December 2017, Vol. 1

NEWS FROM THE NEST The Official Newsletter of CMS

Testa Talks It is difficult to believe that we have completed the first trimester of the 2017-18 school year. The time has been filled with various educational experiences, field trips, school dances, rollerskating parties, and many other activities that help make Cocalico Middle School a great place to learn each and every day. As I reflect on why I feel the first part of the school year has been so successful, two groups of people immediately come to mind- the students and the teachers. All of the teachers at CMS put their heart and soul into teaching each and every day, and ensuring that each student receives the education that is best suited for their needs. Teaching is a passion for our teachers, and the energy and enthusiasm that they bring each and every day is contagious throughout the building. Second, we certainly would not be the same without the students that we have here at CMS. They are a hard-working group, and put forth effort each day, both inside and outside of the classroom. I am proud to be the principal of a school where both teachers and students create such a positive learning environment each and every day. As the holiday season approaches, I encourage each member of our

Table of Contents

02 03 04 05 06 07

Sports & Feature

learning community to continue to put forth maximum effort in all that they do, to take risks, and to step out of your comfort zones, as you continue to make CMS the great place that is. Thank you for everything you do on a daily basis!

Teacher

Flexible Seating

Dr. Bradley Testa, Principal

Grade Level Happenings

miniTHON The auditorium boiler room was

Hidden Heroes

originally built to be a rifle range.

CMS Fun Facts

In 1962, Cocalico Middle School was the first middle school built in Pennsylvania.

CREW Door Decorating

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DEC 2017

ISSUE NO. 1

FEATURE TEACHER By Anya Rally We interviewed Mrs. Michele Swoope, CMS art teacher who is new to the building this year. Read below to see how her first year is going! Rally: So, how was the transition from the elementary school to the middle school? Swoope: Good. There’s a lot of work. I’m learning a lot. Probably more than the kids. The first thirty days I was really stressed and trying to do my best. But after the first cycle, I felt a lot more... relaxed. I really like the difference in age because I feel like that we can develop more than the little ones. R: What is your favorite part of art? S: I think the unending possibilities. The creative part of art allows infinite possibilities. I think that the openness is the best part of art.

SPORTS RECAP By Katherine Williams

R: What do you think of working with another art teacher, Ms. Buccilla? S: I love her. She has been my helper and I bug her all the time. “How do I do this?” “What do I do?” “I need an idea!” “What do I do with this assembly?” She has been so important in teaching me how the middle school works. The elementary school is so different from the middle school and I love how she lets me be bug her. R: What is your favorite part of teaching? S: Hmmm... I think the same thing as the favorite part of art in that there are so many possibilities in inspiring students. I love being the guide for creativity. R: Overall, how’s life? S: Stressful. Home life is stressful, but I know it’s just a bump and then we’ll get better. But I feel a lot happier since I’ve been here at the middle school.

Congratulations to the junior high football team on finishing their season with a record of 5-2! The team worked constantly to improve and become stronger as players and people. Way to work through this season as a team! Additionally, a special thanks to the cheerleaders and marching band for their school spirit seen on the sidelines! The Girls’ Field Hockey team had a great time together this season! Varsity finished with a record of 4 wins, 2 losses and 7 ties, while Junior Varsity finished with a record of 7 wins, 2 losses and 1 tie. Keep up the positivity and hard work as we are looking forward to seeing what the future holds, Lady Eagles! The cross country team worked very hard this season to make sure that they were leaving nothing behind on the courses. They finished their season strong and brought out their best. We can't wait until next season, runners! Share in our excitement for what lies ahead in the Eagle’s Nest for winter sports by showing your support for Cocalico basketball and wrestling! Schedules for these events for both boys and girls can be found on the Cocalico School District website!

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DEC 2017

ISSUE NO. 1

Flexible Seating By Anya Rally A new type of learning has emerged from the shadowy depths of education called Flexible Seating. Flexible seating replaces desks in a revolutionary way of allowing different types of learners -- visual, audible, and kinesthetic -- to learn well from different spots and seats around the classroom. We had an interview with Miss Baxter and Miss Corrao to learn what flexible seating was all about. Unfortunately, due to how many questions and how long the answers were, this article just provides you with a brief overview of their thoughts. The entire idea started when Miss Baxter found out that she was moving classrooms. Both Miss Baxter and Miss Corrao had seen this idea all over social media and databases, and when they found out that teachers were having success with the different seating options, they both decided to try it out for the new school year in their new classrooms. What they found was success. The students love the flexible seating options - including myself. All students in Miss Baxter’s classes see flexible seating as a privilege, not a right, so they created classroom norms and keep in mind that their privilege could be taken away at any time. Because of this, Miss Baxter has had little to no problems in her classroom after implementing flexible seating. Miss Corrao has a few issues with talking, however, but nothing major. There are many benefits to flexible seating that both Miss Baxter and Miss Corrao have recognized. According to their perspective, they have noticed that students are willing to work together and make smart choices in who to work with. Additionally, Miss Baxter is receiving far more work than she has the year before, subtracting the amount of missing work that she has to keep track of. Miss Corrao says that, “the beauty of flexible seating is that every day, you can sit in a spot that helps you learn and focus.” This is because a student can sit anywhere where he/she can learn best. Both teachers believe that all types of students work best in a flexible seating environment rather than ordinary desks. There are solitary lounge chairs for solitary learners, desks pushed together in a group for group learners, seats near the board for visual learners, seats near the speakers of the classroom for auditory learners, and exercise balls for kinesthetic learners. Both teachers believe that flexible seating should be a tool used in classrooms around our school, district, state, and otherwise. Personally, I feel as if that would be an advantage to education everywhere as well. Next year, I would recommend implementing flexible seating into your classrooms to try it out. You may just see your classroom thrive!

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DEC 2017

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The day right before Thanksgiving break, the sixth grade students had a Team Wellness Day. The focus was to keep and teach students to be mentally and physically fit. The team day included activities such as cardio stations, strength exercises, yoga/meditation, coloring pages, healthy foods, games, music, walking, and brain games.

Sixth Grade Happenings 6 RED   6 WHITE   6 BLUE

With a focus on thankfulness, seventh grade students decorated the hallways outside of their classrooms during the first trimester. Each student was asked to reflect upon what he or she was most grateful for and record their answer on a vibrantlycolored leaf. As students pass through the hallways, they are greeted by the encouraging words written on each leaf.

Seventh Grade Happenings 7 WHITE LIGHTNING     7 BLUE THUNDER

Eighth Grade Happenings 8 BLUE     8 WHITE

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Within the classroom, students are participating in career development lessons, where they are learning how to navigate the Career Cruising website. Additionally, the oratory speech unit has begun in Communication Arts classes, where each student is learning how to write a speech on a powerful topic that he/she feels should be shared with others. This assignment allows the students to look inward and focus upon a topic that holds a deep meaning to them. Clearly, it is an exciting time for seventh grade!

In November, both eighth grade teams embarked upon a field trip that will truly be remembered as one of the highlights of the year. Students had the opportunity to travel to Washington D.C. and visit numerous sites. Several of these places included the Smithsonian National Zoological Park, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, monuments along the National Mall, and various buildings of the Smithsonian Institute. CMS eighth graders are also extremely busy within the classroom. One hallmark assignment has been the Oregon Trail project in Social Studies, where students put themselves in the shoes of the pioneers who made the journey West. Clearly, this first trimester has been a wonderful start to the students’ final year at CMS!

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#CMSisFTK BY EMMA FASNACHT AND HANNAH MARTIN

Mark your calendars! mini-THON returns to Cocalico Middle School on Friday, February 23 from 5-8 PM. On the night of mini-THON, numerous activities are offered, such as dodgeball, teacher challenges, games, bouncyhouses, music, and much more. The total amount of money raised goes to the Four Diamonds Fund, an organization that strives to conquer childhood cancer. In 1972, the Four Diamonds Fund was founded by Charles and Irma Millard in honor of their son, Christopher, who was diagnosed with cancer at the age of eleven. Shortly before Christopher passed away, he wrote a story about a brave knight on a quest for four diamonds, representing courage, wisdom, honesty, and strength. This

So, how can you donate money to mini-

poignant story served as the inspiration for the

THON? Well, there are many ways to

four pillars of the Four Diamonds Fund.

donate, but a great way to start is by

Cocalico Middle School’s last mini-THON was

asking family and friends to contribute to

held in 2016 and it was extremely successful, with our school raising over $28,000! The power of the Four Diamonds can be shown

this worthy cause. Contacting local businesses that you are familiar with is another manner in which you can raise funds. At several of the football games this season, you may have seen

through the story of Laney Brown. She was

some CMS students canning; there, we

diagnosed with cancer on May 27, 2013 and

collected over $500! Many people are

died on Christmas morning of the same year. She was only eight years old. When her family needed support, Four Diamonds was there. They helped the family financially and emotionally during the most difficult time in

willing to help the Four Diamonds Fund once they know how to donate. Finally, keep your eyes and ears open for any CREW fundraisers on the horizon. Some examples of these fundraisers are bake sales, car washes, or Chicken BBQ sales.

their lives. Four Diamonds provided comfort and gave them hope when all seemed lost. Laney’s story is just one of thousands of examples as to how our mini-THON’s efforts can help families in need.

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For every CMS student and teacher, MiniThon is a definite must-do! Start collecting money now and help children win the fight of their lives!

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featuring

ISSUE NO. 1

Hidden Heroes "Mrs. Oxenreider, Cocalico Middle School’s head custodian, starts her workday at 5:00am. She turns all the lights on, unlocks the doors, and begins her most time consuming task, which is morning cleaning. During the school day, she cleans classrooms, washes windows, and mops floors. When the occasional flexible seating furniture arrives, Mrs. Oxenreider sacrifices even more time out of her very busy day to put it together. Even on weekends, when all of the students are sleeping in, she comes to school to make sure all the lights are off, doors are locked and any other necessary tasks needed are completed so that when students come into school on Monday, everything is in order. When she was growing up, Mrs. Oxenreider thought it would be enjoyable to work for a garbage company to be able to ride on the back of the truck; now, however, Mrs. Oxenreider is motivated by seeing students and keeping the school nice for them. The best thing about her job is being able to interact with all of the students. Keeping that in mind, the next time you see her, make sure to give her a bright smile. For fun, Mrs. Oxenreider likes to camp, fish, and spend time with her kids.

Mrs. Wise is a librarian in our school library. She starts work everyday at 7:00 a.m. and works until 3:45 p.m. To prepare for the day she has to turn on the lights, start up the computers and printers, unlock the doors to the library, stamp cards for check outs, make the fine lists for all the teachers, and straightens up the bookshelves. She does all of this before 7:20 in the morning to be prepared for the arrival of students. This makes it easier for students to check out books whenever they feel the need. In an interview, Mrs. Wise mentioned that her motivation throughout the day is being able to assist the students, and that her co-workers and helping students are her favorite parts of the job. Outside of the school, Mrs. Wise likes to do jigsaw puzzles, read, play with her cats, and spend time with her family.

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DEC 2017

CREW

ISSUE NO. 1

Red Ribbon Door Decorating A donut party always brings out the competitive side of Cocalico Middle School! This year, the three winners of the SAP Red Ribbon Week door decorating contest went beyond the expectations to decorate their doors and show that a drug-free life is the best life! Congratulations to Mrs. Kohler, Ms. Buccilla, and Ms. Corrao’s CREWs on their stellar decorating skills!

HELP US SPREAD HOLIDAY CHEER

Donate hats, scarves, and mittens to our giving tree in the lobby! DONATIONS ARE BEING ACCEPTED

Special thanks to our editors: Christina Bozhko Emma Fasnacht Hannah Martin Anya Rally Kathryn Shanaman Katherine Williams

UNTIL DECEMBER 19TH Follow us on Twitter: @CocalicoMiddle

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