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Sixth grade orientation set for Sept.
1
The transition from elementary to Middle school is a big step.
The teachers and staff want to make that move easier. Incoming
sixth graders and their parents are encouraged to attend 6th
Grade Orientation on Wednesday, Sept. 1 at 7 p.m. The evening
will help answer any questions you may have covering everything
from classes to school lockers. Please contact Joanne Heiser in
Middle School at 673-6320 with any questions.
 Unwind,
compete, and put the "T" in team
The annual Middle School Field Day is an end of
the year rite. Sure they're fun, but they are more. Broken into
teams (each team has a designated color), students compete—not
against other teams, but against themselves. (full
story and two pages of photos)
Junior Honor Society inducts 37
The Canajoharie Chapter of the National Junior Honor Society
inducted 37 new members at it's spring induction ceremony on
Wednesday, May 12. Current members and officers welcomed the
crowd of families and friends. Through the course of the evening
they explained what it means to belong to NJHS. (full
story and photos)
 Student
and artist collaborate to create mosaic A new
mosaic now adorns the wall outside the Middle School office
thanks to students in Michelle Egelston's art class. The
nine-foot by nine-foot masterpiece is the collaboration of
students, Mrs. Egelston, and resident artist Joshua Winer.
Winer, a Boston-area resident, carefully guided the young
artists as they cut, mortared, and grouted tiles. Students moved
in and out of the classroom helping whenever they had time
available. Winer worked a steady eight hours each day. In less
than two weeks, the mosaic was complete and school custodians
mounted it securely to the wall. (full
story and photos) School earns prizes under "Tools for Schools"
Thanks to everyone who supported our school
through Price Chopper's "Tools for Schools" program. Our 126,033
total tape value points placed us as one of the top 100 schools
and earned us a Shredmaster shredder. In addition, we redeemed
those points through the award catalog to get:
Seventh grade to Bassett
The seventh grade traveled to Bassett
Healthcare in Cooperstown for the annual "Cardiac Up Close" field
trip on Thursday, Mar. 4. Students learned about cardiac
medicine and what they can do to take better care of their
hearts.Recycling can pay off for school
Believe it or not, your garbage could mean
serious cash for our school. The PTA earns 2¢ for
recycling the following packaging:
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Capri-Sun pouches
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Frito Lay chip bags
(Lays potato chips, Fritos, Doritos, Cheetos)
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Mars candy bar
wrappers (Skittles, M&Ms, Starburst, Twix, Snickers)
-
Nabisco cookie wrappers (Oreo, Chips Ahoy)
Just send us your empty wrappers and help out
the environment! Learn more by checking out
www.terracycle.net or contact Mrs. Eckler at the Middle
School.
Are school fundraisers really worth it?
We remind parents to help out by saving box
tops, labels and to shop at Price Chopper. So it's not
surprising that people would ask if all that cutting and saving
is worth the effort. Does the school really benefit? The PTA
will tell you, "Absolutely!"
As of December 3, 2009, the Canajoharie Central
School supporters had recorded
$73,091.23 in sales at Price Chopper! Your purchases will enable
us to get some great stuff from the Price Chopper prize catalog.
Money raised from our many fundraisers is used to fund field
trips, classroom projects and other educational opportunities
that aren't included in the general school budget. Without your
help, many of the extras that make our children's schooling a
special experience could never take place. (Learn more about each of
our fundraisers)
Thank you to everyone who takes the time to
support our fundraising efforts. You make a difference.
Clarifying the question of medication in school
Over the course of the year, a student's physician
may feel that a student may require medication during the school
day. But, an antibiotic shared with an allergic friend or a
painkiller given to another who has an existing medical condition
could be disastrous. To ensure the safety of all students, the
district has specific rules for medicine in school. (read
the specific rules)
 Middle
school pitches in for Rett syndrome research
National Junior Honor Society raised over $175 for the
International Rett Syndrome Foundation (IRSF). In honor of the
event, students and staff wore purple, the IRSF symbolic color.
Students contributed one dollar and received a small piece of
candy in thanks. NJHS also sold purple and chocolate lollipops. The school donated the proceeds in honor of
classmate Courtney Monk who has Retts. As a thank
you, Courtney and her family have donated a copy of the "Retts
Syndrome Handbook" to the Canajoharie school library. This book
will travel with Courtney to the high school library as a
resource for teachers. Rett
Syndrome is a genetic, developmental disorder that attacks
almost exclusively girls. Girls born with Rett develop normally
for the first six months and then their motor skills stagnate
and later regress. At this point there is no cure.
Moving Up 2009
The Middle School said goodbye and good luck to the Class of
2013 during Moving Up ceremonies on Wednesday, June 24 in the
Arkell Performing Arts Center. The annual celebration recognizes
each middle school class as it progresses along in its
education. (full
story and photos)
We're off to see the wizard!
The Middle School Drama Club culminated their
year with a presentation of an adaptation of “The Wizard of Oz”
written by L. Frank Baum and adapted by Lynne S. Schwartz. The
play was performed for students in grades 4-8 and for the
parents. (full
story and photos)
 Trahan honored in Elks
Americanism Essay Contest
The Canajoharie/Fort Plain Elks Lodge 2621
announced that Gordon Trahan is the regional third place winner
for grades 5-6 in the BPOE's annual
Americanism Essay Contest. He will read his essay during a
patriotic service in Rome, NY.
Lodge 2621 Americanism Chairman Thomas Yager visited Canajoharie Middle School to honor the winner
in a special ceremony with the sixth grade. (Read
Gordon's essay)
 Undersea mural now adorns Nellis
Visitors to the renovated Nellis Memorial have
more than a new pool area to marvel. The hallways and the
stairways leading the pool are now a tapestry of colorful
underwater life thanks to the students and the art departments
of the middle school and high school. (full
story and photos)
 Sixth
grade survives the Bubonic Plague
Guest speaker Jeff Bennett dropped in on May 20
to share a bit about the infamous Black Death (or Bubonic
Plague). It was all part of the class' study of the Middle Ages.
The Bubonic Plague is a bacteria that enters the body through
the skin and attacks the lymph system. The outbreak in the 14th
Century killed roughly 25 percent of the all Europeans.
Lest you think that the lessons were all dark
and dreary, the presentation was followed by the Medieval Feast.
 Raising
money for Angelman Syndrome
Middle School students demonstrated some of that
CHIPS (Character Helps Improve Personal Success) character as
they held a fundraiser for Angelman Syndrome. The school took up
the cause in support of Catherine Thomas, a child who lives in
our community. Catherine's sister Faith, a sixth grade student
and the National Junior Honor Society teamed up to organize the
event.
Angelman Syndrome (AS) is a neuro-genetic
disorder that occurs in 1 in 15,000 live births. AS is often
misdiagnosed as cerebral palsy or autism. Characteristics of AS
include; developmental delay, lack of speech, seizures, and
walking and balance disorders. Individuals with Angelman
Syndrome will require life-long care.
The students collected donations at school and
sold pencils and bookmarks. They were able to raise around $500
in support of AS research.
 It's
time to rock! The Class of 2013 celebrated a
living history lesson at the annual 8th Grade Sock Hop. The
cafeteria was filled with 50s greasers in leather jackets and
girls in poodle skirts and 60s flower children. Music ranged
from Bill Haley and the Comets to the Beatles. (photos)
Extra! Extra!
Sixth grade publishes Middle School News
It's hot off the press. Get the latest school-wide news from the
student perspective in
this month's edition (presented as a PDF file).
 Earth
Day Clean-up—Yuck!
Thanks to the efforts of 25 middle school students, our school
grounds look much neater. Members of CHIPS and National Junior
Honor Society spent a part of their Earth Day 2009 tackling a
disgusting job—they picked up trash around areas of the East
Hill campus. (full
story)
Trahan tops in wrestling tourny
On Saturday, April 18, 6th grader Gordon Trahan finished in
first in his division at the Journeymen Youth Wrestling
Tournament held at
Columbia High School in East Greenbush.
Second quarter academic honors
View the full list of 6th-8th grade Principal's List and Honor
Roll.
 Middle
School launches SADD chapter
Middle school counselor Sherri Buteau and
sixth-grade teacher Emily Cheney share a common passion—keeping
our children safe. Together, they took a major step in that
effort by starting a Canajoharie Middle School chapter of
Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) this January. (full
story)
Dias captures Middle School Spelling Bee crown
It came down to the word, "poi." Poi—a Polynesian staple
food made from taro tubers. (full
story and photos)
 Galileo
visits Middle School
Why read about Galileo when you can speak with him in person?
Our sixth graders did just that on Thursday, January 28 in the
Middle School Gathering Space
Galileo, the famed inventor, mathematician, author, professor,
astronomer and philosopher, spent time with each sixth grade
class detailing his life and sharing some of his greatest
discoveries. (full
story and photos)
 Reliving
Colonial America
The seventh grade sampled life in Colonial
America in late January as part of their studies in American
history. On Thursday, January 29, they traveled to Canajoharie's
Fort Rensselaer for lunch, colonial dancing, and a special visit
from Benjamin Franklin. (full
story and photos)
 Modified
girls basketball squads get a taste of college hoops
Imagine being a seventh or eighth grade girl and
having the chance to spend an afternoon with one of the state’s
premier Division III college hoop teams! That dream became a
reality on January 20 when the SUNY Cobleskill Fighting Tigers
women’s basketball team joined the Canajoharie modified girls
basketball team for an afternoon clinic in the East Hill
gymnasium. (full
story and photos)
 Middle
school pitches in for Rett syndrome research
National Junior Honor Society and the middle
school's CHIPS program teamed up to raise over $240 for the
International Rett Syndrome Foundation (IRSF). In honor of the
event, students and staff wore purple, the IRSF symbolic color.
Students contributed one dollar and received a small piece of
candy in thanks. The school donated the proceeds in honor of
classmate Courtney Monk who has Retts. (more
photos) Visit our Goldsworthy Gallery
Naturalist and artist Andy Goldsworthy walks
into nature, rolls up his sleeves and creates unique works that
reflect the beauty and temporary nature of the world. Using his
hands, teeth, and found tools, he turns leaves, flowers, twigs,
stones, flowers, and even icicles into works of art.
Mrs. Egelston's art classes took a stroll on school grounds to
try their hands at natural art. Using the objects they found,
they created their own "Goldsworthys." (view
the gallery)
 Celebrating
spirit week with Silly hats
The 6th grade showed it has school spirit on
November 1st with an annual tradition—Silly Hats Day! Some
students decorated hats and others created their own. Buck
Anderson turned paper tubes into a set of football goalposts. (more
photos)
 Fish
in the classroom?
That’s right, there are brook trout growing in
four classrooms! It is all part of “Trout in the Classroom” a
special program sponsored by
Trout Unlimited that strengthens
students’ understanding of biology, math, English, and wildlife
management. (full
story and photos)
 Sixth
grade published poets
Faith Thomas, Mackenzie Stock, and Jacqueline
Reinhart have learned that poems they wrote in fifth grade will
be included in "Nature to Me," a Federated Garden Clubs of New
York anthology of poetry. The 21st edition of the anthology
includes 356 poems with citations and 55 poems with publication
honors. (read
poems)
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