October Newsletter

Math

In sixth-grade Math, we are wrapping up the first chapter with our first test. We discussed how to study for a middle school math test and also discussed how to use our time wisely when taking a math test: read all the directions and answer what the directions ask. We will be moving into Chapter 2 with multiplying and dividing fractions and adding and subtracting decimals.

In Mrs. Fitzgerald’s (Ms. Serabian’s) Math class, students just completed their Chapter 1 assessment on numerical expressions and factors. Students demonstrated their understanding of this unit throughout the month of October through their classwork, homework, quizzes/tests, and projects. For projects, students created their "operations phrases" posters and their own mnemonic devices to remember the order of operations.

Earth Science

Mrs. Maul and Ms. D’Amato’s classes are learning about the universe. Students have learned about how stars are formed and how they are classified. Students completed a hands-on activity, where they created an H-R diagram on their lab tables. Students also learned about the planets in the solar system and how gravity is responsible for the difference in composition between the inner and outer planets.

Mrs. Presinzano’s Science classes have been studying the components of Earth’s biogeochemical cycles (nitrogen, carbon, water) and the flow of energy within an ecosystem. Students are analyzing the relationships between food chains and food webs, as well as how (and why!) energy is lost from one trophic level to the next. Next, we will study symbiotic relationships and apply our understanding of energy flow.

Reading

Students have been preparing for the annual Halloween poetry performance as a way to practice their public speaking skills. They are all reading nonfiction books and practicing using text features to help find and learn information. All students will be picking from a variety of projects to showcase what they learn in their nonfiction books.

Language Arts

In Language Arts, the students have made significant strides in their writing skills. They successfully completed their personal narrative and demonstrated their understanding with a quiz. Currently, they are applying all the narrative techniques such as figurative language, sensory details, and elevated dialogue to craft a scary story. We have also kicked off our first vocabulary unit. We are eagerly looking forward to the next phase of our journey: the personal essay unit.

In Mrs. Fitzgerald’s (Ms. Serabian's) Language Arts class, students have concluded our first chapter on personal narrative writing. For this chapter, students wrote about a small moment in their lives that had a large impact on who they are. Their story included strong emotions, sensory details, dialogue, a reflective ending, and more! Students were evaluated on these skills through classwork activities, tests/quizzes, and their final written work samples. Next month, we will continue to investigate more “personal” writing with our unit on personal essays. 

Ms. Gallagher’s students have just completed their personal narratives, developing their storytelling skills and focusing on meaningful experiences. Now, they are beginning a new unit on essay writing, where they will learn to structure their ideas clearly and support them with evidence. Each student will work on crafting a well-organized essay, building on the skills they’ve gained from their narrative writing.

Enrichment

Students are investigating the importance of getting out of their comfort zone and saying yes to good risks. They created a Google Slides project examining a good risk by detailing the benefits of taking the risk, the fears associated with it, and the strategies needed to overcome the fears. In addition, they are creating skits involving taking “good risks” and will present them to the class.

Global Studies

Classes just finished up the unit on Geography. Students displayed their learning in a multitude of activities and lessons.  First, each student used the five themes of geography and applied the concept to not only our town of Waldwick but also to a city of choice from around the world.  Students also learned a little about our local geography by completing maps of New Jersey and Waldwick. Finally, in order to show mastery of the parts of a map, students created their own maps based on personal choice. Student choices included local areas, cities, states, and countries from around the world! This year, the state of Florida and the country of Italy were very popular. Some students even created a map from the popular video game Fortnite! In addition, Mr. Kivitt was very excited when students made maps of Hogwarts, the school of witchcraft and wizardry! The maps, pictured below, are currently hanging in the sixth-grade display cases and in Mr. Kivitt’s room, come check 'em out! Yes, our geography unit sure was exciting!  Kids were thrilled to learn that our next unit has to do with archaeology and we will be learning about the prehistoric discoveries that have altered the way that our world thinks about the past! Stay tuned…

Spanish

Students are about to finish the cycle class. They had a broad exposure to the Spanish vocabulary and some cultural facts that will help them be ready for the next level. Students also had the opportunity to present a short biography of themselves in Spanish.

French

Madame Ralston’s class has just completed the body part unit and is beginning to create a French flier on a monument in Paris. We have just one week left together. Fortunately, we will be together for the entire year in 7th grade: le temps passe trop vite!

Stage & Sound

Stage and Sound students will be starting the Flipped Fairy Tale Project this month. The amount of creativity while creating their own version of a fairy tale is endless!

Full STEAM Ahead

In Full STEAM Ahead, students were challenged with the fan-favorite Egg Drop Challenge. Students used the engineering design process to build a protection device to prevent a raw egg from breaking after a 10-foot drop. Bubble wrap, egg cartons, string, and coffee filters made makeshift parachutes. We only lost a few eggs in the process and the students (and I) had a great time!  

Art Appreciation

In Art Appreciation, the students are winding down a very busy marking period. From fancy name tags, clay sculptures, foil repousse insects, Van Gogh’s Starry Night drawings, and Tim Burton portraits, we have been focused on learning about the Elements of Art. 

One of our last assignments the students are finishing as we wrap up marking period 1 is the color and shape design composition. This was our anchor project that the students worked on in between assignments as they waited for all their classmates to finish.

Pre-Algebra Apps

In Mrs. Brennecke’s Pre-Algebra class this month, students have been mastering operations with rational numbers. We've built on skills from Chapter 1 to tackle adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing decimals, fractions, and mixed numbers. To reinforce these concepts, students engaged in fun activities like a Scavenger Hunt, Bingo, as well as independent and small group practice. They’re making great progress in applying these foundational math skills!

In Mrs. O'Brien's Pre-Algebra class, students are diving into the fascinating world of operations with rational numbers. They are seamlessly using their understanding of integer rules with this new lesson, creating a strong foundation for more advanced math concepts. In Math class, students are not just learning math, but also discovering and making meaningful connections within the subject to real-world scenarios. We are looking forward to moving on to our next Unit of Expressions and Equations.

In the Pre-Algebra Honors class, students are currently exploring linear expressions and solving equations using all operations. This group is eagerly embracing the challenges presented by this advanced curriculum and developing their critical thinking and problem-solving abilities. Once we wrap up this unit, the students will use these skills to solve inequalities.

Mr. Kelly’s Pre-Algebra students wrapped up the unit on Integers and moved on to learning how to work with rational numbers. Students have been learning about the connection between decimals and fractions and how to convert one form to the other. These skills helped them with comparing and ordering different forms of rational numbers. Additionally, the students have begun performing operations with rational numbers and seeing how they can connect to the real world.

Life Science

Students in Ms. Runz’s Life Science classes have been learning about Ecology and the Interdependence of Life, including topics on food webs, limiting factors in ecosystems, how ecosystems change over time through succession, and biodiversity. We completed an outdoor Ecology Scavenger Hunt, in which students went outside and searched for real-life examples of producers and consumers as well as biotic and abiotic factors. Students also completed a Biomes and Food Webs Poster Project, where students worked together to create a food web on plants/animals in biomes around the world. Additionally, students applied their knowledge of limiting factors to collect data on a frog population over time. We look forward to discussing how living things interact with each other through symbiotic relationships as well as how environments change over time through ecological succession, in addition to learning about biodiversity and human impact on ecosystems.

Reading

In Mr. Kelly’s and Ms. Magner's Reading classes, students continued to examine ways authors develop characterization and conflict in their stories. We continued to use the novel Freak the Mighty as a mentor text. The students greatly enjoyed the depictions of the characters in the story and recognized how the same traits could be applied to the characters in their independent novels. The unit culminated with the class comparing and contrasting the movie version to the novel and creating a “body biography” of the main characters. The students wrapped up the month by working on their Quest community service projects. These will be presented early in November. We are looking forward to seeing what our students did to help their community.

Language Arts

In Mrs. Edreos’ Language Arts classes, students have been engaged in the writing process, focusing on Realistic Fiction short stories and Personal Narratives. We began by using graphic organizers to plan and brainstorm our ideas. Now, we’re excited to continue with rough drafts to guide our writing, followed by polished final drafts. Throughout this process, we’re expanding our vocabulary and incorporating advanced figurative language. To conclude the month, students will create Interactive Stories that offer choices for readers, adding a fun twist to storytelling. Next up, we’re diving into a new unit where students will write prequels and alternate endings to various narrative stories!

In Mrs. Krysa’s Language Arts class, students worked on writing and analyzing realistic fiction. Using sensory details, characterization, and dialogue, students developed their narrative writing and crafted realistic fiction that taught valuable life lessons. Throughout the month, students also developed their grammar and vocabulary skills through a variety of activities and assignments. Students continue to use context clues to define unknown words and decoding strategies using our lessons on prefixes and suffixes to guide them. We finish the month analyzing mood and tone in narratives and drama.

Beginning of the US & Civics

In Civics, students are moving into the Revolutionary War unit with gusto. To get there, the colonial unit needs to close as the patriots decide to take things into their own hands. The seventh grade also continues having great current event discussions every two weeks.

Spanish

In Mrs. Barrios's Spanish class, we started the month by learning pieces of grammar structures such as definite and indefinite articles. We also learned to identify subject pronouns in Spanish. Students created a spooky monster with different arts and crafts. Students have to use the verb TO BE to describe the monster. Students really enjoyed this activity. Next step we will be learning about the Day of the Dead which starts on Friday November 1, 2024.

French

Madame Ralston’s class begins each day by writing the date and weather and defining our mot du jour (word of the day). Currently, our class is studying verbs, and more specifically, “er” verbs. Students often listen to stories, write down what they hear, and respond to comprehension questions.

STEAM

We started October with our Dream Invention Project! Students brainstormed about an innovative creation to solve a problem. Is your pillow too hot at night? Do you wish your dog could get more exercise but you don’t have time? Would you love it if a robot could automatically give you answers to homework? Well we have the perfect solution for you! In a Shark Tank style presentation, students pitched their ideas to the class (and the Sharks) and used 3D pens to make a mini model of their creation.

Financial Fitness

In Financial Fitness we are wrapping up our first marking period. We learned about budgeting for home improvements and the cost of food shopping. We also learned about the cost of having a pet and what it's like to balance a bank log/account. We learned how to pay off a credit card and what it’s like to go into debt. The goal was for them to experience real-life situations instead of just discussing them.

Art Appreciation

In Art Appreciation, we learned about the 1960s art movement: Op Art. Op Art, short for optical art, is a style of visual art that uses optical illusions. Op Artworks are abstract, with many better-known pieces created in black and white. Typically, they give the viewer the impression of movement, hidden images, flashing and vibrating patterns, or swelling or warping. To demonstrate what they learned, the students created Op Art cubes. They had to pick six different Op Art patterns to complete, carefully measuring and coloring each pattern. Once the drawing and coloring were completed, we cut out our cubes and folded them into 3D cubes.

Next, the students created clay monsters inspired by the contemporary ceramic artist James DeRosso. Students were asked to design and create a monster using various clay techniques. They did a fantastic job!

Exploring Food & Nutrition

Mr. Lafferty’s Exploring Food & Nutrition class is nearing the end of the marking period with the students having accomplished so much the last few weeks. These accomplishments include cooking pasta, waffles, and baking cookies, while at the same time learning about basic cooking techniques and the safety skills needed to complete these recipes. They’ve also just completed their individual US State research papers where they learned about a specific state within the US and its food, food history, and the cooking techniques unique to that state.

Algebra

In Mr. Hascup’s Algebra Apps class, students have been exploring angle relationships and delving into the properties of polygons, beginning with triangles and working their way up to polygons of any size. Throughout this unit, they’ve investigated foundational concepts that connect geometry and algebra, starting with basic angle relationships and advancing to more complex “angle hunting” problems. Towards the end of the unit, we explored polygons. We began with triangles and gradually extended to quadrilaterals, pentagons, and beyond.

We also heavily explored parallel lines and transversals, where students analyzed angle relationships such as corresponding, alternate interior, and alternate exterior angles. The algebraic skills they built earlier in the course allowed them to solve for unknown angles in increasingly complex geometric figures, demonstrating how algebra and geometry intersect in real-world problem-solving.

A highlight of this unit was our work on proving multiple important theorems and formulas. This included the interior angle formula for triangles, the exterior angle theorem, and the interior angle sum theorem for polygons. Students used their skills with parallel lines to prove that the sum of a triangle’s interior angles is always 180°. We then used this fact to show how an exterior angle equals the sum of the opposite interior angles. Recently we showed how we could split polygons into triangles and derived the interior angle sum formula for any polygon. 

Algebra Honors

In Mr. Hascup's Algebra 1 Honors class, students have just completed a unit on functions, where they explored the definition of a function, evaluated functions, and applied them to real-world scenarios, while also learning about domain and range. This foundational knowledge has set the stage for their new unit on graphing, which will delve into the visual representation of algebraic relationships on the coordinate plane.

A central focus of this graphing unit will be understanding and working with the three forms of a linear equation. Students will analyze how each form uniquely describes a line’s characteristics, and convert between these forms for different types of problems. Additionally, they’ll build a solid understanding of slope, exploring how it represents the rate of change in linear relationships.

Algebra Concepts

In Algebra Concepts we are currently learning about all the different transformations that you can do on a coordinate plane. That includes translations, reflections, dilations, and rotations. We practiced doing a translation on the computer that way they feel comfortable next year working on computers in Geometry. We are having our next quiz soon for this unit and that will involve Chapters 2.1-2.3. he students will be allowed to use a formula sheet to help them remember all the different translations. 

In Mrs. Del Vecchio’s Algebra Concepts class, we wrapped up our first unit on expressions and equations. In this unit, students demonstrated their understanding of solving for variables through classwork, homework, and tests/quizzes. Our next chapter will focus on transformations. We have begun with some review assignments on using the coordinate plane before we jump fully into the chapter.

Physical Science

In Ms. Vacchiano’s Science class, students have been learning about Newton’s Laws of Motion and gravity. Students also completed the Egg Drop Challenge. They answered the following question: “Using your knowledge of Newton’s 3 Laws of Motion and gravity, how can you develop a solution to prevent head injuries in sports, car and/or bike accidents?” Students used an egg to represent the human head and they created an egg “helmet.” They dropped the egg from a height of 1.8 meters (6 feet). Students created videos of their tests. Students also completed a lab where they learned about how force applied and mass impact the acceleration of an object. Students used a ramp made from a ruler, marbles, and a cup of pennies to complete this lab. 

Reading

In Mrs. McCann’s Reading class, students are reading informational articles about their choice topics and identifying central idea, evidence, text-structure, and purpose. The students also participated in a research process focusing on how to be successful in a topic of their choice. They used the Media Center database and evaluated trusted sources to gather evidence about their topic. The information was then synthesized and used as the content for their website in Language Arts. They are also creating infographics to visually demonstrate the important information in the articles.

Mrs. Del Vecchio’s class has been wrapping up our first unit on memoirs. We are finishing the novel They Cage the Animals at Night which is a true story about a young boy and his experiences in the foster care system. We have focused on characterization and character traits, and students have been developing an essay where they focus on analyzing two characters from the novel by describing their character traits and giving examples from the text on how they display these traits. 

Language Arts

Mr. Smith’s classes wrapped up Unit 1 by conducting research on what makes someone a successful __________. Students researched various topics of their choice and synthesized information from multiple sources to create a Google Site to present their findings. Currently, students are in Unit 2: Persuasion and have been analyzing speeches and commercials for their use of rhetorical appeals.

Ms. Gallagher’s classes concluded Unit 1 by researching qualities that contribute to being a successful student. Each student selected topics, gathered information from several sources, and created a Google Site to showcase their insights. They also completed a mini-project by presenting to peers on the topic of their choice. Now in Unit 2 on Persuasion, they are analyzing speeches and commercials to explore how rhetorical appeals are used.

Mrs. Del Vecchio’s class is currently crafting a short personal narrative writing piece that will incorporate figurative language and dialogue. We are also putting an emphasis on descriptive writing, using a lot of adjectives and vivid details. Once completed, students will complete a peer edit before doing a final revision of their essay. We will be transitioning shortly into our second unit.

Early World History

Students in Mrs. Turnbull’s classes have been learning about Ancient Israel, the Hebrew People, and Judaism. We started the unit off with a mapping activity and learned about the major figures of the religion. We went into the traditions and practices of Judaism and students will be starting a timeline project about the history of the Jewish people during BCE times.

Spanish

Students in Mrs. Wohlberg’s class learned vocabulary and grammar to talk about their house and describe their chores. They also learned how to use regular and irregular commands to tell others to do something. They are currently learning vocabulary for making comparisons. We are currently reading Tumba, our first novel in Spanish, to learn about the Mexican Day of the Dead celebration. Next, they will learn how to use the present progressive tense to talk about actions in progress.

French

Madame Ralston’s class works so hard every day. We just completed a unit on hobbies and activities. We are currently studying weather, seasons, and counting past 1000. The students also define a daily vocabulary word, which they incorporate into sentences and eventually stories.

Creative Coding

The Creative Coding students have done a magnificent job of learning and practicing new programming skills and are about to start work on their own original video games! The students are excited to use functions, variables, conditional statements, and much more to design games they can share with friends and family. 

Technology/Manufacturing

Mr. Blatt’s first marking period students have studied the engineering design process and practiced engineering drawing techniques and are applying their nearly learned skills in a team project. They learned shop and tool safety procedures and are now working on their final projects: wooden display/stands/houses/storage units. These units are for a project they will be creating in Art class: a personalized Funko Pop. They have drawn the models and are currently measuring, cutting, gluing, cutting again, sanding, nailing, screwing, and eventually staining or painting the boxes.  The projects are based on student designs and are extremely varied. They are working in teams and will complete the builds next week.

Art Appreciation

In Art appreciation, the students created their artist frogs. The assignment was to select an artist, do a bit of research on their selected artist, and decide how they can create a clay frog that would reflect the artist they chose. The frog can look like the artist if the artist was known for their iconic appearance, or they can select a work of art by their artist and reflect that art in their frog's appearance.

Next, the students worked on their Zentangle Triptych project. For this assignment, the students learned about the role of the triptych throughout art history. A triptych is a work of art (usually a panel painting) that is divided into three sections. Students decided the subject of their art, patterns, and colors they used, making all the projects completely different. They did a great job!

To finish up the marking period we are working on our Funko Pop self-portraits. I’m super excited to see how these turn out!

During Science, Mrs Gutierrez’s class discussed chemical and physical reactions. To demonstrate chemical reactions, we made an apple volcano. Students filled a hollowed apple with baking soda and then added vinegar to see the reaction. Students loved seeing the bubbling liquid flow out of the apple. As a group, we discussed what reaction took place.

ESP 6 has completed reading the non-fiction book Where are the Aliens? The Search for Life Beyond Earth by Stacy McAnulty. Based on questions generated during class discussions about the book, the students will produce podcasts on topics related to space travel and space exploration. The podcasts will ultimately be submitted to NPR’s 2025 Student Podcast Challenge. ESP 7 is finishing the non-fiction book Calling All Minds: How to Think and Create Like an Inventor by Temple Grandin. The students are participating in class discussions about what they have learned and will be building some of the 25 projects included in the book. ESP 8 is currently filming public service announcements for Litter Free NJ’s “Reduce Single-Use” Student Video Contest. The students will edit their videos this week and are looking forward to sharing their final videos with each other. Eighth graders Amy Benjamin, Madison Brown, Erik Cernak, Christine Gedeon, Lyla Kennedy, Andrew Krysa, Ahsan Salman, and Colin Smith represented Waldwick Middle School at the October Brain Busters competition. The students had a great time being introduced to the competition and are looking forward to attending more meets this year. 

Middle School Chorus is in full swing and having a great time singing! Classes meet once a week and all groups have begun learning music for the Winter Concert. All classes start with theory work in our book, “Successful Sight Singing.” All classes have been working on note values and rhythms and have begun reading music. The chorus students are working on warm-ups that bring their sound focus forward for clear pronunciation as well as warm-ups for proper diction. Each chorus member is giving it their all to better their vocal technique and sing as a unified choir. Please note the Concert Dress Code listed on Mrs. Serwin’s website. The Winter Concert will be held on December 10, 2024 - details soon to follow!

On Friday, October 18th, seventh and eighth-grade WMS students participated in the annual “Marching Warrior Night!” and spent an evening with the Warrior Marching Band! Middle schoolers participated in practice, performed music during the homecoming game, and watched the Marching Warrior’s halftime performance. The evening was a big success. The Marching Band put on a great performance and the seventh and eighth-graders had a great time!

All Physical Education classes have completed their indoor/outdoor activity cycles of soccer, basketball, and football. Students will be transitioning into a fitness unit until mid-November. All three grade levels will be completing a series of physical fitness assessments which include vertical leaps, shuttle runs, curl-ups, standing long jumps, sit and reach, push-ups, pull-ups, 40-yard dash, and the one-mile walk/run.

In Mrs. Freidman’s ESL class, students practiced using words and phrases to discuss family members, and created a family tree. Students are also learning about Halloween words and traditions. We also read a few short stories in the horror/suspense genre. The final part of the unit will be creating a spooky comic strip with their own Halloween story to share with the class!

Art Club

 In the Art Club, the kids are working on finishing their peace posters for the Waldwick Lions Club. This year's theme is “Dare to Dream.” The students have been working really hard and completed some really great posters!

Book Club

Ms. Magner's Book Club took advantage of some beautiful days this month by reading outside. We continue to discuss new books, favorite books, and ones we are looking forward to reading!

Intramurals

We played basketball and soccer so far. Can’t wait for November!