MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL & MAIN OFFICE NEWS

• Grades Close for Trimester 1 on Tuesday, December 15^th
• Report Cards will be available via the Parent/Student Portal on the afternoon of Wednesday, December 23^rd. I will send out more specific details as the date gets closer. Please note that physical copies of the report card will not be coming home with students or mailed home.
• Wednesday, December 23^rd is a half day for students.
• Winter break is from December 24^th-January 3^rd.
• Please note that all students remain remote this coming week (12/7-12/11) with the exception of Cohort C students. Please stay tuned for more information at the end of next week.

• ATTENDANCE POLICY AND EXPECTATIONS: Here is a reminder of our attendance policy. In this new model of schooling where students are learning from both school and home, attendance and participation in all classes is one of our major concerns. Here are some things to know and we would greatly appreciate it if you reviewed all of these expectations and policies with your students:

• If you are absent for 10% of the school year, you are considered to be “chronically” absent. That means that if you have missed 4 or more days to this point.
• We have begun reaching out via mail with attendance letters for students that we are currently concerned are missing too much time.
• It is the expectation that all students are either present physically or signed on remotely at 8:30am each day.
• It is the requirement that students attend all of their classes for the duration of the class time. Leaving a meet/class early is equivalent to walking out of class without permission.
• In addition to sending home letters, we will also be setting up attendance meetings with students and families to address concerns and lend support, and in some cases we will be conducting home visits to do this as well.
• The first step toward school success is attendance. You cannot be successful in school if you are not showing up. Please reach out to us so that we can set up a plan to best support you and your student(s).
• Please note that while it is good practice to make your student’s homeroom teacher aware of any absences or appointments, it is most important that you are contacting the main office of the school each and any time that your student is going to be absent. Also, please make sure to forward all doctor’s notes and other absent notes to our main office. Thank you!
  • Please click the link here to be connected to an updated district attendance policy: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1AWglC4E6i12t0XcDfnpZJtOtt-xb8V_RBq4djELxd5g/edit?usp=sharing

• Wi-Fi Issues: If you are having WiFi issues at home and your student cannot log onto a Google Meet at the moment, please email the teacher or call the school so an office staff member can pass the info onto the teacher. Teachers take attendance every period and when a student does not show up for class, they don’t necessarily know that the student is having a tech issue.

• DISCOVERY CLUB: Discovery club will be held remotely for one more week. Please be sure to access the JGW Discovery Club Google Classroom and click on the link to join.  If you have any questions, you can email Mrs. Midolo at tmidolo@haverhill-ps.org.

OTHER IMPORTANT NEWS

• MOVEMBER: Here are the Final Movember Numbers…

1^st Place/WINNER: Ms. Delong 247 votes!!!

2nd Place: Mr. Taylor: 99 votes

3rd Place: Mr. Blaustein: 57 votes

4th Place: Mr. Marinella: 41 votes

5th place: Mr. Lewis: 26 votes

6th place: Mr. LeGrand: 18 votes

7^th place: Mr. Betty: 13 votes

8^th place: Mr. Harris & Mr. Gariepy: 6 votes

9^th place: Mr. DeMarais 4 votes

10^th place: Mr. Newell: 2 votes

Please see the final picture below and stay tuned for what is in store for our big winner Ms. Delong!!

NATIONAL JUNIOR HONOR SOCIETY (NJHS): Thank you to all that participated in the meadow farms fundraiser!  Our next meeting will be Wednesday January 20 @3pm. 

MODEL UN NEWS: Our delegates have been working so hard on their position papers! Right now, they should be finishing paragraph 3 which is all about how their country feels about their committee topic. The club has done a great job discussing these topics and will be well-prepared for the conference in January! Club members should be checking both the HillieMUN Classroom as well as our private JGW MUN Classroom (since we don’t want the other schools to know our secrets) regularly. Our next meeting is Tuesday from 3:15-4:15 on Google Meet. Please let Ms. DeLong know if you are unable to make a meeting.

JR VIP: We will be meeting with our HHS Mentors during December Meets.  And don’t forget, even though we are currently remote, the SOCKS Project is still on.  We are extending donations through January to collect as many socks as we can for Haverhill’s homeless.

JGW CHORUS CLUB: Chorus meets every Wednesday after school from 3:00pm to 3:45pm on Mr. Gariepy’s Google Classroom. If your child is interested in joining Chorus please email him at robert.gariepy@haverhill-ps.org so he can add them to the Google Classroom.

PTO UPDATES

Our next PTO meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, 12/9 from 6:00-7:30pm.

Please click the link to be connected to the most recent PTO news:  JGW PTO November 4, 2020 Meeting Minutes

COMMUNITY RESOURCES

Please click on the link in order to be connected to some community resources which may prove helpful during this holiday season: https://www.haverhill-ps.org/haverhill-community-programs/

HYBRID MODEL

GRADE 5:

Mrs. Sanguedolce: In math we are continuing to multiply multi-digit numbers. The students are doing great! Parents, please make sure that paper and pencils/pens are available for your children on remote days. Writing down our math and practicing it together is so very important. Thank you for your help with that! In social studies, we will begin Chapter 4, The Road to War. We will learn about the many conflicts in the English colonies during the 1700s.

Ms. Delong: Science (Hybrid): We are wrapping up our unit on Food Webs. Students will be practicing their skills with some test preparation before the test on Food Webs at the end of next week. Our next unit is Matter Cycles. It is the last unit in our first Bundle! 

Science All-Stars: Saige DeJesus (Yellow), Khadijah Johnson (Red), Thomas Colon (Orange)

Social Studies (Yellow): The Yellow Group is starting a large project on the Pilgrims and the Puritans. As a group, they will be researching the roles and jobs of men, women, and children, trade, leadership, religion, food, and shelter/community set up. Groups will be presenting their information before the Winter Break. 

Social Studies All-Star: Quentin Bauchman

Mrs. LaCoste: In fifth grade ELA, we’ve been working hard!  We’re wrapping up our reading of “How to Steal a Dog” and exploring the elements of plot using the whole story.  We’ve discussed the exposition (introduction) and the conflict thus far.  I’m really impressed with the conversations we’ve had around each element and how well the students have analyzed the characters and text.  We’re also continuing with our study of parts of speech.  Ask your student to use some adjectives to describe their school days!  Please encourage students to read independently at home.  We have some great reading apps, but a good old-fashioned book in one’s hands can do wonders!  Your student is welcome to borrow a book or two from me- they just need to ask. 

In Orange Social Studies we are learning about the settlement of our country’s original 13 colonies.  We’ve covered the New England colonies and the Middle colonies.  Ask your student about why so many European’s came to the colonies and what their lives were like.  

Ms. Lees: Ms. Kelly and Ms. Lees are with Orange and Red groups reading “How to Steal a Dog” and wondering how Georgina’s plan is going to unfold. Students have moved on in parts of speech to adjectives – so important in making writing interesting. Those students who have been given LexiaCore5 log-in with instructions how to use should be working at least 45 minutes a week in the program. In Math – We will continue and increase fluency and following the steps with multi digit multiplication. Please remember that Ms. Lees posts on Stream Pages and announces in our subject classroom meets when she and Ms. Kelly are in a google classroom to help with assignments and clarify lessons on remote Wednesdays. Please join! Before and after school time is available too.

GRADE 6:

Mrs. Hamel: Science: Now that our scientists have completed their third Scope of the year, we have moved into Thermal Energy in Chemical Reactions. We are working towards figuring out why some chemical reactions result in something hot, while others result in something cold. Our focus is on Exothermic and Endothermic reactions. It should be a warm and cozy lesson as we enter some colder temperatures out there. We are ready to make some snowmen!

Social Studies: Our geographers have flown through Asia and moved into Northern Africa with a concentration on Egypt. We are wondering how those clever Egyptians made those intricate and Very Large pyramids without today’s machinery! Our overriding question of Why Was Ancient Egypt important? will be the path we follow in the upcoming days. Building our own pyramids and filling them with our worldly goods as well as learning hieroglyphics are our next projects!

Mr. Taylor: Working on our narrative writing pieces and continuing IReady

Ms. Sargent: Students have been learning many different strategies for finding the GCF and LCM in math class.  They have been practicing the different strategies to find which one works best in different situations.  As well as the daily work, your child is required to complete 45 minutes on their iready math program each week, which is the individualized program to advance them in their math practices.  Any questions please email. 

Mrs. Guisti: Students who work with Mrs. Guisti and Mrs. Cronin have been greatly encouraged to join the google meet Guisti/Cronin online support class at 12:05 for extra help provided in a small group.  This is incredibly important now that we are remote through next week. We have been able to do break out rooms during inclusion classes to provide support to students for their academic needs as well.  This week we have begun the steps of narrative writing in ELA and continued working on factors and multiples in math.  Always remember to do 45 minutes of iReady for math and reading and if your student has Lexia please log into Lexia each week to practice reading skills. Thank you! 

GRADE 7:

Mrs. Berthiaume: Here we are in December already!  In Social Studies, students showed an excellent effort on their East Asia country mini posters.  I really liked that students were willing to share their work with others, too.  In ELA, we are now in our drama unit.  We will read A Christmas Carol (play version) and learn some interesting facts about the Victorian era.  Please be sure your students are checking their Google Classroom pages.  Sometimes it is easy to forget to turn in an assignment once it is completed.  First trimester marks close on December 15 and there are several assignments that have not been turned in.  Thank you. 

Mrs. Trombly: Students in Mrs. Trombly’s math classes are working on percents and percent proportions and equations.  We will be finishing up this unit quickly and moving into Topic 4 very soon with expressions.  

In science we are finishing up ecosystems and food chains.  

Mr. Yanoff: The countdown is on to get your work finished red and yellow.  Grade will close very soon!  Our groups are working on fractions, percents, and decimals.  Learning how to convert each one into another one of similar likeness.  Examples would be 40% = .40 = 2/5.  They are learning how to use Google to find videos that will help them explain math. I-Ready has a must do! 

Mrs. MacKinnon: Good day 7th grade families:  Can you believe we have already made it to December?

In math this week we are working on topic 2 rates, ratios and unit rates.  They will be learning how to solve each problem and then simplifying it.  

In science the students are continuing food chains and energy pyramids.  Students will be able to identify producers, consumers, and decomposers.  They will also be able to explain where all energy on Earth comes from.  We will be having our test on this chapter next Thursday.  Then we will be moving into dynamic nature of ecosystems and talking about how natural disasters both man made and natural can happen and how sometimes it is good for the environment.

Please make sure you are checking school brains for grades and making sure your child is getting their work done. Thank you for all your help 

Ms. DiGloria: For Week 13, students in Blue and Green ELA will be continuing to read A Christmas Carol. We will finish the play by reading Act II and complete some literary activities. For Social Studies, students will continue learning about Ancient China. All work will continue to be through Google Classroom and all Meets will have live lessons and check-ins. Grades close December 15th so make sure your student is all caught up. 

Ms. Bilmazes: My google classroom link for additional help on Wednesdays is posted. Look for “Ms. Bilmazes Academic Support”, Please log on at 11:30. If the time changes, I will let you know, via the class link. Students should continue to do work on making up missing work, as grades are closing in a few short weeks.  Students in the yellow group have begun background activities on Victorian times and the students in green and blue groups are continuing to read The Christmas Carol.  Have a wonderful weekend.

GRADE 8:

Mr. Lewis: English class has begun our unit on Persuasion. Students have been introduced to the fundamental vocabulary – rhetoric, speaker, audience, message – and have started reading about ways in which people can successfully persuade others, specifically at the traditional ideas of logic, emotion, and ethics.

Civics class has started Chapter 2, which focuses on the early influences of American government, namely ancient Greece and Roman philosophies as well as medieval England/Europe. 

Ms. Deblasis: Math: We are continuing our unit on Real Numbers.  The final concept to be studied this week is Scientific Notation. We will be writing numbers in scientific notation and learning the four operations with scientific notation, as well. 

Science: We will be finishing up our unit on Weather Patterns this week. 

The first trimester ends on December 15th.  All parents/guardians should be checking their students school brains accounts on a regular basis.  Please check your child’s account this week and reach out to us with any questions, prior to grades closing.  

Mr. Blaustein:

ELA: We are focusing on comparing and contrasting Nonfiction and Fiction by studying a sample of each style written by the same authors. We are reading “The Baker Heater Leage”, a nonfiction essay about the history of railroad porters and a fictional short story “The 11:59” written by Patricia and Frederick Mckissack.

Civics: We are currently studying Forms of Government. We just completed the online textbook lesson and are beginning the accompanying Guided Reading. we have a power point to view as well as accompanying worksheets. At this point, I don’t believe we will have the quiz before Christmas break.

Ms. Sullivan: Math: We are continuing our unit on Real Numbers.  The final concept to be studied this week is Scientific Notation. We will be writing numbers in scientific notation and learning the four operations with scientific notation, as well. 

Science: We will be finishing up our unit on Weather Patterns this week. 

The first trimester ends on December 15th.  All parents/guardians should be checking their students school brains accounts on a regular basis.  Please check your child’s account this week and reach out to us with any questions, prior to grades closing.  

Ms. Senior: Remote learning commenced this week with all its joys and tribulations.  ELA ended its novel “Flowers For Algernon” and began “Baker Heater League” as it delves into fiction/non-fiction. Also in ELA, students wrote graphic organizers for persuasive writing pieces, along with an emphasis on vocabulary.  Mathematics was ‘exponentially’ interesting as students learned scientific notation, place value, rounding up and bringing values to the power of 10.  Snow on Saturday!

SPECIALISTS:

Physical Education: (Mr. Demarais): Hello everyone.  During our remote only classes please continue to do the workouts and challenges that I have been posting for you.  Make sure you are all tracking your workouts as well as your mileage on your workout calendars.

As we move forward my hope is that we can transition back to our hybrid model.  I really enjoy working in person with all of you and seeing the progress that you have been making.  In the meantime, please stay safe and keep moving!

RLA classes please check in with me either through the classroom posts, or by using the turned in section of assignments.  

Art (Ms. Boulger): In Person/ Hybrid ART classes Orange 5/6, Blue 7/8, Green 7/8 

For this week, most students will be meeting for art online. Even though they are home, they are still required to attend art class. As it is almost the end of the trimester, we are finishing up projects and students are also learning about clay/ pottery techniques. 

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at emily.boulger@haverhill-ps.org 

Artwork created by Emily Pereira Gr7, and Jadriel Maldonado Gr. 5

Health (Mrs. Reynolds):

In Grade 5, we will be finishing our Bullying Unit and start our Drug Abuse Education unit.

In Grade 6, we have finished the Communication Skills Unit and are starting to learn basic First Aid tips and techniques.

In Grade 7, we are examining our Values and discussing Conflict Resolution.

In Grade 8, we have begun the Mental Health Unit, starting with Anxiety.  We will look at symptoms of Depression in the next class.

Music (Mr. Gariepy): Hello Whittier Middle School!!! With the trimester coming to a close, please make sure your child has stayed on track in class by checking Schoolbrains. If you have any questions about your child’s grade, please email me at robert.gariepy@haverhill-ps.org. Stay informed on what we do in class by visiting www.whittiermiddlemusic.webs.com where I post a weekly update on what we do in class!

REMOTE LEARNING ACADEMY

GRADE 5:

Ms. MacDonald: Please make sure students are checking their Daily Work List each day. This can be found in the “Stream” page of Google Classroom. Each one of your student’s teachers updates it each day to list what work is due for each class by the end of the day. You can go over this list each day with your child to make sure they have completed all of their work. 

Ms. Duquette: This week, we have been working on reading informational text.  Our four learning objectives were:

1. Connecting to prior knowledge to understand nonfiction text.
2. Distinguish between fact or opinion.
3. Recognize and use content vocabulary.
4. Understand and identify antonyms.

The informational text that our lessons were centered around was, ART Around Us, by Cheryl Ryan.

Students are also going to complete a project-based activity using knowledge and inspiration gained from this book.  The activity begins on Friday December 4th and will be due by Monday afternoon.  Students may work on this project over the weekend if they have time.  We will be doing a review of the book together on Monday and students will be tested on the book on Tuesday.  We have also been working on developing our journal writing.  The focus is developing content and not responding with just one sentence.  It is important for students to increase their writing stamina and by developing more content this skill will become stronger.

Ms. Spadaro: Last week, students completed the Topic 4 Assessment. Their grade is available on Pearson. This week, students reviewed Topics 1-4 and completed the Topics 1-4 Benchmark Assessment. Next week, students will begin using models and strategies to divide whole numbers in Topic 5. It is important that your child is taking notes and showing all of their work. They are responsible for taking a picture of their notes and work to put in their virtual notebook. Students were able to use their notes on the Topic 4 Assessment and Topics 1-4 Benchmark. 

GRADE 6:

Ms. Consolazio: In social studies class, the students have finished The Geographer’s World and took an assessment on chapter 2.   We are now beginning Chapter 3 Physical Geography.  The students are learning about planet Earth, layers of the Earth, seasons, and weather. 

In science class, we are finishing up density and will be moving on to thermal energy next week.  

Mrs. Simes: In math, we continue to work within Topic 2 – Integers and Rational Numbers.  Students are learning how to calculate the distance between two points that lie on the coordinate plane and will use this knowledge to find the lengths of polygons and the perimeter of polygons on a coordinate plane.   In science, students will begin Unit 4 – Reactions and Heat.  Students will be learning what happens to the movement of molecules or particles of a substance when it is either cooled or heated, as well as to how heat is transferred. After school help will be Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday from 2:45 p.m. to 3:15. p.m.  As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me at michele.simes@haverhill-ps.org.  Have a great weekend.

Ms. Riley: I hope you enjoyed time with your family over the long weekend. In ELA we will continue to work on analyzing the craft of illustrators and authors.  We will work on theme and mood though our readings in class. Some familiar authors we will be reading include: Cynthia Rylant and Christpher Myers. 

GRADE 7:

Ms. Marciano: ELA: We will be reading Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol”. Students will learn about the working conditions in England during the 19th Century, along with analyzing conflict.

Science: We are starting Unit 4: Flow of Energy in Ecosystems. Students will be able to describe that matter and energy are transferred among living and nonliving parts of an ecosystem and that both matter and energy are conserved through these processes.

Mr. LeGrand: Math:  This week, we will continue our study of proportionality.  Students will be able to draw and interpret the graph of a proportional relationship, and use proportional reasoning to solve real world mathematical problems.  Please encourage your student to complete all their assignments on time, and to make up any missing assignments.   

Social Studies:  We are starting a new chapter on East Asia.  Students will be able to use maps and other geographic representations, geospatial technologies, and spatial thinking to understand and communicate information about East Asia. 

GRADE 8:

Mr. Harris: Math – We are working on linear equations.  Students have a quiz on Friday 12/4, on combining like terms and how to solve equations with variables on both sides of the equal sign.  We will then begin working on multi-step equations which use the distributive property as well as equations which have no solution and infinitely many solutions.

Science – We are finishing up learning about the currents of the oceans (yay rubber duckies!).  Next week will be our dive into Predicting the Weather and weather patterns.

Mr. Marinella: ELA– This week, as we wind down the term, we are starting our first long-form essay. We will be writing a five-paragraph essay over several writing and editing sessions. This essay is about how the main character of our novel has changed throughout the book. Ask you student about their evidence or to show to show you some of their writing! 

Civics– The class is moving into understanding the Constitution! Starting with the original preamble, we will explore each part of the document. We will quickly move into the different branches and powers of the federal government. 

Reminder: the term is coming to an end quickly. I encourage all parents and students to be checking SchoolBrains for accurate and up-to-date grade info and missing assignments. SchoolBrains is the better option, compared to Google Classroom, for grade and assignment info. 

Ms. Blanchette: Students in the Remote Learning Academy are hard at work learning grade level content. Grades will be closing for trimester 1 in the next few weeks, please ensure your student is completing their assignments and attending google meets. Students should also be checking “Ms. Blanchette’s Online Google Classroom” for updates, extra help times and schedules for small group google meets. Please reach out with any questions or concerns. I look forward to another great week in the Remote Academy!

ART: Grades 5, 6 

Art 6 Purple RLA is scheduled meet with their art teacher Ms. Bailey every Tuesday 4^th period from 12:10- 12:55 

Art 5 Purple RLA is scheduled to meet with their art teacher Ms. Bailey every Wednesday 4^th period from 12:10- 12:55 

For more information about 5 and 6^th RLA art classes you can email Ms. Bailey at Maruerite.bailey@haverhill-ps.org  

Grades 7, 8 

RLA Art classes 7/8 Orange, 7/8 Purple  

Orange 7/8 and Purple 7/8 RLA art meet every Friday at 12:15 on Google Meets. 

If your child does not have a google classroom for art, feel free to contact me at emily.boulger@haverhill-ps.org 

Artwork created by Adria Gregorie Gr7, and Emily Santiago Gr 7

SCHOOL SUPPORT STAFF

Guidance (Mrs. Vlahos): Over the next few weeks, I will be visiting with 7th grade classes to discuss high school options and goal setting.  This lesson went very well with the 8th grade and I am excited to begin the work on transition planning and goals with the 7th grade.  As 7th graders, students will begin to explore various high school options available to them.  I have also started outreach with all 6th grade students regarding connections and support at school.  I did similar work with the 5th grade in October and I am looking forward to continued work with all students!  I am available to connect with and support all students and families throughout the school week.  I am excited to check in with students through Google Meet, by email and by phone.  If desired, please email me to connect and request a check in and I will coordinate a meeting with you.  I look forward to working with you all in supporting you in having a healthy, safe, and successful school year!

Student Adjustment Counselor (Mrs. Midolo): Next week’s topic will focus on “How stress affects your body and mind”. Please be sure to have your child check our google Classroom Page and Look for assignments and updates on Social Groups, which are held on Wednesdays. Please make sure that your child attends in order to receive the proper credit.  Have a great weekend.

Student Support Coordinator (Mr. Newell): I am available for help with chrome books, attendance concerns and everything in general. Please contact me at jonathan.newell@haverhill-ps.org

Middle School Support Program (Mrs. Leydon & Mr. Diffin): I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Although we will be working remotely, all social groups will still be seen at their scheduled times via the MSSP Google Classroom. Mrs. Leydon, Mr. Diffin, Ms. Sue, and Mrs. Jarvis are all available through the MSSP Google Classroom if anyone has any questions or needs help so please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. 

Parent Liaison (Ms. Arias-Reyes): Siempre estoy aquí para ayudar en lo que pueda. Mi información de contacto directo es 781-666-4085 y maria.ariasreyes@haverhill-ps.org.

ELL Teacher (Mrs. Raposo): This week the students are hard at work learning important concepts in English. We are also having meaningful conversations with one another. These students have been making great progress in their classes and I know they will strive to get better every day. This week we will be focusing on content vocabulary to help strengthen all of their academic subjects. 

Student Support Center (Mrs. Greenwood): Hey SSC Students, Report cards are coming out soon and we will be available for academic support on google meet for the next week during remote learning. Please email Ms Greenwood or Ms Christine from the SSC Google Classroom with your requests and we will set up support times if we haven’t already. We will continue to check in on you so keep up the Good Work!

Reading Coach/Interventionist (Mrs. Guthrie): This week I have been reaching out some of the 5th grade students and offering extra help sessions from 2:30-3:00 on my Google class page, The Literacy Corner. If you think your child could benefit from these sessions and are not part of the group, please email me at heather.guthrie@haverhill-ps.org and I will add your child’s name. 

I will be reaching out to students in grades 6 and 7 next week.

NEWS FROM OUR NURSES OFFICE (Nurse Cartwright): Please remember to send in a copy of your child’s influenza vaccine into the school nurse. The new state mandate requires that all students, regardless of remote or hybrid learning, receive an influenza vaccine for the current school year by December 31st. If you have any questions about exemptions or where how to send it paperwork, Nurse Kelsey can be reached at kelsey.cartwright@haverhill-ps.org