October Newsletter

Math

In Mrs. Fitzgerald and Ms. Vesper’s Math classes, students are about to complete their first unit on numerical expressions and factors. Students demonstrated their understanding of this unit throughout October through their classwork, homework, quizzes, tests, and projects. For their projects, students created their own operation phrase posters and developed mnemonic devices to remember the order of operations. Next, students will apply their knowledge of GCF and LCM to fractions!

In Mrs. Varcadipane and Ms. Vesper’s Math classes, students are currently working in our fractions and decimals unit.  Students have been learning how to multiply and divide with fractions. Students demonstrated their understanding of this through investigations using modeling tools and fraction tiles along with standard algorithms. Students have taken these strategies to solve real-world problems. Students will soon be covering operations with decimals and using their estimation skills to determine if an answer is reasonable.

Mrs. Varcadipane’s Honors classes are ending their unit on fractions and decimals. Students learned to compute all operations with both types of numbers. We focused on using estimation to check if our answer was reasonable given the situation. The honors class will soon be starting their integers and coordinate plane unit.

Earth Science

Students in Mrs. Maul’s Science classes are wrapping up their space unit. Students have been learning about gravity’s role in the development of our solar system. Students also learned about the phases of the moon and how the Earth, sun, and moon’s positions determine solar and lunar eclipses. Finally, students learned about how Earth’s tilt and the amount of direct sunlight impact the seasons on Earth.

Reading

Mrs. Del Piano’s classes are studying nonfiction texts. In class, they are practicing various skills, including finding the main idea, analyzing the structure, and identifying text features. Students all selected nonfiction books and are working on nonfiction projects to share the knowledge they learned.

Mrs. Spiridakis’s Reading class finished their fiction unit and has recently started their nonfiction unit. We finished going through dynamic and static characters, using the READ method to answer questions and reading our class book, Towers Falling. Over the next month, we are looking to continue our practice in the nonfiction unit. 

Miss Hartmann’s Reading class is currently working on studying fiction texts and what is most commonly seen across the genre. They have been working hard to use their Notice and Note strategies to deepen their understanding of texts. Further, they have been working to apply strategies to both videos and stories in text, and have been working on strengthening their phonics skills with the help of Mrs. Krysa.

Language Arts

In Ms. Allison’s Language Arts class, students just finished writing their personal narratives! Each one focused on a small, meaningful moment and what they learned from it. Their stories were full of sensory details, dialogue, and thoughtful reflections. As we head into November, we’ll be starting our essay writing unit. We will be learning how to build strong thesis statements and organize our ideas into clear, engaging essays.

In Mrs. Fitzgerald’s Language Arts class, students have concluded our first chapter on personal narrative writing. For this chapter, students wrote about a real small moment in their life 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 sample. Next month, we will continue to investigate more “personal” writing with our unit on personal essays.

In Mrs. Spiridakis’s Language Arts class, students finished up their personal narratives and began working on identifying and using descriptive language within their writing. Students have worked together as a class and team to come up with descriptive language about a setting (from a picture). Students also completed a vocabulary unit on setting and mood. Over the next month, we are looking forward to completing our setting and descriptive language practice, and look forward to starting a personal essay. We are also looking to continue vocabulary unit practices and IXL skill practice.

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 our town of Waldwick, New Jersey!  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 states of Florida and California, plus the countries of Italy and the Dominican Republic, were very popular. The maps, pictured below, are currently hanging in the sixth-grade display case and in the sixth-grade hallway. 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

We are about to end the first Spanish cycle. Students have learned many topics of basic Spanish vocabulary and phrases. Students had also been introduced to the grammar structure of personal pronouns, adjectives, and the verb “ser”. These concepts are a little complex, so preparing students early on is our priority.

Stage & Sound

Students will be creating their own improvisation skits and presenting them in front of the class. It’s a creative way to play out a scene and let the kids have endless possibilities of using their imagination!

Full STEAM Ahead

In Full STEAM Ahead, we just finished our Science of Superpowers Unit…which included the Paper Airplane Competition and the Egg Drop Challenge! Students worked through each project with the help of the Engineering Design Process.  Leading up to the Paper Airplane Competition, we learned about the four forces of flight and how to calculate the speed of a moving object. The Egg Drop Challenge was a huge success, breaking under our target goal for eggs! We learned about gravity, vacuums, and air resistance...and then tested our creations from a 10-foot drop! Here are both classes and their Egg Protection Devices.

Art Appreciation

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

Here are some of our ceramic animal sculptures we recently finished glazing.

Pre-Algebra Apps

Mrs. Brennecke’s and Mrs. O’Brien’s Pre-Algebra students have been hard at work this month! We wrapped up our unit on integers at the start of the month and are now finishing our chapter on rational numbers, including operations with positive and negative fractions and decimals, as well as real-world word problem applications. Students are building strong number sense as they connect these skills to everyday situations. Looking ahead, we’re excited to dive into our next unit on expressions and equations, where students will learn how to write, simplify, and solve algebraic expressions and solve simple equations for x.

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.

Mrs. O’Brien’s Honors class kicked off the month by wrapping up Chapter 2 on operations with rational numbers and has now moved on to simplifying and solving expressions and equations. Students are doing a great job applying their understanding of rational numbers to new algebraic concepts and are gaining confidence as they work through increasingly challenging problems. Soon, they’ll be wrapping up this unit and diving into inequalities!

Life Science

Students in Ms. Runz’s and Ms. D’Amato’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. 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 Ms. Magner's and Ms. Gallagher’s Reading classes, students explored how authors develop characterization and conflict using Freak the Mighty as a mentor text. They analyzed how the story’s characters were revealed through actions and dialogue, then applied those insights to their independent novels. The unit wrapped up with students comparing the book to the movie and creating "body biographies" of the main characters. Outside of class, students have also been working on their Quest community service projects. We can't wait to see their presentations on how they made a difference in the community!

In Mr. Kelly’s Reading class, the 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. They also used their knowledge of conflict to explore the conflicts 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 have also been working outside of school on their Quest community service projects. In the coming weeks, they will present their projects. We are excited to see their presentations and learn what they did to make a difference in the community.

Miss Hartmann’s Reading class has been learning about the different elements of fiction, including point of view, conflict, and character. Students worked hard to learn about the different types of internal and external conflict, and developed examples of their own. They are now using a variety of different short stories to analyze character traits. We have also been reading The Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus as a mentor text to track the progression of different story elements throughout a longer text. Students also continue to work on their phonics skills several times a week.

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 Ms. Gallagher’s Language Arts classes, students have been hard at work in the writing process, focusing on Realistic Fiction short stories. They began by using graphic organizers to brainstorm and plan their ideas, and are now developing rough drafts that will evolve into polished final pieces. Throughout this process, students are expanding their vocabulary and experimenting with advanced figurative language to make their writing more vivid. To wrap up the month, they’ll create Interactive Stories that allow readers to make choices and influence the plot—adding a fun and creative twist to storytelling. Next, students will move into a new unit where they’ll write prequels and alternate endings to well-known narrative stories!

In Mrs. Krysa’s Language Arts classes, students have been working on descriptive writing techniques and vocabulary skills. Students have created characters and settings using adjectives and visuals to add depth to their writing. Adding sensory details and new vocabulary words into our writing has been the focus of several activities. Additionally, students have examined realistic fiction stories and models to prepare for writing their own realistic fiction narratives. Students have worked hard on their word study skills, mechanics, grammar, vocabulary skills, and sentence structure. 

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 Senora Barrios's Spanish class, we started the month by learning pieces of grammar structures, such as definite and indefinite articles. We also learned about identifying 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 this weekend.

French

Madame’s seventh-grade French class has already accomplished so much in such a short time. Students are able to clearly describe themselves and others using a plethora of adjectives. They can employ the verb “etre” (to be) in all its forms, and are also practicing their pronunciation daily. Along with acquiring a large vocabulary.

Medical Detectives

October was a huge month for Medical Detectives. We began with a lab on antibiotic effectiveness. Students first had to swab a safe strain of live E. Coli onto an agar plate. Then they were given three different paper discs soaked in 3 common types of antibiotics to place onto the bacterial culture. Over the next few days, we were able to learn about and observe the zone of inhibition for each antibiotic. The most effective antibiotic against the bacteria would have the largest zone of inhibition. Last but not least, we had the opportunity to dissect SHEEP BRAINS. After doing a unit on the nervous system and learning about the different functions of the brain, we were able to do a hands-on dissection to enhance learning.

Financial Fitness

In Financial Fitness, we are currently learning about what it means to be in credit card debt. We pretend to buy one big, expensive item and then pay it off only with minimum payments. This project is both frustrating and fascinating because only after do they realize how hard it would be to pay off massive debt with real money. It’s also a great way to practice math skills and to discuss how important it is to know what you are buying and how it affects your everyday life.

Art Appreciation

In seventh-grade Art Appreciation, 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. The end results are amazing! They did a fantastic job!

Exploring Food & Nutrition

Chef Lafferty’s Exploring Food & Nutrition class is nearing the end of the marking period, with the students having accomplished so much over the last several weeks. These accomplishments include cooking waffles, grilled cheese sandwiches, smoothies, and are about to bake chocolate chip cookies. The last unit they’ll be working on is Unit 3: Cooking and Baking Basics, where they’ll learn several important concepts, including weighing and measuring ingredients, key baking ingredients, and their purpose.  

They’ve also recently used an online calorie counter to see how many calories they need daily, and more importantly, how much food they should be having from each of the five food groups. It’s been a pleasure working with them this marking period, and I look forward to working with them in high school.

Algebra

Mrs. DeLorenzo’s Algebra Apps classes have been working in their transformations unit. They have learned how to transform points and figures by a series of translations, reflections, and rotations. The students have enjoyed working on the large magnetic graphs while working in groups. We will be continuing the unit into November. We will study similar figures and dilations of figures.

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.

In Ms. Vesper’s Algebra Concepts class, we are in the middle of Chapter 2, which involves a bit of geometry. We worked on translations, transformations, and reflections. We practiced writing out the steps so we can see how the transformation happens and what we may need to change if we didn’t do it according to the rule. We practiced plotting points on a coordinate plane and connecting the dots to make the figures.

Mrs. DeLorenzo’s Algebra 1 Honors classes have been studying linear inequalities, as well as absolute value inequalities. They have learned how to solve and graph compound inequalities and represent relationships using venn diagrams. At the conclusion of this unit, we will begin our unit on graphing linear equations.

Physical Science

In Ms. Vacchiano’s eighth-grade 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 is applied and how mass impacts the acceleration of an object. Students used a ramp made from a ruler, marbles, and a cup of pennies to complete this lab.

Students in Mrs. Presinzano’s Physical Science classes have been learning about types of force and the various factors that affect each. Students made predictions and tested their hypotheses through digital labs (Gizmos!) and shared their results through class discussions. Students will wrap up the unit with a close analysis of Newton’s 3 Laws of Motion!

Reading

Ms. McCann’s class finished the memoir unit and reflected on how important it is to read and listen to testimonies and stories of important experiences. During the Week of Respect, students talked about different points of view and perspectives. They analyzed how the world was viewed through the author’s perspective and how that differed from their own, resulting in an opportunity to practice respect, sympathy, and empathy. Finally, the students reviewed many of the powerful themes learned through the memoirs and how the messages were important to apply in their own lives.

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

Mrs. Del Vecchio’s Language Arts class is working on finishing a short personal narrative writing piece that will also 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.

Mr. Smith’s classes finished up Unit 1 by writing thematic memoirs. Students chose an important event in their lives where they learned something and wrote a memoir that focused on showing, not telling, what happened. Soon, students will be beginning Unit 2, which focuses on Literary Analysis.

Ms. Gallagher’s classes recently wrapped up Unit 1 by writing thematic memoirs. Students selected meaningful moments from their own lives—times when they learned an important lesson—and crafted memoirs that focused on showing, not telling, what happened. As we move into Unit 2, students will shift their focus to Literary Analysis, exploring how authors create meaning in texts. In the spirit of the season, they’ll be reading and analyzing scary stories of the Horror genre to sharpen their skills and set a spooky tone for their writing.

Early World History

In Ms. MacDonald’s Social Studies class, students are developing their argumentative essay skills by exploring a historical debate: Which king of Israel was the greatest—Saul, David, or Solomon? After examining multiple sources and gathering evidence, students are selecting a claim and supporting their opinions with text evidence. They are also learning to strengthen their writing by addressing counterclaims and explaining why their argument is the most convincing. This work builds critical thinking, historical reasoning, and academic writing skills, which help to prepare students for future document-based writing in Social Studies.

Spanish

Students in Mrs. Wohlberg’s class learned vocabulary to talk about vacation plans and travel arrangements. They continue to improve their writing by learning proper word placement and how to develop expanded sentences. They are working with the verbs ser and estar and will soon be learning how to use the present progressive tense to describe ongoing actions. We are currently reading Tumba, our first novel in Spanish, to learn about the Mexican Day of the Dead celebration.

French

Madame’s French class is focusing on seasons, weather, dates, and important life events. They are able to express their favorite seasons and activities and explain the reasons why. They also just learned how to count into the millions! In addition, students have a daily vocabulary word and a weekly irregular verb lesson.

Creative Coding

The class has gone from not knowing how to make a shape on the screen to being able to create interactive animations. We are finishing up a greeting card-themed project and will be swinging right into the final project: a video game. Knowing the whole semester we were working up to this, the students are extremely excited to jump in - even if we still have a few more interactivity lessons to go first!

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 completing their final projects: wooden toys. They have drawn the models and are now working in the woodshop. They are measuring, cutting, gluing, cutting again, sanding, nailing, and screwing wood together. Soon, most students will stain or paint the boxes. The projects are based on student designs and are extremely varied. They are happy to show off their products created with newly acquired skills. They are working in teams and will complete the builds next week.

Video Technology

In Mr. Meltzer’s class, students are independently completing their second video news report for WMS TV, and as the students say, they are “cooking.” Students now have the foundation of producing their video stories independently, scripting, filming, and editing. Take a look at our current videos here on our YouTube WMS TV channel.

Art Appreciation

In eighth-grade 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.

Mrs. Gutierrez’s class has been busy with Community-Based Instruction this month. We took a walking field trip to Walgreens in town to work on locating various items needed for personal care. We also practiced making a purchase at 7/11. Most recently, we went to the Waldwick train station, taking a train to Ridgewood. Students were able to practice purchasing tickets, boarding and exiting a train, and listening for important announcements while on the train. Once in Ridgewood, we took a walk to Dunkin' Donuts, where students were able to practice their ordering and money skills when buying a donut. We look forward to our upcoming trip to the Waldwick post office.

We’ve been starting out easy, with some small STEM challenges using household items. The projects have included toothpicks, paper chains, and creative cutting to solve brain teasers. The eighth-grade group has already had its first Bergen Brain Busters practices. They are excited for the first competition in November!

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. 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 in sixth, seventh, and eighth grade 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 11, 2025 - details soon to follow!

At the Waldwick Homecoming Game, seventh and eighth-grade WMS students participated in the annual “Marching Warrior Night”! Middle schoolers participated in practice, performed music, and watched the Marching Warriors’ halftime performance of their show entitled Checkmate! The Marching Band put on a great performance, and the seventh and eighth graders had a great time! Additionally, other pictures feature WMS Warrior Band students in lessons working on Winter Concert selections.

The students are all super excited to use the new North Turf Facilities.

Art Club

In the fall Art Club, the kids just finished up their posters for the Lions Club.  Every year, the club participates in the Posters for Peace contest. This year's theme is “Together as one.” They did an amazing job!