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)

Social Media: Time For Adults to Get in the Game

Dear CMS Families: 

With the school year quickly passing by I have noticed a concerning pattern of events taking place on Monday mornings that I want to share with you. Almost without fail, I receive a call from a parent informing me about an incident over the previous weekend involving their child on social media. Often, at the start of the week, one or more of our students will go directly to our school counselors to report a distressing exchange of words or pictures between groups of students. These reports seem to involve an ever increasing number of students, and the language used is hurtful and just plain mean at times. We respond to these reports in a variety of ways and spend a great deal of time investigating and reaching out to parents who are often unaware of the extent of their child’s cyber presence. This issue requires home and school to come together to deliver a consistent message.

We are attentive to both the dangers and benefits of social media APPs, and our teachers cover cyber safety in a variety of settings in elementary school and several times during middle school in Health, Digital Literacy and regular class meetings where we cover character education. We use direct instruction about how students can use social media appropriately, and how to be aware of situations that can be harmful to them. There seems to be a growing gap between what we are teaching and what we personally see on the posts students and parents show us.

We would be naïve to suggest that we should ban students in this age range from the use of social media, although that might be appropriate for some who demonstrate that they are not ready. Even with all of the potential negatives, social media has the ability to connect people in real time…sharing important events, allowing for collaboration and strengthening relationships.  We want this for our students. But if there isn’t sufficient monitoring of a child’s digital life they may land in a dark place. 

Below we have gathered a list of tips from a variety of sources that you might want to review with your child: 

• Don’t allow kids to use devices in their rooms or in other private areas of the house.
• Don’t connect with or 'friend' people that you don’t know.
• Don’t use your full name for any accounts or in posts
• Don’t give personal information to people such as phone number, address or the school you attend
• Don’t meet anyone in person that you connect with online
• Don’t reply to messages that harass you or make you feel uncomfortable 
• Don’t share passwords with anyone but your parents
• Don’t post anything you wouldn’t want your parents, grandparents, teachers or a coach to see
• Do block bullies or inappropriate people
• Do report people that harass or bully others to your parents and/or school
• Do use privacy settings that different APPs offer – keep your accounts private, not public
• Do tell your children that you will monitor their posts and activity on social media
• Do limit technology use = set a specific time limit for kids
• Do put devices away at 9 PM and go to bed
• Do charge devices in a common area of the house (not in the bedroom!)
• Do have ‘device-free’ times such as during meals or right before bed
• Do take the device away from your child if they are engaged in inappropriate behavior
• Do keep an open dialogue with your kids about social media – you’re not harassing them, you’re being a parent!  

In addition, the links below provide two very good articles that parents and guardians of middle school students should absolutely take the time to read:

How to Prepare Your Child for Online Networking
http://www.scholastic.com/parents/resources/article/your-child-technology/how-to-prepare-your-child-online-networking?eml=PCM/smd/20170206/Twitter/OnlineNetworking&linkId=34191775

Social Media 101: Five Things Parents Need To Do Right Now
http://roadkillgoldfish.com/social-media-101/

Both middle schools are currently working on putting together an informational presentation for parents and guardians of our middle school students to help provide you with tools and strategies to help you at home. As soon as we get the logistics worked out we will get the date and time out to everyone. 
We Celebrate Learning! 

Beth
Follow us on Twitter @camillusmiddle

December Message

PTO Meeting

Our next PTO Meeting will be on January 11, 2017 at 6:00 pm and will be held in the LGIR at West Genesee High School. Mrs. Lozier will be giving us an update on three programs that have been in progress this school year: The Positivity Project, Enterprise America and Pay It Forward. The meeting will immediately be followed at 7:00 pm by Dialogue with the Superintendent at 7:00 pm where Dr. Brown will answer questions from the community. Please mark your calendar now for the remainder of our PTO meetings: March 1st and April 25th. 

The 15 week progress report is now available to view through Schooltool. Follow these steps:


• Click on “GRADES” tab
• On “View” box- drop down to Progress Report Grades 
• On “FOR” box -drop down to Marking Period 2




Look here for all progress report and marking period grades for the 2016-17 school year. If you experience any difficulty please contact Nancy Boise at nboise@westgenesee.org or call 672-8183. 

Principal’s Message
It really is hard to believe that December is rushing to a close. As much as we all enjoy our school breaks, we sure are looking forward to the New Year when we continue our commitment to providing enriching and meaningful experiences for all of our students. You might remember reading in an earlier blog that all middle level staff members read a great book over the summer break; Mindset by Carol Dweck, Ph.D. During our monthly faculty meetings we have been digging in to sections of the book that deal with the school setting. We have learned so much about the science of motivation, the value of feedback and the power of our words when we speak to our children. We have learned the difference between a growth and fixed mindset and how to support children in developing positive self-talk. I can sum up the whole purpose of the book in one sentence: Productive and focused work beats innate ability every day. We were thinking that the New Year might be the perfect time to share with families some of the power behaviors and thinking we have discovered, and so we are going to be having a workshop for that purpose. Please mark your calendar for the Got Growth Mindset! Presentation on January 31st at 6:30 pm at West Genesee Middle School. In one hour we will share with you strategies, tips and examples of how to help build a growth mindset with your child at home. 

You’ve read it here before, but it always bears repeating, that we want all of our students to read 10 books (at a minimum) outside of school over the course of the year. The extended school break is a great opportunity to start or continue with this most important habit. Our local library branch, The Maxwell Library, recently completed a renovation and is better than ever. Be sure to stop by over the break to check it out. The holiday hours can be found by looking at their web site. Want some suggestions for some great titles…read on:

Life in Motion by Misty Copeland –This beautiful memoir tells the story of an unlikely ballerina who rises from an impoverished family to become the only African American soloist dancing with the prestigious American Ballet Theatre. Ms. Copeland’s progression from the barre of a local Boys and Girls Club, to a summer scholarship to study in New York City and finally to the corps of ABT will leave you breathless. Her “life in motion” will inspire you to live your own dream with grit and determination.

Zoom: How Everything Moves: From Atoms and Galaxies to Blizzards and Bees by Bob Berman  When you think about it, our world is full of natural motion. Berman examines the “how” of motion starting with the earth’s rotation, to the trajectory of a baseball and everything in between. The Amazon review of this book says the author writes “with an entertaining style and a gift for distilling the wondrous.

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

Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck – Dr. Dweck is a professor of psychology at Stanford University and is the leader in the field of social psychology. Her groundbreaking work, told in easy to read language, proves that our mindset is the most critical factor in accomplishing any goal. A great family read! 

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens – I always include this classic story on my annual list. The true meaning of Christmas is well-known to all of us through the many movie versions. The book, however, is so much more poignant and moving with scenes that just can’t be captured on film. Think your children are too old to be read a story aloud? Try this one…the Lozier children’s all-time favorite. (I love the version illustrated by Roberto Innocencti.)

On behalf of everyone here at CMS, I wish you a wonderful holiday season! 

We Celebrate Learning! 
Beth

Follow us on Twitter @camillusmiddle  

January 3, 2017 – First day back at school after Holiday Recess
January 11, 2017 – PTO Meeting at WGHS in the LGIR – 6:00 pm
January 16, 2017 – No School – Martin Luther King Day
January 30, 2017 – No School – Professional Development Day
January 31, 2017 – First day of the Second Semester (A Day)
January 31, 2017 – Got Growth Mindset Presentation at WGMS at 6:30 pm

October Message

Progress Reports Are Available

The first 5 week progress report is now available to view through Schooltool. Follow these steps:



• Click on “GRADES” tab
• On “View” box- drop down to Marking Period Grades 
• On “FOR” box -drop down to Marking Period 1

Look here for all progress report and marking period grades for the 2016-17 school year. If you experience any difficulty please contact Nancy Boise at nboise@westgenesee.org or call 672-8183. 

PTO NEWS

Thank you to everyone who joined the PTO this year! We still have several committees where volunteers are needed: 

Shared Decision Making – 4 meeting per year which start at 2:15 pm
Spirt Wear Coordinator – Work with vendor, collect & disperse orders
High School Liaison – Attend WGHS and CMS PTO meetings
Parent Curriculum Information Council – Meets 5 times per year at 7:00 pm
8th Grade Celebration – June 22nd – organize student celebration
Budget Vote Reminder Callers – Make approximately 15 call on May 15

If you are able to help or if you want more information please contact one of our co-presidents: Pearlene Amica at pearlene.amica@gmail.com or Kim Kemp at kimkemp@twcny.rr.com. Thank you in advance for helping support our school! It’s going to be the best year ever! 
Principal’s Message 

With the incredibly beautiful summer weather extending into fall, it is hard to believe that we are rushing toward the end of October. The first five week mark is a perfect time to review with your child what behaviors are contributing to their success in the classroom and where they might want to set some goals for improvement. We know from experience that using a planner to stay organized and short bursts of review of new material at home (especially in French and Spanish) have a big return on investment. Our teachers are always available to speak with you about your child’s progress here at CMS. Please call the Guidance Department to schedule a time to come in or speak by phone at 672-8381. 

At our first PTO meeting last week I updated everyone on some new initiatives we have happening this school year. These have all come to pass because of our dynamic and committed teachers who are always looking to improve what we offer our students.

Grade 6 – The Positivity Project: The project’s motto is Other People Matter. Our students are learning about positive character strengths in themselves and others. Through fun and relevant lessons, students are gaining an awareness of how their actions, words and thoughts influence the world around them. Students have already worked with curiosity, kindness and fairness. 
  
Grade 7 – Enterprise America: This program involves several weeks of classroom lessons which prepares students to take over a city for a day which is located in WCNY’s Education Center in downtown Syracuse. This experiential learning opportunity has been around for many years across the USA, but this is the first of its kind in CNY. Students will assume a whole variety of jobs that make a community run. Please return your permission slip as soon as possible.
  
Grade 8 – Pay It Forward: Students will be reading the YA version of Catherine Ryan Hyde’s best-selling novel which was adapted as a movie several years ago. Students will learn that their efforts can be channeled into making their home and community a better place.

Mark your calendar now for our annual musical production on November 4th and 5th. The Little Mermaid and her friends will be swimming, dancing and singing on our stage. Our Student Council will be sponsoring our Halloween Costume Contest on October 31st. Students can wear school appropriate costumes for judging during homeroom. Prizes are awarded at each grade level. 

We Celebrate Learning! 
Beth
Beth Anne Lozier
Follow us on Twitter @CamillusMiddle

October 26 – Picture Retake Day
October 28 – Halloween Dance/Open Gym (grades 6,7,8) 6:00-8:00 pm (Costumes Optional) 
November 3 – String Fest Grades 7-12- 7:30 pm at WGHS
November 4 – Wildcat Pride Friday – Wear Your Blue and Gold! 
November 11 – School closed in observance of Veteran’s Day
November 18 – Report Cards carried home by students
November 18- 3:3 Basketball Tournament (grades 6,7,8) 2:10-4:00 pm