Primary News | Middle School News | Sports | Parents Association News

BOYCHOIR FESTIVAL

Sixth-graders Sai Abhishek and Christopher Kim will represent Wyoming Seminary Lower School at We Are the Boys and We Sing! This one-day festival for boys from area schools will be conducted by Steven Fisher of the Keystone State Boychoir and will be held at Lackawanna Trail High School in Factoryville. A 7:00 p.m. performance will conclude the event. The public is invited; directions are available on the Lackawanna Trail Junior Senior High School Web site.

BRAIN POP

Wyoming Seminary has now made a learning resource used in our primary and middle-school curricula available to students and parents at home. BrainPop.com has animated movies with accompanying quizzes on topics in science, technology, health, math, English, social studies, arts and music. Middle-school students have IDs and passwords that can be used from home to reinforce or extend learning in a wide array of topics. The same ID and password also work for BrainPOP Jr. (K-3) and for BrainPOP en Español.

PHYS-ED SHOE 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.

UPPER SCHOOL ANNOUNCES AWARDS AND HONORS

Three cheers for our Upper School students who have distinguished themselves recently!

National Merit Commended Students

Five Wyoming Seminary Upper School seniors have been named Commended Students in the 2007 National Merit Scholarship competition. Click to read the full story...

National Merit Semifinalists

Five Sem seniors have been named semifinalists in the 2008 National Merit Scholarship competition. Click to read the full story...

National AP Scholars
Three students earned an average grade of 4 or higher on a 5-point scale on all AP Exams taken in May 2007, and grades of 4 or higher on eight or more of these exams.

AP Scholar With Distinction

Awarded for earning an average grade of at least 3.5 on all AP Exams taken, and grades of 3 or higher on five or more of these exams.

Eight students qualified for the AP Scholar With Honor award by earning an average grade of at least 3.25 on AP exams taken and grades of 3 or higher on four or more of those exams.

Twenty-two students qualified for the AP Scholar award by completing three or more AP Examinations with grades of 3 or higher.

Cum Laude

Wyoming Seminary Upper School recently inducted 12 students into the Cum Laude Society, the national academic honor society for college preparatory schools. Click for the full story!

Radical Readers - A Win-Win Reading Opportunity

Keep “Radical Readers” in mind, our morning reading buddy program where primary and middle-school students meet in the Sordoni Library to share a book together. The program is offered Monday thru Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 8:20 a.m. in the Sordoni Library.

Fun Times After School!

Learning to care for a baby, creating a personalized birdhouse design, practicing sign language, playing money games and getting savings tips: these activities all happen after school at WSLS. These are the first-session classes of After-School Enrichment, where students spend a fun-filled hour creating, learning and just enjoying themselves! Every five weeks a new session is made available to our students in grades one through five. The classes are greatly varied; examples include knitting, American Girl, painting, board games and fitness. Sign your children up so they can enjoy some fun times after school. Please be sure that you are on our e-mail list, since all information will be distributed electronically this year. Please direct your questions to Mrs. Conway: sconway@wyomingseminary.org

Reminder from Academic Technology

Faculty, students, and parents are able to access Atomic Learning , a program that provides training on numerous software applications through short video clips. For example, would you like to learn how to make a photo album with Photoshop or iPhoto? Atomic Learning has video clips on this subject and many more to help you use the software on your computer. If you want the account access information, please e-mail Mr. Hughes and put “Atomic Learning Information” in the subject line.

YEARBOOK AD DEADLINE

Reservations for yearbook advertisements from individuals and businesses are due November 16. The number of ads determines the size and quality of the book. Full-page ads are $175; half-page ads are $100; quarter-page ads are $75, and listings on the patron list are $25. Click here to download a Tatler ad form. Contact Mrs. Sally Urisko at surisko@wyomingseminary.org for more information.

JOIN THE TRIP TO FRANCE IN JUNE

The Foreign Language Department is seeking students and their parents interested in traveling to France in June 2008. The tour will explore Paris and discover France’s magnificent chateaux, its famous battlefields, its inspiring art centers, and its natural beauty. The journey features the beaches of Normandy, Monet’s Giverny, Versailles and Mont St. Michel.  Interested tourists should contact Mrs. Moriarity at dmoriarity@wyomingseminary.org as soon as possible!

E-mail notification:

All parents should receive an e-mail at the beginning of each month when this newsletter is published. If you did not receive an e-mail, please fill out the form below and we will make sure you receive it from now on! Thanks very much.

Primary News - November, 2007

Click here to watch a video from Dr. Claire Hornung

Primary Players
Mark your calendar for the Primary Players production of E.B. White’s story The Trumpet of the Swan on Wednesday, November 7 at 7 p.m.! The Primary Players are actors in our 4th and 5th grades who will perform in the Amato Auditorium at the Lower School. There will be a small reception following the performance.  Tickets are by donation only and will be available the evening of the show. 

A+PRIDE
Congratulations to our A+PRIDE lion’s paw pin recipients for “Amiable.” The following children received A+PRIDE pins. Pre-K:  Julia M. and Ava; Kindergarten: Jennifer and Ashley; First Grade: Zane and Sydney; Second Grade: Avani and Sam S.; Third Grade: Mary Theresa and Andrew; Fourth Grade: Anthony F. and Alex F.

Our next A+PRIDE program will be December 5 at 9:20 a.m. in the Amato Auditorium when we will celebrate the “Principled” people in our lives and learn more about being reliable, the next A+ Pride word.  Parents and special guests are always invited and are asked to sit in the balcony.

Can you hear them singing?
Our Pre-kindergarteners have already begun to rehearse for their Thanksgiving Opera. This Wyoming Seminary tradition involves the telling of the Thanksgiving tale in song. Our pre-kindergarten parents and other special guests are invited to this once-in-a-lifetime experience on Friday, November 16 at 11:00 a.m.

Sem Attire Update
Remember, socks are a part of Sem Attire. For the girls, that’s solid navy blue or solid white knee socks, bobby socks or tights. For the boys, white or dark socks, please. Please remember to put names in all Sem Attire articles. We'd like to return any lost attire to the right owner. Our Primary students are looking wonderful! Thank you to our families for helping us all out.

Reminder from the office
If your child(ren) will be absent from school for either illness or family needs, please call the office before 8:30 a.m. that day and let us know. In addition, if you come to take your child home early, please make sure to stop in the office, say a quick hello to Mrs. Z. and Mrs. Bailey and sign your child(ren) out.

Aftercare
Please remember that you may purchase aftercare coupon books in 10-hour blocks from Mrs. Bailey in the office. For those families who need more hours per week, our Business Office has created a payment plan to purchase those hours in advance. Please ask Mrs. Bailey for that information as well.

After-School Enrichment
Our second session of enrichment classes directed by Mrs. Conway and taught by several of our Sem teachers is underway. The next set of classes will begin after our Thanksgiving break. That information will go home via e-mail for students to sign up. Please make sure to keep an eye out for this information on your computer.

Middle School News - November 2007

Dear Parents:

Even though the day light hours are getting shorter, you may feel like you have more time with your children because sports teams have finished their seasons and many of the fall events are behind us. Lest you become too comfortable with this newfound time, I must warn you: term tests are upon us!  It is not too early for your child to start organizing notes, reviewing assignments, old quizzes and tests, attending conferences and test-review sessions. Preparing for term tests over a couple of weeks will promote long-term memory development, while cramming at the last minute taxes only our short-term memory, and the material will likely be forgotten all too soon.

The right and wrong way to prepare for exams first hit home to me when I was a college student long ago. Like many new undergraduates I wondered how I should approach the prospect of reviewing the mountains of information that had been covered in a semester.  So many of my friends figured they would pull “all-nighters” in an eleventh-hour study vigil, as apparently was the custom in college.  Being a person who has never qualified as a night owl, my friends’ way did not appear to be a viable course of action for me.  Instead, I began developing a study habit that served me quite well in school, and has, with slight modifications, been of benefit to me ever since.

Each day I would look over the notes I had taken in class, highlighting those portions that seemed most important. This might take ten to fifteen minutes. The next day I’d do the same, but spend another five-to-ten minutes looking over the previous day’s “highlights”.  The next day I’d repeat this routine for each of my classes. The end result? By the time my final exams rolled around, I had studied hours for them, but I hadn’t lost any sleep nor engaged in that most useless of study patterns: cramming. At the time I didn’t know why this was effective, only that I wasn’t nearly as tired or unprepared for exams as some of my classmates.

What I didn’t know then, but have seen over the years in working with young people, is the simple fact that we learn best, or we remember what we are studying more effectively, when we do it in smaller blocks of time and reduced bits of information. We are gifted with memories that can retain an incredible amount of data. Unfortunately our minds can only retain so much material in a given time span. Fifteen- to thirty-minute sessions with a textbook or notes is a far more realistic time frame for recall than is an hour, an evening, or an “all-nighter.” 

Having said all this, the time for middle schoolers to begin preparing for end-of-term exams and tests is sooner, not later. Good luck as we prepare to finish the first trimester!

Sincerely,
Patti Summerhill

MIDDLE SCHOOL ANNOUNCEMENTS

AFTER-CARE

Supervised after-school care, based in Room 108, is available to middle-school students who are able to work in the computer room on homework and are also welcome outside on the playground with the younger students. Parents are billed monthly. For more information, please contact Sally Sprankle or the school office.

AFTER-SCHOOL

PARENTS are reminded to use the left lane of traffic to pick up middle-school students in the back of the school. Remember that students of any age are not permitted to leave the school grounds to meet their ride. Parents must park off-campus and walk to the pick-up or bus line to meet their children. Students who have not been picked up will be taken to the office to use the phone. STUDENTS are reminded that they must have written permission from their parents to stay after school as a spectator for an athletic activity, or to leave the campus on foot for any reason. Students should also have a written note if they are planning to ride another student’s bus.

GRADE-LEVEL UPDATES

FIFTH GRADE:

Fifth graders, from left: Mary Lundin, Kelley Gavin, Ashlyn Smith, Ruhani Aulakh

After studying the American government, the Constitution, and the concepts of citizenship and democracy, WSLS fifth graders created a seal to represent their class. The adopted seal, which was inspired by the U.S. Great Seal, is displayed in the school hallway along with quotes from the students describing what it means to them. It will be used in fifth-grade correspondence throughout the year. Fifth graders also created “magic potion” bottles to culminate the study of the novel Tuck Everlasting. Students devised advertisements, complete with disclaimers, touting the powers of the potions. The labeled bottles are on display at the school’s front entrance.

MATH DEPARTMENT

The math department is undertaking another interdepartmental experience for our fifth graders who are currently reading Chasing Vermeer. We will hold a “Pentominoes Party” on Tuesday, November 13, from 3:15 to 5:00 p.m. Students will have fun at six or seven different math stations that relate to the book, picking up game pieces to solve the ultimate puzzle at the end. A light pizza dinner will be serve.

SIXTH GRADE:

From left: Matthew Doggett, second grader Duncan Lumia, Wyatt Cox

Sixth-grade science students applied what they learned about symbiosis, feeding relationships and adaptations to create Locker Critters, complete with scientific biographies, for the “extreme” conditions of their lockers. Through the JASON Extreme Microbes Lab and other activities, students invented critters that adapt to survive environmental conditions, reduce competition, and employ camouflage in their surroundings. The sixth graders also partnered with the second graders to create, through the JASON digital lab, microbes that could survive extreme conditions on Mars. Information and images about microbes that survive in extreme conditions on Earth helped the partners choose the best adaptations. Second graders sketched some of the Earth microbes while sixth graders helped with reading information and guiding second graders through the digital lab. Upon release, partners watched through a digital monitor to see whether their organism population died, survived, or thrived!

SEVENTH GRADE:

From left: Melissa Flack, Sasha Dubizhanskaya, Sydney Smith, Allie Yuscavage, Megan Molitoris

Seventh grade is participating in an online science project with schools around the world, comparing hours of daylight and taking temperatures, then sharing and analyzing data to determine how latitude affects the amount of sunlight experienced in different locations. Algebra I students are also using computers, graphing metric conversions on PowerPoint and Excel program. In other courses, social studies classes are studying North America; critical reading students are working on a family portraits unit, and English students are reading plays and writing stories with dialogue.

EIGHTH GRADE:

From left: Ellie McDougal, Haley Karg, Renata O’Donnell

Twelve eighth graders participated in the October 7 Forty Fort Meeting House anniversary celebration and visited various other historic sites including the Forty Fort Flood Memorial, the route of march and battle in Wyoming and Exeter, the graves of the Harding brothers in Jenkins Cemetery in West Pittston, Queen Esther’s Rock and the Coxton Rail archaeology dig.
Several eighth graders also went to Penn State Lehman to see the movie Last of the Mohicans and participate in a question-and-answer session with Jack Slebinski, a local resident who was featured in the film. Other eighth graders, along with Upper School and primary students, are working on the set of a film about Frances Slocum that is slated to be released by Christmas.

FEATURES

Attachments: String ensemble photos, technology in the classroom photo (ID below)

Technology in the Middle-School Curriculum

Eighth-graders Amanda Chan, Fallon Tarapchak, Paine Fleisher, Ben Puza and Joseph Kunin

Wyoming Seminary’s middle-school technology curriculum is focused on applying students’ computer skills not only to course work, but to the world around them. Building on the basics taught in primary computer-lab classes, students in grades five through eight work toward full integration of these skills in their daily routines.

Fifth-grade technology use is at an all-time high this year, with the introduction of a new laptop cart, iPods and digital cameras available for everyday use. In a 12-week computer class, students begin the intermediate phase of instruction, using basic computer and keyboarding skills to cover topics such as computer ethics, desktop publishing, Internet research, Web site evaluation and digital imaging.

Sixth graders also learn through application of skills learned in a 12-week technology course. This includes advanced word-processing skills such as document preparation and layout, desktop publishing, spreadsheets, PowerPoint, and storyboarding.

In seventh and eighth grade, technology is fully integrated into the regular course curriculum. Students use programs introduced in fifth and sixth grades to work on projects and presentations, speeches, and as regular learning support. In addition to advanced use of Word, PowerPoint and spreadsheets, students learn to work with iMovie, Vernier tools, and Web sites that enhance online instruction.

Middle-School String Ensemble

Mrs. Christiane Vaida conducts the string ensemble

Although 7:45 a.m. seems pretty early in the morning for most middle-schoolers, there is one group of students at Wyoming Seminary that is not only awake and present, they’re making beautiful music! The 10 girls and

From left: Olivia Smialek, Lily Williams

boys that make up the middle-school String Ensemble gather at that time every Tuesday in the auditorium to tune and play their violins and cellos under the direction of Mrs. (Christiane) Vaida.

Eavesdroppers might hear classical music, holiday tunes or an Irish jig as the fifth through eighth graders run through their selections. The musicians, some slightly bleary-eyed on arrival, perk up quickly for an enthusiastic rehearsal, punctuated during breaks with loud cello-cow “moos” and plenty of laughter. Director Vaida reports that this year’s performers are fairly strong in their skills; several began to play their instruments before they were school age.

From left: Kelsey Dolhon, Katie Shin

Leah Goldberg, who started playing violin at age three, joined the string ensemble because, “I thought it sounded really fun, and I like it because it is sometimes pretty challenging.” She especially enjoys this term’s fiddle number, as does Olivia Smialek, in her second year as a violinist with the group. “It was so much fun, I had to do it again,” she reported.

The ensemble will perform a Vivaldi piece, the Irish fiddle number and a holiday song at their winter performance during the December choral concert. Members of the group are: Regan Bellas, Kelsey Dolhon, Hannah Dressler, Tali Dressler, Leah Goldberg, Ryan Lawrence, Katie Shin, Olivia Smialek, Noah Sunday-Lefkowitz and Lily Williams.

Sports News - October 2007

Click here for the Lower School Fall Sports schedules online.

WYOMING SEMINARY LOWER SCHOOL WINTER ATHLETICS 2007-2008

From left: Emily Granger, Alaina Schukraft and Ann Romanowski

While fall athletic teams play their final games (See the next newsletter for a full report on their records and awards!), the winter sports season is nearing. A complete game schedule will be available from this Web site soon. Here is a breakdown of what’s available:

Boys 7th and 8th Grade Basketball
Practices begin Monday, November 12 and run Monday through Friday from 3:15 to 5:15 p.m. at the Lower School. Games are scheduled on weekdays after school at the home school. Coaches: Ed Plaksa and Will Davis

Boys 4th, 5th and 6th Grade Basketball
Practices begin Tuesday, November 6 and are held Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Lower School. Games are scheduled on Saturday, Sunday or Monday at St. Joseph’s Oblates. Coach: Jeff Yelen

Girls 7th and 8th Grade Basketball
Practices begin Monday, November 12 and run Monday through Friday from 3:15 to 5:15 p.m. at the Lower School. Games are scheduled on Saturdays at the Lower School. Coach: Tom Romanowski

Girls 5th and 6th Grade Basketball
Practices begin Monday, November 12 and are held Mondays and Wednesdays from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Lower School. Games are scheduled on Sundays at the CYC in Wilkes-Barre. Coaches: Fran Gabriel and Lynn Nehila

Medical Forms Required – Athletes from grades 4 through 8 who intend to play basketball can download the medical permission form from this Web site.

Student Athletic/Academic Policy – A reminder from Athletic Director Paul Burg: At WSLS we take our academics – as well as our athletics – seriously. Our student athletes are expected to maintain good grades. Any athlete who earns either one F or two D’s becomes ineligible for practices and games the following week. During this time, the athlete is expected to work on raising his or her grade by completing assessments and conferencing with teachers.

Contact Mr. Burg by calling and leaving a message at 570-718-6620 or e-mailing him at pburg@wyomingseminary.org.

Parents Association News - November, 2007

GET INVOLVED!

The October 8th Grade Bake Sale was a great success!

November:

• PRE-AUCTION PARTY, November 10 – Don’t miss this fun event!
  You recently received a blue post card with details and directions. Mark your calendar for 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, November 10 @ the MAC Gallery in Scranton!
• Place your ad in the Auction Program today! Click here to download the Auction form.
• SEM WEEK – Shop at participating stores during the week of November 11-17 and earn money for the WSLSPA.
• MEETING, November 13 - Next Parents Association Meeting, 1:00 p.m., Sordoni Library classroom. All parents are invited!
• BAKE SALE NOVEMBER 15
  Please support the eighth-graders as they sponsor this bake sale that will help to reduce the expenses associated with their graduation.

December:

• SEM GOES SHOPPING – This annual project provides in-school holiday shopping opportunities for students in early December. Before the sale, we send home a blank list for you and your child to complete regarding whom to buy presents for and how much to spend. They bring that back to school along with some money and … let the fun begin! Items are inexpensive and child-inspired. Click here for schedule!
  Note: many volunteers are needed to help shoppers and to wrap all the gifts - dates are 12/3 to 12/5 from 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and to set up on Sunday 12/2 at 5:00 p.m. Click here for the volunteer form.
• HOLIDAY TEA – The last day of school before the winter holiday break is a tradition-filled experience for our eighth graders. The Holiday Tea is held on December 21 in the gym after the chorale program. All teachers and parents are invited, as well as our eighth graders! Planning meetings are underway so call Erica Romanowski (883-1264) or Tony Grosek (714-9172) to volunteer with set up or serving, or click here to fill out the online volunteer form, or download the Holiday Tea flyer. Also - visit the Holiday Tea Page!

January

• SKI DAY 2008 – Monday, January 28, 2008 will be Sem Ski Day at Sno Mountain. More info to follow.  Kelley Obeid is organizing this event.

February

• VARIETY SHOW 2008 – The Lower School Student Variety Show will be held on Friday, February 8, 2008 at 7:00 p.m. Call Terri Smith (283-3883) or Shelley Meuser (696-3660) for more information.

March

• ALL SCHOOL AUCTION – The 2008 auction will be held at the Great Hall on March 28 at 6:00 p.m. Tracey Fonzo will be selling auction raffle tickets again this year, so come on and take a chance. Last year the Lower School received $22,000.00 (half of the profits from the auction). This year we plan to do even better. Please save the dates. Contact Tracey Fonzo 820-4057, Maureen Bufalino 674-3124, Erica Romanowski 833-1264, or Paula Chaiken 718-0549. 
• FIELD DAY – The contact parents are Sonya Aulakh (586-6150), Maureen Conyngham (696-0291), Tony Grosek (714-9172) and Heidi Sims (740-1237).
• EIGHTH-GRADE GRADUATION – The contact parents are Mindy Zafrany (823-7859), Joan Reed (346-8087) and Lois Spath (696-4501).

THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT

• BOOK FAIR- Congratulations to Cathy Reppert and Sonya Aulakh on an extremely successful Book Fair. The children had a great time and will be reading and enjoying all of their purchases. Special thanks to Lucy Shick for her hard work and dedication. She is truly the heart and soul of the library.
• ORIGINAL ART WORKS – All of the orders have been placed and soon you should have your masterpieces in hand. Great job to Paula Chaiken on tackling this project.

Get involved … it makes for an enhanced school experience for your child.

Sincerely,
Terri Smith