Things are hopping at West
Genesee Middle School. In addition to be being Halloween and having the end of
the first ten weeks upon us, there is a lot going on as we head into November.
Our students and faculty are working very hard, adjusting instruction and
learning to match some of the changes brought on by the adoption of the Common
Core Learning Standards (CCLS). I am seeing incredible things going on
instructionally in classroom tied to teaching tiered vocabulary, reading and
writing in the content area, and putting students in situations in which they
have to communicate, collaborate, think critically, and use technology seamlessly
as part of their learning. Those are keys to college and career readiness as
our students move onto the high school and into the real world. Kudos to our
faculty and staff for their collective efforts at working through the many
changes that have come our way!
Our fall sports seasons are
coming to an end, rehearsal for the musical “Yes, Virginia” is in high gear,
and concert season is underway as students in band, orchestra, and chorus will
be performing on a stage near you. We are very proud of all of our students for
their effort and commitment to extracurricular activities. We should all take
great pride in the incredible talents that our young people have.
Here are some other successes
that I want to celebrate:
Camillus
Optimist Youth Award
Every year we recognize two of
our students who exemplify the qualities of responsibility, character, school
spirit, dedication, academic achievement, and involvement in middle school.
Students are nominated by teachers and nominations are then carefully reviewed
before selecting our recipients. This year the 2012-2013 Camillus Optimist
Students of the Year for West Genesee Middle School are Johna Halko and Mark
Kopp. These two outstanding young people will be recognized at Gilfillan’s
restaurant during an awards ceremony on November 13th.
Congratulations and well deserved!
District
Spelling Bee
Congratulations and good luck to ten
of our students who will be representing WGMS at the District Spelling Bee on
Tuesday, November 6th. Our fantastic ‘Wildcat Spellers’ are:
Noah Annable
Nick Cantello
Sarah Church
Brennan Costello
Russell Graziano
Kenny Holmes
Zac Kowalski
Jason Loustaunau
Collin Puchta
Thi Tran
Teacher
in Space
West
Genesee Middle School Technology teacher Dan Howard was one of 200 teachers chosen
to participate June 24th to June
28th in the Honeywell
Educators at the Space Academy at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in
Huntsville, Alabama this past summer. Mr. Howard has already been able to bring
back some of his experiences and infuse them into his instructional practices
in technology class. Click on the link to read a very well written article on
Mr. Howard’s experience: http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2012/10/space_center_program_inspires.html
SAVE THESE DATES
Family
Fun Night
This Friday, November 2nd
we will have our annual PTA Family Fun Night at West Genesee Middle School from
7:00 PM until 8:30 PM. This year features an entertaining and high-flying
basketball game between the WGMS Faculty and members of the Camillus Police
Department. In addition to the basketball game, the PTA is also
sponsoring a book fair. This is a great opportunity to support our PTA and
thank the Camillus Police Department for their service to our community.
Practices have been going well and I think ‘Team Wildcat’ is ready.
Curriculum
Night
On Thursday, November 15th
we will be having our first Curriculum Night at West Genesee Middle School. The
purpose of the evening is to provide parents with an overview of the changes in
Mathematics and ELA tied to the adoption of the Common Core Learning Standards
(CCLS). This is not the math class that you and I sat in! In addition, parents
will experience the Olweus kick-off event that our students went through
earlier in October. This evening will provide parents with an inside look at
what your children are experiencing at school, as well as offering parents
suggestions and tools to help them better support their students at home. This
is going to be a very worthwhile evening.
‘Yes,
Virginia!’ Musical
Friday, November 16th
at 7:00 PM and Saturday, November 17th at 2:00 PM will be the two
showings of our middle school musical ‘Yes,
Virginia!’. Our students have been working very hard and the show is coming
together very nicely. This will be a wonderful showcase for the many talented
students who are involved both on stage and behind the scenes.
As I mentioned, there is a lot
going on at WGMS and a lot for us to celebrate and be thankful for. Thank you
for your continued involvement and support. I hope to see you at Family Fun
Night, Curriculum Night and at one of the showings of our musical. Be safe out
there tonight ‘trick or treating’.
Continued Success,
Steve Dunham
