COMMUNITY SERVICE
Gifts of Kindness
"Gifts
of Kindness" Tag Distribution will be during lunches November 12-20. The
collection of gifts will be November 26-December 7.
School-wide Hat Day
Over $6,000 was raised last year!
SIXTH GRADE ACTIVITIES
Viking Value Award
A sixth
grade program that recognizes students (quarterly) who consistently
demonstrate characteristics of good citizenship. Their respective team
of teachers and counselor selects students each marking period.
The criteria recognizes students who:
- Demonstrates a positive attitude to his/her peers.
- Has recently done something special for classmates or the school.
- Has been exceptionally helpful to someone in need.
- Demonstrates a cooperative attitude in the classroom.
- Volunteers to be of service to peers, the school, or the community.
Students'
names are announced and certificates are presented at a Grade 6
assembly. A bulletin board display highlights the students.
SEVENTH GRADE ACTIVITIES
QUARTERLY CHARACTER PROGRAM
Each
year the seventh grade students assemble for several grade level
meetings. At these meetings we discuss many school issues such as school
rules, behavior issues, field trips and major grade level events. The
quarterly assemblies in the seventh grade are known as our Quarterly
Character assemblies. At these assemblies we also recognize students who
have demonstrated outstanding character.
The
Quarterly Character assemblies serve to not only recognize students’
accomplishments but they also represent an important component of the
building wide effort to promote good character. At the assemblies we
discuss the meaning and importance of the six pillars of character that
the school emphasizes: Respect, Responsibility, Citizenship,
Trustworthiness, Caring, and Fairness. Presentations and discussions of
character issues are presented to the students.
Students
who are recognized at the assemblies are selected by their teachers.
Each team of teachers selects four students for the Quarterly Character
Award. Any staff member may communicate with the team leader to provide
input for student selections. Award winners receive a certificate of
recognition and their pictures are posted in the Quarterly Character
display case; student names are posted in the Viking Voice. In selecting
students for the award the following criteria are considered:
1)Demonstration of one or more of the six pillars of character in exceptional ways.
2)Application of the six pillars in the school setting with peers and adults.
3)Serving peers, the school, or the community, by volunteering to fill a need.
4)Consistency in demonstration of character.
EARTH DAY
Seventh graders celebrate Earth Day with a variety of interdisciplinary activities:
- Science classes view a PowerPoint presentation of students enjoying the great outdoors.
- The
Math Department participate in a nationwide Grocery Bag Project.
Students research relevant conservation statistics and display their
facts, along with art work, on grocery bags. The bags were then
distributed in a local grocery store on Earth Day.
- In
Communication Arts, students discuss the story, "The Last Tree."
Students write reflections on paper leaves, which are placed on a paper
tree in the hallway.
- English
classes took advantage of the glorious weather in an outdoor activity
designed to illustrate the availability of resources in an ecosystem, as
well as factors that influence the natural selection process.
Holocaust Unit
Seventh
graders participate in an interdisciplinary unit involving English,
Communication Arts, Social Studies, Math, and Science. In English,
students read The Diary of Anne Frank and discuss racism. In Communication Arts, students read The Wave,
and discuss propaganda techniques. Social Studies students examine
German history and events leading to the Holocaust. In Math, students
evaluate the statistical figures of casualties during World War II and
the Holocaust. Students also view Swing Kids, a movie about the
Hitler Youth movement. The unit culminates with Holocaust Remembrance
Day. During this special day, students will imagine themselves in the
shoes of a teenager who lived through the Holocaust. The day ends with a
speaker who will recount personal experiences during the Holocaust. The
entire unit provides a meaningful experience to all students.
EIGHTH GRADE ACTIVITIES
YOUTH SUMMIT
The
Bernards Township Municipal Alliance Against Substance Abuse and Youth
Services Commission will present a Youth Summit. This special program
provided information and explored issues that affect young people as
they grow up. The program provided an exciting vision of the future and
the courage to make positive choices along the way.
Washington, DC
Each
year, eighth graders at William Annin are invited on a two-day trip to
Washington, DC in the spring. The trip is an extension of many parts of
the middle school curriculum and it is also a special culminating
experience for the middle school years.
STUDENT STAR AWARD
Each
month, the 8th grade team teachers recognize students as a "Student
Star." The criteria for this recognition are good moral character,
evidence of school contributions, concern for others, a cooperative
spirit, respect for school and others, and a demonstrated sense of
responsibility. The award is not academically based, but intended to
recognize those students who serve as a role model for their peers.
Recipients of the award are recognized in the following ways:
1. The
students are invited to a team meeting to receive the award and a letter
to their parents. All team teachers are present as well as the guidance
counselor and an administrator (when available).
2. The
students are asked to create a poster which celebrates who they are and
it is displayed on the bulletin board in the middle stairwell for the
month they are selected.
3. The students names are announced via morning or afternoon announcements.
4. The student names appear in the Viking Voice.