Upcoming Events:

November 13:  End of the 10 week marking period.

November 19 and 20:  Parent teacher conferences.  Students dismissed at 11:30am.

Athletics:

•  Monday, November 16th Modified Girls Basketball at BG at 4:30

• Monday, November 16th Modified Boys Basketball Home at 4:30 

• Tuesday, November 17th Modified Girls Basketball (7th Grade only) Home at 4:30

• Tuesday, November 17th Modified Boys Basketball at Deposit at 5:30

• Friday, November 20th Modified Girls Basketball (8th Grade only) at Harpursville at 4:30

• Friday, November 20th Modified Boys Basketball Home at 4:30                 

**Schedules are posted in Schedule Galaxy as well**

https://www.schedulegalaxy.com/schools/159

Guidance:

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

~ We have 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: Weekly Update

Core Reading & Analysis

Students reached the midpoint of Esperanza Rising this week. Our focus centered on Esperanza’s personal growth as she adapts to a new way of life, embraces her role within an extended community, and takes on new responsibilities.

Key Skills & Concepts

We analyzed cause-and-effect relationships within the novel and identified core central ideas. Students also utilized a graphic novel format as a visual scaffold to draft structured, detailed main-idea paragraphs.

Vocabulary Development

We introduced our first set of 10 foundational literary terms for the school year. In addition to completing their vocabulary assignments, students actively applied these new terms during class discussions.

Writing Focus

Students completed their first independent writing assessment. Moving forward, targeted instruction will focus on sentence mechanics, proper capitalization, punctuation, and complete sentence construction.

Looking Ahead

• Schedule Note: Next week is a shortened week due to Parent-Teacher Conferences.

• Vocabulary: Students will complete two days of vocabulary homework, followed by an open-note quiz on Wednesday.

• Novel Study: We will continue reading Esperanza Rising, analyzing Esperanza’s ongoing character development and introducing novel themes.

• Independent Reading: All 5th-grade students have received their next independent novel and project outline. Please ensure your child brings both to class daily. The next outline deadline is December 18th.

5th Grade Math, we continued our work with adding and subtracting fractions. We took our learning a step further by finding common denominators to help us add and subtract fractions with unlike denominators. We also continued practicing how to simplify fractions by reducing them to their simplest form.We wrapped up our 10 week marking period with a quiz to show what we've learned! I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! 

5th Grade Social Studies- We had a great week kicking off our new unit on Native American Cultural Regions! Students began exploring how geography and natural resources shaped the daily lives, shelters, and traditions of Indigenous peoples across North America, focusing specifically on the Eastern Woodlands, Southeastern, and Great Plains regions. To help build their historical understanding, students also received five new vocabulary words to study. Looking ahead, please mark your calendars—both the vocabulary quiz and the unit test will take place on Monday, November 23rd.

As always, please reach out if you have any questions. Have a wonderful weekend!

5th Grade Science is working on water, matter, and properties.  This week we worked on looking into what happens when we boil water.  We will have the next vocabulary quiz on Tuesday November 17th.  Please reach out with any questions or concerns. 

6th Grade:

6th Grade ELA: Weekly Update

Core Reading & Analysis

We officially completed our study of Bud, Not Buddy. Through Bud's journey in this historical fiction novel, students explored the historical realities of the Great Depression, racial segregation, and the resilience required to overcome profound loss.

Key Skills & Assessment Prep

To prepare for the upcoming final assessment, students began working on three structured graphic organizers designed to support their extended response and essay writing. Students will be permitted to use these reference tools during the assessment.

Writing Focus

Students completed their first independent writing assignment. We will continue reinforcing foundational writing skills, focusing on sentence structure, punctuation, and capitalization.

Looking Ahead

• Schedule Note: Next week is a shortened week due to Parent-Teacher Conferences.

• Assessments: Students will work on their Bud, Not Buddy final assessment during our three full school days. They will also have a 2-day vocabulary assignment schedule concluding with an open-note quiz on Wednesday.

• Independent Reading: Students who finish their assessment early will have time to read their independent novel and work on their outline. Please ensure your child brings their independent book and outline to class daily. The next outline deadline is December 18th.

6th Grade Social Studies- 6th graders had an exciting week wrapping up their study of ancient humans! Students worked hard on a culminating project that ended with them "building" a fire out of paper, and they wrapped up the week testing their prehistoric skills in a fun "Would You Survive the Prehistoric Stone Age?" game. Looking ahead, students also received a new set of vocabulary words to study. Please mark your calendars for two important upcoming dates: our unit test will be on Tuesday, November 17th, and the vocabulary quiz will take place on Monday, November 23rd.

As always, please reach out if you have any questions. Have a wonderful weekend!

6th Grade Science is working on weather and climate.  This week we looked at what happens when we expose a helium balloon to cold temperatures.  We also finished stacking salt water with different densities.  We will have the next vocabulary quiz on Tuesday November 17th.  Please reach out with any questions or concerns. 

7th and 8th Grade:

ELA 8 Update

Independent Reading Highlights & Milestones

The eighth graders have achieved an IMPRESSIVE milestone, reading 18,409 pages in total—that is roughly 61 books! Please remember that all students are expected to bring an independent reading book with them every day. Mark your calendars for our next page check on Wednesday, November 18th.

Students recently finished their initial Independent Reading project, showcasing both their novel comprehension and artistic flair. They crafted picture postcards featuring a personalized letter from a main character, a custom stamp fitting the book's universe, and a postmark inspired by a significant item that captured the story's setting.

Nonfiction Analysis & Skill Building

This week, the class explored two nonfiction texts: “Katie Sowers is the First Woman to Coach in a Super Bowl” and “Unveiling the Spicy Sensation: Exploring the World of Takis.” Following the readings, students worked on answering practice questions designed in the style of the NYS ELA Exam.

Please don't hesitate to contact me at ncrandall@oxac.org if you have any questions or concerns. I am excited for another fantastic week of learning ahead!

Warmly,

Mrs. Crandall

8th grade math, we are continuing our unit on functions and introducing the concept of scatter plots. 

7th grade Social Studies students will be starting a new unit on the American Revolution soon.

8th grade Social Studies students will be presenting a political cartoon analysis on Monday during class time.

Math 7: This week we continued to solve ratio and proportion questions by using cross multiplication to solve equations.  We also began exploring proportional relationships by analyzing graphs and writing our own equations to solve proportions. 

Next week we plan on finishing our unit on ratios and proportions by spending some time reviewing, and then testing our knowledge on what we've learned. Have a nice weekend!

7th Grade Science: Students are currently in the middle of a physical and chemical changes lab, where they are observing firsthand the reactions that happen when different chemicals are combined. Be sure to ask your student to tell you about what they’ve discovered!

8th Grade Science: Students have an Intro to Chemistry Quiz coming up on Tuesday, November 17. They spent time in class today writing down key details about the quiz and what topics to focus on while studying.

News / Programs / Clubs / Related Arts:

FFA:

In conjunction with the Craft & Vendor Fair being held on November 14th, Ms. Johnson (HS Agriculture Teacher) is looking to host a Youth-Entrepreneur portion of the day! Ideally for students in grades 5-12, this is an opportunity for a student with a business mind to learn first hand how to turn a passion project into a small business. Learning basic skills, students will be able to have their own table at the event!  ***See Graphic below.** 

Parents should email rjohnson@oxac.org for the sign up form and details. 

FAB LAB:

Students have been working on using the Laser Cutter to create light boxes.  Students have been cutting out the boxes and using dovetail joinery to create the box.  Then they are using coin cell batteries and LED bulbs,  to illuminate the insides of the boxes and backlight their designs.  We have also been creating some turkeys for our students in the Primary School to decorate for Thanksgiving place settings.

PRINCIPALS MESSAGE:

• The end of the Quarter is Friday, November 13.

• Report cards are sent out through ParentSquare.  Please be sure you have access.

• Thank you for sharing your children with us.

• Be great everyone.