few other team oriented sports students will engage in during the second term include basketball, handball and floor hockey. These games help students improve their overall physical fitness level because they are improving their cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength and coordination.
Students also take part in a variety of fitness oriented games throughout the term that help them improve their overall level of fitness. These games help students to learn leadership skills, teamwork, and cooperation. They are a great way to allow students to learn through play and active movement. Students learn that getting good exercise can be a lot of fun!
The Music Classes with Mr. Boel have been exploring a variety of different topics. Each class is delving into the musical genres and compositions of several different musicians. The 6th grade finished a unit on the music of Johann Sebastien Bach as well as learning about a time in his life when he was under very difficult working conditions. The students soon learned that even through great difficulty Bach persevered to write the music that he felt people must hear. Before vacation, each class explored the music and life of George Frideric Handel, the master of the oratorio. Now each class is learning about drum corps and its connection to the military tradition. The 7th grade finished a unit on the Renaissance. Together they discovered the important musical changes as well as a very important invention, the printing press. Attention was also given to a very important and influential religious movement, the Protestant Reformation. Students soon learned that the influence of the Reformation would forever have a lasting impact on the music that would be written after that event in 1517. Several weeks before vacation, each class had been introduced to our next era, the Baroque period. Bach is a major influence in this era, along with Antonio Vivaldi, and George Frideric Handel. The 8th grade began the year with Impressionism and the music of Claude Debussy. This unit would later help us have a greater understanding as to the influence of this music on other genres, particularly with film music. Students read a brief biography about Debussy, learning about the musical influences that led him to write in this new style. The subject matter of Impressionistic music is based on reflecting sounds and feelings connected to nature. Each class analyzed two major works by the composer, “La Mer” and “Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun”. Following the music of Debussy, each class delved into film music and the many uses composers use to enhance what the audience sees on the screen. Now each class is learning about and analyzing the music of American composer, Aaron Copland. Copland wanted to create an American Classical music that reflected our land and our history. His music has also been an influence on the film music style of John Williams as well as other film score composers.
In Art Class, Central Middle School artists have been kicking off the year with amazing artworks! 6th grade artists have been practicing realism through the elements of color and value. They’ve created color wheels, value scales, self-portraits, and drawing nature through observation. Currently, they are learning about adding depth through collage landscapes. 7th grade have been studying a variety of artists. Through their self-portraits, they’ve learned about what art appropriation is and how it differs from plagiarism, to teach them the importance of individuality and creativity. They have also learned about the principles of emphasis through their line drawings. 8th grade has been exploring different contour drawing techniques such as blind, continuous, and modified contours. Using this, they created self-portraits that they used to create an interesting composition with the knowledge of overlapping, cropping, and movement. They have also been revisiting illusions of space through one-point perspective landscapes.
Term 1 has been quite a success for students in Technology/Engineering Class! Grade 6 students were involved in a design challenge where they learned about a disorder called cerebral palsy. Students worked in a group to understand and define the needs of a person with this physical challenge. They had to then design, build, and test a prototype called an ankle-foot orthosis. The goal is to hook students in an engaging activity that involves creativity, collaboration, and documentation of their work. As students work on their instant design challenge with their teammates, they are encouraged to document details, such as materials they use, drawings of their designs, and roles each team member has in the process. This challenge is intended to allow students the creativity to play around with design ideas and have different materials to use. Grade 7 students learned about computer systems. They learned that programming goes beyond the virtual world and into the physical world. Students were able to play an interactive game to get them involved in being an actual computer system to better understand how it works. Grade 7 has also used their knowledge from science class to research a type of landform. In technology engineering class, they were able to use that knowledge to make both a 2D sketch, as well as a 3D model using an online program called Tinkercad. Grade 8 students were given the challenge to build a volleyball machine. Students were to work in a team to solve this instant design challenge using only materials offered to them and following specific requirements. The importance of this challenge was to follow all rules, collaborate with their teammates, and document all details and steps in their engineer design notebook. This challenge walked them through the Engineer Design Process, a process that all engineers follow and a process that 8th graders learned in their first year in Technology Engineering class. Students were able to work through this STEM activity with a great opportunity to work on team building and communication skills, which is important and also a key component in Technology and Engineering.
Grade 6, AFO Project
Grade 7, 3D Project
Grade 8, Volleyball Project
Health Class with Mr. Pound has gotten off to a great start so far this year. 6th grade is wrapping up our body system lessons and are ready to learn more about nutrition and healthy friendships. 7th grade has had a lengthy and detailed lesson unit about internet safety. This includes topics like inappropriate content, digital footprint and cyberbullying. They will begin learning about physical activity, understanding emotions and our drugs and alcohol unit. 8th grade started the year off creating S.M.A.R.T. Goals for themselves with an action plan to complete them. We then did a four week lesson on vaping. This included lessons about the physical harms, nicotine and addiction and refusal skills. They are currently learning about healthy relationships with DOVE (Domestic Violence Ended) and will end the year with more lessons about drugs and will be instructing them on how to prepare for high school. I am excited to see my students continue to grow and learn for the rest of the 2024 school year!
In Media with Ms. Mastico Classes: Grade 6 have been working on presenting stories using an online tool to make comics. Information has to be understood and condensed in a way that makes sense to avoid an essay in a panel. Using imagery rather than descriptions (and asterisks *sigh*) is also a different way of communicating. Many of them are not familiar with using a library so we have been exploring what is here and how to access it. Independence is the goal. We will continue with other research skills, databases, website evaluation and smart searching.
Grade 7 began by making programs with Scratch. It is an inventive way to explore programming without actually learning a language to do so. Thinking like a programmer is quite difficult, it teaches logical thinking and is a good way to establish the concept of engineering - design - test - modify. Those who are already proficient used this time to work on a more advanced project. Grade 8 learned about biases and fallacies and researched topics of interest. We went over Google search vs Google scholar, databases, and website validity. Some classes were able to debate in class and debates were judged on the strength of presentation and factual evidence. Other classes explored bias in news reporting and on websites. Genetics is the next topic and we will be learning all about the different aspects of inheritance by breeding virtual dragons.
GUIDANCE DEPARTMENT
6TH Grade
This group of 6th Graders made a pretty smooth transition to Central! We see a lot of happy faces, which is what we strive for! The staff, as always, does an amazing job going on tours to show where specific classrooms are, explaining our 6-day schedule, how RAMS should behave in all aspects of the school, and the most daunting thing…lockers! It was pretty stressful for a couple of weeks, but they are all pros now! The 6th graders love the prizes that we offer for our PBIS initiative. The most popular ones are free Gym time during SSB, watching a movie/show in the auditorium, playing games during SSB, and 3D printing. Not only are the weekly winners offered these prizes, but even more students have been buying these prizes because they have accumulated so many RAM tickets! Mrs. Fleming and Ms. Moy are so lucky to have such a great group of students who want to promote positivity that we have a little over 100 students in the Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) program! They have worked on positive messages for the lunch tables and putting positive messages on snowmen and snowflakes in the 6th-grade hallway. Right now, they are working on a few projects to get ready for Anti-Bullying Week.
7th Grade
The 7th Grade has had a fantastic start to the 2023-2024 school year! They have adjusted well to their classes and teachers, and many of them have made new friends this year. The 7th grade is working diligently to uphold our school values by practicing positive behaviors to earn RAM tickets through our PBIS initiative. Our weekly RAM winners have enjoyed choosing prizes like the movie in the auditorium or SSB in the gym! 7th grade SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) has been off to a great start this year as well and we have over 40 students that participate each Tuesday. We have been focusing on topics including: holiday celebrations, awareness days, and promoting kindness and our RAM values at our school. For the month of January we have been promoting our Anti-Bullying Awareness week. The students have been working in small groups on posters and videos to show how we can combat bullying at Central. The 7th grade will also begin their lessons on Mental Health through our social emotional curriculum, Open Parachute, which will begin in February. Our topics will center around Bullying, Boundaries, and Taking Accountability, Understanding Anger, and Finding your Values. Also this winter our 7th graders will be participating in the DARE Programming, which began the week of January 8th. The 7th grade is truly making a difference in our school, and I believe they are becoming a great group of role models for all of our students! Keep up the great work 7th grade!
8th Grade
The staff here at Central are all extremely proud of the hard work and determination this 8th grade class has been putting in day-in and day-out during the first half of their 8th grade year. Working with this group has been an honor and they truly resemble all the wonderful qualities of what it means to be a RAM. We hope everyone had the chance to go to the Open Houses at North Quincy High School and Quincy High School. We will be doing high school course selections around February. If your student would like to attend the other high school that they are not in the zoning district for, then please fill out the Open Enrollment form on the QPS website as soon as possible! Last year, Quincy Public Schools implemented a social emotional learning program across the district called Open Parachute. Open Parachute was created by Dr. Hayley Watson and her team to make teaching and learning about mental health more equitable and accessible for all students in QPS. This year we’ve continued this program working alongside students in areas such as peer inclusion and exclusion, understanding/forming a positive body image and addressing negative stereotypes, honesty and leadership, as well as facing new challenges and embracing change. This program allows students to engage with the material through multi-lesson units working through small group, lecture, and reflective type activities. The following link will allow parents to log into the “Parent Resource” section of Open Parachute: https://learn.openparachuteschools.com/parent/login. The link will take you to the “Audio Series”, which are short audio recordings with helpful information. In addition, you can select “Dashboard” which will take you to a series of video resources. I’ve been working on using the knowledge gained from Open Parachute to help relate to our Student Against Destructive Decisions group. The 8th grade SADD program (Students Against Destructive Decisions) has focused on educating all students in areas such as mental health and suicide prevention. While currently working on a unit about body image and self confidence. This is a program where all students are welcome to participate in, and takes place on Monday’s, during their support block. It is a time for students to work closely with one another and acquire different skills to become more self-sufficient and independent. They then share their knowledge with the whole school community by creating posters to be hung up in the hallways or PowerPoint presentations to be shared with their classmates. We focus on getting them to understand the importance of school-life balance and creating habits/routines that will help them understand the importance of self-care, responsibility, and building their self-esteem and confidence in a positive manner