Upcoming Events:

• April 20:  Boe meeting, 6pm.

• April 21-22:  NYS ELA exam for grades 5-8.

• Reminder to parents that the Middle School dismisses at 2:40 on Fridays.

• April 22: Report cards come out.

• 6th Grade Safety Patrol Reminders:

•  Safety Patrol trip balance due Friday, May 1.

•  Cookie Dough pick up @ MS Wednesday May 6, 3:30 – 5:30.

•   Safety Patrol trip meeting for those attending trip May 6 @ 5:30 in MS auditorium.  

Athletics:

Thursday April 23:  Modified track at Sidney 4:30pm

Guidance:

• Grade 8 students will be completing their 9th Grade schedule requests over the next month or so.  Please contact the guidance office if you would like to be a part of your student's scheduling meeting. 

• We continue to implement our character development program PurposeFull People. Our character trait for the month of March is Cooperation.  

• Our clothes closet, the Hawks Hanger, and our school supply closet are full of helpful supplies for any student in need.  Please encourage your child to see me or the school nurse, Mrs. Barber, for any supply needs they may have. 

•  Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions or concerns- KStarkSp@oxac.org- (607)843-7185 ext. 2518        

5th Grade:

•  ELA: This week we have been reviewing important vocabulary words, how to answer multiple choice questions, and extended response questions to prepare for the State Assessment.  We have also started to review what goes into a well-written essay, which we will finish up on Monday. We have discussed doing their best and to believe in what they can do!  There will be NO Vocabulary next week.

• Social Studies-Students received new vocabulary words. The quiz is 4/24. Students reviewed for our test on gaining independence by playing “Grudge Ball,” which may be our new favorite! If you have any questions, please reach out! Have a wonderful weekend!

• Math- Fifth graders learned how to find the volume of composite figures. They were taught how to calculate the measure of a missing side using the given numbers and how to solve the problem using the additive strategy. Students also learned how to find the volume of irregular compound figures when only given pictures of cubes. There will be a vocabulary test on Friday, April 24th. Please encourage your students to study and review their math facts. Have a great weekend! 

• Science we are working on the concept of gravity on Earth and on other planets.  We will continue this next week, when we will add in the concept of the habitable zone.  The next vocabulary quiz will take place on Friday April 24th.  Please reach out with any questions or concerns. 

6th Grade:

• ELA: This week we have been reviewing important vocabulary words, how to answer multiple choice questions, and extended response questions to prepare for the State Assessment.  We have also started to review what goes into a well-written essay, which we will finish up on Monday.  We have discussed doing their best and to believe in what they can do!  There will be NO Vocabulary next week.

• Social Studies-Students began to learn about Ancient Greece. Students received new vocabulary words, the quiz will be 4/24. They began learning about Ancient Greece. We spent some time looking at the geography of Greece and how that shaped a civilization. If you have any questions, please reach out! Have a wonderful weekend!

• Science we are continuing our work on weather and climate.  Next week we will add in some extreme weather.  The next vocabulary quiz will take place on Friday April 24th.  Please reach out with any questions or concerns.   

7th and 8th Grade:

Eliza Trask is the Eighth Grade ELA Reader of the Month for March 2026! 

Since the start of the school year, Eliza has already read an incredible twenty-three books, a remarkable feat that showcases her dedication to literacy and her passion for stories.

When asked about her secret to finding time to read so much, Eliza shared that she reads whenever she has spare time, often using her Kindle. This resourcefulness and commitment make her a standout reader.

Eliza's preferred genre is historical fiction, and her favorite book is Paper Girl in Paris by her favorite author, Jordan Taylor.

Her advice to future ELA 8 Readers of the Month is: “Start with smaller books, then build up from there.”

Congratulations, Eliza! Your dedication to reading is truly inspiring to your classmates and the entire Eighth Grade team. Keep up the phenomenal work, and keep turning those pages!

• ELA 8:  students spent this week preparing for the NYS ELA 8 Exam, which is scheduled for Tuesday, April 21st, and Wednesday, April 22nd. Preparation included reviewing test-taking strategies and practicing both Session 1 and Session 2 of the exam. The students have made impressive growth throughout the school year, and I am highly confident in their ability to succeed on this exam.

• Thank you for your ongoing support! Please reach out to me with any questions at ncrandall@oxac.org.

• 7th grade Social Studies students will begin learning about the War of 1812 this week.

• 8th grade Social Studies students wrapped up their unit on the Great Depression.  They took a summative assessment on Thursday.

• 7th Grade Science We are wrapping up our unit on cellular processes and preparing to transition into genetics and inheritance. Students will have a test the week of 4/27 covering all cellular processes, including Photosynthesis/Respiration, Osmosis/Diffusion, and Mitosis.  A study guide will be distributed next week; please encourage your student to complete it and use it as their primary review tool.

• 8th Grade Science Students are now in the final stages of preparation for the NYS Science Exam on May 13. Please remind your student to stay caught up on all posted review assignments. For additional practice, you and your student can access the following link to review released questions from last year’s exam:

NYS Grade 8 Science Exam Released Items - 2024

• Math 7:  We are currently working through Unit 5: Data, Statistics and Probability. This week, students began creating and interpreting Box Plots and Histograms. We spent some time collecting data, transcribing that data into our packets, identifying the important information in the data and then drawing the appropriate diagram that represents that data. Our UNIT 5 TEST is planned for MAY 13th AND May 14th. If you have any questions or concerns please reach out to me via email!

News / Programs / Clubs / Related Arts:

• Fablab students have been working on creating awards for the Schoolyard Sugaring Contest put on by the New York Ag In the Classroom (NYAIC) organization.  Last year students in the Primary School placed second in the competition.  Our students in the Fablab will be meeting via a zoom call with NYAIC, to pitch their ability to create awards for this year's contest.  The original award appears in the picture along with our two prototypes on either side.  One award we finished in Tung Oil, the other with Polyurethane.                        

Spirit Fridays:

April 24 - Dress as your grade 5th babies 6th toddlers 7th adults 8th grandparents

May 1 - Sports Day (Favorite team or Sport)

May 4 - Star Wars Days.                               

PRINCIPALS MESSAGE:

• ParentSquare will be used for all communication from the school including progress and report cards in the newsletter.  You can download the ParentSquare app and create an account or you can go to the schools website and scroll all the way to the bottom and can get to the site from there as well.

• Thank you for sharing your children with us.

• Be great everyone.