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PTA adds
new meeting dates to schedule
Next
meeting is Tuesday, Feb. 28 at 6:30 p.m.
The
Middle School PTA will be meeting more frequently this year.
All parents and guardians are invited to attend the
following meetings: February
28, March 27, April 24, and May 29.
No June meeting is
scheduled at this time. Meetings are held at 6:30 p.m. in
the MS auditorium.
Hand-on
project reinforces students' knowledge of cells
What do you get when teachers combine a science lesson
with family & consumer science class? At Port Jervis
Middle School, this type of teacher collaboration is helping
students learn about cells. With the help of Family &
Consumer Science teachers Mary Ann Knapp and Amanda Lamb, Megan Wieboldt and Tricia Keniston’s
students had the unique opportunity to create colorful pin
cushions to reinforce what they learned about cells in
science class.
Students of the Month program
Congratulations to the
December Students of the Month!
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Science teachers
connect digital games to learning
Fun. Addictive. Awesome. That’s what Port
Jervis seventh graders are saying about the Nintendo Dsi
game they got to play recently in science class.
 The
students in Megan Wieboldt and Tricia Keniston’s class spent
hours playing a game called The Ruby Realm, which took them
through multiple levels of maze-like passages and
challenging obstacles. The students played the handheld game
in school and were even able to bring it home with them.
But, the class was more than just fun and games. The
Nintendo Ruby Realm game was developed by researchers from
the Education Development Center (EDC) to help Middle School
science teachers provide students with a better
understanding of the process of photosynthesis. The digital
game was specifically designed to engage students in
activities that require them to use reasoning and other
thinking skills to explore a variety of topics related to
photosynthesis.
FULL STORY
American Heart
Association teaches eighth graders CPR
 Port
Jervis Middle School students are learning how to save
lives. On December 14, 67 eighth grade students were trained
in the basics of CPR by the American Heart Association.
Along with the hands-on training, each student received a
CPR training kit, which included an educational DVD,
booklet, and an inflatable “Mini-Annie” resuscitation
mannequin.
MORE
First
Quarter Honor Roll
Congratulations to all of
the Middle School students who qualified for the
First Marking Period Honor Roll.
Middle School leads local Wreaths Across
America campaign
Port students/faculty place 1,800 cemetery
wreaths
 Middle
School student council officers led a contingent of Port
Jervis teachers, staff and varsity wrestlers who placed
1,800 wreaths on veterans’ graves at West Point Cemetery
Dec. 3. This marks the second year the Middle School is
participating in Wreaths Across America, a nationwide effort
to place fresh wreaths on veterans' graves during the
holidays.
 Through
the efforts of retired teacher Jackie McNally, the Middle School sells wreaths in the
community and provides the volunteers needed to place all of
the wreaths sold by Vietnam Veterans of America Tri-States
Chapter, Port Jervis Cub Scout Pack 67 and other local
groups at the West Point Cemetery.
Record Newswatch
Exhibit brings Washington, DC to Port
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 Students
in Melissa Mieszkuc, Kyle Ross and Patricia Aumick’s Social
Studies classes brought Washington, D.C. to the Middle
School with a beautiful exhibit. Students worked diligently
to recreate different landmarks and memorials. Everyone
toured the exhibit during school and parents were welcome in
the evening. Congratulations to the teachers and students
for putting together a terrific exhibit!
Middle School is now
collecting Box Tops
 Box Tops for Education has helped
America’s schools earn over $400 million since 1996.
Now, the Middle School is asking parents, grandparents, teachers
and staff to help raise money for our school! Just look for the
Box Tops logo on hundreds of products like Cheerios®, Hamburger
Helper® and Kleenex®, in almost every aisle of the store. All you need to do is clip the Box Tops and send them to our
school Box Tops coordinator Patricia Aumick — each one is worth
10¢ for our school.
Click here for flyer.
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From seeds
to salsa
Foreign language students enjoy Spanish
recipes
 Middle
School students reaped the benefits of their
fall harvest. On Sept. 23, foreign language
students in Michelle Abarbanel’s French
class and Stephanie Castano’s Spanish class
enjoyed two classic Spanish specialties -
salsa and gazpacho. The authentic recipes
were made from scratch using farm fresh
tomatoes, peppers, garlic, and basil grown
by fellow students. Last year, Megan
Wieboldt and Tricia Keniston’s 7th grade
Life Science classes planted the tomato and
basil seeds.
Over the summer these plants were taken to
Wieboldt’s farm where they were recently
harvested for the students. The students
also donated over 100 tomato plants to Grace
Episcopal Church in Port Jervis. This
project was made possible by the Kids
Growing Food Grant from Cornell
University. The agriculture program is
designed to increase
appreciation and understanding of
agriculture, nutrition and the food system
by getting students involved in food
gardening at school through authentic
experiences.
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MS
students start year off on the right foot
 The
Middle School kicked off the beginning of the new school year
with our fifth annual Start off on the Right Foot
Day on Sept. 27.
The popular event provides all
of our students with the
opportunity to participate in a variety of physical activities
at different stations. As the students rotate through the stations, they engage a
different activity designed to promote fun, fitness and
community building. The
fun
day is designed to expose students to experiences that
promote healthy lifestyles and positive relationships.
MORE
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New this
year!
You can order your yearbook online & submit
photos
 The
Yearbook Staff invites students and parents
to submit photos for the yearbook. If you've
got great photos of school and community
events, or you and your friends just having
fun, we'd like to see them. You can also
order & customize your yearbook online.
Click here
for the links & more information.
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Tech students
learn how to construct domed shelters
This week, students in Jack Higgins' eighth
grade technology class are building models
of emergency shelters known as RanDomes. The
domes are constructed using the formula:
X/360 = -Y degrees. X equals the number of
pieces or circles, and Y is the number of
degrees subtracted to make the discs into
obtuse cones. The cones are then randomly
placed and arranged (edge to center), to
make domes.
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Port Middle
School In the News
Teens in transition are principal's mission
 Middle
School Principal Cynthia Benedict was featured in a recent Port
Jervis Gazette article.
Click here to read about our
principal and what she is doing to help ease students'
transition into adolescence and independent learning.
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Middle
School Parent Guide
The Middle School handbook provides parents with answers to
frequently asked questions about Middle School
procedures and policies. This guide is intended to serve
as a supplement to the district Code of Conduct and
Middle School student handbook, which are given to all
students at the beginning of the school year.
Middle School Parent Guide
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Middle School Brochure: A
handy reference
The
Middle School Brochure
outlines what it takes for students to be successful: Be
Responsible, Be Respectful, Be Ready.
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Bullies beware at PJ
Middle School
Web sites to visit for more
information on bullying
Anti-bullying Programs:
The Middle School has
implemented numerous programs and curricula to promote
anti-bullying in our school.
Click here to learn more
programs that range from guidance intervention services and
positive reinforce to disciplinary intervention.
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When school's out, don't be left out
in the cold
 Want to be one of the first to know
about school closings and delays? Parents
can sign up to receive
SNN
(School News Notifier)
text messages and/or email
alerts
about early dismissals, inclement weather delays, and other
school emergencies. Other sources of this information are this
Web site and the local radio and television stations
listed on the
Emergency Closing Page.
Click here
to sign-up for School News
Notifier
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