MS 50 Weekly News: 10/21/24
October 21, 2024
The Halloween Dance is next week Wednesday! It will be from 2:40-5:00PM after school in the cafeteria. Students must stay in the school building if they wish to participate in the dance. Once students leave the building they will not be allowed to re-enter. All students attending the dance must remain until at least 4:00PM. After 4:00PM, students who wish to leave early will be allowed to leave.
Students are welcome to wear costumes to school and the dance but they must:
- Be appropriate for middle school
- Not cover the face (no masks)
- No fake weapons
- Not be inflatable
We are also still seeking donations of snacks and drinks for the dance. Thank you to everyone who has already purchased items! You can buy items off of our Amazon wishlist or bring donations directly to the school and drop them off with Ms. Edda
MS 50 is an election site for the November 5th elections! Thousands of New Yorkers will be coming through our doors and the PTA is organizing a fundraiser. We are planning on selling snacks and drinks throughout the day and are looking for volunteers to run the table and for donations of food. In particular, we are hoping for bagels and coffee in the morning, baked goods and other snacks throughout the day and for the after-work rush. If you are interested, please sign-up to donate your time or resources on this shared Google Sheet.
Debate
Our debate classes are hard at work preparing for their first tournament of the year on November 23rd. Our students are preparing to debate whether the United States should abolish cash bail. Students are learning how to develop strong and compelling arguments, research effective counterarguments while practicing passionate and persuasive speaking. To refine their arguments, our debaters are learning how to weigh the impact of different forms of evidence.
Music and Band
The 6th grade has been working hard on learning how to read and perform basic rhythmic notation for the past couple of weeks. They will soon be learning about and preparing to choose an instrument if they choose band for their elective. Those instruments are: flute, clarinet, alto saxophone, trumpet, trombone, baritone, or percussion. The 7th and 8th Grade band are working hard preparing music for the Winter Band Concert on January 11th. We are so excited to share this music with you all.
Visual Art
This month we studied day of the dead and Mexican folk art to create 2D multimedia sugar skulls in honor of Latino Heritage month. We have recently transitioned into studying how to draw three dimensional forms through optical illusion projects and still lives using graphite pencils. Students are focusing on composition, value scales, pattern, symmetry, and shading techniques in art.
School application season is here! 8th graders are taking time during advisory each week to research what school options will be right for them next year with guided lessons on how to navigate the website and prepare their applications. 8th grade families should have received a letter with their MySchools account creation code last week. If you have not received it yet, please contact Ms. Sostre.
Do you know any 5th grade families looking for a middle school next year? Our school tour dates and registration information can be found at ms50.org/admissions.
All MS 50 students are eligible for a FREE internet hotspot through T-Mobile's Project 10Million. This provides 100GB of yearly data for 5 years in addition to low-cost laptops and tablets for your student. When you apply online, use "NYC Chancellor's Office" for the school district and "Jhs 50 John D Wells" for school name.