Welcome to the Squad!
Weekly Newsletter:
Updated 9/1/23
ELA
Alexa Santora: santoraa@tapestryschool.org
This year in ELA we will be exploring three different topics: Latin American Folklore, Food Choices and Voices of the Holocaust. Students will be reading Summer of the Mariposas, Omnivore's Dilemma, and MAUS. Students will participate in close reading activities, complete constructed responses and write essays based off of our shared texts and other resources we explore and discuss during class. Students will typically receive homework assignments on Mondays and Tuesdays and these will be due Fridays and count toward a HOW grade. I use the app "Talking Points" to communicate, so please feel free to message me with any questions and concerns.
Email: santoraa@tapestryschool.org
Office Hours: Thursdays 3:00-4:00pm
Humanities
Danielle Smerda: smerdad@tapestryschool.org
Office Hours: Mondays 7:30am - 8:00am and Thursdays: 3:00pm - 3:30pm
Here are the 2024-2025 Units of Study:
Unit 1: Foundations of American Government
Unit 2: Freedom Isn’t Free, Part 1: Reconstruction
Unit 3: Freedom Isn’t Free, Part 2: The Civil Rights Movement
Unit 4: Global Connections: Foreign Policy Through the Years
Unit 5: America at Home: Domestic Policy Through the Years
Homework: Homework assignments will be provided weekly. Students will receive the homework on the first day of the school week. The homework will then be due on the final day of the school week. Students will have homework quizzes occasionally throughout the year. These quizzes are based on their homework at the teacher’s discretion. Students cannot remediate homework quizzes.
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out!
Math
Michael Capestrani
Email: capestranim@tapestryschool.org
Office Hours: Tuesday/Thursday 7:30-8:00 or after school by appointment
Math 8 Units of Study:
Exponents and Scientific Notation
Solving One-Variable Equations
Transformations and Angle Relationships
Functions
Linear Relationships
Systems of Linear Equations
Pythagorean Theorem and Volume
Bivariate Data
Algebra Units of Study:
The Building Blocks of Algebra
Linear Equations and Inequalities
Functions
Linear Functions
Linear Systems
Exponential Algebra and Functions
Polynomials
Quadratic Functions
Roots and Irrational Numbers
Functions and Their Transformations
Statistics
Science
David Raham
Email: rahamd@tapestryschool.org
Office Hours: Tuesdays 3:00- 3:30pm and Thursdays 7:30-8:00am
Science 8: This year in science 8 we will be focusing on various topics from Physical and Ecology sciences the units/topics we will cover are:
Harnessing Human Energy
Force and Motion
Magnetic Fields
Light Waves
Natural Selection
Evolutionary History
Earth, Moon and Sun
Earth Science: This year in Earth Science we will be focusing on the necessary knowledge needed to pass the New York State Earth Science Regents in June. Student need to complete 1,200 minutes (20 hours) of lab time throughout the year in order to sit for the exam. The topics we will be covering in Earth Science are:
Measuring the Earth
Earth in the Universe
Celestial Motions
Insolation and the Seasons
Water Cycle
Weather/Climate
Weathering, Deposition and Erosion
Rocks and Minerals
Plate Tectonics
Earthquakes
Geological History
Spanish
Jessica Hills: hillsj@tapestryschool.org
Office Hours: Wednesdays from 3:00-3:30 & Thursdays from 7:30-8:00
This year in Spanish you will engage in the following lessons:
Personal ID, hobbies, school, food, shopping, health, house an home.
We will use the four pillars of a language; reading, writing, listening and speaking in this class. Students will have homework Monday through Thursdays weekly. There will be a homework quiz on Friday and these are based on the vocabulary from the unit we are currently studying. These homework quizzes cannot be remediated.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Special Education
I am excited to co-teach 8th Grade Math, Humanities, and ELA this year!
In Resource Room this year we will work to develop learning strategies, study techniques, organizational and social emotional skills, and more. All resource work is in direct support of IEP goals.
Please reach out at ANY time with questions or concerns and encourage students to take advantage of office hours!
Amy Jakiel: jakiela@tapestryschool.org
Office Hours: Tuesdays from 3:00-4:00 or by appointment
The Arts & Physical Education
The Arts Program at Tapestry Charter School
We are excited to announce that Tapestry Charter Middle School will be combined arts with rotation throughout the year. Our Middle School Art Team has developed a comprehensive curriculum which all students will partake in.
This curriculum will allow all students to sample exploratory learning and develop new skills: physical, social, and thinking. The units in each of the arts classes is designed to challenge students’ problem solving and critical thinking skills to foster a greater sense of self-esteem through creativity and expression.
Physical Education:
Students will participate in health and fitness activities to the best of their abilities to develop a higher level of fitness and an appreciation of the lifelong value of fitness.
Students will participate in a variety of activities to acquire knowledge and develop an appreciation for different activities.
Students will demonstrate appropriate social and emotional behaviors, self-direction, and respect individual differences.
Office Hours: Wednesdays 3:00-3:30 & Thursdays 3:00-3:30 by appointment
Literacy Specialist
Kelsey Hoerner: hoernerk@tapestryschool.org
Office Hours:
Monday or Tuesday (B day Dependent) from 3:00-4:00
*Students must notify teacher if they are planning to stay after school.