Andrew Impellitteri, Kayla Mathiowetz, Emily Johnson, Lyman Nuttall, Sophie
Impellitteri, Catherine Yao, and Sam Pettersson. On Monday, April 2nd, ...
SPRING ‘12
CLARK LANE MIDDLE SCHOOL
James Sachs— Principal Lynn M. Lynch — Assistant Principal
http://www.waterfordschools.org/clms/
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MUSIC NOTES AND NEWS Clark Lane Middle School was well represented at the recent Connecticut Music Educators Eastern Region Middle School Music Festival that took place at Timothy Edwards Middle School in South Windsor. A record number of 25 musicians participated in the festival. Those performing in the band Included Elson Guo, Skyler Henry, Justin Keating, Dakota Payette, Anthony Rivera, and Austin Schwartz. The following students were members of the chorus: Sasha Amodeo, Amanda Goodhind, Alice Hanson, Naomi Jones, Fiona Machnik, Branwyn McDowell, Mya Petchark, Sydney Price, and Natalie Frascarelli. Finally, these student musicians played in the orchestra: Robert Kao, Alaina Milukas, Kate Ashbey, Andrew Impellitteri, Kayla Mathiowetz, Emily Johnson, Lyman Nuttall, Sophie Impellitteri, Catherine Yao, and Sam Pettersson. On Monday, April 2nd, all musicians in grade 6, 7 and 8 will be attending the Coast Guard Band concert. The 10:00 AM performance will take us on a Latin tour, highlighting the Hispanic culture through the various musical styles and genres that make up Latin music. As we approach the end of the school year, our grade 8 ensemble members will celebrate their 3 year musical career by travelling to the Bushnell to see the Broadway musical Come Fly Away. All information regarding the Friday June 1st trip will be sent home in the next few weeks. If your calendar is not marked with our end of the year concert schedule, we have provided you the important dates: Wednesday May 23 Gr. 7/8 7:00 PM WHS Thursday May 24 Gr. 7/8 8:00 AM WHS Wednesday May 30 Gr. 6 7:00 PM WHS Congratulations to the following orchestra members who performed on March 17 th at the Garde Theater with the Eastern Connecticut Symphony Youth Orchestra: Kate Ashbey, Andrew Impellietteri, Sophie Impellitteri, Emily Johnson, and Sarah Billis.
Health Room
Bullying Bullying continues to be a major concern in our public schools and, most recently has been the focus of widespread public attention as a result of several high-profile incidents. Bullying is the most common form of victimization experienced by school-aged children and is an increasing national concern. At one time, school bullying may have been viewed as a “rite of passage” that built “character.” Today, however, it is no longer regarded as just something that happens during lunch. Educators, health practitioners, parents, and community members are realizing that it is a serious problem that can lead to more severe long term problems for individuals and communities.
Bullying can be: PHYSICAL, such as hitting, kicking, or pushing; stealing, hiding, or ruining others’ belongings; or making someone do things against his or her will. VERBAL, such as name calling, teasing or insulting; threatening someone with physical harm; or spreading rumors or untruths. RELATIONAL, such as refusal to talk to someone; making someone feel left out or rejected; or encouraging others to bully in some way. CYBER BULLY, also called “electronic aggression,” has also increased with the rise in use of the Internet, mobile devices, and video sharing websites, such as You Tube. Cyber bullying can be more anonymous and nearly constant.
Some Warning Signs of Being Bullied Comes home with damaged or missing clothing or other belongings Reports losing items such as books, electronics, clothing or jewelry Has unexplained injuries, complains frequently of headaches, stomachaches or feeling sick Has trouble sleeping or has frequent bad dreams Has a change in eating habits, is very hungry after school from not eating their lunch Loses interest in visiting or talking with friends Is afraid of going to school or other activities with peers Loses interest in school work or begins to do poorly in school Appears sad, moody, angry, anxious or depressed when they come home Young people spend a good portion of their day in school, but the most influential people in their lives are their parents/caregivers. Amazing things can happen if parents and caregivers spend at least 15 minutes of undivided time a day listening and talking with their children.
Golden Rule: Treat Others the Way You Would Like to Be Treated
Sixth Grade News Aquamarine
Jade
Garnet
The sixth grade teachers wish to thank all family members who helped to support us during the weeks of the Connecticut Mastery Tests. With the CMTs behind us, we encourage everyone to get back on track. A common thread, across the curriculum, has been the connection between organization and academic success. The students know that their “job” right now is to be a student and they need to work hard at that job, not just sometimes, but all the time. Putting forth that extra effort of checking work, reviewing upcoming due dates and organizing binders and lockers is all part of what we know as educators supports the students to do well. As parents/guardians, please continue to check agendas to see if they are being filled out for each and every subject along with the completion of homework and nightly review of notes. It’s also helpful to take a minute to go through the list below in order to do a quick inventory of your child’s daily supplies: loose leaf paper 4 labeled side by side pocket folders spiral notebooks pencils Thus far, much growth across the curriculum has been noted, especially when students have put forth the necessary effort to succeed. We know that their work ethic begins at home. With that being said, now that the second trimester has come to a close, we encourage you to, once again, review your child’s March report card. Reflecting on previous New Year’s goals, and then setting new ones, can also be beneficial. As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please contact your child’s teachers and/or guidance, so that communication remains open concerning your child’s progress. Sixty sixth grade students celebrated Read Across America Day by reading to kindergarten and first grade children. Students traveled to GN, OSW and QH schools to share their favorite picture books. A thank you also goes out to all who participated in this year’s Basket Bonanza. The PTO monetarily supports each of the CLMS Teams every year. This fun-filled fundraiser, along with the magazine drive, has provided the opportunity for the entire 6th grade to attend Medieval Times in Lyndhurst, NJ. Please be on the lookout for the specific details regarding our trip, along with the April 20th permission slip due date. If your child has yet to return the April Coast Guard permission slip, please remind him/her to do so. This trip has been graciously organized by Mrs. Winters, and it is free to all participants. With the delightful change in weather, many children will soon be involved in new after school activities. We hope to maintain an active learning environment as well throughout the third trimester. With your continued support at home, your child will remain engaged in the learning process. This includes getting to school on time and being well prepared for the school day. Please assist us at school by helping your child create an appropriate study/homework routine that supports both home and school responsibilities. Here’s to a healthy, happy and productive spring!
Turquoise Team
The Pre-Algebra classes are currently working with percent and proportions before moving on to work with plane geometry concepts and measurement. Students will learn about the properties of lines, shapes, and angles before calculating areas of polygons, circumference of circles, surface area, and volume of three dimensional shapes. Students will then use the Pythagorean Theorem to solve real-world problems. The Algebra class is moving right along through the curriculum and is currently working with quadratic equations and functions. Students will learn to solve equations using the quadratic formula and will apply this formula to real life situations. We will continue on to factor polynomials as well as work with rational equations. Turquoise language arts students recently worked in small groups called writing circles for a two-week workshop in writing. Students wrote pieces of their own choosing and helped one another with words of encouragement and advice. The variety of pieces on the team included a poem to a father; a list of things that annoy; short stories of survival, adventure, and deceit; musings on cafeteria offerings; the importance of friends; and so much more. Well done, turquoise writers. The final trimester will feature a class novel (Red Kayak by Priscilla Cummings), book groups, and a new genre of writing: advice columns. Students are currently studying Africa in world geography. They have learned about the diverse physical features of the continent from the arid heat of the Sahara Desert to the Congo River Basin to the grasslands of the Serengeti. They have also learned how European colonialism has shaped African countries today. By studying life in Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan and South Sudan, and South Africa, students have learned how a country’s history can change its future. Our next unit of study will be the Middle East. Turquoise team scientists have been learning all about the human body specifically the cardiovascular system and the respiratory system. They have been amazed by the wonders of the human body. The turquoise scientists have done a great job so far this year. A look ahead into the third trimester we will be looking at simple machines and how they function. We will be creating a Rube Goldberg project http://www.rubegoldberg.com/ where they will make a complicated invention laboriously devised to complete a simple task.
Emerald Team
Science Why is it warm in the summer? Why do we have seasons? Most people think it is because the Earth is closer to the sun during summer, but ask your child. In science, we have just concluding our Astronomy unit. Students learned about the different phases of the moon, the role gravity has on tides, why we have seasons on Earth, and why the orbit of planets is longer the farther away from the sun they are. In our Genetics unit we will look at the different stages of the cell cycle under the microscope, investigate different common traits and use different means to determine how the probability of those certain traits play out. Students will also be extracting DNA from peas. Math We are entering the final stretch of our time together in grade 8. In recent weeks we have celebrated Pi day (3/14), did some work with the Rubik’s cube, worked on an activity about the mathematics of homelessness and read the novel Flatland. Upcoming activities include some work with the golden ratio, a lesson devoted to better understanding credit card debt and more toward the end of the year, a lesson on codes and cryptography. And don’t forget that all groups will be given a final exam in June. Particular topics of study remaining for each class are as follows: Algebra – polynomials, factoring, radicals and rational equations. Pre-Algebra – statistics, more with linear equations and algebra. Geometry – circles, circle sectors, spheres, solids and volume, basic trigonometry and (hopefully) some work with fractals. History Emerald Team History students have been studying the events that led up to the Civil War and the Civil War itself. They are studying major battles, political conflicts, powerful personalities and primary documents of the Civil War Era. Students will continue with the Reconstruction Era in the near future. Emerald Team Student Recognition: The Emerald team will be recognizing the following students with a pizza lunch on Thurs. 3/29 for demonstrating responsibility, participation, respect and good citizenship during the second trimester. Congratulations and thank you! Ryan Brandt, Kelly Cheng, Emily Fulton, Sarah Karlberg, Vanessa Kobyluck, Summer Nebelski, Kelly O’Connor, Karena Bushey, Lizzie Dowds, Emily Grebe, Mackenzie Merriman, Tania Nasrin, Jillian Sykora, Kate Ashbey, Lauren Goldstein, Danielle Hajj, Tyler Howser, Samantha Marquand, Alaina Milukas, Dakota Payette, Teresa Price, Mike Rochetti, Jillian Sheppard, Arianna Turello, James Foti, Arianna Jones-Henderson, Jean Tytla, Molly Young, Evonne Chaput, Jeannette Mooney, Nulin Phrommunah, Ian Taggart, Dylan Vitale, Griffin Wadsworth and Kazi Walker
Gold Team News Eighth grade students have a touch of spring fever and the outdoors invites their thoughts of play competing with the seriousness of book learning. The age old temptation of warmer weather continues to lure youngsters to distraction. Fear not, however, the Gold Team teachers assure you we will help your students to avoid the temptation and be on track for learning. Look what is in store for your eighth grader during the final stretch toward graduation. Language arts class invites writers toward creativity of writing short stories, poems, and vignettes this final trimester. Additionally, the reading of Romeo and Juliet will hold the attention of most students as they learn that "love never runs smoothly."In May there is an exciting field trip to New York City , the 911 Memorial, Ellis Island, and the Statue of Liberty. Can you imagine the amount of history students will be exposed to on this wonderful trip? In mid May students will attend the Waterford High School production of "Les Miserables," one of the longest running musicals on Broadway! You can be sure students will come away impressed with the musical and acting talents of some of their older friends. Math students have been busy reviewing for the Connecticut Mastery Tests. Mr. Capasso has been very pleased with the focus and sense of purpose during these preparatory lessons. Also the pre-algebra students have just completed a unit on transformations, including translations, reflections, rotations, and dilations. As a culminating activity, pupils drew their bedrooms to scale. In algebra, students recently finished work on solving quadratic equations. Presently, students are beginning to explore the mysterious world of polynomials. April should be a fun and interesting month.
