Summer reading assignments for incoming middle schoolers — To bridge the learning gap over the summer months, Draper Middle School has required reading assignments for incoming middle school students (grades 6-8). Find out more about the Grade 6 Reading Assignment, Grade 7 Reading Assignment, Grade 8 Reading Assignment and the Grade 9 Reading Assignment, and Grade 9 Honors Letter to Parents (PDF document) & Grade 9 Honors Reading Assignment (PDF document) for students entering the high school in the fall.

Draper named "high performing/gap closing" school for second year in a row — The New York State Education Department recently recognized Draper Middle School as one of the state's "high performing/gap closing" schools for the second year in a row. This means that Draper met all applicable state standards for English Language Arts (ELA) during the 2005-06 and 2006-07 school years and also made Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). "This has been an initiative of the ELA department as well as the entire Draper staff," said Principal Debra Male. "The students worked hard toward the goal of improving performance. We issued them a group challenge, as well as a personal challenge. That is synergy!" Read more.

Students visit Museum of Natural History — Sixth grade teachers from the 6-1, 6-3, and 6-4 teams organized a trip to the American Museum of Natural History on May 30. Students and parents were able to view galleries full of information right from the sixth grade curriculum. Some of these included, gems & minerals, earth & space, and ancient people. Everyone also had the chance to view an IMAX theater presentation. Students Cassia Cira and Michaela Miller said, "I wish this trip would never end."

Third Quarter Honor Rolls — The middle school's third quarter Grade 6 Honor Roll, Grade 6 High Honor Roll, Grade 7 Honor Roll, Grade 7 High Honor Roll, Grade 8 Honor Roll and Grade 8 High Honor Roll lists are posted. Congratulations to all those students who achieved honor roll status and good luck to all students on an even better fourth quarter!


Sixth graders took a trip to Herkimer Diamond Mines — On May 16, the Orange Team sixth grade students took a trip to the Herkimer Diamond Mines. Students got the chance to mine rare quartz crystals on their own—and they could keep what they found! Many students walked away with great samples worth lots of money and of great scientific value.


5th annual Medieval Day Celebration on May 9 — On Friday, May 9, sixth grade teachers organized the fifth annual Medieval Day Celebration. Students participated in activities such as Medieval games, tapestry-making, knighting ceremonies, and Medieval food-tasting. Local musicians entertained students with medieval music and reenactors demonstrated Medieval fighting techniques. Students also watched a trebuchet demonstration and participated in a costume contest.


Holocaust survivor visits with eighth graders — On May 13, Holocaust survivor Ivan Vamos talked to eighth grade students in the high school LGI. Vamos was born in Hungary, and came over to the United States, specifically to New York City, in 1948. Eighth grade students finished reading "The Diary of Anne Frank" and are currently working on research papers about the Holocaust and World War II. Vamos is part of the Holocaust Survivors and Friends Education Center located in Latham.


Mandatory immunization requirements for incoming sixth-graders — All incoming sixth-grade students born after January 1, 1994 need to show proof of a Tdap booster immunization. The Tdap immunization is a combination of diphtheria, tetanus and Pertussis vaccine. New York State Law mandates that all students entering sixth-grade must have received the Tdap vaccine. This booster immunization must have been given after September 1, 2006 in order for it to be valid. We want to make sure that incoming sixth-graders have enough time before the start of the 2008 school year to get this mandatory immunization. Find out more.


Draper students and teachers Walk@Lunch on April 30 — Draper students and teachers braved the brisk weather as they went on a walk together during National Walk@Lunch Day on April 30. "We wanted to 'walk the talk' at Draper. Childhood obesity is the number one national issue for young adolescents," said Draper Middle School Assistant Principal Rosemary Soltis. "We need to model and encourage our young people to stay active and use physical activity, something as basic as walking, as a way to improve their overall health and to stay fit. Daily walking reduces some lifelong risks for heart disease, high blood pressure and overall weight gain. Not to mention, it's free and it's fun."



Draper's landscaping vision — You may have noticed that Draper has taken on a new look this spring. In preparation for the upcoming roofing and other renovations this summer, the school has taken down overgrown trees and shrubbery. While the facade may look barren at the present time, Draper is anticipating enhancing the front walkway and the interior library courtyard with new greenery and flowers. School groups such as Student Council and the environmental club, “Go For the Green,” are looking to plant, to renew what had been overgrown and in some cases, diseased. Be assured that Draper Middle School is looking to enhance its look, as well as to protect its natural environment in their landscaping vision.

Find out how to go on a Western Mediterranean Cruise, July 2-July 12, 2009 — Relax on a cruise ship. Soak up sun and ocean air. Dock at incredible ports of call including: Marseilles, France; Barcelona and Malaga, Spain; Milan and Genoa, Italy; the Spanish Islands of Ibiza and Mallorca; Straits of Gibraltor; and Tangiers, Morocco. Fees cover round trip air travel, accommodations, meals and museum entrance fees. Students, families and staff who are interested in going on this district-approved trip from July 2, 2009 to July 12, 2009 are encouraged to find out the details at www.myexplorica.com. Receive a $75 discount for signing up before April 30, 2008. For questions and the voucher code, contact Patrick Keegan at Mohonasen High School in room 9.

The changing adolescent brain: The key to understanding your child's behavior — Parents look at adolescents and adolescents look at parents, each asking the same question, “Who is this alien living in my house?” Behaviors and relationships that once made sense are suddenly beyond comprehension. So, what’s changing? The adolescent brain.

Scientists have discovered that the outward physiological changes taking place in that young student are also occurring in his or her brain. Understanding and learning to cope with these changes are keys to maintaining a healthy parent-child relationship. Read more at the Parent Spot.

Drivers need to STOP for pedestrians — People driving on campus, and anywhere for that matter, need to stop and yield to pedestrians in a crosswalk. There are "pedestrian crossing" signs and painted pavement located at all of the schools. With snow banks and low light conditions during the winter, it is even more important for drivers to be aware of students who are walking. Find out more at the School Resource Officers' page. 

Attention parents and students: Drop-off procedures need to be enforced for safety — Throughout the school year, and especially during the winter weather, parents and students are asked to follow the safety drop-off procedures put in place at Draper Middle School. After 7 a.m., cars are not allowed to pull up to the sidewalk in front of the school. Students should be dropped off at the crosswalk area in the faculty parking lot. Also, cars should not be parked in the diagonal area where the buses park. Additionally, students should not be walking in between buses or crossing in high traffic areas. These procedures are put in place to ensure both the safety of our students and parents. We appreciate your cooperation.

Mohonasen launches new communication tool: Sign up today! — Mohonasen is pleased to announce the launch of the new "School News Notifier" (SNN), a system designed to help keep parents and the community more in touch with what is happening at Mohonasen Central Schools.  SNN is an opt-in e-mail alert system for which parents and residents can sign up to receive e-mail alerts from the district. With SNN, district officials have the power to send updates and reminders about district activities or information about emergency school closings and delays. Users can choose to receive any or all of the alerts, and they can unsubscribe at any time. **Your e-mail address will be kept confidential.** Visit the SNN FAQ & Help page for information on how to sign up and log in, what notifications are available, how to subscribe and unsubscribe from notifications and much more. Continue to the School News Notifier home page to sign up for SNN!

Prevention efforts continue in wake of MRSA staph infection cases in our schools — Like most districts around the country, Mohonasen has been taking steps to prevent the spread of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus or MRSA. The district has had three reported incidents of MRSA in students — one case each at Pinewood Intermediate School, Draper Middle School and Mohonasen High School. District officials are working closely with the Schenectady County Health Department to minimize the spread of this antibiotic-resistant bacteria and promote good hygiene practices among students and staff. Health officials say that regularly washing hands with soap and water is the BEST way to prevent the spread of MRSA. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has compiled a list of common questions and answers about MRSA in schools. Additional information about MRSA and what Mohonasen is doing to prevent its spread can be found here.

PTSO looking for new members to support activities that benefit Mohonasen students: Check out their new Web site — The officers of the Mohonasen PTSO would like to extend an invitation to all parents and teachers to join the organization. Additionally, the Mohonasen PTSO has a new look — check out their new PTSO Web site! The PTSO sponsors numerous events throughout the school year for our middle and high school students, including teen towns, afterglows, award ceremonies, 8th Grade Career Day and dance, and the annual senior breakfast. PTSO also coordinates fund raisers, such as the faculty basketball game in November and holiday gift wrapping in December.

2007-08 district calendar is available online — The full version of the 2007-08 district calendar is available online! Please note that the PDF document might take a little while to download.

Wondering what day it is? — Draper Middle School's A-B-C-D day calendar can now be accessed online! (PDF document)

"Success is Required" of students at Draper — Students at the middle school are learning that they are being held to higher standards. Principal Debra Male states it simply. "If you are a student at Draper, we expect you to succeed." Learn more about this initiative here. Download the 2007-08 Success is Required Parent-Student Info Guide. (PDF document)

Extracurricular activities at the middle school — Join a club and get involved! Look here for a list of student clubs and activities at Draper Middle School for 2007-08.

Find out how to go on a summer trip to France and Spain! — Students, families and staff who are interested in going to a district-approved trip to France and Spain June 30, 2008 to July 10, 2008 are encouraged to find out the details at www.myexplorica.com. Type in the ID number "Keegan-2363" in the Enrollment Area. For questions, contact Patrick Keegan at Mohonasen High School in room 9. The price will go up on December 1, so check it out now!

Mohonasen census: New children in district — The Mohonasen Central School District is taking a census of all school district residents who have children under age 5 in order to plan for future student enrollment in our schools. Please take the time to fill out and send in the district census as soon as possible to Bradt Primary School, 2719 Hamburg Street, Attention: Alma DiCocco. Thank you for your assistance.

Attendance matters at Draper Middle School — As eighth-graders, students must take a series of important state tests that measure their abilities in English/language arts, math, science and social studies. Students who come to school each day and work hard at their studies fare better on these tests - showing they have the foundation necessary to do well in high school where the stakes are even higher. There are several things families can do to ensure kids are in school and learning. Read more here.

Looking for a particular TEACHER Web page? 
All of our Draper teacher pages are now one click off the Draper home page. You can click on the "teacher pages" logo on the top left of the school home page or go there now.
 

Get help preparing for the NYS grade eight exams at the INTERMEDIATE TEST PREP CENTER — Significant numbers of students at Draper Middle School are still falling short on the state's eighth-grade exams in math and English language arts. THIS WEB SITE CAN HELP IMPROVE TEST PERFORMANCE. It is designed to help students gain more information, shore up skills and prepare for success on state tests in math, science, English language arts and social studies. DON'T WAIT UNTIL YOU ARE IN EIGHTH GRADE TO EXPLORE IT THOUGH because there is information for grades 5-8 inside. Each subject area provides lessons, practice activities, parent tips, teacher resources and occasional literature tie-ins. Struggling with a particular topic such as adding or multiplying with decimals? Search for that topic and you'll find online lessons and practice activities to help students improve in their class work — not just the grade eight exams! Visit it today.
n (PSSST: Accelerated 8th-graders taking Regents math or science classes should check out the Regents Exam Prep Center for practice exams, study tips, interactive games geared around the Math A exam and more.)

The history of Mohonasen — A fascinating and informative look back on some of the rich history of our school district. These history pages were developed by students in Draper Middle School's Generation Y Club. A fun and informative site with great pictures you won't want to miss! Check it out here.

A-B-C-D Day Calendar

HOMEWORK HELPER

COMPUTER GAMES
TO CHALLENGE
YOUR BRAIN!