ALMS Weekly Newsletter

Dear ALMS Families,

Thank you for joining us this week! As the weather finally starts to turn warmer, we look forward to all the great things going on at ALMS.

This week, we had a Siwanoy 7th grade trip to the maritime aquarium, the 2024 Staff vs. Student Volleyball Game, some lunchtime activities courtesy of Ms. Loaiza for CODA week, a fantastic art project from Ms. Del Guercio's class, an author visit from Kent Washington, a local basketball legend, and finally, some tremendous work done by our Media Club!

We would also like to highlight some of our extracurricular activities from this past week, including the Open House and Wellbotics after-school club!

Please see below for all the pictures, videos, and more!

Next week, the school will be in session from Monday, the 22nd, through Wednesday, the 24th, for Passover break! Have a safe and restful break, and we will see you all back at ALMS on Thursday, the 25th!

Warm regards,

Dr. Edwards-Thomas

Principal, ALMS

• April 1st-April 30th - Autism Awareness Month
• April 22nd-24th - Passover Break - NO SCHOOL
• April 25th - PTA Meeting (Budget Meeting)
• April 30th - NYS ELA Assessment Day 1
• May 1st - NYS ELA Assessment Day 2
• May 2nd - NYS ELA Assessment Makeup Day
  

The 7th grade Siwanoy Cluster visited Maritime Aquarium this week to celebrate and recognize conservation of our oceans. Students filled out scavenger hunts, watched educational 4D videos about Octopuses, as well as see multiple marine animals in their respective habitats! A Huge thank you to the teachers, and staff involved in bringing this experience to our students!

This year we saw a riveting three games between our student volleyball champions and teachers! The students took the first game, and the teachers won the second. The final game saw the teachers ahead until an "over the net violation" wipe out all their points, meaning the students won a tense third game to take the series!

A big thank you to our physical education department for organizing the student tournament and game, as well as Ms. Bryant for hosting once again! We thank everyone for their diligence, enthusiasm and time to make our 8th grade students have a great last few weeks at ALMS!

The open house featured many opportunities for families to learn about ALMS. We are very proud of our student presenters and all they had to share! Thank you Norah, Harper, Amaya, Madilyn, and David! Special thank you to the ALMS Sparks and Student Council for their help with group tours.

This week at ALMS we recognized CODA week. CODA stands for Co-Occurring Disorder Awareness. It is when a person has the combination of one or more mental health challenges and alcohol or other substance misuse. Believe it or not over 20 million people have a Co-Occuring Disorder! The Harris Project started this initiative as a way of bringing awareness to how often mental health and substance misuse go hand in hand and the need for proper treatment for both.

Students in different classrooms and in the lunch room learned about the meaning behind the 2 star logo. The two stars remind others about the importance of human connection and reaching out for support. Thank you to Ms.Oliver, Ms.Minecola, Mr.Marshall, Ms.Dippolito, Mr.Dwyer, Ms.Cordaro, Ms.Wendling and Ms.Falk for having Ms.Loaiza and the social work team join some of their classes to teach students about the meaning of CODA and the importance of self care. To learn more information about CODA and The Harris Project please check out their website at https://theharrisproject.org/

Mrs. Del Guercio's 6th grade Visual Arts students combined art with technology to create Bobble Head animations from their original drawings. The students used a technique of moving their character into successive positions to create an illusion of movement when shown as a sequence. We hope you enjoy viewing them as much as they enjoyed making them.

Our students investigated the role of variation, adaptation, competition and survival of the fittest in their " Battle of the Beaks" lab. The lab simulates how Darwin's Finches on the Galapagos Islands adapted to survive in their environments, eventually creating different species as they spread from one Island to the next. The rubber bands, toothpicks, beans, and macaroni represent different types of food. Each student selected a "beak" such as a fork, clothespin, binder clip or tweezer. The object is to see who can get the most food, thereby ensuring their genes are passed on to the next generation. Our students had a great time doing this lab!!

A huge thank you to our 8th graders Elisa Crisp and Jason Salera for participating in the Zoom podcast Interview!

Dear Parents/Guardians:

We hope all is well with you and your family. It felt like yesterday when our eighth-grade students came to us as eager sixth graders. As the start of their final marking periods of middle school approaches, we are looking ahead to the next phase of their lives.

Over the last few weeks and moving forward, we have been ramping up our efforts to prepare them for their transition to high school. This includes meeting with their counselors for course selection and a virtual orientation for families and parents that provides greater insight into life at New Rochelle High School.

The 8th-grade year culminates with a series of activities designed to celebrate the achievements of our students. These include the 8th-grade Formal Dance at the VIP Country Club, a day trip to Holiday Hill, Awards Night, and the Transition Ceremony. The dates and costs for each event are in this message. Please look for further details on each event as the dates approach.

Throughout your child’s time here, they have been held to our school's highest academic rigor and expectations. We want to remind you that basic requirements must be met to participate in any/all end-of-year eighth-grade activities. Participation in these events is contingent upon students meeting behavioral and academic standards. Please note the following:

Academic Exclusions:

● Students with failures in two or more major academic subjects will be excluded from participation in 8th Grade Activities

Behavioral Exclusions:

● Students who continually engage in violations of the code of conduct

● Students who demonstrate ongoing rude and disrespectful behavior towards adults and others

● Students who continue to be late and or attempt to cut class

If you are concerned that your child may not meet the academic and/or behavioral qualifications/expectations, please contact your school counselor. Mr. Smith, the 8th-grade Administrator, can field any inquiries about your child's eligibility for participation in upcoming events.

We look forward to the coming months and exciting times ahead. Thank you for your continued support.

Sincerely,

Dr. Edwards-Thomas, Principal

Mr. Smith, Assistant Principal

Ms. Carew and Ms. D’Ippolito, 8th Grade Co-Advisors

The City School District of New Rochelle is currently reviewing the Code of Conduct. We would like to learn what parents/guardians consider important to create a supportive environment. ThoughtExchange allows you to share your ideas and rate those that have been previously submitted. All submissions are anonymous.

El Distrito Escolar de la Ciudad de New Rochelle está revisando el Código de Conducta. Nos gustaría saber lo que los padres/guardianes consideran importante para crear un ambiente de apoyo. ThoughtExchange le permite compartir sus ideas y valorar las que ya han sido enviadas anteriormente. Todos los envíos son anónimos.

The school district renewed the tutor.com license for middle and high school students! See the attached fliers for more information!

Click to enlarge the images below!

Please see the fliers and QR codes below for more information about SEPTA!

Click to enlarge any images below!