MS 50 Weekly News: 1/22/24
January 22, 2024
Debate Tournament Saturday!
Our next middle school debate tournament is this Saturday at IS 220 in Brooklyn! We will meet at MS 50 at 7:00AM to take busses to the tournament. We will return to MS 50 around 4:30PM.
Want to help our team succeed? We are looking for adults willing to volunteer as judges for the day. You will judge up to two rounds and receive a catered breakfast and lunch. You will only judge students from other schools but you will be able to watch the awards ceremony with our team in the afternoon! If you are interested, please complete the interest form at ms50.org/judge.
In this Issue:
- Spring ELT Sign-Ups
- Spring Sports Meetings and Tryouts
- Saturday School Begins Next Week
- Classroom Spotlight: ELA
- Senior Dues and Rings
- Student Government Penny Drive
- PTA Updates
- Upcoming Events
- i-Ready Homework Reminder
Online Registration for Spring 2024 ELTs is now OPEN! You only need to complete the form if you want to add, drop, or change your ELTs from the fall. If you do not complete the form you will stay in the same ELT clubs that you are in now. To view all our courses including some new options for the Spring and to sign up, please go to ms50.org/elt.
Any student who is interested in playing a sport this spring MUST ATTEND the informational meeting. Here are the sports and the meeting day and times for each:
- SOFTBALL - Wednesday, January 31: 2:45-3PM in the Gym
- BASEBALL - Thursday February 1: 2:45-3PM in the Gym
- VOLLEYBALL - Friday February 2: 2:45-3PM in the Gym
Tryout dates, expectations for the team and all other information about each team will be discussed at the meetings. IF YOU CAN"T MAKE THE MEETING, YOU MUST CONTACT MR. MOLFETTA If you or your student have any questions regarding the spring sports teams, please reach out to Mr. Molfetta via email or Jupiter.
Looking forward to a great spring season!
We are excited to invite all our students to MS 50 ELA/Math/ENL Saturday School. We have prepared small group, intensive ELA, Math and ENL practice in preparation for the New York State Common Core exam. Saturday School will be held from 9:00AM– 12:30PM on the following Saturdays:
- February 3, 10
- March 2, 9, 16, 23
- April 6, 13
Your child will work with MS 50 teachers who will supplement our current ELA and Math curriculum with targeted skill practice. All students will receive a metro card, pizza and snacks. Please complete the permission slip on Operoo to register your student.
6th Grade ELA- Finding Courage
In this unit, students will read and consider works about people who develop the courage to face their own fears. We will examine several ways that fear affects us, as well as how people overcome a variety of fears. The texts we will read center on the Essential Question “How do you find courage in the face of fear?” This open-ended question is intended to spark thoughtful discussion. You may wish to explore this question with your student at home as well.
Unit 3 includes the following texts.
· from The Breadwinner: In this novel excerpt, the survival of a family in Afghanistan depends upon the courage of Parvana, an 11-year-old girl. Students will analyze character and plot, as well as character and setting in historical fiction.
· Fears and Phobias: In this informational text, the author examines the causes of fears and phobias and explains the differences, noting ways to overcome common phobias. Students will analyze the structure of the text and identify text features. Students will also learn how to cite evidence.
· The Ravine: The characters in award-winning author Graham Salisbury’s short story face choices that test their friendships, honesty, and courage. Students will learn how to analyze character and make inferences about a story and its characters.
· from The Wright Brothers: How They Invented the Airplane: In this excerpt from his biography about the Wright Brothers, award-winning author Russell Freedman examines how the Wrights were able to overcome their own fears of failure as they worked to build their glider. Students will learn how to analyze the structure of informational texts and will determine the text’s key ideas.
7th Grade ELA- The Terror and Wonder of Space
Students will explore fictional and nonfictional works on space travel and consider both the challenges and inspiration that space provides us. The texts we will read center on the Essential Question “Is space exploration a daring adventure or dangerous risk?” This open-ended question is intended to spark thoughtful discussion. You may wish to explore this question with your student at home as well.
Unit 3 includes the following texts.
· Dark They Were, and Golden-Eyed: This science fiction story by award-winning author Ray Bradbury describes the challenges the Bittering family faces as they adjust to their new life on Mars. Students will learn how to analyze science fiction as well as the mood writers create in their works.
· Martian Metropolis: In this piece of science writing, astronomy instructor Meg Thacher posits what life would be like if humans tried to live on Mars. Students will learn how to analyze central ideas in an informational text and how to analyze a text’s structure.
· Challenges for Space Exploration: Award-winning science fiction author Ann Leckle outlines the challenges human face when they leave Earth and ponders if going to space is worth the risk. Students will learn how to analyze an author’s purpose and how to analyze the rhetorical device of repetition.
8th Grade ELA- The Fight to be Seen
In this unit, we will explore texts that deal with both real people and fictional characters that are facing challenges related to self expression and censorship. The texts we will read center on the Essential Question “What will people risk to be free?” This open-ended question is intended to spark thoughtful discussion. You may wish to explore this question with your student at home as well.
Our students will engage in a project based layered curriculum that allows them to demonstrate their thinking and understanding of the following themes.
- Book Banning
- Impact of censorship
- AI bias
- Value being seen/having a voice,
- What have people had to do to be seen and have an impact?
MS 50 will be hosting a Penny Drive Grade Level Competition for National Poverty Awareness Month from January 22 through February 2, 2024. The money that is raised will be donated to the local First Spanish Presbyterian Church in Williamsburg who serves asylum seekers and people that are homeless. The Penny Drive will be a fundraiser competition between grade levels. Students and staff can put money in the containers in the front lobby during breakfast, during lunch, or after school before ELT. See the file below for more information!
January PTA Meeting Summary
At our January PTA meeting, we took a tour of the rooftop space where we are excited to launch a partnership with City Growers to install a beehive to help ensure a spot for pollinators on the Southside which will also be an educational tool for our students. We began to dream of ways to utilize our rooftop space through fundraising for a green roof and other initiatives. We also finalized plans to apply for 501(c)3 statues which we hope to do in the coming weeks. Our next meeting will be Thursday, February 1st at 6:00PM.
Fundraising Committee and Events
The fundraising committee has formed and is prepared to launch several initiatives this winter and spring! If you'd like to volunteer to join the committee or be included on a list to be notified of upcoming fundraising opportunities, please email our Parent Coordinator, Edda Figueroa!
One of our goals this year is for every student at MS 50 to complete 30 minutes of i-Ready ELA lessons and 30 minutes of i-Ready math lessons as part of their homework every week. Teachers will check the previous week’s work every Monday. Students can use their @nycstudents account to log into i-Ready by visiting clever.com.
If logging in on an iPad, you must first download and login to the Clever app. You can then launch i-Ready from Clever and students will be logged in. Download this information sheet for more detailed instructions.