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TYRRELL MIDDLE SCHOOL
NEWSLETTER
APRIL 2014
From the Desk of Mrs. Tansley, Principal
The end of the school year is quickly approaching. We are in full swing
with the new SBAC testing. Grade 8 students began their testing on
Monday, April 28th
. Our new computer lab and additional computers in
the media center have enabled us to accommodate this new testing format
with ease. It will take some time before we are totally up to speed with the
electronic format and curricular requirements of SBAC, but we are making
progress and will hopefully be ready for the full blown assessment next
spring. The curricular adjustments that we made this year should put
students where they need to be to begin the 2014/2015 school year in terms
of SBAC content.
The end of the year is a very busy time for everyone. Please refer to the
calendar on the wolcottps.org website. I try to keep this up to date with
Tyrrell events from the Grade 8 graduation ceremony to the Grade 7
Charm Day. If you have questions about anything on the calendar please
contact me. I will be happy to share information about all of the events
listed on the calendar.
Attendance is a vital component for academic success. As the end of the
year is approaching it is essential that students meet their attendance
requirements. Students cannot exceed fifteen days of absence unless there
was a long term serious illness that required a number of days out of
school.
Let’s hope we have a warm and sunny spring,
Mrs. Tansley, Principal
APRIL - MAY:
Save the Date:
4/22 – PTO Meeting 7PM
4/22 – Spring Sports Photos
4/23 – Grade 7 P.E. to NYC
4/24 – TMS to WHS –Ryan’s
Story
4/25 – Gr.6 Team Hot Dog Roast
4/28-30 – TMS SBAC Testing
4/28 – BOE Meeting @ WHS
7:30PM
5/1 – CPEC Meeting – Media
Center 7PM
5/2 – Fundraiser Pick-Up
5/6 – Gr.6 H Reading Wolcott
Food Pantry
5/9 – Reading Award – Hartford
5/10 – Gr.6 Cosmic Cultures
Pequot Museum
5/12 – BOE Meeting 7:30pm
5/13 – NJHS Rehearsal
5/14 – NJHS Ceremony – 6:30pm
5/14 – TMS Marine Science Day
5/15 – P.E. Gr.8 Bushnell Theater
5/20 – PTO Meeting – 7PM
5/20 – Progress Reports
5/21 – Spring Chorus Concert -
7PM
5/22 – Gr.6 Rock Cats Stadium
5/22 – P.E. Gr.8 NYC Phantom
5/26 – No School – Memorial Day
5/27 – BOE Meeting – 7:30pm
5/27-30 – Gr.8 Washington D.C.
Trip
5/30 – Gr.7 Class Charm Day
2
Grade 6 Spring News
Save the Date: On Thursday, May 22, 2014, the 6th graders will be attending a
New Britain Rock Cats day game as part of a baseball curriculum unit. Permission slips are due back on Wednesday, May 30th.
Spring Cleaning and Effort Reminders:
This is a great time of year to refresh supplies: binders, pens, pencils, etc… Some students continue to come to class without anything to write with. Try to be one of the many students prepared every day! With warmer weather already here, the 6th grade teachers want to remind all students to try their best to stay focused, control their behavior, and put forth their best effort on their assignments. We would like to see a strong effort completing quality homework & ample studying for assessments.
Team Read Reminder:
Those students that achieve Hall of Fame status for the 3rd MP were treated to a hot dog roast in the outdoor picnic area on April 25th. The 4th MP Team Read Hall of Fame reward will include pizza and be held at Woodtick Recreation on June 19th. Be sure to have your child turn in their signed Team Read recording sheet after each book they read.
Happy Spring from the Diamond and Platinum Teachers!
3
The students in Mrs. Uccello’s reading classes have been studying a unit on figurative language,
and since April is “Poetry Month” they decided to make it even more exciting! They let poetry leap
off the pages and into their real life experiences by studying figurative language in song! The
students spent weeks listening to music, watching music videos, screening and dissecting lyrics, and
making storyboards. They then completed the process of creating their own videos to demonstrate
their new found understanding of how figurative language is not just in poetry and books, but in the
music they listen to on a daily basis!
Some of the projects will be put on our school website once they are completed. Please take the
time to watch them, appreciate the student’s hard work, dedication to learning, and enjoy some
good tunes!
After studying an informative unit on “Homelessness”, Mrs. Uccello’s honor students took a trip to
the Bristol Salvation Army (soup kitchen) to better comprehend this unfortunate dilemma first hand.
The students collected blankets, warm clothes, toiletries, games and stuffed animals to bring with
them to donate. While there, they helped sort food in the pantry, prepare the lunch, serve to the
individuals who arrived, and clean up at days end. It was a heartwarming as well as eye opening
experience for them all. It was a fantastic way to end the unit by connecting all they learned to real
life situations. As their teacher, I have to say I was proud of each and every one of them for their
efforts and compassion they showed to those less fortunate.
4
This past month, Mrs. Rosa’s Language Arts classes have been busy analyzing poetry, especially
poems by Robert Frost and Carl Sandburg. We’ve been looking for figurative language such as
metaphors and personification, as well as theme, word choice, explicit and implicit meaning, and
speaker’s point of view. Additionally, we’ve been analyzing our favorite songs for figurative
language of all kinds and made our own presentations in the computer lab, highlighting these
figures of speech and poetic device to present to the class. We heard and analyzed songs from The
Beatles and Coldplay to Katy Perry and Adele.
We have also been in the computer labs on several occasions practicing for the SBAC (Common
Core) ELA test and performance task we will be taking in May.
Honors Reading classes just completed the novel, Number the Stars by Lois Lowry and had some
great discussions about how the characters deal with the Nazi occupation of their home country of
Denmark in the early 1940’s. They are beginning Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt in literature
circles and will be asked to think about if they had a chance to live forever, would they make that
choice and what the consequences would be.
Level 2 students are reading the novel, Holes by Louis Sachar in literature circles and will be
analyzing how the characters change throughout the course of the story and its many unraveling
events. All literature circles will require students to read, answer critical thinking questions, and
discuss the meaning of context vocabulary words in small groups. Some of the readings for these
novels were done at home as well.
Tyrrell held its annual 6th Grade Spelling Bee on April 8 in the TMS auditorium. 20
finalists participated in the 3rd
round of the spelling bee: Jade Brennan, Collin Casey,
Alexis Charette, Sarah Demasi, Elizabeth Diorio, Jillian Kiazim, Riley Martin,
Antonio Mathison, Ariana Nanfito, Victoria Panasci, Samuel Perrin, Daniel
Podzunas, Ariana Prete, Noah Ryan, Sophia Sarlo, Brianna Shea, Michaela Vaughn,
Brandon Wallas, Vincent Shang, and Madison Zynda.
Sophia Sarlo came in 1st place and Jillian Kiazim was runner-up.
Congratulations - great job!
5
On April 11th the 7th grade participated in the 7th Annual Greek Day celebration!
Students experienced a fun-filled day composed of various activities designed to expose students to ancient Greek culture – the topic of study during the month of March. In the morning students will compete in structural engineering feats.
Students took part in an interactive presentation in the auditorium entitled “Chariot of the Sun” performed by Jeff Beniot. Following this performance, students participated in events modeled after the ancient Greek Olympics. In preparation for this event, the Marble and Granite teams arranged for shirts to be printed with the winning design created by Collin Lagasse. Each homeroom will be represented by a color and a symbol from Greek history.
During the closing ceremony the first, second and third place finishers for each event were awarded medals or certificates. Mrs. Werenko’s homeroom won bragging rights as this year’s Greek Day Champions!
In science, students are now focusing on one of the most complicated animals on Earth…the
human being. During our unit on the human body, students will explore various organ systems.
We started our unit by exploring the manner in which the human body is organized and the ways in
which the body tries to maintain constant internal body conditions. We then moved on to the
skeletal and muscular systems and how these two systems work together to allow our bodies to
move. Shortly we will be studying the digestive system and exploring how our bodies break down
the food we eat in order to gain energy and raw materials our cells need. Lastly, our focus will be
on the circulatory and respiratory systems and how these two systems work in unison to bring every
cell in our body all the substances they need on a daily basis.
In writing, students have been working hard on their argument skills. We have been reading
about various topics and current events from multiple sources and debating in class about each
topic. Students have been reviewing the SBAC and how the skills we have learned in class are
tested online. Students have also learned about author’s perspective and bias looking at ways
authors show perspective in their writing. In class, students have been working on editing/revising
techniques using their own creative pieces.
Reading classes recently finished reading “Bargain” by A.B. Guthrie. With this short story,
students focused on analysis of a character based on evidence within the text. The characters of Al,
Mr. Baumer, and Slade provided a rich resource for exploring specific character traits based on how
an author develops a character. Students continue to self-select SSR books and read every day in
class. They keep track of what is happening and how they feel about the book with a chart and
codes. Finally, reading students have ventured into the realm of poetry. We started by looking at
song lyrics and talking about how they are actually poems put to music. “Wonderful” by Everclear
6
provided the opportunity for students to recognize rhyme, repetition, and a story within lyrics. We
will focus on key elements of poetry and analysis of poems.
In April, students continued to work on their Geometry unit. Most recently students learned
how to apply the Pythagorean Theorem to right triangles which then allowed them to solve multi-
step problems. For many students, this was their first encounter with solving multi-step
equations. We discussed the processes involved and talked about the relationship between a
balance scale and an equation. “Whatever is done to one side must be done to the other.” Students
have also learned how to use the mathematical number “pi” to determine area and circumference of
circles and irregular figures. Most students will be concluding the school year with the study of
integers and simple equations while others will learn about linear equations and graphing lines.
In Social Studies, students have been studying ancient Greece, beginning with the
development of the first city-states, the Trojan War, and various Greek myth and legends. Students
also compared and contrasted the cultures of Athens and Sparta. In addition, students will be
studying the Persian Wars, the Golden Age of Athens, the empire of Alexander the Great and
participating in Greek Day. Students attended the performance of an authentic Greek storyteller
where Greek myths such as Pandora's Box are performed with the participation of the students.
Greek Day was a huge success and a big congrats goes out to Mrs. Werenko's homeroom for
winning the event! Students will be moving on to learning about The Roman Empire in our next
Chapter.
Social Studies
This month we have been studying the fundamental ideas of our Constitution. Students have had a
chance to explore the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation and the process by which these issues are
addressed at the Constitutional Convention. We had the opportunity to “meet” some people from the past in
a role-playing activity and exposed ourselves to the many view about the best form of government and
whether or not people should be trusted to govern. In the coming weeks, students will detail the process of
how a bill becomes a law and how the Constitution is amended. We will also be preparing for our trip to
DC! It will be so exciting to see our government in action!
Language Arts
This month Pearl Team reading classes just began a unit of study on drama focusing on
Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice and how theater has changed since primitive times. Students also are
studying drama terms such as stage directions, monologue, soliloquy, aside, and props. They are working
very hard developing strategies and techniques to successfully read and respond to Shakespeare’s work The
Merchant of Venice. Writing classes are focusing on vocabulary, phrases, and verbals. In addition, we are
still working hard on perfecting our argumentative and expository writing. We look forward to continued
growth in all our students.
Science
8th grade science students on both Onyx and Pearl teams continue to expand their knowledge base in
physics as they finish the year with a variety of laboratory activities revolving around motion, forces and
work. Experimentation emphasizing speed, acceleration and the forces that contribute to them will be
Onyx
Team
7
ongoing. Students will also be looking at how Newton’s Laws of Motion influence rockets and
satellites. Continuing to use their scientific processing and inquiry skills, students will look at the factors that
allow what, how and why matter is able to move the way it does and how it relates to us in our community
and the world.
Mathematics
Pre-Algebra students have been performing well with using the distributive property, and simplifying
expressions by combining like terms. We have also been working hard on developing our skills with solving
multi-step equations and equations with variables on both sides. Students are now demonstrating their ability
to translate word problems into equations and then applying their skills of solving equations. We will soon
begin our next unit of study on functions.
Algebra I students are in the middle of a unit of study on factoring. This is an essential skill that they
will use regularly in their future math courses of study. The students have been working hard and we will
continue to develop understandings of important Algebra I concepts including Quadratics in the fourth
quarter.
Our general mathematics class has been working with ratios and proportions and is currently
working on applying their understanding of proportions to similar figures. From hear we will be working on
the Distributive property and solving multi-step equations.
The Reading classes are continuing the drama unit with William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of
Venice. Throughout this unit, students will be learning about the history of theater, Shakespeare’s
life, times, language and theater, along with specific drama terms that they will need to know in
high school. In Writing, students are continuing their vocabulary acquisition and learning new
grammar and usage rules.
With the completion of the science CMT’s, Onyx team students can take a step back and be proud
of what they have accomplished this year so far! They have worked very hard in preparation for the
test and will continue to expand their knowledge base in physics. Currently in the “Motion and
Force” segment of the year, students are looking forward to the many labs that emphasize speed,
acceleration and the forces that contribute to them. Continuing to use their scientific processing
skills, students will discover the factors that allow what, how and why matter is able to move the
way it does and how it relates to us in the world.
This month the Onyx team social studies classes will be focusing on our Constitution unit. Students
are gaining a better understanding of the importance of the Constitution in American society and
will analyze the fundamentals of our United States government. In addition, they will be focusing
on the effects of the Bill of Rights on their individual freedoms. The students will also be creating
new amendments that they feel would benefit modern society. Once the Constitution unit is
complete, we will be discussing the effects of westward expansion and the growth of industry on
U.S. history.
8
Pre-Algebra students have been working on percentages, so the next time you go out for dinner ask
them to calculate the tip! We have also been working on solving equations to help get ready for
Algebra.
Our Algebra classes have been working on simplifying radicals…we love to say radical!
Congratulations to the Onyx Team’s March student of the month Amber Belval.
Keep up the great work!
The following students received Onyx Team Conduct Credits for the month of
March:
Matt DiBrino, Madison Faulds, Mike Fraser,
Bella Lago, Justin Thibeau
Project Explore News
Project Explore students in grades 6,7 and 8 are breathing a sigh of relief now that the national
SIGMA Math League challenge has ended. This competition presented challenging and sometimes
frustrating math problems aimed at fostering higher order thinking skills in solving real-world math
problems. After five difficult heats, we can now congratulate our TMS winners:
Gr. 6 - 1st Place - Joshua Leonetti 2nd Place - Vincent Zheng
Gr. 7 - 1st Place - Matthew Iasevoli 2nd Place - Karissa Andro
Gr. 8 - 1st Place - Alex Hale 2nd Place - Joshua Lavallee
The 2014 Stock Market Game also proved to be a nail-biter right down to the last day’s closing
bell. The eighth grade investors analyzed daily economic reports and company profiles, and agonized
over which stocks to buy and sell - and when. Student assets fluctuated over the course of four weeks as
students tried to best one another’s earnings. On the last day of trading, Makayla Iarrapino cashed out as
this year’s Wall Street Tycoon with a total gain of $30,020.83!!
Look for news of the 2014 American Scholastic Achievement League Challenge in the next
newsletter. Results will be in by the first week of May!
9
FEBRUARY BOX TOP WINNER
HOME ROOM 210 – MS. TROVATO
MARCH BOX TOP WINNER
HOME ROOM 312 – MRS. RUTLEDGE
PHYSICAL EDUCATION: MRS. KRUSEWSKI
All 6th
, 7th
, and 8th
grade students are participating in a flag football unit during the month of May.
Students will practice fundamental skills including throwing and catching. Students will learn basic
position play and strategic game play leading up to small sided 7 vs 7 games.
MUSIC: MRS. JONES
On April 4th
and 5th
, The Tyrrell Drama club presented Alice in Wonderland Jr. 65 students were in
the cast and crew. Both shows sold out, and the students did a wonderful job.
The chorus and band students are busy preparing for their concerts. They have been working on
repertoire from various genres, from medieval music to pop songs! The chorus concert is on May
21st at 7:00 pm, and the band concert is on June 4
th at 7:00 pm. We hope to see you there!
10
May is Better Hearing and Speech Month
Did you know that May is “Better Hearing and Speech Month”?
Each May, “Better Hearing and Speech Month” provides an
opportunity to raise awareness about communication disorders and
the role of speech-language pathologists in providing life-long
treatment. The WPS Speech-Language Department has created a
page on the Wolcott Public School website that provides an
explanation of our role in the education of our students and has
several links to some valuable parent resources. Please take a look
and see what we’re all about!
World Language News March was World Language Month at Tyrrell Middle School and, in observance, students were able to
participate in several events. For two Mondays and two Fridays in March students had the opportunity to
answer trivia questions that were read during the morning announcements. One winner was chosen for each
day and received a prize. Students submitted a poster or collage depicting this year’s theme: World
Languages: Common Core to Communication and were entered into a contest for iTunes and Barnes &
Noble gift cards. And the winners are…
Poster Contest 1st Place – Raven Cody 2nd Place - Wenting Zheng 3rd Place - Taylor Crutchfield Collage Contest 1st Place - Julia Williams 2nd Place - Anthony Ligi 3rd Place - Michael Santopietro
To culminate World Language Month, a Food Fair was held on April 2 in the
cafeteria after school. Some countries represented were Spain, Italy, France,
Albania, Greece, Portugal, Ireland, and many others. Thanks to students and
parents for participating in this delicious, cultural event.
In 6th grade Spanish classes, students completed a unit on families, including
learning about describing possession and relationships. They also compared
and contrasted our families with families from Mexico. Students created their
own “Famous Families” and presented them to the class.
In 7th grade Spanish classes, students learned how to describe themselves and others through the use of the
verb ser and adjectives. They designed Jardines de la conjugación (conjugation gardens) to practice
conjugating regular –AR verbs.
11
In 8th grade Spanish 2 classes, students finished a mini unit on fruits and batidos or smoothies. Students
made their own colorful, specialty drink giving it a creative name. They also enjoyed tasting different juices
as part of a dialogue assessment. We are now beginning our new unit on food! Students will discover and
learn about authentic Ecuadorian and Latin American food and how to order a meal in a restaurant. This is
an exciting chapter!
In 6th grade French classes, students learned how to identify various family members. They will complete a
project in which they have to use either their real family, or create an imaginary one, and give information in
French about the different members of that family. Students will soon begin on a unit about animals. They
will learn vocabulary related to animals and how to describe them, as well how the animal sounds are
translated in French. Students will listen to various French songs about animals such as Alouette and learn
the English translation to those songs.
In 7th grade French classes, students have learned how to conjugate the irregular verb avoir. They have been
using this verb, along with telling time, to express their likes/dislikes, and to talk about their class schedules.
They will soon be using what they have learned to create their ideal school schedule completely in French.
In 8th grade French, students have recently learned how to express what their hobbies and interests are. They
have also been learning about the use of adverbs and contractions in French, as well as the various ways to
ask a question. Students have also reviewed the months, seasons, and weather. As part of this unit, they have
been looking at current weather maps of France, learning how to read them and to convert Celsius
temperatures into Fahrenheit and vice versa. They will soon begin a unit on Paris and food.
DIAMOND TEAM PLATINUM TEAM
HAYLEY FORREST
GRACE STEARNS
GRANITE TEAM MARBLE TEAM
MATTHEW IASEVOLI
JACOB CONNER
PEARL TEAM ONYX TEAM
ALEN BOSNIC
BRENDAN MANZOLLI
JOYAS (GEMS) TEAM
JUSTIN PAWLAK LEJLA LICINA FIONA SI LIU
SILVER TEAM
KAILYN LAWLOR ALI MARINGOLA WENTING ZHENG
12
DIAMOND TEAM PLATINUM TEAM
EJRON ZULAI
NOAH RYAN
GRANITE TEAM MARBLE TEAM
JULIANNA SCOTT
ADRIANA BIRD
PEARL TEAM ONYX TEAM
ANA CAKA
AMBER BELVAL
JOYAS (GEMS) TEAM
MEGAN HENDRICKSON ALYSON GAROFALO ALYSSA GORMAN
SILVER TEAM
LUCIANO GUERRERA ALEX CONROY JUSTIN OLIVEIRA
C O U N S E L O R S O
R
N
E
R
Tyrrell students have been busy preparing for the upcoming SBAC testing which will
take place at the end of April to the beginning of May.
In preparation for the Ryan’s Story program and to get in the spring spirit, students
helped to decorate the cafeteria. A blast or color and nature were added to the walls and
students reflected on the value of life by creating clouds to hang as well. On April 24, 2014
John Halligan, father of the late Ryan Halligan, delivered an inspirational and powerful
message about bullying to the Tyrrell Middle School student body and faculty. Please ask
your child about this program! In addition students viewed the documentary on Zach Sobiech,
a high school aged young man who died from a rare form of cancer. His story and the ways in
which he lived his final days of life was beyond courageous and admirable. To learn further
about these two young men, click on the links below.
Ryan’s Story- http://www.ryanpatrickhalligan.org/
Zach Sobiech- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NjKgV65fpo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLhUS_QjcZY
Applications for the 2014 State Youth Employment Program have come in and are available in
guidance. All applicants must be 14 by June 30, 2014. In order for applicants to be approved
for this program, students must meet the requirements for income eligibility or receive special
education services. For further information, follow the link below. Applications must be
turned in to the school guidance department by MAY 10, 2014.
http://www.nrwib.org/filestorage/746/wtby_SYEP_App_and_Instructions_2014.pdf
Elizabeth Buzzelli Meghan Azzara
Tyrrell School Counselor Tyrrell School Counselor
13
TYRRELL RESPECT
The following students earned respect bracelets at school during the month of
March.
Grade 6
Emily Veronesi Justin Swanson Izzy Simpson Hayley Romaniello
Adrien McNeil Camryn Brissette Justin Swanson Alex Fishbein
Madison Daddona Hannah Francisco Andy Chancio Rachel Collins
Jon Sokolowski Brandon Wallas Jacob Prete Taylor Pattek
Grace Sterns Alicia Vilar Roberta Munro Cody McDonald
Rose Bannon-Woods Alec Blaszczyk David Dostaler Connor Holderbach
Alexis Charette Leah Coelho Vincent Malena Joe Mancini
Jillian Kiazim Kailyn Lawlor Noah Ryan Michael Santopietro
Emily Muccino Christian Platt Rob Rubbo Vincent Zheng
Nick Scaglione Brianna Shea Christopher LeBeau Jake Paolino
Madison Zynda Jade Brennan Andja Demiray Kaylee Egan
Antonio Mathison Navab Naseri Sebby Nanfito Logan Lussier
Jillian Lanese Madison Berthold Brooke Tracey Erin Hughes
Tom Marciano Blerta Schpati Mike Mazas Erion Zulali
Abby Sullivan Shannon Burby Patrick Stempert
Grade 7
Jeremy Melenciano Alex Desaulniers Lejla Cirikovic Maya Chance
Grade 8
John Maldonado Bella Lago Hannah Reynolds Alex Martinez
Arber Nasufi Amber Belval John Maldonado Layna Outler
Justin Rockhill David Lofgren
14
PTO PTO MEETING DATES:
PTO PTO meetings will be held in the TMS Large
Group Room on the third Tuesday of the
Month at 7PM beginning in September.
September 17, 2013 in Auditorium
October 22, 2013
November 19, 2013
December 17, 2013
January 21, 2014
February 18, 2014
March 18, 2014
April 22, 2014
May 20, 2014
June 17, 2014
Boar BOARD Of EDUCATION MEETINGS
All Board of Education meetings will
be held on the second & fourth
Mondays of the month. All meetings
begin at 7:30pm.
September 9th
@ WHS
September 23
@ WHS
October 15th
@ WHS
October 28th
@ WHS
November 12th
@ WHS
December 9th
@ WHS
January 13th
@ Alcott
February 10th
@ Frisbie
February 24th
@ Tyrrell
March 10th
@ Wakelee
March 24th
@ WHS
April 7th & 28th
@ WHS
May 12th
& 27th
@ WHS
June 9th
& 23 @ WHS
PROMOTION POLICY Please note that the following promotion policy is in effect:
A student may fail no more than (1) major subject (reading, writing, mathematics, science,
social studies, world language) per academic year. Furthermore, a student may fail no more
than one (1) enrichment subject (art, band, chorus, family & consumer science, music,
physical education, technology education, etc.). An 8th
–grade student must pass reading,
writing, and mathematics to be promoted to the high school (5123a). The final decision for
promotion will rest with the principal who will make his/her decision (5123).
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