December 31, 2012

As we move into 2013…

Good afternoon!  I want to wish all of you an early Happy New Year!  I hope everyone will get an opportunity to spend tonight with loved ones.

We are all looking forward to getting back in the building and on with our learning.  There is a lot planned for the new year.  We cannot wait to get started again.

Parents, I want to encourage you to get your student back into “school” mode.  Start enforcing that earlier bed-time again.  Encourage them to check their Power School Student Portal to get back on track with their academic progress thus far.  Have them do some reading (20 – 30 minutes daily) to get their brains moving again.  Make sure that they did not have any assignments to complete over break.  See if there is anything that they can “get ahead” on.  Anything that you can do to get them back in school mode would help them.

I want to encourage and challenge parents to stay involved in their children’s education.  Ask your child daily what they did in school.  Do not just limit it to that either:

  • What did you learn in Science today?
  • What time period / continent are you learning about in Social Studies?
  • What did you do in Audio / Video Communications?
  • How was PE today?

Be specific with your questions.  Engage them so that they cannot just answer with a “okay”, “it was fun”, “nothing much”, etc.  Your interest is so important to their development.  Keep in touch with our teachers.  Let them know that you are there to support your child and that you want to know what is happening in school.  Keep in touch with Moran’s administration to let us know what is going on.  Mrs. Foss and I want to hear your thoughts on what is great about Moran.  We need your feedback in order to continue to grow and to be able to provide your children with the best education that we can offer.

In the end know that Moran’s staff is here to support your child in their educational journey. We wish you a happy new year and are looking forward to having everyone walking the halls again!

December 20, 2012

Hello James H. Moran Middle School Parents, Students, & Staff!!!

Parents, Students, & Staff:

Welcome to the brand new blog from Principal Piacentini.  This is just one of many ways that we are trying to keep an open line of communication between the schools and families at home.  I hope you find the contents useful and informative.

The past five seven days have been very difficult for all of us.  The tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School was emotional for everyone.  How could something so devastating happen so close to us?  If you were like me, you went home and gave your loved ones an extra long hug.  The first question on everyone’s mind is safety.  Are my children safe at school?  I want to assure you that we take safety very seriously here at Moran Middle School.  Administration has reiterated that from the start of our tenure here.  We do everything in our power to make sure that we maintain a safe and supportive learning environment.

As we say goodbye to 2012 at Moran Middle School, I am reminded of all of the great things that have gone on in my last four months here.  Below is a list of just a few:

  • Boy’s & Girl’s Cross Country runners disappearing onto the trail and emerging with a smile!
  • 6th, 7th, & 8th grade chorus, band and orchestra students in their black & white outfits forming a long line to our stage.  Their smiling faces beaming as they sang and played to a sold out auditorium!
  • The boy’s and girl’s basketball teams starting out their seasons with convincing victories.
  • Our physical education students taking their physical fitness tests to the rhythmic counting of the robotic voice.
  • Mr. Bogush’s Social Studies students created RSA style videos using a whiteboard, a video camera, and the hallway floor.
  • Team 7 Super Novas telling scary stories by the fire on Moran’s outdoor basketball courts.
  • Crowds of students talking to our visitors from China.  Seeing Moran students and Linyi students working on a project together in music and English class.
  • Watching Mr. Schweighoffer’s ‘Fireside Chats’ on YouTube!

These are just a small sampling of the many exciting things that are happening here at Moran Middle School.  I want to thank parents, staff, and students for making my first four months here absolutely warm and welcoming.  I am looking forward to spending many great years here at Moran.  Have a great eight school days off.  See you all next year (or Jan. 3, 2013).