Design and Layout: Ms. R. McKenna Myers Students Help Launch

Volume Three
DECEMBER
2014
The Myers Chronicle
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Myers Students Help Launch Annual Food Backpack Program
100 Elbel Court
Albany, NY 12209
On Monday, Dec. 1, Stephen and Harriet Myers Middle School students had the opportunity to help launch
CDPHP's annual Holiday Appeal that benefits the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York's. The
money raised is used to help support the weekend Back Pack Program. The Back Pack Program provides
food to children in need in local elementary schools. This program serves 1,900 children in 67 schools
throughout northeastern New York. The back pack program helps with childhood hunger by providing
back packs full of food on Friday for the students to eat throughout the weekend.
518-475-6425
Dr. Kimberly Wilkins
Principal
Marilyn Jones-Oliver
Assistant Principal
Joseph Burke
Home School Coordinator
INSIDE THIS
ISSUE:
Backpack Program
The Anti-childhood hunger program at Myers was started four years ago under the direction of Myers Family and Consumer Science Teacher, Margie Rector. This is the first year Myers students will be sponsoring
a back pack program to benefit students at Albany School of Humanities (ASH) elementary school. Myers
students get an opportunity to provide community service by making and selling cupcakes and cookies,
running contests to raise awareness and support, and volunteering to help in the community in anti- childhood hunger initiatives. Myers students come in to school early and pack backpacks full of food, stay late
to make cookie dough to create fabulous cookies to sell, and make posters so they can tell others about
the need.
We are currently in need of extra food to put into the back pack over the long holidays. We are looking for
donations such as: canned soups, breakfast bars, macaroni and cheese, tuna fish, peanut butter, jelly,
canned pasta dishes, cereal, cookies, juice boxes, popcorn, puddings, canned vegetables and fruit.
Please drop off and donations at the main office at Myers.
1-2
AIS News
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Library
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Guidance
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Academics
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Specials & Activities
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The Vegetable Project
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Backpacks for Hunger: Student Essays
Back Packs!
By Journey L. Fowler
For the past few weeks I have been participating in the Backpack Program at Myers Middle School. The Backpack Program gives
kids who don’t get a lot of food at home, backpacks full of food to take home for the weekend.
The kids who get the backpacks get breakfast and lunch from school on Monday-Friday. On the weekends they don’t get the free
breakfast and lunch so they take home a backpack filled with food. Every week they get some breakfast food (such as oatmeal), fresh
fruits (such as apples), and snacks (such as granola bars). They sometimes get soup, canned vegetables, and macaroni (or a variation of any of these items).
Myers Middle School has been helping the kids that are part of the Backpack Program at the Albany School of Humanity (ASH). On
Thursday mornings kids come to Myers at 7:30 to pack backpacks so that they can be delivered to the kids at ASH on Friday. The
backpacks are then brought back, empty, to Myers on Monday, to be packed again on Thursday.
Backpacking Away from Hunger
Toussaint Santicola
This year, the kind hearts of the City School District of Albany is turned towards another oncoming foe: hunger. It is apparent in
households across the Capital District, and it is a problem with no cheap solution. So, we have adopted the timeless idea of raising
funds. Again, not a cheap solution.
Stephen and Harriet Myers Middle School has fed this fire of an idea, with wood and brightened the flame. A three-year contract from
the Regional Food Bank was put into action this year. Myers has been asked to raise $2,500 per year for each of the three years.
This is to pay the Food Bank’s expenses of the program. Confronting this task we have Mrs. Marge Rector, the Family and Consumers’ Sciences (FACS) teacher, and the Student Government Association (SGA) at Myers.
The SGA at Myers Middle School holds a Hat and Pajama Day, when students are permitted to wear a hat and/or pajamas to school
if they pay one dollar to SGA members walking around the school. The SGA also runs a fundraiser called Change for Change. Homeroom classes compete to place the highest amount of spare change in a container. The winning homeroom gets a pizza party. Mrs.
Rector has involved a number of students in fundraisers and, because she teaches a cooking segment, these are a cupcake and a
cookie sale.
All of these collections of money feed into the Backpack Program. This is a program where several students come at 7:30am on
Thursdays (school starts at eight) and fill backpacks with foodstuffs brought from the Food Bank. These backpacks go to Albany
School of Humanities Elementary (ASH). Also, the students who helped with the program will go on two field trips in January to volunteer at the Food Bank.
All of this is to help eighteen kids at ASH. I help with the Backpack Program and have been asked why I wake up so early and spend
my sweet time away from school, at school. The answer is simple. It is a good feeling to know that kids are now fed and get good
sleep with full stomachs. Just think, you are basically like Santa Claus. Everyone should spend their life doing good deeds and helping others to live well too.
We always need more help because hunger is a problem beyond those eighteen students. But Myers, you
guys can help on the home front. Just talk to Mrs. Rector. We always need more help.
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Important AIS Department Information
Parents/Guardians,
This coming January, students currently enrolled in AIS have the opportunity to show growth from their fall scores
when they take the “Winter ELA NWEA Assessment”. If students show enough improvement, they may be moved to a
less restrictive AIS class or not have AIS at all for the 3rd quarter! Please encourage your child to try their very best on
their upcoming winter assessments, so that we all can see what they are truly capable of.
Research Regarding Reading
Research findings show higher-than-average scores among students who reported more "types" of reading material at
home:
68% of students who had three or more different types of reading materials at home performed at the Proficient Level
(Skilled/Able)
Students with two or fewer types performed at the Basic Level (Elementary)
Students with four types of reading material at home performed the highest
(Donahue, P.L., A.D. Finnegan, & N.L. Lutkus, The Nation's Report Card: Fourth-Grade Reading 2001, U.S. Department
of Education, NCES, Washington, D.C. 2001)
Therefore, nonfiction and fiction books (biographies, autobiographies, self-help books, history, realistic fiction, mystery, romance, sci-fi, fantasy, etc.,.), magazines, newspapers, journals, comics, as well as books on tape in your at home
libraries enable your child the opportunity to read and learn from many types of texts while strengthening their reading
skills all at the same time.
Let's continue to work together toward the academic success of all of our children. Happy Holidays!
~The AIS Department
Mrs. De Carr (6th grade AIS/RtI & ESL)
[email protected]
decarrais.weebly.com
Mrs. Nead (7th & 8th grade AIS/RtI)
[email protected]
schoolrack.com/tnead/
Mrs. Warnecke (7th grade AIS)
[email protected]
warneckereads.weebly.com
Ms. La Monte (7th & 8th grade AIS/RtI)
[email protected]
rlamonte.weebly.com
Ms. Byron (8th grade AIS)
[email protected]
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LIBRARY NEWS
We’re just about at the middle of the year, and things have been going well in the library…
some days are incredibly busy, while some days there is a chance to breathe. Classes have
been using the library’s 30 computers for research, web quests, math practice and various
projects. Books are busy circulating as well, particularly graphic novels (Naruto rules!) and
novels by Meg Cabot, James Patterson, Sharon Flake, Scott Westerfield, Walter Dean Myers,
Rick Riordan, Jeff Kinney and Rachel Renee Russell. Books about animals, becoming a
teenager, mythology, sports, drawing and creating holiday gifts have all been circulating
endlessly as well. If you want to see your student reading more, encourage him or her to
come down to the to find the perfect book.
Speaking of books, please engage your student(s) in a conversation concerning responsibility and overdue books. By borrowing books from the library, students are accepting responsibility for something that is not theirs, an important skill needed for independence and
adulthood. Many Myers students already owe books to the library….in fact, some students
have actually owed them from two years ago when they first became students at Myers. I
have tried repeatedly, via overdue notices and by speaking to these students directly, to get
these books returned, but to no avail. An overdue fee of $.10/day/book is in place, but I will
waive this fee for first-time offenders. In the case of students who fail to return books, they
will be unable to take out books both here and at Albany High until their accounts are settled.
Students who have lost a library book, or books, are expected to pay the library the price of
the book, which will enable the purchase another copy.
Please contact me with any questions you may have (Ms.
Waldman, 475-6429) Many thanks for all your efforts!
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Guidance news
GUIDANCE NEWS
Here is an update from The Guidance Department:
Eighth graders will be meeting with their Guidance Counselor after the holidays to go
over their choices and recommendations for Albany High School.
Parents should have received a letter inviting them to come in if they'd like to be part
of that process. If you cannot attend, please look for your child's copy for you to sign
after our meeting. We will also be giving out the AHS Course Offering Booklet in classes before the holiday break. Please ask your child for this booklet and take five
minutes to go through it with them to see the great courses AHS has to offer.
We are continuing to meet with those students who are struggling academically and
helping them set up academic plans for success. Those plans most always include
using their agenda to write assignments in, attending Homework Club, checking in
with teachers about assignments when they are absent or miss class, making sure
they have the right supplies, and checking PowerSchool for grade status.
We will be hosting an 8th
grade Career Fair on Tuesday, January 27th. Please
look at SNN for details as the
time approaches.
Parents, if you have any concerns or questions or would
like to set up a Parent Conference with your child's team
of core teachers, please call
us at 475-6430.
Ellen Gerard
Ellen Green
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ACADEMICS
6th Grade
Gary Nowik
Science Teacher - 6th
Sixth graders: Demi Baker, Jlaila Johnson,
and Jasani Page
These students were busy lifting finger prints in
Science on Patrol club that meets every Tuesday with Mr. Nowik and Officer James Brooks
of the Albany Police Department. They investigate all aspects of forensic science.
Heidi Sabatino
6th Grade ELA
Congratulations to 6th graders Bethany Quist and Mya Rogers that won first and second place in the 'Thank a Vet' essay contest. Well done!
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Special Area Subjects
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Ms. McKenna’s Art Students:
Mural club has begun for my 8th graders. I have a handful of enthusiastic kids who want to
paint the walls of Myers M.S.
8th graders are in the middle of
drawing from observation. They
are drawing still life compositions
from all angles using shading,
shadow and highlights.
They have already drawn fantastic preliminary sketches of the still
life.
Cant wait to see what the finals
look like.
6th grade just finished up their name morph compositions. We are now working on a collaborative table drawing based on the landscape work of artist Gustav Klimt.
FOREIGN LANGUAGE FOREIGN LANGUAGE
Sra. Mattison
Spanish
The weather outside has been
interesting in both English and
Spanish.
Seventh grade students are
learning how to express the
weather conditions and tell the
temperature. With a partner
they created a weather report. Students described the
weather and temperature
across the country.
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Special Area Subjects
Mr. Drew - Family & Consumer Science
FACS 8
8th grade FACS students are starting to wind down the semester. We just finished
our Career Unit and have begun Money Management now. After that we will begin
our T-Shirt Patchwork Pillow project. If your student has not brought in two, old,
used, different colored/patterned t-shirts, please encourage them to do so ASAP. We
will also be cooking a couple more times, with our Breakfast Lab taking place just before Christmas break.
FACS 6
6th grade FACS students are enjoying class so far. The second quarter students are doing some selfexploration work, and then will do some work on decision making and scan-skills. Finally, they will begin their
Friendship Bracelets not long after Christmas break. We will also cook, doing apple crisp and possibly
brownies, before the end of the quarter.
Melissa Hirt, Technology Education
Robotics Club
Myers robotics club competed in a tournament at RPI on Saturday, December 6th. The team had to present their core values
poster, robot executive design and project (innovative solution
to teaching a skill) as well as participate in robot challenge
(programming & building a robot to complete missions).
Picture attached- Team members (first row from left): Santino
Martinelli, Lily Rice, Ian Townsend, Mustafa Muhi, Claire Bourgeois. (Second row): Melissa Hirt (coach), Ayana Beatty (RPI
Mentor), Derek Dalton, Kevin Thomas, Elysse Bennett, Shamar
Wintz
We'd like to thank all parents and students who came out and
supported us. We'd also like to thank Michael Lachney (RPICIPCE on LEGO Mindstorms outreach and research) for his
help during club and at the tournament. Last but not least, Mr. Howell for helping out at club as well as assisting and
supporting us at our tournament.
Ms. Slade — Advanced Orchestra — Grades: 6,7 and 8
Congratulations to a select group of Advanced Orchestra students who were
invited to perform and performed at 1st Friday in Albany, NY at the Cathedral
of All Saints! Congratulations also to another select group of Advanced Orchestra students who will be performing at Colonie Center on December 23,
2014!
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School Activities
Positive Reinforcement
We had a great turn out for Teen Night on November 20, 2014. The students had a fabulous time cooking, swimming,
dancing, playing basketball, among many other fun activities with their classmates and teachers!
Anti-Bullying week will be the week of January 20th, 2015. There will be an assembly for students with guest speakers
from Albany County that will address Cyberbullying. A movie on kindness and forgiveness, pledges signed by students,
and PINK /ANTI-BULLYING DAY are just some of the activities that students will engage in during this week.
Every other Friday continues to be “Spirit Day.” On December 12, students and adults dressed in their “Ugly Holiday
Sweaters.” January 16th will be “Dress for Success Day” and on January 30th, students may dress in their warm, cozy
pajamas for “Pajama Day.”
Lastly, a “Student of the Month” program has begun as teacher’s vote for a student from their team each month who
demonstrates actions and words of a positive monthly theme. December’s theme has been “Most Caring” and January
will be “Most Optimistic.”
Mrs. Bultman and Mrs. Nead are our first and second place
prize winners for the Myers Faculty and Staff Positive Reinforcement's Ugly Holiday Sweater Contest.
Myers Students of the Month for November. These students were nominated by their teachers for
their respect, responsibility and self empowerment. They earned a pizza luncheon and their photo is
posted outside of the cafeteria. Next month's students will be nominated based on their caring
qualities!
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School Activities
Vegetable Project
Redeeming
labels for 10 cents apiece is no getrich-quick scheme! But they really do add up when Friends of the
Vegetable Project save them and pass them along. Won’t you
please join team!
Nature Valley, Ziploc, Land o’
Lakes, Pillsbury, Betty Crocker and Old El Paso are just a
few of the scores and scores
of packaged household and
food products bearing the
Box tops label. Please find
these and more in your cupboards, cut them out and help
the Vegetable Project grow
healthy children by dropping
off Box tops at Myers Middle
School or Albany High
School.
CREATING HANDS-ON LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES SINCE 2009
STEPHEN AND HARRIET MYERS MIDDLE SCHOOL, 100 ELBEL COURT,
ALBANY, NY 12209
[email protected] – (518) 728-6799
www.vegetableproject.org – www.facebook.com/vegetableproject
Design and Layout: Ms. R. McKenna