Dobbs Ferry Middle School

Mrs. Rosenblum shared these pictures and videos of our Writing for the Real World students reading their original children's books to the Springhurst students. They were the perfect audience!

Second Annual Movie Under The Stars
The weather worked with us (despite the chill in the air) and we were able to host our 2nd family movie night outdoors last Friday evening. Many families from our upcoming fifth-grade class and our current middle school families joined us for this fun community-building event.

As part of our 4 part outreach program with the New York Historical Society, Mrs. Marques and our 7th-grade students are being exposed to artifacts from the American Revolution. Students are trying to decipher the purpose of the artifacts and their significance during the American Revolution by analyzing primary sources.

Escape the V**e with Ms. Blanch and the 7th-grade health classes learning about the dangers of va**ng.

Earlier this month students in our 6th grade science classes worked on their procedural writing skills. The New York State Science Learning Standards place a strong emphasis on Science and Engineering Practices (SEPs). One of the aspects of these SEPs is Planning and Carrying Out Investigations; and in order to carry out an investigation, a procedure must be created and followed. Students used a random set of Legos to create a structure and attempted to write a clear, concise, and specific procedure for building this structure. Students then switched procedures and Lego sets with other partners in an attempt to recreate the original structure based on the procedure. The class came together at the end to discuss which aspects of their procedures were helpful and to identify aspects that could be improved upon.
Whether or not students are able to make the structure exactly as intended, students gain a new respect for just how difficult it is to write a set of directions to accomplish a task!

Students in the 6th-grade science classes have been diligently working to hone their measurement and estimation skills. Working in the metric system, the students have practiced using rulers, meter sticks, triple beam balances, beakers, and graduated cylinders. The techniques and problem-solving skills learned and practiced, will be carried through their years in science classrooms and real-world settings.

Middle School students participated in the Road to Freedom Walk Program at the Dobbs Ferry Historical Society. Students acted out a Hamilton Skit and the Naming of the Village of Dobbs Ferry.

Students in Mr. Hanley's and Mrs. Marx's 6th grade science classes participated in a gallery walk that highlighted a diverse set of 22 scientists. Students were asked to read short descriptions of the scientists' work, their outside lives, and their journeys to their current fields of study. After exploring the different professionals from a myriad of scientific disciplines, students reflected on why they were drawn to certain scientists. All 6th-grade students will work collaboratively to finish the activity by taking a deeper look at one of the scientists and discussing with their peers the importance of the work.
Not only were students introduced to new scientific fields of study, but they had the ability to see that scientists are all around us and the world of science is just as diverse as the students in their classes.

2023 Tri County Science and Technology Fair

The Tri County Science and Technology Fair is an annual Science Fair Competition for students in Elementary, Middle, and High School. The competition is organized by the Putnam Children’s Discovery Center and sponsored locally by PepsiCo Research and Development. This year the fair was held virtually.
DFMS entered 6 great projects this year and are pleased to announce the results.

Wiley Weinmann - 3rd Place in Engineering and Technology.
Project Title - Investigating Household Materials for DIY Records

Mira Williams-Ameen - 2nd Place in Psychology.
Project Title - Do Screens Affect Learning? The Difference in Memory Retention Between Screen-Based and In-Person Presentations.

These students also went on to be selected to participate in or be an alternate, in a larger national competition, The Thermo Fisher Junior Innovators Challenge.

The Thermo Fisher JIC is the nation’s premier STEM research competition for middle school students.

Thermo Fisher JIC National Competition results
Mira Williams Ameen - Selected Participant
Wiley Weinmann - Alternate

Do not forget, tomorrow night at 6pm is our first-ever family movie night. Check your emails for event details.

Ms. DeFalco’s 8th-grade Theatre Arts class has two sections; Backstage and
Chorus/Performers. Students participate in all aspects of the play including directing, stage management, sets & props, costumes, and publicity. The Theatre Arts students are busy preparing their full-length play, “The Outsiders” which will be performed on Wednesday, May 24th at 6:00 PM with a 10:00 AM matinee for the Springhurst 5th graders.