Dear CMS Families!

It’s a little hard to believe that our first full week of school is now in the history books. We’ve already had our 6th Grade Getting Acquainted Dance, school pictures, musical rehearsals and modified games. We are off to a great start of the 2017-18 school year!

I’d like to introduce the newest members of the CMS faculty and staff:

New Staff
Steven Berkey – Tech
Deb Beyer – Sp. Ed. T.A.
James Cicarelli – Math
Sarah DeCapio – LOTE
Mary Ann Didio - Nurse
Nicole Franke – LPN
Marybeth Gaffney – Food Service
Gigina Long – Art
Carolyn Quinn – Sp. Ed. T.A.
                             
Returning Staff
Kelly Boswell – Home & Careers
Nicole LeVea – LOTE
Steph Murphy – English
Danielle Tamulevich – Sp. Ed. T.A.
Courtney Updegraff – IS

We are very excited to be introducing a new program this year called The Positivity Project (P2). CMS will be joining with all our elementary schools and many other local districts, as we seek to build an understanding of the research findings in the field of positive psychology amongst our students. P2 is rooted in the motto #otherpeoplematter and focuses on strengthening 24 character traits throughout the school year. Please read the introductory letter and keep the character definition summary handy. We will begin P2 this Monday with the character trait of curiosity. We will post each week’s character trait on Twitter (@camillusmiddle) and on our announcement page.

Our first meeting will be on September 25th at 6:00 p.m. in the CMS Library. WE NEED YOU! Right now we have open officer positions of co-president and secretary. If you are interested please contact our President, Pearlene Amica at pearlene.amica@gmail.com. We also need volunteers for our Scholastic Book Fair which is held during the school day on September 26th, 27th and 28th. If you are able to lend a hand please contact Michele Hess at moonstars0427@gmail.com. If you haven’t already joined our PTO please stop by the registration table in the library during Curriculum Night. Your $10 dues support so many important programs; we thank you in advance! Mark your calendar now for our remaining meetings:

November 1, 2017 – 6:00 p.m. at CMS Library

January 10, 2018 – 6:00 p.m. at WGHS LGIR

April 17, 2018 – 6:00 p.m. at WGHS LGIR

Curriculum Night will take place on September 28th from 6:30-8:00 pm. You will receive a mailing next week with each grade level’s schedule. Our Scholastic Book Fair will be open in the library. Please stop by to browse the terrific selection. Students were given a flyer of available titles today. All proceeds benefit our PTO. Thank you for your support!

As you can see, our middle school is one busy place! To help you keep track of everything going on, we put all of our daily announcements on the CMS web page for your access. Just click on the announcement tab.

If your child is going to be late or absent you may call the Health Office line at 315.672.3426. There is an answering machine that will take your message during non-school hours.

Please feel free to call or stop by if I can ever be of assistance to you. On behalf of everyone here at CMS…We Celebrate Learning!

Beth
Beth Anne Lozier
Principal – blozier@westgenesee.org
Follow us on Twitter @camillusmiddle

September 25 - PTO Meeting - 6:00 p.m. CMS Library

September 26-28 - Book Fair

September 28 - Curriculum Night - 6:30-8:00 pm

October 6 - Wildcat Friday

October 6 - End of 5 Weeks

October 9 - Columbus Day - No School 

Summer Reading

Summer. Reading.

Those two words can sometimes provoke a feeling of dread in our students. They somehow get translated to mean a task that needs to be completed, in as little time as possible, just prior to the buses pulling up to the stop in September. We SO want to change that feeling! We want those two words to conjure the sense of an opportunity to read in a way that might be a little more relaxed, and a little more extended, than during the regular school year.

By now you have received our Summer Reading Lists. Families often ask us how many of the books a child should read. One? Two?  Our answer is simple; all of them and then some! Becoming an independent and engaged reader is one of the single largest influences impacting a child’s academic growth. There just isn’t any substitute for it. Vocabulary, new knowledge, points of view, and ideas are presented in books in a manner that can’t be replicated any other way. There are 3 key ideas to keep in mind in supporting students who read:

1. Variety: The Narnia Chronicles and Harry Potter series are often the hook in getting students engaged and motivated to read. We love a good series! It is important to remember that a broad exposure to different genres helps to build an open mind. It is true what they say: You can’t judge a book by its cover. Pick up a book of poems, or a non-fiction title over fiction. And if your child gets one or two chapters in and doesn’t like the book…close it and try another. 
2. Rigor:  Don’t be intimidated by a book that might seem to present a little challenge. Reading ability gets stronger when books cause a student to focus, re-read and maybe even have to look up a word now and then. Experts recommend looking at 5 random pages in a book to test out the readability. It won’t be long before students find that sweet spot. 
3. Amount: A little bit of reading, every day, goes a long way. The daily habit of reading can be instilled at any age – it’s not too late! Newspapers and magazines are a great source for short bursts of reading. We always recommend a hard copy of the New York Times because of its high-interest articles. Each day of the week has a unique section, but students might have particular interest in these: Monday (Sports), Tuesday (Science), Wednesday (Food) and Thursday (Arts). Grab a copy next time you are out and just take a look. We get ten copies a day delivered here at school so that your child can always get their hands on a newspaper.

In Daniel Willingham’s new book, Raising Kids Who Read, the University of Virginia psychology professor writes, “To engender positive reading attitudes, students need to have positive reading experiences. They need to see themselves as readers. And they need to have books that they enjoy readily available.”

To help you keep a steady supply of books readily available, check out one of our terrific local libraries-there’s one near YOU!:

Maxwell Memorial Library   
Onondaga Free Library

School will begin again before we know it. In the meanwhile, we wish you a summer full of good books!
We Celebrate Learning!
Beth 

Follow us on Twitter@camillusmiddle

May Message from Principal Lozier

Budget Vote Tomorrow

The West Genesee School Budget for the 2017-18 school year will be held tomorrow, May 16th. Polls are open from 6:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. in the High School Auditorium lobby. Thank you for taking the time to vote!


Progress Reports Available

The final progress report of the school year will be available on SchoolTool on Friday, May 19th. Click on the 'Grades' tab, select 'Progress Report Grades' in the 'view' drop-down and make sure you have 'Marking Period 4' selected.

Important Dates

May 23 - 8th Grade Parent Night @ WGHS Auditorium- 6:30 pm
May 24 – Grade 8 only – NYS Science Assessment (performance)
May 29 – School Closed in observance of Memorial Day
June 5 – Grade 8 only – NYS Science Assessment (written)
June 12 – Grades 7/8 Chorus, Band, Orchestra & Select Chorus Concert @ CMS - 7:00 pm
June 14 – Grade 6 Chorus, Band & Orchestra Concert @ CMS - 7:00 pm

March Message from Principal Lozier

Our 25-week progress reports will be available for viewing on SchoolTool tomorrow, Friday, March 10th. If you have trouble logging on to view, please call or email Nancy Boise at nboise@westgenesee.org or 315-672-8381.




Our favorite week of the year is almost here…Spirit Week! Our Student Council has voted on the theme for each day:

Monday (March 13) – Pajama Day
Tuesday (March 14) –Character Day
Wednesday (March 15) – Sports Day
Thursday (March 16) – Twin or Wear Green Day
Friday (March 17) – No School for students

We will culminate Spirit Week with a St. Patrick’s Day Dance on Thursday, March 16th from 6:00-8:00 pm. Tickets are $5 each and are available by the door. All proceeds benefit our PTO.


The last day to order yearbooks will be March 28th, follow the link to www.balfour.com order online.

The West Genesee PTA/PTO District Council is taking part in a fundraiser for the McMahon Ryan Advocacy Center. Students can purchase pinwheels for $1 each in homeroom and lunch periods through March 15th.  Camillus Middle will plant a pinwheel garden in April as a way to raise awareness about child abuse. Thank you for your support of this very important cause!  

Many of you may have read that New York State has made some positive changes to the assessments in ELA and mathematics that will be administered in March and May. Of note, the tests will now be untimed. This means that any student who is working productively to complete any portion of the test may have all the time they need to finish. There will also be fewer questions and reading passages. Students with a reading disability may also have the assessments read to them by a teacher.  

I want all families to know that we believe all students are prepared to take these assessments. Our daily instruction and units of study are aligned to the NYS Learning Standards and thus we have no need for “test prep” or additional work to ready our students. We rely on the excellent teaching and learning that we commit ourselves to each and every day. Please feel free to contact me should you have any questions at 672-3159.

Grades 3-8 ELA - March 28, 29, 30
Grades 3-8 Mathematics - May 2, 3, 4

Important Dates

• March 10 – 3:3 Basketball Tournament – grades 6-7-8 - 2:15-4:00 pm
• March 15 - 6th Gr. Band, Orchestra & Chorus Concert - 7:00 pm at CMS
• March 16 – St. Patrick’s Day Dance – 6:00-8:00 pm
• March 17 – No School for students due to staff Workshop Day
• March 21 - CMS/WGMS Jazz Bands & Chamber Strings Concert - 7:00 pm at CMS
• March 23 - 7/8 Gr Band, Orchestra & Select Chorus - 7:00 pm at WGHS
• March 28, 29, 30 – Grades 6-7-8 New York State Assessment/English (2 hr delay schedule)