Carmen Arace Middle School students will be taking several district benchmark assess-ments during the month of March. These assessments include: Cycle 3 Degrees of Reading Power (DRP), STAR Reading, and STAR Math. It is extremely important that students come to school on the day of the testing and are on time. In preparation for these assessments, please make sure your child is well rested and has a healthy breakfast. TIPS FOR A SUCCESSFUL TESTING EXPERIENCE:

Get a good night’s sleep

Eat a healthy breakfast

Come to school every day on time

Leave all electronic devices home

Maintain a positive attitude

Try his/her best * Ensure Extended Day Program attendance

Our teachers have been working with your children to get them ready for these assess-ments, please encourage them to do their best!

If you have any questions, regarding the testing, please contact our test coordinator, Mrs. Janet Smith at (860) 286-2622 Ext. 1311. Always in support of student achievement!

Dr. Trevor L. Ellis

Principal

PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE

A MESSAGE FROM THE GUIDANCE OFFICE

It’s almost spring, which means we’re beginning to prepare for scheduling our 8

th grade students into

their high school core courses. Eighth grade stu-dents will soon be asked to choose electives, which will

be used to prioritize students placed in various classes. Please keep in mind that although they are currently the “seniors” at Arace, your children will be freshman next year with upper classmen having priority for elec-tive classes. A big congratulations to those students who were accepted to A.I. Prince Technical High School and Northwest Catholic High School! For all of our 7

th and 8

th grade students, it’s critical that students continue

to work hard, and ask for support when needed. As we move into the second half of the 3

rd marking period, we hope that you will closely

monitor your child’s grades to ensure a successful end of the year.

Ms. Goldman & Ms. Glenney

CARMEN ARACE MIDDLE SCHOOL

IMPORTANT DATES &

UPCOMING EVENTS

March 3-Special Parent Meet-

ing, Arace Library, 6:00 P.M.

March 4-Honor Roll Assembly

Grade 7– 8:30 A.M. & Grade 8

- 9:30 A.M.

March 10-12 (Grade 8) District

Benchmark Assessments

March 17-19 (Grade 7) District

Benchmark Assessments

March 18-20—Parent/Teacher

Conference Early Dismissal

March 25-Grade 8 - Prelimi-

nary Scholastic Aptitude Test

(PSAT)

March 26— PTO Meeting

Arace Library, 6:00 P.M.

SCHOOL HOURS:

Regular day

8:05 a.m.-2:50 P.M.

Early Dismissal

8:05 a.m.—12:50 P.M.

390 Park Avenue

Bloomfield, CT 06002

Office: 860-286-2622

Guidance: 860-286-2648

Fax: 860-242-0347

Nurse: 860-286-2638

www.bloomfieldschools.org

Trevor L.. Ellis, Principal

PARENT NEWSLETTER MARCH, 2020 CARMEN ARACE MIDDLE SCHOOL

Literacy-Mrs. Parker: My classes continue to focus on Close Reading Strategies while completing reading/response articles includ-ing: Writing with Symbols, African American Holidays, Marian Anderson and Computer Cartoons. Additionally, student completed the 7th Grade Informative/Explanatory Performance Task which includes reading and responding to: a poem, Testing New Waters by Sara Holbrook; and to the article, Jack Roosevelt Robinson Baseball’s First Black Superstar by Stephanie Harvey and Anne Goudvis. Plus, the students have a one-page Reading Worksheet to complete every week for homework. Please check these worksheets to ensure that they are completed and handed in on time. Also, to strengthen his/her reading, vocabulary and spelling skills, please encourage your child to read for AT LEAST 20 minutes a night. pparker@blmfld.org Ms. Richardson: My classes continue to work on subject-verb agreements in class and via IXL for homework practice. IXL is usually assigned on a Monday and due the following Saturday by 6:00 P.M. Students have ample time to make arrangements with parents and teachers if technology issues are a barrier to completion. In addition to one weekly IXL assignment, students are giving two DRP passages that are on one document. DRP passages are fill-in-the blank comprehension passages and students are normally required to close read both passages. Students must use metatextual highlighters to complete this assignment. If you are able to purchase your child a pack of highlighters with the correct colors for them to keep at home, this would be extremely helpful (yellow, green, orange, pink, blue). Otherwise, I will continue to give students the opportunity to highlight during one of their silent reading sessions. Please look out for information about joining Bloomz. This a parent-teacher communication app that I plan to use for the last half of the year to keep all of us on the same page. jrichardson@blmfld.org Numeracy-Ms. Cote and Mr. Semanie: Please join us for food and fun at our FAMILY MATH NIGHT, Wednesday, March 18th!!!! Students are finishing up the Rates and Proportional Relationships unit and beginning to apply that to geometric fig-ures. Please check classdojo for assignments and messages and PowerSchool for grades as you encourage students to complete all of their assignments including IXL and Khan homework. All assignments are selected to assist them with the review and practice nec-essary to be successful in class. As always, thank you for the support and don't hesitate to reach out! Elizabeth Cote ecote@blmfld.org and Thom Semanie tsemanie@blmfld.org Numeracy-Mrs. Murray/Ms. Willis: Students just completed Algebraic Equations and Expression IAB. The next unit is Ratios and Proportions. Please check PowerSchool as you encourage students to complete all of their assignments including IXL homework as these are selected to assist them with the review they need. Mrs. Murray pmurray@blmfld.org and Ms. Willis swillis@blmfld.org World Geography-Ms. Calabro: Students in my classes are continuing their virtual journey around the world. The students recently explored Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean through annotating various texts. The students will continue to im-prove their literacy skills through learning the physical and human geography of South America next, and will culminate with a tourism budget project. hcalabro@blmfld.org World Geography-Mr. O’Neill: Students continue learning about Africa’s geography and culture. We are now identifying how physical characteristics of Central Africa affect movement in that region. We are also reading Social Studies passages and practicing DRP type questions for the SBAC Testing in May. coneill@blmfld.org Science-Ms. Gore/Mr. Salmon: During the month of February, students learned about volcanoes, properties of magma, vol-canic eruptions, and volcanic landforms. Students created colorful volcano posters that showed the different parts of a volcano. These posters were put on display in the hallway and in the classroom. The students recently had a comprehensive volcano exam and will now begin studying our newest unit: food preservation. Casandra Gore cgore@blmfld.org and Lincoln Salmon lsalmon@blmfld.org

Literacy-Ms. Bunting/Mrs. Morris: Students will demonstrate an understanding of informational texts by citing textual evidence to support their thoughts and opinions. Some of the texts include, "What If This Was Your Water?" by Kristin Lewis, "Little Miss Flint" by Allison Friedman, and “Five Years after Flint Water Crisis, unresolved issues remain” by National Geographic Society. Stu-dents will compose an argument essay in response to these texts. Numeracy-Mr. Gregory: We have finished our two part Geometry unit and are now transitioning into our unit on Functions and Exponent Proper-ties. Continue to encourage your child to keep up with their assignments by checking the syllabus located on the Google Classroom. Numeracy-Mrs. Murray/Ms. Willis: Students have now completed the topic Pythagorean Theorem which is a part of the Geometry Unit. We will be work-ing on this unit in March, this unit also includes the topics congruence, similarity and volume. Please encourage stu-dents to focus in class and complete all their assignments especially homework which support the classroom instruc-tion. Social Studies-Mr. Jennings: Students continue to engage in DRP CLOZE reading and writing strategies. They are completing the Colonial Protest posters based on their chosen role of Loyalist or Patriot. We are collaborating with Art to age the posters for authentici-ty. The creating of the constitution is our next chapter of study. The Financial Literacy course moves forward with stu-dents being given simulated expenses to which they will apply a mock annual salary. They will determine if the salary will meet their needed expenses. Science-Mr. Gionfriddo: The students programmed robotics in the Young Manufacturing Class on Thursday; student interest was obvious. Learning was apparent and there was a lot of fun. The astronomy unit will conclude on the last week of February. Next up, a short review of a 7th grade geology unit. We continue to practice DRP skills with science-based reading passages, and to work on selected math concepts.

TEAM COLUMBIA—GRADE 7

TEAM HOWARD-GRADE 8

Page 2 CARMEN ARACE MIDDLE SCHOOL

“EVERY

GREAT

DREAM

BEGINS

WITH A

DREAMER.

ALWAYS

REMEMBER

YOU HAVE

WITHIN YOU

THE

STRENGTH,

THE

PATIENCE,

AND THE

PASSION TO

REACH FOR

THE STARS

TO CHANGE

THE

WORLD.”

HARRIET

TUBMAN

Be your best Aim for success Never give up Demand excellence

The Concert Band members have many activities coming up during the next several months. The first is April 30th at 7:00 P.M. at the Bushnell for the Performing Arts Center. The band has been diligently working to be ready for this performance. Tickets for the performance can be purchased from the Bushnell box office (860-987-5900) prior to the performance. The per-formance theme this year is “Music Can Change the World.” After the Bushnell performance, Concert Band members will continue to prepare for our Spring Concert on May 20th, the town Memorial Day pa-rade on May 26, and the adjudicated Fantastic Festivals also in May. In-

formation concerning ALL performances will be distributed short-ly. It is very important that ALL students practice each day in order for the band to be successful, for progress to be made, and for the students to show that they are very talented individuals.

Miss Jones

PHYSICAL EDUCATION: Our students will be moving into Olympic Handball and then a popular game called Speedball. Both of these games provide an anaerobic and agility workout for those who put in the effort. There are many different ways to score in these games which forces the defense to think on their feet. Both games re-quire skills like collaboration, communication and leadership. Once we finish these two games we will be moving into our Basketball Unit. The "Do Now" exercises continue to develop and maintain upper

body strength/endurance and core strength/endurance.

Mr. Poland & Mr. Michaud VISUAL ARTS: It's an exciting time of the year in art! Third quarter has started and with it, new projects are on the horizon. Mrs. Wasko's 7th grad-ers are finally getting their hands dirty with clay projects. 7th grade is the year for clay sculptures and students will be choosing an animal to sculpt into a coin bank. This lesson marries functional art with visual design, and students will be challenged by mak-ing their animals hollow, balanced, and identifiable as their animal of choice. In 8th grade, Mrs. Wasko's students are learn-ing about 3 different ancient cultures that used masks as art forms for ceremonial, ritual, and spiritual purposes. The masks will be made with plaster gauze and then painted and decorated appropriately to the culture the student chooses. Students will be incor-porating various symbolism into their work, either by color, facial feature, or use of decorative items. Mr. Spencer’s students will continue to . . . Improve their knowledge of how to use the design elements; color and value, and design principles; contrast, emphasis, and pattern as visual characteristics, in a work of art through the creating process to communicate ideas, feelings, emotions, in an expressive manner and use color theory and symbols to enhance and convey mes-sages. They will be engaged in responding to, and creating artwork that demonstrates an understanding of how the color in the works of Jacob Lawrence, and Vincent VanGogh, Henri Matisse, Romare Bearden, a variety of Op Art Artists and their drawings, paintings, and prints cause different effects and evokes different personal responses. Students will also be able to use similar col-or, color values, draw-ing, printmaking, and painting techniques in a variety of media to communicate ideas, feelings, experienc-es, and stories.

Ms. Wasko and Mr. Spencer

UNIFIED ARTS HAPPENINGS—PHYSICAL EDUCATION & VISUAL ARTS

CARMEN ARACE MIDDLE SCHOOL

Page 3

UNIFIED ARTS HAPPENINGS—BAND & CHORUS

CARMEN ARACE MIDDLE SCHOOL Page 4

PTO NEWS

Our Mission

Enrich the education of all Carmen Arace students and to build community within

the Carmen Arace School family.

Save the PTO Dates

Thursdays in the Arace Library/Cafeteria, 6:00 P.M.

March 26, 2020

April 23, 2020

May 21, 2020

Contact us at AracePTO@yahoo.com. or PTO mailbox in the school office.

MAKING COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS—CLIMATE SPECIALIST

Happy March!!!

We are currently planning an assembly to take place within the next few weeks. Bloomfield High School’s Resource Officer will be coming to do a presentation for our students on sexual harassment and answer any questions students have on this topic. Please talk to your child to check for their understanding of this topic, and if they experience or witness any har-assing behavior in or out of school, please encourage him/her to report it to a trusted adult. On March 19th our district will be celebrating “Absolutely Incredible Kid Day!” The in-tention of this day is to boost self-esteem by giving kids specific feedback about their strengths. Please participate at home by taking a moment to remind your child what makes him/her incredible. For ideas or for background about the day, you can visit www.campfire.org. (Our school specific plans will remain a surprise for students.) For artists, Google is sponsoring a kindness drawing contest for students nationwide. The contest runs through March 13, with a top prize of a $30,000 scholarship and a $50,000 technology package for the child’s school! Google “Doodle for Google” for the details.

Have a wonderful month!

Allison Glenney

Climate Specialist School Climate Specialist

860-286-2622 ext. 2016