Tiger Tracks April/May

Dear Families,

It’s hard to believe we’re already in April! As we welcome the change of seasons, we’re also entering a meaningful time in our school year — a time for reflection, celebration, and looking ahead.

Just so you are aware, in the coming weeks, we will need to conduct two fire drills and two lockdown drills as part of our school safety plan. We are also planning a district wide evacuation drill on the morning of May 19, 2025. During our evacuation drill we will evacuate to the Calvary Baptist Church on Lewis Road and return back to school once our evacuation protocols have been completed. Further details will be communicated from the district regarding our evacuation drill. Our drills are designed to prepare our students, faculty and staff to be prepared in the event we have a true emergency. Safety is our top priority operating a school.

As always, your partnership makes all the difference. Thank you for supporting our school, your children, and our shared mission to create a nurturing and inspiring learning environment. I hope you all have had a wonderful spring break!

Mr. Caprio

Upcoming Dates

As we approach the next round of state testing, please note the following assessment dates:

• ELA Assessments: April 24 and April 25, 2025
• Math Assessments: May 7 and May 8, 2025
• Grade 8 Science Assessment: May 14, 2025

Assessment-Based Final Exam Option
To reduce over-testing, we are offering a new option for students who take the state assessments. If a student takes the state assessment, we will use that data to assign the student a grade for taking the exam.

• If the student/parent is happy with the grade and it is at or above 65%, the student will not be required to take our local Math and/or ELA final examination in June.
• If a student/parent is not satisfied with the grade, the student may take their final examination in June to replace their assessment grade.

This proposal is completely optional and will not be forced on anyone. It is simply a personal choice for families who wish to reduce over-testing while still maintaining academic accountability.

During the month of March, students and staff focused on the character counts pillar of Responsibility. Students were selected that consistently demonstrated responsibility in their work, commitments and interactions. The following students were selected and enjoyed a Character Counts Ice Cream Celebration!

Sixth Grade - Scarlett Ranney, Aisley Scrogg, Gemma Knope, and Teagan Kumro

Seventh Grade - Ayla Jagielo, Hannah Kowalski, David Drier, and Grace Lotz

Eighth Grade - Rylie Irish-Baker, Maddie Odachowski, Quinn O'Malley, Makayla Pask, and Vinny Mastrorilli

For the month of April, the Akron Middle School is focusing on the pillar of Respect. Students can earn Tiger Tickets for demonstrating respect by:

• Listening attentively and using polite language
• Following rules and instructions and respecting property
• Valuing differences and being supportive

Tiger Tickets can be earned from teachers in their classroom, faculty and staff by demonstrating the character counts traits or good behavior. With these tickets students can:

• Purchase rewards from teachers
• Purchase Akron T-shirts from the main office
• Put Tiger Tickets into a drawing to win a gift card

1 - Spanish Club (M128) @ 3:20

4 - Superintendent's Conference Day - No School for Students

14-18 - Spring Recess - No School

22 - Board of Education Meeting @ 7:00 (HS Cafe)

24 & 25 - NYS ELA State Test (Grades 6-8)

5 - Spanish Club (M128) @ 3:20

7 & 8 - NYS Math State Test (Grades 6-8)

12 - Battle of the Books (Orchard Park Middle School)

13 - Board of Education Meeting @ 7:00 (HS Cafe)

13 - Living Environment/Algebra Field Trip to Buff State

14 - NYS 8th Grade Science State Test

20 - District Wide Art Show @ 5-9 (Main Foyer and Surrounding Halls)

28 - Board of Education Meeting @ 7:00 (HS Cafe)

29 - Sixth Grade Bison's Field Trip

30 - MS Darien Lake Music Festival

7 - Mod Lacrosse @ Wilson (5:30)

10 - Mod Lacrosse vs. Lancaster - Home - Field 3 (5:30)

23 - Mod Lacrosse vs. N. Tonawanda - Home - Field 3 (5:00)

25 - Mod Lacrosse vs. Lockport - Home - Field 3 (5:00)

30 - Mod Lacrosse @ Iroquois (5:00)

2 - Mod Lacrosse @ E. Aurora (5:00)

5 - Mod Lacrosse vs. Starpoint - Home Field 3 (5:00)

7 - Mod Track @ Barker (4:30)

7 - Mod Lacrosse vs. Depew - Home Field 3 (5:00)

9 - Mod Track vs. Albion & Medina (5:00)

9 - Mod Lacrosse @ Niagara Wheatfield (5:00)

12 - Mod Track @ Barker (4:30)

14 - Mod Track @ Medina (4:30)

15 - Mod Lacrosse @ Sweet Home (5:00)

16 - Mod Track vs. Newfane & Medina - Home (4:30)

19 - Mod Lacrosse vs. West Seneca West - Home Field 3 (5:00)

20 - Mod Track @ Newfane (4:30)

21 - Mod Lacrosse vs. Clarence - Home Field 3 (5:30)

22 - Mod Track @ Newfane (4:30)

Akron Middle School sixth-grade students joined together in their cross-curricular unit on Greece and Greek mythology with Greek Olympic Day! Classroom teams from the city-states of Argos, Athens, Megara, Corinth, and Sparta, competed in a STEM challenge, pool noodle javelin throw, and a vocabulary relay to demonstrate knowledge and recall. They even competed in a boxing game for strength and power, a tongue twister game for agility and articulation, and a humming contest to show their appreciation for culture and literature! It was very close, but the team members from Sparta were each crowned with wreaths of flowers for the second year in a row, following their overall win!! Additionally, two students were crowned as, “Best Dressed Greeks!” It was a fantastic day!

We have received a lot of questions concerning children’s carseats and

seatbelts recently, so here are the guidelines for children riding in vehicles.

The driver is responsible for ensuring every passenger under the age of 16

is restrained in a seatbelt or approved and properly installed car seat.

Every child under the age of four must be secured in a federally approved

child safety seat, that is properly attached to the vehicle. A child that weighs more

than 40 pounds may be restrain in a booster seat using a lap & shoulder harness

belt. Children ages 4 thru 7 must use a booster seat with lap & shoulder belt, or a

child safety seat that meets the height and weight recommendations of the

manufacturer.

A child that is more than 4 feet 9 inches tall or weighs more than 100

pounds, may use a lap and shoulder harness seatbelt. They must be able to sit

straight up against the seatback with the knees comfortably bent over the front

edge of the seat. It is recommended that children under 12 stay in the back seat.

For safety reasons, infants should be restrained in a rear facing car seat as

long as they are physically comfortable.

Don’t purchase a car seat from a consignment shop, you don’t know it’s

history (if it was involved in a crash and has hidden damage), also car seats do

have expiration dates. The materials degrade over time, being subjected to

temperature variations.

Many local police agencies have trained officers that will check and/or

install your car seat.

Your child is your most precious possession, let’s keep them safe.

GO TIGERS!

Here is a link to set up/access your parent/student PowerSchool Account! https://ps.akronschools.org/public/

Want to make your life easier? Instead of calling in when your student is absent, needs to be signed out, coming in late, etc., email your students' building attendance email as follows:

Elementary: esattendance@akronk12.org

Middle: msattendance@akronk12.org

HIgh: hsattendance@akronk12.org

If your student is feeling sick remember they can touch base with our knowledgeable nurses to determine if a sign out is necessary!