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S.A.T.

WORD OF THE WEEK: Deduce
 
 DEFINITION: To derive as a conclusion from something known or assumed.
 
 QUOTE OF WEEK: "Try to help someone every day." - Anonymous
  
UPCOMING EVENTS:
8th Grade Spring Concert - May 16, 2012 - 7:00 pm
7th Grade Spring Concert - May 21, 2012 - 7:00 pm
National Junior Honor Society Induction - May 22, 2012 - 7:00 pm
6th Grade Spring Concert - May 23, 2012 - 7:00 pm
School Closed - May 25-May 29, 2012
 
2012 End of Year Letter with Final Exam Schedule
Please click here to access our end of the year letter with the final exam schedule attached.
 
Congratulations on receiving tenure!
The Plainedge Middle School faculty and staff wish to congratulate Principal, Mr. DeRiso, Jessica Yedwab, Danielle Ruccia, Michael Czachor and Kiki Anderson, on receiving tenure at the May 10th Board of Education Meeting, pictured above with Laura Pokorny, President of the PFT, Board President, Catherine Flanagan and Superintendent Dr. Edward A. Salina, Jr.
 
Plainedge Middle School 8th grader
receives national recognition
8th Grade student, Kelly Sweeney, has  been selected by the United States Achievement Academy Scholarship Foundation for Excellence in Mathematics.  She has also been selected to be honored as an All-American Scholar, an elite group which recognizes less than 10% of students.  Congratulations!
  
 

 

 
Plainedge Middle School Talent Show
On Friday,  April 20th, Plainedge Middle School held our 2nd Annual Talent Show.  Thank you to Michael O'Malley, Peter O'Malley, Jesse Viteri, Jessica Karcz, Matthew Chung, Marina Sapeta, Lauren Szalay, Monaca Marquez, Camryn Harrison, Ryan D'Aversa, Matthew Dougherty, Matthew Schock, Aliyah Stutman, Hayfa Stutman, Samantha Talavera, Nicholas Ticali, Jade Nussbaum, Donovan Gilhooly, Alicia Biggin, Michael Bovino, Michael Gambardella, Sean Heffernan, Brandon Kane, Alec Marcus, Nicholas Placa and Nicholas Schleith for their incredible performances.  We had displays of karate, music solos, students playing instruments, as well as full band performances.  All students did a great job!  A special thank you goes out to Ms. Yedwab and Mr. Smith for all their help.  A special thank you also goes out to the students in the Citizenship Club who organized and ran the show.  The MC's for the evening were Diana Knoell and Anna Bassolino.
  
Yoga Class at Plainedge Middle School
Mrs. Kiernan and her 6th grade Math/Science classes enjoyed some rest and relaxation by practicing yoga.  The students brought towels and yoga mats to school and spent a class period unwinding and listening to meditative music.  Several times this school year, Mrs. Kiernan has practiced yoga with her students creating a relaxing, calming atmosphere for the children to decompress.  During State testing season, she incorporated yoga practice into the review schedule to help relieve test stress.  The children love "yoga days" and many students ask for meditative music to be played in the classroom.  Namaste!
 
  
Plainedge 7th Graders visit the Career Fair at Plainedge High School
 
The Middle School Guidance Counselors took a group of 7th grade students to the Career Fair at Plainedge High School on Friday, April 20th.  Students were able to meet with professionals from various career fields and acquire information which will help them to better prepare for their future endeavors.  The students had a great time and we are very proud of the way they represented Plainedge Middle School. 
 
Plainedge Middle School Students
Write Letters to the Troops
The Plainedge Middle School Student Council, with the guidance of High School student, Kevin White organized a project where all 6th, 7th and 8th grade students wrote letter to our troops.  The soldiers took the time to respond personally to the students' letters.  Their responses were inspiring!  Plainedge graduate, SrA Eric Gaertner, who is currently in the Air Force, wrote many heartfelt letters to our students.  The Student Council was excited to meet his mother, Susan, and his sister, Sara, to discuss this wonderful project which had such a great impact on our students.  Our pride in our country and Plainedge is stronger than ever!  (Pictured from right:  Sara Gaertner, Plainedge High School student and SrA Gaertner's sister, 8th grade students, Jeannine Zappia, Student Council advisor) 

 

 

Plainedge Middle School Students Participate in Essay Writing Contest 

Patriot's Pen, a youth essay writing contest is a nationwide competition sponsored by the VFW.  Yearly, more than 115,000 students participate in the contest.  Several of our students participated in this contest by composing a 300-400 word essay based on an annual patriotic theme which was "Are You Proud of Your Country?"  Valerie Cirisano, Zach DiMeglio, Thomas M. Moran, Jr., Kerri W. Farrell, Lauren M. Metzdorff, Nicholas F. Faber and Kayla Grace were selected as winners of the Butehorn Brothers VFW Post # 4987 Voice of Democracy essay contest. 
 
 
 
Middle School Sports Night 
  
   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 On Friday, March 23rd, the Middle School hosted Sports Night.  Plainedge students, faculty, administrators and families attended this event.  Sports Night is sponsored by Leaders Club, which is a community service organization that donates time and money to the school and community.  The students competed in various events including dances, obstacle courses, scavenger hunts and many more fun and exciting activities.  We would like to congratulate all of the teams who participated in this wonderful event!
 
    
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
Mr. Smith Named Nassau County Middle School Math Teacher of the Year
Plainedge Middle School is proud to announce that Mr. Brian Smith has been named Nassau County Middle School Math Teacher for 2012 by the Nassau County Mathematics Teachers Association! Mr. Smith has been recognized for this distinction because of his commitment to his students and his contributions to the field of mathematics education. Mr. Smith is an exemplary teacher with extraordinary strengths and an ability to relate to his students in a meaningful way. He understands the middle school child in a way that enables him to reach them at their level, earn their respect, and then take them to places they did not imagine they could go. Congratulations on this wonderful and well deserved achievement!

 

Plainedge Middle School's First Mural - "The Artist's Playground"
Under the direction of art teacher/club advisor, Ms. Nicole McEwan, five 8th grade students completed Plainedge Middle School’s first wall mural.  “The Artist Playground” was created by Morgan Andersen, Nicole Annunziata, Carissa Appierto, Matthew Dougherty and Jacqueline Gusman-Cabrera, which brought the viewer into a world where famous paintings go to play.  The mural was painted over the course of three months and the students were honored by family, friends, teachers and administrators as they unveiled their hard work on Thursday, March 15th.
 
8th Grade Chorus to Mary Poppins on Broadway
On March 21st, Mr. Vasic's 8th Grade Chorus spent the first half of the day participating in a Broadway Classroom Song/Movement Workshop under the direction of a theater vocal coach assisting them with the Mary Poppins musical medley that they will be performing at the spring concert.  The workshop also included two cast members creating choreography for the medley.  The rest of the day was spent enjoying the stage production of Mary Poppins.  It was a truly memorable experience that was educational, productive and entertaining for the students.
 
 
 
 

 

International Night
On Wednesday, March 14th, Ms. Camelliri's and Ms. Delaney's International Club celebrated their "International Night" at Plainedge Middle School. The evening was a great success! Performances by Ms. Yedwab's Chamber Orchestra, Mr. Vasic's Chorus NYSSMA students and Ballroom Dance Troupe, club members, Mr. Smith's and Nick Ticali's version of "Volare" and "Amore" were enjoyed by all. The entertainment was followed by an international buffet and attended by 250 people from our school and community.
 
New York State Assessment Schedule
Due to the late release of the New York State Testing Calendar, the grades 3-8 state assessments were not printed in the 2011-2012 district calendar. The dates for these assessments are listed below. Please note that each test is administered over three days.
 
Grades 3-8 English Language Arts (ELA): Tuesday, April 17, 2012 – Thursday, April 19, 2012
 
Grades 3-8 Mathematics: Wednesday, April 25, 2012 – Friday, April 27, 2012
 
Any questions you have may be addressed with your child’s teacher(s) or any of our administrative staff.
 
 
 
 
Fiddler on the Roof, Jr.
 
On Friday, February 10th and Saturday, February 11th, the Plainedge Middle School Drama Club presented their production of the classical musical, "Fiddler on the Roof, Jr.", directed by Brian Smith.  The show was a smash hit.  The cast was comprised of 56 talented middle school students, and the crew was made up of middle school students, high school students and teachers.  This was an incredible team effort and proved to be one of the most successful productions we have done.  Thanks to the cast, crew, teachers, parents and everyone else who supported us and made "Fiddler on the Roof, Jr." such a spectacular show. "To Life!"
 
 
 
 
 
 Gung Hay Fat Choy - Happy New Year

The Life Skills class, along with some of their fellow peers from their Art Class designed and created a mural. They decided to make the mural to continue their celebration of the Chinese New Year-  The Year of the Dragon. In addition, the Life Skills students went to a Chinese restaurant for lunch, prepared sesame noodles and fried rice in class and read and wrote about this holiday. Gung Hay Fat Choy to everyone!

 

 Middle School College Fair

On January 11th the Plainedge Middle School Guidance Department hosted its first 8th grade college fair. Many schools attended including SUNY Oswego, Molloy, Adelphi, Five Towns, St. Josephs, Utica, Marist, Johnson and Wales, and a representative from the CUNY colleges. The goal of our fair was to introduce our 8th grade students to college exploration and the admissions process. In doing so, we exposed our students to a number of schools that provided them with an understanding of the correlation between their current school performance and how this will affect their future. Our students represented Plainedge Middle School in a very positive and mature manner while gaining a great deal of knowledge about the college admissions process. We are very proud of our 8th grade students and we look forward to another successful college fair next year.

 

 

 Alexis McKeown Recognized by UCP

 The Council of Cerebral Palsy Auxiliaries awarded Alexis McKeown a Certificate of Appreciation on January 5th, 2012 in recognition of her outstanding service to people with disabilities.   On October 15th Alexis participated with other teens in UCPN’s annual “Buddy Baseball” game which is one of their biggest fundraisers.  Each teen had a physically challenged client as a “buddy”.  They worked together during the game pitching, batting, running the bases and fielding the ball.  Alexis has shown extraordinary qualities of understanding, patience and compassion.   Congratulations Alexis!  

 
Middle School Principal Dresses Up For Students and Serves Popcorn
 Mr. DeRiso challenged the sixth grade to a reading contest.   They would collectively read 314,159 pages over a four week period.  If they met this challenge Mr. DeRiso would dress up as a Tap Dancing Ukulele Playing Hobo and then treat them to popcorn and a movie.  Well as these pictures attest, the sixth grade won.  They read 392, 652 pages.  Mr. DeRiso spent the day dancing his heart out!   Congratulations to all of our sixth graders.
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Holiday Entertainment
The middle school Chamber Orchestra serenaded our students as they entered the building Friday morning.  The 6th, 7th, and 8th grade musicians played holiday music to greet their fellow students and to wish them a happy holiday.  The students performed under the direction of their teacher, Ms. Jessica Yedwab.  It was a delightful way to begin the day!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 PTA Reflections Contest
Nine of our students were recognized for their participation in the PTA Reflections Program. Students created projects in Visual Arts, Photography, Literature or Film to illustrate the topic "Diversity means…" Two students have been awarded regional finalist recognition and are now moving on to the state level. Mr. DeRiso congratulated the students for their hard work: Brian Parpan, Reanna Sacks, Carissa Appierto, Grace PIgott, Kayal Grace, Christina Faber, William Marshall, Lianna Goehring, and (not pictured) Matthew Dougherty. Congratulations to everyone who participated!
 


Holiday Magic
Holiday Magic sprinkled its snowflakes again on Plainedge Middle
School’s SADD Club.  Over 45 SADD Club members with 12 staff volunteers
made their annual journey to Target last Wednesday night to shop for 101
homeless children who had given them their “wish lists” through the “Holiday
Magic” foundation.  They spent over $8000 buying presents and then
wrapping them to be able to send them back to their respective homeless
shelters so that these children would be able to have a more joyous holiday
season.
 
 
Healthy Lunch Day
On December 14, 2011, Plainedge Middle School had its first
monthly “Get Caught Eating a Healthy Lunch Day”.  The activity was
sponsored by the Family and Consumer Science Department for all 6th
grade students during their lunch period.  Students chosen to be on the
“Healthy Lunch Squad” where  in the cafeteria looking for students eating
vegetables as part of a healthy lunch and  rewarded them with a small
prize.   Children were eating baby carrots, salads, green beans,
sliced cucumbers and tomatoes.  It was great to see lunch trays with
vegetables on them instead of French fries!   The activity was
developed to support the Foods and Nutrition unit taught in sixth grade Family
and Consumer Science classes and to encourage young people   to make
healthier food choices.   Students also learn about food groups,
nutrition labels, food safety and the necessary skills to prepare healthy
foods.
     
The PMS SADD Club donated $1000.00 to YES Counseling Center for all their great
work with adolescents in the Massapequa community.  The money was raised
at the “Say Boo To Drugs Dance” organized by the SADD Club during Red Ribbon
Week.  Mr. Mark Wenzel, the assistant director of YES accepted the check
during a SADD Club meeting and spoke to the club about his organization and all
the work that it does within our community.

 

TOYS FOR TOTS - On Friday, December 9th, the student council hosted the Toyful Holiday Dance. As part of admission, each student brought in a toy donation.  The marines came to our school and collected over 400 toys! Two vans were loaded with presents for children.
Thank you Plainedge for your generosity! Happy Holidays!


Spanish 8 Field Trip

On November 17th and 18th, PMS 8th grade Spanish students enjoyed a day of eating authentic Mexican food, watching and participating in traditional dances, speaking Spanish and preparing guacamole at Mangoes Restaurant. What a wonderful cultural experience.

Teachers Team Building

The Plainedge Middle School Faculty participated in a team building activity at their faculty meeting on Tuesday, November 1st.  The teachers, staff, and administration value the importance of creating a curriculum that is not only academically rigorous, but that incorporates social and emotional lessons that impact the educational experience of each and every child.   Many faculty members received training from middle school expert, Nancy Doda, over the part few years who specializes in creating a well-rounded curriculum that encompasses the beliefs that our Middle School has adopted.  We will be implementing these activities whenever possible in our classrooms to teach students the value of team work, communication, respect, and leadership, as well as many other important characteristics that we hope to foster in all of our students in Plainedge.  Here are some pictures from this week's faculty meeting of our teachers working together, as well as having some good old fashioned fun!"

 
Red Ribbon Week

 

The SADD Club supported by the PTA had another very successful Red Ribbon Week during the last week of October.  Some of the drug awareness activities included hanging a "Chain of Life" in the front foyer signed by every PMS student pledging to be drug-free.  Each day was a theme oriented dress day making students aware of their pledge.  The PTA bought rubber wrist bands for each student and had a poster contest with the theme being, "Color your World Drug-Free".  There was a Camfel multi-media assembly program called, "Get A Grip" for all students that centered around student responsibility and self control.  On Friday night, the SADD Club sponsored the first dance of the season, the "Say Boo To Drugs" dance which was a great success and $1000 of the proceeds of the dance will be donated to YES Counseling Center of Massapequa, an adolescent/family counseling center that has been so helpful to the youth of our community.

Sixth Graders Explore the World!
 The sixth grade students were visited on Tuesday October 25, 2011 by Michael Harrold photographer, world traveler, and amateur archeologist.  Mr. Harrold has visited 47 of our 50 United States and 80 countries throughout the world.  He took our students on an exciting adventure focusing on cultures around the world reminding all of us that what is on a person’s INSIDE is what is important.  The highlights of his presentation were his photographs and his stories about ancient Egypt.  Students viewed slides and examined artifacts from Mr. Harrold’s adventures.  Geography and history truly came alive at the Middle School!
 
Mix It Up Day
On Monday, October 3rd, the sixth grade students participated in the Student Council's annual MIX IT UP DAY! When students arrived at the cafeteria, they were given numbered tickets directing them to specific lunch tables for the day.  This gave students a chance to meet children from other teams, talk over lunch, and complete a fun activity.  Over one hundred children made new friends!
 

DRUMMING UP PARTICIPATION WITH ACTIVITIES FAIR

In an effort to increase student awareness and participation, Plainedge Middle School recently held its annual Student Activities Fair. Advisors from each of the school’s clubs coordinated booths and had student representatives available to answer any questions from interested new students. The fair offers a great opportunity for all students to be exposed to the many clubs and extracurricular offerings Plainedge has for its students.

Photo 1 – Eighth-grade members of the Robotics Team showcase a robot, which students in the club learn how to build and program themselves.

Photo 2 – Eighth-grade student Jordan Vinas signs up for participation in this year’s Mathletes. Club representative Nick Pugliano proudly holds last year’s first-place trophy.

 

 

 

 


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