MS Newsletter 10/16/2026

Upcoming Events:

October 30:  Half day for students - dismissal at 11:30am.

October 30:  Halloween dance and party for grades 5-8 (REMINDER:  There are criteria for kids to attend based on behavior, academics and attendance)

Athletics:

Monday October 19: Modified Girls Soccer Home at the HS Field at 4:30

Monday October 19: Modified Boys Soccer at UV at 4:30

Thursday October 22: Modified Girls Soccer at BG at 6:30

Thursday October 22: Modified Boys Soccer Home Vs. BG at 4:30

Thursday October 22: Modified Football at Walton at 4:30

Guidance:

This school year we continue to implement our character development program PurposeFull People.  Our character trait for October is Responsibility.  Please see the attached parent information sheet to kick-off our October trait.

~ Over the summer we had several generous donations to both our clothes closet, the Hawks Hanger, and our school supply closet.  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 student questions or concerns- KStarkSp@oxac.org- (607)843-7185 ext. 2518

5th Grade:

5th Grade ELA

• Core Curriculum: This week, students completed Chapters 1 and 2 of Esperanza Rising. Our primary focus was analyzing the setting and the main character’s social status, supported by specific text evidence.

• Skill Focus: We introduced figurative language from the novel, focusing on analyzing the author's intended meaning. Next week, students will dive deeper into identifying specific examples of simile, metaphor, and personification. We also continue to practice restating the prompt when answering comprehension questions.

• Vocabulary: Most students are now consistently adhering to the homework schedule (assigned Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday). These assignments are designed to help students master novel vocabulary. To prepare effectively for quizzes, students are encouraged to dedicate more time to studying definitions and utilizing context clues.

• Ongoing Projects: Students requiring additional work on their independent book outlines have had their materials returned to them to complete. We are now transitioning into the next phase of this project. Students will receive guidelines to draft a three-paragraph paper, utilizing class time and study hall. Guided class time will be provided. The final essay and completed outline are due November 13th.

We were busy this week in 5th grade math! We practiced dividing four-digit numbers by two-digit numbers. Some of our answers had remainders, while others did not. Edpuzzle was introduced, and students did a great job answering questions and showing their work. We finished the week with a quiz and more multiplication practice. Your 5th grade mathematician is doing a fabulous job! Enjoy the weekend!

5th Grade Social Studies- 5th graders worked super hard this week! We kicked off our brand-new unit on types of government and economies, diving right into learning about monarchy and oligarchy. Students also received their new vocabulary list to practice. Please note that our vocabulary test is scheduled for Friday, October 23rd. Great job to all of our students for their hard work and focus! As always, please reach out with any questions or concerns. Have a wonderful weekend!

5th Grade Science is working on water filtering.  This week we tried filtering river water with coffee filters.  Please ask your child to tell you what we found.  We will continue with other water sources next week where the students will be designing a filter to use that will do a better job.  The vocabulary quiz will take place on Tuesday October 20th.  From next week going forward we will be taking vocabulary quizzes on Tuesdays.  Please reach out with any questions or concerns.   

6th Grade:

  6th Grade ELA

• Core Curriculum: We continued reading Bud, Not Buddy and have reached the midpoint of the novel. Students will take a mid-novel assessment next week. We also continue to refine our ability to restate and fully answer comprehension questions.

• Skill Focus: Upcoming lessons will center on parts of speech, with a focus on selecting and utilizing vivid adjectives to elevate student writing.

• Vocabulary: Vocabulary performance remains strong, and most students are submitting their assignments punctually. As a reminder, homework is scheduled for Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday (refer to the class calendar). These exercises build vocabulary retention and reinforce study habits ahead of weekly quizzes.

• Ongoing Projects: Students with incomplete independent book outlines have received their materials to finalize. We will begin the next phase in class, where students will draft a four-paragraph essay. Guided class time will be provided, though independent work may be necessary. The final essay and completed outline are due November 13th.

6th Grade Social Studies- 6th graders have been working hard to master our new information! This week, we continued our unit on oceans and continents. Students are putting their creativity to work by creating a travel brochure for one of the continents to showcase interesting facts and features from around the world. They received a new vocabulary list this week with a quiz scheduled for Friday, October 23rd, and our Oceans and Continents unit test will be on Thursday, October 22nd. As always, please reach out with any questions or concerns. Have a wonderful weekend! 

6th Grade Science is working on weather and climate.  This week we looked at hail phenomenon.  We will be exploring this type of weather more next week.  Please ask your child what they have learned.  The vocabulary quiz will take place on Tuesday October 20th.  From next week going forward we will be taking vocabulary quizzes on Tuesdays.  Please reach out with any questions or concerns.   

 6th Grade Math:  We wrapped up another fantastic week in 6th Grade Math! The students have been working incredibly hard solving rate problems, and they showed great focus as we transitioned into our introduction to percentages. To bring this new concept to life, we spent some time playing classroom basketball. The students collected their own shot data and used it to calculate their personal free throw percentages. It was a fun, high-energy way to connect math to the real world!                                 

7th and 8th Grade:

ELA 8

✏️ Bell Ringers
This week, students practiced grammar, mechanics and usage skills by editing more quotes by Lionel Messi. We are also continuing to work on the importance of using our best handwriting and taking pride in the work we put on paper.

📚 Independent Reading
Students continued reading their Independent Reading books. Be sure to ask your student about the friendly reading competition between the ELA classes! The class that reads the most number of pages at the end of the marking period will be treated to a pizza or ice cream party! The standings as of today, October 16th are:

   First Place: Eighth Period-3,838 pages!!!

   Second Place: Fifth Period-1,202 pages

   Third Place: Seventh Period-800 pages

Students can count any book they have read since school started in September. Our top readers so far are Wesley Gould with an AMAZING 1,903 pages read; Mason Buckley with a hefty 1,191 pages read, and coming in hot with an impressive 818 pages read is Abel Banner!

A reminder that students should be reading for at least 30 minutes each day. Reading progress will be checked weekly through our page checks. Our next page check will be Thursday, October 22nd.

Thank you for encouraging your student to read at home and for supporting their learning! Your partnership makes a difference.

As always, please feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns at ncrandall@oxac.org. I look forward to another great week of learning with your students!

8th grade math, we are learning how to solve for a variable in an equation through a multi-step process. 

7th grade Social Studies students will be going to Albany on October 27.  Please note, this is a date change.  We will leave at 8:10 and arrive back to the Middle School at 5:30.

8th grade Social Studies students have wrapped up their first essay.  They will continue to work on writing skills throughout the year.  

ELA 7:  This week ELA students began a novel unit. Students began reading A Long Walk to Water.  Students read the first two chapters and completed brief notes demonstrating an understanding of the gist as it relates to the two main characters, Nya and Salva.  Students also learned how to locate and cite text-based evidence to support their analysis of each character’s identity, or personality traits.

Earlier this marking period, students were assigned their first independent reading assignment of the school year.  The book chosen must be a minimum of 200 pages. The in-class assessment is scheduled for 11/2  Please encourage your student to read daily.

7th grade science:  Students are working on using various scientific tools for metric measurement.  They completed the volume lab this week and will be working on mass next week.

8th grade science:  Students are working on their introduction to chemistry by describing matter and determining the difference between physical vs chemical changes.  This week we were able to go outside and complete the mentos and soda experiment.  Students then applied their new knowledge to determine if the reaction was physical or chemical.

 Math 7: This week we worked with multiplying and dividing negative numbers.  We now can add, subtract, multiply and divide using negative numbers.  Next week we will put it all together when we solve expressions with negative numbers using order of operations.  Enjoy the weekend!             

News / Programs / Clubs / Related Arts:

College and Careers:

5th Grade – Kitchen Safety: Students have been learning the essentials of food preparation- safety and hygiene. Key topics include proper handwashing techniques, how to safely handle knives, avoiding cross-contamination and understanding basic stove/oven safety rules to keep things safe when cooking at home.

6th Grade – Soft Skills: We’ve focused on building essential interpersonal tools for school and beyond. Students explored the fundamentals of active listening, effective verbal and non-verbal communication, teamwork and adaptability.

7th Grade – Personal Finance: Lessons covered the basics of creating a simple budget, distinguishing between financial "wants" vs. "needs," and the core principles of smart spending.

8th Grade – Entrepreneurship: Students are gaining hands-on experience learning what it takes to run a cafe! They  have been planning a customer-friendly menu, applying for different team roles and preparing for job interviews to learn real-world workplace and management skills 

PRINCIPALS MESSAGE:

• Progress reports went home this past week.  They were sent via ParentSquare.  Please contact the main office if you did not receive one.

• Reminder:  If your child is playing a modified sport, they have to maintain passing grades to continue to be eligible to play.

• Thank you for sharing your children with us.

• Be great everyone.