May Message

Dear Families,

As the month of May begins, I wanted to take the opportunity to update you on life here at CMS. The NYS Common Core testing concluded today. By the end of next week we will have given make-ups, collated booklets for scoring and boxed up remaining materials. Despite the controversy of this year’s testing cycle, I think it is important to take a moment to recognize the characteristics of a learner that were quite visible in your children.  I saw our students persevere and persist, go into the testing with a positive attitude and bring a high level of engagement to the task. We have two more NYS assessments to give; the Common Core Algebra Regents on June 3^rd and the NYS 8^th grade Science Assessment on May 28^th and 29^th (lab) and the written on June 2^nd.

This morning I stopped in on the review session for our algebra students. While our math department chairperson, Mrs. Heil, assisted one group I noticed hands go up at another table. I approached the group with some trepidation...my high school algebra course happened a LONG time ago. After nailing the question about tangents, the wind was quickly taken out of my sail. I was unable to think through the next step even after looking at some of the good attempts the students had made in the review book. I was starting to think, “If only I could look this up on YOUTUBE.” Within less than two minutes the girls and I had watched the video on my phone which culminated in a collective “aha moment” and the completion of question #30 in short order. I don’t think it will be too long before we change our perspective of smart devices in schools. We are obligated to put all tools at our students’ disposal and allow them to solve their problems in the most efficient way possible. We need to set the expectation that they will use these devices appropriately while they are engaged in meaningful learning.

Our annual school budget vote will take place on May 20^th at West Genesee High School. The polls are open from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Please take the opportunity to vote! You can learn about the 2014-15 school budget by looking at the Fact Sheet or attending the Budget Public Hearing on May 7^th at 7:00 p.m. at the High School Library. You can also attend the presentation just after our May 5^th PTO meeting (6:30 p.m.) at 7:00 p.m. in the LGIR at the High School. Speaking of our (fabulous) PTO, we have several open positions for next year. We will be voting at our May 5^th meeting. If you would like to discuss any of these positions please call me or email our president, Mrs. Barbara Soper, at bsoper@twcny.rr.com.  You can learn a little about these open positions by reading the descriptions below.   

Co-President - This position has a 2 year term. This position will work directly with the PTO President. One year as Co-President and one year as President. 

Treasurer - The position has a 2 year term. This position is responsible for compiling monthly treasurer reports and presenting them at the PTO meetings. Responsibilities include, but not limited to, writing all checks, paying all bills, preparing tax paperwork, maintaining proper records to ensure records of all monies spent is accountable for. 

Corresponding Secretary - The position has a 2 year term. This position includes going to CMS a monthly basis to check for any correspondence. This correspondence may include thank you notes, requests, etc. Responsible for attending all PTO meetings to present correspondence.

I look forward to seeing you on our athletic fields (if the rain EVER stops), concerts and other events in the coming weeks. Don’t forget, we have a 10:10 a.m. dismissal for students on May 16^th for our Teacher Workshop Day.

In the meantime take good care~

Beth

We Celebrate Learning!

Principal's March Message

Spring conjures so many images for those of us who live in CNY…black snow, mud and thermometers holding at freezing. But I think we can all agree that we do breathe a collective sigh just saying the word spring! Spring also brings the annual cycle of New York State Testing.  The dates for testing this year are as follows:

Grades 6-8 ELA – April 1-3

Grades 6-8 Math – April 30, May 1-2

Grade 8 Science – May 28 (performance) and June 2 (written)

It is very important the every student is in school and on time during the testing process. We begin testing at 7:40 a.m. each day. Students who are late can’t be admitted to the classroom and will have to wait in the office. Although we do have a small make-up window, students simply perform better if they take the test during the regularly scheduled days.  A good night’s rest, breakfast and extra hydration help students perform better as well. Please take this opportunity to check your calendar and reschedule any appointments that your child may have. We rely on the best instruction, day in and day out, as preparation for these assessments. Our students are ready!

"Go study!" Do you ever say that to your children? I sure did. In retrospect, I am sure I just expected them to get their work done without really giving a thought about them becoming more independent and reflective students.  Given the sometimes hectic nature of a school year, it is important to teach students how to study effectively and strategically.  Our faculty recently read an article from American Educator that summarized what studying techniques give students the biggest boost. We were surprised to learn that many of the strategies our students use are not particularly helpful, highlighting, rereading and summarizing among them. In fact, when we ask students how they studied for a test they often mention one of those three strategies. Here are three strategies that are effective and that you can reinforce with your children at home:

1.       Distributed Practice – This is just a fancy way of saying "don’t cram."  Although cramming might help reinforce concepts in the short-term, it doesn't allow for information to be retained over long periods of time. Multiple study sessions over a longer period of time allows students to really own information. Parents can help by discussing how many session they may need to prepare for an exam, when those sessions should take place and what exactly they will review at each session.

2.       Use a Study Planner – Students use a daily planner to record assignments here at school. It would also be helpful to have a larger calendar, with each day of the month visible at one time, for students to note after school practices, games, and other obligations. In this way they will be able to see where they have chunks of distributed time for practice. Those chunks should be scheduled into their study planner and will allow for an early bedtime during the week!

3.       Self-Explanation – When your children were little, did they ever ask "why?"  Try to tap into that question in this strategy. Students should not  just  regurgitate facts. They should be able to explain why something is true or not. They might ask themselves  questions like:

Why did I just decide to do x?

What does this sentence mean to me?

What new information does this sentence provide?

How does this relate to what I already know?

Spring is the time to enjoy the sunshine that will surely come. It is also the time to renew our commitment to learning…for today and for all the seasons to come. I am looking forward to seeing everyone at our concerts, athletic fields and other school events.

We Celebrate Learning!

Beth

November/December Principal's Message

The local news media has recently been bringing to the forefront some of the changes happening in public education today. But for those of us who work in schools, these changes, including the Common Core Learning Standards, new teacher and principal evaluation practices (APPR) and mandated testing are almost old news – especially here at WG.

We have spent the last four years engaged in the work necessary to understand these changes and what they mean for educators and students alike. The work has included multiple professional development opportunities, too many to count, including collegial circles, action research, summer workshops, professional development days and presentations at faculty meetings. We are constantly reading, discussing, revising, and creating units and lessons that align with the standards and include 21st Century skills. Simultaneously we have a clearer understanding of how children learn, the importance of relevancy and what the research says makes a teacher highly effective. We know more today about how to engage and challenge students than ever before and have more resources at our fingertips. Despite what you may have heard, it is an exhilarating time to work in public education.   

Even during times of sea change, there are things that remain constant. The role of parents as their child's first teacher, the importance of fine arts and physical education in developing the whole child, the imperative to model good character traits…these will always be part of our mission. The daily practice of reading is another constant that contributes most directly to a rigorous and meaningful education.

Reading across all genres broadens a child’s experience with ideas, vocabulary and the world outside of Camillus. Extended school breaks, like the one we are about to begin, provide the time and quiet to read books outside of the daily assignments from teachers. I know, it can be a challenge to get our children to read; there are so many other activities (digital and otherwise) competing for their attention. But if we select the right book, provide a place and model how to revel in a good story, our children will receive one of the most important gifts we can give them. Even our 8th graders are not too old to enjoy a story read aloud by an adult. Want some suggestions…here are a few books I have read lately, and they are perfect for middle school students (and make a great gift).

Toughness by Jay Bilas – Any ESPN fan will recognize the author on the front cover. Jay recounts his personal story as a student, collegiate and pro athlete and coach along with his wise words about perseverance and character.

The Reason I Jump by David Mitchell – Translated from Japanese to English, this memoir is in a question and answer format and explores the life of the original author as a 13 year old with Autism.

Strength of a Champion by OJ Brigance – I just bought this book after learning of the author's story from watching my favorite television show, CBS Sunday Morning with Charles Osgood, (9:00 a.m. every Sunday – you won’t be disappointed if you watch). His story is riveting and heartbreaking yet is true to its subtitle of "finding fortitude through adversity."

Brilliant Blunders by Mario Livio – The author is an astrophysicist who dispels the notion that some of our most esteemed scientists like Enstein and Darwin never made mistakes in their pursuit of knowledge. You can't put this book down.

Petey by Ben Mikaelsen – If you haven't heard, the author is coming to visit WG on Feb. 7th to mark our first One Book, One Town, Everyone Reads event. This piece of realistic fiction reminds us all that one person can make a difference.

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens – My family's all-time favorite read aloud. Even if you have seen one of the many movie versions, you’ll still want to read the book. The imagery and suspense are brought to life in a way that is missing from film. The pages where Marley reminds Scrooge that we "are all fellow travelers to the grave" are particularly poignant. Note to parents who want to read this aloud…take a few minutes to pre-read the pages you are going to cover each day, some of the syntax can be tricky in places.

All of us here at CMS wish you and your children a peaceful and beautiful holiday season. We look forward to welcoming our students back on January 2, 2014!

We Celebrate Learning!

Beth

Principal's Message

Yesterday at Wegmans I noticed that stock workers were breaking down the Halloween candy display to make more room for…you guessed it…Christmas decorations. The passing of the fall season was confirmed this morning with the first frost which means we have reached the end of our first quarter. Report cards will go home with students on November 8. This is a perfect time to set goals, adjust study habits and find ways to extend learning at home. When my own children were in middle school I happened upon a Word-A-Day calendar at a book store. Each morning “E” and Nate would take turns peeling back the calendar to find the next day’s word before heading out to the bus. (They still remember their all-time favorite word – bathetic.) Eventually they devised a game where points would be awarded if one of us could use a word in conversation over the course of the week. Nate still claims that he is the reigning champion (don’t tell his older sister). It was a simple thing but it really took on a life of its own. I still see those calendars in stores, but I’ve found a terrific online source for your daily dose of vocabulary at www.wordsmith.org. All you need to do is log on and enter your email address. Each morning you will get an email with a word, pronunciation, definition, etymology and usage. The best thing is that each week the words are arranged in a theme – so clever.

It’s hard to overstate the importance of a robust vocabulary for our students. Education theorist E.D. Hirsch recently wrote that, “There is strong evidence that increasing the general knowledge and vocabulary of a child before age 6 is the single highest correlate with later success.” We know that 11, 12 and 13 year olds also need to acquire as many words as possible and be able to use them orally and in writing. Another helpful strategy is for adults to read aloud to their children, especially text that they wouldn’t normally read independently. Almost every grade level uses current event articles for weekly assignments. Read the article aloud and ask your child to identify words that are new. Ask them to define the word if they can. You can also read aloud from the opinion page where many national columnists have articles. The vocabulary usage here is usually at a higher level.

Pulchritudinous…did that word get your attention? It did mine a few weeks ago when I saw it in the headline of an article on the OP-ED page of the newspaper. I got the meaning of that gorgeous word by reading the article and confirmed my definition with a quick look at Google. I suppose you can guess what I did next. I waited for just the right moment to use it in conversation with my children. Guess who the reigning champ is now?

We Celebrate Learning!

Beth