Sleepy Hollow Middle School 2008-2009 News

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CAREER DAY AT SLEEPY HOLLOW MIDDLE SCHOOL

Career day at Sleepy Hollow Middle School was a complete success. Our students had the opportunity to learn, hands-on, about possible future careers. We had the pleasure of welcoming people from around the community to educate our students on a variety of jobs. Some students analyzed crime scenes with a lawyer, studied animals with a Veterinarian and worked closely with a sports writer. It was special to see the students' eyes brighten with joy and interest as they planned possible futures. Sleepy Hollow Middle School students are determined to work up to their highest potential to achieve their goals and become successful participants in our community.
 

8th Grade Recognition Night Dance

Mr. Garguilo, 7th Grade Science Teacher Receives NASA "Right Stuff" Award/Honor

Mr. Garguilo, 7^th grade science teacher in Sleepy Hollow Middle School, has received the “Right Stuff” honor/medal from NASA for his outstanding contribution to the continued growth of Middle School science students in the field of astronomy. This year Mr. Garguilo hosted a NASA Space Seeds experiment where students grew basil seeds flown into space.   He also integrated concepts of space flight into his classroom instruction, has taken over 15 hours of professional development with NASA through online conferences, and has been a NASA ambassador for two years. Students were given the opportunity to visit the Moon and Mars through 3D labs, discover the importance of the Hubble Space Telescope by role-playing the technology, use a NASA Lunarnautics computer program, and watch two “live” shuttle launches this year.  Mr. Garguilo said, “Ever since I was given the opportunity to go to space camp as an educator my goal has been to one day see a Sleepy Hollow student become a member of the NASA programs and pursue their dreams. It would be a real honor to teach in the future what one of my students has achieved.” Congratulations to Mr. Garguilo! (Posted 06/11/09)

Middle School Math Regents Prep

"Almost 40 students from the 8th Grades Honors Integrated Algebra classes of Ms. Albukerk and Ms. Voytovich came in to school on Saturday afternoon, May 30th, to participate in a Mock Regents exam in prepartion for their upcoming test on June 19th. For many students, this was their second exam of the day after taking science that morning! Ms. Albukerk and Ms. Voytovich were very happy with the turnout (up from previous years). They graded the exams and students now have specific topics to focus on as they review over the next few weeks.

Dates for Math Regents Exams:
Geometry - Tuesday, June 16th, 8:30am

Integrated Algebra- Friday, June 19th, 12:30pm

Math - Tuesday, June 23rd, 12:30pm"

New Microscopes at Sleepy Hollow Middle School

Sleepy Hollow Middle School received 17 new Stereoscopes (Microscopes) from a donation by “The Foundation for the Public Schools of the Tarrytowns”. The donation of Microscopes has allowed the students at the Middle School level to see into the microscopic world. Mr. Garguilo said, “The excitement and motivation the students gain for the field of science by the simple use of the microscopes has no price tag attached to it.” The creativity and enthusiasm of the Middle School Science staff is being used to implement these new tools into the classroom curriculum. Students will be given the chance to see animals, plants, rocks, and other amazing things in the microscopic world as they pass through the 7^th and 8^th grade at Sleepy Hollow. The Middle School staff is confident that these instructional devices will lead to a larger success on State Performance Tests. Thank you to the “Foundation for the Public Schools of the Tarrytowns” and the community members; for the generous donation of microscopes that has expanded the young minds of thousands of students that will soon pass through the walls of the Tarrytown School District. (Posted 05/27/09)

The Community Schools Initiative Summer Programs 

The Community Schools Initiative Summer Programs would like to invite all 6th graders transitioning to 7th grade, current 7th graders and 8th grade students of Sleepy Hollow Middle School to participate in their FREE five-week Summer Workshops. The workshops will begin July 7th through Aug. 6th, 2009. *Enrollment is on a First Come First Served Basis*  Click here for the flyer. (Posted 05/26/09)

Middle School Summer School

Dear Superintendent, Principal and Head of Guidance:

The Tarrytown Union Free School District’s Middle School Summer Program is designed to support students who have not been successful in a course of study during the regular school year. The program includes Social Studies, English Language Arts and Math enrichment. Attached please find our registration forms and requirements. Our summer school program will run from Monday, July 6th to Friday, July 31st. The Summer school will be in session five days a week, from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Students not residing within the Tarrytown School District are invited to attend on a tuition basis.

Mail in registrations deadline: Friday, June 26, 2009.

Walk-in registration will take place at Sleepy Hollow MS/HS on the following dates.

Tuesday, June 30th 8 – 12 pm
Wednesday, July 1st 12 - 4 pm

Sincerely,
Marie Horowitz
Summer School Principal
Mhorowitz@tufsd.org

  Application Information and Material

Middle School Academic Awards Assembly on May 12th Details...

Sleepy Hollow Middle School Concert Band Newsletter - May 2009 Issue

GOOD NEWS - A FEW EXTRA SLOTS HAVE OPENED UP FOR THE 8TH GRADE WASHINGTON, DC. TRIP...IF YOU WOULD LIKE YOUR CHILD TO ATTEND PLEASE BRING $409.00 CASH OR MONEY ORDER TO THE MIDDLE SCHOOL OFFICE NO LATER THAN WEDNEDSAY, MAY 6TH. (Posted 04/30/09)
 

Sleepy Hollow Cares about Birds!

Mr. Garguilo, Mrs. Linteau, and Mrs. Randazzo, with the help of Middle School students, created a bird house for the Annual Tarrytown Beautification Foundation's home-made bird house event. The bird house creation coincided with the Earth Day celebration and the National Environmental Education week. The bird house makes connections to the continued progress toward a more sustainable and “go green” attitude adopted at the Middle School. Mr. Garguilo said, “We decided to make the bird house out of recycled bottle tops to show students the multiple uses of everyday objects, we used sticks from nature to demonstrate the renewable resources nature has for us, and a solar paneled roofing to support the use of energy from the sun.” The bird house was entered into the competition as “Sleepy Hollow Middle School’s 1st Home-made Bird House.” (Posted 4/23/09)

Sleepy Hollow Middle School Guidance News and Events April-June 2009

Middle School Guidance Department awarded grant from The Foundation  The Middle School Guidance Department was awarded a grant from The Foundation for the Public Schools of the Tarrytowns for an Anti-Bullying Resource Center. This grant will aid in providing the necessary materials for the counselors to visit classrooms, provide lessons and share experiences with students on a broad range of topics that relate to anti-bullying and conflict resolution. The materials will be stored and shared in the Middle School Guidance suite so that they can be easily accessible to the entire school community.

Middle School Counselors visit 7th Grade Classes for Lessons and Discussions on Anti-Bullying and Tolerance
Since the start of the school year, counselors Miriam Ocasio and Jamie Steiner have visited all 7th grade classes to present lessons on anti-bullying. The counselors recently facilitated a discussion about teaching tolerance. These lessons are part of the Guidance Department initiative to enhance students’ understanding and respect of others as a vital part of life.

8th Graders Attend Middle School College Fair – May 4, 2009  As part of the middle school Guidance program, the counselors will be taking the eighth graders to the Westchester Middle School College Fair. The fair will be held at the Westchester County Center. Over one hundred colleges and their representatives will be participating. This will be a great opportunity for students to meet with college representatives, obtain information and ask questions. Ms. Ocasio and Mrs. Steiner will help prepare the students with ways to get the most out of the fair. We will be leaving the building by 8:45 AM and returning by 12:30 PM. Students are required to obtain parent permission in order to attend.

During the month of June, the Middle School Counselors will be visiting current 8th grade classes for a transitional activity using the Naviance system to help prepare students for high school. 8th graders will receive their own logon information and password in order to begin their portfolio on the Naviance system. This system enables the middle and high school Guidance Department to offer a comprehensive program that students and their families can use to help in making decisions about colleges and careers. The Naviance system is also used in the Guidance Department to track and analyze data about college and career plans that provide up-to-date information that’s specific to our school. For more information about the Naviance System, please contact the Guidance Department at 332-6207  (Posted 4/22/09)

Ms. Herrnstadt, HS/MS Library Media Specialist, happily announces the 2009 Great Sleepy Hollow Middle School Reading Contest winners: Mr. Tejeda’s 7th grade period 6/8 class was the winning class overall, receiving a framed certificate for the classroom and a fabulous pizza party on April 3rd. 7th grade winners: First place, Deborah Feliciano; Runner-up, Jojo Thayer. 8th grade winners: First place, Maddy McGovern; Runner-up, Benjamin Tschan. First place winners received a gift certificate to Barnes& Noble and the Runners-up won a gift certificate to Main Street Sweets.

Thank You

Thanks to all who participated in the 8th graders coffee sale and supported our 8th graders in their trip to Washington DC this year. Thanks to your support, student raised over $900 in scholarship money for this year's trip. When we add this money to the generous scholarships provided by the Foundation, every student who wants to go on the trip will be able to attend! (Posted 4/2/09)

The SHMS Incoming 7th grade parent orientation scheduled on the District calendar for April 16th at 7:30 has been canceled. However, if any parent was unable to attend the orientation meetings that were held in March, please contact Ms. Lopez (elopez@tufsd.org) to schedule an appointment for an orientation overview and tour.
 

Elizabeth Lopez
Principal
Sleepy Hollow Middle School
Public Schools of the Tarrytowns
 

Carol Ressa, the Middle School Principal's Secretary Has New Email Address (cressa1@tufsd.org)

Middle School Transition Meetings

See the PowerPoint

7th Grade Science Teacher Mr. Garguilo Hosts NASA “Space Seed” Experiment

On Monday March 9th, 7th grade science teacher Mr. Garguilo hosted a NASA sponsored program to determine if space flight will have an effect on plant seeds. Normal Earth basil seeds were planted as a control while basil seeds flown on the Space Shuttle Endeavour, sent to Mr. Garguilo by NASA, were used as the experimental factor to see if space flight had an effect on seed health. Mr. Garguilo said, “It was great to give the students the opportunity to be part of an important experiment which they may see the end result (colonization of the moon) in the future of their lives. It helped confirm for many students the desire to work in the scientific field in the future.” NASA sent a note to the Sleepy Hollow students along with the seeds stating, “basil in space is cutting-edge research. Astronauts on future missions to the Moon and beyond are going to need to take plants along for the ride--for food, oxygen and even companionship. It's important for NASA to learn how these seeds endured space conditions.” Students and Mr. Garguilo will grow the plants and record the data through the remainder of the school year. The results of the experiment will be reported to NASA after the Summer growing season.

Team Lucas Fundraiser Dance

On Friday, March 6th, students and staff from Sleepy Hollow Middle School joined “Team Lucas” in his fight against Cancer by participating in a special fundraising dance, bake sale and Team Lucas bracelet sale. A special thanks goes out to the students from both grade levels who donated an enormous amount of baked goods for the bake sale. Students in both 7^th and 8^th grades danced their hearts out, enjoying the music, the food and the Team Lucas bracelets.  Many thanks to our terrific DJ, Desmond Turner, who donated his time, equipment and talent!  Special thanks also to Heidi Larsen, team leader and Team 8A for coordinating the dance and bake sale.  It was truly a team effort, with such a wonderful turn out, to support Lucas and his family. (Posted 3/16/09)

Science Experiment at the Bowling Alley a Success

7^th grade students went to “Lucky Strike Lanes” bowling alley at the Palisades Mall on Thursday.  They performed a physics experiment using bowling balls. Mr. Garguilo said, “We have been working on physics equations all year and this finalized the application of those equations in the real world.”  Many students got to experience bowling for the first time.  One student is quoted saying, “It was fun and I liked bowling with friends and we got to use our knowledge we learned in school.”  The teachers hope that the success of the lab and field trip motivates students to continue to work hard throughout the year.

Middle School Fundraiser to Support Washington DC Trip

Please support the fundraiser for 8th grade students going to Washington DC which helps to defray the cost of that trip for some of our students.  We are selling coffee again this year from a company called Grounds for Change -- it is organic, shade-grown and fair trade.  The coffee comes in 12 oz. bags. It costs $12 a bag.  The attached menu gives you the varieties available.  Place your orders through Bridget McGraw at bmcgraw@tufsd.org through February 26.

Congratulations to 7th grader, Dhruv Suri, who competed Saturday, February 7^th at the Regional MathCounts Competition at Pace University against students from 16 schools across the county.  Dhruv placed 36^th out of the 104 competitors representing the best mathematical minds from Westchester.  MathCounts is a national enrichment, coaching, and competition program that promotes middle school mathematics achievement through grassroots involvement in every U.S. state and territory.   It is open to every student in the middle school.  The MathCounts competition in which Dhruv competed on Saturday has written and oral rounds, as well as individual and team components. Dhruv is looking forward to competing again next year.  Dhruv’s MathCounts coach, Ms. Albukerk, says “Dhruv’s accomplishment as a 7^th grade competitor is extraordinary.  I’m proud of his hard work and I look forward to what he will achieve at next year’s competition.”  Congratulations, Dhruv!

Sleepy Hollow Middle School Concert Band Newsletter - February 2009 Issue

Slime Lab - Local College Professor Performs Science Lab with 7th GradeProfessor Garguilo, Westchester Community College science teacher, and wife of Mr. Garguilo 7th grade science teacher worked together to present a field trip experience in the classroom. The 7th grade students got their hands dirty as they created slime on Friday. The lab was titled “Slimy Yet Satisfying” and the excitement and motivation it created for students in the field of science was definitely satisfying. The slime lab fit nicely into the chemistry unit being covered in class. “We are lucky to have so many great educational institutions like Westchester Community College nearby which can lend support to motivating the students of Sleepy Hollow” says Mr. Garguilo. The students thank Professor Garguilo for her time, interest, and expertise in the field of science.

7th Grade Science Students Help Save the Last Wild United States Jaguar

 They call him “Macho B” and he is unique. Macho B is the only wild jaguar living in the United States. Macho B’s land is in danger of being destroyed and Mr. Garguilo’s 7th grade science classes wanted to help prevent this from happening. Mr. Garguilo and his students raised $10 in an effort to help “The Nature Conservancy” save Macho B. Mr. Garguilo promised to match any contribution made by the students in a classroom donation box. The students donated a total of $10 of their personal money over a two week span. Mr. Garguilo matched the donation with his own money for a total of $20 dollars raised. Mr. Garguilo says, “The students were given 100% freedom to give or not give to the cause…it was amazing the passion they had for the future of our planet. It is important to give students a chance to contribute toward a cause they believe in. Sleepy Hollow students proved that they are a part of a community that cares by giving any spare change they had to an environmental cause.”

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