High School families: Reminder:
The deadline to pre-order the High School Yearbook is Saturday, Jan. 25. Don't miss out!
Support the Class of 2025 and stop by Chipotle on Saturday, Jan. 25 from 4 to 8 p.m. 25% of all proceeds will be donated to the Minisink Valley Senior Class!
Kudos to the Girls Varsity Wrestling Team, which won the team trophy at the Jan. 20 Frank Giampaolo Tournament on Long Island!
In addition to the team trophy, there were also six individual highlights:
•Zoe Ford, 94 lb. weight class finalist
•Keira Filip, 114 lb. weight class champion ho also was also named“Most Outstanding Wrestler”
•Madyson Thorpe, 120 lb. weight class finalist
•Avery Wingen, 126 lb. weight class champion
•Jaida Macaluso, 145 lb. weight class champion
•Patricia Deslandes, 235 lb. weight class champion
“Looking to face new competition, our team proved once again that all the hard work they have been putting in is paying off,” said Varsity Head Coach Dan Gallo. “On top of our six finalists, the team had place winners in nearly every weight and won the team trophy for first place.”
This team tournament win follows other team and individual successes at the Eastern States Tournament! The team travels to Albany this weekend for the NYSPHSAA Dual Meet championship. Minisink is in the “Red Pool” and opens with matches against Phoenix and Rocky Point. Good luck to all!
Congratulations to the Boys Varsity Indoor Track team, which won the OCIAA Division II title this past Saturday at West Point!
“The boys track team put in a lot of hard work leading up to the division championships,” said Varsity Coach James Beck. “They stepped out of their comfort zones, competing in events they don't typically participate in, and chasing every possible point. Their efforts paid off as they brought home the win.”
Athletic Director Tim Bult added: “We’re so proud of our track program, as both the boys and girls teams have been building each season to become a perennial powerhouse across the OCIAA, Section IX and beyond.”
CONGRATULATIONS AND KUDOS to the High School's December "Students of the Month": Faith Carpena, Charlotte Curabba, Audrey Defazio, Shyanne Dennison, Allison Gerson, Jermorie Gibson, Audrey Guido, Colin Hansen, Curt Hedberg, Melanie Jans, Brianna Lopez, Jordan Mabra, Meadow Monaco, Dan Oenga, Yuvia Portugal, Areli Sanchez, Luke Sande, Abigail Schulz, Isabella Soto, Malachi Stephenson, Mickian Swift, Christopher Tulp, Jolene Vargas and Michael Zechewytz!
Cayla Tangney’s High School Sculpting class students are in the midst of some creative clay sculpture work! Perhaps some of these are future gifts in-the making!
Clay sculpture work fosters creativity, develops fine motor skills, encourages problem-solving, allows for self-expression, and provides a tactile learning experience that can even engage students who might not connect with traditional art mediums. Plus, students have a understanding of form and design through the manipulation of 3D objects.
Reminder! Minisink Valley has partnered with Paper, an online tutoring service, to provide students in Grades 6 through 12 with the ability to access live tutors seven days a week, 24 hours a day. High School students and family members have unlimited access to trained tutors so every student can ask questions, work through problems and grow their confidence at no cost to families. Learn more: https://www.minisink.com/page/paper-online-tutoring-for-grades-6-12
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to visit Neptune, Mars or the Moon?
With imaginations and Internet-based resources, Vincent Napolitano’s High School Earth Science students recently produced advertising campaigns and acted as solar system tour guides to entice their peers --- aka “space tourists” ---- to want to visit these paired planetary places:
• Mercury and Venus: The “Hot, Hot, Hot! Interior Planets”
• Moon and Mars: “Marvelous Missions Unraveling Mysteries”
• Jupiter and Saturn: The “Gorgeous Gas Giants”
• Uranus & Neptune – “Paradise Planets Beyond our Vision”
• Pluto and Dwarf planets: “Wonders at the edge of the Solar System”
• Asteroids and Comets: “Good Things in Small Packages”
• Exoplanets Beyond our Solar System: “Newly Discovered Worlds”
• Moons of Other Planets: “Wonderful Worlds around other Planets”
Their “campaigns” were creative and filled with scientific facts and figures! We’re not certain how many tours were booked, but students learned a lot and had some fun!
Studying the solar system in Earth Science provides students with the context for understanding Earth's complex systems and phenomena, including its unique characteristics, forces that shape it and conditions that allow life to exist.
Kimberly Jordan’s High School Biology students could be the next contestants on the BBC’s “The Great British Baking Show!”
In championship baking style, students recently had two periods and whatever edible baking products they wished to use to create an animal or plant cell "cake"---either solo or with a group of peers.
They are all “Star Bakers” in how they handled Mrs. Jordan's “Showstoppers Challenge!” Take a look!
Studying animal and plant cells in biology is crucial because these cells are the fundamental building blocks of all living organisms. They allow students to understand the basic processes of life, such as growth, reproduction, metabolism, and response to stimuli, which are essential for comprehending the complexities of multicellular organisms and developing solutions to biological challenges in medicine, agriculture and environmental science.
Look for more photos on the district's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/MinisinkValleyCSD
Kudos to the Varsity Cheer team, which has continued its annual tradition of adopting a family this holiday season.
Before the break, the cheer “elves” gathered to wrap gifts for two families.
“We hope these gifts brighten the holidays for these two families,” said Head Coach Patti Archiere. “This is very meaningful to us. Our cheerleaders and their families look forward to doing this every year and we hope it brings smiles to the faces of the recipients.”
Girls Wrestling Varsity Head Coach Dan Gallo is thrilled to share that the Girls Wrestling Program held its first-ever female varsity wrestling tournament on Dec. 15! It was also the first-ever tournament hosted by at Section IX team!
The “Iron Maiden” Tournament featured 170 wrestlers from Minisink Valley, Middletown, Shenendehoah, Shaker, Columbia, Warwick, Valley Central, Burke Catholic, Warrensburg, Port Jervis and LaSalle.
Minisink Valley, the home team, won the team title with 327 points! Middletown finished in second-place with 226 points with Shaker in third-place just under 175 points.
Individual weight-class championships were won by Peyton Matone, Jaida Macaluso and Brooke Besson!
Congratulations to Keira Filip, Madison Thorpe, Sara Pauls and Patricia Deslandes for making it to the Finals; and to Summer LaRusso, McKenna Matone, Colby Furman, Trevon Costello and Amelia Patzelt for placing top three.
Congratulations and well-done to all!
Kudos to the Boys Wrestling Program, which has collected enough food items to create 10 to 15 non-perishable food baskets during this holiday season for Minisink Cares to help those dealing with food insecurity, Since 2020, the Boys Wrestling Program has partnered up with Minisink Cares to donate food baskets. WELL-DONE and thank you to all! Your kindness will make a difference!
High School families: Order your student's yearbook now!
If you need help finding the perfect holiday ornament, ask Kimberly Jordan’s High School Biology students! They can definitely help!
Students were tasked with creating two ornaments, all created at home! The first was an organelle of a cell that they thought was most important; and the other was a cell type. All types of colorful and creative ornaments were created focusing on muscle cells, neurons, sex cells...and much more all showcasing the diversity within us and how organelles and types of cells keeps us alive. What a fun and creative twist to biology class!
An organelle is a subcellular structure that has one or more specific jobs to perform in the cell, much like an organ does in the body. Among the more important cell organelles are the nuclei, which store genetic information; mitochondria, which produce chemical energy; and ribosomes, which assemble proteins.
A "cell type" refers to a group of cells that share similar characteristics and functions within an organism, distinguished from other cell groups by their unique morphology, gene expression patterns, and specialized roles within the body. It’s essentially a classification of cells based on their distinct properties and what they do within the organism.
"The Uglier the Sweater..."
Check out a sampling of the very cool "ugly" (not really) sweaters seen at the High School yesterday, during the school's UGLY SWEATER DAY! Do you have yours ready?
Nichole Gaucher’s and Toni McGinn’s High School Living Environment students are learning about body systems. During this recent class, students explored the respiratory system.
As part of their exploration, students selected and researched a respiratory system disease in order to learn how that disease can disrupt the body's homeostasis. In their research, students learned about the disease's symptoms, how to diagnose it and treat/cure it, what causes it and if it’s contagious. They also learned how this disease affects the respiratory system and its ability to help the body maintain homeostasis. Students created mini-posters to show their findings and participated in a gallery walk where they learned about the diseases their peers researched. Take a look!
In biology, "homeostasis" refers to the ability of a living organism to maintain a stable internal environment despite changes in its external surroundings, essentially keeping key bodily functions like temperature, fluid balance, and pH levels within a narrow, optimal range for proper functioning.
A gallery walk is a teaching strategy that involves students moving around a classroom to examine a collection of artifacts, texts, or student work. The goal is to engage students and help them learn and synthesize concepts.
CAN A McDONALD’S HAPPY MEAL BE USED IN A LAB EXPERIMENT? YES!
Carolyn Russell’s and Jonathan Hannes’ High School Living Environment classes recently completed a very innovative “Mc Mush” lab! Students used a McDonald’s Happy Meal to test for the presence of organic compounds normally found in the body.
After the burger, fries, apples and drink were blended into a compound which was called a “McMush,” groups used chemical indicators like Benedict's solution, iodine, and Biuret reagent to test for carbohydrates, lipids and proteins in their samples. Remember, the term “organic” in science indicates that a compound contains carbon which is very different from the organic choices at the grocery store. (Who kept the Happy Meal toys? We don’t know!)
Every student led their group through an experiment and determine if McMush had the organic compound in question!
Believe it or not, a standard McDonald’s Happy Meal has some nutritional value because three biomolecules are present in the meal. The starch, protein and lipids found in the Happy Meal solution are three biomolecules essential for nutrition. These biomolecules are crucial for bodies because they provide an important source of energy, storage for minerals and to build and repair muscles. Without them, it can lead to lack of metabolism, hormones, energy and blood sugar.
The High School’s Valé yearbook staff has been extremely busy, from group brainstorming sessions earlier this fall to the book’s final development this past October….which has led to first ever announcement of the yearbook’s theme prior to the books’ arrival: OUT LOUD!
To celebrate this milestone and big reveal, yearbook staff will be wearing sweatshirts with the yearbook’s theme artwork on the reverse. Look for them!
And remember, the pre-order deadline to order a book is Saturday, Jan. 25 via www.yearbookforever.com! Don’t miss out!
JOIN US tonight, Dec. 11. for the High School Chorus Concert at 7 p.m.!
CAN YOU HELP? The High School's Youth Against Cancer Club is in the midst of a donation drive through Dec. 16 to collect items to brighten the days of Garnet Medical Center patients. See the flyer for what students are hopeful to collect! Your contributions would be most welcome!
