1. Art and Diseño

Dake Junior High School
350 Cooper Road
Rochester, NY 14617
www.westirondequoit.org
February 2015
342-2140
February 2015
Greetings!
It is important to note the following:
1. The eighth grade courses for math and science that the majority of students take are extremely rigorous and are wonderful
springboards for high school level courses.
I hope everyone is enjoying the winter season. February also
marks the beginning of the second semester. It is hard to believe
that we are at this point in the school year! The change in semesters brings about excitement for a variety of reasons. Specifical2. Student can still take Advanced Placement courses in science
ly, students might take a new course, such as Art, Technology,
even if he or she is not taking Living Environment in 8th grade.
FACS or Health during the second semester.
The student may take them in 11th and 12th grades.
In addition, we are already beginning to plan for next year. One
topic that tends to come up this time of year deals with opportuni- -Students may still take an Advanced Placement course in mathematics even if he or she is not taking Advanced Algebra. The
ties for seventh graders to qualify for accelerated courses in
students may take AP Statistics in 12th grade.
eighth grade. In an effort to provide you with some background
and specifics, I wanted to take the time to outline the procedure
3. The criteria listed above for accelerated placement is one that
for identifying students who qualify for accelerated courses in
has been looked at carefully over a long period of time and has a
eighth grade and give you some information on the process.
strong correlation towards student success.
th
As our 8 grade students are presently meeting with school counselors in order to plan their schedule for the 2015-2016 school
4. There will be communication between school and home during
year at IHS, information is being collected to make determinathis process so that everyone is informed and specific questions
tions about the possibility of 7 th grade students challenging an
can be answered. Please feel free to call your child's school counaccelerated course in 8th grade. There are two courses offered for selor or me if you have further questions.
eighth graders, Regents Living Environment and Advanced Integrated Algebra.
I hope to see you at our next Parent/Principal Coffee Hour on
The criteria for acceptance into these accelerated programs includes standardized, both state and nationally normed, assessments from 7th as well as 6th grade, course grades in 7th grade
through January of this year, as well as teacher input. All of the
criteria are weighed accordingly and used to make a final recommendation.
Overall, only a small number of students will qualify for these
courses. The goal is to have students take the appropriate courses
next year that offer a significant amount of rigor,
but are academically appropriate for each child's needs.
Wednesday, February 11, 9-10 a.m. in the Dake Main Office
Conference Room. I wish you and your family much health and
happiness during the month of February
Respectfully,
Matthew
Schrage
Principal
Dake Jr. High School
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Opal 8 Team News
Science 8
As second quarter ends, Science 8 students
are currently focusing in on electromagnetic energy by investigating light, color, mirrors and lenses
through a variety of laboratory experiences. As we
wrap up electromagnetic energy, we will “move”
onto mechanical energy-the energy of motion! Students will investigate motion by studying sound and
look at the similarities and differences between
sound and light. Students will also design their own
experiments to test factors that affect speed.
Finally, our scientists will examine astronomy, including the movement of the Earth and the
moon. Students will engage in labs to investigate
the cause of the seasons, moon phases, tides and
eclipses. Our unit on mechanical energy will wrap
up an energy filled year and we will turn our attention away from physical science towards the genetics of living things!
As always, please don’t hesitate to contact
me with any questions or concerns. I look forward
to a great start to third quarter!
Mr. Cross
[email protected]
Social Studies
As 2014 came to a close, Opal team historians completed their Progressive Era unit. Students
examined how individuals, groups, and the federal
government tackled the problems of urbanization
and industrialization. As the New Year begins, we
are in the midst of our Imperialism unit. At the conclusion of the Imperialism unit, students will take a
midterm exam on January 30th. The exam will be a
comprehensive assessment that will cover the following units of study: Reconstruction, Industrialization, Immigration, The Progressive Era, and Imperialism. Please be on the lookout for midterm review
materials. Since the midterm covers material from
September through January, time management for
completing review assignments and studying will
both be needed for student success on the exam.
As always, I am available after school to help students prepare. Thank you for the continued support at home. You can always reach me at:
[email protected]
Best Regards,
Mrs. Tomarchio
Opal Team/Social Studies
Math 8 and Advanced Algebra
The Opal Mathematicians continue to impress me with the quality of their work along with
the enthusiasm and personality that they bring to
the classroom each day. In Math 8, the students
have been hard at work analyzing linear relationships. When given a situation involving data increasing or decreasing at a steady rate, the students can identify the slope y-intercept and use
these details to write an equation. Many of the situations explored have allowed them to be more informed consumers and improve their abilities to
make predictions and reason mathematically. We
have determined the costs associated with signing
up for different gym memberships or with renting
equipment from a variety of home improvement
stores based on the length of time. This work will
provide the necessary foundation for our future
work with functions and systems of equations. The
goal will be to determine any points of intersection
when analyzing two functions. We will explore
graphical and algebraic means to solve these problems. Students will also tackle real world problems
involving systems of equations and see how studying this will allow them to make better decisions
with their money.
The students in the Advanced Algebra class
have been working on simplifying expressions using the distributive property, utilizing the FOIL
strategy, and complete factoring. They have examined a variety of binomials and trinomials to determine the appropriate factoring technique. This will
allow them to solve quadratic equations and make
connections to parabolic graphs. Students will look
at real world situations involving these graphs and
compare them to the linear relationships previously
studied. All of the content covered over the next
month will build a strong foundation for any future
math work the students will encounter as we prepare for the Common Core assessment in June as
well as transitioning to the high school.
(continued on page 3)
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Opal 8 Team News
Math (continued)
At this time, I am extremely pleased with all
of the efforts from our mathematicians. They are so
enthusiastic with the challenges they are faced with
and try their hardest in all we do. Please know that
I am available before and after school as well as
during lunch or study halls to assist with homework,
make-up work, test corrections, or even extra practice. I am so excited to build upon our earlier successes and continue to pass on my love of math to
our students, as they begin their high school planning! Thank you for all of your support at home.
Feel free to contact me as the need arises.
requires the students to locate the best evidence of
the author’s craft, connect that evidence to an overarching theme and then judge the usefulness of the
literary elements in aiding the readers’ comprehension. This piece of writing demands a high level of
interpretation and synthesis and I am confident all
of the Opal students will do a wonderful job given
the quality of work they put into reading, analyzing
and writing about Twelve Angry Men!
Thank you so much for your continued support and communication between home and school
as we lead the Opal students through the second
half of eighth grade English.
Mr. Pelliccia
[email protected]
Mary Theresa Boerman
[email protected]
English 8
Upon returning from the holiday break, the
Opal eighth graders wrapped up their analysis of
the play Twelve Angry Men by Reginald Rose with a
character sketch essay. In that writing piece the
students asked to take a stance in regard to one juror’s personality, to evaluate how well the author
brought that character to life using the methods of
characterization and to include an interpretation of
their particular juror’s impact on the overall play.
Our eighth graders did a wonderful job bringing all
of those requirements together while incorporating
technical skills such as using creative hooks, present tense verbs, correct in-text citations and
frames of reference for each piece of evidence in
the essay.
We have just started our next unit which revolves around the novel Roll of Thunder, Hear My
Cry By Mildred D. Taylor. In this novel study, the
students will interact with the text by actively reading, writing on-demand analysis paragraphs, and
engaging in both individual and group work to discover the author’s purpose in regard to incorporating various types of literary elements throughout
the novel such as foreshadowing, symbolism, conflict, similes, metaphors, personification, characterization and conflict. Immediately following that
reading workshop, the students will work on drafting a complex literary analysis essay in which they
will be asked to evaluate Mildred D. Taylor’s use of
literary techniques in the novel and discuss how
those techniques lead readers to a theme. This task
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Ruby 7 Team News
English 7
Winter grey and icy grip has us trapped
indoors and longing for sunshine and escapes
to warmer places. A great way to escape is always a good book! Our Ruby students should
continue their daily reading outside of class for
the Book of the Month project. Many students
are enjoying the ability to choose their own
reading materials and have shared their favorite novels with their classmates.
Many of our students are also taking part
in the Book Bucks Competition. It is not too late
to start, even if they have not turned in any
Book Bucks up to this point. Book Bucks will be
accepted in our Library until Friday, February
13. They are available on-line on our Dake
Web site if your child forgot to bring some
home. Save the date for our Book Buck’s Auction, March 5th at 3:00 p.m. It is always a great
time for all students-even those not participating. It’s wonderful to see so many engaged and
excited readers!
In English class we are exploring drama
as we read, The Diary of Anne Frank and are using our close reading skills to carefully analyze
how the characters are portrayed by the authors. We are continuing to use sign posts as a
way of recognizing how authors are using characterization, conflicts and foreshadowing to
help us better understand the play and the
poignant themes it reveals.
Thanks again for sending us such wonderful students. Our Ruby team students are
very hard working, kind and considerate.
Thanks for sending them to school prepared
and helping them to be their best every day.
Mrs. Tasber
[email protected]
Mrs. Ford
[email protected]
Social Studies 7
The Ruby team is off and running! In social studies, students are investigating the multitude of failures that plagued the Articles of
Confederation. By understanding these failures, students will grasp why the Constitution is
so successful today. During this unit we will
study the different branches and the powers
they hold. We will also look at the Bill of Rights
and the importance that they have even today.
The goal is for students to have a deeper understanding of the key components that make
up the United States Constitution. In the next
unit, students will learn about Westward Expansion. All students continue to work very hard.
Thank you,
Mr. Porter
[email protected]
Math
We are finishing up our proportions unit
in which students are learning about direct proportion equations as well as how to set up and
solve a variety of types of proportions. They
are beginning to appreciate the many categories of problems that proportions can be used
to solve; such as tax, tip, and discount, scaling
up and down, and unit conversions. The students have been working very hard and have
learned an amazing amount!
Our next unit is statistics. The students
will review how to find the mean, median,
mode, and range of a set of data. Then they will
extend their thinking to determining quartiles,
interquartile range, and mean absolute deviation, as well as create frequency tables, dot
plots, box-and-whisker plots, and stem-andleaf plots. In addition, they will learn about
three different random sampling methods and
how to draw inferences and make conclusions.
Mrs. Weaver
[email protected]
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Dake Spring Sports News
Please join us for our next
Parent/Principal Coffees
The spring sports season starts on March
16th for lacrosse and March 23rd for softball, baseball, track & field and girls
field hockey.
Wednesday, February 11
9 a.m.—10 a.m.
Eligibility forms will be available in the
Health Office beginning February 12th.
and
Wednesday, March 18
Please include a copy of your child’s current physical (dated within 12 months)
and return all forms to the Health Office
by March 9th for lacrosse and by March
16th for all other Mod. B sports.
7 p.m.—8 p.m.
Please contact the Health office at 3362964 if you have any questions.
January Students of the Month
New York State Testing Dates
Grade 7
Art
Ethan Jorstad
ELA
Cameron Riedl
FACS
Maddie Aurio
Health
Daniel Bauman
LOTE
Sara Woodward
Math
Nicholas Leonardo
Music
Avery Permoda
PE
Nya Robinson
Science
Matthew McCulloch
S.S.
Amanda Northup
Technology Liam Jones
NYS ELA 7
Make-ups:
4/14-4/16
4/17-4/21
NYS Math 7
Make-ups:
4-22-4/24
4/27-4/29
Grade 8
NYS ELA 8
Make-ups
4/14-4/24
4/17-4/21
NYS Math 8
Make-ups
4/22-4/24
4/27-4/29
ILS Science 8
Performance
Written
5/20-5/29
6/1
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Annual Community Forum
#trending
ISSUES FACING TEENS
Alcohol/and Other Drugs
Social Media
Sponsored by the
East Irondequoit Central School District, West Irondequoit Central School District,
Bishop Kearney High School, PTSAs, and Irondequoit Police Department
Monday, March 9th
7:00 p.m.
Irondequoit High School Auditorium
260 Cooper Road
PANEL OF EXPERTS INCLUDES:
Sandra Doorley
Honorable Joseph Genier
Keith S. Greer, L.C.S.W., P.C.C.
Mike Johansson
Officer Andrew Whitaker
Dr. Taylor Starr
Monroe County District Attorney
Irondequoit Town Judge
Executive and Wellness Coach
Senior Lecturer, Media Consultant, RIT
Irondequoit Police Officer
Adolescent Medicine, Pediatrics;
University of Rochester
For questions, please contact:
Rita Dulaney @ 336-2921
[email protected]
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Lunch Program Reminders
District Cafeteria Charge Policy
2014-2015 Dake Yearbooks
Dake Junior High students can charge two
lunches or a total of $5.10, and after that,
will be given a PB & J or a cheese sandwich and milk until the charges are paid.
Don’t get stuck with a sandwich and milk!
Remember to bring your lunch money!!
Betsy LoGiudice
School Lunch Director
[email protected]
Price: $22.00
Order on the Dake Web site
Click on Yearbook
Upon completion, a yearbook will be reserved
in your child’s name. Yearbooks arrive the first
part of June. If you do not order a yearbook by
April 15th on-line, they will be SOLD on a firstcome-first-serve (CASH ONLY) basis in June.
Any questions, e-mail:
[email protected]
Or
[email protected]
No School on the following days….
Monday, February 16-Friday, February 20
Winter Recess
Monday, March 30-Friday, April 3
Spring Recess
Monday, May 25
Memorial Day
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Counseling Department News
Hello parents and guardians!
In the upcoming months, there are
some exciting things happening in the Dake
Counseling Department around our implementation of the on-line program NAVIANCE. Naviance is a comprehensive college
and career readiness tool to be used by junior high and high school students. The program allows students to create a plan, including college and career options, for their
futures by helping them discover their individual strengths.
In February, we will be collaborating
with our FACS teacher to deliver a 3-day
learning experience to our eighth graders.
The essential question we will be addressing
is, “How does knowing yourself lead to success in your future?” Students will take a
personality inventory on Naviance that will
help them identify what personality types
best describe them. They will then use this
information to link their personality types to
possible careers. The goal is for students to
see how choosing a career that matches their
personality type will lead to future success
and happiness.
In March, we will introduce our seventh grade students to the Naviance program in health classes. The focus of our lesson will be on each student’s learning style
preference.
Students will take an inventory on
Naviance, and the results will show what
type of a learner they are and what study
habits would be helpful for them to use.
They will then use this information to develop academic goals for the remainder of the
school year.
Naviance is a great resource for our
Dake students and will be increasingly important as they transition to the high school.
Therefore, we also encourage parents to get
familiar with the program and all it has to offer. You can access Naviance through the
Dake Counseling Web page. Each student
has an individualized login, so please don’t
hesitate to ask your student for his/her information.
If you have any questions, regarding
Naviance or any other information we can
assist you with, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Thank you,
Dake Counselors
Meg Gehman (Sapphire 7 and Emerald 8)
[email protected]
Mary Weil (Ruby 7 and Topaz 8)
[email protected]
Jenna Winicki (Amethyst 7 and Opal 8)
[email protected]
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Looking Ahead….
Friday, May 1
Dake Talent Show
@IHS Auditorium
Monday, June 15
Last day of classes
Wednesday, May 13
Dake Awards Ceremony
7:15 p.m. @IHS Auditorium
(by invitation)
Tuesday, June 16-22
Dake Exams
Tuesday, June 30
Report cards mailed home
Friday, May 15
Dake 8th grade portrait
7:53 a.m.
Tuesday, May 19
District Vote
IHS Music Rooms
6 a.m.—9 p.m.
Tuesday, May 19
Grade 7 Honor Roll Breakfast
7 a.m.
(by invitation)
Wednesday, May 20
Grade 8 Honor Roll Breakfast
7 a.m.
(by invitation)
8th Grade Washington D.C. Trip
Saturday, May 23—Monday, May 25
Friday, May 29
Dake 8th Grade Dinner Dance
6:30 p.m.-10 p.m.
(Information letter to be sent home)
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www.TIESProgram.org
Dear Parents and Guardians:
TIES (Together Including Ever y Student) is a pr ogr am which pr omotes the par ticipation of children/young adults with developmental disabilities in extracurricular and community activities by providing
effective peer support. This support is provided by trained student volunteers in grades 8-12 in the West
Irondequoit Central School District.
Participants and volunteers join in a wide variety of activities, such as trips through Webster Parks and
Recreation, arts and crafts classes, sports programs, swimming, after-school activities, drumming circles,
school of religion, etc. Volunteers attend a 45-minute session at their school. The time commitment is based
on the volunteer’s schedule.
If you are interested in volunteering or have questions about TIES, please contact
Craig Jones (IHS) or Michael Black (Dake).
[email protected]
(585) 233-8542
[email protected]
(585) 645-2577
Bios:
Mr. Jones has been wor king in the West Ir ondequoit School Distr ict since 2002. As an Inclusive Education Teacher, he has worked with a variety of students. He has worked at both Irondequoit High School and
also created a post-secondary program on the campus of St. John Fisher College. Mr. Jones received his B.A.
in Psychology from Allegheny College, his M.A. in Elementary Education and Special Education from Nazareth College and his M.S. in Educational Leadership from St. John Fisher College.
Mr. Black has been working in the West Ir ondequoit School Distr ict since 2012. He star ted a s a student
teacher at Irondequoit High School in the Life Skills classroom, then moved to Dake where he served as a
Teacher’s Assistant in the 7-8 Life Skills classroom. Over the summer Mr. Black was a teacher at The School
of the Holy Childhood, a school for individuals with significant to multiple disabilities. This year he is back at
Dake working as the 8th grade Resource Room teacher for the Emerald Team! Mr. Black received his B.A. in
History and Special Education and C.A.S. in Applied Behavior Analysis from the University of Rochester.
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IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER…..
Week of February 8
February 11
February 12
March 2
March 3
March 4
March 5
March 5
March 9
March 10
March 11
March 16-19
March 18
March 30-April 3
April 6
Report cards mailed home
Parent/Principal Coffee
Chorus 8/HIS Jazz Choir
Band Mania 1
Band Mania 11
String Mania
Vocal Festival
Dake Book Bucks Auction
Spring sports JV & Varsity
Mtg. and Community Wide
Forum/Parents Who Host Lose
The Most Presentation
Grade 7 Honor Roll Breakfast
Grade 8 Honor Roll Breakfast
Dake Book Fair
Parent/Principal Coffee
Spring Recess-NO SCHOOL
Incoming Gr. 7 Parent Orientation
9 a.m.—10 a.m.
7:30 p.m. IHS Aud.
7:00 p.m. IHS Gym
7:00 p.m. IHS Gym
7:00 p.m. IHS Gym
7:00 p.m. IHS Gym
3:00 p.m. APR
6:30 p.m.
7:15 a.m.
7:15 a.m.
IHS Aud.
Cafeteria
Cafeteria
7:00 p.m.– 8 p.m.
7:00 p.m. IHS Aud.
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