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“The Lion’s Den” Volume 1, Issue 6 Livingston’s Newsletter February/March 2007

After School African Dance ClubMs. Haig

These are pictures from the After School African Dance club perform at Montessori Elementary School for the Magnet Program. They did a great Job.

PLMA students are:

Shaquaia ParhamCeidra Johnson

Alexis OliverKaterah WallAmara Dixon

After School African Dance Club

Mr. Alan Weeks, dance teacher here at Livingston is an accomplished director and choreographer whose credits include Broadway productions, is co-directing Capital Repertory Theater’s latest effort, It Ain’t Nothin’ but the Blues. Weeks teaches dance and theater arts at Philip Livingston. The Tony-nominated It ain’t Nothin’ but the Blues runs from March 9 to April 7 at Capital Repertory Theater in downtown Albany.

Full Service Community Room

The Full Service Community Room (Counseling Center) continues to support the students at Philip Livingston Magnet Academy. We have teamed up with St. Peter's Hospice to provide bereavement & grief counseling to students who have lost a loved one. In addition, we have referral agencies who can support students/families living with a terminally ill family member. We are completing our first session (6 wk. course) and will begin a new group in April. If you have any questions, please call 462-7154, ext. 26.

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“The Orange Optimum”8th Grade

Math Mrs. Thamboo

We continue to work through evaluating equations. Our questions are all real world situations. We did several hands on activities that related to Distributive Properties, Commutative Properties and Associative Properties. We completed our first test for this quarter. In the Advanced Class, we completed angles and their properties. We completed a cumulative test that covered the first 7 seven chapters of the math book. We continue geometry with a focus on parallels and their properties. In the next few weeks our concentration will be on the upcoming State math test. Kudos to all those who came during their lunch hour to get extra help as well as coming every afternoon for tutoring in Rm 113 and Rm 103. We will begin a brand new session after the state test. Continue doing your best!

Contact information jthamboo@albany.k12.ny.us

Social StudiesMr. Linehan

We achieved a higher level of academic success on our second Interval Assessment.  Congratulations to our students!  This month we are covering how the U.S. became a world power.  Students completed numerous "4words" - graphic organizer thinking maps for the conceptual understanding of important chapter terms that include: defining the term, using the term in sentences, writing a multiple-choice question centered on the term, and creating an illustration of the term and how it pertains to the specific chapter.  The illustrations were my favorite.  Expressing the meaning of key terminology through the use of drawings evidences higher learning skills.  We'll spend a portion of the month in the Computer Lab accessing the Internet to identify 50 important African Americans in U.S. History.  The month will finish out with an overview of the causes of World War I.  Get those "4words" ready, the World War I chapter is loaded with key terms and important people.

Biology with Mr. McCarthy

In February we completed our studies of Angiosperms and started studying Human Body Systems. Your child is learning structures and functions of 11 organ systems. These systems enable us to maintain homeostasis. “Homeo – what” you may be wondering. Ask any 8th grade student and they should be able to tell you. Our studies of the Nervous, Muscular, Integumentary, Circulatory, Respiratory, Digestive, Excretory, Endocrine and Reproductive systems will be complete leaving only the Immune system for April. Biology students also have to prepare for both 8th grade written and performance assessments. Quite a few students are in jeopardy of not meeting the NYS Regents Lab requirement of 1200 satisfactory lab minutes. In late April I will be issuing a Lab Make-up schedule. This schedule will be strictly followed, as it would be very difficult to have the necessary lab materials and equipment for all the labs available at the same time. Students will have to make themselves available at designated times, after school, to perform the labs. Mr. McCarthy’s email: dmccarthy@albany.k12.ny.us

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Science Mr. McCarthy

Students have been and will continue to be very busy for the next six weeks. Recently we completed two books: Astronomy and Earth’s Waters. Science students are now almost halfway through another: Weather and Climate. As we continue our studies we are also practicing our hand-on skills in preparation for the 8th Grade Performance Exam scheduled for April 23,2007. The skills that your child will be tested on are: 1) Measuring the “Field of View” of a microscope, measuring the length of an organism under the microscope, sorting creatures based on specific characteristics, and placing the creature they viewed under the microscope with the other sorted creatures. 2) Collecting data and plotting a graph of the data. Students will also have to evaluate their graph and make predictions and answer questions based on their work. 3) Measure the volume (cm3), mass (g), and calculate the density (D=m/v) of an object. Students will also have to predict whether their object will float or sink in a liquid of known density. Students will be reviewing for the 8th grade written exam scheduled on May 2nd. Please encourage your child to seek any assistance they need in order to be more successful on the upcoming exams.

Mr. McCarthy’s email: dmccarthy@albany.k12.ny.us

English 8 Ms. Falkenhainer

This month the students in the 8th grade classes have been reading Bud, Not Buddy. We have been exploring the great depression through a 10-year-old’s eyes. The next few weeks we will be focusing in on jazz music during the 1930s. If you have any jazz music from this era please share it with your child as we will be discussing it in class!

The honors class has been reading Tangerine. This is a complex book that covers the themes of bullying, family

relationships, sibling rivalry, and murder. We are getting close to solving the mystery of what happened to Paul when he was younger!

PLMA Afterschool Programs

Please obtain information and program registration forms from Mr. Robert See, PLMA ESD Programs Site Coordinator (mailbox in main office) 462-7154 or 7155 or 7179 (PLMA

main office numbers).

Mr. McCarthy’s student’s hard at work.

Mr. McCarthy’s student’s hard at work.

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“The Rising Stars”7th Grade

Writer's WorkshopMrs. Grimm

We all know that good authors are the ones who should teach our students how to write well. So during the month of February students read excerpts from authors to show examples on developing dynamic characters, elaborate settings and interesting plots. Our project during the months of February and March is to write a piece of short fiction. At the culmination of the written project, the students will again have a celebration where their writing is displayed an we will gather together for a luncheon.

A special thank you to http://www.abcteach.com

http://www.free-clipart-pictures.netfor allowing PLMA to use their clip art for our newsletter.

Permission was given 10/20/2006. Images are copyright © 2000-2001.

All rights reserved.

Social StudiesMs. Riedy

Students were working on a Bill of Rights poster. Each class designed their own poster which was then displayed in the classroom. Students also worked on circle maps. They are currently preparing for the third interval assessment which is on March 29th.

French Mrs. Walsh

7th grade using simple future tense andpresent tense to describe sports and activities that they like to do. In addition, 7th grade learned about the famous French writer, Victor Hugo and his famous "Hunchback of Notre Dame" book, as well as the famous painter, Vincent Van Gogh. We are eagerly anticipating our trip to

Montreal in May. Reminder to parents to get the original birth certificates and non-driver's id cards in to Mrs. Walsh asap.

DanceMs. Haig

My classes the students have been learn about the origin of ballroom dance during the month of March. They learned how to do the Box Waltz and the Box Rhumba.

March 2007Principal - Mr. Tracy Ford

Vice Principal - Mr. James Thomas

The Lion’s Den is published monthly by the faculty and staff of Philip Livingston Magnet Academy. This newsletter is a collection of student learning.

Editor and DesignerMs. Susan Paultre

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Happy Pi Day

Pi is the symbol for the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter. It is approximately 22/7 and is usually calculated to 3 digits, 3.14. With the use of computers, Pi has been calculated to over 1 trillion digits past the decimal. Pi is an irrational number meaning it will continue infinitely without repeating. The symbol for pi was first used in 1737, by William Jones, but was popular after it was adopted by the Swiss mathematician Leonhard Euler in 1737. A special thank you to http://www.piday.org/ for the above information.

French ClubMrs. Walsh

The French Club field trip is scheduled for Friday, May 4th to Montreal, Canada for a day trip. We will be doing various fundraisers to earn some money to help pay for the cost of the trip.

ABC word wall Create by Ms. Paultre’s 6th grade Math students

Power Point Math ReviewMs. Paultre’s 6th grade Math students

Power Point Math ReviewMs. Paultre’s 6th grade Math students

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8th Grade

“The Golden Achievers”

8th Grade Writer’s WorkshopMr. Nizinkirck

For February, the Writer’s Workshop students continued working on the Comic Book Project. This year’s theme is, If I were a Superhero. Groups of students have constructed characters, storylines, and sketch art around this central theme. For the remainder of the month, the groups will continue building their manuscripts and begin their foregrounds, backgrounds, and final coloring. At the completion of the unit, all of participating students in the district will submit their work to be judged. The winning pieces will be showcased on the web.

English Mrs. Ballato

All students have a book report due on friday March 23,2007. Students lose 10 points off their final score for each day it's late, so please hand it in on time!

After completing our unit on the novel The Watsons Go to Birmingham -1963, gold wing students will be moving on to a unit on poetry. This will include learning about figurative language, recognizing different forms of poetry, and writing a poetry.

ScienceMs. Edinger

We are now finishing up the unit on Earth's Waters and beginning to prepare for the 8th Grade Performance Assessment. In class, we will be reviewing different laboratory procedures, such as measuring with a microscope, determining density of irregularly-shaped solids, and exploring a ramp and ball activity. Just a reminder to any students that would like to improve their grades: Students who attend NYGearUP Tutoring sessions on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday receive extra credit for the course. In addition, I am available on Mondays and Wednesdays after school, or any day during lunch, to help students who need help.

Annual Junior Achievement Job Shadow DayMs. Corbo’s Family and Consumer Science students

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Family and Consumer ScienceMs. Corbo

The Family and Consumer Science students from Ms. Corbo's class participated in the Annual Junior Achievement Job Shadow Day. The students were taken to Key Bank Operations Center in Corporate Woods to tour the center and spend time in several different work stations. Students saw the mail center, the million dollar sorting machine that sorts checks that are processed through Key Bank. Students asked questions about what skills and education were necessary to pursue a job at this operations center. Students then went to several different departments such as security, fraud, phone communications, and lost checks. Key Bank was nice enough to provide lunch and then we returned to school. The benefits of spending time in a work place offers students a real world experience that opens their eyes about the world of work.

Annual Junior Achievement Job Shadow DayMs. Corbo’s Family and Consumer Science students

Ms. Corbo’s Family and Consumer Science students

FrenchMrs. Walsh

We did French speaking countries of Africa for Black History Month and learned about Mardi Gras. 8th grade busy learning and using past tense verbs and will be doing a letter on past activities for a project grade. We are eagerly anticipating our trip to Montreal in May. Reminder to parents to get the original birth certificates and non-driver's id cards in to Mrs. Walsh asap.

PLMA Yearbook

The deadline to order a yearbook has been extended to April 2nd. The cost is $15 (cash or money order can be made out to PLMA PTA). If you would like to write a message to your child in the 2006-2007 yearbook, here is your opportunity. Your message, including names, cannot be longer than 50 words. The cost is $5.00 and must be received NO LATER THAN April 2nd. If you would like to add a picture and a message the cost is $10.00. Message and money should be given to Mrs. Antonetti or Mrs. House. Please contact Mrs. Antonetti if you have any questions at 542-4629.

Power Point Math ReviewMs. Paultre’s 6th grade Math students

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Good Citizenship Starts In SchoolBy Mr. Davis

The Purple Wing Social Studies students have recently completed an entire week of activities that focused on the rights and responsibilities of citizenship. Students examined the Constitution, and in particular, the Bill of Rights to set the stage for a discussion of their responsibilities as Americans. We learned the qualifications of citizenship, the naturalization process, and even took a real life citizenship test to see if we knew as much as newcomers to our country -- the results were interesting to say the least. We also analyzed the various democratic values required of good citizens, which include honesty, compassion, patriotism, responsibility, and courage, and concluded our study by creating a questionnaire called "Are You A Responsible Citizen"? All in all -- a very successful unit, and one that I hope will stay with our kids for a lifetime.

7th Grade

“The Purple Diplomats”

Mr. Nizinkirck

7th Grade Relationships between Music and Literature

The honors group got off to an interesting start for the second semester. They explored the ways music can affect moods and emotions through writing and artistic expression. Students were also introduced to a variety of musical styles they normally aren’t accustomed to listening to. The remainder of February will concentrate on the effect of the Blues and Jazz on art, poetry, and literature in American culture. Poets and musical artists such as: Langston Hughes, Countee Cullen, Muddy Waters, and John Lee Hooker (to name a few) will be sampled and explored. At the completion of the unit students will have gained a greater understanding of the roots that make up contemporary music. I hope everyone has a relaxing and enjoyable winter break.

Science Ms. Sherrin

Purple Wing science students are finishing up their chemistry unit. We are in the process of learning about chemical reactions and conservation of mass by experimenting using test tubes and different chemicals. The next district interval test is on March 28th for all students. Please encourage your child to study for this very important assessment. There is a very exciting opportunity available to all PLMA students this summer. The Dudley Observatory is offering a program called the Rising Star Internship. Students were encouraged to apply for this internship at the beginning of March. You may have seen the application already. The deadline for applying is April 6, 2007. The application involves a 500 word essay on the students' past and future with astronomy, what they hope to gain from the experience, and what impact astronomy can have on the community. I am offering extra credit to all applicants and assistance writing the essay. Please encourage your child to apply for this exciting opportunity which will occur this summer. Each accepted applicant will get a free telescope to keep at the end of the program. Extra copies of the application are available in the main office.

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Science with Mrs. Antonetti

In Science we recently finished our units on Atoms, Elements and Compounds and Matter. Now we are ready to start our unit on Energy.

“The Blue Knights”6th Grade

Social Studies with Mrs. Antonetti

In Social Studies this we started to learn about the Renaissance. We also continued to talk about Black History Month. Each day we read about a significant event or person that have helped shape the lives of African Americans.

SpanishMs. Geraghty

In the Library Media Center the 6th graders have embarked on a type of modern book report. After reading books of their choice they will critique them and describe how they would adapt them for the Big Screen. They will be "casting" the characters in the movie, creating a movie poster and a trailer to encourage other kids to explore the books they chose.

Math & Math Lab AdventuresMs. Paultre441-9706

Our adventure this month has been review for the NYS Mathematic Exam. We have been reviewing in many different ways. We created power point presentations on the different units we covered in class, we were dancing around for Mathematics and creating ABC word walls. Each student created a poster for test taking strategies. Currently, we are working on frequency tables and interpreting charts.

Reading and WritingMrs. House

The students in 6th grade are building on their prior knowledge by using many NUA strategies to make connections to new information. During the month of March, we are identifying, analyzing, evaluating, and understanding various forms of nonfiction genre and its many text features. We'll be reading persuasive writing pieces to understand its format, and create pieces of persuasive writing that really matters to each student. Also, we have joined in the Great American Mail Race! We send and receive letters from other sixth grade students all over the country. Our goal is to learn more about what students in different states are doing, and how we are alike and different. By June, we hope to have heard from every state in the United States! Come check out our map!

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I have a dream too!I have a dream that one day this nation will stop all the violence and there will be no more natural disasters.I have a dream that one day we all can just stop fighting and get along.I have a dream that one day racism will stop because there is still racism.I have a dream that all kids will respect themselves and not drop out of high school.I have a dream today!I have a dream that one day everyone will stop the drama.I have a dream today!

By Shatavia Clayton

I have a dream too!I have a dream that one day this nation will be free from violence.I have a dream that one day young teens will stop dropping out of school.I have a dream that one day you can ask a white person what time it is and they will respond.I have a dream that people will stop littering.I have a dream today!I have a dream that people will not get killed over money.I have a dream today!

By Sanaya Arrington

I have a dream too!I have a dream that one day this nation will stop all crime.I have a dream that one day every person will own a house.I have a dream that one day the killings in Jamaica will stop.I have a dream that one day all the children in the world will get a good education.I have a dream today!I have a dream that my community will be clean.I have a dream today!

By Ramon Harris

I Have a Dream Too!  Written by Mrs. Antonetti's 6th Grade Social Studies Students

I have a dream too!I have a dream that one day this nation will stop all gangs and violence.I have a dream that one day no person will not be judged by the color of their skin but by their character towards other people.I have a dream that one day all wars will end and our people will stop dying.I have a dream that all kids will get a good education no matter what color age or how they look.I have a dream today!I have a dream that one day everyone will have a clean community.I have a dream today!

By Heather Rafter

I have a dream too!I have a dream that one day this nation will be free from drug dealers giving drugs to our people.I have a dream that one day the war will stop and our soldiers will stop getting killed in Iraq.I have a dream that one day you can go to the park and not have to worry about getting shot.I have a dream that kids can go to school without getting picked on.I have a dream today!I have a dream that one day our nation will be free from violence.I have a dream today!

by Rahcief Collier