February Message

Our annual St. Patrick’s Day Dance will be on Friday, March 16th from 6:00-8:00 pm. DJ Dan Becker will be here with his flashing lights and the best dance music in town. Our gym will also be open for basketball. Tickets are available at the door for $5. Snacks will be available for sale. All proceeds benefit our PTO.  If you would like to chaperone, please contact our Dance Chairperson, Mrs. Hess, at moonstars0427@gmail.com. If you would be interested in organizing the snack table, please call Mrs. Lozier at 315.672.3159. Wear your green and come on out for a great night!

Our next 3:3 Basketball Tournament will be on Friday, March 9th from 2:15-4:00 pm. Teams can be mixed grade levels and/or co-ed with 4 players maximum. Team registration forms will be handed out on February 26th in PE classes. Fill out the form and return payment ($5 per player) to the Main Office by Monday, March 5th. All proceeds benefit our PTO. Let’s Play!

The last day to order yearbooks will be Friday, March 9th.  Yearbooks can be ordered online at www.balfour.com. If you have any questions, please contact our yearbook advisors, Mrs. Clift at kclift@westgenesee.org or Mr. Keida at dkeida@westgenesee.org.

We are more than half-way through learning about the 24 character traits that are the foundation of the Positivity Project (P2). I hope you are following us on Twitter (@camillusmiddle) so that you can stay up-to-date with what character trait we are studying each week. I Tweet it out each Monday morning, but you can also access the calendar for the rest of the year here. This past week, as we celebrated Valentine’s Day, we took a deep dive into the trait of love. I thought you might be interested in seeing an example of the resources that The Positivity Project supplied for us on this topic. I was impressed by the focus of the materials for love as seen in the video clip from the well-known movie Brian’s Song, which tells the story of the friendship between Brian Piccolo and Gale Sayers of the Chicago Bears. I clearly remember watching the movie when I was in middle school (in 1970 something…I try not to do the math). The movie follows the trajectory of their relationship from teammates, to roommates, to friends played out against the tumultuous time period in our nation’s history. Their unlikely friendship ultimately becomes a profoundly loving one because each possesses the character traits we are studying this year: open mindedness, kindness, teamwork and bravery. I am not sure if that movie is available for streaming, but it would be worth watching again because its message stands the test of time.

We have just been so impressed, each and every week, with the quotes, videos, and discussion starters from P2.  We use them as a way to directly teach about the character traits and open the conversation about how students can recognize each of them in themselves and others. Our teachers are reporting back about how aware our students are and about the connections they are making to not only their daily experience here at school but also outside our walls. P2 is giving them some really important things to think about with a strong call to action. The entire experience has reminded us that we need to continue to set high expectations for kids, and we need to be deliberate in how WE model the character traits. We sometimes forget that middle level students are capable of reflective thinking…we need to give them the prompts to do it regularly.

As educators, we always look at the research base of any type of program we implement here at school. We always want to know how effective something is before we even consider if it will be worth our time. P2 is so powerful because it is based on the clinical research by Martin Seligman, Ph.D. His book, Learned Optimism, was groundbreaking at the time it was published (1990…I was in graduate school…let’s skip the math) because he wrote about “explanatory style.” Essentially this means that the story we tell ourselves about how the world works and our place in it is critical, especially when we need to be resilient. I highly recommend the book because it has great suggestions for parents and is highly readable.

I hope you all enjoy Winter Recess…hopefully this warm spell will stay with us. 
We Celebrate Learning!
Beth 
Beth Anne Lozier
blozier@westgenesee.org

February 19-23    No School (Winter Recess)
March 1              Choral Fest at HS - 7:00 pm
                           Rehearsal at HS from 2:00-4:00 pm
March 2              Career Fair and OCC Visit – Grade 8
March 3              Culture Fair – 12-3 at WGHS
March 9              3:3 Basketball Tournament 2:15-4:00 pm
March 14             10:10 am dismissal for Staff Development
March 16             St. Patrick’s Day Dance – 6:00-8:00 pm
March 20             Jazz, Chamber, Select Concert – 7:00 pm
March 21             7/8 Band & Orchestra Concert – 7:00 pm
                                 at WGHS
March 27             6th Gr Band, Orchestra, Chorus Concert –
                                 7:00 pm
March 30             No School – Good Friday

December Message

Our next PTO meeting will take place on January 10th at 6:00 PM. It will take place at the West Genesee High School LGIR. Dr. Brown will hold his annual Dialogue with the Superintendent presentation immediately after the meeting at 7:00 PM. District residents are encouraged to come and ask any questions related to our schools. We look forward to seeing you then!

Message from the Principal

Last night we had our final concert of the winter series. It was the first time our 6th graders got to perform for their families in a large ensemble. There sure was excitement in the air! We are always amazed at the growth our students make from their first rehearsal in September to their first concert in black and white dress attire. Thank you for your support of music in our school; it makes CMS a more beautiful place to be.

Last month in this space, I wrote about some concerns we all share regarding cyber safety and apps that are detrimental to our children. But I think it is important to remember that technology can largely be a positive force especially as it puts information immediately into their hands (and minds). Educational apps help answer those questions that stem from natural curiosity; the who, what, where and why about the world our children live in. It is still a tall order for parents and guardians to sift through these apps…just because the word “educational” precedes “app” doesn’t make any one of them particularly valuable. According to this recent article in the New York Times, entitled How to Choose the Best Apps for Your Kids, there is help out there as you evaluate what to buy. The article suggested these “pillars” as a guide:

A good educational app actively engages the child; doesn’t have distractions that interrupt the learning experience (that includes ads); bridges new learning to existing knowledge; has clearly defined, measurable learning objectives that build on existing skills; and includes social interactivity or feedback.

The article also made good suggestions for audiobook streaming, coding tutorials and journaling platforms. There truly was something for everyone from pre-school through 12th grade.

I hope the holiday break gives you and your family a chance to celebrate, to rest and to learn something new…from an app or just a good book.

We Celebrate Learning!
Beth
Beth Lozier – Principal
Follow us on Twitter @camillusmiddle

January 2 – 1st day back from Holiday Recess
January 5 – Wildcat Friday – Wear your school spirit colors
January 8 – 8th grade parent night at CMS LGIR- 7:00 pm
January 10 – PTO Meeting-6:00 pm at WGHS followed by Dialogue with the Superintendent at 7:00 pm
January 15 – Martin Luther King Day Observance – No School
January 26 - Staff Professional Development Day - No School for Students
January 29 - Second Semester begins

November Message

First 10 week Report Card

The first 10 week report card will be hand carried home by students on Friday, November 17th. Please take a moment to review it with your child. This is a perfect time to set new academic goals and notice what study habits are successful. Please contact our Guidance Department at 315-672-8381 if you wish to meet with your child’s teaching team.

Principal's Message

At our November PTO meeting last week, School Resource Officer Anthony Gucciardi gave a very informative presentation about cyber safety. He encouraged parents and guardians to take control of their children’s devices by monitoring everything from daily text messages to their ability to download and delete apps independently. We sometimes forget that students in middle school range in ages from 11 – 14; maturity levels vary widely. When we consider the sheer breadth and variety of content on the World Wide Web, everything from the informative and uplifting to the harmful and illegal, we know that we need to monitor and engage in conversations about what our young people are viewing.

This week our faculty had a presentation by Mrs. Bush and Mrs. Abdo who shared information about media literacy from a workshop they recently attended. They opened the presentation with this statistic: recent surveys say children spend an average of 9 hours per day viewing a digital device. To many of us that number seemed almost impossible given a 24 hour day, but deep down we had the feeling that 9 hours might just be accurate for many of our students. It is not unusual for us to hear from parents that their children are up late at night on their phones. Officer Gucciardi made the suggestion that all devices be turned over to parents before their children go to bed. It’s a very practical strategy that not only helps parents limit and monitor screen time, but also supports more restful sleep. (By now we all know the benefit of a good night’s sleep…better memory, health and overall well-being.)

That 9 hour statistic was the entry point for a lesson on misleading news and strategies to help students critically evaluate the legitimacy of on-line and print resources. A recent article in Educational Leadership summed it up this way:

The public is gaining awareness of our vulnerability to media manipulation. Researchers have found that most adults can't accurately judge the truth or falsity of an online news story because they assume that content that aligns with their existing beliefs is automatically true (Goodfellow, 2017).

Media literacy really is an instructional imperative for us as we help develop an informed and engaged citizenry. This chart entitled Beyond Fake News, will help you assist your child in identifying “truth or falsity” as they come into contact with all types of media content. The terms used in this chart are the same terms we use here in the classroom. This link, Online Safety Guide was shared at the PTO meeting by Officer Gucciardi which includes several resources and excellent suggestions relating to online safety.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us if we can help you with more information or suggestions.
All of us at CMS wish all of you a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday.

We Celebrate Learning!
Beth
blozier@westgenesee.org
Follow us on Twitter @camillusmiddle

November 9 - End of 10 Weeks
November 10  - Veterans Day - No School
November 15 - Board of Education Meeting - 7:00 pm
November 17 - Report Cards Available
November 17 - 3:3 Basketball Tournament - 2:15-4:00 pm
November 22-24 - Thanksgiving Recess - No School
November 30 - Group Yearbook Photos

October Message

TOMORROW is picture retake day! If you missed picture day back in September or if you were unhappy with your first photo shoot, our photographer will be back in the building tomorrow Wednesday, October 25th. Please bring your old photos to exchange at the retake session. 

Our Halloween Dance and Open Gym will be this Friday, October 27th, from 6:00-8:00 PM. Tickets are $5 at the door and all proceeds benefit our PTO. Students may wear a costume (school appropriate) if they choose. Come celebrate the holiday with your favorite friends and ghouls!!

The ordering link for our yearbook is currently open. Online ordering is preferred. If you need to pay by check please make it out to WGSCDSAF in the amount of $30. The deadline for ordering is February 1, 2018. Please contact Mr. Keida at dkeida@westgenesee.org or Mrs. Clift at kclift@westgenesee.org if you have any questions.

Our next PTO Meeting will be on Wednesday, November 1st at 6:00 pm in the CMS Library. Our

guest speaker will be School Resource Officer Anthony Gucciardi from the Camillus Police Department. He will be sharing resources and tips for parents on how to monitor and support our students as they interact with others on social media. You won’t want to miss his very informative presentation.

Our school musical this year is a special one…Damn Yankees. Come hear everyone’s favorite number, Heart, and cheer on the Senators during our two performances, November 3rd at 7:00 pm and November 4th matinee at 2:00 pm. Tickets are available at the door for $8.00.

Principal’s Message

In all my years here at CMS, I don’t think I have seen such a sustained streak of outside recess as we have had this year. Our students are enjoying their time outside the school building as much as inside!

Speaking of inside the building, you might remember hearing from our ELA teachers on Curriculum Night that we have adopted the use of what is known as the Modules as our core curricula to support the Next Generation ELA Standards. This is a pivotal and critical change for us at West Genesee because the new Standards are a clear call for us to prepare students with advanced mastery of reading, writing, speaking, listening and presenting skills. After a careful analysis of the Standards, we came to the conclusion that the Modules provided the rigor, relevance and breadth necessary to provide students with lifelong literacy habits. You can read more about the Next Generation Standards here.

One of the practices highlighted in the reading standards is the ability for students to read often and widely from a range of global and diverse text. One of the shifts you will notice at home is the amount of independent reading students will have to complete at home to be prepared for each day’s lesson. You can help us by monitoring nightly the completion of assigned reading from the class novels and supporting activities. Please reach out to your child’s ELA teacher if you ever have any questions.

I hope to see you at the PTO Meeting on November 1st.
We Celebrate Learning!

Beth
Follow us on Twitter @camillusmiddle

November 1st – PTO Meeting in Library at 6:00 PM
November 3rd - Wildcat Friday
November 3rd – Damn Yankees – 7:00 PM
November 4th – Damn Yankees – 2:00 PM
November 7th – Early Dismissal (10:10 AM)