The Place for All Things EWMS
The Wildcat…May 2017
Important Dates at a Glance:

May 1st- May 12th: STAR testing

May 1st & 2nd: SBAC MATH Computer Adaptive Test

May 8th & 9th: SBAC MATH Performance Task

May 10th: Early Release for Professional Development (students
dismissed at 12:45 p.m.)

May 11th: 7th Grade Field Trip

May 11th: SGC meeting at 5:45 p.m. in the EWMS library

May 11th: PTO meeting at 7:00 p.m. in the BBES cafeteria

May 12th: Band/Chorus Festival Field Trip

May 15th: Lifetouch Grade Level Group Photo’s

May 17th: Showcase Night from 6:00-7:30 p.m.

May 18th: End of year parent survey due date

May 19th & 20th: EWMS Musical: 19th at 7:00pm & 20th at 3:00pm

May 24th/25th: Grades 5 & 8 NGSS Science Pilot Test

May 29th: No School for Memorial Day
MAY SUPERINTENDENT’S CORNER
DID YOU KNOW????
 FY 18 Budget deliberations are complete. The Board of
Education budget was given the lowest percentage
increase of all Town departments by the Board of Finance.
End of Year EWMS Parent Survey—Ending Thursday, May 18th
Thank you to all of the parents who completed the end of year survey at
parent/teacher conferences! We appreciate the time you took to complete the short
survey—your opinion is extremely important to us!
Parents will also have an opportunity to complete the survey at Showcase Night on
May 17th.
For parents who complete the survey at EWMS, they will receive a raffle ticket for a
prize basket of donated items. The raffle winner will be selected on Showcase Night.
If you are unable to attend Showcase Night, you can still complete the survey online.
It is located on our EWMS webpage.
Please take a moment to complete the quick survey. Your input is extremely important
to us!
Showcase Night!!!
The annual EWMS Showcase Night is scheduled for May 17th from 6:00-7:30 p.m. It is
a great night of family fun! Students and staff display the great activities and projects
that they have created! There are games for families to play! It is a great night for the
entire school community! Please save the date!
Save the Date(s)! End of the Year Events!
o
Awards Night for invited students in grades 5, 6, & 7 is scheduled for June 12th
at EWHS. Students receiving awards will be invited via letter later in early
June.
o
Eighth Grade Promotion & Awards night is scheduled for June 15th at 6:30 p.m.
at EWHS. A dance will follow, from 7:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m. More information will
follow.
o
June 16th: Last day of school for students! Students will be dismissed at 12:45
p.m.
THANK YOU PTO!
We want to thank PTO for generously providing us with the gaga pit all students have
experienced!
We also thank PTO for providing funding for field trip scholarships. If your child
received a scholarship for a spring field trip, it was provided by PTO. Also, thank you
to parent volunteers & PTO for the upcoming teacher appreciation luncheon!
We appreciate the PTO’s continuous support of our school!
Testing in May
As was shared in the April Wildcat, we are in the process of completing the SBAC state
testing. Parent information about SBAC can be found at:
https://www.eastwindsork12.org/district-offices/curriculum/
You will see parent guides are located there for each grade level. The curriculum
webpage also includes resources for the Common Core State Standards, which are
assessed by SBAC.
The state has also selected EWMS as a school to take the pilot NGSS (Next Generation
Science Standards) test for students in grades 5 and 8. The NGSS test is expected to
replace the science CMT in upcoming years.
We will also have our last STAR test for reading and math, and will administer them
as a whole school (at one time) as we did with our last set of STAR tests.
Update from Mr. Rouillard – I hope everyone enjoyed their Spring Break!
During May, middle school faculty and staff will be working hard to focus on and
reinforce Responsible Decision Making Skills as they pertain to “The Way to Be”




Be
Be
Be
Be
Respectful
Responsible
Productive
Safe
Our Advisory period this month will focus on discussing each of the five essential
questions listed below:





How do I show respect towards others?
How do I make responsible decisions?
How do I positively contribute to my community?
What is the effect of my decisions on others and myself?
How can I contribute to a safe environment for others and myself?
Through our Advisory lessons and our Social Code of Conduct, our goal is to help
students establish and maintain healthy and rewarding relationships with diverse
individuals and groups. This includes communicating clearly, listening actively,
cooperating, resisting inappropriate social pressure, negotiating conflict constructively,
and seeking and offering help when needed.
Thank you for your continued conversations with your children!
The Clowder Cup: Update

As you know, we are in the second year of “The Clowder Cup”. Throughout the
year, grade level teams have competed to earn the highest number of “Pride
Points” for their grade level.
Students can earn “Pride Points” for their grade level team through any of the
following: Participation in Spirit Days; Positive Office Referrals; Café Behavior;
Attendance; and Bonus Opportunities in Assemblies and in Classrooms
*Congratulations to the 5th Grade Revolutionaries who had over 90% attendance
for April!!
(15 Bonus Pride Points Earned)
*Congratulations to the 6th Grade Amazonians who had over 90% attendance for
April!!
(15 Bonus Pride Points Earned)
*Congratulations to the 7th Grade Samurai who had over 90% attendance for
April!!
(15 Bonus Pride Points Earned)
*Congratulations to the 8th Grade Patriots who had over 90% attendance for
April!!
(15 Bonus Pride Points Earned)
*Congratulations to the 5th Grade Revolutionaries who had fewer than 10
Behavioral Referrals for April!!
(15 Bonus Pride Points Earned)
Clowder Cup Standings
Team Name
The Amazonians (6th)
The Samurai (7th)
The Revolutionaries (5th)
Points Earned
(month)
20 + 15
22 + 15
39 + 30
The Patriots (8th)
29 + 15
Total for the Year
609
557
523
501
Upcoming Activities and points for discussion:
-
Congratulations to the following EWMS students who advanced to the State Finals
at UConn for Invention Convention on Saturday April 29th, 2017!
o Rebecca Syme – 7th grade
o Nevaeh Hutchins – 6th grade
o Vincent Hernandez – 5th grade
As I did last year, I would like to continue to recognize and celebrate student
success!
*If you have any student(s)/events that you would like to recognize (inside or outside
of school), please feel free to pass that information along. I would love to include more
activities and celebrations in future updates*
As always, please know that if you have any questions, comments, concerns, etc. feel
free to touch base.
Life Skills Class
Spring Break was a nice vacation for all of us in Life Skills! Everyone got lots of rest
and had some fun! Now we are back for the last nine weeks of this school year.
Amazing how quick the school year has flown by!
We are making good progress through Chapter 4 in Reading Horizons. We are
combining our five phonetic skills to create and decode words with two syllables.
Creating crazy nonsense words is our favorite activity! We will be learning about the
schwa, prefixes, and compound words in this chapter, too.
In Math, we have completed a short unit on finding area, perimeter, and volume of
several shapes. Now we are beginning our study of fractions. We will be adding,
subtracting, multiplying, and dividing fractions! Our goal is to learn simple common
denominators. Our weekly review of basic operations, elapsed time, money, and
algebraic concepts will continue.
Our Language Arts topic this month is Light and Sound. We will be discussing light
and sound waves, how they travel, and sources of both. Then we will begin a
discussion of banking. Our newspaper topics this month are the Disney movie, “Born
in China”, a famous painter with a disability, and street pianos.
Science and Social Studies classes keep us very busy! The 7th and 8th grade students
are working on a project about tornadoes. Our sixth graders are gearing up for their
trip to Salmon River State Park. The fifth grade is studying solar system. In social
studies, the fifth grade continues their unit on the American Revolution, while sixth
grade is learning about Brazil. The seventh and eighth grade students are discussing
westward expansion.
One of our most favorite activities include helping out in the office and the library!
This month we helped set up the book fair and counted/sorted wristbands for Honor
Roll and conduct.
Guidance Corner:
Note from your school counselor.
Hello 7th grade parents. Your student will be going on a field trip to the High School
on May 18th, 2017. They will get information about what the high school has to offer
for classes, athletics and club offerings as well as experience attending one academic
and Unified Arts class. Please be sure to sign the permission slip when it comes home
and return it as soon as possible. If you did not receive a permission slip from your
child by May 8th, please call me at 860-623-4488, ext. 6162 and I will get one to you.
Thank you, Karen Blanchet
Team Corner
Grade 5:
Social Studies: Students will complete their research on their person from the
Revolutionary War times. In our next unit, students will learn about the beginning of
the United States.
Math: Fifth grade math is working on our fourth unit, Adding and Subtracting
Fractions. After reviewing the pre-assessments given to all students, we discovered
the students needed to review a few concepts learned in 4th grade to achieve mastery.
We reviewed comparing fractions to a benchmark, improper fractions and mixed
numbers. The students have also worked on finding equivalent fractions and common
denominators to compute sums and differences, as well as, solve word problems with
unlike denominators. This unit will also incorporate line plots displaying a data set of
measurements on fractions of a unit.
Language Arts: Students are learning about argument and getting ready to prepare
and present a Mock Trial on a fairy tale character. Speaking and listening skills, as
well as use of text evidence to support a position will be strengthened through this
engaging unit.
Science: Students will be learning about the solar system and outer solar system. They
will also be learning about famous astronomers such as Galileo and the development
of telescopes and satellites through the years to help us learn more about our solar
system and other galaxies.
Grade 6:
Language Arts: We have finished the research portion of our Russia project and have
begun writing research papers and preparing for multimedia presentations. Students
have chosen some unique topics – Russian food, animals, Czars, and Communism are
just a few of the topics they chose. Ask your child about what aspect of Russia they
have learned more about!
Math: In math, we are beginning our unit on expressions and equations. The unit
starts with using order of operations to simplify expressions, including expressions
with exponents. Next, students will learn about variables, one-step equations, and
simplifying algebraic expressions.
Science: The salmon trip was fantastic. The rain held off until we were on the bus to
go home! The kids had a great time; each student was able to release at least one
salmon each into the river! A special THANK YOU to all the chaperones who made
this trip so successful.
In the classroom, the students are finishing up with the salmon release field
study. They will then be working with simple machines to figure out if they actually
make work easier.
Social Studies: This month in Social Studies, we will continue our exploration of
Brazilian culture before diving into the Amazon Rainforest. Students will be exploring
the environmental build of the rainforest as well as the significance of its resources to
Brazil and the rest of the world.
Grade 7:
Science: Students in 7th grade science have been researching Form and Structure: the
human body (7.2 State Standard Form & Structure). Students will continue to
research areas that include the circulatory, and respiratory systems of the human
body. Students have created PowerPoint presentations and have created life-size
drawings, modeling their understanding. Using a rubric, students will be evaluated in
each of the five areas based on their ability to discuss, model and communicate their
understanding of those five areas, within state standard, 7.2 Form and Structure.
Algebra: Students in Foundations of Algebra have just finished their study of unit
rates and proportional relationships. They will begin investigating the Pythagorean
Theorem this week and continue working with the Pythagorean Theorem for the next
few weeks. Students will be using the Pythagorean Theorem to solve problems and find
missing values.
Students in 7th grade math have been working on evaluating expressions with positive
and negative integers and translating expressions. Their study of expressions will lead
them into investigating the distributive property and solving equations using the
distributive property. Students will continue to work in groups to complete their
investigations.
Language Arts: This month, students in Language Arts will begin our next unit that
uses the genre of mystery to explore how story elements interact and how to write a
sound argument. Students will participate in weekly literature circle discussions
centered around a mystery novel. Through the readings and discussions, they will try
to solve the mystery along the way while analyzing the author’s craft in plot
development and point of view. From there, students will examine real-life mysteries
and write a compelling argument to support a claim of solution to the mystery.
Social Studies: This month in grade 7 social studies, we will be examining the cultural
features of a variety of African countries, identifying similarities and differences
between cultures. We will look at how our American culture is both similar and
different, to the cultures of these African countries. Our focus will be on the
understanding of various religions, social norms, and governments.
Grade 8:
Language Arts: This month, 8th grade ELA students begin their 5th, and final unit-Inquiring Minds. This unit is a research project of their own choosing. Students will be
spending a lot of time refining their researching skills, gathering information, and
creating a solid piece of research on a topic of their own choosing (a permission slip
will be sent home once student has chosen their topic). They will present their ideas in
an argumentative research paper. This unit will refine the students’ ability generate
guiding questions for research, create a thesis on that research and defend it using
the information gathered during the unit. We feel the students will really enjoy this
opportunity to hone their skills exploring topics that are meaningful to them.
Science: For the next two weeks, students will be performing the role of Civil
Engineer. Students will be responsible for building as strong a bridge as possible
utilizing only 50 plastic straws and 100 paper clips. We have been discussing and
experimenting with “Strong Shapes” and how they are employed in a stable bridge
design. Students will be designing a bridge, developing a to-scale blueprint,
constructing their bridge and testing how much it can hold before being crushed.
Math: Students in Pre-Algebra are finishing their unit on linear relationships. We will
end the unit with a choice board project prior to taking the assessment. Our final unit
of the year will be on volume! Mark your calendars: our final exam will be scheduled
for June 7th – 9th!
Students in Algebra are currently finishing their unit on linear functions. We will
finish the year with systems of linear equations. Mark your calendars: our final exam
will be scheduled for June 7th – 9th!
Social Studies: During the month of May, students will assess the effects of Westward
Expansion on various groups of people, and will evaluate the United States as a "land
of opportunity" during this era, concluding in a debate-style assessment. Up next:
Causes of the Civil War!
Español 1: Los estudiantes van a empezar la unidad 5: Las Vacaciones. They will learn
vocabulary associated with travel, learn how to use the verb estar to state what one is
currently doing in their travels and how certain activities make them feel. They will
also be reminded of the uses and conjugations of the two verbs that mean, "to be": ser
y estar. En la clase de lengua y cultura, los estudiantes van a aprender de Cinco de
Mayo en Mexico.
Unified Arts:
Library Media Center News!
During the month of April, we held our Spring BOGO Book Fair during school hours
as well as parent/teacher conferences. This fair was very successful and we made
over $350 in profits to purchase items from Scholastic’s catalog. PTO generously
purchased 50 new books for the library media center and additional books and
materials were purchased with our profits. Thank you for a great fair!
In addition, stay tuned in the next few weeks for summer literacy news and updates.
Art News!
In art, we are working on a creative project based on an article in Scholastic Art. The
article is called, “Painting Our World,” and discusses how artists often use their
creations to express how they see the world. The students have read this article and
will be creating their own piece of art that represents how they view their own world.
The students can choose to represent the world within their community, their school,
their home, or the global world in general.
Health/Physical Education News!
Physical Education – All students will be participating in a lacrosse unit. Some of the
smaller classes will also get an opportunity to practice their archery skills. Classes
will be back outside for the rest of the year using the track as well as for a full class.
Students should dress for the weather. Reminder that sneakers are mandatory for
participation in class and water bottles, hats, and sunglasses are permitted only when
outside.
Health: All students in grades 5& 6 will be participating in our growth and
development units. We encourage you to have some honest and open conversations
with your kids about any questions they may want to ask. Please contact Mr. Lengyel
with any questions. All students in grades 7 & 8 will be participation in our nutrition
for a lifetime unit. Students will analyze their nutritional choices and learn how they
can improve lifelong wellness. If your child wears shoes other than sneakers to school,
you may wish to remind them to keep a pair in their locker for health.
Music News!
Chorus: Our students are preparing for our Six Flags Music Festival Competition on
Friday, May 12th, and our Spring concerts on May 31st (7th and 8th Grade Band and
Chorus) and June 1st (5th and 6th Grade Band and Chorus). We will be honing our
performance skills as individuals and as an ensemble.
Fifth Grade General Music: Students are creating their own film score for a movie clip
of their choice. Look out for student performances at showcase night!
Sixth Grade General Music: Students are preparing their Monster Concert piano
ensemble pieces. We are learning about music theory and popular song form as it
relates to the piano.
Seventh and Eighth Grade General Music: Students have chosen to focus on either
drums, guitar, piano or ukulele and are choosing songs to prepare as a class. We will
perform in a battle of the bands where classes will compete to be the winning modern
band ensemble!
Band: Our students are also preparing for our Six Flags Music Festival Competition on
Friday, May 12th and our Spring Concerts! In addition, band is preparing to march in
the East Windsor Memorial Day Parade on Monday, May 29th. To prepare for all of
these events, additional rehearsals have been scheduled after school. Please check
your email for information on the specific dates for extra rehearsals!
From the Health Office:
As the weather changes please ensure you student is wearing weather appropriate
clothing. Although it is May, we are still having cooler weather at times. If the weather
is brisk, please send your student with a sweater/sweatshirt to ensure they can
participate in outdoor activities. If your child is wearing footwear other than sneakers,
please send them to school with both socks and sneakers so they can participate
adequately and safely in all physical activities.
Please send your child to school with a water bottle! As we get further from, winter
students will be going outside for recess, PE and Health classes. Water bottles will
ensure they stay hydrated with the extra activities they are participating in throughout
the day!
Students with seasonal allergies: please send your student with a water bottle and
encourage them to drink throughout the day. This will help ease some of their
symptoms. If they want to carry a pocket size packet of tissues, they are encouraged to
bring that from home. Please continue to encourage hand washing after they use a
tissue, cough or sneeze to stop the spread of germs throughout this allergy season!
MAY 2017
BREAKFAST MENU
EAST WINDSOR PUBLIC SCHOOL
AVAILABLE DAILY
Choice of milk- low fat white, or skim
Choice of fruit or juice
Choice of cereals
BROAD BROOK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL - $1.50
E.W. MIDDLE SCHOOL - $1.50
E.W. HIGH SCHOOL - $1.75
Reduce Price Breakfast - .30
1
FRUDELS
APPLE OR CHERRY
2
8
WARM CINNAMON ROLLS
9
15
22
‘STATE FAIR’
PANCAKE ON A STICK
18
24
31
SMOOTHIES
OR
CEREAL BARS
12
BREAKFAST PIZZA
EGG AND SAUSAGE
BISCUIT
‘HONEYSUCKLE’
SMOOTHIES
OR
DONUT HOLES
30
MINI CINNIS
11
17
23
5
BANANA BREAD
OR
BLUEBERRY BREAD
SCRAMBLED EGGS
W/SAUSAGE AND TOAST
‘ORANGE DREAM’
SMOOTHIES
OR
POP TARTS
FRENCH TOAST STICKS
ORANGE SLICES
29
NO SCHOOL
10
16
PANCAKES
ORANGE SLICES
4
MINI CINNIS
‘MANGO MADNESS’
SMOOTHIES
OR
DONUT HOLES
WAFFLES
ORANGE SLICES
FUNNEL CAKE
‘DUTCH WAFFLE’
3
‘THE HULK’
SMOOTHIES
OR
POP TARTS
HAM SCRAM WRAPS
OR
TOOTIE FRUITIE PARFAIT
19
ZEE ZEES
BERRY APPLE CRISP BAR
OR
COCOA BERRY BAR
25
26
FRUDELS
APPLE OR CHERRY
BANANA BREAD
OR
BLUEBERRY BREAD
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE
HIGH SCHOOL TEAMS FOR
CREATING GREAT SMOOTHIES
FOR THEIR CONTEST
1ST PLACE ‘THE HULK’
2ND PLACE ‘MANGO MADNESS’
3RD PLACE ORANGE DREAM
4TH PLACE ‘HONEY SUCKLE’
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MAY
EAST WINDSOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS
AVAILABLE DAILY WITH LUNCHES
Choice of Low Fat, or Skim Milk
Choice of fruit
Lunch Price:
$3.00 – High School
$3.00 Middle School and Broad Brook Elementary
Calzone
1
Teriyaki Tenders
Rice
Marinara Sauce
Broccoli
Green Beans
Cheese Sauce
Biscuit
Choice of Fruit
Choice of Fruit
Hot dog on a Roll
Grilled Cheese
Baked Beans
Tomato Soup
Choice of Fruit
BBQ Rib on a Roll
Crispy Spicy or
Grilled Chicken Patty
Smiley potatoes
Lettuce & Tomato
Choice of Fruit
Corn dog nuggets
Baked Potato Bar
Chili w Meat
Broccoli w Cheese Sauce
Dinner Roll
Choice of Fruit
8
15
22
Hot Dog on a Roll
29
NO SCHOOL
MEMORIAL DAY
ATERNATE LUNCH CHOICES
Fresh Fruit Platter with Yogurt & Bagel
Assorted Salad with a Roll
Assorted Sandwiches
2
Deep Dish Pizza
Tossed Salad
Choice of Fruit
Cheese or Chicken Quesadilla
Chicken Nuggets
9
Buttered Noodles
Glazed Carrots
Choice Of Fruit
MS/HS Pasta Salad
Stuffed Crust Pizza
Garden Salad
Choice of Fruit
MS/HS Cornbread
Orange Chicken
Rice
Broccoli
Fortune Cookie
Choice of Fruit
MS/HS Coleslaw
Pizza
Tossed Salad
Choice of Fruit
Chicken Tenders
Mashed Potatoes
Gravy
Corn
Choice of Fruit
MS/HS Biscuit
Mozzarella Sticks
Marinara Sauce
Marinated Cukes
Garlic Breadsticks
Choice of Fruit
16
23
30
MS/HS Kale Salad
French Bread Pizza
Garden Salad
Choice of Fruit
3
10
17
24
MS/HS veggie sticks with dip
Pizza
31
Tossed Salad
Choice of Fruit
MS/HS Coleslaw
Turkey Dinner
Mashed Potatoes w gravy
Stuffing
Corn
Choice of Fruit
Biscuit
BB Chicken Tenders
Pasta with meat sauce
Garlic Breadsticks
Green Beans
Choice of Fruit
Meatballs
Garlic Breadsticks
Green Beans
Choice of Fruit
MS/HS or Meatball Grinder
Tacos
Rice
Green Beans
Salsa & Sour Cream
Choice of Fruit
4
11
18
25
Cheeseburger or
Hamburger
French Fries
Pickle Chips
Choice of Fruit
Fish
French Toast Sticks
Sausage Links
Hash Brown
Choice of Fruit
5
12
Panini
19
Turkey Club, Ham & Cheese or
Italian Combo
Potato Chip
Tomato & Cuke Salad
BB Grilled Cheese OR Ham &
Cheese
Hot Dog on a Roll
Cheeseburger or
26
Hamburger
Mac & Cheese
Pickle Chips
Choice of Fruit
Fish