From the Middle First Edition
![From the Middle First Edition](https://cdn.smore.com/u/fc21/628c324a7c5d9f462460e23ca1a569f8.jpg)
Administrators
Mr. Jeffrey Swiatowicz, Principal
Ms. Catherine Graybosch Assistant Principal - 6th Grade
Mr. Mike Pompa Assistant Principal - 7th & 8th Grade
- SCHOOL HOURS: 8:10 a.m. - 2:48 p.m.
- MAIN OFFICE HOURS: 7:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
- MAIN OFFICE PHONE: 914-763-7500
FROM THE PRINCIPAL
Wow, can you believe it?! The second half of the year is well underway! Our days have been jam-packed with hard work and endless fun, and we wouldn't have it any other way!
Our students had a lot of fun at the PTO sponsored events! From the 6th Grade Game Show to the 7th Grade Rec & Roll, and with the highly anticipated 8th Grade Social just around the corner on April 12th, the excitement is in the air! Let's also remember the fantastic music concerts held in early January, the spectacular showing of the JJMS Spring Musical, Willy Wonka, and the remarkable attendance at the Science Fair! A huge thank you to our staff, faculty, PTO and volunteers for these memorable experiences for our students!
The month of March can be particularly challenging for students since the next scheduled days off are not until spring break, but we tackled it head-on with Wellness Week from 3/11 to 3/15! Together the staff and faculty worked together to support the JJMS community with physical and emotional wellness activities during Wellness Week. Sometimes, all it takes is a good laugh with friends, a moment of meditation, or some quality time listening to our favorite music to uplift our spirits and refresh our minds. In fact, many students earned a "Way to BE" sticker or a Wolf Shout Out certificate because they demonstrated our JJMS Community Expectations – BE Safe, BE Respectful, and BE Responsible.
Thanks to our dedicated JJMS faculty and PTO, we have more exciting events lined up in the upcoming months! Make sure to check out the Important Dates section of our newsletter—we know schedules can get hectic during the last few months of school!
Let's make the rest of this year the best one yet!
In partnership,
Jeffrey Swiatowicz
Principal JJMS
IMPORTANT DATES
APRIL:
- April 1-5: Spring Recess
- April 8: Students Return from Spring Recess
- April 8 is NO LONGER a weather reserve day. School is open.
- April 12: Course Verification Due
- April 12: PTO Sponsored 8th Grade Social
- April 10-11: NY State ELA Testing
- April 26-27: JAY FEST
- May 1-2: NY State Math Testing
- May 14: NY State Science Testing (*GRADE 8 ONLY*
(Accelerated/Earth Science students do NOT take this exam.) Please note this is updated information since our last communication. - May 13: Orchestra Concert
- May 15: Band Concert
- May 22: An Evening of Fun at JJMS!
- Cultural Celebration Event 5-6:30pm
- Art Night 6-7pm
- Chorus Concert 7-9pm
JUNE:
- June 7: 8th Grade Boat Trip
- June 13: Last Full Day of Classes
- June 24: 8th Grade Moving Up Ceremony and Celebration
- 6th & 7th Grade End of Year Class Field Trips
- June 25: No School for Students
- June 26: Last Day of School
---We will always send out reminders and notices of new dates or cancellations.---
FROM THE PTO
The JJMS PTO wishes that everyone has a fun and safe spring break. We look forward to our spring events – the 8th grade dance on April 12th and Staff/Teacher Appreciation Week May 6th-May 10th. More information will be sent via email.
Please remember to update or create your membership toolkit with your student's grade, team, and any other information that may have changed. https://jjmspto.membershiptoolkit.com/user_profile
This is so we can make sure you can receive important communications from the PTO. The Membership Toolkit app is a great way to stay connected on your smart phone.
We are excited to announce that the school directory via Membership Toolkit will be open to all JJMS families regardless of payment. Please note that we are going paperless this year.
FROM THE COUNSELORS
7TH GRADE
Mrs. Burns visited students in their academic classrooms in January to discuss information for 8th grade scheduling. We reviewed a PowerPoint presentation to highlight the similarities and differences between the 7th and 8th grade schedules and discussed what students can expect next year in 8th grade. The two different courses for 8th grade math were discussed, and Mrs. Burns also highlighted the recommendation timeline, and the differences between Math 8 and Algebra 1 (Accelerated). We also discussed the waiver process for Algebra 1, and the deadline for any schedule change requests (March 28). Students had the opportunity to ask questions, discuss possible scenarios, and play a fun Kahoot game to summarize all that we talked about!
Students will continue in their World Language class in 8th grade, completing Level 1 of the language, and will earn one credit towards their high school World Language requirement. In addition to earning high school credit, a student's final 8th grade World Language grade will appear on their high school transcript.
If any student would like to change their music class for 8th grade, please e-mail Mrs. Burns by March 28th indicating the change they would like to make.
GET TO KNOW OUR...
TEAM GRIT
Social Studies
The latest unit uses the story of the Revolutionary War to not only explore how long-term tensions can escalate into larger conflicts, but also learn how to identify and interpret nine common military strategies used in many wars throughout history. The unit culminated in a simulation where the students had to use these strategies to plan how they would win against the other seventh grade team in a hypothetical water-balloon war. To clarify, sadly for the kids, there was no actual water balloon battle; it was just a hypothetical plan they had to develop.
In Academic Extension, we have been studying how to analyze documents at the textual and sub-textual level, including art, film, and literature. The next unit will focus on the Industrial Revolution, and the kids will explore the causes and effects of innovation.
Below, Social Studies students using their understanding of military strategies to plan the hypothetical water balloon fight!
ELA
Science
Math
In math we have been working on a percents unit which has included basic percents, percent increase & decrease, percent markup and discount. Students have also gotten a glimpse into the world of finance as we learned about simple interest. We did a project using “Shrinky Dinks” to analyze scale models. The accelerated class has been working on a unit involving exponents as well as scientific notation.
TEAM DREAM
Social Studies with Mrs. Ostyn
We started the second Trimester with a study of how geography impacts our lives. Students wrote narratives detailing what they would do in the case of a zombie apocalypse and compared their migration and settlement patterns to the cultures of early Native Americans. Next, we studied European Colonies in America. An overarching focus for this unit was how governments can encourage economic growth and how geography impacted regional economies. Students enjoyed learning how to use investors to fund their start-ups.
ELA with Ms. Mitchell
This Trimester, we have laser focused on our reading skills, using Close Reading protocols to unpack complex texts to determine why authors make choices and how they impact us as readers. In writing, we have generated massive amounts of analytical writing in response to our reading and we have also explored other modes of response like graphing our characters’ emotional growth, collaborating to create body maps to analyze the inner life of our character. We continue to use discussion protocols to develop our academic discourse skills. In the midst of all that serious work, we drop everything and read in our independent books every Wednesday. All students are always in a book of their choice, so be sure to ask them all about it!
Science with Mr. Stathis
We completed our Evolution unit, doing Charles Darwin justice with our peppered moth simulation—see the picture! Evolution dovetailed into our current unit: Genetics. We applied Gregor Mendel’s laws to explain many aspects of human genetics—from cystic fibrosis to how we clasp our hands. After growing bok choy to investigate the inheritance of color, we moved on to pedigrees, molecular genetics, and building DNA models.
Dream Team students model the predation of peppered moths.
Math with Ms. Hyman
TEAM SUPREME
Social Studies
In Mrs. Madonna’s Social Studies class, we started the second trimester with a study of The Thirteen Colonies, The French and Indian War and how policy had changed in North America post 1763. Next, we studied The Revolutionary War, where students were asked to analyze the specific events that led to the insurrection fought between 1775 and 1783. An overarching focus for these units will be on the notions of freedom, independence and colonial representation!
ELA
In ELA class, students were immersed in our Realistic Fiction Writing Unit. They mapped out a story plot, developed round protagonists, learned rules for writing dialogue, learned to “show” rather than “tell” the action and emotions of characters, and incorporated themes into their stories. The unit was great fun and students seemed to enjoy using their imaginations. Students are about to start the Art of Argument, a persuasion unit. They will read multiple articles when researching a sustainability topic of their choice and will practice active reading strategies, identifying bias, author’s tone, and author’s purpose. We will incorporate their research in the final product which will be the creation of an article or blog.
Science
In Trimester 2 students completed their study of cells along with the mandated NYS Investigation, “It’s Alive!”. The unit concluded with students examining how materials move into and out of a cell and how cancer happens. Beginning in January students learned about various reproductive strategies and behaviors used by plants and animals to ensure their species survival. From there we moved into a study of genetics looking at patterns of inheritance, how genes are expressed, of what genes are made, and how humans have altered expected genetic traits in organisms.
Math
As we journey through the academic year, students continue to have conversations about math! During Trimester 2, students dove into the world of proportional relationships, learning how to recognize, represent and solve problems involving proportions.
Students in Math 7 explored real life scenarios where proportional reasoning is essential. They used their skills of proportions to tackle applications involving percents. In addition, they created their own “Shrinky Dinks” and used their skills of measuring and analyzing to investigate scale factors and proportions.
Students in accelerated Math wrapped up their unit on linear relationships where they explored relationships between two variables and investigated real life examples of linear relationships and calculating slope. Students used their knowledge of slope and linear equations to create their own artistic design. Their creativity and curiosity came through during this project and encouraged students to think outside of the box!
Please continue to encourage your child’s mathematical journey by engaging in discussions about their learning, providing opportunities for practice and fostering a positive attitude towards mathematics. Together, we can empower our students to become confident and proficient in Math. Keep having the “dinner table talk” conversations. Your students have great ideas to share!
“Shrinky Dinks”!
👨🍳🧵UNIFIED ARTS 🎨👩💻
7TH GRADE UA
ART
The focus of our creative work for Trimester 2 has been FINISHING the Fantastic SELF Sculptures! A variety of materials were used to create sculptures that SYMBOLIZE something about each student’s identity. The students are now working on painting their sculptures with acrylic paint (sorry about any paint-y clothing!). We began with some color theory exercises so the kids would know how to mix their own personal colors, and we also have been exploring the idea of using detail to increase visual engagement. I know you will be so excited to see these projects start to come home- they're INCREDIBLE! I am so proud of all that these young artists have accomplished!
FAMILY CONSUMER SCIENCE
Seventh graders spent the Trimester 2 in the kitchen working on knife skills, communication skills, and tasting new foods. Cooking labs included empanadas, scallion pancakes, samosas, fruit salad, and fried rice. Working in cooking groups gives students an opportunity to get to know fellow classmates while engaging in guided hands-on activities. Students are anxious for the opportunity to try out additional recipes during Trimester 3.
TECHNOLOGY
Students in Ms. Russo’s 7th grade began working on their Architectural Design Dream Homes during Trimester 2. During this unit students researched home designs and identified the needs of the group as well as the constraints given to them for the project. Students had the opportunity to create solutions from an investigation of situations based on their own interests. Students researched home designs as well as past prototypes to get ideas for their own Dream homes.
Students then developed plans, including scaled drawings with measurements and details of construction, such as flooring and placement of furniture.
Students used T-squares as well as drafting boards and architectural scales to draw and dimension prototypical designs which they will build in Trimester 3.
Students were responsible to create realistic flooring in each room of their homes and they were expected to work with their teammate to decide on where to best place the rooms in their homes. All students were expected to assume leadership responsibilities within their structured groups.
WORLD LANGUAGES
FRENCH 7
LATIN 7
7th grade Latin students are reading stories about gladiators, athletes, and school in 1st century CE Pompeii. Through the readings, students are learning about the ACCUSATIVE and DATIVE noun cases and all forms of the PRESENT tense of the verb. Reading activities focus on answering questions about the story, retelling the story and illustrating the story.
SPANISH 7
SPANISH 7A
Spanish 7A students recently worked on a cultural project. Each student researched their own Spanish Speaking country and created a power point to promote tourism to it. They then shared what they learned with one another. Students are now learning to tell time in the target language and discuss at what time they do certain activities throughout the day. They will soon be applying this knowledge to talk about class schedules and practice related vocabulary. As students progress with the language, they will be more exposed to different verbs and their conjugations. Students continue to build oral proficiency and expand on writing more complex sentence structures.
ORCHESTRA
Orchestra students have been working hard on their spring concert repertoire. The 7th and 8th grade orchestras are learning about Irish fiddle tunes in “For the Star of County Down” and they have mastered 6/8 time signatures! They are also learning a fun pizzicato piece called “The One-Bow Concerto” in which one bow is shared by violin, viola, and cello soloists. 6th graders have been making leaps and bounds in maturing their sound since the winter concert. Their current favorite piece is called “Song of Peace” which contains beautiful melodies and dramatic tremolos. Our spring concert is on Monday, May 13th at 7:00 PM. We hope to see you there!
BAND
Band has been learning their spring concert music. Our focus for the month of March has been rhythm. We have been working on sight reading quarter, eighth and sixteenth notes in 6th and 7/8th grade band. Our final concert for the 23-24 school year is May 15th. More information to come.
DISCOVERING MUSIC
This trimester, students have been researching genres of music. Some students even discovered genres they wouldn’t have listened to before such as “outlaw country” and “phonk.” Below and to the left is a picture of a theremin a student brought in for their project on electronic music. A theremin is an electronic musical instrument played by moving your hand within the electromagnetic field it produces – pretty neat!
CHORUS
A message from the Library Media Specialst
The library has been incredibly busy over the past weeks, with students working on a variety of projects. We’ve seen some fantastic work from students studying ancient Egypt and China. We also hosted the Science Fair, where we saw some incredible work done by our student scientists!
In February, we offered our students the opportunity to go on a “Blind Date with a Book.” Students chose a specially wrapped book with only a few keywords to describe them. Once they read it, they filled out a review form and were entered to win a prize.
March brings our JJMS Library March Madness Book Tournament. Students read two book descriptions and vote for which one they are more interested in reading! So far we have had some great participation, and the competition is really heating up!
For more information about our library, please visit the Library Media Center website, or follow us on Instagram: @jjmslib
A Note From the PE Teachers
Beyond traditional sports, our fitness activities promote holistic well-being, empowering students to develop healthy habits and lifelong skills. With each session, our PE class ignites a passion for physical activity, ensuring students are not only physically fit but also engaged and enthusiastic participants in their own health and wellness journey.
HEALTH CLASS
Seventh graders have recently completed their 2nd Trimester Health rotations. Students learned about the importance of getting enough sleep, managing stress in healthy ways and how to be thoughtful decision makers. They also learned and practiced using different emotional regulation strategies.
One of our main units in 7th grade health class is S.M.A.R.T. goal setting and achieving. Students created academic, activity and health/fitness goals for themselves and worked on a plan to help achieve these goals. Pictured are student S.M.A.R.T. goal examples.
HEALTH OFFICE REMINDER
Health Information
Please help by providing up to date and accurate health information to your school nurse. This includes:
- Current physical exams and dental exams for Grades Kindergarten, 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 and all new entrants
- Current immunization records
- Current doctor’s orders for medical excuses, conditions and medications.
Your school nurses also need to be made aware of the following:
- Broken bones
- Injuries that require crutches, wheelchairs, slings, casts, or any other assistance device.
- Lacerations that required stitches or staples
- Concussions
- Contagious diseases-Covid-19, RSV, flu, strep throat, fifth's disease and other illnesses.
- Serious medical conditions-diabetes, heart disease, asthma, anaphylaxis, seizures and other concerns.
As a reminder, students who are ill must remain home for a full 24 hours and be free from fever, vomiting or diarrhea before returning to school, or have completed a one full dose of an antibiotic.
Please don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions.
For updated Covid-19, Influenza and RSV guidance as well as other updated from Health Services department, see attached below or click here.
Physical Education Excuses
If a student sustains an injury, please consult the health office prior to their return to school. A parent note excusing a student from participation may only be honored for one class. After that, a doctor’s note is required. Doctor’s notes for PE restriction must be signed, dated and sent to the health office. If the doctor writes “until further notice” then a follow up note must be provided within 30 days to either clear them for activity or to renew their restriction. If crutches are to be used in school, this must be indicated in writing by a physician. PLEASE NOTE that restriction from physical education class at JJMS results in restriction from attending outdoor contest field recess.
Mary Mullaney, RN BSN
Office: 763-7508
Fax: 763-7314
Anna Iamiceli, RN MS
Office: 763-7505
Fax: 763-7314