Dear Parents,

Today marks the end of our first trimester. Teachers are busy calculating final averages and entering grades on our computer system; after a week of exams, students are anxiously anticipating the start of Thanksgiving break; and Rev. Carrick is setting up the auditorium for our Thanksgiving Chapel. I am certain that a visitor in our building could sense the nervous energy that fills the air. Students and teachers alike are ready to close the books on the fall trimester and enjoy a well-deserved rest from the rigors and routines of middle school.

By the time you read this greeting, report cards have probably been delivered to your home. I hope that you will take the opportunity to sit down together with your child to review these grades and any accompanying comments. This is the perfect time to offer praise for a job well done; it is so important that your child knows that you recognize their hard work. Rather than dwelling on any disappointing grade, help your son or daughter strategize about ways to improve as we begin our second term. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns regarding the report card process.

As we turn the calendar to the month of December, the school halls will fill with the sights and sounds of the approaching holiday season. Please be sure to review our school calendar to make note of all the important events that will occur in the three weeks we will be in session. Between concerts, basketball games, shopping opportunities, and our annual Holiday Tea, the month will certainly pass quickly.

I wish everyone a happy, healthy holiday season! Thank you for your continued support of Wyoming Seminary.

Mary Kolessar

PLAY AUDITIONS:
Students from grades six through eight who signed up for the winter play must attend auditions either Monday, December 8 or Tuesday, December 9, and cast meetings December 10 and 11, all from 3:15 until 4:00 p.m. in the auditorium. Sign-up for audition dates will be posted outside of Mrs. Zeigler’s room beginning December 1. All other play information will be given at these important meetings.

NEW ENVIRONMENTAL CLUB:
WSLS’ Environmental Club for grades five through eight will hold its first meeting on Thursday, December 11, 2008, from 3:20 to 4:30 p.m in the Olcott Science Center. Under the direction of Mrs. Iskra and Mrs. Carrick, the club’s formation is another step in Wyoming Seminary’s “Greener is Smarter” initiative that aims to increase environmental awareness, education and action in the Sem community as well as our local communities. The club will focus on one “green objective” at a time, beginning with energy conservation at school and at home, and will involve primary students and all members of the Sem community in its research, education, and action.

SELECT CHORUS Performs in January:
Select Chorus will be singing the National Anthem at the Penguins Game on Saturday, January 10, 2009 at 7:05 p.m.  Please return this ticket order form to the Lower School Admission office as soon as possible. If you have any questions, please call Dawn Leas or Heidi Sims at 570-718-6610.

MATH CLINIC: Fifth- and sixth-grade students may attend Math Clinic (free of charge) every Monday and Thursday afternoon from 3:15 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. in room 205. Staffed by members of our middle-school math department and student volunteers from our Upper School, Math Clinic is intended to help students review material being studied in class, assist with homework assignments and prepare for upcoming tests and quizzes.

LIBRARY WEB SITE AND ONLINE CATALOG: Middle-school students, faculty, and parents can find information on the history of the Sordoni Library, library news, book reviews and honors, online databases and helpful Web sources, and they can access the entire library catalog online from any location. To visit, go to Wyoming Seminary homepage and select “Library- Lower School” under the Quick Clicks menu.

PHYS-ED CLASS REMINDER: Students must wear proper shoes for their PE classes. Sneakers should fit snugly, with either ties or Velcro, so that they do not come off with regular activity. Shoes that do not fit or close appropriately pose an injury risk to the children. Students should either wear their sneakers to school on PE days or keep an extra pair (an old pair is fine) in their school locker, cubby or PE locker just in case they forget to wear sneakers on PE days.

GRADE-LEVEL UPDATES

FIFTH GRADE:

From left: Jake, Kira, Megha, and Isabella.

The fifth grade’s annual American history unit and trip to the National Constitution Center coordinated perfectly with this year’s interdisciplinary election unit (see “Features” below) and national electoral events. The students studied the history of the U.S. Constitution, discussed the rights and responsibilities assigned to government officials and citizens that were built into this document, then traveled to Philadelphia on November 7.

SIXTH GRADE:

Sixth graders have been partnered with students in Hawaii and China as part of the National Association of Independent School’s new 20/20 Challenge. Students will investigate, collaborate, and problem-solve with students in partner schools using Web 2.0 tools.

Sixth-grade science students virtually ventured into the Everglades and Louisiana wetlands in November. In December, students will conduct salinity and insulation experiments before studying the stars. Parents interested in “meeting” the microbes from the students’ previous unit can access the site created by sixth graders for second-grade students:

http://delicious.com/WSLSTechnology/Microbes

SEVENTH GRADE:

From left: Eric, Sarah and Kyrie.

Seventh-grade science students were introduced to the microscope, becoming familiar with its parts and use. They will continue to use these instruments to study cell reproduction in December. The unit coordinates directly with the study of biology that the students will encounter in future classes.

EIGHTH GRADE:

From left: Mrs. Iskra, Thomas Hughes, students in Santo Domingo (on screen)

Mrs. Iskra’s science classes followed-up their participation in the International Boiling Point Project by video-conferencing with classes from the Dominican Republic and New Jersey who also took part in the project. Using a question-and-answer format, classes shared information about themselves, their schools, and their science projects. Students will continue their contact with students from the Carol Morgan School in Santo Domingo and Thompson Middle School in Middletown, New Jersey, after finishing units in chemistry and physics during the year.

FEATURES

Middle-School Election Units

Katie Buyarski votes.

A presidential election year adds a welcome excitement and provides a distinct perspective for the annual social studies curriculum units. At WSLS, middle-school classes related their lessons to current events and held a mock election using county voting machines. Students and teachers voted on the electronic machines, delivered through the courtesy of Luzerne County’s Director of Elections Leonard Piazza, in late September and predicted the national results with a final tally of Obama, 93 to McCain, 75.

In daily coursework, eighth graders used various topics such as social security, energy, and immigration to research the positions of the candidates. They also participated in an American Public Radio online survey called “Select a Candidate” that matched student opinions to candidates’ views. Students tracked the campaign in the swing states on the Real Clear Politics website, and discussed the influence of the media on the election.

Seventh graders used current-event lessons and publications to discuss the issues and follow the results of the election.

In sixth grade, students focused on the Constitutional requirements for the presidency and qualities that they thought were important for a person in this office. They also discussed the requirements for voter eligibility in our country throughout history as white men, then men of any race, and finally women were given the right to vote. Other topics included the powers of the president and how the Electoral College votes are determined. Students tracked the votes on election night and colored each state as its votes were awarded to either candidate.

Jody poses with Barack Obama.

Fifth-grade teachers developed an interdisciplinary election unit that merged with their annual trip to the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia. Following their study of the history of the Constitution, they discussed the rights and responsibilities that the document assigns to government officials and citizens, identified national issues relevant to voters, compared the candidates on these issues, debated the pros and cons of the Electoral College, and created campaign timelines. On Election Day the entire grade celebrated in the library with themed games, picture-posing with the candidates, and an all-American menu of hotdogs and red, white and blue cupcakes.

Holiday Concert Preview

From left: Beau, Anthony and Scott rehearse in band.

Singers and instrumentalists will delight their audiences with two holiday concerts in December. The concert bands and jazz band will begin the performances, playing at 7:00 p.m. Thursday, December 18, followed by the chorus ensembles at 9:00 a.m. on Friday, December 19.

From left: Lily, Sasha and Lucy rehearse in chorus.

The fifth- and sixth-grade band will play three selections. “Christmas Processional” is a medley of holiday songs; “Olympia” is a piece dedicated to the Olympics, and “Sakura” is a Japanese folk song. Seventh- and eighth-grade instrumentalists will begin with Alfred Reed’s “Russian Christmas Music” followed by “Silverbrook,” a piece written for the Silverbrook School in Wisconsin, and “Cedar Creek Sketches,” which is a contest selection. The jazz band will be performing Josh Groban’s version of “You Raise Me Up,” featuring vocalist Katie Bailey. They will also play a Dizzy Gillespie tune called “A Night in Tunisia” and a Miles Davis tune called “Four.”

Another instrumental group, the middle-school string ensemble, will open the choral concert on Friday, followed by the fifth- and sixth-grade chorus singing three numbers: “Sing We Now of Christmas,” a traditional French carol; “Joyful Hanukkah” and “We Need a Little Christmas.” The seventh and eighth graders will perform “One More Candle,” “Christmas Time is Here,” and the popular “Winter Wonderland.” The select chorus numbers include “Good Cheer,” a festival procession featuring a hand drum, finger cymbals and a flute; “Winter Wonders,” and the favorite “White Christmas.”

The middle-school choral performance is followed by the presentation of ornaments to the eighth-grade class, the primary performances, Santa’s visit, and the annual Holiday Tea.