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| DEAR MIDDLE SCHOOL FAMILIES: |
Welcome to the last middle school e-newsletter for 2009! As you prepare for winter break, please take 10 minutes to read about life in our middle school. Our students and teachers have been up to some great things, and I am pleased and proud to share their work with you - enjoy.
Kyle Armstrong
Middle School Director
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| OUR STUDENTS |
Science Expo
In mid-November, all students in grades five through eight participated in our first Middle School Science Expo. This was a tremendous opportunity for all 88 middle schoolers to experience science either through research or through the scientific method. After spending time in class working on their projects, students then presented their findings to a packed house in The McCann Center.
Fifth grade students invented new machines.  They began their inventions with sketches and by jotting down their ideas. Then, each student developed a model, a prototype, and then the real machine. Interested in buying the Coolest Car for 2010? This handy-dandy home helper can pick up and drop off objects, it has a portable TV/radio, and it can clean those dusty corners as it works around your house; brilliant! (Right, Trevor with his new sport, "Poke")
Sixth graders completed research projects on viruses and bacteria, which is a part of their sixth grade Life Science course. Did you know that the Bubonic Plaque - one of the bacteria responsible for the Black Death of the 14th century - infected three people in NYC last year? Don't worry, we are not at risk for another outbreak; with prompt antibiotics, those infected can fully recover within a week.
 Seventh- and eighth students completed experimental science projects following the scientific method. This process included selecting a problem, researching, formulating a hypothesis, writing a procedure with defined variables and controls, performing the experiment, collecting data and observations, and then evaluating and presenting the findings. (Left, Andie checks how quickly Alka-Seltzer dissolves in a variety of liquids)
One seventh grader wanted to know which brand of golf ball can travel the farthest: the Noodle, Intech, or Titleist. She used a homemade ball striker to test, and - for all you golfers out there - the Noodle traveled the farthest in her experiment. Ever wonder how long it takes for certain types of chocolate to melt? An eighth grade student measured the melting times of four different types of chocolate, and found that larger amounts of cocao increase the melting point. Milk chocolate, which has contains lots of milk and relatively little cocao, melted the fastest - a great choice for s'mores!
Overall, it was a tremendous night of science. Thanks to all who attended, and a special thanks to our science teachers Mrs. Cyndi Bardman, Mrs. Anne Stachina, and Mrs. Debbie Lindsay for their efforts in making this night happen.
The Art of Publishing
This past fall, our seventh- and eighth grade students were lucky enough to have a real live publisher, editor, author, and writing agent visit Town Meeting for two weeks in-a-row.
Mr. Jeremy Katz (whose fourth grader Simon attends Swain) spoke to our students about how important books and writing are to the world.  Mr. Katz (below, right) briefly - and energetically - shared his own writing journey, and then he talked about what you need to get a book published: a good idea, a great proposal, a committed editor, and dedicated publisher. Building on these concepts, he then challenged each student to create a book proposal to be discussed at Town Meeting the following week.
Several students took him up on this challenge, and our seventh- and eighth grade students -right there in Rogers' Commons - held their very own editorial meeting, giving constructive criticism to those who brought ideas forward. It was a fabulous exercise in ideas, conversation, and writing.
According to Mr. Katz, 214 million new blogs appear each year (since 2007). You might think a book publisher would be married to the paper and spine, yet Mr. Katz explained to our students that because of the internet, we are experiencing the democratization of the written word. More people are writing, and - in part because of e-readers - more people are reading than ever before. "Our culture comes from shared stories, and it is so cool to build ideas that cross borders (Katz)."
Who knows, maybe your newest idea will one day become the next Twilight?
Community Service
In mid-October, all fifth through eighth grade students participated in our first of two community service days.
 The fifth grade cleaned a local park (by the fire station) by raking pine needles, wiping down the playground structure, picking up garbage, etc. Despite the raw weather, the group accomplished much and the park is now in good shape for the winter; great work! (Left, Garrett hauls a big bag of pine needles and leaves)
Sixth graders spent the morning at the Allentown Health Bureau learning about local health concerns and unwrapping thousands of band aids in preparation for a flu-shot clinic. In conjunction with the kindergarten and first grades at Swain, the sixth graders delivered six large trash bags filled to the brim with coats, hats, mittens, clothes, sippy cups, and some other miscellaneous baby items.
The seventh grade visited Community Services for Children on Hanover Ave. and spent time visiting with the toddlers who attend their special Headstart program. Working with the second and third graders, seventh graders brought with them a dozen boxes of disposable diapers and three shopping bags filled with new under-garments and socks.
Finally, the eighth graders split their class with half working at the recycling center and half serving lunch at Daybreak, a facility located  on 6th and Chew for people with mental and physical disabilities. The lunch was fabulously prepared by our fourth and eighth graders in what turned out to be a remarkable sandwich making extravaganza! Split into five groups, each group was given sandwich supplies and brief instructions, and then they had to work together to produce, in total, 150 edible sandwiches; the task was completed in just under an hour!
Thanks to all families who contributed supplies to folks in need in the Allentown area - including for our recent food drive that benefited Northampton Food Bank (right, Ms. Mahone and Alyssa, Benj, Collin and Liz help box up the many donations). It is essential that our students get involved in their local community, and the involvement of our lower school students and families made this day in October one to remember.
Children's Book Writing Workshop
Under the leadership of English teachers Mrs. Kate Tompkins and Mrs. Mary Gruber, seventh  grade students spent the better part of November writing and illustrating their own children's books. Given story boards and incorporating story writing elements they learned in English, such as climax, resolution, etc., students produced beautiful hard-cover story books that they read to our preschool children.
One such book titled A Day at the Pool tells the story of a young carrot named Kerry (with human features) who - through the encouragement of her Mom and friends - learns how to swim. This wonderfully written and vibrantly illustrated story is dedicated to all young children learning how to swim. These children's books are on display in the Umansky Library; what a neat way to celebrate writing and community!
On a related note, just last Friday our fifth grade students threw their own publishing party in the library, inviting parents and teachers to share in some of the writing they recently completed.
An Afternoon with President Obama
President Obama's visit to the Lehigh Valley in early December was indeed a day to remember for the local community. It was a time for business leaders (including one Swain parent) to talk about jobs in this area, but it was also a day for spectators, families, and kids to get a rare glimpse of a president here in Allentown. One such family was the Tahos family, current "Swainers" and former owners of the Hamilton Family Restaurant where President Obama enjoyed lunch. Below are the reflections of Vicky Tahos, seventh grader here at Swain:
"On Friday the fourth of December, my family and I met the most famous person in the USA, President Barack Obama. Getting up and getting ready to meet him was the beginning of our excitement. As we got our passports and identification cards, we headed to the check point. Near the J. Birney Crum Stadium, we were met by the Allentown police as well as secret service officers. We were joined by twenty other people who were invited to come to Ham Fam to eat with the president. We tried to keep warm while waiting in the cold breeze. We were about a half a mile away from the restaurant, and as soon as we were cleared we walked to the restaurant.
As we came up in line the secret service officer asked for our names, and he checked his list. When he figured out who we were, they let us through the first check point. As we walked toward the restaurant, I started getting more and more excited and nervous to meet him. There were officers in the park with their dogs keeping watch. Before we could enter the restaurant, we went through another check point. Then an officer checked us with his wand, and asked that we leave cell phones and cameras with him.
Going in and walking to our table, I thought we were not going to be able to see the president at all because we were all the way in the back. As I watched the secret service officers coming and going, I became very nervous. After we placed our order a White House staff member came to talk with us. We were told that President Obama would come in and come to the back where we were seated. Our area would be roped off and he would walk around to greet us. I finally understood that he would be sitting in the section I was sitting in.
Then it was announced that he was five minutes away and we became more excited. When we peeked outside through the closed window blinds, you could hear and see the sirens of the police cars and then his motorcade. When I saw the crowd outside cheering, you could tell he was finally here. All of a sudden, a huge round of applause started. The president was walking toward my way with lots of reporters and photographers, like they were paparazzi, surrounding him on every side as well as our section of tables.
When he reached us, he came around, to all the tables, and shook our hands and we greeted him. He asked our names and greeted us each by our name. It was so amazing as I realized that not only was I in the same restaurant as the president, I was also one of the few in there that got to shake his hand and sit so close to him. When he sat down, he ordered a cheeseburger and fries and started talking and listening to the CEOs and owners of local businesses. I could tell he loved his job and took it very seriously. He went around his table, he asked what each of the person's occupation was and what they thought could be improved in their business.
Because every important person is always on a tight schedule, it was time for him to leave after an hour of conversing and joking around. With all the photographers around it took him a good ten minutes to leave. He thanked all of us, stopped at the register to pay for his food (his money was not taken), and then gave the server a great tip and a hug. Tracey his server started to cry. As my family and I got up from our table, we saw about forty people rush in the restaurant even before we could leave. As we were walking back to where we started from, it was already two o'clock. Even though it was a long day, it was the best day that I have ever had and I was excited to talk to my friends about it. To know that I am old enough to remember this day for the rest of my life made it even better."
January Calendar Dates
Thursday, January 7 @ 2:15 p.m. - internet safety presentation for sixth graders
Tuesday, January 12 @ 2:15 p.m. - Geography Bee - grades 6-8 (rescheduled from Jan. 21)
Wednesday-Sunday, January 13-17 - dog sledding trip to Maine (optional, extra trip for grades
7-8; you must already be registered) Thursday, January 14 @ 2:15 p.m. - Spelling Bee - grades 6-8
Friday, January 15 @ 6:30 p.m. - Activity Night - grades 4-5
Wednesday-Friday, January 27-29 - exam period for grades 6-8
Friday, January 29 - ski trip to Bear Creek - grades 5-8 |
OUR FACULTY
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Rebecca Binder, Abby Mahone, Kristen Armstrong, Kyle Armstrong, Todd Stansbery
On November 17 in Wilkes Barre, Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel spoke to a crowd of about 1,500 people at the Kirby Center, including Ms. Binder, Ms. Mahone, Ms. Armstrong, Mr. Armstrong, and Mr. Stansbery. Sponsored by Wilkes University and the Jay S. Sidhu School of Business and Leadership, Mr. Wiesel spoke about the prospect for world peace and the power of individual choice. Mr. Wiesel - author of more than 50 books (most notably Night) and survivor of two concentration camps during WWII - is currently a humanities professor at Boston University.
Anize Appel and Karin Reger
For the second year-in-row,
Mrs. Appel (fifth grade) and Mrs. Reger (fourth grade) spent an afternoon at
Temple University teaching aspiring teachers about the Lucy Calkins writing
process. They asked students to write about important people in their
lives, and then followed up with instruction on the editing and revising
process. Mrs. Appel and Mrs. Reger also shared strategies about how to work
with reluctant writers.
Ellen Gerkens
Mrs. Gerkens, our
technology instructor, attended an ADVIS conference titled Keeping
Technology in Balance. In the ever-changing world of technology and
how to use it in schools, the presenters spoke about making sure that
technology appropriately fits with your program and place. In schools -
survey says - students have a very low anxiety when it comes to using
technology, yet the adults who work in schools tend to have relatively more
angst. Ironically, though, statistics say that adults spend more time
online than teens and, in fact, the fastest growing segment of Facebook
users are people in their 40s. Go figure. . .
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| DIRECTOR'S DESK: KYLE ARMSTRONG |
Moments in Time
Mother to Son, by Langston Hughes - recited by Mr. Leon Bass during his visit to Swain:
Well, son, I'll tell you:
Life for me ain't been no crystal stair.
It's had tacks in it,
And splinters,
And boards torn up,
And places with no carpet on the floor-
Bare.
But all the time
I'se been a-climbin' on,
And reachin' landin's,
And turnin' corners,
And sometimes goin' in the dark
Where there ain't been no light.
So, boy, don't you turn back.
Don't you set down on the steps.
'Cause you finds it's kinder hard.
Don't you fall now-
For I'se still goin', honey,
I'se still climbin',
And life for me ain't been no crystal stair.
Sometimes in life we experience moments that last forever in our hearts or souls. Recently, middle school students experienced two such moments.
On December 10, Leon Bass visited Swain and spoke to seventh- and eighth grade students, faculty, administration, and several parents and trustees. Mr. Bass - an African American who was part of the all-black 183rd battalion during WWII - served for General George Patton and fought in the Battle of the Bulge in 1944, among other activities. After the war, he came home and attended West Chester State Teachers College,  earning a degree in education (courtesy of the GI Bill) in three years. He then went on to become a teacher and administrator for 35 years, including one stint as a principal in an all white school. Since his retirement, Mr. Bass has been speaking around the world for the past 25 years, and he came to Swain as an extension of our eighth grade Facing History course, taught by Ms. Rebecca Binder.
For 90 minutes, Mr. Bass spoke to our community about his life, most notably his experiences with discrimination and his experiences in the military, including his involvement in the liberation of the Buchenwald concentration camp - an experience he says changed his life.
 Mr. Bass spoke to our students about the power of believing in yourself. As a young man, he was constantly told he wasn't good enough - he wasn't good enough to sit in the front row at the movie theater, he wasn't good enough to share a dorm room with a white student at West Chester, and he wasn't good enough to serve with white soldiers during the war. His message to our students was powerful. As the poem by Langston Hughes states, Mr. Bass urged our kids to reach high no matter what the obstacles. He has seen the face of evil many times in his life, and after the war he decided to devote his life to helping people live in peace and harmony. Below are excerpts from his presentation:
My parents raised me to love my neighbor · Nobody wins in war; everybody loses · Wear down the face of evil with your capacity to love · You need to stand up for what you believe in · You can make a difference with how you act and carry yourself · Dare to be a Daniel ·Always do your best, even though you may not reach the top · Hate just destroys you inside · We are all part of the same race, the human race
Reflecting the next day, one student wrote the following:
"I will always remember Leon Bass for his amazing speech, his personality, and his determination. He was determined to fight for his country even though they mistreated him. Reflecting on his experience in the concentration camp, he talked about how he could finally see. He wasn't stuck in his own bubble anymore. He understood that he should think about others and not only himself. He drew pictures in my mind when he spoke. He mentioned the Civil Rights Movement and Martin Luther King Jr. I understand completely now that MLK was more than just a man - he was a dreamer. Leon becoming a principal at a white school was an amazing thing. Back then there were barely any black principles. He in my mind was a big part of the Civil Rights Movement even though he wasn't well known. He changed a high school that was one of the worst schools in the United States. Leon went through more than most being an African American during that time and also going to see a concentration camp. He should be famous because of what he did."
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A week prior to Leon Bass, our eighth grade community spent an afternoon with Ms. Eva Cutler. She is a survivor of the concentration camp Bergen Belsen, and, like Mr. Bass, she has been speaking to young students about her  experiences for the past 25 years. Ms. Cutler works part-time at Muhlenberg College, and the play The Library: The Story of a Jewish Girl in Nazi Germany is based on her life experiences (last year's seventh graders saw The Library as part of Muhlenberg's Youth and Prejudice Conference, which Swain annually attends).
What a special moment it was to listen to Ms. Cutler speak about life, hope, and overcoming difficult experiences. SHe had to walk for four months with very little food and water just to get to the concentration camp. She remembers having to dig ditches for nothing and walking through the woods to nowhere as the Nazis tried to figure out what to do with her and the other people. The smell of split-pea soup coming from the officers' tent still lingers with her today; she never got to taste that soup.
Below are excerpts from Ms. Cutler's day at Swain:
Look for the sameness in people instead of the differences · You can always learn so much from different people; this will make you richer · Hope never really leaves you - if you have life you have hope · A mistake is not a mistake if you learn from it · I felt like a fly caught in a spider's web · Nobody wins in war
Ms. Cutler, originally from Hungary, just released a book titled: Sparks from the Fire: A Journey Beyond Survival.
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Learning about tolerance, acceptance, and overcoming difficult experiences are so important for our students. As a follow-up, activities about tolerance and appreciating differences were facilitated by students during a recent Town Meeting (one scene from The Library was re-enacted and then discussed). In addition, follow-up activities occurred in history, wellness, and art classes.
Celebrating moments in time is what life is about, and we have been blessed to experience two such moments over the last few weeks. Create moments with your middle schooler by reading together, attending speakers, visiting museums, traveling, having lunch with a grandparent, etc. When these moments occur, take time to appreciate and savor the people and the words that enter our lives.
A Place of My Own: the Architecture of Daydreams, by Michael Pollan - a writer reflects on the importance of place and space.
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie - a young adult book for mature audiences. A 14-year-old Native American boy is stuck between two worlds; altogether inspiring and heartbreaking.
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I hope you enjoyed this edition of "Middle School News & Notes." Have a wonderful winter break, and we will see you next year!
Sincerely,
Kyle Armstrong
Middle School Director
karmstrong@swain.org
610-433-4542 ext. 116
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