Library class offers so many different learning opportunities! For example, Aimee Hardy’s IS third-graders recently completed another unit on internet safety. This includes conversations about the importance of being kind online, in addition to cyberbullying issues and what kinds of information they should keep private.
During this recent class, students learned about passwords and how to make unique ones that would be almost impossible for someone to figure out and use to access their data. Students were tasked with coming up with a phrase (as a password) that means something to them, such as “SAVE THE MANATEES.” Then, they were shown how to substitute letters with numbers and symbols to make their password becomes even more secure. So “SAVETHEMANATEES" becomes "5@w37n3W&u@t335."
Now they have a really great password that is hard to crack, and one that they can remember. Ask them about this!
Lillian Preziosi’s Otisville fifth-graders, like all district fifth-graders, are studying ocean ecosystems as part of their science lessons.
During their recent CKLA Grade 5 Pilot Unit “Lesson 1: Introducing Ocean Ecosystems and Their Inhabitants,” students explored the diversity of animal and plant life within six ocean ecosystems.
When an image was displayed, students brainstormed about the characteristics of the ecosystem and then took turns recording their observations. And after reading Chapter 1, they worked together to identify unique characteristics of each ecosystem (coral reefs, kelp forests, estuaries, mangrove forests, the open ocean and the deep sea) by looking closely at their biotic and abiotic features. They had a great time collaborating and learning together…and collaboration is an important life skill!
In an ecosystem, biotic factors are the living organisms (like plants, animals, and bacteria), while abiotic factors are the non-living, physical and chemical components (like sunlight, water, and soil)
TODAY IS EARTH DAY!
Today’s gorgeous weather and temperatures was the perfect opportunity for Jessica Kahn’s/Julia Ferguson’s and AnneMarie Guido’s Otisville kindergarteners to spend some time outside enjoying the outdoors and appreciating nature and the sunshine. Erica Alders’/Alexa Roach’s fifth-graders and Rachel Sebold's third-graders did the same, too, along with a very cool Earth Day-related scavenger hunt!
Earth Day is an annual event celebrated on April 22 that focuses on raising awareness and promoting environmental protection. It's a time to demonstrate support for the environment, with a wide range of events coordinated globally to encourage action and behavioral changes to protect the planet!
Understanding digraph sounds is an important ELA skill for kindergarteners! Digraph sounds are important because they are two letters that come together to make a completely new sound such as (/th/, /sh/, /ch/, /ng/, and /qu/). Ask the kindergartener in your life about this!
Take a peek at Tiffany Guareno’s ES kindergarteners, who recently played a fun Digraph Headbands Game where they walked around the room, found a partner, read the word on their partner's headband (which contained a digraph) and practiced writing the word What a fun way to reinforcing these special sounds!
Learning digraph sounds is crucial for developing strong reading and spelling skills because they help children decode words accurately and fluently, and represent sounds correctly in written language.
MORE HANGING WITH THEIR PEEPS!
Before the break, Shawne Demberg’s ES kindergartners learned a great deal about responsibility by caring for their PEEPS! Some of their tasks included keeping their personal PEEP safe, reading it a bedtime story and bringing it to and from school each day. They became stellar caregivers and had great lessons in learning about why caregiving is so important! Even therapy dog Addy was a great assistant, serving as a babysitter when the students left the room! Well-done, everyone!
Otisville Elementary was proud to have a small role in welcoming home veterans who were part of Hudson Valley Honor Flight's recent Mission 35 to Washington, D.C.! This WELCOME HOME banner was signed by everyone at Otisville! Students also made beautiful cards of appreciation!
HANGING WITH THEIR PEEPS
Before the break, Gemma Lyon’s ES second-graders explored PEEPS, those seasonal sugary sweet springtime treats we’ve all eaten, in a day full of fun ELA and science work! TAKE A PEEP….rather, PEEK!
Students completed multiple science experiments using their senses and incorporated new vocabulary words called “prediction” and “observation” into their expressive and written language. They even had some fine motor skill practice creating and decorating a special PEEP “house!”
Each student also adopted a PEEP and took their PEEP on some adventures over this past spring break! Mrs. Lyon is looking forward to hearing about the adventures and reading their journals now that her students are back in class!
•Just Born, the company that makes PEEPS Brand Marshmallow candies, produces enough in one year to circle the Earth twice.
•Yellow is America’s best-selling color of PEEPS chicks and bunnies.
•Yellow and white PEEPS chicks and bunnies came first, followed by pink, lavender, blue, green and orange.
Briana Barrett and Nicole VanderDrift's IS fifth-graders have been learning about volume during their math lessons, as are all district fifth-graders.
This recent lesson focused on recognizing that volume can be measured by using unit cubes. They worked on measuring volumes by counting unit cubes that represent cubic centimeters, cubic inches and cubic feet. At the end of this lesson, students were able to compose and decompose right rectangular prisms to find their volume by using layers.
•In fifth-grade math, understanding that volume can be measured by using unit cubes is helpful because it provides a concrete, visual foundation for understanding the concept of volume as a measure of three-dimensional space, which then allows students to grasp more complex volume formulas later on.
•Composing and decomposing right rectangular prisms into layers to find their volume provides a visual and intuitive understanding of the concept of volume, allowing students to see how the area of the base, multiplied by the height (number of layers), equals the total volume.
Reminder: The 2025-26 student calendar has been available for everyone's use!
Come play for a chance to support Middle School students, win a great bag and complete your Spring fashionista look!
The Middle School PTO’s Designer Bag Bingo Fundraiser will be held on Saturday, May 3! It’ll be a great evening filled with lots of ways to win: A Tricky Tray, 50/50 and Lottery Apron raffles along with great door prizes and more! Tickets are $45 each.
The event will take place at the Holy Cross Church Parish Center in Middletown, with doors opening at 5 p.m. and calling starting at 6:30 p.m. THIS EVENT WILL SELL OUT, so don’t miss out!
GET TICKETS :https://www.eventbrite.com/e/minisink-valley-middle-school-pto-pocketbook-bingo-tickets-1314103201049?aff=oddtdtcreator
Kudos to members of the Middle School Builders Club, which recently created 25 craft kits for children who may need a little uplifting during healthcare visits!
Each kit contains a blank booklet, coloring pages, stickers, crayons and a message from our club members. These kits are being sent to Garnet Medical Center in Middletown.
“Our members were very excited for this project and voiced their hope that we can do it multiple times a year,” said advisor Lauren Pullen. We hope we can reach as many children in need as possible. We’re so proud of the generosity that our members show.”
Varsity Wrestling Head Coach Kevin Gallagher is proud to share that sophomore Wyatt Boice earned sixth-place honors at the recent NHSCA High School National Wrestling Tournament at Virginia Beach!
“Wyatt was in a loaded weight class with over 120 wrestlers in his weight class,” Coach Gallagher said. “He wrestled great and won his first four matches before losing a heartbreaking 6-5 match in the semi-finals. Wyatt proved again he is one of the best wrestlers in his age group in the country! Coming off his third-place finish in New York State, Wyatt continues to work hard and get better every day. He was also a freshman All-American last year and a Middle School All American as an eighth- grader."
Kudos also go to sophomores Mason Murphy (0-2), Colin Matone (3-2) and Joe Uhrig (2-2) for their tourney performances!
“All three of the guys wrestled tough but ran into some very tough competition” added Coach Gallagher. “Colin looked good and won three matches and Joe Uhrig won two with both of his losses coming to the third- place and the fourth-place wrestlers.”
Polly Mautner’s High School Chemistry students were wowed during their recent lab when they created a foaming reaction that looks like toothpaste being squeezed from a tube—but it’s so voluminous that it’s jokingly suggested it must be for elephants!
In their “Elephant Toothpaste lab,” students saw how a foamy substance is caused by the quick decomposition of hydrogen peroxide (H 2O 2) using a plastic bottle, potassium iodide (KI), liquid dish soap, food coloring and warm water.
When the hydrogen peroxide comes into contact with the potassium iodide, it starts breaking down into water and oxygen. Oxygen is a gas and therefore wants to escape the liquid. However, the added dish soap traps the gas bubbles, forming a foam. The reaction continues as long as there is some hydrogen peroxide and potassium iodide left. Once one of them runs out, it stops making new foam.
This lab is a fun and engaging way to demonstrate chemical reactions, specifically the catalyzed decomposition of hydrogen peroxide, and the concept of exothermic reactions, making science concepts like this memorable! (Look at all Smartphone photos being taken!)
An exothermic reaction is a chemical reaction that releases energy, often in the form of heat, to its surroundings.
The Varsity Flag Football's season record improves to 5-0 after a massive 25-0 win over Warwick!
Coach Michael Tepper is proud to share these highlights:
--- Vanessa Tepper: 4 touchdown passes
--- Ava Semco: 2 receiving touchdowns
--- Ariana Junca:j 1 receiving touchdown and an extra point.
--- Kate O’Neill: 1 receiving touchdown
Ashley Hamilton’s and Bridget O’Mara-Green’s eighth-grade math classes have been studying the Pythagorean Theorem in class. Do you remember this: The Pythagorean theorem is the well-known geometric theorem that says the sum of the squares on the legs of a right triangle is equal to the square on the hypotenuse (the side opposite the right angle)—or, in familiar algebraic notation, a2 + b2 = c2.
As a final project to conclude their learning, students combined art with math and created and designed their own Pythagorean spirals! These are geometric patterns that use the principles of the Pythagorean theorem to generate spirals, which are created by successively drawing squares with side lengths that correspond to the sum of the squares of the previous two side lengths. This relationship follows the formula from the Pythagorean theorem.
Pythagorean spirals appear in art and even everyday life as a way to integrate mathematical elegance into visual design. This can be seen in abstract art, architecture, mosaic and tile patterns, digital and computational art, and even sculpture and installation art. The spirals combine the logical, structured world of math with the creative, expressive world of art, offering an aesthetic that is both ordered and visually dynamic.
•In mathematics, a theorem is a statement that has been proven to be true, based on previously established facts or axioms, using logical reasoning and mathematical operations.
•A Pythagorean spiral is also known as a spiral of Theodorus, or square root spiral, and was named after Greek mathematician Theodorus of Cyrene.
•Creativity plays a vital role in mathematical thought by allowing individuals to approach problems and concepts from unique perspectives. It fuels exploration, drives innovation, and helps mathematicians develop new tools, models, and methods. By blending logical reasoning with creative insight, mathematics evolves and continues to impact both abstract theory and practical applications.
Please join us in congratulating these Otisville fifth-graders for their wonderful performances at last weekend’s NYSSMA Festival at Monroe-Woodbury Middle School:
• Elizabeth Claus
• Charlotte Coppola
• Leah Galligan
• James Karpinski
• Amelia McCarey
• Zoey Perkins
• Lucas Rider
• Lydia Rider
• Iliana Rivera
• Avery Slomka
• Harper Walsh
They each performed three major scales from memory, a solo for their instrument, and short sightreading example. Each musician had fabulous performance at the festival earning top scores in addition to receiving invaluable feedback from their judges!
For the past two months, these hard-working musicians attended extra help sessions before and after school with band teacher Maria Fenfert, and their hard work certainly paid off! Well done to all!
Nichole Gaucher’s and Toni McGinn’s High School Living Environment students recently about the reproduction system and as part of their studies, they recently completed a flower dissection lab.
In the first portion of the lab, students completed a Gizmo simulation where they learned about the process of pollination and the advantages and disadvantages of self vs. cross pollination.
In the second part of the lab, students dissected flowers as they learned to identify the structure and function of the reproductive parts of a flower.
•Gizmos are interactive, inquiry-based online simulations and case studies designed to enhance math and science learning, allowing students to explore concepts, manipulate variables and engage in "what-if" experimentation.
•Self-pollination, where pollen transfers within the same flower or plant, maintains genetic purity and requires no external agents, while cross-pollination, transferring pollen between different plants, increases genetic diversity and adaptability, but can be less reliable.
•Flower dissection labs are valuable for understanding plant reproduction because they allow students to directly observe and identify the key reproductive structures (stamens [male] and pistils [female] ) and their functions, including pollination and seed production.
BOWLING --- we’ve all played it! It’s an enjoyable game where players roll a somewhat heavy ball down a lane to try and knock down a group of 10 pins, aiming for a high score by accumulating points for each pin knocked down! Ross Potter’s and Anthony Licata’s IS physical education students are having a fun time developing their bowling skills during class (using not-so-heavy balls)!
•Bowling's history stretches back to ancient Egypt, with evidence of early forms of the game dating back to around 3,200 BC.
•Bowling has been banned or restricted in the past, such as in England during the reign of King Edward III who feared it distracted soldiers from archery practice, and in colonial America due to its association with gambling.
•While up to 17 pins have been used historically, the standard number of pins in modern bowling is 10.
•The heaviest bowling ball allowed is 23 pounds.
•Bowling can be a fun and accessible way to get exercise, with each hour of bowling burning anywhere from 150 to 300 calories.
The High School Science Speakers Series continued on April 7, where speakers who excelled in science, graduated college, and transitioned to the workforce come in and speak to students who are enrolled in the college level science classes.
Thank you to Class of 2019 alumnus Emily Abruzzee, a mechanical engineer for Core Tech in Saratoga Springs, for being today’s speaker! She spoke to students about the mechanical engineering field and offered guidance as students continue to prepare and finalize their college applications.
Ms. Abruzzee earned her bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Union College. While at Union, she was a member of various clubs, including Society of Women Engineers and Engineers for a Sustainable World as well as the women’s club ice hockey team. She also was involved with research work at Union, interned at GlobalFoundries, completed a term of study in Ireland as well as a mini-term in New Zealand!
She joined Core Tech in September 2023 as a proposal support engineer and later transitioned her role in the company to a mechanical engineer. In her free time, she’s working with a friend to convert a 1999 Saab to an electric vehicle, hoping to productize and provide this environmentally friendly service to other older vehicles in need of a second life!
More speakers are planned for this Science Speakers Series. Please join us in thanking Ms. Abruzzee for taking the time to meet with students and show and talk to them about the wonderful possibilities that can become a reality with hard work and determination.
Jamie Gallo’s eighth-grade ELA students, like their peers in other classes, have been reading Thanhhà Lai’s “Inside Out and Back Again,” the story of the story of 10-year-old Hà, who flees Saigon with her family as refugees to America after the fall of Saigon in 1975, and their journey to start a new life in Alabama, facing both kindness and challenges.
This story involves many connections including experiencing grief and healing, challenges and resilience, adjusting to change and finding support, searching for identity and also finding strength. Despite the hardships, Hà and her family find strength in their bonds with each other and in the support of their new community.
In this story, Hà planted a papaya tree in Vietnam, which is her favorite fruit. As part of their studies, students learned the papaya tree, which grew from a seed, and what that symbolized and how of her this symbolism can be aligned with them as well:
•Fleeing South Vietnam:
The papaya tree's growth and the papayas themselves can also be seen as a symbol of Hà's relatively happy childhood in Vietnam being cut short, as she is forced to flee with her family.
•Hà's Personal Growth:
The papaya tree's rapid growth, from a small seed to a large tree bearing fruit, mirrors Hà's own journey from childhood to adolescence and her experiences as a refugee.
•Symbol of Change:
The papaya tree's growth from a seed to a fruit-bearing tree represents the transformative journey Hà undergoes, from a carefree life in Vietnam to the challenges and opportunities of a new life in America.
•Resilience and strength:
Thriving (tree and main character) despite challenging circumstances.
As a sweet, tasty and healthy way to conclude some of their work, students enjoyed taking part in a fruit mini-buffet, where they shared and discussed their own favorite fruit, childhood memories involving fruits they like or don't like and specifically why a particular fruit is their favorite. What an innovative to make connections to literature!
